Flesh and Feathers

by Hylton, Danielle; Fifer, April

  I pointed down to the water at the boat that was beginning to drift out in the ocean because I hadn’t tied it to the dock. “I’ve been in the water all night.”

  “Oh dear, are you alright?” With the knowledge of me being lost at sea, changed her demeanor.

  “Yes, ma’am. I just really need to get to Hillside Cemetery. Do you think you could call a cab company for me?” Hearing the name of the cemetery roll off my tongue made me swallow hard. I had just been there visiting my mother and Mr. Parker… and now, I was going to try and save my friend.

  “Hillside Cemetery in Los Angeles?” she questioned in a tone that clued me in that I was much further away than I had hoped.

  “How long do you think it will take to get there?” I asked.

  “Well, since you’re in Santa Barbara, it’s hard to say. An hour and a half with no traffic, but it could take up to three. I’ll call the cab. You sit out here.”

  I smiled and gave a single nod. “Okay. Thank you.”

  I sat down on the steps, waiting. A few minutes later, I heard the door open. The lady came out and took a seat beside me.

  She handed me some toast and a glass of tea. I looked at her strangely, but then remembered how hungry I had felt in the boat.

  “I thought you might want something to eat.” She smiled in a way that only spoke kindness.

  “Thanks.” I took the toast from her and began tearing it with my hands.

  “I’m Ella.”

  “Azaleigh,” I responded, holding a hand to my mouth, trying to keep food from flying out.

  Ella looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. “Storm’s coming.”

  I scowled a little and then looked up. The sun had risen well above the horizon, and I could only guess that it was around eight o’clock in the morning. However, I didn’t see a single cloud. Was she just trying to make small talk?

  “How can you tell?” I asked curiously, but I was having a hard time focusing on the conversation. I kept thinking about Jen.

  Her eyes closed like she was trying to hone in on her sixth sense. Opening them, she turned her attention to me. “Things are never what they seem, Dear. There is always something waiting in the midst. You just have to look for the signs.”

  For me, that was a sign and maybe a warning to burn those words in my head.

  The cab driver pulled up and honked the horn. I turned to Ella as she held out her hand, and I placed mine in hers to say thanks. She pressed something into my palm. When I opened my hand, I realized it was money.

  “Oh… I can’t accept this.” I said, trying to give it back to her.

  “No, Dear. You keep it. I’m an old lady and have no use for it. It will pay for your cab and for you to get something to eat.” She paused and smiled at me. “Besides, I haven’t seen someone with so much hope in them in a very long time. Thank you.” She drew out the word “you”.

  I gave her a wink and took off for the cab.

  An hour into the ride, the sky turned a sea of black. The storm began to spit rain. Drop by drop it turned into a solid sheet that pounded against the car. The downpour was so heavy, it was blinding.

  “Ma’am, we’re going to have to pull over,” the cab driver shouted over the sound of the rain pelting the car.

  “I really need to get there. It’s important,” I said, trying to manage the frustration in my voice.

  “Sorry, Ma’am, but if we’re going to get there in one piece, we’re going to have to wait until it lets up.”

  This was just one more obstacle I would have to accept. I couldn’t say that I hadn’t been warned, as I replayed Ella’s words in my mind.

  After sitting for over twenty minutes, the rain had let up enough for the cab driver to see out of the windshield. It took another hour after that–with traffic and the rain–to make it to Los Angeles.

  I threw the money at the driver and jumped out. The storm was starting to regain its strength as I ran to the front of the cemetery. The gates were chained shut. I grasped the iron bars as I peered in, the coldness of the steel caused chill-bumps to run up my arms.

  Looking up, I knew that there was no way to climb the gates, so I jogged along the fencing looking for any kind of opening. At the north end of the cemetery, there was a break in the fence at the bottom. It appeared that the rain had washed away the soil–leaving a small gap in between the bottom of the fence and the ground.

  I lay down and started to slide underneath of it. The wrought iron came to a point, and as I maneuvered under it; the sharp spikes tore into my shirt–leaving small scrapes on my skin. I couldn’t help but choke from the pouring rain that stung my face.

  Once on the other side, I got up and looked around at the empty graveyard. The statues seemed strange in the darkness and took on a life of their own. The rain was so thick now that I was only able to see a few feet in front of me. I didn’t know where to start.

  The muddy terrain made it hard to move quickly, and it pulled at my feet as I trudged along. In the near distance, I could see the first of the angel statues. The closer I got to it, I realized it was the statue I had missed on my last trip here. Its solid wings were spread out, and his hands were raised–reaching towards the sky. It was the angel Dekalabrie–Kale.

  A nearby tree limb snapped, crashing to the ground with a loud thud, which caused me to stagger back. I needed to get out of the rain. The storm was crippling, and I was unable to think clearly. My feet shuffled quickly, carrying me over the saturated ground. There was a mausoleum in the center of the cemetery that I could take shelter in. I took one final step, but my foot didn’t touch the ground. Losing my balance, I fell forward into a large hole and landed at the bottom.

  My breathing was rapid, and in the process I had landed in a foot of muddy water. At first I was disorientated. However, that quickly passed. The smell of dirt was overwhelming. I could feel the wet soil all over my clothes–slimy and gritty. I sat up on my knees, frantically wiping my soaked hair from of my face.

  I was starting to panic, and all I could think about was how to get out of here, when I felt something moved underneath of me. A pale face surfaced from the murky water.

  I screamed as I scrambled back against the dirt wall. I dug my fingers into the soil, trying to pull myself out, but the ground was too wet and gave way. I huddled close to the wall that was furthest from the body. I couldn’t look directly at him.

  I stood there for a few minutes. A mixture of tears and rain covered my face. Who was this person? I forced a quick glance at him, noticing that he was roughly my age. What could he have done to end up like this? –A nameless, forgotten body in an unmarked grave.

  The more I looked at him, the more curious I became. He was wearing a blue collared shirt with a name patch that was covered in mud. I leaned over him, holding my face back. With one of my fingers, I wiped the soil and blood from the small patch. “Oh shit,” I gasped as I read the name, Mitch, embroidered in dark blue.

  Jen’s face entrenched itself in my mind. Staring at him, I realized how wrong I was. Mitch would have never hurt Jen and falling in love with her had led him to his death. Now I understood what Jen had meant that day we stood on the north tower.

  That still left me concerned with what had happened to Jen. I knew she was still in danger–I had to find her as soon as possible.

  I looked around for another way out. My fingers barely touched the top of the grave, and I knew that the ground was too wet for me to pull myself up. I looked over at Mitch. He was my only option to get out.

  I placed my hands in the water, wedging them underneath Mitch’s back. I took a deep breath, held it, and faced away from him as I heaved his body inch by inch, until I had him sitting up against the dirt wall. This was the single most disturbing thing I had ever done in my entire life, and I felt sickness edging its way up my throat.

  With a quick fluent step on his shoulder, I was able to hoist myself up far enough, so that my elbows were fixed firmly on the ground above. I dug my feet int
o the dirt wall and used my hands to drag myself out of the open grave.

  I rested on the ground, letting the rain beat on my back. Once I had regained enough strength, I pushed my chest off the ground. I was ready to get up when I saw feet planted in front of me. As I rose, my eyes followed the figure up until they were level with his face.

  Kano stood directly in front me. The rain ran from my hair and into my eyes, stinging them and blurring my vision. It was hard to see any definition to his face, so when he spoke, I couldn’t see his expression. “You are the Arch?” His words were ridiculing.

  I stood in front of him wet and covered with mud. My anger over ran my better judgment to be silent. “Yes I am. And you’re the asshole chasing me, correct?”

  He smiled slightly. “You are also bold…, much like your friend Genevieve.”

  “Where is she?” I asked thinking of Mitch at the bottom of the empty grave and praying my friend had not suffered the same fate.

  Kano stood in silence.

  “Please…, just tell me she is okay.” I looked up at him. His face had lost some of the solidity, and I wondered what he was thinking. How could a creature with no morality or feelings look so distraught? However, it only lasted for a moment.

  I was irritated with his stillness. He wouldn’t respond. “You better pray that Kale doesn’t find you,” I hissed.

  This aggravated Kano. “You place too much faith on your precious Kale. It was not long ago that you were weeping with the belief that he wanted another.”

  I took one small step back, looking at him puzzled. “How did you… know that?” I asked, almost stammering.

  The rain continued to pour, running down my face as I tried to put the pieces together. How did he know about that? The vision of seeing Jen and Mitch at the bar together filled my mind. I had mistaken Mitch for Kale. Then I recalled what Mr. Parker had said. Kale had come by twice and had acted strangely.

  “It was you. You were the one who came to my apartment that night.” Things were beginning to fall into place, little by little. I could tell by the look on his face that I had guessed correctly.

  Faster than I could have imagined, he snatched me around my waist and leapt into the air. His wings beat against the wind. As we flew, the hard rain pelted my face, but then stopped as we rose above the low hanging clouds.

  We landed in front of the large stone structure, and with confidence I didn’t even know I had, I proceeded to the front doors with Kano trailing behind me.

  Inside, two large doors opened at the end of the hall, showing me the way. I took a deep breath at the sight of the blonde woman standing at the edge of the room. It was the same woman who had haunted me in my mirror…, Scarlet. Her gaze was triumphant, and she seemed pleased as she watched Kano lead me to her.

  “My payment,” Kano stated, looking at Scarlet.

  She smiled cynically. “Of course.” She tore her gaze away from me, turning to Kano. “You have proven to be most reliable.”

  Scarlet held out a white bow that had unusual etching engraved on it. Moving a few steps towards her, Kano took the bow. He swung it over his back and started to walk past me. He turned, making eye contact. My eyes focused hard on his. “Are you finished being her errand boy?” I said, with tightened brows.

  He didn’t respond, only leaving the room instead. It was bizarre. I was more fearful without him here. I’m sure that was because I had been afraid of Scarlet for so long, the thought of being alone with her terrified me.

  “Tobias will be pleased with your arrival. He has been waiting for you,” she taunted.

  Chapter 16

  Lifeless

  “We need to move now. It’s only a matter of time before he finds her,” Kale said, with a frustrated tone.

  Tannah scowled. “You are not the one in command here. I will say when it is time,” she snapped at him.

  “No. But if I was, this would all be over with by now,” Kale countered.

  Gage spoke up as the voice of reason. “If you were in command, she would already be dead by now. Look what has happened so far.”

  The three of them had returned to the island. They had learned the location of where Tobias was hiding. This had taken more time than anyone could have expected. For centenaries, Tobias had been able to remain in the shadows, eluding them. His resources were endless, and those who did know anything, were too afraid to double–cross him.

  Kale’s impatience to attack Tobias was more than just keeping Az safe. It had been his fault that Kano had found Az that day outside the diner.

  Although it was Kale’s decision to leave, Tannah wanted to keep them apart for many reasons. He had endangered Az’s life with his reckless behavior, but the prevalent reason was because the bond between him and Az had grown too strong. Tannah knew that Az and Kale’s relationship could tilt a delicate balance and change everything.

  There was a congregation of fallen angels that lived outside of the city. They didn’t represent all the fallen, only the ones who had chosen to live out their existence on earth together, obeying man’s laws and had no relation to the Angels of Treason. Kale had worked his way into their circle, and although he still disliked the choice they had made, he knew this was the best way to get to Tobias. Only, he had made a mistake.

  Kale had befriended a fallen named, Vega, who was a loner. Vega claimed to have information that would lead Kale to Tobias, but in the end, it only led him to a dead end. Kale had been deceived by Vega, who instead helped Scarlet track Kale back to Azaleigh. Vega was rewarded for his services by becoming a preferred for the Angels of Treason.

  Gage had a connection of his own with a fallen named, Jocelyn. Vega and Jocelyn had fallen together. Vega had promised her that their lives would be more bravura lived out on earth. Jocelyn loved Vega more than anything, but he had betrayed her as well. Gage knew that she would greatly appreciate the opportunity for vengeance. She had said that there was nothing left that Vega could take from her that he hadn’t already.

  Gage had set up a meeting with Jocelyn. She was the one who had told them where to find Tobias–but that wasn’t all. She also told them that Tobias had acquired Qeres.

  “I do not mean any disrespect, Tannah. I’m just not clear why we are waiting,” Kale said, as they opened the doors to the castle and proceeded inside.

  “Kale, we can’t just rush in and take over. Tobias has a number of followers who are very willing to die for him,” Gage said.

  Kale turned to face Gage. Anger caused heat to rise from his body. “The only reason you are here is for egotistical purposes. You do not care about Az’s safety.”

  Gage arched his brow, watching Kale. His voice remained calm. “I think you would like to believe that because it would be easier for you if I didn’t. I think it eats at you knowing she might want me instead.”

  “I have heard enough.” Tannah’s voice echoed through the hall. “This is not about either of you. This is about something bigger than all of us. Gage, I may not have dominion over you, but while you are here, you will conduct yourself in a manner that is respectful. Do you understand? And Kale, you need to accept that Gage is on our side, and he is not going anywhere. You wanted a reason why we cannot move now? This is it.” Tannah stormed up the stairs and disappeared down the hallway.

  Kale and Gage walked up the stairs together in silence. Kale ambled ahead towards Az’s room. He knocked softly, but she didn’t answer. He wouldn’t have bothered her normally, but since they had been gone overnight, he wanted to check on her. He opened the door and peeked in. Her knotted up covers lay on the bed and her nightshirt had been tossed in the corner of the room.

  A few doors down, Kale went to Jen’s room, but she wasn’t there either. He decided to go change before looking for them. He paused at his door to see Gage standing in his room.

  Gage looked up with a stern face. “Looks like you get your wish.”

  He handed Kale the crumpled piece of paper. After reading Az’s note Kale said, “We leave n
ow.”

  ***

  Az had spent–what seemed like hours–looking for a way out of the room she was being held in but with no luck. The single window carved into the wall was barred, and the huge metal door had been locked from the outside. All that she could do was wait. Wait to be rescued…, wait to die…, wait for the end.

  Her mind drifted. She began to think of Kale, and how she had wished she had been kinder to him at the castle. She began to regret not telling him how much she loved him and what he meant to her. It was now–all too clear–what he had done for her. He had left her, not to try and drown his feelings for her, but to keep her safe. Leaving was his way of protecting her, and he had come back for the very same reason.

  She wondered how hard it must have been for him, knowing that she was unable to remember him all that time, and him, having to carry her memory around. It was then that she realized there was nothing else she wanted more than to be with him… and now… it was possible that would never happen. This is where she would die. She knew this was the truth, and she didn’t need special powers to know that. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as the realization of the end came to light.

  Regardless of what they were going to do to her, they couldn’t take her thoughts. So she dreamed. She dreamed of what life would have been like, had her and Kale had been given a real chance. What it would have been like if for one day–one day only–they could have lived like a real couple, just two people who loved each other. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment, deep inside the locked doors at the back of her mind. Dreaming of him was the only freedom she would ever have again and she was going to saver every precious second.

  Somewhere in her daydream, Az hadn’t heard Scarlet enter the room. Az snapped out of her daze abruptly at the sound of Scarlet’s foot tapping the floor.

  “Dreaming of Kale? Typical of your kind. Love is a pathetic weakness,” Scarlet teased in a wicked voice.

  “I’m sure you wouldn’t know how it feels…, obviously you’re only good enough to be Tobias’ whore.” Az didn’t realize how true her statement was until she saw Scarlet’s face harden like stone.