KEE-EEE-AAR! Dakarai sent through the sky outside.
“Well, I guess I should go out there.” As I rose from my chair, ladybug wings fluttered in my stomach. My pumps took one step, and another. While eyeing through the thin lace drapes, I stalled. Blood thump thumped in my ears. After drawing a deep breath, I finally parted the drapes and stepped out to view the side yard.
The crowd became so hushed I heard a bird’s wings as it flew through the forest. Colorful flower boxes sat on the railings to the left and right of me; the scent of violets and pine forest mixing. While I gazed in silence over the yard, breakfast slid around in my stomach. Mom and Dad stood in the shade under a pine at the back of the crowd. Dad put an arm around Mom as she tilted her head to his shoulder, her eyes aimed up at me while she rubbed Dad’s chest. I sent them the closest thing to a smile I could manage.
Maybe two hundred souls waited in the yard and spilled into the forest, all silent and staring while my heart pounded my ribcage. With a blueberry-stained face, little human Cassie was perched on her mother’s shoulders. She picked a berry from a small bowl, a gleaming joy on her face while she watched me. Ginelle stood beside them with Steffunnie perched on her shoulders, same blueberry-stained face on Steff. They must have made friends, so nice.
“Yay! Ellie,” Angie called from below, breaking the quiet. “I love you, sis!” She gave me a helping wink and I returned a tense smile. Chin to chest, I tucked some hair behind my ear. Warmth of embarrassment slithered from my toes up to my wings.
No need to worry, little one, Dakarai said. I angled my head to see him perched tall and confident on the roof.
“Did he say something?” a female voice called.
I swiveled back around. “Um, he said I shouldn’t worry, that you understand.”
“What?”
A little more volume, “He said I shouldn’t worry, that you understand.”
“We love you, Ellie, all of us,” a male voiced out near the back of the crowd. “There’s no reason to worry. Just take your time.”
Such kind smiles of patience filled the yard.
“I love all of you, too. I really do.”
Murmurs of encouragement spread.
Dakarai said, Just face the crowd and forward the words for me. Your confidence will come. Source is with us now.
“What did he say?” another voice called. How do they know when he talks? Does he click his beak or something?
“Um, he said that I’m supposed to forward for him. I’ll do the best I can. I hope you understand.”
A collective nod waved through the sea of souls.
Dakarai began to speak to me and I started for him, “Um, it’s time for us to become one now, one population existing in harmony, helping one another”—The words were coming out of my mouth!—“The drekavacs will hide, you can be sure. However, you must know, they are intelligent. They devise ways to survive. You may not know this, but they do not kill the children. They take them and raise them as their own, training them in dark ways to poison their minds. This is how they build their population. Drekavacs are simply a cult, bent on filling the world with darkness.”
I had to pause with that horrific thought. The “family” of dreks at the campfire, the way I see flashes of children when I look at them. Was I seeing their true form? Their human or angel form? Oh, no, I have to save them.
Dakarai waited for my attention, before we continued:
“After the last war, we did not know they continued to exist. We assumed there was peace in the world. We were mistaken. It became clear they had infiltrated and infected human minds. We will not make that mistake again.”
“No. We won’t!” a deep male voice bellowed out over the crowd, a StarWing team member. “Not this time!”
A grumble of agreement lifted from the team … died down.
Dakarai and I went on, “The drekavacs will devise ways to infiltrate. We will stop this. Angels will rid the world of this disease. There will be no treaty this time. Their time is over and the dark will die in the light. Angels will guard our cities and humans will exist in peace, above ground. We will build a community of one. Steadfast and strong, we will prevail.”
At Dakarai’s next words to me, I snapped my head around and tossed him a burning glare. He had said, We have a new princess, and she stands before you now. She will be your advisor, and forward messages I receive from Source.
Princess! No!
“Dakarai, I can’t tell them that. And please, please don’t call me princess. You want me, me? There’s no way. I can’t do that. I’m just, just … Elle.”
“What did he say?” a crowd voice called.
Go ahead, my little one. Princess is simply a title. Tell them what you wish. Yet, your path has been destined since the beginning, and I have waited. See, there is something your family does not know. This is your father’s seventh lifetime, but he cannot recall his former position as a king, nor your mother a queen, and yet, once a king, always a king. Therefore, you have always been Princess Elleria Soepheea, Angelica Marie your princess sister, and I hear Princess Emmelina will be joining us soon. I have always been your knight, my dear, and that will never change. Back when I was in human form, I gifted your father the statue as a reminder of times to come. Also, you must understand. Stories of this new time will go on for millennia, your stories. And as humble as you are, my princess, we are the dawn of the legends of Elleria.
“What did he say?” the crowd voice called again.
After a long, long, long moment of staring in awe at Dakarai, gathering myself and attempting to understand what he’d just said, I took a breath, swiveled back around.
“Um, he said you will have a new— He said I’m supposed to forward messages from Source to you.” Scrunching up my face, warmth of embarrassment washed over me. My chin tipped down as I tucked some hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I should—”
“Ellie, Ellie!” a male voiced out.
“Ellie, Ellie!” others joined until the yard filled with the sounds of approval. It went on, and on, and on.…
Raise your hand, little one. They will listen.
I raised my hand for a tentative, friendly wave. The crowd sounds dissolved. Murmurs bubbled here and there.
“Thank you my friends,” Dakarai said, I forwarded. “Also, an angel has discovered a vaccine for the dark sickness. He will be the scientific director and advisor. He is called Vyncynte D’rik.”
Following those words, I could’ve sworn I heard a thud hit the bedroom floor behind me. Did Vyn black out? The image of him on his back pulled a smiling giggle from me. It’s no fun, is it, Vyn?
You can take it from here. A fine job you did.
“You can take —” I started to forward, before realizing. “Oh, yeah, duh.” I looked up at him. Was he grinning at me? “Thank you, Dakarai. It was such a wonderful speech.”
My pleasure, lovely Elleria. Now, tell them one more thing from both of us. Tell them in your own words to enjoy the life.
Drifting my gaze over the buzzing yard, I considered for a minute. Then tucked some already-tucked hair behind my ear, lifted my chin and placed my palms on the wooden railing. A hush fell over the yard … I began:
“The angels will take care of the details, everyone. All we want is for you not to worry. Remember, do everything in your power to spend each moment with a smile. Live in love and peace, and have so much fun enjoying all the gifts of life. That’s what we’re here for, everyone, all of us. I love you all so much, so very much. I will live my life as an example to you. I will dance in the flowers and bask in the light, as will you. You are free now, all of you. Look at the sky, it’s all yours. You don’t need to live under anymore. Your calling is above, here with us. I’m so happy to be a part of this and I won’t let you down. I will never give up. Never. You are all my family and we’re in this together.…” I couldn’t think of anything else. “Um, that’s all I have to say. Remember, I love all of you so very much.”
>
Very well said, little one, very well indeed.
Humans and angels were lost in sobs. As my gaze skimmed over the crowd, Mom wept into Dad’s chest. Dad’s face filled with emotion as he rubbed Mom’s back and wings. Angie leaned into Jaydenn, tilted her head to his chest while he wrapped an arm around her. The team stood around, nodding pursed lips. Luca pushed through the crowd, made his way to Ginelle and embraced his wife, little Steff was still on Ginelle’s shoulders.
A female angel in a gorgeous flower-printed sundress walked up to Ginelle, tapped her on the shoulder, said something while Luca released the hug and stood with them. They all turned and looked up at me. When I noticed the female, my heart skipped a beat. It was Dahlia Emil! She folded her arms over her chest, tilted her head, a feminine twinkle in her eyes as she gave me a mischievous grin. When my gaping mouth finally closed, I smiled back at her.
At the feel of a hand on my shoulder, I turned to see Vyn as he said, “Ellie, you okay?”
What? Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”
Something hid behind Vyn’s smile. His eyes went from mine, to the crowd, and I followed his sight line and back to see him and Angie locked in some sort of communication. Angie gave him a grinning tip of her chin. Vyn returned a pursed-lip nod.
Vyn placed his hands on my shoulders, gently pulled me around to face him—and didn’t say a word. Just gave me that ice-melting smile and those luscious blue eyes … Still, not a word. Something, his energy, something, held me in his gaze and stole my breath.
My heart stuttered. Trembles began.
He leaned, touched his lips to mine, drew back and lifted my hands into his. His palms felt clammy with sweat.
I just looked at him. And with his eyes pouring into mine he finally said, “Ellie, my beautiful, I need to tell you something.” He paused to give me a grin. “We were eight years old when I first saw you, picking flowers from a field. You were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and still are. For hours, I sat beside a tree, just watching you. You were my dream. When Dakarai grabbed you, I had to do something. He was taking you away from me. I was just a kid, but something lit inside me. I ran, jumped, and pulled you away from him. Pulled you back to me, and just held you on my lap. The second I kissed you, I knew. But you wouldn’t wake up so I ran and got your dad.”
Stunned, all I could do was look at him. Just look, and look, and look. He squeezed my hands and added:
“I am so in love with you, since that day in the flower field. I know how long you’ve waited for me to say that. I’m sorry you had to wait so long. Those words have always been inside me. I couldn’t get them out. Every time I try, well, Source, Ellie, I look at you and I can’t breathe. But that’s no excuse. I should’ve told you. I want to tell you for the rest of my life. So, it’s time I pulled the words from my pocket.”
Warm tingles washed over me.
I forgot how to speak, how to think.
In my peripheral, his hand dropped, but his eyes held mine. As my bottom lip started to quiver, I blinked away the threat of tears. Vyn’s hand came up as he said, “Ellie?”
“H-uh,” a whimper caught on a light sob.
“Ellie, my life, my heart, all of me, has always been yours … Ellie?”
“H-uh.”
“It’s your birthday, Ellie. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate how thankful I am to have you in this world. This is for you, my angel, for us. Please look down.”
When my eyes finally released from his, I let them drift down to Vyn’s hand. Tears filled, spilled, tracked down my cheek and fell to the deck.
The ring caught the light, glinting like faceted dreams in the sun.
“Ellie, are you—?”
Falling forward, my arms filled with Vyn. With my chin cradled on his shoulder, I said through a sob, “Say it. Please, say it.”
He turned his lips to me ear, whispered softly, “I love you, Ellie. Since the day you entered my life, this is all I’ve ever wanted.”
My voice hitched, “Say it.” hiccup. “Please.” hiccup. “I can’t take it anymore.”
He pulled me off him to stand, placed his palms on my cheeks and held my face, focused into my welling stare as I felt my bottom lip quiver.
His wet eyes pushed into my soul. He cleared his throat, and finally let the words out:
“Ellie, you are my only destiny. Will you marry me?”
And the petals of my heart bloomed in Vyn’s blue gaze. My knees gave out. I crumpled into my prince, my cheek to his chest as he folded his arms around me.
“Oh, Vyn. Of course. It’s always been, yes.”
Silence. No crowd. Just us. The lovely murmur of his heartbeat in my ear.
“I love you, so much,” I stammered, then released on a shuddered whisper, “You saved me.”
And wrapped in the wings of my love, indistinct cheers on the air, a new dream began.
Oh, Source, thank you….
###
A Few Words
Hello reader, this is Elleria Soepheea, Elle, of course, duh, right? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my story of how it all began. And I wanted to let you know, Vyn and I are working on getting the next story back to your time. It’s called The Angelic Inn, and I have a wedding to plan, yay! It’s about time he asked me, the turd. Oh, and, Vyn told me to tell you be careful of the dreks, don’t listen to them. Sometimes they look just like you and I. They’re sneaky. Okay then, I’ll see you at The Angelic Inn, love you all
Sincerely,
Elleria Marie Soepheea
Connect with me online:
http://www.elleriasoepheea.com
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ErikAuthor
http://www.goodreads.com/ErikAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/ErikAuthor
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
Wings of Boden Page 29