by Layna Snow
Before Seth could leave Caleb in peace to see to Melody, Caleb continued, both the undressing and the monologue. He removed his pants before turning back to Seth, his hands on his boxer-brief clad hips. “Oh, and you have a visitor. Apparently Tim is in town. He’s been seen in Barrie, at some of the clubs. Then he checked into Katie’s bed-and-breakfast tonight.”
If Seth swore, he’d have sworn then, but he tried to keep those impulses to himself. He failed a few times since Melody came into their lives, but that was no reason to go off the handle. “I’ll call over there tomorrow and see what he has to say.”
Cay nodded and pulled on some pajama pants, probably the only ones he owned. “Alright. I’ll go talk to Melody. Fuck! I didn’t mean to scare her.”
When he would have left, Seth blocked the way. “No, just go to sleep. I’ll talk to her. You’re too drunk.”
“Shit man. I’m not that drunk!” he protested, but Seth could smell the alcohol on his breath, doubtless that Melody would be able to as well.
“Yes, you are. Go to bed. I will handle this.”
There must have been something in his tone, or on his face, that showed how serious he was, because Caleb just reluctantly agreed and strode to the bed, leaving Seth to shut off the light.
It didn’t take very long to figure out where she had hidden. Fortunately she chose the only room that didn’t have a lock—not that they showed her how to use the locks, just in case. The library was the only door shut, which alerted him to the fact that she had picked the room with her beloved computer.
Seth didn’t bother to knock, he just opened the door and hoped that Melody did not still feel violent. Seth doubted that, however, having watched her for many days, in all situations. She had been surprised by her own vehemence earlier. She would not attack again.
“Melody?” he called, peering into the dark room. He could see the shadows the desk cast against the walls opposite the windows that allowed some moonlight in. He could see dark forms and noticed a lump of shadows that hadn’t been there before. He also noticed it shivered slightly as he moved towards it.
“Melody. I will not hurt you. I just want to talk to you, alright?” he asked, feeling slightly awkward. He didn’t comfort people. He didn’t try to calm them or bother reassuring them. He did not care if others were upset. People were in charge of their own emotions. They could feel better if they tried, but instead people loved to dwell on heartbreak and sorrow. Why should he try to change what they could fix so easily?
But this was different. He did not like seeing her scared, or knowing that she was afraid of what they might do. He was so used to her arrogance that this vulnerability bothered him. It did not seem right. She should not be feeling this way, especially not because of something one of them did.
The girl still hadn’t uttered a sound, and Seth was unsure of how to handle this. So he did what Caleb had done that first day they found her. He knelt in front of her and opened his arms to show that he had nothing that would hurt her. He knew that the moonlight would illuminate him a little, allowing her to see him.
Still Melody continued to huddle in the corner, her back pressing against the walls and her knees drawn up. “I have never once lied to you. I have never broken a promise. You know that I am not being untruthful now. Melody, you and I are similar in that respect. We tell people what we think, we do not charm, as Caleb does. Now, no more cowering. You will come out of that corner and come talk to me. Caleb is asleep now.”
It was almost too dark to see, but Seth noticed the shadow move slightly. Melody nodding.
“Alright. We will go into the living room and talk about this. Then you will answer some questions for me.”
With that, Seth stood and strolled into the large room, looking quickly to make sure that Caleb’s door stayed shut. It was a relief to see that he trusted Seth enough to allow him to deal with this on his own.
He had just taken a seat on the couch when Melody came out, rambling apologies and requests for punishment. She talked so quickly, so incoherently, that he wasn’t really sure what exact words were being said. He did know that she was still scared of retaliation.
“Enough!” He said, needing her to stop her insistent rambling.
His order must have been enough for she stopped talking and sat, rigidly, on the couch on the opposite end as him.
“You won’t be punished. Caleb deserved that slap. He was drunk and he spoke out of turn.”
Melody rose her gaze to his, her curiosity pushing past her fear. “Drunk?”
Seth nodded, determined to get this over with. She had no reason to fear them. “Yes. He drank too much alcohol. Was intoxicated. He was not behaving rationally.”
She gasped, her eyes growing round with shock. “He drinks devil-water? How could he? That is a sinner’s drink!”
If she wasn’t so serious, he would have laughed, instead Seth shook his head. “Every human drinks it now and again. It’s not bad, but it takes away your inhibitions. You often do things that you wanted to do, but never allowed yourself. For some, that is dangerous. For others, it just makes them say dumb things. Caleb would never have hurt you. It doesn’t matter how much he drinks, he will never physically harm you. He might say rude things, though, like tonight. I assure you, he already feels bad.”
Melody just looked at him skeptically. Seth could not blame her. He grew up in foster homes. When you are with new people, people who control your life and provide safety, it is difficult to trust them fully, especially if you see them drunk.
“Caleb has been slapped before. Most of the time it is by a woman. Never has he struck them back. I promise.”
Lowering her eyes once again, Melody bit her lip in worry. He remembered her lips, so plump and pink stretched around his dick. He remembered the pleasure she wrung from him, the small bit of peace she gave him. He could still see her as she had been bent over, accepting Caleb’s cock while she licked at his. The vision haunted his dreams, left him sweaty and hard, alone in his large bed.
And then other visions would come, things that hadn’t happened yet. Visions of her under him, writhing against him as he gave her just as much pleasure as she gave him. Her tiny hands grasping at his shoulders as he thrust into her tight heat. It had been difficult staying away from her. Difficult not drawing her into him and taking what she had offered the other night.
It was those moments, when darkness cloaked the house and there were no problems to fix, that logic went out the window. And then it returned with the sun, bringing with it criticism and problems that would arise if he gave into temptation. He wasn’t good at relationships. He was missing something inside that let him connect. It had always been that way. It was why Lucy had left him.
Melody was not with him. He needed to get past the images and desires in his head. She would never be his.
“But what punishment will I get? I harmed him. Please, please don’t exile me. I.. I.. need you.”
Seth knew that she wasn’t just talking about him. She didn’t need him, she needed what he provided. What Caleb provided too. She wouldn’t want to lose that, just like she wouldn’t want to lose the one person she had connected to, Cay. But just then he wanted to hear her say that she needed him, Seth. That she wanted what love he could give her. Love? You can’t give her that. You’re heart shrivelled a long time ago.
“We won’t punish you, Melody. We do not rule you. You do not work for us. We are equals here. I would not abandon you because you slapped Caleb. I am sure your guilt and fear were a far worse penance than the slap required.”
Melody nodded and relaxed, her body almost wilting into the couch, before springing right back to tense attention. “But… Cay. He is not mad at me, is he? He will now ignore me?”
Seth shook his head, unsure how to put Melody at ease. “No, he feels bad about scaring you. He would be here talking to you, but I told him not to. He isn’t mad.”
She nodded, a smile growing on her adorable face, her eyes lighting up a
gain with joy, determination, and something like haughtiness that was all her own.
Before she could bound up and out of the room, Seth laid a restraining hand on her arm, something that he shouldn’t have done. He could feel her muscles tense, hear her breath change, and feel the heat that seemed to travel along his arm, down his body and straight for his groin.
“Wait, um.” He started, taking his hand off her arm and sitting back, well out of reach. “We still have to talk. Since I was honest with you. You have to be honest with me. Why were you cast out of Heaven?”
13
Melody knew that sooner or later she would need to reveal that information. She didn’t really want to tell him her sin. She knew that it would change his opinion of her. She did not believe that she was prideful, and he would be shocked to know that she was not the humble innocent being he once thought her to be. She just hoped that he would look at her actions since Falling and not judge her too harshly.
“Angels are sent away from Heaven when they commit a sin. Angels are not supposed to live life outside of the Holy laws and so when one sins, they Fall. My sin was Pride.” She revealed, unable to look at him and see the censure cross his face.
She did not know what she expected his reaction to be, but she did not anticipate the silence that followed. It seemed to stretch for all eternity, when in reality it was more like seconds. Finally Seth’s dark, earnest voice broke the tension.
“That’s it?”
She stopped studying the pale, empty wall to her left in order to swing her gaze back to his. “What’s it?” she asked, confusion knotting her brow and bringing possibilities to her brain.
“You were punished and exiled because you had pride?”
At Melody’s nod, still not understanding what he had trouble believing, Seth leaned back.
“There must have been a situation that preceded the Falling. Can you explain it to me? I don’t understand why pride would cause that.”
Melody felt exasperation well up inside her. She did not know why he needed this explained. It was simple. “Pride is one of the seven sins that precede selfish decisions, which often hurt others. Angels are created with no feelings. We exist to serve God. There is no room in our lives for Pride, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Greed, Envy or Wrath. Those cardinal vices interfere with our objectives. Do you not understand this? I thought that you were intelligent.”
Seth just raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer. She could smell his scent, that of soap and mint. He did not smell like artificial fragrances that she had smelled on other men. Seth would not bother with enticement. He was enticing all on his own. She almost forgot her annoyance as she noticed the muscles flexing under his shirt, as his thighs pressing against his jeans, as his hands reached out to brace himself closer to her body.
He was attractive, straightforward and she felt the need to lean forward and nuzzle his jawline, to draw more of his scent into her body.
“Are you any less intelligent because you did not know how to use a computer?” he asked, to which she shook her head. She did not understand this world. That was no fault of her own.
“And you aren’t any dumber because you did not know what a car was?”
Again she shook her head.
“Then by the same logic, my intellect is not diminished because I do not know the elements of Heaven.”
It took a moment for her brain to think through his argument. It did not help that he sat so close, or looked so good. But, when she thought about his words, she reached the same conclusion.
Melody was both glad and unhappy with her assessment. She found his cleverness attractive. And she should be keeping away from him, not wanting him more.
“Now. That is not all I asked for. I want you to explain the situation. I would like to understand as much of this as I can, considering I am harbouring a mythical creature.”
Melody ignored his last comment. He knew she was not mythical, and so his words were just to spite her. She wondered if they were a result of his attraction to her, as much as her antagonism was in reaction to her feelings.
“Alright. I am an Angel of..”
“Was,” he interrupted, “you are now Fallen.”
She glared at him, unable to hide her annoyance. “I would appreciate if you did not talk over me. Let me tell you what you want to know. Now, I was an Angel of Judgement. I, with God’s guidance, judged Human souls in order to sort them.”
“Judged souls?” he asked, a distant look entering his face, as if he was thinking about the information as she gave it. He was analyzing what she said, finding interest in it. For that alone, she would answer his questions.
“Yes. We are… They are able to see souls as they passed. We could tell their sins by touch and were able to see their darkness on sight. If they are innocent enough, they are allowed into Heaven. God has too many duties to do this himself, so many of us watch over souls as they seek a final resting place.”
Seth nodded, his brow furrowing. “How can you tell if they are good or evil? Do you take into account their childhood and experiences? Do you see their lives?”
Melody shook her head quickly. “I see.. feel.. It’s a different sense all together. I don’t look at their lives. I don’t see their pasts. It’s just a taint or purity that is just known to us when we touch them. It is not what they have done that is bad. And we do not call souls evil. We judge on intent and enjoyment. Many innocent Humans kill or maim out of self-defence, which does not darken the soul, simply torments them until it is resolved. Those who have no honour, no conscience, those are the souls which darken. They absorb the foulness of hell, and become like the Demons, bringing forth destruction and pain.”
Seth looked up at her, his eyes more focused and understanding. “You have seen some of these actions?”
“No, but I felt them. Like goo all over my energy.”
This answer seemed to be expected for Seth did not seem surprised. He reached over slowly and took her hand in his larger one, much like she had done at the clinic earlier. “I’m sorry. That must have been difficult.”
Melody felt the heat of his hand, his fingers much smoother than Caleb’s but just as strong. They gave comfort, comfort that she didn’t need. “It was my job.”
Seth nodded and released her quickly, causing her to miss his touch, a feeling that she pushed aside. She could not want Seth. It was not allowed.
“Alright, continue. Why were you deemed prideful?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, in order to keep her hands from reaching out for his again, Mel sighed. “I did not want to judge souls. It was a simple job that did not use all my talents. I wanted to help somewhere else. I wanted to do a job that mattered. I knew that Warrior Angels were always needed. They fought the evil and darkness that rose from hell. They guarded the Hellgates at all their Earthly entrances. They save Human lives and stop the spread of Demons. I wanted to join their ranks, but I was forbidden.”
Seth considered that for a second. “I understand your need. However you are quite small. I am sure Warriors are bred for strength and size.”
“Angels are not bred. We are not born. We do not grow and age. We simply come to being when needed. We are directly created by Him.”
“Right,” Seth said, proving his understanding. “So you were not created for that job. Was your request the reason for Falling?”
Mel shook her head again, and pushed her hair behind her ears. This would be the area in the conversation that he would find fault with. She knew that he followed rules. He did not break laws. He would not appreciate her reasons for doing so.
“I did not understand their refusal. Even though I am smaller they could impart me with the power to fight. They had created the others with the ability, surely I would be able to be given it. I had understanding of good and bad. I had seen souls and knew the result of a Demonic presence. I would be able to deal with Demons better. I would be able to track them in the Human population.”
“So you chose
to show your talent. You went into battle, didn’t you?”
Mel could only nod. She had wanted to prove herself. She learned some fighting techniques from a Warrior Angel then followed her to a Hellgate. There was a fight already in progress and she saw some Demons escaping, and so she acted. She appeared to them and lifted the dagger she had taken off one of the other Angels. And then she was called to Judgement. It was a large building where souls entered and exited. In the middle were the Elders, Archangels, waiting to decree a verdict against sinful Angels.
“I was sentenced to Fall. They escorted me to a Heaven-gate and I was allowed to fly down before my wings were removed. I will not be allowed back. However, God has not abandoned me. I was given a chance at a Human life. He has given me two protectors. He does not want me to fail. Please have faith in me. I will not strike someone again. I promise that I will strive to be a better Human.”
Seth watched her for a moment taking a deep breath. He had seemed to come to a conclusion, for he looked resolute. “Alright. One more thing. You said you were in your 40s. Aren’t all Angels made thousands of years ago? Why are you so young?”
Melody took a deep breath, her eyes flashing to his before moving away. “Some have died, or Fallen. They needed to be replaced.” She shook her head. “And some are just new. Every day there are more people, more souls dying, so more Angels needed for that, and other things.”
Seth figured that it made sense. The world was changing and Heaven would need to as well. There was just so much he wanted to know, wanted to learn. He knew though, that Caleb would have to know this all too. “I have to share this information with Caleb. He should know about you. Is that okay with you?”
She had understood that he would explain this conversation to his friend. He would not keep anything important from him. Melody wished that he would not reveal this, but knew that he would, whether she agreed or not. So she nodded and stood, ready to go to sleep. Looking towards Caleb’s room, she wondered if she would be welcome there.
