by Ireland Gill
“There is no problem. He is just one of the eldest next to Costello and has always been one of the serious ones. You know, for lack of a better word, uptight.”
I cocked a brow at him. “I'm gathering that one of the things he is lacking is a sense of humor?”
Hayden half-smiled. “That's good gathering.”
Great. I did sense that Jericho would not be as friendly as the others, either. I was hoping I was wrong.
No sooner were we done with breakfast than we had a visitor knocking at the door. Beau ran to the door and sat there waiting in the foyer. It would be the first guest in our house since his, well, second-coming. After that thought, I sucked air.
“Hayden?” I called as I grabbed Beau's collar, trying to pull him back into the kitchen. “Does Jericho know about you-know-who?”
“Calm down. Luka cleared everything up. We're not in trouble for the dog anymore.” He winked. I felt relief set in and loosened my grip on Beau's collar.
I stayed in the hallway and watched Hayden open the door, and a tall figure walking over the threshold. He was easily a foot taller than Hayden with the build meant for a line-backer. He was an angelic tower with long, shiny, black hair tied back into a low pony tail, tan skin and dark eyes that seemed as if losing yourself in them may be the only option, and a mature face, one that seemed a bit more aged than the angels I'd already met.
I took in his attire. He was dressed in a light gray, silk button-up and ivory slacks with a pair of charcoal-black dress shoes, like he'd just come from church. Go figure.
“Welcome, Jericho,” Hayden greeted him.
Jericho held a smug look as he nodded once at Hayden, an expression that relayed the extensive pride he had for himself. It was a look of superiority, as if he felt as tall as he was and loved every minute of it. His place in the Council, I'm sure, was one that made that possible. It was then that I knew he was different from the others. I could sense it immediately. I remained timid in the hallway before the inevitable introduction.
“Jericho,” Hayden turned around, “this is....” He stretched his neck to find me. “Evika?”
A heavy foot stepped forward. “I understand the nightmares are rather taxing on you, Miss Stormer?” Jericho's deep, patronizing tone lured my head to peek out from around the corner again. I saw both angels looking at me expectantly. Jericho pulled something out of his pants pocket and held it while waiting for my answer.
I stepped into the foyer and nodded. “Yes, they have,” was all I could say.
“I see,” the giant angel said. “Well, I can take care of that problem for you, but I'm going to need a strand of your hair.” He said it in such a no-nonsense way. There was no “good to meet you” or a simple “hello.” The angel obviously made it known he wasn't into small talk and was only there to get the job done and get out.
My face contorted. I could feel it. A lock of my hair? What the hell? I looked over at Hayden for reassurance. My angel gave me a smile and a nod, giving me only a slight sense of relief since I was definitely not getting it from our guest.
“Uh, okay,” I said to the giant. “Any particular spot I need to pluck it from?” I laughed inside after hearing myself. The conversation was weird enough as it was, and now I was asking from which spot on my head I needed to pluck my hair? Word of the day: Awkward.
“Any one of them will suffice, my dear,” Jericho's voice was partially condescending as he took graceful steps toward me. I was amazed that someone so large could be so docile and light on their feet. I kept an eye on the hand that held the contents from his pocket, and saw a round circular object with a wooden frame, much like a typical dreamcatcher. It fit in the giant's palm perfectly. In his other hand, he held two, grayish colored feathers.
I pulled out a strand of hair from the top of my head where the hair parted, then handed it to Jericho. He reached out for it with the hand that held the feathers.
“Are those yours?” I blurted out to him. You know, a small conversation was all I needed out of him. He could redeem himself for being such a prick at first impressions.
The giant angel smiled at me, not smugly, but genuinely. It was the first attempt at warmth I'd felt from him since he'd entered through my door. “Yes, they are. I'll need to bind them with the strand of your hair in order for the object to work efficiently. I will then weave these through the netting in the center of this,” he held up the dreamcatcher, “and as long as you keep this near you while you sleep, the nightmares should subside.”
We all sat down in the living room. Hayden and I sat across from Jericho, watching him tie the necessary pieces together. I felt Hayden's arm slide around my shoulders, his attempt to comfort me in the situation, I guess. It didn't take long before the giant was complete with his craft, but it was enough time for me to recall the dangers it caused for Jericho. And despite his not being the most friendly angel, I still felt a natural concern in me about what we were doing and the effects it would have on him.
“Jericho?” I interrupted his concentration.
“Yes, dear?” he said without looking up. There was that pompous tone again.
“The dreams that this will rid me of....I was told that you will suffer from them. Is that true?” I really was concerned. The nightmares were awful and I didn't wish them on anyone, well, not anyone I loved or potentially liked, anyway.
A deep laugh came bellowing from the pit of the giant's stomach as he looked at me, finally smiling genuinely. “You need not worry about my well being, young Warrior. For it is not my choice to become human, nor will it ever be.”
He said “human” as if it were a plague of some sort, an inferior race that he dared never become or lower himself to. I tried not to furrow my brow at him, but I did feel my eyes narrow as I over-thought the meaning behind his words. Okay, so I gave him that chance, and he blew it. Ugh, why was I so narrow-minded about this one?
“Hmm,” was all I let escape my mouth.
If he was so much better than us humans, then why the hell was he even helping me? I wondered what he thought of my real angel mother when she Faded for Jack. I wondered if he perceived the entire Guardian-human set-up as a joke. I'd wondered if he'd ever guarded a human before. I felt indifferent toward the angel, and it was clear to me that he was different. I looked at Hayden, wondering if he'd possessed the same spite for Jericho, but it seemed as though it was just a normal conversation and nothing was out of the ordinary. My angel's expression was not at all changed. It was obvious that Hayden had more of a tolerance, or maybe he'd come to terms with the fact that it was just the way Jericho was. At any rate, he'd had much more time to get used to the antics than I'd had.
“There we are,” Jericho smiled as he held up his work of art, admiring it as it dangled from his finger by the thread attached at the top. It spun in the air at first. I saw that he'd weaved the tied feathers around the outside border of the netted thread inside of the circled frame. It was actually a really nice creation and something I would have purchased at a store had I been into the whole dream-catching thing.
“Great work as always, Jericho.” Hayden said.
Jericho bobbed his head with pride. “Thank you, son.” He turned to me and placed the dreamcatcher in my palm. “You will need to hang this above the bed, place it on the nightstand, etcetera. As I advised earlier, anywhere in the room will do, as long as that is where you are sleeping.”
I nodded as I took the object. It was light in weight and felt so delicate. I was extremely surprised that the giant angel's hands hadn't destroyed it before it was complete.
As I suspected, Jericho was the business-only type. He stood to depart only minutes after the completion of the dreamcatcher.
“I must be going. There is a Council meeting in an hour,” he said with a hint of urgency.
I held my hand out to him. “It was nice to meet you, Jericho. Thank you,” I said as I waited for his hand to wrap around my mine. His hand was massive and made mine look like a doll's. I felt s
o small next to him, but I knew that the harder I squeezed, the more of an impression I could make on him. So I stood my ground, so-to-speak, shaking firmly. I didn't want him to think he could look down upon me or Hayden without it going unnoticed.
“A pleasure, dear one,” Jericho said with a smirk.
We soon unlinked our hands and stared at each other for a moment. Those deep eyes of his were so endless. I wondered what thoughts his mind had composed behind them as he looked back at me.
Hayden shook his hand and thanked him as well, and then the giant was gone, vanishing into thin air right from the living room.
As soon as I felt it was safe, I folded my arms and scrunched up my nose, furrowing my brow while I turned to Hayden. Naturally, he laughed at me.
“Hmm. Do I sense an aversion to the dream harmon?” Hayden continued with his chuckling.
I shook my head. “Unbelievable. That guy is an angel? And here, I thought it was next to impossible to find someone more stuck on themselves than you are,” I jeered. I really did want to keep the mood light between us, despite the fact that I felt invaded and belittled in so many ways.
“Come on, he's not that bad.”
I cocked an eyebrow. Was he serious? “Not that bad? He's awful,” I retorted. “You can see it in his eyes, how righteous he thinks he is over me, and over you.”
“That is just the way he is and the way he's always been, Evika. And would you listen to yourself? What's with your being so judgmental? It's not like you,” he said with a look of bewilderment.
Although Hayden was defending the giant, he was right. My perspective on other people, beings, had changed dramatically....and noticeably.
I shook my head and sighed. “I know that you are all different, with personalities, fun quirks, talents, but I expected all good differences. Every angel I've met up to this point has been sweet, caring, happy. Jericho just doesn't seem to fit the bill, that's all.”
“Well, first of all, aside from me, you've only met a handful of angels. And second, you have to remember Jericho is one of the elite on the Council. He is the right hand of Costello and takes great pride in his placement,” Hayden explained.
I rolled my eyes. “He's a pompous kill-buzz.”
“Okay,” Hayden said, palms up in defeat. “That's fine. Think what you want about him. But it won't change the fact that that,” he pointed to the dreamcatcher in my hand, “will be what gives you sleep at night from here on out.” I could tell he was getting frustrated with me.
“Goooood morning!” Luka appeared at the front screen door. The first thing I saw was his short hair spiked up into a mohawk. Honestly, it made Luka cuter than he already was.
“Charmin?” I heard Hayden guffaw from behind me. “Please tell me that someone at the House at least attempted to stop you from doing that.”
Luka shrugged. “I was bored this morning.”
I grinned at him as I waved for him to come in and instantly looked at his t-shirt as the curiosity got the best of me. It was powder blue, with the green, female M & M in a cute pose, crossing her legs. Right below the character were the words: Go Green. I walked over to him and my dismal mood was suddenly lifted.
“Nice shirt, Lukster,” I giggled as I lightly ran my palm across the short row of spikes on his head. “And I'm diggin' the hair, too.”
“Thanks, Evigreen.” Luka beamed with his best smile. “So, what did I miss?”
“Nothing much.” I shrugged, holding up the catcher in front of his face. “Just a giant ego on legs, but he's gone now,” I said.
“Oh.” Luka laughed. “Are you sure he's gone?” he asked me as he patted Hayden on the shoulder. “Looks like he's still hanging around.”
“Keep it up, Charmin,” Hayden playfully punched Luka in the gut, making him laugh harder and doubling over with an ache. Beau jumped up, placing his front paws on Hayden's chest in a non-threatening way.
“Well, look who's come to my rescue.” Luka chortled. “Come here, boy.” He crouched down to embrace the dog. Beau bounced over to the angel, wagging his bushy tail.
I dangled the dreamcatcher from my finger as I headed up the stairs to my room. “I'll be right down. Gotta put this thing somewhere.” I looked at it with disappointment. As much as I didn't want to accept it, I knew it was my only chance of getting any real sleep. Unfortunately, I was at the mercy of an angel of whom I wasn't too particularly fond, but it was obvious that I had no choice in the matter. I grabbed the tool kit from the closet and pulled out a nail and the hammer. It hung nicely against the clover green wall above my bed's headboard.
I turned to leave my room and saw Hayden leaning against the door frame with his arms folded. I hadn't even heard him come up the stairs.
“So, are you okay?” Hayden asked me.
I looked at him curiously. “I'm fine. Why?”
He dropped his arms and walked over to me. “It just feels like there's something going on with you. Despite the fact that you said you would talk to me now, I still feel like you're holding something back.”
I sighed. It sounded more like a frustrating huff than anything else, so I tried to soften my expression as I looked back at him. Should I have told him about the hate that festered in me for all of the Seekers? Yes. Should I have told him about the fear that had been brewing inside of me for the past month? Yes. But the only thing I wanted to do was forget about it.
I looked over at the new ornament above my bed. I just wanted things to be back to normal, at least to the normal that it was supposed to be with exception to the oddities of my new life.
“I just want to be able to sleep again,” I said to him, hoping it would suffice. I looked back at him again and decided that I'd admit something and let him gloat. “You were right. I should have told you about the dreams when they first started.” There. I finally confessed.
A smirk grew on his face. I kept my eyes on his emeralds. “Wow,” he said. That huge smile couldn't wait to come out.
“What?”
“I've really broken you down, haven't I?”
I gave him a confused expression. “How so?”
He tugged lightly on my pony tail, holding a smug expression. “You're not one to admit fault very often, if at all, and you're finally doing it quite a bit, lately.” He chuckled.
I rolled my eyes. “Don't scare it away, Hayden. It's liable to stop.”
His laughter filled the room and, as I watched his face brighten, I felt mine do the same. I knew it did because I couldn't stop laughing along with him. I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. Some feelings I was having were new. Well, who was I kidding? All of them were new to me. I'd felt more free than I ever had before and I knew it was because of Hayden. Despite the new, perilous life ahead of me, I wanted to believe that I would be happy living it. I wanted to prove that I could handle whatever this life meant, and the funny thing was, I based it all on the motivation of keeping Hayden close to me. He was like this drug, this antidote that my sad life needed to make it better. I guess it was funny to see it that way, but I felt that was the whole reason I was given a second chance at life. That's how I wanted to see it, even if I was wrong.
But even though I wanted our relationship to flourish, I knew it wouldn't as long as I felt like I was getting babysat my entire life. I knew his “mission” called for my constant protection, but there had to be some kind of boundary, and I was about to make one. The only thing I had left to myself were the feelings I wasn't ready to confess to him, because most of them were for him, and those were the ones he made me promise to tell him.
“Can I ask you a favor?” I inquired.
“Anything,” he paused, “within reason.” That sounded familiar.
I took a deep breath, hoping it wouldn't come out as harshly as I sometimes delivered my words. “Well, if this thing works,” I nodded to the dreamcatcher, “there's no reason for you to poke around in my head, right?”
He looked at me incredulously. “I think I can see where this is going
.” He folded his arms again. “What are you hiding?”
“I'm not hiding anything, Hayden,” I growled, then consciously softened my tone again. “I just...I just don't get much to myself anymore, and it would be nice to know that I can have a bit of privacy once in a while, even if it's only in my dreams.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment as he studied me. Then I saw his expression change into one of concern, as if another thought had obstructed the original. “Is that how things feel to you, Evika? That nothing is your own anymore?”
I saw hurt in his eyes then, and I knew I had to convey to him what I wanted for him to understand. “No, Angel-man. That's not it. I'm just asking that you give me a chance to feel normal, to just trust me that if anything should go wrong that I'll come to you about it,” I said. “That's all.”
He breathed deeply as he hooked his thumbs in his front pockets, looking into my eyes with a penetrating stare. “Okay,” he finally said. “Deal.” I could tell he didn't like it.
I smiled at him with admiration. “Looks like you're not the only one who can break someone down,” I poked to lighten the mood again.
“However,” he ignored my comment and raised his hand to bring my boasting to a stop. “If anything weird happens and I feel the need to intervene, the deal is off.” Of course there would be a stipulation like that. “So you better talk, Evika. I mean it.”
I sighed. Honestly I felt more pacified than I thought I would with how the brief conversation went. “Deal,” I relented.
He took my hand and led me down the stairs. “Come on, Pony-girl. We've got to entertain the mohawk in our living room.” I let out a hearty laugh, comforted by his touch.
Luka's head turned to me once my foot hit the tile floor at the bottom of the steps. “So, Rainmaker, what's the haps?” I cocked a brow at him and smirked. “Oh, yeah,” he boasted. “We didn't get to discuss that during my last visit since Beau-Beau was the hot topic, but word gets around. I know all about it.”
Hayden bellowed a laugh and turned to look at me, giving a proud smile.
“Elka.” We both said it aloud in unison, then became amused by our idiosyncrasy.