by C. L. Coffey
Finally, we moved away from the river and then, from nowhere, the Colosseum appeared.
“Wow.”
It was enormous, and I couldn’t believe how well preserved it was considering its age. I took a few steps towards it when I realized Gabriel wasn’t with me. I turned and found him staring darkly at the monument.
“Is everything okay?” I asked him. When he continued to stare, I stepped in front of him, causing him to shake his head. “Gabriel?”
He blinked, finally looking at me, though with confusion. “What did you say?”
“I asked if everything was alright.”
He glanced over my shoulder and returned his gaze to the Colosseum. “I do not have any good memories of this place,” he told me softly. “This was not one of man’s greatest triumphs.”
I glanced back and frowned. “But it’s still standing after all this time. How can you say that?”
Gabriel exhaled deeply causing me to look back at him. He still hadn’t moved. “This place was built by slaves, many of whom perished in the process. When it was completed, it was used to watch humans kill each other for sport.” He looked at me. “That is how I can say that.”
Suddenly, the amphitheater I had so desperately wanted to see was something I never wanted to see again. Instead, all I wanted was to make the sadness etched in Gabriel’s face disappear. “Let’s go.”
“You wanted to see this,” he said, confused.
“Not anymore,” I told him. “I don’t know much about this place. We never really covered it in history, and I never bothered to learn about it. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s history,” Gabriel said.
“It’s your history.” I returned softly. “I’m sorry. I’d rather see the inside of the Basilica.” When he didn’t move, I slipped my hand in his and started to pull him along. He resisted for a moment, but then his grip tightened around my hand.
When the Colosseum was no longer in sight as we faced the river again, I went to let go, but Gabriel didn’t release his grip. I glanced up and found him smiling at me.
Like a little girl with a crush, butterflies invaded my stomach. I grinned back as our hands swung gently between us.
Just over an hour ago, we were on the other side of the world, and now, it was like a whole other life.
Gabriel wasn’t an archangel, and I wasn’t a nephilim. We were just like any other couple in the world as we strolled alongside the river, under the trees, in comfortable silence.
Chapter Twenty
It was getting later in the morning, but even as we returned to St. Peter’s Basilica, I was surprised that so few of the shops had opened. Not that I wanted to go shopping as I hadn’t miraculously found money since we’d been walking.
But I had worn myself out.
As we crossed St. Peter’s Square, we didn’t enter through the door we’d used previously. Instead, we went to a side door near the main entrance. It wasn’t yet operating hours, so there were only a few people milling around in the square. Otherwise, no one saw the Swiss Guard pull back the door to let us in.
“Where are we?”
This wasn’t another entrance to wherever it was that Gabriel lived, but an entrance to the church. We were inside St. Peter’s Basilica.
Everything I’d been stressing over seemed to vanish from my mind the moment I laid my eyes on the interior of the church. I walked past Gabriel, barely aware that he was watching me, as I turned my attention in every direction possible. There wasn’t a single thing that didn’t blow me away.
By the time I made my way under the dome, my neck was aching from looking upwards, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the dome ceiling, even when I heard Gabriel’s approaching footsteps echo through the empty room.
“The dome is big enough for the Statue of Liberty to fit underneath,” Gabriel announced. He wasn’t speaking loudly, but the acoustics amplified his words.
A choir would sound incredible in here.
I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Was the ceiling really that high? I’d never actually seen the Statue of Liberty, but it seemed far too big to fit in here. “Have you ever seen anything more incredible?” I asked, still in awe.
“Actually, I think I have.”
Finally, I looked at Gabriel and frowned, surprised to find him so close. “What is more impressive than this?” I demanded.
Whatever it was, I had a sudden need to see it. Only, I was seeing it.
Somehow, we were standing where a light behind Gabriel’s head was casting a silhouette, giving the impression of a halo shining above him.
“Never mind,” I muttered, my throat feeling dry.
There wasn’t much room between us, and I found myself staring into his eyes. They were that mossy green again, but this time, I noticed a lighter ring around the pupil—like a halo. The effect was hypnotizing, and I couldn’t break our gaze.
From the corner of my eye, I was aware of his hand hovering by the side of my face, but I didn’t flinch. Instead, I stood still, barely daring to breath. Afraid that if I made any movement at all, the moment would be lost.
Gabriel carefully pushed a lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering before tracing over my cheek. “Kennedy,” he whispered.
I remained frozen as he slowly closed the gap between us.
His lips were warm, but the kiss was so gentle that I was still scared to move in case I ruined it. He pulled away a fraction, just long enough to say, “You are more impressive.”
Then he kissed me again.
I shivered. The movement was subtle, but with his hand still cupping my face, I knew he felt it. Like something shot between us, and the next thing I knew, his arms were wrapped around me. The force was enough to have me stumbling backwards, but he didn’t let go. When my back collided with a wall, I gasped.
Gabriel deepened the kiss, and as my knees went weak, I was suddenly grateful for the wall to support me from behind.
Finally, he pulled away, though he didn’t release his grip.
I stared up at him, my eyes wide, as I struggled to find words. “Gabriel?”
The single word broke the spell, and Gabriel stepped back. “I shouldn’t have done that.” His harsh words echoed around the room, making me wince.
“Did I do something wrong?” I felt like my heart had plummeted into my stomach.
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed as he firmly shook his head. “No,” he said sharply. “You did nothing wrong. You were perfect.” His gaze softened slightly as he took half a step back towards me, then, realizing what he was doing, he shook his head again. “It was just not the most appropriate of places. I’ve been succeeding in keeping my hands off you all day and then here, under the light from the stained glass . . .” He gave me a sheepish grin. “I couldn’t resist.”
Leaning into him, resting my forehead against his shoulder, I closed my eyes. “Don’t scare me like that. I thought I’d done something wrong.”
Gabriel held me close, gently rubbing circles on my back. The sensation was reassuring, comforting and intimate despite the setting. I wasn’t sure what changed in the last few hours, but I didn’t want to ask in case I scared this Gabriel away.
Before I could stop myself, I yawned.
“If you don’t want to return to Greenwood, you can stay here for the night,” Gabriel murmured.
Although I didn’t want to move, I felt the exhaustion seeping through me. I moved back, not quite releasing myself from his embrace, but enough to be able to look at him. “Won’t I get in trouble for being off campus?”
“I will call Ursula and let her know you’re with me.”
Biting back a smile, I cocked my head. “With you, in Italy . . . and I just happen to be staying at your place?”
Gabriel frowned. “I plan on being selective with what I tell her.”
My hand flew to my mouth in faux horror. “The Archangel Gabriel admitting to lying in one of the holiest places on the planet? The scan
dal.”
Gabriel’s expression grew troubled as he stepped away from me, turning to face the elaborate altar. “Please don’t consider this behavior to be shameful. My feelings for you grow each time I am with you, but an archangel and a nephilim? A student and her teacher?”
“Relax.” I stepped in front of him and smiled. “I was joking. Honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready for the world to know about us. Although I think Pinnosa has a pretty good idea there might be something between us.”
“There is a difference between someone suspecting something and having those suspicions confirmed. I just want to make sure it’s safe to tell people about us.”
So did I. But at the same time, my heart was practically leaping out of its chest to hear him refer to ‘us.’
“Let me take you to one of the guest rooms, and while you sleep, I will contact Ursula.” His lips thinned. “And you really need to refer to her with respect. She is the dean, and you are enrolled in her college. More to the point, if you want to be treated with respect, you should treat others in the same way.”
Good point. It wasn’t that I wanted to be overtly disrespectful to the dean, but whenever I tried, there seemed to be some strange pull stopping me. I just couldn’t figure out why.
Yawning as another wave of exhaustion hit me, I nodded.
Gabriel reached for my hand, leading me through the incredible building to a door that was roped off to the public. We passed through it, then we were once again, walking through a maze of luxurious corridors where the walls were gilded with gold, and art that was undoubtedly painted by a famous artist hung on the walls.
We eventually came to a stop outside a dark door. “This is one of the guest rooms. There should be spare clothing to sleep in and toiletries in the bathroom. It’s not a place fitted with air conditioning, but the rooms should be cool enough for you to sleep.”
Gabriel leaned forward, kissing me. Just as his lips started to make my legs feel like jelly, he pulled back. “Rest well.”
I fell into the room like a giddy schoolgirl but still managed to close the door without slamming it. Sucking in a deep breath, I calmed myself down before moving over to one of the biggest four-post beds I’d ever seen.
Sleeping on something like this still made me feel like someone was going to come in and tell me off, but I kicked my shoes off, and lay down on the floral bedding. I pulled my cell out of my pocket to check if my mom had texted me, but there were no unread messages.
The time had updated to Italy’s. And although it was past nine here, and therefore close to midnight back at Greenwood—not to mention justification to myself as to why my mom hadn’t sent me a message—I sent one to Leigh-Ann. I wasn’t expecting her to reply, but seconds later, it rang instead.
“You’re in Italy?” she practically squealed through the phone.
Pulling the phone away from my ear, I winced and put it on speakerphone. “I’m at Gabriel’s place.” She was the only person who knew about Gabriel—or at least that we’d kissed at the Spring Ball. Everything that had happened since . . . not so much.
“You’re back in the Vatican, aren’t you? Oh.” Her tone changed, the excitement changing to apprehension. “Have you found out more about the Watchers? You’ve not told Gabriel about my daddy, have you?”
“I haven’t breathed a word of that to anyone, I promise . . . Leigh-Ann, I found my mom.” I’d not intended to blurt that out to her, especially since I’d never really told her the full story, but being on the other side of the world and on the other end of a phone where I couldn’t see her reaction made it a whole lot easier.
“You found her in Italy too?”
“She’s in Las Vegas. And working in a casino.”
“That’s great news, Kennedy.” Leigh-Ann sounded genuinely happy for me. “Isn’t it?” she asked when I didn’t agree.
“My mom’s ill. The doctors never figured out what it was, but paranoid schizophrenia was a favorite.”
“That’s why you hit Lottie,” she said, quietly. “She wasn’t making things up.”
One day, last semester, Lottie called my mom crazy, and like Leigh-Ann said, I hit her. I’d actually thought I was going to get kicked out of school for that, but I didn’t.
At the time, I’d brushed it off, claiming Lottie was talking crap, and Leigh-Ann hadn’t pushed it further. Although she knew about my mom going missing, I’d never told her the rest. The words got stuck in my throat every time I wanted to tell her that my mom was suffering because of me.
“She’s been moving so much because she thinks my dad is after her.”
“Your dad, the fallen angel?”
Although she couldn’t see me, I nodded.
“Hang on, I’m adding video.”
“No, don’t,” I said, sharply. “I need to tell you things, and it’s easier if you’re not looking at me.”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone as I heard fabric moving. “Okay, my pillow is fluffed. I’m going to put the phone next to my head and let you talk.”
Falling back onto the bed, I put the phone by my head and told Leigh-Ann everything, even if she already knew about some of it.
Someone knocking at the door woke me up. Feeling groggy and having no idea what time it was, I sat up. I’d fallen asleep on top of the sheets, still in the clothes I’d been wearing yesterday.
Leigh-Ann and I had talked for a little over an hour. Most of it was me telling her my life story, and her asking only a couple of questions. I’d not mentioned Gabriel. My mom had been a big enough topic for one night.
Aside from calling me a ‘silly goose’ for not telling her sooner, Leigh-Ann had accepted it all. I’d gone to sleep feeling a million times better, just questioning who still used that term anymore?
There was another knock at the door.
“Hello?” I called out.
The door opened and Gabriel stepped in carrying a bag. “You’re awake.”
“I’m ready for breakfast.” I reached up for my hair, wincing when I realized it was falling out of the ponytail holder. Quickly pulling it loose, I ran my hands through it before tying it back up while Gabriel watched in amusement.
“We returned here after breakfast, and you’ve technically slept through lunch, but I’m sure I can have them find you something to eat to keep you going until dinner.”
I wasn’t sure who ‘they’ were, but if they could get me food, I didn’t care.
“David has some news. I’ve asked him to wait until you were awake to see if you were interested in hearing it since it seems to relate to Leigh-Ann’s prophecy.”
I wasn’t sure why the way he said that made me smile, but it did. “Thank you.”
“I brought you something to change into. I hope you don’t mind.” He walked over, placing the large bag on the edge of the bed. “I’ll wait outside.”
Waiting until he had stepped out of the room, I pulled the bag towards me. There was an Italian name on the side of it that I didn’t recognize, but inside, was a small selection of clothing. Clean underwear, a shoe box, a pair of pants, and some tops.
Over Easter, he’d bought me clothes and I’d not questioned how he knew my size then. I wasn’t going to question it now, despite my curiosity. Instead, I pulled the pretty long-sleeved top out and held it up against me.
Clothes had never held much interest to me, and I usually picked practical when I’d gone diving through Goodwill. Ever since the Lichtenberg fractures had covered my body, I had gone out of my way to wear long sleeves and trousers, always.
Gabriel’s choice fit this perfectly, even if the style was a lot more fashionable than anything I’d normally choose. I had seen something like it in the stores we’d walked by earlier this morning and thought it was cute.
Seeing as though Gabriel bought them, and the other option was to wear the clothes I’d been sleeping in, I changed quickly. Standing in front of the mirror as I fixed my ponytail, I almost didn’t recognize the person staring back at m
e.
The dress pants were the kind you would wear to work, not good for kicking around in in a gym. The same went for the cream colored, long-sleeve top and light jacket. On my feet, I had brand new ballet flats, gray like the pants.
The only complaint I had was that none of the items had pockets. With nowhere to put my phone, I clung onto it instead.
Strangely, wearing the clothes didn’t make me feel uncomfortable even though I normally hated people buying me things that I could never afford to pay back.
I opened the door, finding Gabriel opposite, leaning against the wall as he waited for me. A smile spread across his face as he saw me, and he gently nodded.
“Thank you for the clothes.”
“They look good on you,” Gabriel told me as we walked together down the hallway. Through a different set of hallways, he led me back to the room we had met David in last time.
Today, the windows were open, and a breeze was cooling the room. A small table had been pulled between the armchairs and on it was a silver serving dome. Beside it were two glasses of water, and two cups of coffee, the aroma of which had tickled my nose the moment I had walked in the room.
“It looks like the cherubs have been in already.” Gabriel sat down on one of the seats.
It hasn’t taken long for coffee to be part of my routine thanks to the coffee shop on campus, but as I sat in the other seat, I knew it wasn’t one of the syrup-tainted drinks I preferred.
I’d worked in a coffee shop before. That was an espresso, and I was not a big enough coffee fiend to ever order that. Regardless, I picked up the cup, blew gently on the liquid, and took a sip.
Strong was an understatement. I nearly spit the sip back out, but instead, choked it down as Gabriel looked at me with concern.
“That’s very normal for a breakfast drink here, but don’t drink it if you don’t like it.”
“I think I’ll pass,” I agreed as he took his own cup and sipped it. After drinking some of the water, I pulled the lid off the platter to find half a dozen cream-filled buns.