'That cannot be helped,' Jayden said. 'And it's certainly effective in gaining an advantage over your opponents.' She tilted her head up so she could see Emerline. 'That shriek we heard, that's what made us freeze up.'
Emerline raised her brows. 'Oh.' She looked at me. 'That's what caused the strange hallucination?'
'Indeed, when used on non-therilgalen, our shriek not only paralyses, but it causes a vision that draws upon the hearer's worst fears.'
'That's a good way to describe it because it was sort of like a nightmare, but it was so fast I barely remember it.' Emerline looked down at her daughter. 'You didn't see it?'
Jayden shook her head. 'I freeze up for a few moments and I get those horrible electric shocks when it wears off, but I don't see any vision.'
Emerline looked about to ask me more about it, but I straightened up as I felt movement on the planes. I gave Emerline a reassuring look. 'It is okay, it is one of Aurealis's people.'
It was probably Ne-ru wanting her report, so I dropped my head to rest on my arms. Several moments later I started as a cool, soft hand touched my shoulder. I looked up into the sympathetic face of a healer I knew. Sharna was one of the few light-dancers who did not treat me with contempt. Her silver eyes were flecked with a soft lavender colour and they looked upon me with concern as she said, 'Ne-ru said you had need of aid.'
I gestured towards Jayden. 'My charge has fractures that need attention.'
'Of course,' she murmured as she turned to Jayden.
Em
I wouldn't describe myself as a morning person, but I've long been accustomed to early mornings because work often requires it. This morning was a little different, between the hike and the confrontation with the dark-angels my body ached and was not at all enamoured with the idea of getting up. But I wanted to get into the office— after finding the children with Jay we'd been doing more targeted surveillance and I had new recordings to translate. While much of the intelligence we gathered was related to drugs, one of them had put me on to the idea that Archmore was also trading in children, so I was anxious to get to the new material.
I pushed myself out of bed and got dressed. I don't share Jay's obsession with coffee, but first thing in the morning I always have a cup to get me going. Since Jay had been staying with me, she'd been getting up early enough to have my coffee waiting, but this morning I had a feeling she would sleep through any alarms she might've set. Sure enough, the kitchen was empty.
I made my coffee in a travel mug Jay had given me for Mother's Day, it was an Alice in Wonderland design with the characters having tea. It was Jay's way of having a light-hearted dig— she liked the irony that the first thing that went into the cup most mornings was coffee, rather than tea. I sipped my coffee and smiled to myself as I thought about my daughter. Something moved in my peripheral, making me jerk with surprise as I realised Therion was standing in the corner of the dining area. I managed not to drop my cup, but I swore.
'I apologise for startling you.'
He had a low, honey-smooth voice. His golden eyes looked like sparkling gems within the shadow created by his wings.
'How long have you been there?' I demanded.
'Only a moment, I can move outside human perception.'
I shook my head absently, then said, 'In this household, you move within my perception.'
He tilted his head, my stern tone was more to cover up the fright he'd given me and I think he realised it, because he nodded solemnly. 'I will be more considerate.'
'I have to go into the office, will you be staying or should I organise someone to keep an eye on Jay?'
'After yesterday's confrontation, my master has not rescinded my summons.'
That explained everything— not.
I must have looked puzzled because he approached the kitchen and said, 'Aurealis, the goddess responsible for the light-angels, summons me to protect vulnerable souls, like your daughter. She summoned me yesterday to come to your aid. She has not withdrawn that summons, which means, I am to remain. If that changes, I will contact you.' As he had been speaking, he withdrew a smartphone from his back pocket. 'If you give me your phone number, I shall add it to my contacts.'
I was actually struck dumb. The absolutely last thing I expected an angel to have was a smartphone.
'Um, sure…' I finally responded. I recited my number.
He smiled. He looked less threatening when he did, but his amusement at my reaction made me feel self-conscious.
'I'm sorry, I just… It doesn't seem…'
'It seems contradictory, I know, but the more we interact with humans, the more necessary it has become that we learn your technology, just as we learn of your culture, laws, and values.'
Fair enough, I decided. Regaining my composure, I raised my cup in a farewell gesture. 'I need to get going. Tell Jay I expect to be back for dinner, but I'll call her if I'm held up.'
My instruction received a deep nod. I paused, not sure if I should say something more, decided I didn't need to and then went to get my bag and keys. He was going to take a lot of getting used to, I decided.
Dangerous— that's what my intuition screamed at me. He was dangerous. He had helped us and he seemed to be particularly gentle when it came to Jay, which disturbed me, but that was another subject altogether. I'd watched him yesterday, he didn't just like killing, he relished it. He drew power from it and the more he did, the more aggressive he seemed to become. What the hell was this Aurealis doing taking him on? He was like an attack dog, he was trained to protect his owner, but who knew when some invisible trigger would make him turn on those owners? To be honest, I didn't want to leave Jay alone with him, but she trusted him, and I trusted her. I stalled at the door, again, on the verge of deciding to stay home after all.
Therion walked into the hall and I raised my eyes to meet his.
'I am dangerous, Emerline. That was why Aurealis sent me. My former brethren, they can take down a light-angel, but they will have a much harder time doing the same to me. Aurealis would never place me in the presence of innocents if she did not have full control of me. If I break, as you fear, she will remove me before I can do harm.'
'You admit it, then, breaking is a possibility.'
He blinked slowly. 'The same instincts that protect your daughter are exactly that, instincts. I was created this way. But I spent centuries learning to control them and more time after that being monitored before I was allowed near innocents. Go to your office. Work to stop these people who defile children. Aurealis wants you protected for exactly this reason; she wants them stopped. As do I.'
I considered him for a long moment. A feeling of assurance filled me and my anxiety seemed to suddenly ease. He was dangerous, true enough, but he also spoke the truth about his god. A god who wanted to protect children was one I felt I could trust. I gave him a wave and then headed out to my car.
Jay
When I woke, it was light outside. I wondered idly whether this was the same day or the one after. My body still felt heavy with sleep and I was reluctant to move. The last thing I remembered was lying in the warm, comforting sun while a delicate-looking angel with silver hair and eyrie, but beautiful, silver-lavender eyes leaned over me. A healer, Therion said.
I was thirsty and kind of hungry, but not enough to actually propel me into any kind of motion. I curled up under the blanket and sighed happily. Several minutes later my bladder announced it was time to move. I pointedly ignored the suggestion. I held out for several more minutes before groaning and pushing myself up. My left wrist twinged and I rubbed it absently as I shuffled to the bathroom.
A glimpse in the mirror told me it could use a brush. In fact, a shower was probably in order. I've never been the stereotypical 'girl' in the shower. I get in, I get clean, I get out. Usually in less than five minutes. Today I took seven. My muscles didn't ache exactly, but the soothing feel of the hot water made me linger.
My feet padded against the wooden floor of the bedroom as I wandered back an
d forth getting dressed. I grabbed a pair of black jeans and a sports bra, before moving back to the bathroom to finish drying my hair and putting on my bra, underwear, and jeans. Then I headed back to my room to find a top. I dug a loose-fitting tee from my overnight bag, managing to drop half the contents on the floor. Scooping them up I shoved them back in. Turning the t-shirt the right way out, I saw it was a humorous one Alyssa had given me. It said: I hope this coffee kicks in before reality does. It had a bedraggled dragon hugging a coffee mug. I smiled, I'd emailed her, saying I was caught up with some personal issues, which I'd tell her about when the timing was better, but it was tempting to give her a call. I dismissed the idea, if she got hurt because Archmore's people connected her to me, I'd never forgive myself.
I found an errant singlet at the foot of the bed. I'd probably worn it for ten minutes, changed my mind, threw it onto the bed, and then forgot about it until it ended up on the floor. If you guessed that I'm not the most diligent housekeeper, you'd be right. Mum often makes this observation, but not in a nagging manner. I can't blame her, really, she usually ends up doing all the tidying. I tossed the singlet into the corner opposite where there was a chair. A hand shot out of the shadows and caught it. Twin gold diamonds blinked at me.
'Holy son of a Siberian war monger!'
Therion was merged with the shadows.
'How long have you been there!'
'On and off since putting you in bed yesterday. I needed the rest.'
I sputtered, caught between indignation and embarrassment— I'd walked about naked here just five minutes ago!
Therion rose, seeming to bring the shadows with him. I took a step back.
'My apologies,' he murmured and suddenly I could see him as clear as, well, as if I was standing barely a metre away. 'It is a defence mechanism and habit to cloak myself in shadow.'
'That's understandable, considering the kinds of creatures you deal with, but try to avoid giving me or my mother a heart attack,' I grumbled, more because I was still getting over the fright than actually feeling upset.
'Your mother said much the same thing, I did promise to try to be more considerate.'
Up close, without distractions, I was very aware of how tall he was. There was a kind of energy radiating from him, like heat, but not quite the same. I'd noticed it last time I'd seen him, before he disappeared. I wanted to lean in towards it, kind of like a flower facing the sun.
'You are not afraid of me.'
I looked up at the statement. His voice was still a melodic and entrancing song. He was looking down at me, his gold eyes oddly captivating. It was like looking at the night sky, except instead of blacks and dark blues, dark and light golds carried the stars. His pupils were narrow, like a cat, and the long, dark lashes framing his eyes emphasised their colour. I realised he was fascinated by my lack of fear.
'Only when you're not sneaking up on me,' I retorted, probably a little archly considering his stunt catching my singlet from the shadows.
'I will endeavour to announce my presence more obviously.'
I could see the sharp points of his canines as he spoke. It wasn't until now that I realised he had two pointed teeth on the bottom as well as the two at the top. I remembered seeing him snarl at one of the other dark-angels, his fangs had seemed longer yesterday.
'They extend for confrontation.'
My eyes widened, then I frowned and shoved at him. 'Don't read my mind, either,' I scolded, stalking past him and heading towards the kitchen.
I didn't care what time of day it was, I needed coffee. As I passed him, he didn't look ashamed, more amused. My grumpy mood deepened. He followed me, but wisely kept out of my way, leaning on a stool on the far side of the counter. I started the coffee machine, which is a miniature version of what they have in cafés. They take a bit of effort, but I think the end result is worth it. My apartment smells like real coffee and fresh bread because I enjoy making both. Yes, I cheat a little and use a bread maker, but I can be forgiven because I don't cheat with the coffee. Mum lets me do both, she loves fresh bread, too, and bought herself a bread maker for times when I stayed. The coffee she doesn't mind, but most of the time she prefers tea.
Speaking of my mum… 'Where's my mother?'
'After securing my assurance that I was not going to leave you unguarded, she went to the office. She expects to be home by dinner but will call if she is going to be later.'
I waved an empty coffee cup towards him. 'Want one?'
Therion looked a little startled and then shook his head.
I raised one eyebrow, my right, I can't do it with my left, I have no idea why. 'You don't like coffee or you prefer to drink something else?'
This question also surprised him and his brow furrowed into a thoughtful frown. 'Neither. I have never tasted coffee. I do not eat or drink.'
'Really? Never? How do you survive?'
'I am not sure what you mean.'
I leaned on the kitchen counter. 'How does your body run,' I gestured, making a circling motion with my hand, 'you know, energy?'
He made an 'oh' and said, 'I do not require the same kind of energy sources as you do. If I assume a human form, I am not in it long enough to need to sustain it off your traditional sources.'
That was when I realised his wings were gone. His hair was still black with two rivers of gold winding through each side, but I could tell, now, that it fell to mid-back in heavy waves of fine thread-like silk. He was also wearing a black t-shirt— I'm not sure how I missed that, perhaps because I was so tired still. It had a lion against a Celtic-style background. I frowned. 'Are you shorter?'
'It is the wings; they make me look taller.' He gave me a lopsided smile.
Laughing, I revised my assessment of him yesterday, not only was he more conversive than Garry, it seemed more natural to have him around. I felt guilty for a moment, Garry, for all his reticence to talk had saved our lives…
'Is Garry, I mean the angel that got attacked yesterday, is he okay?'
'Silven? I believe so. At least the healer indicated he would live.' He paused and considered me for a long moment. He did that a lot, as if he wasn't sure how to answer or react and needed to figure it out, like a kid taking their first steps, uncertain, but interested in the outcome.
'He did not tell you his name?' His voice was filled with curiosity.
I shook my head. 'No, so I called him Garry.' I confessed, feeling a bit self-conscious, perhaps I'd somehow insulted Garry… no, ah, Silven, and that was why he was so abrupt. 'He also didn't tell me why he had a sudden need to follow me like a lost puppy,' I added, trying to inject a little humour into my voice. 'It was quite unnerving, at first,' I found myself admitting after Therion considered me in silence for several more seconds.
'They are not used to being seen, most humans cannot visually perceive them,' Therion explained. 'I think he did not know how to act, or what he should tell you. None of his past charges would have ever questioned him. It was, I would say, completely out of his experience and thus, not knowing what he should say or not say, he abided by a rule of: say nothing. Silven also has not been an active guardian for some time.'
'A guardian?'
'The light-dancers, angels, if you will, fulfil many roles. One is as guardians to sentient spirits. Silven was once a warrior, moved on to guardian, and then moved on again.'
I turned back to the coffee machine and smiled, both happy that Garry would survive and that his lack of friendliness had probably not been personal.
Looking back at Therion, I said, 'You know, I really missed you.'
He looked disconcerted by my statement. 'It seems you had good reason, Silven, though earnest in his efforts, would likely have died had I not intervened.'
I realised he didn't understand what I meant, but let it pass. I just wanted him to know I appreciated his role in saving our lives and I think he understood that. I made two coffees, pushing one towards him. He looked unsure.
'It's hot,' I warned crossing thro
ugh the dining room and into the lounge room. I glanced back in time to see him raise it and take a cautious sniff before bringing it to his lips for an experimental sip. The face he made was worth a chuckle, but I repressed it. I really had to introduce him to chocolate, coffee was a bit hit-and-miss, but chocolate had to be universal.
I sat in one of the recliners and gestured for Therion to take a seat. Instead, he leaned against the open French-style doors dividing the lounge room from the dining and kitchen areas, and I shrugged. I noticed he'd left the coffee behind and smiled, obviously not his thing.
'I'm not terribly good at subtlety,' I started, 'but I have a few questions, if you don't mind me asking.'
He nodded, though whether it was a simple acknowledgement or permission to ask whatever I wanted was unclear. I would take what I could get under the circumstances.
'Are you here until they send another, um, guardian, you called them?'
'I do not know. My summoning was… last minute. Silven can handle most circumstances, however it is not common for three therilgalen to make a concerted, unprovoked, attack.'
I groaned softly. 'That can't be good news. What do they want with me anyway?'
'Your spirit. They hunt spirit energy.'
'That sounds even worse.' Then it sunk in. 'You don't require food because you're like them?'
He tensed, right through his whole body. 'We share race, yes,' he said crisply. Then, more softly, 'I was once like them, only soul energy gave me sustenance, but my new master, Aurealis, altered me. I survive off nature's energies now. You are not in danger, Jayden.'
'Jay. Why my soul? I mean, why now? I've seen them before. Like at the ice rink, that dark-angel came for the spirits of those people and you drove him off. It seemed like he was only interested in the dead, have I got a cancer or something I don't know about yet?'
'No, you do not have a terminal illness. Most of the time, the dead are their focus. The angels you've seen, they are in charge of guiding spirits once they shed their vessels and sometimes a therilgalen will try to get to the spirit. That is when, as you saw at the ice rink, I help protect them.'
Soul Taker's Redemption Page 26