When I rolled my head over to view Dad, he just gave a firm, pursed-lip nod.
“You didn’t,” Mom snapped. “I thought we agreed, Phil. I thought we weren’t going to tell her yet. Why would you—”
“Just calm down, Celeste,” Dad barked. “It’s time she knew. You don’t know what’s going on here.” He paused, began to settle, and curled a smile …“Your hair looks pretty though.”
“Forget about my hair! Why would you—”
“She has to learn to deal with the nightmares. They’ll get much worse if she doesn’t learn how to cope. She’s grown now. It was time.”
“They’re creating an angel army,” I said into Mom’s chest. “We’re going to war with the hunters and dreks.”
“What? Why would you want to go to war again? This isn’t another brainless football game, Phillip, this is—”
“I know what this is, Celeste. While you were off getting your hair done, we were saving the world. So don’t tell me what I know and don’t know. Before you get all frazzled, why don’t you come over here and we’ll explain.”
Mom caressed my back, silent. I straightened up and gazed into her gleaming eyes; those comforting sapphire-blue eyes I so adore. She gave me a sweet look. “It’s okay now, Ellie. I’m here for you.” And there was that soothing smile that always melted my heart and seemed to guarantee that everything would be fine. I returned the closest thing I had to a smile as she said, “Okay, let’s go see what these stupid boys are talking about.”
With a palm on my back, she ushered me across the room with her. While we stepped, my hand drifted over her wings. The salon must’ve used that feather gloss stuff, so smooth.
At the table, as Dad explained to Mom, I went over and stood with Vyn. He wrapped an arm around me. I leaned into him, tilted my head to his shoulder and placed a soft palm on his chest, rubbed my thoughts into his heart; I love you, Vyn, so much.
Angie sat in her chair, picked up her salad bowl and began to munch away again. Jaydenn stood above the table, his hands pointing to specific points on the map whenever needed.
We listened to Dad’s explanation.
“The drekavacs are multiplying at an alarming rate these days, which means the hunters are doing the same. More angels are disappearing and it’s only going to get worse, unless we do something. It’s either this, or we cower away like scared animals while the hunters build an army. War is inevitable, Celeste, you know that. We need to stop this before it turns in their favor. We’ll wait for the right time, of course. We need to prepare first.”
Darkness set in my mind. Why does the world have to be so mean? Dad voiced his strategy pep talk like a coach. But my childhood nightmares—impending doom, like rolling thunder in a billowed hunter storm cloud.
The hail would come … eventually.
CHAPTER 8
Almost a half hour later, after Dad mentioned the plans for the new home, Mom said, “Well, that’s just wonderful, girls. You deserve a new home. I’m so happy for you two. And Vyn, let’s get that new lab built.” She hiked over and hugged Vyn and I together. Then turned to the seated Angie and said, “My lovely, Angelica.” She beamed at the sight of her daughter, before stepping over and crouching down at Angie’s feet. Mom’s dress stretched over her knees, two-inch heels propping up her recently moisturized calves as she placed a gentle palm on Angie’s crossed leg. “I missed you, honey. Is Jaydenn taking care of you?” She reached up, tucked a loose strand of hair behind Angie’s ear. “My pretty angel girl.”
Angie held a polite look, a hint of uncomfortable while Mom studied her. Angie rolled her eyes up to Jaydenn and lifted a sly little grin. “He’s keeping up with me, Mom, so far.”
Mom clicked her tongue with a little scolding sound as she narrowed her eyes and stood up. “Angie, I know what you’re talking about, young lady.”
“I’m sure you do, Celeste,” Dad commented.
Mom swung her eyes on Dad. “Phillip!”
Jaydenn stayed out of it, but I could tell by the forced look at the map, the way his hands floated over the paper in no particular direction, that he knew. Angie looked up at Mom with a clever smile, a confident batting of eyelashes, mission accomplished.
Mom finally grinned down at Angie. “You just think you’re so cute, don’t you?” She bent a kiss to Angie’s forehead, drew back. “Well, you’re right.” She paused for a beat, staring at Angie’s smile. Then spun around and stepped her long legs across the floor like a runway model, heading to a shopping bag near the door.
All that time and I hadn’t even noticed the bag. Gazing at it, I began to realize it was from that new store. Even the bag was delightful; purple flowered and pink with little rope handles. The kind of bag that held the dreams that could cure any nightmare.
Mom crouched, snatched it up, wheeled around and clicked her way back to us while saying, “I knew you two would be here this weekend so I picked up something for you girls from that new store, Angel’s Closet.” She pulled out one garment, stepped to Angie.
The suspense tugged at me.
She’d pulled out the cutest little peach-colored bikini bottoms I’d ever seen. I hustled over to Mom, reached out and touched it, rubbed the smooth fabric between two fingers.
Angie politely took it and held it up with a smile of gratitude. “Oh, that’s so cute, Mom. My favorite color. Thank you.”
My eyes went to the bag, Mom, the bag, Mom.
“Don’t worry, Ellie,” said Mom. She reached into the bag, pulled out another. “I picked out your favorite color too.”
Didn’t mean to, but I snatched it from her.
Pink fabric glistened before my eyes. I rubbed it into my cheek while saying, “Oh, Mom, thank you so much,” then hugged her with bikini in hand.
“You’re welcome, honey.”
After the hug, I reached out and displayed my new bikini with both hands, eyes on Vyn. “What do you think? Do you like it?”
Standing before the table, Vyn sent a sideways glance to Mom, back to me. “Yeah,” he said. “It’s nice.”
Nice? I knew what he meant, though. His wings twitched, face blushed. Yeah, he knew it was much more than nice, and it was mine.
Mom said, “Would you girls like to try them out. Let’s go for a swim.”
I tossed a look down to Angie. “Let’s go, sis, please?”
Angie grinned, pushed from her chair.
“Don’t forget the matching top,” Mom said.
Oh my Source.
Mom pulled out the tops. The pink one was in my hot little hands in a tick of time and I streaked across the room and out the door before anyone could say another word.
****
Crystal-clear pool water sparkled with sunlight, my body immersed in the liquid show. I stood waist deep, amazed at how a little piece of fabric could make me feel a few years older. The previous awakening words of my Dad played a part in this feeling. Even though I’d tried to put the nightmare out of my mind, persistent images still floated through.
When I bent my knees, leaned back and lowered my head under the surface, muffled silence came, then the voice. Rough, unrecognizable. Avian vocals scratched at my mind. The raspy sound sent jolts of panic through me. Then the sound dissolved as I came up from the depths.
Mental note: Don’t go under water.
Belly on the surface, I pulled through the liquid, making my way to the center of the pool, water sliding over my tucked-back wings as my feet fluttered.
After reaching the center fountain, I stood gazing up at the concrete angel. His widespread white wings, arms outstretched, hands reaching to the sky and spraying water in a looping shower. Sucking a drip of water off my lip, I palmed my wet hair back, and remembered the fountain from childhood. It was always there whenever I needed answers, just a kid thing. What could I ask it now? The child was long gone so the concrete angel wouldn’t have known the answer anyway. Didn’t matter.
The secret was out.
Another question did c
ome to mind as I eyed up at the angel: Does Vyn love me?
Fountain sounds hissed and splashed through the mist of chlorine air, as I thought of everyone, instances where there might have been hints. One memory after another I began to realize something. I’d been coddled and protected all my life. I’d become a spoiled princess because of that treatment. Time to face it. I cupped my hands to fill my palms, splashed the coolness to my face. A sort of decision washed the youth down my skin, a liquid cleansing from a fountain. Once more, I cupped my hands, another splash, while I envisioned my childhood washing into the pool, dispersing into the million gallon depths of adulthood.
Water blinked from my lashes over new eyes. I turned and spread my wings under the fountain, liquid trickled off as I flittered and fluffed the feathers, taking in the sights of the back yard. A concrete deck bordered by lush grass and tall lilac hedges that bloomed powder-purple flowers under the April sun. Bees buzzed through the sweet air on their daily rounds. Blue tiles edged the pool and chrome ladders climbed out. At the back of the yard, a grape arbor covered a wooden bench swing. Bub was sniffing through the lawn by the hedges. He started to squat, eew, so I turned around to give him some privacy.
Mom and Angie were on the poolside lounge chairs, wings tucked under, sunglasses on as they soaked in the light-energy. In her powder blue bikini, Mom reached up, pushed her dark glasses to her forehead and sent me a smile. “Whatcha doin’ over there, Ellie?” she called out.
“Nothing.”
“Do you like your new bikini?”
As my fingertips touched the little pink heart sewn in the center of my top, I voiced out through the sounds of the fountain spray, “I love it, Mom. It’s so nice.”
Angie—lounged to the right of Mom in her peach-colored bikini—tilted her chin down, pushed her glasses up with one finger, smiled at me, then pulled her shades back down over her eyes and settled her head back.
She just thinks she’s so cool. Well, I guess she kinda is. So I grinned at my sister.
Mom grabbed the glass off her towel on the concrete, and lifted a sip. I jumped forward and swam, pulled myself up the ladder and out of the water with a splash to the deck. Crossing the sunbaked concrete, I palmed my hair back, wrung it out with both hands. The heat of the deck burned underfoot so I didn’t waste any time lowering down into my lounge chair.
After slipping my sunglasses on, and gulping some tea, I settled back on my wings and let my lids slide shut in the rays. When a light breeze drifted over the moisture on my skin, a long sigh drained from my lungs. Poolside bliss. The smell of flowers, chlorine, and the delicious aroma of coconut lotion mixed in the air. Little happy birds chirped from the hedges. In my sense envelopment, I smiled in agreement with them.
The flitter of little wings caught my attention. Tilting my chin, I looked across the water to notice two sparrows perched on the statue, ruffling their feathers in the fountain spray. At that, I grinned, and settled back again, knowing just how that feels.
“Mom,” I said, eyes closed, “I think it’s time everyone stopped calling me Ellie.” It was a stupid idea, I knew, maybe a little childish, but I had to start somewhere, right. My eyes opened and I angled my head to view her.
She rotated on her lounge chair, placed her feet to the towel spread on the concrete. “But, Ellie, why?” She looked wounded.
Time for a talk, I decided, and sat up to face her.
On the other side of Mom, Angie was smiling. She got to her feet, pulled off her glasses and straightened her bikini top with fingertips. “I need a swim,” she said, and tossed me a sister grin. Then strode to the pool, bent her knees a tad, folded her wings and dived in with a splash, sending the sparrows to flitter away to the lilac hedges. Bub came running across the yard and launched through the air, landing with a splash in front of Angie as she squealed and giggled.
My focus went to Mom as I said, “All my life everyone has tiptoed around me, coddling me, just to protect me from some ridiculous nightmares. They call me a princess. Now I know why. I don’t want to be that little girl anymore.”
“But you’ll always be my Ellie. Nothing can change that.”
“Just please call me Elle from now on. Tell everyone else too, please. For me.”
Mom sighed. “Okay.” Then reached out to me to do her ritual hair tuck thing, but drew her hand back when she caught my squinty-eyed look of warning. After rotating back into her lounge chair, she reached down for the lotion, squirted a bit into her hand and began to rub it into her legs. “Getting a nice tan here, wouldn’t you say?”
With a glance at her long bronzing legs, I replied, “Uh-huh,” then lounged back. “Mom, there’s something else that’s bothering me.”
“Yes, what’s that?” She rubbed her calves.
“If the drekavacs are what Dad said, why doesn’t anyone else know? I mean. Why don’t they teach that in history class?”
“No, it wouldn’t be taught, dear.”
“Why?”
“Think about it. If we let that news out it would cause mass panic. No angel would ever go outside again. And that’s not what we want. That’s no life. I’d tell you not to let anyone else know, but by the end the summer it won’t matter anyway.”
She had a point. I wouldn’t have gone outside either. I’d have missed everything, would have become a recluse behind walls, and so would’ve everyone else.
“Hmm,” I agreed, and settled back with that concept.
The sound of Angie caught my attention while she fluttered her wings under the fountain, giggling like a little girl. So I tilted my chin down to watch her glimmer with youthful excitement. Her wet hair looked different, a little darker, with highlights. Maybe it was the water? No, she must’ve had the salon put highlights in while on her shopping trip.
“Should I dye my hair, Mom?”
“What, Ellie, don’t you even think about that. Don’t even tease.”
A grin, as I let my lids slide shut under my glasses and angled my face to the sun. Even as I began to drift off, Mom said, “Put some lotion on, Ellie.” I pretended I didn’t hear her. A minute later, her hands were rubbing lotion into my legs. A little coddling’s okay, I guess …
****
Dakarai showed up in the dimness of dream, towering before me while I picked white daisies from a field. His drekavac form threw a long shadow over my eight-year-old body. My innocent eyes went up to him with a smile.
Hey, Dakarai, I said in my dream, and held up a bundle of daisies in my little hands. Do you like these?
Dakarai smirked, showing the tips of his pointed teeth as he scratched out, Those are nice, little one. Let me smell. He bent so far down from his height, slow, like his drekavac head descended from the clouds. Bulging black eyes locked on me as he sniffed the flowers. A hand came up and wrapped around my wrist. The nightmare began as the little girl yelled, Let go, you’re hurting me, let go of me!
Lava red filled Dakarai’s eyes. On the end of a long neck, his wrinkled-skin head grew a hooked beak. A talon clamped my wrist.
I screamed with all the air in my little lungs.
He gurgled his last words as a drek; Sorry, little one, you’re just too delicious to let go.
With one powerful thrust of his black vulture wings, we lifted off the ground and the flowers fell to the earth. Light dissolved. My mind wilted. Darkness devoured my sanity. I slipped into oblivion.
CHAPTER 9
With my hands clamping the rails of the poolside lounge chair, I began to realize; the dream didn’t end on a snap of terror. Like a painting left out in the rain, dark hues melted away to reveal the light, and I awoke slowly to the sprinkled sounds of laughter and the pool fountain.
Yet, something akin to volcanic magma boiled at the core of my being. Dakarai, my friend, had tried to take away my innocent life. I bit down hard on the word NO … He would pay. With that thought, I sat up straight.
The lounge chairs were empty, Mom and Angie in the pool. Someone had filled my tea glass f
or me so I snatched it up for a long swallow … Then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and swept my gaze around. How long was I out?
Calm energy filled the yard. Flower-scented air hung still. Bub lay in the shade of the hedges on the opposite side of the pool. Even the birds seemed to have lowered the volume of their chirping. On the flagstone patio at the house, a table umbrella sheltered the boys as male laughter echoed across the yard. I angled out of my chair, padded to the pool. With the slant of the late afternoon sunrays, the water looked flat, no sparkles, just gentle waves lapping the blue-tiled edges, and the fountain hissing out a spray. Mom stood waste deep on the far side, her back to me while she talked and giggled with Angie.
“Mom,” I said. She didn’t hear me. “Mom!”
She turned. “Yes, what is it?” She sipped some water off her lip.
“I need to talk to you.”
Her look went to mother mode. She dashed across the surface of the water, pulled herself up the ladder with a splash onto the concrete, and guided me back to the chairs. She draped a towel around her shoulders. We sat facing each other while she studied me, worried eyes searching under water-clumped lashes.
“Honey,” she said in a hushed tone, “did you have a—”
“Yeah, but it’s okay. I’m not scared anymore.”
She started to lean in for a hug but I stiff-arm stopped her. “Mom, don’t. Just listen”—a surprised, hurt look withered her face—“I’m sorry. I just need you to listen for a second.”
As she nodded a slow frown, it dawned on me that that was the first time I had ever stopped her from hugging me. I’d injured her heart, and it showed. A twinge of guilt lumped in my throat, but I’d deal with it later. I got to my feet.
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