Forgiven

by Fall, Carly

  He pushed those thoughts aside. It was pointless to even think about such scenarios. They were both dead. They were angels, and they were needed to help spread love in the world.

  Being stuck in Eternity was not doing anyone any good. He should be back on Earth doing his job, not pacing around this place thinking about sex, being human, or his damn feelings. He understood he needed to be punished for hitting Evangeline, but really, what was more important? Making sure he got his licks, or saving the human race, as well as all the angels in Heaven?

  “Michael!” he screamed.

  There still wasn’t any answer.

  Chapter 33

  Snow. More snow. Adela could tell before she even got out of bed. The ambient light coming through the window indicated the white stuff was falling again.

  She kicked off the covers, exhausted, having barely slept the night before. Every little sound in the house sent a jolt of adrenaline through her, and she found it hard to relax. Her mind whirled with what she would do if Gunnar came into her room looking for sex. She could stab him again, break the coffee cup over his head, and kick and scream and hope for the best. She had never wanted Liam around more than she did last night.

  She pulled on some jeans and a green sweater, and then went out to the kitchen. Noting the half pot of fresh coffee, she surmised Gunnar must already be up. After pouring a cup, she tasted it. It wasn’t nearly as strong as Liam’s was, but it didn’t taste right. She added some milk, which made it even worse. She poured more coffee, fiddled around with more milk and water, then finally gave up, dumping it in the sink.

  “Good morning,” Gunnar said as he came into the kitchen.

  She turned and smiled. “Hello, Gunnar.”

  “It’s snowing yet again,” Gunnar said. “I’ll have to get that deck shoveled off later.”

  Adela nodded. Liam would have been out there making sure that deck was cleared before any more snow fell. She’d have to watch her footing if she went outside.

  Last night she’d also given a great deal of thought to where they should look for their assignment. Her plan was to go to the cabins around them and knock on doors just to make sure they were as empty as Liam thought they were. She and Gunnar couldn’t go anywhere, as neither knew how to drive. She’d even gotten up in the middle of the night and looked on the Internet to see if they were on a bus route, thinking that they could travel outside the area that way, but they weren’t. In essence, they were stuck in the cabin until Liam came back, if he ever did.

  If he’d been banished to who-knows-where, Adela knew Evangeline would eventually show up and they could question her further on what their next steps should be.

  Until then, she decided to keep herself busy and clean the cabin. Gunnar disappeared into his room as she pulled out the bucket of cleaning supplies. Again, she found herself comparing him to Liam. Liam would have at least offered to help and they would have done the chores together.

  Two hours later, she finished scrubbing the kitchen, vacuuming the living room, and changing the sheets on her bed, as well as scrubbing down her bathroom. She’d also ventured into Liam’s room and made his bed, taking a few moments to sit, bringing his pillow to her nose. Inhaling deeply, she smelled his aftershave, and just a tinge of her wildflower lotion. Mixed together, it made for a pleasant scent, and brought back memories of their night together, or their “mistake,” as Liam had called it. Pushing those thoughts away, she focused on why she was on Earth, and her task. She didn’t have time to think about Liam making loving to her, especially since they had wasted so much time assuming Jackie and Jonathan were their assignment.

  Sighing, she glanced outside and saw the snow had stopped, so she decided it was time to go knock on some doors. There had to be other people around as Jackie and Jonathan weren’t their assignment.

  After pulling on her boots, she bundled up in her red parka and shoved some of the down filling back into the tear where the bullet had grazed her coat. Shaking her head, she couldn’t believe how fortunate she had been! As she pulled on her mittens and wrapped the scarf around her neck, she recalled the way Liam held her after the shooting and the relief he seemed to feel that she hadn’t been injured. Her heart hurt. How could Liam call what they shared a mistake? Perhaps there was something more there, something that he hadn’t shared with her. He really hadn’t told her much about his life, cutting her off quickly whenever she asked. Maybe something had happened during his life that made him close up and not want to get overly familiar with anyone. One thing she was certain of was that night, he’d been an open book, and unless she was reading him wrong, he did have feelings for her. Whether or not he was willing to admit them was a different story. Not that there was anything they could do about it anyway—they were dead, and at that point, their futures were very uncertain.

  “Gunnar, I’m going out!” she yelled, pulling open the sliding glass door.

  “Okay!” he shouted from his bedroom.

  Shutting the door, she turned and headed for the stairs. She guessed there was about six inches of snow covering the deck and she treaded carefully, the snow crunching under her boots. Placing her hand on the railing, she made it down the first two steps, noting the silence of the forest with a light background hum of traffic on the road. On the third step, her foot slipped out from under her. She struggled to right herself and grab the railing, to no avail. She went down, hitting her head on two steps. As she lay in the snow gazing up at the sky, she saw darkness slowly encroaching in on her peripheral vision. Panic swept through her as she struggled to sit up. Propping herself up on her elbow, she touched the back of her head where she had hit the stairs, and it felt wet. She hoped it was snow, but looking at her fingertips she saw blood. Fear coiled within her, but she was determined to get inside and call for help. She got to her knees, her head swimming as she tried to reach out for the railing. She missed, her vision doubling. A second later, the blackness overtook her and she lost consciousness.

  Chapter 34

  Liam laid flat on his stomach, his arms outstretched to his sides, his face turned toward that damn light. His wings flapped lazily, up and down, up and down, the feathers he had pulled earlier danced in front of his face. He was certain he was going to die of boredom, or go absolutely crazy from his thoughts.

  His time in Eternity had left him with nothing to do but think. His stint as an angel had barely crossed his thoughts, but his time alive, and living as a human with Adela, had been a slow moving train of images, conversations, and “what if’s.”

  Frankly, he was done with it all. He had killed Annie with his recklessness, but she had forgiven him. That gave him a bit of peace. He realized he loved Adela, but there was nothing that could be done about it. Their futures together were not meant to be. He’d also tortured himself with visions of Adela and Gunnar in passionate embraces and the jealousy in him raged.

  Closing his eyes, he thought about praying for death because it would certainly be better than what he was going through at the moment. The . . . nothingness was going to drive him stark raving mad.

  He’d never given much thought to the word “eternity.” He’d never considered it an actual place, and he never could have imagined anything that had no beginning or no end. Thinking of the description of an “eternity in hell” was pretty self-explanatory: fire, pain, and misery. An eternity in heaven was the exact opposite, but an eternity in Eternity? A vast area of nothingness, with no beginning and no end, was enough to drive anyone bat shit crazy.

  “Liam.”

  He opened his eyes and gazed at golden-colored sandals, and if his heart were beating, it would have given a lurch of hope.

  “Michael?” he whispered.

  “Get up, Liam.”

  Liam closed his eyes again. “I don’t believe you are really there,” Liam mumbled. “You’re a figment of my imagination.”

  “No, Liam, I’m here. Now get up before I change my mind about releasing you from Eternity.”

  Liam slo
wly pushed himself up and got to his feet while keeping his eyes on the golden sandals. He fully expected them to disappear, but when they didn’t, he allowed his gaze to travel up to the hem of the golden robe, over seven feet of body, and finally meeting Michael’s golden eyes. Liam was relieved to see there wasn’t a storm cloud above the angel’s head, indicating there wouldn’t be any lightning, thunder or painful orbs tossed at him—and hopefully signaling it would be a calm conversation.

  “I can’t stay here, Michael,” Liam said, his agitation growing since having been thrown in here to begin with. “This place is horrible. Seriously fucking horrible. I’ve read about Hell, and I’m not sure what is worse.”

  Michael smiled serenely. “Your time here has been well spent,” he said.

  Liam’s irritation grew. “You’re kidding, right? I’ve done nothing but chase my own tail feathers!”

  “But you’ve had time to think,” Michael replied.

  “What the hell else am I supposed to do in here?” Liam bellowed, noting the lack of an echo in such an empty space.

  “Nothing. Now, are you going to stand there and tell me how miserable you have been, or would you like to get out of here?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think I’m waiting for an answer, Liam.”

  Liam nodded. “Get me out of here.”

  “Follow me,” Michael said and turned toward the light.

  Liam followed a few paces behind and was surprised as the light actually got closer and brighter. He stretched his wings, ready to take flight and get as far, and as fast, as he could from Eternity the moment he had the chance.

  “When we get to the light, we’ll end up in my chambers,” Michael said. “And from there, we need to talk before you go anywhere.”

  The need to escape scratched at him, but Liam knew he couldn’t get away from Michael that easily. He would simply have to endure whatever came next and he folded his wings at his back.

  As they approached the light, its brightness blinded Liam, and he held up his arm to cover his eyes. Eventually, he had to close them, and Michael took his hand. He felt like a child being led by his parent.

  “You can open your eyes, Liam,” Michael said, letting go of Liam’s hand.

  Liam gazed around and realized they were back in Michael’s private chambers. Black onyx floors and walls greeted him, and Michael motioned him to sit at the black table, in the same chair he always sat in, while Michael took the chair at the opposite end.

  “Something has happened on Earth, Liam,” Michael said.

  Liam’s gut clenched, hoping it had nothing do to with Adela. He almost hoped Jonathan had blown his brains out—almost, but not quite.

  He stared at Michael, waiting to see what the angel would say.

  “Aren’t you curious as to what it is?”

  “Of course,” Liam answered.

  “Adela has had an accident.”

  Liam shifted in his chair and tried not to let his panic show. “Is she okay?”

  Michael shook his head. “She’s been injured pretty badly. I would suggest you go to her.”

  Liam stood. “Where is she?”

  “At the cabin.”

  Liam headed for the door, terror fueling his long steps. He ran down the clouds that led up to Michael’s chambers. Once outside, he threw himself into the sky, his wings pumping, taking him to Earth faster than he’d ever traveled.

  He realized he hadn’t even asked what had happened to Adela. What type of injury did she have? How serious was it? He’d been so worried that Adela even had a hair out of place, he hadn’t gotten the facts.

  As he soared through the stars, he remembered how much he enjoyed flying in the past. Now, as the wind whispered through his hair and he pumped his wings, he wasn’t appreciating his ability, he was simply trying to keep his panic in check.

  Chapter 35

  Liam landed on the deck of the house, noting that it hadn’t been shoveled since he left. Damn Gunnar.

  He was about to ghost through the door when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Another angel appeared at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a long pink robe with short black hair framing her round face. She couldn’t have stood more than five foot four, her frame thin. Liam’s panic rose to a whole new level. What was an Angel of Innocence doing here? Then he saw Adela lying on her back at the bottom of the steps, directly at the angel’s feet. Her arms were out to her sides, her head lulled to the right. He could see blood pooling from the blonde strands. He noted the area on the steps where it looked as if she had slipped, and his anger at Gunnar increased. All he had asked that damn Viking to do was shovel the deck!

  The Angel of Innocence briefly glanced up at Liam, her navy blue gaze looking him over, then back at the device on her wrist.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, walking over to her.

  “This is my next death,” she said, her voice quiet. “Are you Liam?”

  “Yes,” he replied, kneeling next to Adela and tucking in his wings. His throat constricted with the panic welling up in him. “You can’t take her away.”

  The sliding glass door opened and Gunnar stepped out. He glanced over at Liam. “I see you made it,” he said, his voice serious as he walked toward the stairway.

  “You just needed to shovel the damn deck, Gunnar!” he yelled, cradling Adela’s head in his lap. “Go in and call an ambulance!”

  Gunnar just stared at him. “What good is that going to do, my friend? We’ve already got an Angel of Death here. You and I both know that once an Angel of Death shows up, there’s not much point in calling anyone.”

  Liam looked down at Adela. She looked so pale, but he could feel her soft breath on his cheek as he leaned over her. His eyes burned as tears threatened to fall. He couldn’t lose her.

  Evangeline slowly floated from the sky and landed next to Gunnar.

  “Evangeline! Do something!” Liam pleaded, his whole body shaking. They couldn’t let Adela die.

  “There is nothing I can do,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “This is up to you, Liam.”

  Liam pushed some of Adela’s hair out of her face with a shaky hand. “What do you mean it’s up to me?”

  “It’s up to you, Liam. Does Adela die, or does she live?”

  Chapter 36

  It seemed as though time stopped for Liam. What the hell did Evangeline mean? “How is this up to me?” he shouted. “More importantly, why is this up to me?”

  “What’s in your heart, Liam?”

  He closed his eyes as he rocked back and forth, Adela’s head still in his lap. The cold licked at his skin as the snow seeped into his clothing. He was becoming human again, and he ran his thumb over Adela’s cheek, feeling her soft, yet cool skin. How long had she been lying there?

  What was in his heart? He didn’t want Adela to leave him. He wanted her to live. He glanced up at the Angel of Innocence. If he let Adela die, she would be going to the Inner Circle of Heaven. Her life wouldn’t consist of death, but of the joy and bliss that Heaven could bring.

  Was he being selfish by wanting to be with Adela, to be by her side? Could he also go to Heaven?

  “What happens if I let her go?” he asked Evangeline.

  “You will continue your work as an Angel of Affection, but you will never see Adela again.”

  The thought left a bad taste in his mouth, a cold stone in his chest. Although he’d barely spent a week with Adela, he couldn’t remember a time in his life where he’d been happier.

  “And if I ask for her to live?”

  “Then you will both live as humans again.”

  But would she want to be human again? He distinctly remembered her saying that she didn’t belong in this time period, that she felt her time was in the 1600s. He would be a selfish ass to keep her here in a time where she didn’t want to be. He, on the other hand, wanted to be human again. He longed to be in human form for a good number of years and enjoy all that he hadn’t a
ppreciated when alive.

  He needed to let her go.

  Glancing up at Gunnar, his anger flared. If the asshole would have just shoveled the deck. . . .

  “Why didn’t you shovel it?” he yelled.

  “Why didn’t you, Liam?” Evangeline questioned. “I specifically told you to do it.”

  “And I specifically passed the job on to Gunnar!”

  Evangeline crossed her arms over her chest. “I told him not to do it, Liam.”

  Confusion tore through Liam. “Why?”

  “Because you let your negative emotions get the best of you,” Evangeline said. “When that happens, there are consequences.”

  Liam looked down at Adela, recalling the jealousy and rage that brewed within him. “Are you saying this is my fault?”

  There was no answer, and he took that as a yes. The dark emotions had overcome him, making his ability to think rationally take a hike. He should have kept shoveling the deck when he saw that Gunnar wasn’t going to do it. It had been a safety issue, and now, the consequences of his lack of actions lay in his arms.

  Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the Angel of Death checking her wristband again. He wondered how much more time he had before a decision had to be made.

  The fact of the matter was that he couldn’t imagine his life, whether as an Angel of Affection, an Angel of Death, or as a human, without Adela. She had quickly wormed her way into his heart with her innocence, her soft smiles, those big brown eyes, and her kindness. Yet, underneath it all, she harbored a toughness that rounded out the whole package for him.

  But what if he did say that she was to live? Would she be upset with him? What if she didn’t share the same feelings for him as he did for her? He would be denying her a place in the Inner Circle of Heaven. How greedy was that?

  “Take her,” he whispered. He’d been a selfish bastard for most of his life, and it was time to stop.

  The Angel of Innocence nodded and said, “Thirty seconds.”