The Faithful

by Wylde, Nora

  “If you’re a – an angel, then how the hell did you get here? Not that it’s even possible, and I still think you’re nuts –” she said. “I mean, we grew up together. You used to be normal. Do you really expect me to believe this nonsense? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “Don’t do it, Sam,” Daren warned in a low voice. Abby swallowed hard as Sam’s black gaze bore her down. Her vision suddenly went blurry, a glaze over her eyes. She reached out and tried to push it away, but there was nothing to hold onto. Sam’s form shuddered in front of her, blinking in and out, as if someone was turning the lights on and off.

  “Samael! You can’t do this to her!” Daren shouted. It felt like a blow to her skull when the humming started, a deep, dark murmur that raced over every inch of her skin, tingling and taunting through her blood.

  She had never heard such a thing. It was death and beauty, sour and sweet; it was music to her ears yet the melody made her bleed. It fought to surround her, bury her, to leave her broken and weak at his feet. When she covered her ears, she felt tears slide down her cheeks and she was glad that she wept.

  This was a sound she was not meant to hear.

  It was a vision she was not meant to see.

  Sam pulled his shirt off overhead and flung it at her feet before he fell to his knees before her, his muscles glistening with sweat. His shoulders strained as he curled into a ball and his veins surged up into cords on his neck. Someone screamed and at first she thought it was him, but then she realized that the screaming came from her own lips. She felt Daren at her side, still yelling at Sam, but it seemed Sam was too far gone to be subdued.

  His back flexed and withered, and then suddenly the room went dark. There was a whooping sound as if a flame ignited and surged. When she dared to open her eyes, she realized that it was not dark; she could not see because Sam blocked the light.

  Or rather, Sam’s black wings blocked the light.

  “You are a complete dick!” Daren shouted. “Did you have to go full out? What the hell, man, now we’re both in deep shit! You take her memory after this and she’ll be a zombie –”

  “I’m not going to take her memory,” Sam said softly, kneeling down at her feet. Abby watched, fascinated, as the nightmare that was Sam took her hands into his. “It wouldn’t work on her.”

  Daren made a disjointed snorting sound at her side.

  “I don’t get you. I really don’t,” Daren complained.

  Sam squeezed her fingers. The feral gaze in his eyes dimmed, replaced with a solemn patience that captivated her.

  “I don’t know who you really are, Abby, but I know there’s something different about you. I’ll help you figure it out. But you need to take a good look at me and accept what I am. There are things in this world that are not meant for humankind to understand, and I am one of them. I won’t allow you to run screaming from this house. And I can’t let you leave,” he said softly, “Until I have your trust. Do we have a deal?”

  Sam stood up and his wings folded neatly into his back. She could still see them poking out beneath each of his flared shoulders, surging like something alive with each breath he took.

  “Do we have an understanding?” he asked, rephrasing his demand.

  Daren nudged her with his elbow.

  “You can’t argue with him when he’s like this. Just say yes,” Daren muttered.

  “I think I need a drink,” she said.

  “Good girl,” Daren replied with a grin.

  “And?” Sam prompted.

  “Okay. For now. But you can’t keep me here forever,” she added.

  Chapter 7

  Sam

  He leaned back against the kitchen counter, watching as she spoke quietly with Daren in the sitting room. He knew he should be glad Daren was there, calming her down, keeping her from running when it was clear she was near panic. His oldest friend had always been the light to his dark, the good cop to his bad cop. Even when God had handed down his punishment and banished Sam, Daren had stood by his side and had his back.

  It was because of that friendship that Sam stood in the kitchen alone watching them, defying his roaring instinct to grab Daren by the neck. Within the pure pain that surfaced whenever he let down his shield, there was another ache burning, something he had thought he had banished long ago.

  Conquer. Stake claim. Separate her from the male.

  As he watched Daren close his hand over Abby’s, he squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his fists onto the edge of the countertop.

  He would not rip his best friend’s head off.

  “Daren!” he barked.

  Both Daren and Abby lifted their heads from where they were huddled on the couch.

  “Gimme a second,” Daren shot back.

  “I need to talk to you. Now,” Sam replied, trying his best to keep his voice to a controlled simmer. Daren uttered an exaggerated sigh and left his spot next to Abby.

  “What? I finally got her calmed down. What is your problem?” Daren said.

  Sam felt the countertop crumble as he loosened his hands. Daren’s eyes widened as pieces of granite dropped to the floor.

  “I need you to check on Lee. Abby should have been home hours ago, he must be worried.”

  “So what should I tell him?” Daren asked.

  Sam wiped his hands together, ignoring the way Daren stared at the debris.

  “Don’t tell him anything. Just give him an explanation. Make him think she called, tell him she’s staying at a friend’s house. I don’t care what you do, just fix it.”

  “So that gets us through tonight. We need to do something about her, and I’m talking long term.”

  “If you expect me to stay, you need to stop whispering. Especially if you’re talking about me.”

  Abby stood at the kitchen door. Her hands were shoved in the front pockets of her jeans, the urge to flee appearing more subdued than it had a few minutes earlier. Sam suspected Daren had that influence on her, and for a moment he wondered if Daren had hit her with one of his darts.

  “Did you dart her?” he asked, his inquiry directed at Daren although his eyes stayed locked on Abby across the kitchen.

  “Of course not. That’s a dick thing to ask,” Daren replied.

  “Don’t get me started,” Sam warned.

  “See? This is exactly what I’m talking about!” Abby interrupted. “You said something about a dart at the bar. What does that mean?”

  Sam held his tongue until Daren threw his hands up in the air.

  “Go ahead, Sam. Tell her how it’s my job to bring humans together, tell her about my darts, whatever. You seem to have no filter when it comes to her, so have at it.”

  Daren brushed past Abby and dropped down onto the couch, grabbing the remote to flick on the television.

  “What was that all about? Look, I didn’t start this, you two did. I’m just asking for answers,” Abby said.

  “His given name is Daros. He shoots humans with his darts to bring them together. He’s held that job since the beginning of time. He’s a little sensitive about it,” Sam explained.

  He was stunned to see a smile form on her lips.

  “So he’s like… Cupid?” she laughed, holding onto her belly as she bent at the waist. Sam couldn’t help but laugh along with her.

  “I can make it like you never existed, human!” Daren shouted from the next room. Sam stepped in front of Abby just before a pillow was pelted at her, taking the flimsy missile on his shoulder as he chuckled.

  Abby ducked into his chest as Daren launched two more pillows and a book at them, uttering a slew of curses and even slipping into the ancient language humans could not hear. Sam felt her fingers curled into his tee shirt, the warmth of her touch spreading over his skin in a pleasant surge. He looked down at her fist against his chest, then glanced into her face.

  Her soft eyes brimmed with humor, her face glowing as she laughed. She didn’t just wear her emotion, it emanated from her, more of an aura that surrounded her and c
radled her in its light. He knew she had always been like that, but as she stood there nestled in his arms, a very un-Angelic response resonated within him.

  Without giving credence to the consequences, he let his arms slide down slowly around her. He felt her stiffen at first, but when one hand came to rest on her waist she leaned into it, and her shoulder settled firmly in the crook of his other arm.

  “He’s all talk,” Sam finally murmured, at loss to say anything sensible as she stared up at him with her questioning gaze.

  “I think you both are,” she replied with a smile.

  “I’m not.”

  “Oh? So what did you mean when you said you’d ‘take care of me permanently’? Because that sounded like a threat to me,” she whispered, her composure seeming to slip away with the words.

  He sensed the return of her unease, and he could think of nothing else to reassure her. He wanted her happy, he wanted her smiling. With every ounce of his being he wished her the best of being human, and as he stared into the depths of her gentle brown eyes he felt the words spill from his lips. He should regret revealing his secrets to her, but strangely, he did not.

  “I meant I would take care of you. I will let no harm come to you. For all of your mortal life,” he said softly.

  Her throat tightened and he felt her pull back. Not completely out of his arms, but she was headed in that direction and he didn’t like what that made him feel. It was the threat of loss that assaulted him, causing the fine hair on the back of his neck to stand at attention and his stomach to twist into some bizarre knot.

  What was she doing to him? Within the span of a moment, she’d elicited more emotions than he had felt in his entire miserable human existence.

  He fought the urge to hold her when her eyes dipped down and she stepped away.

  “You say that like you’re really an angel. Like this isn’t something you made up,” she said softly. When she turned her back he immediately raised his hand to touch her and then let it fall, suddenly unsure of how to proceed where he had ventured.

  “I told you the truth. You saw it with your own eyes. I know you saw those demons in the alley. They were just as real as I am,” he said. He took a chance and reached for her hand, catching the tips of her fingers. It was enough to stop her, enough to pull her to him. He held his breath as she turned back to him.

  As she slowly reached for his face he closed his eyes. He had never let a human touch him there before, and with all his senses firing like flames it sent off a spark when she gently touched his skin. Her touch was light, tracing a path over his eyes, then down his cheek and lips until she settled on his chin.

  “I know you’re real. I just don’t know what you are,” she said. “Are you still my friend?”

  He nodded.

  “Then let me go home. I need some time to think.”

  He could do nothing else except grant her request. Her fingers still rested on his chin as he gently flicked one wrist. The front door sprang open with the gesture and he stepped back away from Abby.

  “I – I’ll talk to you later,” she murmured as she brushed past him. He watched her snatch her purse from the couch and walk silently past Daren to the door, her back stiff and unyielding in her wake.

  Once she was gone, Sam gently shut the door with another motion of his hand. As he stared at the closed door, his mind cluttered with a rash of frustration, Daren popped his head up over the couch to stare at him.

  “You just let her walk out?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re an idiot. I’ll go get her.”

  When Daren stood up, Sam was at his side in an instant. Daren landed with a thud on the floor, missing the couch entirely when Sam shoved him.

  “Leave her alone,” Sam said, his voice low. “She needs time to let this sink in. She won’t be any trouble.”

  In a single swift motion Daren was on his feet.

  “And you know that how?” Daren growled.

  Sam could see the glimmer of Daren’s true form surge beneath the surface, rippling like a current across his friend’s flesh. It was a rare thing for Daren to lose control, and Sam was sorry for it, but this was one thing he would not negotiate.

  Abby asked for time, and he would give it to her. It was as simple as that.

  “Because I give my word for hers,” Sam replied evenly. He kept his gaze riveted on Daren, watching for any indication of a challenge. They had never fought each other full out, yet suddenly Sam was prepared for anything.

  Daren shifted his weight evenly on his feet, his shoulders flexed slightly inward. He held one clenched fist in the other, grinding his hands together.

  “You’re making her your Ward?”

  Sam nodded.

  “Well, shit man, okay,” Daren snapped. “She’s your problem now.”

  Sam let out the breath trapped in his lungs as Daren also visibly relaxed. He caught the beer that Daren threw at him and sat down beside his friend, glad the tension was eased.

  “I mean it, Daren. Leave her alone. I’ll deal with her,” Sam added, taking a swig. Daren raised his bottle, shaking his head.

  “Whatever. Just surprised to see you get so worked up over a human, that’s all,” Daren muttered. “Damn it, the Eagles are losing! I bet a ton on this game!”

  The conversation was effectively finished. Sam sank back into the couch and tried to focus on the screen, but the impact of what he had done was too intense to ignore. He had just bound himself to a human, pledged his life for hers. Worse yet, he had no idea why he had done it, nor what end would come from it.

  If he had any sense of self-preservation in his head he would let Daren fix things with Abby, by whatever means necessary. Yet suddenly the one thing that Sam needed was not so important anymore. In fact, the one thing he had been placed on Earth to do was the same thing that was making Abby miserable.

  She was going to hate him very soon, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  Chapter 8

  Abby

  Abby noticed when her father sat down at the kitchen table, but she kept her eyes focused on the griddle as she idly scrambled the eggs. There had been very little sleeping overnight and her restlessness continued once she went down to the kitchen, with images of the prior night’s events flashing through her mind.

  What she had witnessed was impossible. Perhaps she had too much to drink, or someone slipped a roofie into her beer. There was no other explanation that came close to making sense. Angels were one thing, but the thing Sam fought was beyond comprehension.

  Her nose wrinkled at the memory of the scent in that alley. Dank and decayed, it was unlike anything she had ever known. It overpowered her senses, strong enough to send her reeling even as Sam put his hands on the thing.

  He put his hands on the monster. Sam snapped its neck with the casual ease of breaking a twig.

  “You okay?” Dad asked.

  She took a deep breath and scooped some of the eggs onto a plate. As she placed it in front of him she nodded.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied.

  “You’re shaking,” he said.

  She bit down on her lower lip and gave him a tight smile.

  “It’s nothing. I’m just cold, that’s all.”

  He raised an eyebrow but kept silent and she turned back to the stove.

  What exactly could she say? Well, Dad, turns out Sam is some sort of avenging angel, and he thinks I’m not entirely human. Coffee with your eggs?

  “Hey, look who came for breakfast!” Lee said.

  Abby turned, skillet in hand, and promptly dropped it when she saw Sam standing in the kitchen. She sank down to her knees and ducked her head over the mess, concentrating on picking up every single morsel as if her life depended on it. Her chest tightened, panic clenching her ribs, and it was all she could do to focus on the task rather than look at Sam.

  “Here, let me help,” Sam said as he kneeled beside her.

  “No! I’ve got it,” she insisted. She sw
allowed hard when he placed his hand over hers and took the skillet from her grasp. Her breath remained trapped in her lungs and she could feel her pulse pounding in her head.

  Get it together, woman, she chastised herself. It’s just the same old Sam. If he wanted to hurt you, he could have snapped your neck like he did that monster in the alley.

  “It’s just me,” he said softly.

  “I don’t remember inviting you to breakfast,” she stammered. He stood up with the skillet and offered her his free hand, which she hesitated to grasp. Lee shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth, shaking his head.

  “Hey, lighten up, kiddo,” Lee commented. “What’s making you so clumsy?”

  “Nothing,” she mumbled. Against her better judgment, she took Sam’s hand and let him help her stand. He held onto her fingers a moment too long, his green eyes wide as he stared into hers.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She pulled her hand away from his.

  “Yes,” she insisted.

  “Sit down, son. Don’t let her chase you off,” Lee grinned.

  “Thanks, but I can’t stay. I’m going to run into town, I just stopped by to see if you needed anything,” Sam said. She jumped when he turned toward her, catching her breath when he merely deposited the skillet into the sink.

  At her quick motion she saw his jaw tighten, his eyes betraying a glimpse of frustration. Despite her panic over all she had observed, deep down in her gut she wanted to trust him. After all, hadn’t he said he’d never hurt her? When he said he’d take care of her, he had said for all your mortal life.

  She needed to believe him. She needed to believe something. As far as religion and faith, well, she had very little confidence in the state of her immortal soul. Yet looking into Sam’s eyes made her hope there really was something more. The way she saw it, she had a choice.

  Believe Sam.

  Or not.

  “I’m expecting a package if you’ll be by the post office. If you grab it for me that would be a help,” Lee said.