“It wouldn’t be so hard if you didn’t have to bring all those books,” said Adrianna.
“These books are the reason we’re not searching for Andromeda’s Chains on the moon,” Tom said.
The moon would be a good hiding place for angel weapons.
“But we already know where we’re going, right? I can’t see why you brought them along,” she said.
“I don’t know why you’re complaining,” said Chandra. “I have to carry the weapons.” Chandra held a large black suitcase in one hand and a duffle bag on her opposite shoulder.
A private airplane sat in the loading bay. It was a good thing, too. Airport security wouldn’t let us get by with a bottle of water much less a suitcase full of weapons.
“Hello, Mr. Nash.” A man waited at the steps of the plane. He looked to be in his early fifties with a gray beard and bright, clear blue eyes. He wore white slacks and a black suit jacket with gold bands at the cuffs. He bore a pin of golden wings above his breast pocket.
“Good morning, Frank,” said Nash. “You have the itinerary?”
“Yes, sir.”
Nash placed his bag on the cart beside the steps, and everyone tossed their bags in as well.
The wind blasted through the open space with no trees or buildings to stop the onslaught.
Inside the plane was a beige sofa along one wall, and across from the sofa were two large, brown leather chairs that looked comfortable enough to sleep in. Between the two chairs was a square table, and on the wall, was a television. I longed for the static drone of the TV while I slept. Maybe that was why my nights were sleepless.
I plopped down on the sofa followed by Adrianna, Kiran, and Chandra, who sat on the opposite end as far away from me as she could get. Tom took his books out of his bags, which he lugged up the steps himself. Nash sat in the chair across from me.
A flight attendant entered the plane. I was relieved to see that she wasn’t one of the robotic women from Lucifer’s skyscraper.
She was a pleasant faced woman with a natural smile and warm, pink cheeks. She looked like she smelled of peaches. She wore a clean, white buttoned down shirt tucked into a simple, black skirt.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked.
“Coffee,” said Nash.
“How do you take it?”
“Black.”
“Root Beer?” I asked.
“I’ll take an iced tea,” said Adrianna.
Tom’s nose was in his book as he waved the flight attendant away.
At the cost of signaling to everyone that I had never been on a plane before, I pushed up the blinds and watched the ground shrink below us. My ears popped as we ascended.
“What is the weapon we’re looking for again?” I asked.
“Andromeda’s Chains,” said Tom.
“Chains?” That doesn’t sound like much of a weapon.
“Yes, Chains,” said Chandra as if she was annoyed. “They are heavy and bathed in fire. You wouldn’t want to get hit with them, especially a mortal like you. They would crush your skull.” She smiled in relish at that comment.
If I had to guess how many demons were aboard this plane, I’d say, At least one.
As night fell, Nash showed me to the back of the plane where two rows of sleeping bunks nestled across from each other. I curled up on the top bunk and peered out of the window behind the blackout blinds to see the stars.
Adrianna and Kiran slept in the bottom bunk opposite me. Kiran put his arm around Adrianna’s waist.
I awoke. The others had left their bunks. I noticed the sheets of the top bunk across from me had been disturbed. Someone had crawled in while I was asleep. I wondered if it had been Nash.
I imagined his gaze upon my sleeping form before he closed his eyes. My heart thumped that up-tempo drum beat I started to hate.
But my heart wasn’t the only thing acting funny. I sensed a difference in Nash’s mood toward me after I fought with the fallen angel. He had more respect for me than he had before. He watched me more and stole glances at me as I moved around the house.
I rolled over and pulled open the blinds. The light assaulted my eyes. I blinked until I became comfortable with the brightness.
The islands were in the distance, a forest canopy of green surrounded by clear, blue water.
The plane landed at the airport, and Nash called a car to take us to the hotel. Large white columns stood at the front entrance. Once I got to my room, I tossed my suitcase onto the king-sized bed.
This hotel was above and beyond the seedy motel that Adriel brought me to. The room was double the size. The bed was dressed in clean, white linens and a comforter. An abstract painting, taller than me, hung on the wall across from the bed. The painting reflected the bright, colorful atmosphere of the island. Off to the side was a private balcony with two lounge chairs and a clear, glass railing so that it wouldn’t obscure the view of green trees and the beach in the distance.
Nash and the others went to brunch at a café down the street from the hotel. Nash said he ate at the café before and recommended it, but I was still too anxious to eat.
Tomorrow we were supposed to travel to the base of a volcano to steal an angel weapon. From the time our hands touched that weapon, we would be on that angel’s radar or more like her hit list. She would attack us, and I had to stop her.
If I didn’t, my friends would die, and if they died on Earth, they were destined to the Pit where they would fall forever.
But, no pressure.
I unpacked my bag and put on shorts and a t-shirt. I sat out on the balcony all afternoon and enjoyed the sun on my skin. I hopped into the shower, towel dried my hair, and got dressed.
A knock sounded at my door. Nash stood in the hall.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “There’s a little place in town.”
“Let me guess, it’s highly recommended,” I said.
“Very highly.” He smiled.
I didn’t come down for breakfast because my nerves were on edge. I didn’t eat on the plane either. My stomach rumbled, and I clenched it as my face grew hot. “Actually,” I said. “Something to eat would be great.”
“Okay, get dressed. I’ll be back in an hour.”
I looked down at my outfit. Great. If I knew Nash, this little place he was talking about was probably pretty fancy. I hadn’t packed any dresses. Why would I? I came to Ecuador to fight, not to prance around town in my finest.
“I didn’t bring anything dressy,” I said.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Nash. “I’ll have something brought up to you.”
I was about to tell him not to bother, that I would order room service, but he was halfway down the hall as I clenched my stomach and tried to quiet another rumble.
Half an hour later, I answered another knock. A man in a white suit stood outside with a black garment bag and shoebox. He offered them to me. When I took the items, he still stood at the door.
“Thanks.” I gently shut the door.
I tossed the bag on the bed and unzipped it. Inside was a black skirt and silk, black tank top with lace along the neckline. I frowned, but at least, I wouldn’t have to walk around in a floor length ball gown. I donned the outfit and tucked the shirt in. Inside the shoebox was a pair of red flats. I slipped those on and looked in the mirror.
My hair was in tangles since the plane ride. I tried to comb out the tangles, but the warm, humid air of Ecuador made my hair frizz as if touched by static electricity.
Satisfied that I did my best, I flipped through the channels of the hotel television until I heard another knock at the door.
Nash wore a fitted gray suit and button down white shirt. The top two buttons were undone, letting the collar casually sit back along his collar bones. His dark hair was swept back.
I walked with Nash to the elevator and into the hotel lobby.
A black car was parked outside the hotel. Nash walked up to the vehicle and opened the door for me. I climbed inside, and Nas
h sat beside me.
I looked around. “Aren’t the others coming with us?”
“Chandra wanted to spend her night at a resort. She tried to get us all to go, but I declined.”
The first question that came to mind was Why? But how could I ask such a dumb question. The answer was obvious. Chandra didn’t want me to come, and Nash took pity on me and decided to take me out to dinner.
The driver pulled away from the curb and drove down the winding streets.
“You look nice,” I said.
He flashed me a smile. “Thanks.” The smile faded. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”
Nervous, that word didn’t seem to fit what I felt, a mixture of fear, nerves, and something surreal. A small part of me that floated on the outside, watching all this unfold and not buying it at all.
“I don’t know,” I said. “My mom used to say you can never have just one emotion. Emotions always come in layers. Some are stronger than others, sometimes they can overwhelm others, and sometimes they can all be so mixed up you don’t know what you’re feeling. That’s where I am right now.”
“Everything will be fine,” he said.
The car stopped outside a restaurant with a stucco finish and an iron gate. The building was surrounded by palm trees.
The inside of the restaurant was bathed in an orange glow. Rustic wooden beams accented the ceiling. On the walls was a beige textured finish. A feature wall was painted a reddish-orange with framed pictures of bison, horses, and tropical birds.
Nash pulled my chair out for me before he took his seat. With anyone else, I would have thought better of this, but Nash had a flare for formality.
The table was set with a white linen table cloth, porcelain plates, wine glasses, and cloth napkins that were folded to look like little hats.
Nash placed his napkin in his lap, and I followed suit.
I ordered an iced tea, and he had tonic water. This was the first time he asked for something other than coffee. I thought he was a caffeine addict.
At one table over, two girls talked conspiratorially and stole glances at Nash. They were dark skinned and beautiful. The smiles on their faces told me that they were swooning over him. I felt a little insulted by their apparent gawking. Nash could be my boyfriend for all they knew. My boyfriend. What was I thinking?
I was thinking Nash was good-looking. His dark hair contrasted with his smooth white skin. His eyes were like ink, dark and fathomless and…looking right at me.
My face flushed, and I looked away as if I hadn’t just been staring. I tried to eat slowly. After days of copying Adrianna, I developed some good table manners. At least, I didn’t eat so fast anymore.
Nash ate like it was a dance. He savored each bite and never gestured with his utensils.
He put his fork down. “Do you like it?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“The pasta?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s really good.” I should have said that his pasta was better. It was after all. No, I didn’t want him to think I didn’t enjoy the meal.
After one last bite, I set my fork down and wiped the corners of my mouth with the napkin. I took a sip of tea and swished it around in my mouth, hoping I didn’t have anything stuck in my teeth.
He looked up at me, and I swallowed.
“If you could live forever,” he said,” what would be more important to you: to retain the mind or the body that you have now?”
“That seems like a very philosophical question,” I said.
“It’s just a question.”
“Okay then, I guess I’d have to choose my mind. I don’t want to start forgetting things or go insane. I think that’s my greatest fear, to lose myself.”
Nash smirked. “That’s quite an answer.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Not even a little bit.”
I smiled. “Okay, now you. Which would you rather keep: your mind or your body?”
“I’ll keep my looks,” Nash said with a grin that showed off his white teeth.
I laughed. This was a different side of him.
“Okay. I have a question for you, but it’s not a philosophical one.”
“Shoot.”
“What’s your favorite rock band?”
Nash smiled and shook his head. “I don’t listen to rock n’ roll.”
I stared at him agape, teasing him a little.
“Is that a sin?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Send me to Hell.” Nash settled back in his chair. “What’s your favorite song?”
“I listen to a lot of Metal, Megadeth, Iron Maiden,” I said. “But my favorite song is Mad World by Tears for Fears.”
“Never heard it.”
“Wow. It’s too bad we don’t have a radio back at the hotel. Do they have radios in Sheol?”
“Afraid not.”
“I guess I could play it for…wait I can’t. My guitar’s electric so I’d need an amp.”
“You left it back home?”
“Well, yeah. An amp is a bit too big and awkward to take with me. But I couldn’t leave my guitar…my dad, it was the last thing he bought me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” I blinked my eyes a few times to stop the tears. I smiled and hoped that might help. “Sorry.”
“How did he die?”
“Both my mom and dad died in a car crash.” I didn’t say that Raphael caused that car crash. It was so easy to say car crash, I forgot I was talking to someone who wouldn’t think I was crazy for saying I saw an angel. “Now that I know Heaven is real, I’m sure they’re up there. They were good people. Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“I just…I don’t know.” I dabbed my eyes with the napkin. I wanted to change the subject. “So, where did you learn to cook?”
“Self-taught, and I’ve had a lot of time to practice.”
“How long exactly?” I raised an eyebrow.
He watched me through hooded eyes. He opened his mouth to answer when the waitress approached our table. She asked if we wanted anything for dessert, and Nash ordered a coffee.
Maybe he was a caffeine addict.
“A couple hundred years,” he said. “But cooking practices change and improve all the time.”
Whoa. A couple hundred years. I was afraid to ask Nash how old he was. Would it even be a number I could fathom?
I imagined how talented I could be if I practiced the guitar for a couple hundred years. I envisioned myself on a stage in the hazy dimness of Sheol with Nash, in the front of the crowd, cheering me on as I played. A chill ran down my back. I was getting too comfortable in Hell.
WE walked along the base of the volcano. Smooth, sloping curves of land skirted around the rocky mound. The terrain looked dark and dangerous in contrast to the bright blue skies above.
My sword was at my side, and a dagger nestled in a smaller sheath on my belt.
Tom looked at a map. Adrianna walked far ahead of us with the Orb of Metatron. She was unarmed. The Orb glowed in the presence of Arcadian Steel. If she had any on her, it would continue to glow, and we wouldn’t know if we were close.
My foot slipped, and I might have fallen to the ground if a warm hand hadn’t taken me by the elbow to steady me. Nash was by my side. He smiled, let go of me, and walked on.
Chandra glared at me. “Keep up,” she said as she passed.
I took a quick drink of water from my canteen and followed the others. We walked around the base of the volcano for half an hour.
“It’s glowing,” Adrianna called to us.
The orb was brighter than a spotlight. Streams of light glowed between Adrianna’s fingers. A break scarred the ground at her feet, a foot and a half wide and three feet long. The chasm’s depth was unfathomable.
“Rope,” said Adrianna.
Chandra took the rope from her side and threw one end down into the chasm. She clasped the other end in a firm grip.
Adrianna handed the orb to Kiran and climbed
down into the hole. “Throw it down to me,” Adrianna yelled. She echoed up to us.
Kiran dropped the orb, and Adrianna caught it.
Nash’s voice was by my ear. “You’d better come with us. Just in case.” He climbed down after Adrianna.
Chandra held the rope by herself.
I took hold of the rope and climbed down. I climbed a rope in gym class once. I couldn’t get a fourth of the way up. But after weeks of hard training, my arms were stronger. I climbed down, and as I got three feet from the ground, I felt the rope slacken. My feet hit the ground sooner than I expected, and I fell backward on the hard, rocky surface.
Chandra smiled down at me. “Sorry, my arms got tired. You must be too heavy.”
I stabbed her with my eyes. Too bad she wasn’t looking.
I got up before Nash or Adrianna could come and help me. I didn’t want to seem weak.
The chasm was a lot deeper than I expected. A tunnel led in the direction of the volcano.
I walked with Nash and Adrianna as I braced myself against the rocky wall. The fall hurt my leg, and I was sure to have a nasty bruise on my thigh the next morning.
The orb glowed brighter as we journeyed on. The tunnel ended in a solid rocky wall. I looked around. I didn’t see a weapon.
“It’s a dead end,” I said.
“No.” Adrianna touched the wall and brought the orb up to it.
I shielded my eyes as the orb blazed with light.
“Kiran!” Adrianna yelled. “Come meet us down here, and bring your sword.”
Kiran jogged up to where we all stood. He looked at the wall.
“Here.” Adrianna patted the wall.
Kiran stepped forward. He held his sword above his head, and in one swift motion, he plunged the sword into the rocky wall. The blade sliced through the rock like a pocket knife through a cardboard box.
He drew a wide circle with his blade.
“Stand back,” Nash shouted.
Kiran’s blade came full circle around to his initial cut, and the wall cascaded down like thunder.
I managed to clamp my hands over my ears in time.
When the dust settled, I peered at the place where the wall used to be. A small hollowed out space was hidden behind the wall. Inside was an ornamented, gold box. Adrianna knelt and opened the box.
The Wings of Heaven and Hell (The Arcadian Steel Sequence Book 1) Page 12