I started to get a headache; this was going nowhere fast. Asher must have taken pity on me. He stepped in front of Gwen and gave her his imperious stare-down till her laughter dried up to a few stray snickers. His mouth set into a hard line. “You are a strange girl, but for Isabel’s sake, we will indulge you. Grim, show her your wings.”
Grim stepped forward, grinning as usual. God, but he loved being the center of attention. “Well, I don’t know, this is all so sudden, and we barely know each other.” I wanted to tell him to cut the shit, but I managed to keep my mouth shut. Barely. “Oh, alright, then.”
Grim did a complete turn for Gwen, preening it seemed. He was such a show-off. Still bare chested and covered with scorch marks from the fight at the school, he was kind of hot. Worse, he was just Gwen’s type. Under normal circumstances, we both might have been drooling over him. I just had to take away points for personality. He went from a ten to a seven, just as soon as he opened his mouth.
The scars running the length of his back began to glow softly. In the blink of an eye, brilliant light flared and his wings unfurled with a low “whoosh”. I flinched, even though I knew what was coming. I didn’t remember ever seeing the flash of light before, but he was showing off, so maybe that was it. Gwen squealed like a little girl and jumped back about a foot. He extended his wings high over his head, then spread them out to either side of his body. They were huge, but unlike Asher’s charcoal grey wings, his were almost totally black. A black so glossy, that they were nearly purple, with an emerald shift when he moved in the sunlight.
Gwen’s eyes were enormous, and her face had gone as pasty pale as mine usually was. “Well, what do you think? You can touch them, if you promise to be gentle.” He turned and gave her a smoldering look over his shoulder that he probably practiced in front of a mirror. Big flirt.
Gwen’s reaction was immediate, and painful to behold; she ran behind the closest bushes and barfed. Loudly. Grim looked only mildly disgusted by the whole thing. I figured his ego could take a hit. He seemed to be impressed with himself enough for the both of them.
Asher clapped his hands together once, sharply. “Well, that went better than expected. Alright, we really do need to move things along. Isabel, do you mind fetching your friend? Grim seems to have upset the poor girl.” I wondered how upset she would be once she remembered where she and Grim had met before.
I walked up on Gwen slowly, and noisily, so she wouldn’t freak out. She had had just about enough surprises for the day. She straightened up and wiped her mouth on the back of her shaking hand. “Are you ok, Gwen?”
She nodded, sniffed back tears a few times, from being sick, and smiled weakly. “Yeah, I’m good. Must’ve eaten something bad for lunch.” She wouldn’t admit to weakness, if she could help it.
“Yeah, that was probably it.” I linked my arm in hers and drew her back towards the clearing where the guys were. She walked stiffly, like she thought running the other way was a much better idea, but she let me lead her back because she trusted me.
Asher had his wings out and he looked around, suspiciously. I wondered if we might be under another attack soon, in spite of this being neutral ground. I walked over to him and looked up. No one from above seemed to take any notice of us yet. I didn’t know how long that would last, but I doubted we had much time. One thing was certain, I had to get back to my dad before someone else found him first.
Grim crossed his arms over his chest and fluffed his feathers out as Gwen walked up and stood her ground in front of him. He may have startled her before, but she had a grip on herself now, and determined not to let him have the upper hand. He was taller than her by several inches, so she had to look up at him. Being freakishly tall for a girl, Gwen wasn’t used to looking up at anyone, so I knew how much it bit her ass, having to do it now. “You may be an angel, but I still think that you’re an asshole.” She said it quietly, through gritted teeth. I understood. The urge to run is natural when confronted with Death.
Grim flashed suddenly sharp teeth at her. “You will find that I grow on you, Pretty.”
Gwen glared at him. “Not likely.” She spun on her heel and turned her back on him. She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “Well, Iz, interesting new friends you’ve made. I guess that answers my question about them.” She motioned above our heads with her chin. “Now, how do we get back home?”
I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. She was going to keep it together. Good. That made things simpler. “Good question. Asher?”
His blonde head was tilted, listening for something probably only a dog could hear. He held up a staying hand, asking for our silence. His expressions changed quickly and inexplicably. It looked like he was carrying on an entire conversation inside his head, which he probably was. Finally, he looked at me, but his expression was bleak. “We have a meeting with the council of Elders. Once they see that you are no threat, they should leave you in peace.” He tried to look confident, but I wasn’t so sure. He didn’t look totally convinced, either. “Grim, take the girl home.”
“But we were just getting acquainted.”
“Wipe her memory of today.” Ice water rushed through my veins. What was he doing?
“Hold up,” Gwen threw her hands up in a ‘stop’ motion. “I’m not going anywhere without Izzy, so you can get that idea right out of your damned head.” She pointed an accusing finger at Grim, “And you can keep your hands to yourself. You won’t be able to wipe your own ass if you try brainwashing me.” I thought about duct taping her mouth closed.
Grim reminded me of a cat watching a mouse; it was a matter of when, not if he would pounce on her. “Well, I could let you keep your memories, Pretty, but I’d have to kill you if you told anyone about us.”
“Seriously?” Gwen threw her arms out wide. “Who in the hell would believe any of this?”
“Asher, it isn’t safe for her, there. It isn’t safe for any of them, there.” I was about to panic. This situation had gotten screwed up so fast, it wasn’t funny.
Asher gripped my shoulders in his large hands, and looked me square in the eye, blocking out everything else. “Isabel, we have amnesty, but only for a little while. The Elders want to meet, and decide what to do with you. Your family is human, and therefore, insignificant. They will harm your people only in an attempt to force your cooperation.”
“I’ll cooperate. I swear. Just keep them safe.”
He kneaded my shoulders. “I think I can keep all of you safe, if you will trust me.” I nodded. I would do whatever he asked.
“Are you crazy? I don’t trust him!” Gwen was getting over her disbelief and heading straight into pissed off.
I turned back to her, “Please, Gwen, do as he says. For me. These people aren’t playing around.” My knees were weak and I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, like all of the butterflies had died.
“Are you listening to yourself, Iz? These people aren’t people! What the hell kind of angel has black wings?”
“Oh, oh, me, pick me, I know!” Grim waved his hand in the air like an eager schoolboy, simply to irritate her more, I was sure. He swept a regal bow, dropped to one knee, and placed a hand over his heart. “We are Reaper Angels, my dear. You may have heard of us.” He watched her reaction like a predator watches particularly fine prey. He gestured towards Asher with both hands. “Ashrael, commander of legions of Reapers. He is not just any angel of death, mind you, he is The Angel of Death.” He stood up to his full height and looked down his nose at her, uncharacteristically serious. “So show some goddamned respect.”
Gwen’s lips thinned into a hard line. She wet her lips before speaking. “And who might you be, really?”
He brought his face down very close to hers, until their noses were nearly touching. “I might be the Grim Reaper.” His voice came out in a low purr.
She nodded, once. “Got it.” She looked him square in the eye without flinching away. “I still think you’re an asshole
.” The look on Grim’s face was priceless.
Chapter 17…Izzy
“Grim, stop toying with the girl, and take her back. We are running out of time. Stay to make sure that she and the others are safe, please. I will call you if I need your help.”
Maybe he sensed that Asher’s patience was almost at an end, but Grim didn’t stop to argue with him. This whole day had been one crappy thing happening after another. We were all running short on patience. Gwen backed away from Grim when he started towards her, and really who could blame her? He was a scary sight. I thought he might toy with her, since that seemed to be how he kept himself amused, but he grabbed her quickly and disappeared.
I took an involuntary step forward, as if I could do anything to bring them back, but I was too late. My face grew very hot and began to crumple as my eyes started to sting. With horror, I realized that I was about to cry. In front of Asher, of all people. I couldn’t do it. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. The pain distracted me long enough to let me get a grip. “What is wrong?” He looked so concerned. I wondered what he would’ve done if I’d just gone ahead and let the tears and snot fly.
“I didn’t get to say good-bye to her.” My voice was tiny, barely above a whisper. Inside, I writhed in shame for my weakness. I could do better than this; I needed to stay strong, at least for a little while longer. “I didn’t get to say good-bye to any of them.” I really wanted to get to my meltdown, and be done with it.
“All will be well. If everything works out, your separation will be but short-lived.” He sounded so confident, I almost believed him, but this situation was screwed nine ways to Sunday, as Gwen would say. I didn’t see any possible solution, other than my own early demise. I’d kind of hoped to avoid that, if at all possible, but if that was the only way to protect my family, then so be it. Nobody gets to live forever. I glanced side-ways at Asher… almost nobody.
Asher held his hand out to me, and I slipped mine into it, trustingly. The knot in my chest loosened, somewhat. Maybe this would come out ok, somehow. If I could just keep my dad and Gwen’s family safe, then it would be enough. It would have to be enough.
“I know you will not want to, but we have to fly from here up to the Aerie. There can be no shifting in and out, for security reasons. The Elders want to meet with you. We do not have much time.”
“Alright,” I squared my shoulders as I came to him, my heart in my throat, “but you better not drop me into another lake.” Or anywhere else. Getting dropped was high on my list of things to avoid.
When he smiled, it softened the hard lines of his face. “I promise not to drop you.”
His arms snaked around me and pulled me up tight against him. It was strange, how well we fit together. I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his bare chest. His skin was warm against my cheek. My throat tightened. I thought of trying to hold myself at a distance, but the pitiful truth was that I was scared, and I wanted him to hold me tight. I was alone in the world, except for this beautiful, deadly angel. Cold fear poured through me. How much trouble would he be in for trying to protect me? Would there be any way to keep him safe?
I inhaled deeply, taking comfort in Asher’s unique scent. It left me almost light-headed. I didn’t have much experience with boys, a few dates, here and there, but I knew what I was feeling was more than a simple crush. And really, a super-complicated relationship couldn’t have come about at a better time. Not.
Even if he weren’t the freaking, almighty Angel of Death, and all his creepy-assed friends didn’t want to kill me, then I still had high school to finish and college to start. Not to mention there was kind of an age difference of oh, say, a few dozen millennia. It gave a May/December relationship a whole new meaning. And all of this was assuming that he had any feelings for me. I was so thankful, just then, that he didn’t seem to be able to read my mind. I would have died of embarrassment long before anyone else got the chance to kill me.
Asher’s arms tightened around me as his wings spread out, enormous, and silvery black in the sunlight. He looked me in the eye, his face only a breath from mine when we shot straight up into the sky. My heart flew into my throat. Thankfully, I did not scream, but only because it took my breath away. Although, I dearly wanted to holler my fool head off; a good, gut-deep shriek would’ve made me feel much better about the whole thing.
It must have taken incredible strength for Asher to move so quickly, especially since he was carrying me, but he didn’t seem to be putting much effort into it at all. The towering trees below became nothing more than tiny specs as we soared above. Raw terror didn’t seize me, this time. A deep-rooted fear, yes, but not mind numbing panic. I guess I just knew that Asher would never let me fall. He might drop me on purpose, like the last time, but he would never let me fall.
I dared a glance over his shoulder. At least a dozen angels paused mid-flight to watch us. Both male and female; inhumanly beautiful faces turned astonished, disapproving glances on us. Humans, undoubtedly, do not belong in the Sanctuary. Bringing one there was probably unheard of. It was sacred ground, and I didn’t have to be told that I probably wouldn’t be welcomed with either open arms or wings.
We passed them by and continued on, up into much colder air. My teeth were almost chattering, but I didn’t complain; I didn’t want to distract Asher in case some of the angels we passed were of a mind to pull a sneak attack. I kept my head buried in his neck most of the time, still terrified of the view. It didn’t hurt that he was the only warm thing in a world full of miserable cold.
At the top of the mountain Asher paused and dropped down lightly onto jagged stone. I chanced a peek. The drop over the side was beyond dizzying, though mostly obscured by marshmallow clouds. “You are safe, Isabel. Look up, girl.” He didn’t even sound out of breath. I was impressed, since I was feeling sort of breathless at the moment. It could have been the view, but most likely it was the lack of oxygen.
Slowly, I pulled myself away from him and looked all around. “Wow. Just…wow. What is this place?” It was a castle in the clouds, and it was magnificent. It was a fortress that stretched miles into the sky and spread out as far as the eye could see. It was mind-blowing.
“This is the Aerie. It is home to many beings, and it changes constantly.” Asher smiled as he watched my reaction. He looked happy, and relieved to be home. I hoped he was right about it being a safe place.
“What do you mean, it changes?” My eyes widened as I tried to take in everything at once. The castle was grey stone, solid as the mountain itself, but even as we watched, pieces of it grew transparent. Parts of the great hall grew wooden, then shifted back to stone. “Holy crap, why is it doing that? How is it doing that?” Out of all the weird stuff that I had seen and done in the past couple of weeks, this topped them all.
“The castle shifts depending on the needs and tastes of its occupants. Some rooms grow smaller, some larger. Hallways, also. From the inside it may appear to be anything from tiny shack, to an enormous skyscraper.” He shrugged, “It all depends on what we need, or what we want.”
I shook my head, trying to comprehend, but it was impossible to wrap my head around this crazy place. “That’s insane.”
“In my Father’s house, there are many mansions…”
I bit my lip nervously as I looked all around. Where, exactly, had he brought me? “That’s part of the Bible. This isn’t Heaven…is it?”
He laughed at me, almost like I’d surprised it out of him. “Oh, no, this is nothing half so grand. Just a place of rest. This is Sanctuary, and it is neutral ground. The Elders are here, as well as other immortals; angels mostly, but also a demon or two, probably. You will be amazed at the things you will see, but not half as amazed as they will be to see you.” He looked younger than I ever remembered seeing him; not that he ever looked old, but he was always so serious. Maybe it was because the lines around his face relaxed, and his eyes were shining a silvery, liquid grey.
“Because I’m human?”
I hated to burst his bubble, but it was his buddies who just tried to kill me. The chances of anyone listening to reason were pretty slim. I didn’t like our chances.
“No, because you are something more than human. You are something other.” He took my hand, pulling me along towards the entrance. “I want to show you everything, but unfortunately, we do not have much time.” I tripped along, struggling to keep up with his much longer legs. He made a point of slowing down for me. After that comment about the demons showing up, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go inside. I’d already had quite enough to do with demons, thank you very much. Then I reminded myself, ruefully, that it was angels who attacked my school. If both sides wanted to kill me, what chance did I have?
Enormous wooden doors, banded with iron, guarded the entrance to the Aerie. Asher made a fist and struck the door, once. A deep, low boom echoed far longer than it should have. I scooted in close to his side, almost literally under his wing. He squeezed my hand gently. I squeezed back, then worried that my hand might be clammy. My stomach was in knots; I so wanted to get this over with.
The doors opened soundlessly to a long, tree-lined pathway. Oddly enough, there wasn’t a soul in sight, no pun intended. Blue skies shined overhead. “Are we still inside the castle? This place is so strange. Why isn’t there anyone here? I thought there would be guards, or something.” It felt like being in church; you just automatically lowered your voice to a whisper.
Asher chuckled indulgently. “I told you, it is a place of rest. No one guards the Aerie, yet everyone does, if that makes any sense to you.” With all of the angels flying around the place, it made perfect sense, and yet, I expected some kind of welcoming committee. An armed welcoming committee.
This place was enough to give me a headache. It was all confusion and misdirection. “I guess that makes sense. This is kind of creepy, Asher.” Mossy trees lined both sides of our dirt path, their branches gnarly, and misshapen. Leaves crunched beneath our feet, and deeper into the forest a brook bubbled. In the wind blowing through the strangely fashioned trees, I heard his name; “Asshherr.” It was a sibilant hiss, a whisper on the wind. A shiver crawled down my spine as his name whispered over and over, on the wind.
Wings of Darkness: Book 1 of The Immortal Sorrows Series Page 16