The Celestial Rose BoxSet

by Annalee Adams

  “Oh, where’s Bernie now?”

  “He’s sleeping too.”

  Shit, this kid had dumb luck.

  “I’m hungry.”

  “Oh, yes, you need to eat, don’t you?” I said, looking around. Nothing was open yet, no take-outs, no restaurants, only a paper shop on the corner. “Come on.” I took his hand and led him into the shop.

  “What do you fancy?” I asked as he eyed up the sweet section.

  “Can I have three sweets, Mr Fang?”

  “Hell, why not kid? Bring them to the counter.”

  “Thanks,” he said as he picked up a fudge, chocolate buttons, and a lollipop.

  Heading over to the counter, the old lady gave me an unjustified look. Hey, at least I remembered to feed the kid. It was hard, this parenting lark. As soon as I could find him suitable parents, he could eat brussel sprouts and live happily ever after. Till then, he would eat chocolate buttons, lollies, and fudge. The kid smiled, skipping out of the shop as he opened the sweets and delved right in.

  “Come on then, we’re heading over there.” I said as I pointed at the mountain; Huayna Potosí.

  “Okay,” he said, running along beside me. I keep forgetting his legs were only the size of a small human. It would be Christmas before we got there at that rate. “I need a pee pee.”

  “What?”

  “A pee pee, quick!” he said as he crossed his legs, jigging about.

  “Shit,” I said aloud.

  “That’s a bad word.”

  “Yes, it is. Don’t ever say it!” Damn, this was getting harder by the minute. Couldn't he go back to sleep again?

  “Quick!”

  “Okay, okay, here, go against this bush,” I said as I directed him over to a bush beside the back alley of the paper shop.

  “What! Here?”

  “Yes, you said you needed the toilet quickly, kid. This is quickly.”

  “No, I’m not getting my willy out here, people will see it.”

  I groaned. “Really, I don’t think anyone’s going to care about a six-year-old kid’s toileting habits.” I paused. “Come on, let it loose kid.”

  “No, it’s too cold here.”

  Sighing heavily, I contemplated the snapping the neck idea from earlier. Why was life so difficult? Why did I have to give a shit anymore? “Fine kid, let’s find you a toilet.” I said as I took his hand and walked down the narrow alley beside a market of street vendors.

  “Excuse me,” I said in Spanish, it was always the preferred language out there.

  The old gentleman outside the bag shop wore tan trousers and a jumper. “Yes?” he replied.

  “Is there a toilet the kid can use?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Where is it?”

  “Yes,” he replied. I was sensing the fact he didn't understand a word I was saying. I was sure they mainly spoke Spanish.

  “Right kid, come on,” I said as I pulled him into the shop and headed for the back room.

  Inside there were boxes stacked three high, towering about the mini child in-front of me. It looked like an accident waiting to happen. Damn, what was happening to me? I sounded like the hysterical father figure already. Towards the back of the shop stood a door leaning on its side beside an open toilet that stank of stale urine and last year’s takeaway.

  “Damn, kid, here you go. Be quick.”

  “Burgh, it smells bad.”

  “Indeed, it does, now quickly.”

  “Okay, Mr. Fang,” he said as he held his nose and splashed all over the urinal.

  “Right, pull them up and wash your hands.” I said as I twisted the tap. No water. Great. “Okay, change of plan, let’s get out of here.”

  “But Mummy said I always got to wash my hands.”

  “Your mum's dead kid, I’m the best you got.” I said as I picked up the rugrat, swung him onto my back, and raced on out of there. “Hold on tight, kid.”

  “Weeee.”

  “Not far now.” The light flashed past us as we sped along the dusty streets towards Huayna Potosí.

  As we arrived, the base of the mountain was overcast, shaded by the mountain before us. Dropping the kid down, I searched the foot of the mountain assessing every nook and cranny for the possibility of a passageway hidden within.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” A deep voice boomed. “Shit, if it isn’t my ol’ mate Luci.”

  Luci? There’s only one creature that ever dared call me by a girl’s name. “Shit! Joey Luchazey!” I said as the red-haired Dark One stepped out of the darkness. “Mate, how long's it been?”

  “Got to be over four hundred, man!” he said.

  “Mate, I thought you’d been killed, beheaded by the head of the Italian supernatural mafia!”

  “Neh, shit, I got in there first, didn’t I? Lilith pulled me back here and I’ve been guarding this shithole as payment ever since.”

  “That sounds like a raw deal, mate.”

  “Fucking is, it stinks here. I don’t even wanna feed on the locals. Might catch somert.” He said leering at the kid stood hiding behind me. “Who’s the kid?”

  “Ah, long story. Stop licking your lips, mate, he’s off the menu.”

  “Shit, really? That sucks.” He said as I nodded.

  “What’s Lilith like nowadays?”

  “Silent, she rarely leaves the castle.”

  “They finished building that thing?”

  “Yeah, took bloody years, too. Back-aching, shithole of a place.”

  The kid started tugging on my sleeve. “Yes?” I said bending down to his level.

  He whispered, “Why does the bad man say so many bad words?”

  “He doesn’t socialise much.” I laughed.

  “What?” the kid said.

  “He doesn’t have many friends, he’s lonely.”

  “Oh. Okay.” he said.

  “What’s the kid saying?” Joey said.

  “He doesn’t like the swear words.”

  “Shit. really?” he said as I laughed.

  “Look. mate, I got to go speak to Lilith,”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t. She’s been pissed at you for centuries.”

  “I’ve got no choice, I need to get my girl back.”

  Joey whistled. “A girl, ah? Someone actually warmed up that cold heart of yours?”

  Laughing, I said, “Yeah, somehow she managed it.”

  “So, where’s she at?” Joey asked.

  “Hell.”

  He winced. “Euff, tough call, that.” He said as I nodded.

  “Can you watch the kid while I go in?”

  “Yeah,” he said licking his lips.

  “Don’t eat him, mate, Taylor would never forgive me.”

  “Taylor? Is that her name?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Fine, I owe you anyway. I’ll keep the kid safe.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I ruffled the kid’s hair and entered the dark passage before me. “Oh, and don’t forget to feed it.”

  “Feed it?” he shouted after me, “Feed it what?”

  “I have buttons left, want one?” the kid said as he offered Joey a sweet.

  “No, kid, no. Thanks though, yeah?” He grinned.

  Leaving Joey and the kid behind, the tunnel grew darker, colder, and rawer. This wasn't going to be pretty. Lilith wanted my head, and there was no real excuse I could give her. What could I say, love does funny things to the living, and the dead too? I didn't think she would excuse me for killing her favourite pet beast, though. She loved that thing. Maybe she’d understand why I did it, to protect the one I loved. She had to see that, surely. After all, wasn’t she in love with Cain? There had to be some humanity left within her somewhere. If not, then I was certainly walking into a serrated version of a traumatic death and abominable torment. Either way, I was good with that, just as long as my girl got to shine again.

  CHAPTER 41: TAYLOR

  Night had turned to day when I awoke in the arms of Gabriel. We had landed on
a muddy farmland beside a treeline which held the fiery ruins of the cockpit from a crashed plane. The pilot was dead, flung from his seat through the window. The assistant pilot was nowhere to be seen, except for the broken glass beside my feet.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure, it looks like a plane fell from the sky.”

  “But where are the survivors?”

  “There aren’t any, Eve.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. There’s hardly any bodies and no emergency services tending to the people. When did this happen?”

  “Not long ago, by the looks of this pilot.” He paused “I don’t know what’s happened, or where all the passengers are.”

  “That’s worrying.” I said as I wandered around the other side of the cockpit. The rest of the cabin appeared to be about half a mile away, over by a crevice beside the crops.

  “Yes, there should be bodies scattered everywhere looking at the remains.” Gabriel said. “Eve, stay close.” He called to me as he ran to catch up.

  I was already on my way over to the cabin when he shouted. I had to see if there was anyone left to save. I still had that hero complex embedded inside me, my mum wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  Gabriel caught up, and as he did, we entered what was left of the cabin. Several passengers were still strapped to their seats with missing body parts that didn’t quite look like the plane had serrated them. One lady was clinging to her frozen child next to her, they both sat lifeless and distraught. Her icy face had a large bite mark in her cheek. Did lions exist in this territory? No, of course they didn’t. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? If lions didn’t exist, then it meant it was something supernatural, evil, and much more sinister. I hoped the mother and daughter died on impact than through the savage attack of one of Lilith’s beasts. There it was again, that shudder, the well of fear stripping me bare, exposing my vulnerability for all the elements to witness. My sadistic friend called fear was riding my backbone again and I couldn’t help but wince at the thought.

  “Eve, are you alright? You’ve gone pale.”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure? You don’t look very well. Do you want to sit down?”

  “No, thank you. I’ll be okay. It’s just the bites, they dredged up bad memories.”

  “Oh yes, of course. Well, don’t worry, that beast’s dead.”

  “That’s what worries me.”

  “What?”

  “You say ‘that beast’, it means there’s more of those things.”

  “You’ll be fine with me, Eve. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He said as he placed his arm around me.

  Seeing the plane crash was traumatic. The bodies that were left there had either been half eaten or spread all over the area, scattered like bread for the birds, dishes of rotting flesh out for the taking. The scene was enough to cause a stirring in the supernatural realm. Even the emergency services never stood a chance. It looked like one ambulance had tried to save the unfortunate souls, but with the blood splattered over the open doorway, it looked more like a scene from a zombie horror movie.

  “Are zombies real?” I asked Gabriel, as he studied the blood splatter, using his finger to taste a bit of it.

  “Err, I hope not, otherwise we could be in trouble here.” He laughed.

  “And... why are you tasting the blood? That’s a bit strange, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, I can see your point. However, it was purely for deductive reasoning.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, the blood isn’t so fresh now, I’d say it’s about six hours old, and from a lizard, a very large one.”

  “How did you get all that from a blood splatter?”

  “I didn’t, the lizards behind you.”

  “WHAT?” I screeched.

  “Woah, calm down! It's dead, Eve.” He said as I spun around, tripping over the huge lizard behind me. How did I not see that there? It looked like a rock from the side, but now that I was facing the ghastly thing, I could clearly see its teeth and gauged out eyes.

  “What killed that thing?” I asked, “and come to think of it, how did you know it was six hours old?”

  “That would be from the wristwatch I found in here.” He said, leaning into the back of the ambulance and pulling out a severed arm with a broken wristwatch on. “Catch.” He pretended to throw it.

  “Gabriel, that’s horrible.”

  “True, but look, he’s waving at you, Eve.”

  “You’re seriously messed up for an Angel.”

  “Yes, I pride myself on that fact.” He said smirking. “So, where to next?”

  “Well, it doesn’t look like there’s anyone here to save.”

  “No, but we can keep the arm if it makes you feel better?”

  “No, Gabriel, it really doesn’t.” I frowned. “Let’s get a move on, shall we?”

  “Aren’t you hungry? Its past breakfast and time for lunch.”

  “Yes, I could eat something.”

  “Well, this being on Earth has really changed my appetite. I’m famished.” He said, “Lets head into the city.”

  I smiled as he dropped the arm and walked over.

  “Jump on and we’ll ride with the wind.” He laughed as he scooped me up, fluttered his wings free, and took to the skies.

  The wind was certainly cold. I would have normally shivered if it wasn’t for his immense body heat. He was like a portable radiator, always hot and turned on. I smiled. Flying around in the arms of an Angel was mighty obvious in the broad daylight. Especially as we travelled over a populated city. How was no-one seeing us? We had to be shielded somehow, after all, I couldn’t see the truth of the supernatural until I opened my eyes on my sixteenth birthday.

  “How about here, Eve?” Gabriel said, pointing down to a little café on the corner of an old dirt road. It was on the outskirts of the city centre, so a tad out of the way from any possible issues. Closer to the mountains, too, by the looks of it. And jeez, I could really do with some food right now.

  “Looks good.” I said as we descended behind the building.

  “Come on, lets head in, my treat.”

  “How is it your treat when you don’t have any money?”

  “Why wouldn’t I have money? I’m an Angel, I conjure it when needed.”

  “Really, you can just do that?”

  “Yes, you showed me how back when we were children.”

  “So, can I do that?” I said as he laughed at my naivety.

  “Of course, you can. You created this Earth, remember? Money isn’t exactly hard to create, it’s just a sliver of a tree, after all.”

  I smiled. “Yes, I guess it is. I still have no idea how to do any of that.”

  “You will,” he said as he opened the front door to the café. “When you get your memories back, you’ll see.”

  Heading over to a little round table in the corner, a mid-twenties girl with brown hair wandered to us. Chewing gum, she asked, “Qué deseas?”

  “Pardon?” I asked.

  “Ah, I’ve got this.” Gabriel said as he engaged in conversation with the waitress. I had no clue what he was saying, but parts of it I remembered from Spanish class at Stonebridge Academy, and back in London. We had learned French, German, and Spanish there. I had never thought I’d travel anywhere to use them, especially not by the wings of an Angel.

  The waitress left as Gabriel smiled, turning back to face me. “What did she say?” I asked.

  “Well, her name is Camila. She is twenty-four years old, born and raised here in Bolivia, and speaks four languages. She’s working this job to pay for her tuition as she wants to be a lawyer. Apparently, her mother owns the café, it’s been in her family for three generations. She said she has an older brother who runs the petrol station down the road. Marco, I believe. He will show us the way to this mountain you are eager to see.” He smiled.

  “Marvellous, and did you find out anything helpful?”

  “Err, we
ll no.”

  “Did you even order anything?”

  “Yes, why of course I did, madam.” He smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

  “Well, she sounds like a keeper, Gabriel.” I said laughing.

  He laughed. “She wished us well on our honeymoon, too. Did I forget to say we were newlyweds?”

  “What? Yes, you did forget to tell me that part!”

  “Here, take my hand, it needs to look real.” He laughed and reached out for my hand.

  “No, that’s not how you get a girl to take your hand.” I said, smiling and pulling away. "Anyway, quit teasing me. We're here to find Lucian, remember? The man I love.”

  “Oh yes, I know that. But is he as immortal as I am? As godlike as this perfected fella right here in front of you?” He said as he posed, flexing his biceps.

  Squeezing his arms, I laughed. “No, you win there Gabriel.” I said, pushing him away laughing.

  The waitress came over with two full Americano breakfasts, complete with scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, and a side ordering of their traditional continental breakfast; Salteñas, (which Gabriel explained was oven baked pasties filled with chicken, peas, beef and olives) and Buñuelos, which were sweet donut fritters dripping in honey. It was certainly a unique breakfast and nice to try something different.

  After breakfast, we headed back outside, ready to search for the passage to Enoch in the mountain range before us. Even for March, the wind was cold for those parts. Camila, the waitress, had been quite helpful once we discovered one of her spoken languages was, in fact, English. We engaged in quite the conversation. She said she’d heard the plane crash, she couldn’t not hear it, but they’d been told there were no survivors. I didn't know who managed to check it out and inform the city of that, though, especially considering the blood that had been shed in those parts. Plus, the lizard corpse, that kind of gave the supernatural dark side away a bit. I wondered if Lilith would send out a clean-up crew. Perhaps that was the clean-up crew, and that was why there wasn't anyone left standing. How could the daughter of God, bathed in light, tranquillity, and beauty, be so damn evil? Murdering the innocent for her own selfish pleasure. She was female, so she should be able to keep the darkness at bay like I did. Why did she give in to it? Then again, after being banished from her only family, forced to live alone on a wasteland with no hope, the darkness could have ate its way through her. She was vulnerable and easy pickings. Creating the humans did nothing but anger her, especially after God turned and threatened to kill her children. No wonder she turned vengeful, taking it out on the drippings of society. After all, my creations were mortal, they had no hope of fighting back. Jeez, they were too busy fighting themselves to actually get anywhere in life.