Call of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  Fangs bared, Lucas lays me down on the mattress and lunges for the man. I’ve told him about the man and who I think he is, but he’s not convinced this man isn’t a threat. The Blue-Eyed Man holds out his hand, forcing Lucas back down. He holds up his other hand and all the humans in the room slump down. He lowers both hands at the same time, and Lucas and Eliza fall to the ground, asleep, too.

  Binx growls and the man turns to him. “I wouldn’t try that.” His voice is warm and familiar. Binx backs down, sitting at my side, flicking the tip of his tail back and forth. The man walks across the room, holding out his hand.

  I push myself up, wincing with pain that shoots through me.

  “Who…who are you?” I ask, voice thin and small.

  The Blue-Eyed Man stops next to the bed and gazes upon my face. His lips curve into a smile, eyes warming. “You look just like your mother. You have her stubbornness, that’s for sure.”

  “My mother?”

  “I know you have questions, but now is not the time.” He reaches out and lays his hand on my head. All the pain, all the sickness, everything that felt wrong disappears. I inhale with no pain, my headache is gone, and the black veins on my wrist fade away.

  “Rest, my child.” His eyes meet mine, and for a split second, everything is okay. My anxiety slips away, and I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. He steps back and I dive forward. No dizziness crashes down on me. I’m completely healthy again. He healed me.

  Just like he did before. I knew it was him. But why? Why help me three times now only to leave.

  “Wait!” Desperation speeds up my heart. “Who are you?”

  “You already know the answer to that.”

  My eyes fill with tears and I suck in air. He’s my father. The confirmation sends a chill through me, causing goosebumps to break out along my flesh.

  I’m not a Martin. Abby isn’t my sister. Scott was right when he said we weren’t related.

  I am not fully human.

  I blink away the tears that burn the corners of my eyes. “What are you?” My throat tightens with emotion.

  “You know the answer to that as well.”

  A tear rolls down my cheek. “You’re an angel,” I whisper.

  “I am.” He takes another step back and great, white wings spread out behind him, stretching across the room. His eyes begin to glow a brilliant bright blue. My mouth falls open and another chill works its way down his spine.

  The Blue-Eyed Man is my father.

  My father is an angel.

  I’m half angel.

  Everything I thought I knew my whole life has been a lie.

  I’m not just a witch. My father is an angel and he said I look like my mother. But I look nothing like the mother I grew up with. My eyes shut in a long blink and the pain of my childhood hits me like a red-hot knife to the heart.

  I grew up feeling like an outsider in my own home, picked on and ridiculed until I was cast out, sold like an animal to the highest bidder, studied and tortured. Tabatha rescued me and I made amazing friends at the Academy, but even then I felt alone. I was different from the others, and it didn’t go unnoticed. There was an emptiness deep inside me that grew and festered, hurting me and making me feel so, so alone.

  And all the while he was out there. Watching me. And doing nothing.

  “Why did you leave me?” My brows furrow and anger takes over, making the lights flicker.

  The peaceful look on the Blue-Eyed Man’s face fades, twisting into one of regret and pain.

  “I had to.”

  “No you didn’t.” Tears fall like rain and I shake my head. “You didn’t have to leave me, and the people you left me with…did you know what they did to me? Did you just stand by and do nothing?” The chandelier over the bed rattles. “You…you abandoned me.”

  “There are things in play you don’t understand.”

  “Then explain them to me!” I throw back the covers and get out of bed, planting my feet firmly on the floor. The Blue-Eyed Man—my father—stands a good half a foot taller than me. “If you had to leave me, then why did you come back? Why did you save me? Why even care?”

  “I’ve always cared, Callie.”

  I jerk back. It feels wrong to hear him call me that. Is that even my name? My family’s not my family and I’m not even human.

  “Did you know?” I can’t keep the emotion in my voice. “Did you know what they did to me.”

  “Yes,” he confesses, looking pained. Good. I hope it fucking hurts like hell.

  “Why didn’t you stop them?”

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Why are you here now?” I angrily wipe away tears. “And why were you there before?”

  “You’d been discovered.”

  “By the demon?”

  “Not just the one.” He strides forward and holds out his hand. “We don’t have much time.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat and let out a breath. “Why should I trust you?”

  He gives me a half-smile. “I did just save your life. Though I like your skepticism.”

  “Are they okay?” I ask, looking at everyone on the floor.

  “Yes, they’re sleeping.”

  Against my better judgement, I take the Blue-Eyed Man’s hand. The world spins again, but this time it’s like I’m on a ride. When it stops, evening light spills down on me and sand covers my toes. Warm, salty air blows in from over gorgeous aquamarine-colored ocean water.

  “What the hell?” I throw out my hands to steady myself.

  “The dizziness will pass in a moment.”

  There are a few people on the beach, but none seem to have noticed our sudden appearance. “Where are we?”

  “Western Australia. It’s been one of my favorite places since creation. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Taking me here isn’t going to distract me.”

  “That wasn’t my intent. Everything is better when you’re on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.” He starts walking down the shore.

  “Nancy Martin isn’t my mother?”

  “No, she’s not.”

  I stop walking, head spinning. “But she was pregnant with me. I’ve seen the photos. She has my umbilical cord still and I’ve heard my own birth story.”

  “Nancy Martin was pregnant and did give birth to a baby girl the same day you were born.” The Blue-Eyed Man stops walking and turns around. “The baby she carried was stillborn.”

  “What?” I ask, feeling a little sick.

  The Blue-Eyed Man sits down on the sand and motions for me to sit next to him. Heart in my throat, I lower myself onto the warm sand. “Relationships between angels and humans are strictly forbidden. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and it seems you’re not so different from your parents after all.”

  I stare at him, eyes wide and unblinking.

  “I fell in love with your mother, as she did with me. I don’t need to explain to you how you came about. Most humans cannot survive carrying a divine child, but your mother was no ordinary human.”

  “She was a witch.” My throat constricts with emotion and more tears fall from my eyes.

  “Yes, she was a strong and brilliant witch.”

  “Was?”

  His own eyes get a little misty. “Yes, was. We knew how risky it would be bringing you into this world, but we loved each other and loved you. Being able to carry you to term…some would say it was a miracle. She wanted to raise you, and oh, did she love you, Callie.”

  I wipe my nose with the back of my hand, sniffling.

  “It was her idea to hide you in plain sight if anything were to happen to her.”

  “What did happen?”

  “Surviving a divine pregnancy is one thing, but giving birth to a divine child is another. You came into the world at the exact second Nancy Martin’s left.”

  “You swapped us.”

  “Yes. The Martins weren’t ideal, but the timing had to be exact. It was our only option, and it worked.
You were a Martin, part of a conservative family in the public eye, and the last place anyone would think to look for a Nephilim baby. I bound your angelic powers as best I could that day.”

  I cover my mouth with my hand, not quite able to process this information yet. “Did you know what my fath—William Martin did to me? That he sold me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you save me?”

  “I couldn’t. It’s not just demons you have to worry about, Callie. Nephilim are ordered to death amongst angels. If I intervened, it would have drawn attention to you and I couldn’t risk that. My brothers would have killed you without question. I did send help by directing the spirit Oberyth to you.”

  “You…you sent me Binx?”

  “Directed. He still chose you, but I knew he would. Only the most badass familiar would do for my daughter.”

  I look out at the ocean. Is this really happening? Did I pass out again and this is some weird, illness-induced dream?

  “But you’re here now.”

  “There are some who never believed the divine child died. They spent years searching, and then Varrador was able to narrow it down. You’d be compromised.”

  “If he knew then others know.”

  “Yes, and once word gets out that you’ve been alive all these years, a war will rage for you.”

  “So you’re saying both angels and demons want me dead?”

  “Yes.”

  I stare out at the ocean again. I’m sitting on the dry shore but feel like I’m drowning. “And I thought vampires hunting me was bad enough.” I look at my father, my real father. “Why don’t angels want Nephilim to live?”

  “You are half human, and they fear you could be easily swayed to the dark. It’s happened before and caused much damage. You possess great power, my child. Being part angel, you have the power to hurt us.”

  “You said you bound my angel powers.”

  “I did, in hopes of keeping unwanted attention away. But after the demons found out you were still alive, I knew you’d need it. I’ve been slowly unlocking it since that day in the woods. Turning the key and letting it all out at once would have been overwhelming for your human half.”

  I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. Maybe do both? I’m going to need a big glass of wine when I get back to my house.

  “I thought angels were supposed to be all pretty and kind and wear flowing white dresses.”

  “We are warriors. Rest assured there are others who disagree. They think you should be allowed to live and know you can be of great service to the divine.”

  “Really? How many?”

  “Two. Including myself.”

  “So there’s only one person out of all the angels who doesn’t want me dead. Great. I love those odds.” I rub my temples. I was healed, but a headache is quickly coming back. “The demon that made me sick. Is it gone?”

  “Yes, but the threat is more real now than ever. The demons have been looking for one who is worthy of breaking the seals for over a century now. Who is more worthy than one who can answer both the call of light and the call of night?”

  “Let me recap: demons currently want to use me as a key to start the apocalypse and every angel besides you and one other will kill me on sight.”

  “Yep. That about sums it up.”

  “What do I do?

  “Keep living your life the way you were. I’ll continue to keep the angels off your trail and…here.” He holds his hand over my heart and yellow light glows around his palm. “I unlocked more of the angelic grace you have inside you.”

  I take a deep breath, feeling like I just chugged two coffees.

  “I am proud of you, Callie. And I know your mother would have been too.”

  “What was her name?” My voice is all shaky with emotion again.

  “Callista.” He smiles. “For some reason Nancy Martin knew you didn’t look like an Ashley the moment she laid eyes on you.”

  “I always thought Callista was too exotic of a name for her to have picked.”

  The Blue-Eyed Man looks at the sky and then rises to his feet. “It’s been long enough. I need to get you home.”

  “Will you tell me your name?”

  He takes my hand and the world starts to spin, wrapped in a bright, golden glow.

  “Michael.”

  Chapter 34

  I’m back in the master bedroom, blinking rapidly to get them to adjust to the dim light. Michael is gone, and I’m standing in the same spot he did when he first appeared. Slowly, the others start to wake up.

  “Please tell me you saw that.” I’m still not sure I did.

  Lucas rushes over and takes me in his arms. “You’re alive.”

  “And well.”

  He looks me up and down, running his hands all over my body checking for black veins. Once he sees I’m fine, he kisses me, tongue plunging into my mouth. He wraps me tight in his embrace, kissing me until I have to stop for air.

  “Who the hell was that?” Eliza messes with her braids, which got messed up when she passed out on the floor. My gaze travels from everyone in the room, stopping on Abby.

  “You saw him, right?” I need to be sure.

  “I did,” Kristy says and the others nod. “He had blue eyes. Like the man you’ve been talking about. Was that him?”

  “Can we talk downstairs? And maybe order a pizza or something. I’m starving.”

  “You’re completely better?” Kristy peels me out of Lucas’s arms.

  “Yes. He healed me. And then took me to a really pretty beach in Australia.” Everyone exchanges confused looks, and I lead the way downstairs. “My phone is dead,” I say as I get two bottles of wine from the fridge. “Does anyone else have the Papa John’s app already downloaded?”

  “I do.” Lucas zooms away to get his phone.

  “Why do you have a pizza app?” Kristy asks when he gets back, sitting at the large island counter.

  “I order pizza for my employees at least once a week.”

  “Oh, that’s really nice of you.”

  I open a cabinet and get out five wine glasses. Using magic, I pull out the cork and then hold out my hand, telekinetically pouring the wine into each glass.

  “Wow, Cal,” Evander gasps. “That’s a new trick.”

  “Michael gave me a power boost. Well, not really a boost. Just helped me tap into what was already there.” I look over my shoulder at Lucas. “Can you order two pepperoni pizzas please?”

  “It’s dawn, Callie. They’re not open yet.”

  “Dammit.”

  “I’ll find something that’s open for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  I sit between Kristy and Abby and use magic to bring everyone their glasses. This kind of power is going to make me fat and lazy. No one says a word and I can feel their gazes on me, waiting for me to speak.

  “That man…his name was Michael?” Tabatha asks slowly.

  I swallow a mouthful of sweet rosé. It’s going to hit me fast since I haven’t had anything to eat in a day. Taking a breath, I push my shoulders back and remember the way I felt, for just a brief moment, when I was with him. He made me feel safe and loved, like everything was going to be all right. It’s the same feeling I get when I hold the feather, just…more.

  Maybe all angels make you feel like that. They are divine, after all. Or maybe that’s how fathers are supposed to make you feel. Like they’ll protect you, care for you. Love you for who you are.

  “The Blue-Eyed Man…he’s the one that helped me escape the hellfire. And he confirmed something today, something I’ve had a feeling about even though it didn’t make sense, though it did make sense at the same time, but really it didn’t because I was basing things off of feelings and the notion that maybe somewhere in the great wide world I fit in, like really fit in.”

  “You’re rambling,” Kristy says gently. “And totally losing me.”

  “I’ve never fit in with my family,” I start. “Obviously. They’re normal as
sholes—other than you, Abby—and nowhere in the Martin family history have there ever been witches. None on Nancy’s side either. But it happens that a witch or wizard is born to nonmagical parents.”

  I take another sip of wine. “Even at school, I was different and I knew it. But you guys accepted me and I felt like I was where I was supposed to be. Most the of the time, at least. And I was supposed to be there, since half of me is a witch.”

  “Half of you?” Evander repeats. “What are you getting at?”

  “Witches can’t command hellfire. They can’t break through wardings and they don’t have more than one familiar.”

  “What does this have to do with that man?” Kristy presses. Gulping down another mouthful of wine, I look up at Tabatha. Like the others, she’s waiting for me to go on, but unlike Kristy, Evander, and Abby, she looks like she already knows.

  “The Blue-Eyed Man is my father.” I spit out the words and there’s no taking them back now.

  “You were right all along.” Lucas rests his elbows on the counter. “I knew never to doubt you.”

  “What?” Abby’s face is pulled down with horror. “What do you mean?” She picks up her wine but doesn’t take a drink. “How can he be your father?”

  How am I supposed to tell her that her real sister died before she was even born and I took her place? It sounds so creepy and fucked up even to me. I’ll have to tell her the whole story, and that’s even more to take in. I don’t want to break my sister.

  Lucas sits up, tipping his head. “You spoke another language, one I hadn’t heard before and one you didn’t know. It was Enochian, wasn’t it?”

  “Enochian?” Evander’s face lights up with amusement. “Nobody speaks Enochian. It’s the language of—bloody hell.” He turns to me. “You’re saying…that he…he was…”

  “Yes. My father is an angel.” A chill makes its way down my spine again. “I know it sounds crazy, but it makes sense.”

  “It does.”

  “Wait.” Kristy holds up her hand. “His name is Michael. Is he the archangel Michael?”

  “He didn’t say and I didn’t think to ask. If I see him again, I’m bringing a list of questions.”

  Abby sucks down a mouthful of her wine and then starts laughing. “Sorry, I’m sorry.” She puts the glass down and doubles over with laughter. “It’s just…you were dying quite literally and then some guy—who might be the archangel Michael—shows up, tells you he’s your father, and now you’re better. It’s…it’s…I don’t even know.”