She went back to her room and put her things away so she could get ready. The goal was to get a quick stroll in before dinner. She loved the time between class and dinner on her block days. Her classes were longer but fewer, and she had more free time in between to take advantage of.
“You're going back out?” Halyn asked. Cheyenne was busy putting on her sneakers and grabbing her coat. Halyn had a tendency to act like her mother. She always had to know where Cheyenne was going, whom she was going to be with, and when she was going to be home. Though she doubted it had anything to do with Halyn being worried, she had a hard time adjusting to this quirk. She was so used to her life being private.
“I'm going for a walk. It's nice out. I want to enjoy it while I still can.”
She wasn't entirely sure a walk outside was the type of thing Halyn would be interested in. It seemed a bit too passive and quiet, so she was a bit taken aback when Halyn leaped to her feet to go grab her shoes.
“Great idea. Can I come too? I wanted to get a good look around the school grounds. I heard there's a pretty cool old cabin farther down the road.” Halyn pulled on her shoes and coat.
“Yeah, fine. I have things to do out there, nymphy things,” she said, unsure if it would be possible to get her roommate to back off as easily as the boys. There weren't any other excuses left. Halyn must have had a good read on Cheyenne, because she picked up quickly that her roommate wasn't in the mood to talk.
The two walked for quite some time down the road, heading deeper into the forest. The birds chirped, and the other animals roamed about. But all Cheyenne noticed were the trees and their changing leaves. The lush and diverse display of color was mesmerizing. Often, she found herself veering off the road because she was more engrossed in looking rather than walking. The air was cool, crisp, and refreshing, which was exactly what she needed. It helped her find her center again. All the while, the trees whispered to her. Again, they all tried to talk with her at the same time. It reminded her of a symphony. All of the different parts came together to make a beautiful-sounding whole. She enjoyed being able to hear it. It revitalized her. She wanted to talk back to them, but they at least understood why she wouldn't. With Halyn around, she didn't feel comfortable conversing freely.
“I don't remember it ever being like this back home. It's so pretty. I think I'd almost like it here if it wasn't so flipping cold outside all of the time,” Halyn whispered, breaking the silence as she drew her coat up around her and shivered.
Cheyenne laughed before shaking her head. “You came at the bad time of the year. It's nicer over the summer. I'd love to see your home. It'd be nice to get away from here and off to somewhere new and different. Have you ever…” She paused. “I'm sure this is going to seem like a silly question, but have you ever wanted to be something else rather than what you are?”
“Everyone does. I've been waking up every day for the past couple of weeks trying to pretend I was some kind of a princess or something,” Halyn said. She sighed and a small blush spread over her golden skin. “This place makes me feel like one. There's a beautiful magic here. It's the most luxurious thing I've ever set eyes on.”
“I like to pretend something kind of similar. Like I'm some kind of rich aristocrat’s daughter. It's so much easier,” Cheyenne admitted with a quiet giggle.
“And having an imagination is fun.”
“That too, and then reality sets in again.” She knew better than to delude herself in fantasies on a regular basis. However, she often imagined a touching picture-perfect moment for when she reunited with her birth parents, complete with lots of hugging, kissing, and crying. Then she'd go to class and she'd return to reality. They weren't anything more than strangers to her, so the chances of them showering her with affection would be slim. As much as she wanted to hope for something so beautiful, she also didn't want to set her expectations too high.
Halyn pointed ahead. “We're almost at the end of the school grounds.”
In front of them was a massive iron gate that was part of a rather elegant fence made of metal and stone. The bars were ornate, evenly spaced apart, and nearly twelve feet tall. While she appreciated the protection, they also made her feel trapped.
“So where is the cabin? Do you think it's outside the school grounds, or do you think there's a secret path we missed?” Halyn asked.
“Does it matter? What's the big deal about this cabin?” Cheyenne asked.
“I don't know. I wanted to see it. I've heard it's haunted. I've never been to a haunted place before. Seemed like it could be a fun adventure to go on.”
“How about we go up to the gate and then walk back? If we go outside, we could get lost, and it's starting to get dark. My feet are starting to hurt anyway.” She stared at the gate, noticing for the first time it was open by a few feet.
“Wuss,” Halyn teased and skipped ahead. “I hope I don't ever become as weak and lazy as you all are here. We'd hike for three times as long and not be tired back home.”
Cheyenne kept pace with her friend, lingering back only a little and not showing anywhere near as much enthusiasm. Once at the gate, she reached out to touch it and gave it a good tug to see how easily it moved. It was stiff and stuck in place. She felt power surging in the metal bars, and a jolt of energy moved through her body at the touch. Her hands ran over the bars, and she gasped, lingering in the sensation. She knew she should turn away and go back, but the gate was captivating. Why was it open? Was it always left like this? Was the power she felt magic? She was completely lost in her own world until Halyn squeaked out her name.
“Cheyenne.” The girl was clinging to her arm tightly. “I think we should go now. Just a guess, but…” She gestured weakly toward the other side of the gate.
When Cheyenne finally took her eyes off the gate, she saw a group of six men standing outside the school grounds. They were all young, in their early twenties maybe, and all of them were gorgeous. Their skin was flawless and pale, and they had strong jawlines to go with their broad shoulders. They reminded her of college boys, and for all she knew, they attended Vala, as well. The school did teach that level of courses. She didn't understand why Halyn was so afraid of them. These men didn't look scary to her, at least not until she noticed their eyes.
In a way, when she looked at each of them, she saw the same things she had seen in Mr. Thantos's eyes. They were black and cold. Much like her teacher, the men were unsettling, especially considering that Mr. Thantos was a fallen angel. She didn't know much about the species, but she could only assume that the cold, black, dead eyes and pale skin were shared attributes among them. Whether or not these men were fallen, she didn't know. But if they were, she doubted they were good like her teacher.
One man in particular stood out to her. This may have been because the whole time she stared at them, his eyes stayed on her. She could feel them looking through her. He could see into her head, she was certain of it, and he could see her heart pounding faster and faster as she came to this realization.
He analyzed the curves of her body in his mind. She could tell because of the way his eyes moved over her and hugged her shape. Just as with Denver, she had a strong pull toward this man. She never would have imagined herself as being the type who would be attracted to dangerous men.
On further inspection, she found his eyes to be a dark, dull gray that reminded her a lot of slate. They had little emotion in them, and they didn't so much as glimmer in the light. The most life she saw in his physical appearance was his short, spiked, brown hair, which had beautiful, fiery, red highlights.
He made a motion with his hand to check his hair before walking toward her. He hesitated at the gate before stepping through, as if he expected to be smote on the spot for entering the campus grounds. Soon he was towering over her with at least a foot of height on her five-foot-five, making her feel tiny. His strong arms reached out to grab her.
“Get back. I know martial arts and I'm not afraid to use it on you. I'll shrink your head,�
�� Halyn shrieked.
“Quiet,” he said in a forceful yet smooth tone. “I have no interest in you, witch. I just wanted to see her. If you take interest in one of my comrades, however, that's perfectly fine. Otherwise, we'd rather you leave us be.” He continued to extend his hand toward Cheyenne as if to stroke her cheek gently, but he never made contact with her. Instead, his hand hovered millimeters from her face.
“You can see me from farther away. And you are?” Cheyenne asked. She flinched a little before finally pulling herself and Halyn away from him. She put a few feet of distance between them and the men. She was half tempted to turn and run, but she doubted she'd be able to escape.
He nodded and bowed to her slightly. “As you wish. Anything is fine by me, so long as it's done in person instead of through a vision. I’d much like it if you came home with me, Cheyenne. I know you don't understand what I'm talking about, but you see, I’m what your parents are so afraid of. I’m the reason they placed you to live with that stupid mortal woman, and I’m the reason you were brought here when she failed to protect you. What they don't understand is that nothing can keep me from you.”
“Ew, you have another creepy stalker,” Halyn said. “Go away. Or I’ll—”
“Quiet.”
Halyn slunk farther behind Cheyenne.
“Why should I go with you if you're obviously trying to hurt me? I don't think my family would keep me from something that's good for me,” she said.
He scowled, then waved for the rest of his companions to come and join him on the other side of the fence. They too passed through the gate with great hesitation.
“My darling, I was hoping this wouldn't have to be so difficult,” he said. “My window of opportunity is small at the moment, and it would be so much easier to do all of this if you would cooperate with me. I thought my honesty would be an endearing trait to you. You've seemed to enjoy it in the other men you've encountered at this foul establishment.”
She wanted to ask him if he was spying on her or if there was another way he was getting his information. Was someone else doing it for him? Was he reading her mind like so many of the others? Her mouth opened to ask these questions when she heard the unexpressive voice of Mr. Thantos behind her.
“There is very little about you I would consider endearing,” he said, walking toward them, clearly not threatened by this man despite their difference in size, as well as Mr. Thantos being outnumbered.
“You are not allowed here,” Mr. Thantos said. “I must ask how you were able to get through the wards placed on our borders to keep you out. You know you are not supposed to be within five miles of the school unless you are doing your deeds with the humans in the neighboring town. Perhaps we have given you too much and you need to be restrained even more? You are breaking the law and your promise. While I know promises mean little to your kind, I am also not a fool. The Divine are powerful enough to hold you accountable for your actions.” He choked on the word Divine, but he faltered in his strong and steady speech only the one time.
“Funny you should mention the Divine,” the man said as he directed his attention away from Cheyenne for the first time. His gray eyes narrowed at the angel. “They're good at lecturing my kind. Or should I say our kind, Akuji? Since you’re one of us, last I checked. You're in denial. It's cute and pathetic and fun to watch. Kind of like kicking puppies. I'm getting sidetracked from my point though. The Divine like to lecture our kind—” he watched as what remained of Mr. Thantos's feathers ruffled at the stress of the word “—often about being honest and keeping promises and obeying the laws put in place to keep order in the world. However, I think you realize how hypocritical this is, considering how many times they've broken the promise to our Father.”
“I have no relation to you. I am not a demon,” Mr. Thantos stated darkly. There was a hint of anger in his voice. “My Father is God.”
“Denial,” the other man stated again. “Last I checked you were tainted just like the rest of us. I believe that makes you a demon, as well. After all, everything you touch dies, yes? Your purpose now is to kill. The Heavenly Father would not like His children doing such work. Even your first name means darkness and death.”
“Do not be deceived by my outward fleshly circumstances,” Mr. Thantos snapped. His gloved hands clenched tightly at his sides. “You know little about these kinds of things. I should not be surprised. You were always shortsighted and could never grasp the bigger picture. I believe that is why you sold your soul after you fell.”
“You’re annoying me.” The demon tried to step around Mr. Thantos and approach Cheyenne again but was stopped by a rather forceful shove from the teacher. He didn't move much, as it was clear in terms of strength, Mr. Thantos wasn’t going to be able to overpower the other man at all. “Step aside. I have business to attend to. You cannot deny me what is rightfully mine.”
Mr. Thantos stretched out his broken wings in an effort to be intimidating. Once upon a time, Cheyenne believed the motion might have worked. It reminded her of how a cat, or other animals in the wild, would try to make its body mass larger to scare off anything threatening it.
When Mr. Thantos did it, however, she didn’t feel threatened. All she could feel was pity for him. He truly must have once been magnificent, because the bone structure of his one, nearly full-size wing was much larger than she had realized, spanning out by at least eight feet. Usually they were folded in, or hidden under his clothing. While they were impressive to her, she doubted the demons felt the same way. Why would a broken angel scare them?
“You will not take her. Not until I no longer have breath,” Mr. Thantos said.
“Always so noble, but that can easily be arranged.” A small, black light began to form in each of their hands as they conjured up whatever magic or power they contained, ready to blast the other to pieces.
Please don't fight, Cheyenne pleaded silently. Please don't fight over me. I'm not worth this. I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't want anyone to die. She wanted to cry and beg them to stop, but she couldn't do anything aside from cower, completely frozen where she stood. Halyn squeezed Cheyenne's arm even tighter.
The demon faced her again and took a couple of steps back. “I'm upsetting you, my darling. I'm sorry. To show you I'm not as heartless and horrible as some might think—” he pointed at Mr. Thantos “—I’ll respect your wish today. I won’t cause any bloodshed—this time. Besides, I can feel the wards restrengthening. My time here is up. You might want to pass along a message, Akuji. If the Divine wish to keep their power strong enough to keep us at bay, they should obey their own laws and keep their promises. You know the word of a deity cannot be taken back. It discredits their hierarchy. Talk some sense into them.”
“I recommend you leave, although if you are caught on our grounds with the wards back in place, I certainly would not mind watching you suffer,” Mr. Thantos said.
“And yet you warn me anyway, because you still care for me.”
“Perhaps.” Sadness washed over the angel's face and he stared down at the ground. “If you wish to reminisce with me and fry, by all means, stay.”
The demon bowed to Cheyenne before extending his wings. These wings had been hidden from sight, and when expanded they showed the true awesomeness of what Mr. Thantos had once had himself. In addition to their impressive size, they had shining silver and gray feathers sprinkled throughout, which added a special glimmer to the wings’ dark, rich, wine-red color. She wouldn’t have thought of a demon when she saw them. The others accompanying him also had wings of various colors. As abruptly as they’d come, they disappeared from sight.
Mr. Thantos faced the girls. His eyes glared down at them, his hands still clenched at his sides. “What are you doing away from the school?”
“We were just going for a walk,” Halyn said.
“You are not allowed to leave the school grounds.”
“But we've gone to town plenty of times before,” Cheyenne protested. She was still
taken aback by what had just happened, but she could react to only one thing at a time.
“You are not allowed to leave the school grounds. I am well aware you have gone to town many times already with your friends. It will end now. You are not allowed away without the supervision of an adult. No more long walks down the paths. You will stay where you can see the buildings. Is that clear?”
“But,” Halyn whispered. “I thought...”
Mr. Thantos turned to Halyn and shook his head. “These rules do not apply to you. They are exclusively for her.” He pointed to Cheyenne and then grabbed her by the shoulders to turn her body back toward the school. “We are going back now.”
“Wait, what's going on?”
“That is not your concern, Miss Alpay.”
“But it is mine,” Cheyenne mumbled under her breath.
Mr. Thantos glanced down at her briefly. “Yes, we may converse about this later.”
The girls sighed in unison. The walk back was silent. Unlike before, this walk was unbearably uncomfortable. Mr. Thantos was still seething with anger, his body completely stiff, and it was scary to the point that even the animals were staying far away and the trees became silent. Not even a breeze caused their leaves to stir. She wished he'd say something more, but it was clear he was done talking.
As the school buildings came into sight, her heart sank. What was supposed to be home had turned into a prison. What about the twins and her social life? They'd want to go out again someday. She’d never be able to get any shopping done for the homecoming dance. She doubted she’d even be able to go to the game.
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