Winter's Promise

by G. Bailey

  “Fucking hell, is that what you brought me here for?” Wyatt asks and takes a sip of his beer. I watch in humour as Mags follows Wyatt and jumps on the sofa next to him as he sits. Mags jumps into his lap and he holds his hands in the air.

  “You just stroke her, or do I need to explain to you about how to deal with a girl on your lap?” Jaxson says with a laugh.

  “I would have said pussy,” Atti jokes and laughs. Jaxson smirks at Atti and sits next to Wyatt. Mags gets up and sits on his lap as he strokes her.

  “I’m not a cat person,” Wyatt glares at Jaxson and moves away.

  “So, we are discussing cats all night?” I ask because I don’t wish do that. Mags is a lovely cat but it’s pointless when we have much more pressing issues.

  “No. I got Avengers on DVD and beers. I’ll go and get pizza from New York in a bit. You can’t beat that shit,” Atti says and I laugh as I take a seat.

  “Boy’s night it is,” I groan out.

  “You guys are such fucking losers, I swear I have no idea why we are friends,” Wyatt grumbles.

  “Because you love my ass,” Atti says with a big laugh and Wyatt throws a book at him.

  “I’m just joking, fucker, chill.” Atti laughs as he stops the book in the air with a wave of his hand and a gush of air throws it across the room.

  “Such a dick,” Wyatt says, but he relaxes in the seat and drinks his beer.

  It was a good night.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Winter

  "So, who is this guy we are waiting for?" I ask Dabriel. Atti brought us to a little café in the middle of town near the university I used to go to. The café is empty other than the waitress who brought us two teas over. I drink a little of my tea, it’s nice and normal. I could be on a normal date with a hot guy, you know, if he didn’t have wings. I know the waitress can’t see the wings or she would have run out screaming. I know this dark angel we’re meeting is meant to be able to see my past but I don't know who he is. Atti is picking us up here in a few hours, as it’s not safe to go back to my apartment or to pack lands anymore.

  "His name is Lucifer," Dabriel answers.

  "Like the fallen angel out of the bible?" I ask, but it's not Dabriel who answers me.

  "Yes human, that was me."

  I glance up at the man, or angel, who spoke. He is the very opposite to Dabriel. He has long black hair with dark brown skin. His eyes are a dark purple, and his wings are full of black feathers instead of the bright white of Dabriel’s.

  "I'm not sure I can class myself as human anymore," I tell him; he tilts his head to the side to look at me.

  "Perhaps," Lucifer says and takes the seat opposite us at the small table. The bubbly waitress with blonde hair comes running over. Lucifer orders a cup of tea. It's so normal, that it's weird.

  "You don't look like much," Lucifer tells me.

  "Let’s get on with this," Dabriel growls out, his tone is pissed off and goes with the scowl he’s aiming across the table at Lucifer.

  Lucifer laughs and offers me his hand over the table. I hesitate a little when I see the glowing symbol in the middle. It glows grey against his dark skin and looks like a half moon with an arrow going through the middle of it.

  "I would never offer my power to anyone, let alone a human who is now a vampire. I owe my children's lives to Dabriel. That debt will be repaid, as I do not wish to have it over my head," Lucifer says.

  I look at Dabriel, seeing his reassuring smile before I slide my hand into Lucifer’s cold one and watch as his eyes glow black.

  "So little, how I wish I could protect you." Isa, my mother, says to me. She is crying, as she holds me in her arms. I'm only a toddler in this vision with the little bit of brown hair I have in pigtails. I’m standing in front of her as my mother sways me from side to side. My little yellow dress matches the yellow top my mother’s wearing. I don’t know why I’m focused on that and not how my mother looks at me with such love that it hurts.

  I guess because it hurts to admit I miss her. I miss a mother I can’t remember.

  The vision changes so quickly and I'm in an empty street that looks familiar.

  "We could just kill her, he won’t know and her power will keep us on earth," a crackly voice says behind me. I turn, seeing Isa on the ground. She’s bleeding from her mouth, her clothes torn and she’s watching the sky as two blue shadows stand over. They keep flickering between real men in black clothes and the blue shadow.

  "Do it," Isa whispers. The shadows hold her down, their hands over her chest and she screams. I scream along with Isa as she dies. I recognise this dream; I had it when I was ten.

  The vision flashes again.

  This time Isa is with my father, Joey. I recognise him from the dream I had before, his brown hair is like mine and I have his nose. They’re both looking at the little baby in their arms, wrapped in a knitted pink blanket. The room is bright with a raging fire in the fireplace and the windows to the little house are covered in snow.

  "Winter, her name is Winter and she will save them all." Isa says gently.

  "I like it," Joey says and kisses her. The baby cries and they both smile down at her; at me.

  I blink when I realise we are back in the cafe. The waitress stands holding the mug of tea and stares at us. I attempt to pull my hand back but Lucifer holds on.

  "Put it down, thank you," Dabriel tells the woman. She shakes a little as she puts the tea next to Lucifer and runs off.

  Lucifer finally releases my hand and I sit back in my seat. His eyes are completely black when he finally looks up at me. They slowly turn back to purple as I watch. It's the opposite of the way Dabriel’s went white when he sees the future.

  "I saw other bits but those are the only important things I will show you. The rest is small." He tells me.

  "To you perhaps, it’s all I have of my birth parents. Thank you." I say, my voice a little cracked. It hurts in my chest; the feeling of those memories, of parents I never knew but I just saw how much they loved me.

  "I am sorry for your loss." Lucifer says and he stands.

  "My debt is repaid my prince," he looks towards Dabriel.

  "It is," Dabriel answers. Lucifer goes to walk away but Dabriel stops him.

  “I saw another child, a young one with dark wings and dark eyes. This one will need to move soon before the war takes him. You know whom I speak of and I know the decision you will make. It’s the only way,” Dabriel says. I don’t understand what he’s saying but apparently Lucifer does because he turns to face him with fully black eyes. Lucifer comes back over to the table and stands at the end. He joins his hands together, grey symbols appearing all over his skin. He has as many as Dabriel, well maybe a few less, but it’s impressive. I watch as he rests his bent head on his hands.

  "Latus vero regi," he says, his words deep and I see the waitress drop a mug on the floor and run out of the shop. Yep, this freaked her out.

  Dabriel gets up and places his hand on Lucifer’s head. Lucifer raises his head and nods at me before he leaves. I watch him go outside the shop and just fly into the air. A few people passing by stop what they are doing, looking shocked.

  "Does he not care if humans know about him?" I ask Dabriel who is pulling money out his wallet and putting it on the table. It's a hell of a lot more than our drinks cost but I don't say anything.

  "Angels don’t like humans, nor care if they see us. Not all are like that but most," he says. I hold his hand as we walk out the cafe.

  “What did he say to you? What happened back there?” I ask him.

  “An old magic-filled promise. I will explain one day my little wildfire,” he says. The street is quiet, as it’s Friday and the middle of the day. I spot the bowling alley across the street and I look back at Dabriel.

  "Let’s go bowling," I say suddenly.

  "The human sport of throwing balls at non-moving objects?" Dabriel says with a slight frown.

  "Yep. Scared I'm going to beat you?" I ask him and h
e laughs.

  "No, let’s go." He says and starts walking towards the bowling alley. Guys can't stand their ego being threatened, supernatural or not.

  I catch up and slip my hand in his.

  "We are safe for a short amount of time, right?" I ask him.

  "You are always safe next to me, I would fly you away if there's a problem," he says like there isn’t an issue.

  I don't reply but I just squeeze his hand as we walk across the road to the bowling alley. The male attendant looks half asleep as Dabriel pays for our games and shoes to rent.

  "What size?" The man asks with a yawn.

  "Seven," I say and Dabriel says,

  "Thirteen."

  The man nods and looks under the counter at the rack full of shoes.

  "Those are big feet dude; I’ll have to go check in the back room. Two minutes," the man shouts and I look at Dabriel.

  "What?" he asks when he sees my big smile.

  "Just thinking of all the big feet jokes Alex and Atti would come up with if they were here," I laugh.

  "I don't get it," he says looking at me like I’m strange. I forget that he didn’t grow up around humans.

  "Oh, it's a human rumour that if you have big feet, you have a big…” I stop talking when the man walks back up with the shoes.

  "Big what?" Dabriel asks as he takes the shoes. I grab mine and shake my head.

  "Never mind," I laugh. I’m not answering that.

  He tilts my chin up with his hand and smiles down at me.

  "I know the saying and one day you can know if the rumour is true," he says in a deeply seductive tone. I blink in shock and he laughs as he walks over to the benches to change his shoes. Did Dabriel just trick me? I didn’t know he had it in him. It’s damn sexy, I think as I watch him bend over to put his shoes on and I get a good view of his sexy butt in those jeans he wears when he’s acting human. I like him dressed like this, he has a baseball cap on backwards, and a white shirt and boots that he just took off. I only move when he looks back at me and I snap out of my staring contest with his ass.

  I go first when we start bowling and I knock all the pins down. I completely forgot about my perfect aim thing. There is no way I can lose this.

  Dabriel is just as good as me and we both end with perfect scores. The place is empty other than the staff and us.

  "We didn't think this through," Dabriel laughs.

  "Nope but it was fun, normal. I feel like I don't get enough of that anymore," I say and he pulls me to his chest.

  “How about I buy you lunch and I might treat you to one of those massive milkshakes I saw a photo of on the wall?” he says. I can’t see anything other than his chest but I hear the smile.

  “That sounds very boyfriend like.”

  “Being the good boyfriend that I am, I'll find out if they have a chocolate-flavoured milkshake,” he says and I laugh.

  “You are a good boyfriend, no an awesome one,” I say and lean back to look up at him. He presses his lips to mine gently before he increases the pressure. My mouth parts and Dabriel takes over the kiss.

  We do eventually get to have milkshakes and lunch but we spend a lot of time kissing first.

  Chapter Twenty

  Winter

  "No one can get into Paris. Many people are questioning the government’s excuse that it is a chemical explosion, and they have sectioned off Paris to make sure the chemicals aren’t spread into the air. It all sounds made up," a middle-aged man in a suit talks on, on some morning TV show. I know I shouldn’t be sitting here watching this, I should be training or doing anything else but I can’t.

  "This is what we are being told but what the people are speaking of is demons and an invisible ward," he says. The humans can’t see the red wall like we can, just a red blur.

  "Yet there is no proof. If demons did take over Paris, wouldn't they want to take over other cities? Demons do not exist and what people are saying is just nonsense. There is no video evidence," the other man says. He’s much older, around sixty with a bald head and a smart suit.

  "That's because everything electronic turns off when you get near. People are furious and want to hear from their families who are in the city." The man says in return.

  "The government will open the city when it is safe," the older man says.

  Dabriel turns Atti’s TV off and kneels in front of me.

  "What’s going through that mind my little wildfire?" He asks me.

  I glance at him, Dabriel is dressed in a white top that stretches across his chest, and his muscular arms are on display and the huge white wings rest against his sides. His hair is braided at both sides and pulled back to the bottom of his head and his purple eyes watch me closely. He is very handsome, that I've always known. Dabriel could have anyone he wanted because he looks like he fell straight out of heaven.

  I'm sure that's out of a song somewhere. Or it should be. I’m glad I didn’t say that out loud, that would have been a cheesy line.

  "Winter," he asks and cocks his head to the side.

  "Everything is being destroyed because of me. I opened that portal and let him out. The goddess died to stop him and yet I still let him out. I feel like I have all this pressure from that prophecy and who my parents were. My mother believed I would save people. She actually said that to me when I was a baby and yet I’ve saved no one. Paris is literally gone and I know my dear granddad is killing the people there or he already has, I just…" I blurt out and Dabriel rests his finger against my lips to stop my rant.

  He stands and offers me a hand to get up. No words, just a hand.

  I slide my hand into his and he moves us into the kitchen where Atti is cooking Mags and Jewels chicken breasts.

  "Take us to my town, to the pool Atti," Dabriel says as he walks in. Atti takes one look at me and nods.

  "Be back in a second to sort your food out, guys," he tells them both. They both are in their normal cat forms making me think they prefer their glamour’s.

  Atti links his hand with mine and presses a kiss to my forehead as he moves us to where he was asked. I have no idea where he means. We appear just outside a long pool in a white building. The sun shines down on the skylight above the pool that’s made of glass. The water is clear and brilliantly blue, blue enough that I know it’s not normal water. The tiles look like real gold and feel cold under my bare feet.

  "I’ll come back in a couple of hours for Winter's training," Atti says and kisses me gently before disappearing.

  "Where is this, and why did you bring me here?" I ask Dabriel and I watch as he steps back and pulls his shirt off. I didn't see the slits before, they are down the sides of his shirt and they come apart when he pulls. It makes it easy for it to come off. I'm about to comment about how cool that is when I see his chest. Men's chests can be works of art, but Dabriel’s is something else.

  He has hard pecs that lead to an eight pack that dips to his white trousers. There is also a long scar across his chest, it’s pale and looks old. I wonder how that happened?

  He undoes the top button on his trousers as I watch and he turns around. My eyes widen when I see his firm ass as his trousers fall to the ground. He kicks them off with his shoes and jumps into the pool with one long dive. I move away when the water splashes me.

  I move close to the edge as he rises in the middle of the pool. His white hair comes around his shoulders as the band is loose and his wings are spread out, dripping sparkling water.

  "The reason I brought you here is because this is my favourite place and it’s mine. Growing up, I was alone a lot. I had a lot of pressure on me at a young age and I hated that." He tells me. I watch in wonder, as white symbols appear all over his body, there isn’t a space that doesn’t have one. They’re hard to look at, to see what they are other than the outline shape. They look like a mixture of lines, some are like crosses and others look like swirls. I wonder what they mean.

  "My mother went into early labour, I wasn't expected for a month and she was out in
the human world. She was helping a young human child with cancer and had just healed him. She had me in a park, in the middle of Indiana and she didn't survive it. Angel births are difficult and mothers rarely survive." He says gently.

  "I'm so sorry," I say and he nods.

  "No one was around but I started glowing. Glowing so bright that all the angels couldn't help but come to me. They all had a vision and had to come to me, no matter what and..." he says.

  "They found you," I finish his sentence.

  "Yes, and my body was covered in white symbols as my dead mother held onto me. My father never truly cared for her. The bastard had gotten someone else pregnant while my mother was still pregnant with me. I knew he never cared for my mother growing up but I learnt how much he despised me with every glance he gave me. I don’t remember him much as he died when I was very young but what I do remember is being ignored," he says and takes a breath.

  "The angels took me home and when the news came that the other princes were born, they worshipped me. The Prince that was strong that the goddess had sent. Then my two younger brothers were born and my father was devoted to them, I think I threatened his power even as a baby," he says.

  "Do your people like your brothers like your father did?" I ask.

  "Yes. They are cruel and don't hesitate in killing someone.” Dabriel says, his symbols glowing brighter.

  “I always let my opponent go. I won't kill for no reason or prove myself to anyone," Dabriel says softly. I just nod.

  "You don't have to prove yourself to anyone because of a prophecy. What happened was not your fault and what we do in our future is up to us." He tells me.

  "Still, many people have died," I say thinking of Paris. I was there with Atti and Dabriel recently, enjoying Disneyland with all the other normal people. I wonder what’s left of the place where I shared my first kiss with Atti?

  "And many more will, that is just the way things are, but if we fight, if you fight, we can make a future worth living in," he says.

  "Together?" I ask him.

  "Yes, because I love you, Winter. I will love you until I take my last breath and even after my life ends." Dabriel says and my breath catches.