“Thank you, Michael. I promise I will be back as soon as I can.” At that moment all Jasmine wanted to do was reach out for her charge, but she suppressed the urge with one strong push of will.
“If it’s OK with you, I would like to spend some time in meditation before I leave. Can I use your room? Do you need me for anything?”
“No, there's nothing I need in there, so feel free to use it. I won't disturb you.” Michael replied shifting awkwardly. He looked like he wanted to say no, make up an excuse for her to stay, but Jasmine had made up her mind.
Jasmine stood up straight after away and walked over to his bedroom door, hesitating at the threshold. She looked back at her charge and was again overwhelmed by a surge of feelings, some of them less savoury than mere affection. She violently quelled the aberrant emotions, bunching up her fists and shutting her eyes tightly. The mere thought of lust at a time like this made Jasmine feel disgusted at herself.
She pushed through the bedroom door and slammed it shut behind her. Jasmine took a deep breath to master herself, then sat cross legged on Michael’s bed. The cool sheets felt good against her skin as she shut her eyes and began humming softly. A light breeze blew in through the window bringing a faint smell of rain.
Jasmine imagined the breeze cooling the raging fires in her soul, the rain putting out the flames as it pattered outside and against the partially open window. Her thoughts kept turning back to her charge, but little by little Jasmine regained her composure and detachment. She listened to the symphony, ignoring the bizarre note that kept playing in discord to the whole. The sound soothed her further, and her breathing steadied to a slow rhythm.
Jasmine remained in a meditative state all morning and most of the afternoon. She was dimly aware of Michael’s activities outside. He watched some television, took a couple of phone calls from his parents and confirmed his visit to Claire later on that day. A pang threatened to disrupt Jasmine’s cool when Michael was speaking to Claire, but it was easy to suppress in her relaxed state.
Eventually, she heard Michael go to take a shower and decided that she was ready to leave. Jasmine had originally intended to say goodbye and let Michael know she was leaving, but when the time came, she couldn’t face leaving the room. The comfort of being as she used to, without confusion, was too much to disturb and , even though it was an unangelic act of selfishness, Jasmine decided to just leave without a word. She could always apologise later when she returned.
Jasmine shifted her position until she was kneeling and pressed her palms together. She raised her head to the heavens, letting her hair fall about her slender shoulders. She shut her eyes and let her wings slowly spread out behind her. Her wingtips stretched and lightly brushed the ceiling. Jasmine sang softly, touching her feathers together and slowly opening the portal to the heavens. She stood up, hesitating at the last moment.
“Goodbye, Michael, I promise I’ll be back soon,” she murmured, unable to go without saying something, even if it was just to the rain outside. She beat her wings once, propelling her into the portal. The ring of light shut just as a knock came on the door.
***
Outside the window, two women leaned against the tree Jasmine had sat on the previous night. The rain fell all around, but not a drop touched them; the Lilith Sisters never did like to get their makeup smudged. They smiled up at Michael’s apartment as Jasmine departed, satisfied with the results so far. They walked away slowly, rain falling around them, to prepare the finale for their master.
***
Michael felt awful by the time he was making ready to leave for Claire’s. Jasmine had left without even a single word of goodbye, just like all those times a girl he had been dating changed her mind or found someone else, leaving him in the lurch.
Even knowing that wasn’t the case here, couldn’t stop him being hurt and very confused by Jasmine’s recent behaviour. She had been with him all his life, and caring for him. Being able to see her had only strengthened their bond, forming into a friendship and even something more.
Over the last day or two, though, Jasmine’s actions had become erratic: one moment deeply affectionate, the next cold and distant. Obviously the situation between them was anything but normal, but still the way she acted was giving him headaches. A little consistency would have been nice.
The days since his accident had been a rollercoaster of new discoveries, experiences and emotions, a very confusing and scary rollercoaster, with big highs and deep lows. Somehow, Michael couldn’t imagine his life the way it used to be, mundane and boring. Just going to work, coming home, going to the pub and watching telly seemed pointless. With all the confusion and fear in his life now. He didn’t want to return to how it had been, and he didn’t want to let go of Jasmine and his feelings for her, either.
Taking a deep breath, Michael stood up straight and looked himself over in the mirror. “Things will work out, I just know they will," he said to himself. "I can get through anything if I try.” The words had become a kind of mantra whenever he faced difficult times. Even when he was back in school he had said those words and drawn strength from them.
For all his sometimes sullen and apathetic nature, deep down Michael cared a lot about the world around him, and he didn’t have it in him to give up, no matter what happened. It was a part of him that served as a double edged sword. A few times in the past, when trying to raise extra money, or help a friend, he had pushed himself too hard. Regardless it was a part of himself he was proud of, and was sure would help him through now.
His mantra spoken and his appearance taken care of (the look in the mirror serving a double purpose) Michael decided he might as well leave for Claire’s. It was still a little early, but waiting for Jasmine to return seemed like a forlorn hope.
Michael hesitated at the doorway, hoping that Jasmine might return, even though he knew it wasn’t going to happen; he sighed after a couple of minutes and shut the door. As he left the house, Michael looked up at the tree by his window. He remembered the morning when his life changed, the day of the accident. It had been bright and sunny, nothing like this grey, rainy day. Hunching his shoulders and pulling his coat tight around him, Michael hurried down the road to the bus-stop, hoping to catch a bus before the rain got any worse.
His luck was not holding that day. The rain turned into a heavy downpour as he made his way down the street. Large drops hammered into the pavement, making small splashes on the paving stones. The world rushed past as Michael ran for the bus-stop. He paid no heed to the various people hurrying around or past him. He didn’t even notice their Guardians, too focused on getting himself out of the rain. He got a vague sense of unease as he ran, catching brief glimpses of the angels around him. He thought he heard someone shout his name, but he ignored it thinking the person wanted someone else's attention.
Eventually, Michael made it to the stop. Despite running, the journey actually took slightly longer than usual due to the heavy rain. His jacket was soaked, dripping water under the shallow shelter of the bus-stop. A sultry looking woman was the only other person waiting. She wore a revealing, low-cut top and ultra-short skirt, presumably to go out for a night on the town. He tried not to stare but found himself stealing guilty glances at the woman. There was no guardian around her. Had her angel abandoned her too? Was she just like him?
After a few minutes, the bus turned up. Michael got on board, paying his fare. The driver gave him a dirty look for dripping water into the bus but Michael ignored it. If anything, the few drops from his coat would clean the dank and dirty interior of the London bus, not add to it. As he found his seat, Michael cast a glance outside. The woman had not moved from her position leaning against the shelter.
As he looked at her, she bent down low to reveal her cleavage and winked at him with a huge grin. Michael felt himself blushing and turned away on nervous instinct. He thought guiltily about Jasmine, but still couldn’t help but cast a second glance as the bus pulled off. Who was that woman, and why was no Guar
dian was with her? It occurred to him she could have been in a similar situation to him.
***
Back at the bus stop the Eldith straightened, grinning. She had taken great care with her makeup and appearance before setting out to wait for Michael. Her sister had only told her to wait at the bus stop until he arrived, but Eldith liked any excuse to get dressed up and bring a little lust into boring mortals lives.
She had even taken a short break when a moderately attractive man had shown an interest in her. Taking him to a quiet alley, she had satisfied his desires twice before consuming his soul and leaving his spent husk to wither on the ground. His Guardian had been powerless, watching helplessly as the man was consumed by his own lusts. The man had not been truly corrupt, though, just a little stupid and lonely and his angel too pure. A pity, Eldith would have loved to add another succubus to the infernal ranks.
When Michael arrived, she was careful to subdue her demonic nature. The spell was a difficult one, but one her sister had drummed it into her over the centuries. She found the mortal curious. He was average looking, skinny and dressed normally, yet something about him aroused her interest and, when he looked at her, a slight shiver passed through her. If Garamond did succeed in turning him to their side, she would spare some time to find out just how he could perform.
Best of all, his angel was absent. What was her name again? Jasmine? It didn't really matter to Eldith anyway. Their plan had obviously worked even better than expected. The spell they had infested Jasmine with through Michael must have worked like a charm, sowing confusion between them and kindling doubt, and a tiny spark of darkness within Jasmine. Eldith smiled and pulled out her mobile, dialing her sister’s number.
“Hello, Eldith dear." Lilith's voice chimed through the small phone, "Why are you phoning me when you could just contact me through your mind? Silly girl.”
“I thought I would surprise you, dear sister. Besides, why have this marvelous looking little device if I can't even use it a little bit?"
“Awww, Eldith, your fixation on humans and their toys will get you in trouble one day. Anyway, what's up? I felt the tremor of you having fun from here.” Lillith sounded a little annoyed.
“I couldn’t help myself. I got bored, and a lovely man came along to keep me company. But anyway… Michael arrived as expected; he is on his way to the station now. And you'll love this. His Guardian was not with him. We won't even have to separate them now!” Beaming with pride, Eldith noticed a man staring at her, and so leaned over exposing her rear to him. The old man stared, ignoring his wife until she pulled him violently along.
“Excellent work, sister. Now come and join me. I’ve set things up this end, and I'll make sure everything goes to plan. By this time tomorrow, Hell’s legions will have two new allies, and the world will be set to burn.” Lilith broke into a giggle as she hung up.
Eldith felt elated and hailed a cab. She couldn’t wait until the party started and she would have millions of souls to sate her lusts. But for now she was only looking forward to having one special little soul she could enjoy for eternity.
"Take me to Liverpool Street gorgeous, make it quick" Eldith said as she got into the cab. She would have to hurry if she was going to make Michael's train before it left.
***
The bus journey was uneventful. Michael spent most of it staring out of the window into the pouring rain and thinking about Jasmine. Was she OK? Had she found the answers she was looking for? Her behaviour had become more and more confusing over the last few days, but Michael had just put it down to the odd situation they had been placed in. How many times had he tried to understand and failed miserably?
As the rain beat down against the window and people hurried past outside, Michael’s thoughts turned to the woman at the bus stop. She'd had no Guardian, but hadn't seemed in any way evil or bizarre, just flirty and very forward. Her Guardian must have been hard pressed to keep her safe, considering the way she behaved - assuming she had one.
People filed on and off the bus at the various stops along its route, and Michael continued staring out of the window. Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed his stop. Leaping up, he ran down the aisle and squeezed through the doors as they shut, ignoring the dodgy looks he got.
Without waiting, he ran straight into the station. It was half-past four on Friday and close to the rush hour, the place was heaving with tourists and day trippers returning from seeing the sights of London, shoppers laden with bags after a spell of retail therapy, and workers eager to get home after a long day in the office.
Pushing his way through the throng was a huge task, and Michael quickly found himself tired and irritated. After five minutes of pushing, and being pushed, a determined effort got him to the automated ticket machines. Most as usual were out of order, adding to the lines.
After a further ten minutes and a lot of messing about with convoluted menus and correct change, Michael managed to purchase his ticket. His train was scheduled to depart at 6:20, but he'd believe that when it actually started moving. He still had twenty minutes, but perhaps he should check the timetable anyway.
Braving the press of people, he pushed his way through towards the information board. He had to stop several times as people barged and shoved. At one point, a little girl was knocked over by a passing businessman. Michael instinctively stopped to help her and received a grateful look from her mother, who had been separated from the child. The little girl’s Guardian also looked grateful, and nodded to Michael. This Guardian obviously hadn't heard about Michael's ability and looked stunned when he nodded back and smiled.
As he looked up at the board, the sight took his breath away. Flying above the throng of people was an equally large mass of Guardians. With no space down below, most of the angels in the station had taken to the air above where a huge group of them flew around. Michael was awestruck. Hundreds, even thousands of angels, all in one place, all dutifully watching their charges from above. Michael felt a pang of loneliness at that moment, knowing Jasmine was not among them.
Tearing his eyes away from the angels, Michael turned his attention to the board. He was right to doubt the train timetable; his train had been moved forward, due to a previous cancellation, and was scheduled to leave ten minutes early. Looking at his watch, he started running for the platform and pushed through the press in the hopes of not missing his train.
To his surprise, many people cleared from his path, leaving a route all the way to his platform. At the far end, near the entry gates, Michael swore he caught a flash of red, but it must have been blinking light. Above him, the angels stopped moving and all looked towards that platform. Michael dimly heard a few cries of alarm but didn't pay any attention, catching the train was the only thing on his mind.
For once, the barriers didn't hold Michael up, and he managed to jump on the train in the nick of time. The door-closing chime had just finished as Michael squeezed his way onto the last carriage on the train. Trying to catch his breath, Michael couldn't help but grin. “Seems like my luck is finally turning,” he whispered to himself.
***
At the other end of the train, two women watched Michael board before stepping back through the doors. “That was a big risk Lilith," Eldith hissed to her sister. "With all those angels up there, we could have been mincemeat.”
“It was that or have the whole plan go down the pan because of a stupid train company and a few pesky mortals. It worked out in the end. The spell held, and the Guardians couldn’t tell who did it.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s here now. Is everything set up?”
“Yes, dear sister." Lilith Licked her lips. "The driver was nicely distracted while I modified, the brakes, and I trust you saw to the other part of our plan."
“Uhh, you hussy! I wanted the driver, he was cute." Eldith pouted. "But yeah, everything else is set up, it's all sorted.”
“Good. Let's stay on here till the stop before, just in case someone screws things up." Lilith
brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. "The accident has to occur on schedule and look natural, otherwise it won't work be any good."
“Oooo, can I have some fun while we wait?” Eldith licked her lips, and eyed a pair of business-men in the next carriage.
“You're so single minded. But sure, go have some fun, just be ready to get off in time. We don’t want these bodies getting damaged. We might miss all the fun.” Lilith sighed.
Eldith squealed with glee, and skipped off to sit by the business men, leaning forward provocatively as she sat down to expose as much cleavage as possible. Lilith grinned at her sister and, shrugging, walked over to join her. “May as well recharge my batteries, too, while we wait for the show to get started.”
***
Jasmine arrived on high later than she expected, her usual ascent turbulent and unsteady. The symphony played in the background, but the discordant note ringing in every verse refused to disappear. It was becoming so annoying, if she could find its source she planned to stop it in a most un-angelic manner.
The clouds on the lower levels had grown as dark and menacing as the earthly clouds. The initial stages of ascension took an angel up into the sky through the portal of light. Jasmine was used to passing dark rain clouds, having been stationed in England ever since Michael was born, but to see dark clouds on the upper plane, was considered a bad omen and a sign of dark things afoot. In fact, the last time Jasmine had seen such clouds had been just before the terror attacks in America.
Eventually, Jasmine left behind the banks of roiling, dark clouds and ascended to calmer planes. She landed softly and let her wings settle against her back as she pushed thoughts of her ascension aside. She also had to fight thoughts of her charge and stay focused on finding some information.
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