by David Estes
Dionysus’s hope was rekindled and he looked to a time when the girl would appear. He passed his story on to the Council, where it was expected to be kept secret, until a time when its truth could be proven.
As a young boy, Gabriel had been on the side that didn’t believe the story. He believed that his friend’s father had used the story as a trick to get him to go to sleep. For one thing, Dionysus wouldn’t have hurt humans, even in the name of science. Also, humans were weak; he didn’t see how they could be useful in the War.
Now he knew that he had been wrong.
Gabriel couldn’t wait to tell the Council how he had charmed the girl and been able to test their theories without any measure of resistance from her. What would they say? They would probably want him to bring her in for further testing. He wasn’t sure that he was ready to do that just yet. There was something about Taylor that intrigued him. Clearly she was falling in love, or maybe was already in love with him. But it wasn’t completely one-sided. He had felt a certain chemistry during their kiss, as well as when he connected with her aura.
The Council would likely want to make use of her immediately without any regard for her life. He would normally agree with them. After all, their pursuit was a noble goal that warranted certain….losses. Like the girl, for example. Gabriel was surprised by his feelings for Taylor and wasn’t sure yet what to make of them. Was there a way to spare her life while still utilizing her power? The Council didn’t think so, but Gabriel wasn’t so sure. If he could just buy some time then maybe he could formulate a foolproof plan.
An idea began to form in his head as he pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Christopher’s heart was still racing as he watched the angel making the phone call. He had nearly been obliterated by the powerful force demonstrated by Gabriel a few minutes earlier. Luckily, he had been paying very close attention and leapt high into the air while the light raged beneath him. The tree branch he had grabbed onto came crashing to the ground when the tree it was attached to had its trunk disintegrated by the power of the blast. Thankfully, he was high enough that his landing had occurred well out of the destructive path.
All his optimism from his successful meeting with the girl had given way to fear after his battle with Gabriel and the raw power he had just witnessed. When she kissed the angel, he knew that the opportunity for patience was gone. He would need to act quickly if he had any hope of stopping Gabriel. Damn angel, he thought.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Taylor was going to have trouble sleeping tonight. She had never been in love before, or anything even close to it, and she was enjoying the thrill. Her mind went over his eyes, his face, his voice. And oh those wonderful lips! The kiss had been truly special and she could tell that he felt something, too. He had even seemed a bit awkward afterwards, like any average, teenage college boy. Except that he wasn’t. He was a gorgeous, awe-inspiring, winged, glowing angel.
When she arrived home, Sam had demanded all of the details. Taylor told her about how they had found a quiet nook to just talk, how sweet he was, how it just felt right to move in for the first kiss. At least the kiss part was true, Taylor thought, even if it hadn’t exactly happened that way. Of course, Samantha had gushed on and on about how happy she was for Taylor and whether Gabriel had any cute friends, and on and on.
But Taylor really didn’t care about any of that right now. Lying in bed, all she really cared about was seeing him again. Her last thought was of his face as she fell into a restless sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“I’m just not sure that now is the time to be patient,” Dionysus said. He was locked in a heated discussion with Gabriel about what to do next. Because he was extremely pleased with the news regarding Gabriel’s progress, he was willing to listen to his opinion on how to proceed going forward, even if he did not agree with it.
Gabriel replied adamantly, “I just think that the situation is very sensitive and if we act too quickly it will attract more attention than is necessary. We have been patient for the last fifty years, another six months won’t make any difference to our overall plan.” Gabriel spoke confidently. Dionysus liked that.
“I appreciate your opinion,” Dionysus said. And he did. Dionysus was sick and tired of the many yes-men, or more appropriately, yes-angels, in his life that would do anything he said, but never added any real value. Of course, he had many uses for them as well. “We have a Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow and I would like for you to be there to express your point of view. After that, we can let the majority rule as this is a major decision that affects everyone.”
“Thank you, my lord, I appreciate your consideration,” Gabriel said.
Dionysus hung up and smiled. He had given the boy a glimmer of hope that his mission could be extended. In reality, he would crush his idea and do what he wanted. That’s why he was the Head of the Council.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Taylor awoke more than an hour before her alarm went off. Sam’s eyes were already open, staring at her from across the room. They both knew that before too long they would dread waking up for their eight-thirty in the morning class, but it was still new to them so they didn’t mind yet.
Taylor also had something to look forward to. Before he had left the previous night, Gabriel had promised to walk her to class before heading to his own lecture.
Sam took her typical hour and a half to get ready and looked like the prom queen that she was by the time she finished. Taylor was ready in a half hour after a quick and refreshing shower, a bowl of cereal, and dressing in a comfy pair of jeans and a t-shirt. As she waited for her roommate to blow dry her hair and apply makeup, she powered up her laptop and pulled up the local news and weather. The leading story was about the mysterious destruction of a narrow strip of forest to the north of campus. The police and wildlife rangers were unsure of the cause at this point—whether it was a natural phenomenon or an intentional act by an unknown perpetrator.
Reading this, Taylor didn’t feel particularly bad about it. Or particularly glad. Her feelings were neutral. In any case, she couldn’t have caused the trees to evaporate on her own, so she wasn’t really responsible at all, and it’s not like anyone was hurt.
After checking herself about ten times in the mirror, Sam was ready and they bounded out the door, spotting Marla already waiting at the elevator.
“Wow, Marla, this is the first time I have ever seen you without Jennings,” Sam joked.
Marla smiled, her cheeks turning red. “He had to go back to his dorm sometime, I suppose.” She didn’t sound very convincing.
“He really is sweet,” Sam said seriously. “If only I could find a guy like the both of you.”
Marla looked at Taylor. Then Sam looked at Taylor. When Taylor remained silent, Sam urged, “C’mon, Tay, out with it.”
Grudgingly, Taylor replied, “I kind of…well, I did…I mean…I kissed Gabriel last night.”
“Wow, Taylor, that’s wonderful, I am so happy for you,” Marla replied earnestly.
“Thanks,” Taylor replied weakly. She changed the subject. “Did you finally meet your roommate, Marla?”
Marla’s face fell. “Yes, Kiren arrived late last night. She seems really weird,” she replied glumly.
“She can’t be that bad,” Sam said encouragingly. “Once she starts hanging out with all of us I’m sure you two will become good friends.”
“Thanks, Sam, but I really don’t think so. When she walked in she basically told me that she wasn’t here to make friends and that she wouldn’t cause any trouble for me if I didn’t cause any trouble for her. Then she told me she likes it dark and turned off all the lights and installed black lights around her side of the room. Her hair is colored neon-yellow and looks freaky under the lights. To be honest, she scares me a little. If you guys don’t mind, I may be spending a lot of time in your room when I’m not with Jennings.”
“I’m so sorry, Marla,
of course you can spend as much time in our room as you want,” Sam said. Taylor nodded in agreement. “And my previous offer still stands. We can look into getting a triple room for next year—it will be just the three of us!”
Marla’s smile was back at the prospect of having Taylor and Sam as roommates.
As the girls headed towards the boys’ dorms, they saw that Jennings and Gabriel were waiting together. Taylor frowned as they approached, anticipating the awkwardness that was sure to come.
To her surprise, it didn’t.
Gabriel strode forward confidently and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a warm hug. Any embarrassment vanished as quickly as the trees had the night before. His embrace felt incredibly warm, as one would expect from an angel. She was in heaven. Touching one hand to her face he kissed her deeply, letting his lips linger on hers for a second before pulling away.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said.
“Good morning,” Taylor managed to squeak out. She was completely unaware of the many eyes that were watching them. Contradicting feelings assaulted her. She wanted to be strong and independent like her mother had been, but things with Gabriel felt natural somehow. She remembered something her mother had said to her: “Never become somebody’s lapdog, or their trophy, or their plaything, Taylor. If a guy isn’t willing to accept that you are independent-minded, that you are strong, that you are smart, then you are better off without them.” Taylor thought about Gabriel and how her mother’s advice applied to him. She barely knew the guy and already she was letting him shower her with public affections. For all she knew, he might be exactly the kind of guy that her mother had warned her about.
He tried to grab her hand, but she shook him off. What was she doing? A guy wanting to hold her hand was a far cry from a guy trying to strip her of her rights, of her independence. But even still, she felt she needed a reality check. She wasn’t acting like herself.
Gabriel gave her a strange look, but then, before an awkward silence could set in, he said, “Let’s go!” His enthusiasm was contagious and he energized the entire group.
Along the way, the group chatted about which classes they were looking forward to, which ones they were dreading, and where to go for lunch. Everyone ignored the elephant in the figurative room, which was the fact that Gabriel and Taylor appeared to be dating already, only five weeks after arriving at school.
Two minutes into the walk, Taylor reestablished control of her budding relationship by grabbing Gabriel’s hand. From here on, I am going to dictate the pace, she thought. He smiled at her but didn’t comment.
Taylor was disappointed when the short five minute walk to her and Sam’s classroom came to a close and she had to say goodbye to Gabriel. Her hand still felt warm from his touch, and, much to her disgust, butterflies were fluttering out of control in her stomach. She had never felt like this before. About anyone. Or anything. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and said she would see him later, which earned her another warm smile in return.
Their first class was easy, with a lecture on art history and no homework assignment. Both girls were in a good mood when they exited the building, and glad they had a one hour break before their next class, which was also together.
As they had planned, three out of their six classes this semester would be together. While Taylor would be majoring in Psychology and Sam in Education, they still managed to schedule the same general education courses, which all students were required to take. These included English 1, an art history course, and a social science course. However, after their freshman year, they would likely not have any additional classes together, as they would begin to focus on their majors.
They turned left towards the Center Square, a large outdoor mall-like area in the dead center of campus. They were hoping to find a coffee shop to recharge before round two. Sam was chattering on about something—Taylor wasn’t really paying attention—when she stopped abruptly. Taylor looked at her friend, who was staring towards the entrance to one of the buildings they were approaching. She followed her friend’s gaze until she saw what, or more appropriately, who had caught Sam’s attention.
Standing there was a familiar dark and handsome figure. Resting casually against a concrete pillar, he was looking back at them with a casual smile on his face. It was Christopher Lyon.
Amidst her blossoming romance with Gabriel, she had forgotten all about the strange demon she had met the previous day. She hadn’t even told Gabriel about it and wondered if she should have. No, she thought, there was no reason to. Christopher didn’t threaten her in any way and was even quite friendly to her. Seeing him a second time, she was still not scared of him, although, based on everything Gabriel had told her, perhaps she should have been.
“Who…is…that?” Sam asked seductively, almost licking her lips. She said it more to herself, rather than actually asking Taylor.
“That’s Christopher Lyon. I met him last night when I was waiting for Gabriel. He gave me his number.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Sam turned and stared at her.
“You what?” she asked. “Are there any others you haven’t told me about? You are becoming a serious hot-guy magnet!”
“It’s not like that, Sam. He just happened to be passing by and introduced himself.”
“And he happened to force his phone number on you as well? You don’t get off that easy, Tay. Apparently, I could learn a few things from you.”
Taylor didn’t know what to say so she just stood there. Sam headed for the shadowy figure. “Wait, where are you going?” Taylor asked, grabbing her arm.
“To talk to him, of course. I can’t let you go on having all the fun. And I’ll need your help since you already know him.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not, is he a jerk? You know me, Tay, I’ve dated all kinds. There is really just one criteria for me: they have to be hot, hot, hot!”
“No, he actually seems quite nice. There is just something strange about him,” Taylor explained poorly.
Sam laughed as she replied, “He would probably say the same thing about you! And that’s also what you said about Gabriel at first. Now stop with the excuses, let’s go.” Sam turned and walked towards the demon before Taylor could respond. Jogging after her, Taylor caught up just as she arrived at the building entrance.
Sam didn’t waste any time. “Hi, I’m Samantha,” she said, “but you can call me Sam. And I believe you’ve already met my friend, Taylor.”
He looked pleased that the duo had approached him. “It’s nice to meet you, Sam, and yes, I have had the pleasure of meeting Taylor,” he replied.
“Wow, a gentleman, that is a rare thing to find on a college campus these days,” Sam joked. “What are you doing for lunch today? Do you want to grab a slice at Perfect Pizza in Center Square?” Taylor’s stomach lurched. Gabriel was going to be there, too! An angel and a demon having lunch together—how nice, she thought.
“Sure, thanks for the invite. What time should I meet you there?” he asked. Christopher either hadn’t noticed or was ignoring the green color that had clouded Taylor’s face.
“Noon. Although we’ll probably be there for at least an hour and a half if you can’t come that early,” Sam said.
“Awesome, it’s a date,” Christopher said with a sly grin. Taylor couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as if he knew exactly what he was getting himself into with this lunch.
After they had walked out of earshot, Sam said, “You were right, he is really nice and even cuter up close. We are both doing well for ourselves so far, although I’m not sure I will be kissing Christopher in only two days. You move a little faster than me,” she joked.
Taylor didn’t even object to Sam’s comment because she was far too busy figuring out what to do about lunch.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Taylor’s last class before lunch seemed to drag on and on, and eventually she and Sam distracted themselves by writing notes to each other, just
like they used to do in high school. Naturally, Sam started the chain:
Sam: what r u thinking about?
Tay: lunch, u?
Sam: me 2!! can’t wait 4 pizzas.
Tay: not what i meant.
Sam: ??
Tay: not sure i can go.
Sam: why not?
Tay: i have this thing…
Sam: u have 2 go, need u 2 b my wingman.
Tay: u will b fine.
Sam: no really u need 2 come, M & J can’t come so it will b me, my hot guy and ur hot guy…2 weird!!
Tay: not sure G can come either.
Sam: why not?
Tay: not sure, just said he might not come.
Sam: i will drag u if i have 2!
Taylor couldn’t come up with a good excuse not to go to lunch so she resigned herself to the coming storm. If Sam really did like Chris, which she seemed to, then he and Gabriel would cross paths sooner or later anyway. It might as well happen sooner to get it over with. She wasn’t stupid enough to just let it happen though; a little warning to all parties might go a long way. Despite the professor’s rules against use of cell phones in the lecture hall, Taylor eased her phone to the top of her backpack, just far enough so she could see the screen while leaving it half hidden. She typed a brief text message to Chris first:
