by Piper Hannah
Two male angels flanked Abagail on each side, and they looked at me with caution. I know these two. They fought by my side many, many years ago. Today, they were on Abagail’s side, and they weren’t there because they were her friends. They were there because she was right. I wasn’t supposed to hurt humans. Unfortunately, Colin falls in that category.
The students, who were unaware of our existence, were all around us; they were walking through us, passing us without a thought. Abagail continued to glare at me. She took her foot off of my chest slowly. There was such anger in her eyes, and she was breathing heavily.
“Your Colin…. he is irksome,” I said as I got up. “I wonder how you tolerate him.” She should punch me in the face. I deserved it, and I was in that kind of mood.
“Stay away from him,” Abagail said. She was doing everything in her power not to jump on me again. What I did was wrong, and I couldn’t blame her for her anger. I would have done something worse if an angel did something similar to my Paige.
I turned around and walked away. “Hey Luke,” she called out. “You’re wings are turning black.”
I ignored her. There was no need for a response. I knew my wings were still white. I do feel myself changing, though.
“You need to leave her, Luke,” Abagail added. It was the same thing Joshua just said to me this morning, and it did not improve my disposition.
Angels and demons… All of them believe that I should leave Paige.
What if they were right? What if I had to leave her?
Suddenly, I felt a throbbing in my head. It was a very strange sensation – something I’ve never experienced before. I already knew that I was mere steps away from turning into a demon. There was such anger in my heart; it was an anger that came with the understanding that I am not what Paige needs in her short human life. I should give her a chance to be who she was meant to be. I should let her experience life without me.
Maybe I should leave her.
The throbbing in my head became so painful that I had to stop walking and force myself to heal. I clutched my head with both hands, and I took several even breaths.
Leave her.
My head suddenly felt as if it might explode. It was as if someone rammed a dagger through my skull.
Leave her?
I think I would rather die.
CHAPTER 38
When I met Paige in the backyard, she was still half asleep. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“So, where are we going today?” she asked.
“Catalina.”
Paige smiled. I love that I am the cause of her happiness.
“Oh goodie,” Paige said as she walked closer to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Immediately, I was hit with the scent of strawberries. It was more than just the scent of her hair. I think her aura - her light - smelled like strawberries. Gwen smelled like strawberries, too.
Her face was so expressive, and I can see the excitement in her face clearly. Flying was the one thing I could do that boys like Colin couldn’t do for her, at least, not in the same way that we flew.
I took three steps and jumped up. My wings flared out as it caught the wind. In my arms, Paige sighed as she clutched me closer.
Twenty minutes later, we were still flying high in the sky. “How high are we exactly?” Paige asked.
“About two hundred feet up. We’re about five miles away north-east of Catalina Island.”
“You’re like a living navigation system,” she teased.
I smiled. “That is something I have never heard before,” I said.
She kissed me on the cheek, and I turned my head until I was kissing her mouth. I closed my eyes as I felt her mouth move against mine, and one of her hands moved up to touch my hair. I trailed my lips to her jaw. Then, I kissed her neck, inhaling the scent of strawberries. She threw her head back and loosened her hold on me a little.
That was when I heard them – the demons. They were flying right behind me about a mile away. I tore my mouth away from Paige, and glanced over my shoulder.
“Demons behind us,” I said as I flew faster. The demons were gaining on us very quickly.
I could fly faster, but at a certain speed, Paige would not be able to breathe. I became very afraid. I was afraid for Paige because we were right over the water, and there was nowhere I could go to keep her safe. She could get hurt in all of this.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I don’t see anything.”
“They are there,” I said. “I could hear them. We are still too far away from the island, and I do not want to drop you.”
I could hear their wings flapping faster than mine, and there was one demon flying almost directly below me. I glanced over my shoulder again. There was a full moon tonight, and I could see them clearly.
“How many?” she asked nervously.
“Five.”
A demon was approaching fast from above. I tucked my wings behind me and swooped down. I righted myself quickly when I heard Paige gasp.
“The demons aren’t after you,” I said. “They’re after me.”
“I could swim,” she said. “I’m a good swimmer. You can come back for me later.”
“Not an option.”
I tucked my wings and swerved to the right. We dropped a few feet. I felt a demon pull my right wing, and he jerked back, pulling us back slightly. Then, the demon slammed his fist on top of my head. I felt my skull crack at the same moment I felt it heal. I heard Paige scream. I dropped another thirty feet towards the water. A demon to my left slammed against my side, and I jerked Paige to the right so that the demon wouldn’t hit her.
From somewhere below me, I heard two low whistles. It was a signal.
I looked down and spotted Joshua in the darkness. He was about one hundred feet directly below me, and he was flying very close to the water; he was matching my speed.
I didn’t want to let go of Paige. I know Joshua’s position and his relationship with other demons. He was one of them. He fought with them. Still. What choice did I have?
I pulled Paige’s arms from around my neck as I kissed her forehead. A demon tugged my left wing as I felt a kick to the back of my right leg.
I took a leap of faith. I trusted Joshua, praying that he would do the right thing, and I let go of Paige.
A demon was holding my left wing as we flew. I twisted to my left and grabbed his hair, pulling him away. He let go of me, and I kicked him in the chest. Another demon jumped on my back; it was Adra. I heard her shrieking as she kept punching my back. I tucked my wings and twisted at the same time. I grabbed her arms, pinning it to her sides; she continued to struggle. Regardless of the circumstances and despite her strength, I couldn’t find it in me to strike her. I was losing my grip on her arms, and I jerked her towards me in a bear hug. Then, I tucked my wings in closer to my body. We fell towards the water as she continued to struggle against me.
We hit the ocean; then, we sank. I let her go as we both swam towards the surface. She pushed herself up – out and over the water - her black wings flaring as she prepared to flee. I jumped and grabbed her right leg, preventing her from flying away.
“WHY?” I screamed. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?” She stopped struggling; she was stunned by the anger in my voice.
“WHY?” I yelled again. I was still submerged in the water from the neck down, holding her leg with both hands. She looked down at me with anger, her wings flapping furiously in the air. She was trying to dislodge me, and water was splashing all around us.
“I hate you,” she cried. “I hate you for leaving me. I hate her for taking you away from me, and I hate it most of all that you are happy.” She kicked her free leg towards my head and missed.
“Adra,” I said as I gripped her leg tighter, almost pulling her back into the water. “Our union has been severed for more than three hundred thousand years.” She knew this. I didn’t have to explain. We both believed that it was for the best when we went our separate ways many years ago.
“We are broken together, Adra,” I said with frustration. She knew this, too. Somehow, when we were created together, the impossible happened; an error was made. Even in the very beginning, the connection between us was damaged, and everything we did resulted in conflict. Broken. It was the only word to describe us.
“As long as you are with Gwen, I will make your life miserable.”
My chest tightened in pain. Adra knew that Paige was Gwen reborn, and she will never leave her alone – not in this lifetime, not ever - and Paige will never be safe because of me. Adra was selfish. This was one of the many reasons why she is a demon now.
“I love her, Adra.” I gave her the truth, hoping that she would understand. When I first met Gwen, she changed the course of my life. Somehow, the connection that I should have shared with Adra, I shared with Gwen instead. I recognized it the instant I saw her. I still don’t know how it happened. I certainly never intended to fall in love with a human.
“It doesn’t matter. You will always be MINE!” Adra shrieked the last word, and if Paige was somewhere near, her eardrums would have exploded.
I have to fix this before Paige gets hurt. This is her second chance at life, and I will not let Adra interfere.
Just then, a demon dropped from the sky, and he attacked me with a dagger. He stabbed me several times in the arm until I finally released Adra’s leg. Immediately, I jumped up, pushing myself out of the water. My wings flared out, and I flew towards Catalina Island, giving chase to the demons.
I reached the demons just as they reached the island. The fight that ensued in the sky was long and brutal. During the battle, it rained. The worst part of this was that Paige suffered through it all. I caught glimpses of Paige as I fought the demons, and I could tell that she was terrified; her eyes were wide and fearful, watering at the sight of me in battle. Thankfully, Joshua stood by her and kept her safe.
After the brawl at the beach, it stopped raining. Three demons were injured; they were healing on the sand by my feet. I glanced up and saw Adra flying over me. “It’s over,” I whispered. “Leave us.” One by one, the demons on the ground got up and flew away with Adra trailing right behind them.
I walked towards Paige and realized that there was a dagger still lodged in my shoulder. I pulled it out, and threw it into the ocean. I yelled in anger and frustration.
Paige ran into my arms. I closed my eyes and hugged her tight. I listened to the sound of her heartbeat; it was beating wildly. Her breathing was shallow and erratic. I almost lost her today. If Joshua had not been there to catch her…
“My thanks, my brother” I said softly. Joshua was already gone, but I knew that he heard me. Reluctantly, I let go of Paige.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get you home.”
I landed in the Harper’s backyard with Paige still shivering in my arms. She did not look well. When we flew home, I tried to keep her warm, but being cold was not an injury. I could not help her.
I set her on her feet on the grass gently, and I had to steady her before she managed to stand on her own. Instinctively, she pulled her arms away from my neck and wrapped it around herself.
My vision was very sharp even in darkness, and I looked at Paige – really looked at her. Her beautiful, brown eyes were full of unshed tears, and there were dark shadows around them from lack of sleep. She was trembling so hard that her teeth chattered. Worst of all was her aura - her glorious white light - that always surrounded her; it was muted and fading quickly because of her sadness.
It pained me that I was the cause of her sadness. Was I that selfish? Could I continue to be the cause of Paige’s sadness? The answer came to me quickly. No, I could not. I love her too much.
“I have to leave you, Paige,” I said. “It’s for your own safety.” I looked away quickly. I couldn’t bear to witness the pain in her eyes. It will be better for her this way. She will live a better human life without me, and maybe one day, she will understand that I am doing this for her. She will be safer, and the demons will leave her in peace. It was worth the sacrifice. My head began to throb. I, too, am in pain because of this.
“No, let’s talk again tonight, okay?” Paige said as she held my face in her hands. She smiled slightly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was trying to be strong by pretending that she was fine. I have to be the stronger one by being the one who walked away.
Reluctantly, I nodded. We’ll have our talk tonight. I watched her walk towards the back door. She held the knob as she turned towards me. She pressed her hand on her palm and blew a kiss in my direction.
She walked in the house. Moments later, I heard her father’s angry voice. “You are in big trouble, Paige,” he said. “It’s four in the morning. Where. Have. You. Been?” He was yelling.
I shook my head. This was my fault, too. Michael Harper was very angry at his eldest daughter; I could tell by the sound of his voice. I never heard him speak to Paige this way before. I clutched my head as the throbbing quickly turned into pain. It was starting to consume me.
Through the pain, I heard Paige sobbing, and the sound of it made me cringe. I did that to her. Every sob was because of me. My chest constricted, and I felt a spasm go through my body.
In the last one thousand years, all I thought about was the day I would be reunited with Gwen’s spirit. I thought that if I ever died, my soul would somehow find her… go to her… be with her. Now that she was finally here, I have to leave her. It wasn’t just, and it shouldn’t be like this.
My anger surfaced. I made a fist, and knelt on the grass on one knee. I slammed my fist over and over again on the ground, trying desperately to release my anger. I felt the bones crack and the skin break, and I welcomed the pain. I deserved it. When I felt the earth rumbling beneath me, I stopped. Then, I shook my injured hand as it healed, the blood melting away from my skin.
I needed to talk to Paige. I needed to explain to her why I must go, and I hope that she can forgive me.
“Micah,” I called out. Almost immediately, I saw a tall brown-haired angel drop down from the sky and land ten feet from me. Micah nodded in greeting as his wings retreated behind him.
“Yes, brother,” he said.
“I need a favor.” Micah was Emma’s Guardian, and since Paige’s parents did not have Guardians protecting them, Micah was the only one I could count on for this particular task.
I have to do this.
“I need you to find another Guardian for Paige. Someone who can replace me,” I said. My voice was flat, and it did not betray the emotions running rampant in my soul. I needed him to do this for me because I couldn’t leave her right now. Not right now.
Micah nodded without asking any questions. That was what I liked about him. He didn’t talk very much, and he usually kept to himself. Micah knew that I flew with Paige every evening, and he never said a word to me about it.
Micah was already flying when he reminded me. “I’m trusting you to guard Emma while I’m gone,” he said.
“Of course, brother.”
I watched him fly towards the east. Micah would be back in a day or two. It was all I have left to be with Paige because when Micah returns, I will have to leave her… I will let her live her life the way she had always been meant to live it - without me. I do this for her.
Without any warning, a tear slowly rolled down my face. I caught the tear drop with one finger and looked at it with wonder. I rubbed my fingers together, trying to feel its texture. In my entire life, I have never shed a tear before. It was a human response to pain or sorrow, experienced only by humans. I became alarmed and confused… because I am not human, and angels never cry.
CHAPTER 39
It was daybreak, and from the Harper’s backyard I heard them coming. I looked up and saw seven demons approaching fast from the west. They were flying in a random pattern, in a battle formation, and the randomness of their placement in the sky made them more unpredictable - more dangerous.
My entire body tensed, preparing fo
r battle. Right now, I needed the strength of a fighter, a soldier, so that I can protect Paige. I know that the demons are here to hurt her. I ran and leaped into the air. My wings snapped out automatically, and I flew up to fight the demons.
In the air, I used my speed and my momentum. I flew towards a very large demon with long silver hair; he was carrying a very large sword, and he was the closest to me. I punched him on the face, and I watched him fall. There was no need for an introduction. I knew why they were all here.
A demon approached from my right. I twisted and kicked his side as I felt my right wing jerked from the top by another demon. I winced when I felt my wing almost yanked off. Almost immediately, I felt my wing snap back into place. With the demon still holding onto my wing, I let myself drop backwards. At the same time, I kicked both of my legs up and struck the demon on the back.
Another demon approached my left side, and before my fist landed another punch, I stopped myself when I realized that it was Joshua. I pulled my fist back and looked at him.
“Friend,” Joshua said with a smirk. Clearly, he made his choice, and just like that, we battled the demons together. It was hard for him, I know, to turn against the demons he also called his friends… his brothers.
But in the heat of this battle, it no longer mattered that Joshua’s wings were still black; our friendship was our bond. I could trust him.
A demon jumped on my back, and Joshua kicked him off of me. There were demons all around us. I turned around, reached up, and pulled a demon’s leg, elbowing his knee, I heard it snap. Then, I let go. I saw a demon punch Joshua’s throat just as I felt a dagger strike the back of my neck. In one swift movement, I pulled the dagger out and threw it at the demon who just punched Joshua; it hit him on the chest, and he pulled it out with a grimace on his face. I felt the wound in the back of my neck closing as I kicked the demon on my right.
We continued fighting until we were surrounded by seven demons, flying three hundred and fifty feet above the Harper’s backyard. We were all furious, but we all knew how this was going to play out. We never died. So, they must be here for another reason.
