After a moment’s hesitation, Paul reached out and traced her jaw line with his soft fingertip, taking care not to wake her but needing more than anything to feel her warm skin. As he looked down at her, he reflected on his feelings for the woman. He had never been in love before, and as a result, had no idea if he was currently in such a situation, no idea if it was even possible to fall in love with someone so quickly despite Hollywood’s obvious assurance that yes, it really was possible. But he knew that he cared about her and that he liked her very much, and he seemed captivated enough with her to simply watch her.
Paul wasn’t sure if that equaled love. But, quite frankly, he didn’t care. There was a strong protectiveness that now encompassed him, and he made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t allow anyone or anything to harm her. Including his Creator. Yes, he had thought a lot about it, but Paul wasn’t going to give Satan Mandy. He would find a woman – any other woman - in hopes to exchange her with the gift of life, but Mandy was his, and that was all there was to it.
He liked touching her, feeling her warmth, liked hearing her breathe. They were elements of life, and he reveled in it. As long as she still felt warm, as long as she still breathed in air, she was still alive. And as long as he was near her, around her, then in some small way, he would be alive as well, without actually being alive.
Things were going to get very difficult. There was absolutely no doubt about that. His Creator would realize that Paul would not turn over the One He wanted, and something would happen as a result. Who knew if it would be a full-fledged battle, if it would be some kind of warning, or if would be worse? Maybe his life promise would be revoked or maybe his Creator would take away Paul’s existence in a mere snap of his fingers. Things were possible; Paul had been witness to both deeds and had vowed never to allow himself the same fate.
But life never worked out the way you want it to; it works out the way it’s supposed to.
And now he had Mandy. He couldn’t understand such a strong feeling brimming within himself, but it didn’t matter really, did it? He had been in denial, but she had been working her magic ever since he had first laid eyes upon her. And he was transfixed, captivated, and mesmerized. And he didn’t ever want that feeling to go away. Whatever this feeling was. Paul was almost afraid to name it, to give it different weight to it, and so he decided to hold onto it for himself and see where things led.
But above all else, Mandy had to be protected. He knew Satan was sure to come after them, to take Mandy from him, and Paul refused to let such a thing happen. Which meant he needed information, needed some kind of backup that he could only find in one person. He curled an errant strand of hair behind her ear before tearing his body away from hers. If he was going to keep her safe, he needed to see his friend as soon as possible.
Paul dressed quickly, and because he had big, thick wings, he could fly to wherever his friend was, and if he knew his friend – and Paul did – his friend would most certainly be nearby due to the fact that he had a house in the mountains somewhere. Before leaving, however, Paul made sure that the doors and windows were all locked before dropping to his knees and placing a soft kiss on Mandy’s forehead. This caused her to smile once more in her sleep, and Paul couldn’t help but be touched the act, however unconscious it was.
With that, he stood up and walked out onto the balcony of the house and before he knew it, his wings snapped out and the wind was carrying him in the direction he needed to go. Paul didn’t think about anything – refused to, actually – and instead just enjoyed the sensations flying gave him. Once he was human, however, he would know it no more, and so he wanted to make sure he didn’t take advantage of the talent he possessed now because it would probably be gone soon.
Bruce Macaffery wasn’t expecting any visitors. His house was a wreck, though, in Bruce’s terms, a wreck was a napkin folded the wrong way. Currently, he was wearing loose slacks because he didn’t own sweatpants, and pajama pants weren’t supposed to be worn until the evening. He was sitting on the carpet, leaning against the couch, simply meditating, trying to find an answer to a question he didn’t know, white ginger candles burning on both sides of the coffee table a few feet in front of him.
At that moment, he was totally at peace.
Up until the point where a certain fallen angel he might or might not have been acquainted with crashed into his balcony window, sending glass shards everywhere and causing his house to go from a wreck to downright unlivable in two point three seconds. Such a thing, however, wasn’t exactly surprising to Bruce anymore, and Bruce stopped questioning them after a while. And whenever he was stressed, he would meditate on it. He would be meditating the shit out of this experience.
Upon hearing the crash, Bruce opened one eye, only to see Paul’s body smashed against his expensive carpet. “You know,” he said in his deep, velvet voice, “I had a dream you’d be coming to see me.” He hadn’t moved from his spot, hadn’t flinched or anything of the like. “I just wished it would have warned the destruction that would come along with you.” He watched as Paul stood up and ruffled his feathers, getting any glass out of the black wings. “So? What have you come to inquire about? Did you find the One you’ve been looking for?”
“Actually,” Paul said, moving to ensure that no glass remained in the folds of his clothes, and then shook his head to guarantee the same for his hair. “I did. That’s exactly why I came to talk to you.” Bruce looked as though he was going to say something, but Paul quickly cut him off. “But before I start, I need you to give me your word that not a syllable of what I say to you will fall past your lips to anyone else.”
Bruce studied Paul for a long moment. “What have you done, Paul?” he asked tentatively, cocking his head to the side and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I haven’t done anything,” Paul replied instantly, but winced when he realized his own words. “Actually, that’s not exactly true. To be honest, I think I like the girl a tad more than I should like her. She’s beautiful, smart, funny, and oh yeah, she can see my wings. Before you ask, yes, she’s human, we slept together, and I’ve decided not to give her over to… Him.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, mate,” Bruce said, shaking his head as he closed his eyes. Why had Paul interrupted him minutes before he had attained fulfillment? “Slow down and explain. You’ve found the –“ Bruce cut himself off when the weight of the words suddenly hit him full force. “You slept with her? How could you sleep with her? Actually no, I don’t want to know your stretched logic – And you’re not going to give her over? Why the hell not?”
Paul opened his mouth before shutting it. However, his gapping would not suffice, and he reached up to cup the back of his head before saying, “I like her.”
Now it was Bruce who was gapping. “Wait a minute, you like her?” he asked, completely flabbergasted. “You’re giving up the reason you were created, you’re giving up life just because you like this girl?”
“She makes me feel alive,” Paul said, a goofy smile on his face. It was the most ridiculous thing he had ever said, and yet it was the truest.
“Well, I see you’re infatuated with her,” Bruce said, running his fingers through her hair. “It seems that as of right now, I can’t talk you out of it. Where is she? I want to see this girl.”
“In my apartment,” Paul replied.
“You left her alone there?” Bruce asked sharply. “You know that He has spies everywhere. You need to get back to her. You need to make sure she’s safe.”
Fifteen
It wasn’t long before Mandy felt her eyelashes fluttering on their own accord, and then she woke up. The sun filtered through the blinds on the window and caused Mandy’s awakening to speed up rather than to delay. She glanced next to her and found that Paul was gone, which was okay. In fact, Mandy didn’t take it personally. She had this wonderful feeling of contentment, swelling in her body, and she wanted a moment alone to think about her feelings on the subject at hand before she had to interact
with Paul again.
So here she was, tangled up in sheets after just experiencing the greatest pleasure she had ever endured. Okay, so she wasn’t exactly that experienced when it came to sex – she had only had it with one other partner before – but she never expected it to be as diverting and as indescribable as it was. She didn’t think it was possible that she was in love yet, and she had never been the type of person to sleep with some guy she didn’t even know, but something inside of her just let her inhibitions go. And that was all there was to it.
Mandy leaned back down and stretched, yawning as she did so. Her body was relaxed and fulfilled – there was really nothing for her to do save for basking in the warmth the sun provided. Thoughts of a possible relationship or the development of love didn’t exactly filter through her thoughts only because she wanted to take this entire thing one day at a time. Plus, she wanted to see how Paul would react whenever he came back from wherever he was. The thought that he might have left her there to fend for herself was also not something that crossed her mind. It was interesting how completely she trusted him despite the fact that they hadn’t known each other for very long.
She curled onto her side and closed her eyes, letting her mind process all there was to process. Interestingly enough, she didn’t feel as though there was that much to analyze, which was odd only because Mandy analyzed everything. And yet, she felt so relaxed about everything that had happened… It wasn’t as though she was naïve and thought different things couldn’t happen to her, or anything like that, but there was just something in her that was sure of her decision, and as a result, there was no need for her to look back.
She didn’t regret what had happened. That was for sure. It was something she had wanted to do, and she did it.
Mandy couldn’t have asked for a better lover. Paul was compassionate and took his time when it came to ensuring that he pleased her before he even thought about himself. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue when he looked at her during their love making, as though she was the only person in the world. To be honest, she wanted to stay this way forever, content in her ignorant haze. But she knew that such a thing was impossible to hope for.
The world as she knew it had changed. There would be no going back to what she was used to. And if what Paul had said was true, if these angels or these demons were really out to get her, to use her as some sort of tool for this war, then she really was in danger. The thought that because Paul was a fallen angel and would no doubt side with demons had crossed her mind once or twice. She wasn’t completely blind when it came to that particular circumstance. And yet, she felt safe with Paul. She truly didn’t believe that he would intentionally harm her or put her in harm’s way.
Some would call her naïve, and rightly so. And yet, at that moment in time, Mandy didn’t particularly care. All that she needed, all that she wanted, was right there, in the shabby apartment she was currently sharing with her protector. Maybe this was just one way to blind herself from the world’s destruction. Masking guilt with pleasure was easier than people might originally expect it to be, and for Mandy, it was even easier than she had anticipated. But with Paul as her muse, it wasn’t completely unfathomable.
The way his arms curled around her, the way she felt when they were connected wholly and completely – was she really expected to remember that the world was falling apart around her? And would any other young woman in her situation do any differently? Why should she be forced to constantly think about something she couldn’t change, couldn’t understand? At least making love was a natural occurrence, something she was somewhat familiar with, and enjoyed, even more so with Paul than with anyone else.
It felt like a dream that Mandy didn’t – and even refused – to wake up from. She wanted to remain ignorant and happy, and wanted to pretend that Paul really did care about her, that Sarah hadn’t died, that all of those people in The Coffee Bean weren’t either, that everything was back the way it was. And if she remained exactly where she was and thought really hard, for a few blissful moments, she could stay in such a dream.
A noise from the bedroom caused Mandy to snap her eyes open. And then, just like that, she couldn’t keep pretending. Her whole body tensed and a million things ran through her mind at who or what that could be. All she knew for sure was that she couldn’t exactly stay the way she was and remain vulnerable with nothing short of a target on her forehead. As quietly as she could, she slid up while simultaneously managing to keep the sheet wrapped around her body. After tying it to ensure it wouldn’t fall, she quietly began to head to the bedroom. It wasn’t as though Mandy was going to fight, but she wanted to see just who this person – this being – was.
When her eyes took sight of familiar ginger-colored hair, she felt her body relax, and walked in. He seemed to be busy doing something – packing something – but she couldn’t tell just what it was that he was packing. She pursed her lips and tilted her head slightly to the side, inching forward. His body was tense; she could tell by the way his muscles moved in his back.
Another step caused Paul to straighten and turn, preparing to fight. Mandy jumped and quickly reached up to block her face of any misconduct, accidental or not. Upon seeing her, Paul calmed down. His hard, pale blue eyes softened, and after apologizing softly, turned around and continued to pack.
“What’s the matter?” Mandy asked, taking a tentative step forward as she attempted to run her fingers through her tangled hair. It was a matter in vain, however. She dropped it, and then reached out, hesitating only a moment before placing what she hoped was a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Are you all right?”
Paul turned to look at her. His frustration was getting the better of him and he nearly snapped Mandy, but he stopped himself. Her eyes were filled with sleep and her lips still looked as soft as he remembered them. He had no reason to be mad at her, not when her hair was disheveled, not when her body was wrapped up in his sheets, not when he cared at her so much. The right corner of his lips twitched up and he leaned down, placing a lingering kiss on her cheek.
“I’m fine,” he told her. His tone was gentle and his eyes locked with hers in hopes that she would believe him. “But this place – this apartment – isn’t safe anymore. You’re still in danger, and as a result, we need to leave as soon as possible. I suggest you get dressed as soon as you can. And whatever you want from here, make sure you grab it, because once we’re gone, we’re not coming back.”
Mandy didn’t need to be told twice. She headed back into the living room, kneeling down and grabbing her clothes, before heading into the bathroom. It wasn’t long before she was dressed, but before she headed back outside, she took a nice, deep breath. What was going to happen, she didn’t know. All she knew was that Paul thought they needed to leave, and Mandy’s trust in him hadn’t wavered yet. If he believed that they needed to leave, then she believed it too. He had been around much longer than she had, had more experience than she could ever hope to achieve. She would follow him to the edge of the earth if he so needed her to, she realized.
After another moment, trying to calm her nerves, she headed out of the bathroom. Paul was waiting for her on the balcony, only a small bag – probably of clothes – over his shoulder. When he saw her, he placed his hands on her hips and leaned down so his forehead brushed hers.
“There are so many things you don’t know,” he whispered, “and so many things I can’t say. But I hope that…” He let his voice trail off, deciding not to say anything at this moment. He forced a smile, and quickly picked her up before she could question him.
And with that, they were off.
Sixteen
Mandy didn’t dream this time. In fact, the flight to wherever Paul wanted to go was so short that Mandy thought maybe Paul was mistaken. If they were in danger, if they had to leave the apartment, then why would they go somewhere close by? Wouldn’t that be obvious, like hiding under the bed during a game of hide and seek? In fact, once Paul had landed and set Mandy down,
she looked around and found that it was a house, secluded from the mountains, yes, but still just a house. Anything could happen, couldn’t it?
But if Paul was certain that this was where they should be, then Mandy would trust him. However, she would stay close to him as well. Her eyes quickly scanned the balcony they had landed in, and Mandy furrowed her brow. “Why is the glass door broken?” she asked to no one in particular.
Paul glanced away and placed his hands on his hips. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s so important,” he told her before reaching out and grabbing her hand.
Luckily, Paul noticed that Bruce had swept up the glass so even though both he and Mandy had shoes on, he didn’t have to warn her about stray shards of glass. Instead, he led her over to the nice couch he had seen Bruce meditate against only an hour before. In fact, Bruce didn’t look to be anywhere, and for a moment, Paul felt himself tense up at the prospect that something had happened to Bruce, that demons had found the house, knew that Paul had changed his mind about his mission –
But Paul’s trail of thought ended when he heard familiar murmurings from the kitchen. So it wasn’t just Bruce that was here, but Bruce’s girl Kelly. This would definitely be interesting to say the least.
He glanced down at Mandy, who was currently taking her surroundings in, and offered her a small smile. “We’ll be safe here,” he promised, his thumb gently reaching up to caress the back of Mandy’s hand.
“I believe you,” she told him with a smile of her own.
It was then that Paul felt truly sincere in his act of refusing to go ahead and give her up to his Creator. She was completely innocent when it came to most things, wide-eyed and naïve, but sweet nonetheless. And she had practically been forced into the center of this war due to a curse she didn’t realize she had. It wasn’t exactly fair, and though the universe didn’t exactly care one way or the other if things were fair or not, it still troubled Paul when he thought about it. However, if this was just because Mandy was the woman in question or if he would have felt this way about anyone, he couldn’t exactly say.
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