Black

by Angelina J. Steffort

  “Anyway,” she added, “I need to head out. I’ve got a date.” She winked at me and finished her coffee.

  “Okay,” I managed.

  “I’ll see you later.” Liz swung her designer handbag over her shoulder. “Oh—and be prepared to work late tonight.”

  I watched her stride away from the counter on her high heels, then swing confidently through the door. What had just happened?

  After the whirlwind of Liz Martinez, the afternoon slowed to a crawl. I checked-in the small pile of returned books and tried to think of something else to keep my mind off Mr. Baker. He should have been there and I might never know how much I had contributed to the fact that he wasn’t. I clicked into the catalog with the thought that this new librarian might approve of a shelf of New Releases. There were quite a few titles that would qualify. Rather fancying myself in the role of library innovator, I delved deep into the project, accompanied only by the soft tick and occasional chime of the library’s famous old clock.

  I looked up only when the door opened to another creature of high energy. It was Ben.

  “Hey,” he grinned at me, like his day had just gotten better.

  “Hi, Ben.”

  I walked around the counter and up to him. He closed the distance in a few quick strides and pulled me in a hug.

  “You seem happy,” I noticed.

  “I am always happy when I see you, Claire.” Ben turned to the side and walked me towards the window.

  I let him, but wondered what he was seeing there.

  “See?” he pointed at the half-busy street outside.

  I shook my head, not sure what he was referring to. There were a few people walking, cars were driving at moderate speed, but nothing stood out.

  “Exactly,” he nodded. “Nothing is going on out there today.”

  So far, the voice in my head added.

  I curled out of his arm and walked back to stand behind the counter. Ben followed.

  “So, how come you can spend so much time babysitting me?” I asked, encouraged by his high spirits to venture into the subject of our personal relationship.

  Ben’s cheerful expression turned serious.

  “Claire, my family and I agreed to protect you from the demons. We all lost someone we love. We cannot afford to lose anyone else.” He stared into my eyes as if to emphasize the meaning.

  I looked at the floor awkwardly. It was very clear that, besides protecting me, Ben was following his own agenda.

  When I looked up, he was still staring.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” I changed the subject, uncomfortably shifting behind the counter.

  “Sure.”

  I was glad to escape his gaze and walked around the stacks to the staff room in the back.

  “Water, soda...coffee?” I called while roaming the fridge.

  “Coffee,” Ben’s voice came from right behind me.

  I jumped and stumbled into the open fridge.

  Ben’s hand caught me before I hit the vegetable shelf.

  I coughed, embarrassed, and closed the fridge behind me.

  “Milk and sugar?” I breathed without even looking at the coffee machine. My voice came out as a hoarse conglomerate of syllables.

  Ben’s hand was still holding me by my shoulder and his eyes bore into mine.

  He nodded at my question.

  I took a deep breath, unsure how to react. He made me feel insecure and safe at the same time. But there was something else lingering in the air between us—anticipation.

  I felt my pulse accelerate as Ben let his fingers slide down along my arm and came to rest on my hand.

  There was one thing I was sure about at that moment. There was something inside of me, that wanted to be close to Ben.

  I blinked at him without comprehension and pulled up my hand.

  Ben, I thought, Ben, don’t let go. And his fingers were wrapping themselves around mine, just as if he had read my mind. But it was probably more than that. He must feel what I was feeling. And what I was feeling was potent.

  We stood there for a moment, looking at each other, each of us waiting for the other to make a move. But nothing happened.

  After an eternity, he finally withdrew his hand.

  “Just black, no milk, no sugar,” he said and turned to the side.

  I turned to the coffee machine, hiding my embarrassed face. But Ben was totally at ease. He walked around and grabbed his cup as soon as it was filled.

  “Dinner at my place tonight,” he informed me, smiling over the rim of the cup as if nothing had happened.

  I couldn’t help it and returned his smile as we were walking back into the main area of the library.

  There was something about Ben that made me feel free and almost safe.

  Ever since he had dropped the facade of anger and rejection, the beauty of his personality shone as brightly as his physical beauty. Almost as if he had forgiven me for Adam’s death.

  My stomach twisted and I had to steady myself on one of the bookshelves.

  “Are you alright?” Ben turned to me with a worried expression.

  I nodded at him and he nodded back, both of us one-hundred percent aware that I wasn’t.

  I didn’t have time to put on my brave face when Liz appeared in the front door, her purse on her arm, tossing her raven hair out of her face.

  Ben automatically took a step back from me.

  “Hi,” Liz greeted.

  I blushed and waved. Ben nodded at her.

  “Who’s your friend?”

  “Liz—Ben.” I gestured at both of them with my hand while pulling a smile from the bottom of my psyche.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Ben,” Liz laughed and pulled her scarf from under her black mane of hair.

  “Nice to meet you, Liz,” Ben returned a smile and shook her hand before he turned to me.

  “Actually, I need to get going. I’ll pick you up at five.”

  “Make it seven,” Liz interjected.

  I eyed her for a second.

  “I told you, prepare to work late tonight,” she explained with a grin.

  “Okay.” I didn’t know whom I was responding to. To Ben that it was ok if the picked me up, or Liz, that I would stay late.

  “See you,” Ben nudged my arm gently and walked away.

  Liz and I both watched him disappear through the entrance door.

  “Boyfriend?” Liz asked when Ben was out of sight.

  “Ex-boyfriend’s brother.” I didn’t look up.

  “Cute,” she observed after a minute of silence.

  I grimaced.

  Liz laughed at my expression knowingly and started walking.

  “Let’s get to work.” Her shoes clicked past the counter to the back of the room. “Lock the door, will you?”

  I did as she told me, mildly confused, and pulled the keys from my pocket on the way to the door, turned the sign to closed and rushed after her with a squeamish stomach.

  She was already standing at the counter with a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and an expectant smile on her face.

  Every step I took made me feel more uneasy than the one before.

  Trust Liz! I thought to myself. Was she the Liz I was supposed to trust?

  “Sit,” Liz patted one of the chairs.

  I stepped towards it slowly, the uneasiness becoming more pronounced. Would Ben be around in case I needed him?

  “Don’t be silly,” Liz commented on my hesitation, “I won’t bite.” She laughed again. “I am not the enemy here.”

  The moment I sat, Liz took a seat next to me. She put her cup down in front of her and turned to me with a serious face.

  “Okay,” she started. “I need to know everything that’s going on.”

  I eyed her for a moment, deciding whether or not to take Lucas Baker’s advice.

  “Trust me,” Liz said. “I am a guard. I can help.”

  “What?”

  Liz’ face spread into a laugh again as she took in my confused ex
pression.

  “A few weeks ago, Lucas got in touch and asked for my help.”

  I eyed her for a moment.

  “Help with what?”

  “Help with lost powers.” Liz’ expression was suddenly serious and wistful.

  My stomach twisted. She must be the Liz.

  “Lucas told me everything you told him. He was well-aware that you were in trouble.”

  “What type of help did he ask for?”

  “The type of help only guards can give.”

  “What is a guard?”

  Liz took a deep breath before she spoke.

  “The Guard. An ancient organization entrusted with this world’s most sacred secrets.”

  I gave her a disbelieving look. “What?”

  “You know—angels and demons.”

  Liz smiled at my gaping face with honest amusement.

  “You are part of a secret organization.” I repeated.

  “—a secret organization which protects the secrets of angels and demons.”

  “Angels and demons?” I asked with a hint of distrust.

  The impressive Latina simply nodded.

  “There is a natural balance in this world. Good and evil are two sides of the same coin.”

  Before I could think about this statement, Liz continued.

  “The Guard is a secret organization. It is designed to protect the knowledge about angels and demons and keep it alive in case it is ever needed.

  “We are positioned in strategic locations around the globe, always ready to come to angels’ aid when they have problems starting off after transforming. Most angels have their families to pass on that knowledge, but every now and then there is one who is all by themselves.

  “We are there when angels have lost knowledge of their own kind’s history over generations.”

  My mind was trying to keep up with what she was telling me.

  “How many angels are there?” I wondered.

  She looked at me intensely, measuring my expression for a moment.

  “More than you could imagine, less than in the generation before us.” Liz answered with concern.

  I pondered her statement for a while. Lucas had said he had never met an angel, even though there had been several right under his nose. Maybe Liz had a similar experience.

  “Lucas said he never met one in person. How can you know the numbers? Angels don’t register, do they?”

  “They don’t.” She laughed. “There are other ways to know.”

  “We have a lot to talk about.” She got to her feet. “More coffee?”

  “Please.”

  A few minutes later, we were sitting with two mugs of steaming coffee, brooding over the recent events.

  “Lucas was guarding one of the most important locations in U.S.—Aurora, IL,” she continued. “Lucas told you the story about the history of Aurora? Not the version from the history books?”

  I nodded in wonder, remembering Lucas Baker’s story about Aurora’s special bookkeeper, the winged monster, and the first alliance between angel and human in order to bring the demon down. Liz was opening my eyes to how strong the network of believers and guardians of knowledge was.

  “Then you also know about the importance of the book the bookkeeper left behind.”

  My head bounced again.

  “Good.” Liz smiled. Then she fell silent for a moment.

  I waited for her to continue, anxious for what was about to come. I was excited to have someone to talk to, who was finally willing to give me information. Time was running out and Chris and I were none the wiser about how to get his powers back. And he more than needed them in this supernatural mine field around us.

  “I know about the Gallagers.” Liz’ face was suddenly serious.

  It made me even more anxious.

  “What exactly do you know?” I asked cautiously.

  “Christian, Jenna, Adam, and Benedict.” She eyed me carefully as she spoke each of the names. “They are all angels.”

  My heart picked up pace.

  “How do you know?”

  “Let’s say, we have our sources.” She put on a knowing expression. “Four in a town like Aurora, that’s quite a lot.”

  “Except for one of them is dead,” I corrected.

  “Tragic,” Liz commented. “How exactly did it happen?”

  I hesitated.

  “You know I already know he was your boyfriend. And you know you can trust me.”

  The way she spoke about him was too nonchalant for how it made me feel.

  “He was more than that.”

  “I know.”

  I gave Liz a summary of my time with Adam. Her face showed more and more concern as I mentioned the demons. Alabaster, who was dead. And Volpert, I shuddered, who was still out there biding his time until he would strike.

  The last thing I mentioned was Chris’ problem.

  “No matter what he does and how hard he tries, they just won’t show.”

  Liz watched the bubbles on her coffee swirl with the movement as she tilted her cup slightly to the side.

  “Lucas mentioned that. I did some research before I came here and there might be a way.”

  Her words were the best news I had heard in a while.

  “How—”

  “Meditation.” Liz’ answer was as difficult as simple.

  “Meditation?”

  “Exactly. You are Adam’s mark, that means you carry part of his soul, even though he is dead.” Her voice was strictly business. No space for pity. “You will meditate with him. You will guide him in the meditation until he reconnects with the part of Adam’s soul within himself.”

  Liz explained the whole process to me in detail. I sat, amazed by the depth of her knowledge and grateful for any hint that could help Chris.

  We were so deep in conversation that I didn’t realize how late it had gotten, when my phone buzzed.

  Waiting outside. Dinner is waiting.

  It was Ben’s number.

  “Go,” Liz instructed. “We’ll continue another time.”

  Coming.

  I texted back.

  “Thank you so much, Liz.” I couldn’t put into words what it would mean to all of us if her plan worked. “I’ll try to convince Chris to start right away.”

  Liz laughed. “Let me know how it goes.”

  She turned and grabbed a small leather book from inside her purse.

  “Next Thursday?” I asked.

  “Yes. I’ll need you for library duties.”

  “See you next week.” I waved over my shoulder on my way out.

  Ben was standing with his back facing the building, looking at the mostly empty street.

  “Hey,” I called as I made my way down the stairs.

  He was beside me within a heartbeat.

  “Hello, Claire.”

  “You know you didn’t have to pick me up.”

  “I know.”

  “Jaden could have come.”

  “I know.”

  We walked to my car, avoiding each others’ eyes. Our encounter from this afternoon was still thickening the air between us.

  “Are Jenna and Chris joining us for dinner?” I asked when I climbed into the car, dreading more alone time with Ben. I wasn’t sure I could trust myself anymore. Whatever it was I felt for Adam’s brother, things were getting complicated. I needed to figure this out before anything happened and our newly-found friendship was ruined.

  “They will.” Ben grinned. He naturally would know how I was feeling. It didn’t seem to bother him.

  “Don’t worry,” he added, as if he could read my thoughts, too.

  His hand reached over to touch mine in a reassuring gesture. All it did was send an electric current down my spine.

  Ben chuckled.

  “I’m sorry.” Why was I apologizing?

  Ben’s chuckle turned into a wide-spread smile and he sped the car into the evening traffic.

  It was a quiet ride. I was busy sorting my feelings
and thoughts, and Ben was gentleman enough not to comment on what he perceived from me.

  It wasn’t before we turned the corner to the Gallagers’ house when I spoke again.

  “I have news regarding Chris’ problem.”

  I saw Ben’s face light up from the corner of my eye.

  Jenna was waiting at the door. She pulled me into a hug the moment we entered the house.

  Ever since she had shared her story with me, I saw her in a completely new light. She was the strong heart of the family. A loving, wise person. It was a little bit like having a mother again.

  “Hi, Mom.” Ben slid past us. “Claire has good news. Where’s Dad?”

  Chris was coming down the stairs just when Ben mentioned him. Antonio was at his heels, wagging his tail at the sight of us.

  “Wonderful. Shall we get to the dining room? Geoffrey promised Italian,” Jenna suggested and led the way.

  “Great.” Ben bounced after his father. “Claire has something to share we all want to hear.”

  “Is that so?” Chris asked curiously. His eyes showed a little more life than the past few times I had seen him.

  The table was beautifully set, with a draped tablecloth and flowers spreading from the center to each end in a line of orange and red. I had been at wedding banquets that were less beautifully decorated than this family dinner. A person who knew them mainly as warm, caring, supportive friends could so easily forget how exorbitantly rich the Gallagers were.

  I sat down after everyone else was settled. A slight shift forwards of my chair startled me when I sat.

  “Excuse me, Miss Gabriel,” Geoffrey’s voice came from behind me.

  I smiled at him over my shoulder. He was the family butler. Who knows how long he had been with the Gallagers. I was wondering how much he knew...

  “So, what’s the news?” Chris asked the moment Geoffrey had vanished through the door.

  All three remaining Gallagers were giving me an expectant look.

  There was something oddly satisfying about the fact that this time I was the one bringing new and valuable information.

  “Okay. I found out how Chris can get his powers back.”

  Before I could say anything else, Jenna was at my side, hugging me.

  “That’s wonderful.”

  Chris nodded and something similar to a smile formed on his lips.

  “It is. I only wish Jaden was here. He should hear this, too.” I said the words without thinking. A second later, Jaden was standing at my shoulder.