Angel’s Fury

by Tamara Whitlow

  “That makes no sense. You weren’t even there.”

  “Denise, you’re special to me, and I could feel that you were in trouble.”

  “Feel me? That’s not creepy. I don’t know if I like the idea of being watched.”

  “I’m sorry. I just want to protect you.”

  If it were anyone but Mary, I would be worried.

  “It was kind of funny to see him screaming like that” I smirked. “Can you promise me that you won’t just watch me? I’m not comfortable with that.”

  “Agreed. Only if I feel that you’re in trouble.”

  Snapping out of her thoughts, she stepped down the first step to the right and then paused. Her ears picked up a sound and she stepped back up. It sounded like water running, and she walked slowly to the sound. There was a bathroom on the other side of the staircase, and she walked quickly over. She poked her head in and see the faucet running but no one was there. Her heart was racing as she stepped back. She listened again and heard water running down the hall. Confused, she walked toward it, and the same thing happens. Water is running, but no one is there. This time she goes into the bathroom and scrubs the blood from her hands. She gets as much as she can off and goes back to the hallway. She was about to walk back to the stairway when she heard more water around the corner. How many bathrooms are up here? She walks to the sound, and it was the same result. It wasn’t until she looked left that saw another back stairwell. Mary. She must be helping me. She walked slowly to the stairwell and peeked over the railing. The house was eerily quiet. She made her way down the stairs and ended up in another hallway. There were portraits lining the hallway on both sides. The eyes seemed to follow her as she walked toward a door at the end of the hall. As she got closer, she heard a muffled female voice behind a door. Creeping forward, she placed her ear to the door.

  “You need to make sure that she’s not awake. We need her, we can’t afford to make any mistakes right now.”

  Are they talking about me? She listened again.

  “Her birthday is in three days. We just have to keep her alive until then.”

  Yep. They were definitely talking about me. My twenty-first birthday was almost here. What would they want me for? Not waiting around to find out, she made her way past the room and hightailed it to the door at the end of the hall. She placed her ear against it and didn’t hear anything. She slowly opened the door and saw that it was a kitchen. She quickly walked through and then was pushed by an invisible force into a pantry closet. She stood there with her eyes wide and heard footsteps walk past the door. The footsteps stop close by and her heart starts racing. The footsteps continue on, and the door opens a crack on its own.

  “I owe you one Mary,” she says into the quiet of the room. Hurrying to the door that leads outside, she ran like hell down the stairs and down the driveway. She followed the road in the coverage of the trees for about a half hour before a semi comes down the street. She burst out of the trees and waved her arms like a lunatic. He pulled over and she asked him for a ride to the nearest town. This guy must have seen a lot in his life because he didn’t even ask about the blood on her clothes. What the hell is going on?

  3

  When Mary was little, she always knew that she was different. It wasn’t until she turned seven that her Mom sat her down and told her about her family roots. At first she was scared, but her Mom had a way of explaining everything that made her know that all was going to be okay. When she was nine, her grandmother told Mary that she would be gifted a soul. This soul should be protected at all costs.

  “But I’m just a little girl, Nana.”

  “You may be little, but your purpose is strong.”

  I had no idea who I was supposed to protect or how. All I knew was that I would know when I felt them. When I was ten years old, I was walking down the hall of my school when my knees went weak, and I felt as if my insides were twisting. I caught myself on a wall and was gasping for air. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and when I looked up into a pair of brown irises, the pain stopped. It felt as if I had found the peace that I had been searching for my entire life… I was ten.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Y-Yes… I couldn’t breathe.”

  “I’m glad that you’re okay. I’ve never seen anyone die before.”

  I remember smiling, and the smile that crossed her lips felt right. I pulled her into a hug, and she was stiff as a board with her arms down by her side. She probably thought that I was crazy. It was from that day that I knew who I was supposed to protect.

  Today, I woke up with a pain so tight in my chest. I sat straight up in bed and looked around. Nothing was out of place, and the house was quiet. I hadn’t felt this way since I met Denise. DENISE! I closed my eyes and focused on her. At first, I didn’t see anything, but then I felt her eyes open. I took in what she saw and had to stand up. There was blood all over her. I put more strength into her and checked her body. It wasn’t her blood. I could feel myself becoming drained trying to see where she was and ran from my room to my Mom’s. She was so much more powerful than me. I wake her up in a hurry and she is immediately alert.

  “Something is wrong with Denise.”

  “Show me.” She places her hands in mine.

  I close my eyes, and we are both in the room with Denise. I hear my Mom gasp, but she is focused.

  “You have to find her a way out of there,” Mom tells me.

  I move from Denise and look through the house. I can see an exit, but it’s all the way to the back of the house. I rejoin Mom and nudge Denise out of the room.

  “Mary? Can you feel that I’m in danger? This would be a great time to look in on me!”

  This is why I love her. I start turning on faucets, and she starts to follow. My heart is breaking for her as I see her wash that blood from her hands. As she follows my signs, Mom goes rigid.

  “Analise.”

  That name makes me shudder. This woman was in our coven at one point, but she chose dark magic. She was pushed out and she has made our lives hell ever since.

  I’ve got to focus. Mom and I hear Analise talking to someone, but she has her wards up so that we can’t get in the room. They know. Shit! Our worst fear has come true. We have to get Denise out of there. We nudge her to the door at the end of the hall. As she walks through, Mom sees an older gentleman coming through the back door. With all I’ve got, I open the pantry door and push Denise inside. The man walks past the door, but then he stops. He’s feeling the room with his magic. Warlock. Shit. Mom puts up a shield, and the man continues on. I crack the door open to let her out and she hurries down the stairs to the driveway. Mom puts an impression on a truck driver and gets Denise to town. I’ve got to go and get my friend. I guess it’s time to tell her who she is.

  4

  Denise had never been so tired in all her life. The truck driver dropped her off at a store, and she ran inside and asked to use the phone. The clerk looked at her with wide eyes but let her use it. She dialed Mary and, thankfully, she answered. With Mary on the way, Denise thanked the clerk and went to wait around the back of the store until Mary arrived. When Mary and Rebecca arrived, she called her Mom, who was worried sick, and she told her that she was fine. Lenora wanted her home, but she told her that she was staying over at Mary’s. Of course, her mom was upset, but she would deal with that tomorrow. She didn’t need to see all the blood all over her clothes. She didn’t know it at the time, but Rebecca had called Lenora and put a calming spell on her until they could figure things out. The ride home was quiet, and Denise just lay with her head in Mary’s lap as Rebecca drove them home. They got her upstairs and into the shower when they arrived. While Denise was in the shower, Mary and Rebecca talked about what to do next.

  “Mom, we have to tell her.”

  “She isn’t ready. We have to wait until her birthday.”

  “That’s just wrong. I would hate to wake up on my birthday and be a different person.”

  “We don’t even know how o
r who she will be.”

  “I know that I’m supposed to hold this secret, Mom, but she is in danger. We can’t let her go through this blind.”

  When Mary turned eighteen, she came fully into her powers. Her grandmother sat her down and told her that they come from a long line of guardian witches. When they are born, their souls are tied to another, and they must do their best to protect them. The life is hard and grueling, but the friendships earned are bonded for life. The morning of Mary’s birthday, she was meditating when she was drawn to a light so pure that she thought that she was crossing over. A face that was almost too beautiful to look upon came into view. He introduced himself as Assan, and Mary didn’t have to ask him what he was. She knew from his aura that he was an angel. His skin was a beautiful golden brown, and his yellow eyes were striking. Mary was confused on why she was in the presence of an angel. She looked at him with a furrowed brow.

  “What am I doing here?” Mary asked him.

  “You have done me the honor of protecting my daughter.”

  “Denise is yours?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why aren’t you with her? She will be overjoyed to know that her dad is an angel!”

  “You cannot tell her.”

  “Why not? She deserves to know! She’s your daughter.”

  “I know, but she will come into her powers upon her twenty-first birthday, and then I will be able to see her.”

  “That makes no sense. You’re here with me now, so why can’t you see her.”

  He chuckled. “I see why you were chosen to be her other half. I am here with you in meditation. I will be physically there for her change. I only have a day to help her through her transformation.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Yes, I know. Upon her twenty-first birthday, her eyes will be divine. She would be able to see with my eyes and heal as I do.”

  “My goodness. This is huge. I wish that I could tell her.”

  “She can’t know. Not yet.”

  “So you’ve said.”

  “She is not ready. She needs to live her normal life for as long as she can. With knowledge comes danger. God has placed her here for a reason, and we have yet to see what that reason is. There are some that would love to harness this gift, and I fear for her safety if she knows. If she tells the wrong person, she could die.”

  “What can do? How can I protect her?”

  “The way that you have been. Love her and keep her out of trouble. I will be there when she turns twenty-one and will help guide her.”

  It felt as if he had more to say but the connection was severed before he could say anything more. Mary was jerked awake by her mother.

  “Mary! Wake up baby. Wake up!”

  Mary’s eyes opened with a jolt and she smiled.

  “What in the hell Mary? You scared the living shit out of me! What happened?”

  “Denise is an angel.”

  “What?” she covered her mouth.

  “I just met her dad. Assa…”

  Mary’s mom covered Mary’s mouth and looked around the room. “Do not speak his name. Names have power and we have no idea who may be watching.”

  “He told me that she can’t know about him until her birthday. She always thought that he left her mom, but he didn’t! He was in heaven.”

  “He did what had to be done.” She smiled at Mary. “I knew that you were special, but this just takes the cake. I don’t think we have had the privilege in protecting an angel before.”

  Mary didn’t know it then, but she was going to be in for the ride of her life.

  5

  Denise felt great after her shower, but she felt that something was up with Mary and Rebecca. She walked in on them harshly whispering to each other. She knew that it had to deal with her, but why? Choosing not to make any waves, she sat down on Mary’s bed and Mary took her hand and smiled at her.

  “Do you remember anything?”

  “No. The only thing that I remember was that I was supposed to be going to a party with the Cullman twins. I was dressed and went down the stairs of the dorm and then… nothing. Not until I woke up in that house.”

  Mary felt so bad that she couldn’t tell Denise about what she was and why someone would want her. She had never had to keep a secret from her and this hurt. She didn’t like seeing her friend upset and confused. She looked over at her mom and Rebecca smiled sadly. Rebecca walked over and placed a hand on Denise’s shoulder.

  “We are just glad that you’re okay.”

  “Thank you for helping me out of there. I was so confused.”

  “I’m just glad that Mary could feel you.”

  “I can’t believe that I couldn’t feel you when you first passed out,” Mary added.

  Mary’s Mom looked thoughtful. “Sounds like a blocker spell. Someone didn’t want you to feel her.”

  Denise looked worried. “But why? I’ve never done anything to anyone.”

  Mary and her mom gave each other a look but stayed quiet. Denise stood up quickly.

  “Look, if you know something, you need to tell me!”

  Mary stood up and rubbed her back. “We don’t know anything, Dee. We are going to do some digging and try to find out though.”

  “You promise that you’ll let me know?”

  “Yes. I promise. Your birthday is in three days. Let’s focus on that.”

  “Not when I’m waking up in strange places with blood all over me.”

  Mary wrapped her into a hug. “We will figure this out. I promise.”

  6

  “Mary, we’ve got to go and get help. This is way bigger than our coven can handle. We need a warlock.”

  “I know mom, but who can we trust?”

  “Marcus. I know he can help us.”

  “Mom…Didn’t you guys used to… you know?”

  “Let’s not go there right now. We need his help, and he is one of the most powerful warlocks that I know.”

  Mary kept smiling at her Mom the whole ride over. Rebecca could feel her heart beating rapidly as they approached the house. They looked at each other one final time before they got out of the car.

  “Just let me do the talking.”

  Mary chuckled. “Yes ma’am.”

  Rebecca rolled her eyes and knocked on the door. They waited for a couple of minutes before the door swung open, and Mary’s eyes took in the sight before her. A tall man with long white hair that came past his shoulders stood before them. His dark eyes looked like crystals as he stood tall in the doorway. His shoulders were broad, and you could tell that even with the shirt that he wore, he had a nice body. His mouth tilted up in a knowing smirk, and he raised an eyebrow when he looked at Rebecca.

  “Becca… Long time no see.”

  “Hello Marcus. Can we come in?”

  He smiled and opened an arm wide in invitation. They walked past him and to a living room that had a large fire going in the fireplace. There were books everywhere. They filled the shelves, and some were lying open on tables throughout the room. The fireplace was large and the backsplash that adorned the wall above it reached the ceiling. Two chairs sat in front of the fire, and he offered Mary and her mom the seats. He grabbed a drink from a nearby table and stood beside the fireplace. The fire made him look taller and more serious. Mary looked at her mom, and her Mom was staring at Marcus.

  “So, what brings you here? I think the last words that I heard from you were and I quote, it will be a cold day in hell before you see my face again.”

  Rebecca smiled and rolled her eyes with a smirk.

  “I know and I really meant that, but we need help.”

  “We?” He looked at Mary.

  “Yes. You remember my daughter Mary.”

  “Yes. I see you’ve grown out of your shell. It’s good to see you again.” Mary smiled at him, and he turned his attention back to Rebecca.

  “Marcus, Mary got a soul.”

  This caused him to stand up straight and place his glass on the mantel. />
  “And?”

  “And… she is an angel.”

  His eyes rounded and snapped to Mary.

  “Is this true?”

  Mary nodded. “Yes. She doesn’t know it yet though.”

  He swiped a hand down his face and started to pace.

  “I have not seen an angel in eons. Wait… Did you say ‘she’? They are so rare. Are you sure?”

  Rebecca stood up and walked over to him.

  “Yes. She has met the dad.”

  He peeked over her shoulder and then walked around her to kneel in front of Mary.

  “You’ve talked to him?”

  “Yes. He came to me on my eighteenth birthday. He told me that he will be here for her change, and that is in two days.”

  He looked back at Rebecca.

  “What can I do?”

  She walked closer and knelt down beside him.

  “Analise is after her. She knows somehow and she has a warlock. I want to protect Denise, but they are so strong. They kidnapped her but we got her out.”

  He stood tall and placed a hand over his heart.

  “You have my help. I will gather my sons, and we will meet you at your house. You have to keep her with you. If anyone gets their hands on her, it could be very bad.”

  Mary stood up. “That’s just it, they had her. I almost lost her.”

  He came over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “Don’t worry, I will help you.” He looked at Rebecca. “Are your wards strong?”

  “Grandmother helped me to strengthen them, but I know that they can’t keep Analise out.”

  “Go home and stay with her, I will be there tonight to place more.”

  Rebecca nodded and put her hand out for Mary. Mary closed the gap and followed her mom to the door.

  “Mary?” She turned around. “Congratulations. It is an honor to serve an angel, and I couldn’t be any prouder of you.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Thank you.”