Deirdre’s arms were covered in snake bites, but they didn’t look as red and fresh as when they were on the beach. Her breathing was regular, and Aileen gave thanks to God for saving her niece’s life.
“She’s alive and well. Her arms will heal, thanks to Raphael,” Uriel spoke from behind her. Her anguished wail had awakened him from his slumber.
“What happened?” Aileen asked. “All I remember is waking up on the beach next to Deirdre, and she wasn’t breathing.”
“Should we go grab some food and talk?” Uriel suggested.
Aileen nodded. Her mind was all foggy, and she couldn’t remember anything. They walked out of the room and, after a few wrong turns, found the cafeteria. They ordered sandwiches and coffee and sat down at a table with their food.
“What do you remember?” Uriel asked.
“My last memory is seeing Gorgoneia’s hideous head poke out of the water. The next thing I knew I was on the beach with Deirdre,” Aileen answered.
“You don’t remember anything in between?”
“No. What happened?”
Uriel told Aileen about the battle with Gorgoneia. After he finished the tale, she sat quietly, digesting all the information. Then she asked questions of her own.
“So, she is dead?”
“Yes, I struck off her head.”
“What happened to the rest of the victims?” she asked.
“We saved those who were still alive. The others had already passed on.”
“Did you really lose your wings?”
“Yes, in exchange for Deirdre’s life.”
Aileen digested this information as she ate her sandwich in silence. After a few moments, she spoke.
“Thank you for your great sacrifice. Your wings were so beautiful. I can’t imagine what you must be going through to have lost something so precious to you.”
Uriel nodded in acknowledgement. “They were mine for centuries. But I traded them for a greater gift—the gift of life. Aileen, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I had to. I have no regrets.”
Aileen felt tears spring into her eyes, and she looked back down on her food, deeply touched.
They finished their meal in silence and made their way back to Deirdre’s room. They arrived to find Deirdre awake, and Aileen went over to talk to her niece and assured her that everything was okay.
* * * *
The next day Deirdre was discharged from the hospital. She was in good health, and her arms were completely healed. They spent the day exploring Crete and looking at all the beautiful structures.
They went to the ruins of the palace of the legendary King Minos. Deirdre and Aileen walked around in awe. The ruins indicated a palace that was once very grand and opulent. The rooms that had been excavated still held grandeur and artifacts from back in the days of the ancient civilization.
Uriel remembered when the palace had been filled with people. He closed his eyes and he was taken back to 1700 BC when the palace was bustling and teaming with life. He walked around and saw people in long, white robes and different colored shawls wrapped around the robes.
He saw a woman carrying water in an earthen jar. She looked familiar. She had brown, curly hair that was pinned up. She laughed and played a game with the children. He knew that laugh and that smile. It was Aileen as an ancient Minotian in a previous life.
The vision disappeared, and he was pulled out of the past and back into the present. He looked around him and there were only tourists taking photographs. Uriel walked on and found Aileen and Deirdre in the throne room.
Aileen turned to him with a smile, and he stopped in his tracks having just seen the same smile but in a different time.
“It’s so strange, but all this looks familiar. I feel like I’ve been here before,” Aileen told him.
“Perhaps that’s why you like symbols so much, Auntie Aileen. These walls are full of colorful paintings of animals and figures,” Deirdre said.
“Perhaps, but it’s still strange,” Aileen replied and walked on.
When it was getting late, Uriel said, “I suppose it’s time to teleport home?”
Aileen laughed. “Have you ever flown on an airplane before?”
“No. I’ve never had the need to.”
“Well, how about this once, we all fly home for a semblance of normalcy?”
“That’s fine,” Uriel responded.
Aileen was able to book tickets, and in no time, they were at the airport and on the plane flying from Crete to Dublin. Deirdre sat by the window seat and looked out as the plane took off.
She asked Aileen question after question about where they were but soon drifted off to sleep. Aileen smiled and pulled a blanket over her and leaned back in her chair. She turned and looked at Uriel.
“A penny for your thoughts?” she asked.
“I think I saw you when I traveled back in time at the palace,” he admitted.
“What do you mean you saw me?”
“I saw you as an ancient Greek woman. You had on white robes, and you carried a jar of water. I only saw you briefly, and then I was pulled back into the present.”
“Hmmm…we do believe in past lives and reincarnation.”
“Yes, that’s why the palace looked familiar to you. You used to live there.”
“Wow, that is very interesting,” she said.
“That has never happened to me before. I have never seen humans in past, present, or future reincarnations. I’m trying to understand what it means.”
“Perhaps you saved me then too. You just didn’t realize it at the time.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Get some sleep, Uriel. You’re exhausted too, even if you don’t want to admit it.”
Chapter 17
The plane landed in Dublin. Aileen, Deirdre, and Uriel took a cab to Aileen’s flat. They all went inside, but Deirdre saw Uriel looking at the door.
“Please stay, Uncle Uriel, please?” she asked.
“I’ll think about it, but your aunt has the final say,” Uriel replied.
“Of course you can stay,” Aileen declared.
“Yay! Uncle Uriel, do you want to see my animal collection?” Deirdre inquired.
“Sure. I didn’t know you collected animals.”
“She collects stuffed animals,” Aileen corrected.
While Deirdre was busy with Uriel, Aileen went into the kitchen and started dinner. She decided on spaghetti and meatballs with a side of garlic bread and salad.
Aileen put on an apron and was stirring the spaghetti sauce when Uriel walked in. She turned when he entered the kitchen and held a wooden spoon out to him.
“Here, come and try this. Let me know how it tastes,” she commanded.
Uriel obediently went over and tried the sauce. His eyes widened in surprise. “It’s very good,” he acknowledged.
“I was thinking about throwing in a pinch of salt.”
Uriel shook his head. “It’s perfect the way it is.”
She looked into his eyes, and heat flared between the two of them. He put his arms around her waist and pressed her up against him. Aileen forgot all about the spaghetti sauce on the stove as she lost herself in Uriel’s eyes.
“Auntie Aileen, is dinner ready? I’m hungry,” Deirdre announced.
Uriel and Aileen broke out of their embrace, and Aileen answered her niece, “Yes, dinner is ready. Would you like to set the table?”
* * * *
After dinner, Uriel washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen while Aileen got Deirdre ready for bed. He had just wiped down the sink and stove when Aileen walked back in. He turned at her entrance and said softly, “I think it’s best if I leave.”
“I think you should stay.”
“There’s no reason for me to stay anymore. You and Deirdre are home safe and sound.”
“You need to stay, because...well, my stove is broken. It wasn’t working that great when I was cooking earlier,” Aileen told him.
“All
right, I can take a quick look at it before I head out.”
He went over to take a look at the stove. He felt her press up against his backside and her hands slip up and down his front. Arousal hit him hard and fast. He turned around and kissed her deeply. She moaned into his mouth.
He picked her up and carried her into her bedroom and shut the door. Uriel laid Aileen down on the bed and took his clothes off. The need to be skin to skin against her was strong, so he tore her clothes off. She laughed at the speed and aggression. As soon as all her clothes were off, Uriel climbed on top of her and smothered her with kisses.
Uriel remembered that she needed to be touched down there and should orgasm first. He slowed down and took control of his urges. He touched her clitoris with his finger, and she gasped. He rubbed and pressed her the way she liked, and pretty soon she was bucking and moaning his name as her first orgasm took her.
He smiled at her, and she sat up and removed the rest of her clothing. Aileen threw him on the bed and got on top of him. Uriel gasped as she slid him all the way into her and started riding him.
He grasped her hips and massaged her tits as she rode him hard. Her hips were gyrating wildly on top of him. He groaned as his own orgasm took him and he spilled his seed into her. She collapsed on him with a big grin.
“Tonight, I don’t want to stop making love to you. I want to keep tasting you and riding you all night long,” Aileen proclaimed.
“All right, I’m up for it if you are,” Uriel responded with a smile of his own.
Aileen slid down his body, covering the lower half of his torso with kisses. She reached his cock and took it into her mouth completely. He gasped, and she started to move her mouth up and down. She licked and sucked and twirled her tongue around his head.
His hips bucked upward into her mouth, and he moaned. Her fingers massaged his testicles and then his shaft as her mouth sucked his head. Soon, he exploded, crying out her name, and she sucked his cum.
Aileen crawled back up Uriel’s body was and looked down at him. He was momentarily speechless as he stared at her in shock.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I have never felt anything like that before! I didn’t think any more pleasure could be taken,” he answered breathlessly.
“There’s so much more I can show you,” Aileen promised.
* * * *
Uriel stayed and for the next couple of weeks he and Aileen lost themselves in a haze of passionate lovemaking. They spent the days taking care of Deirdre, and they became a close family unit. Deirdre took to calling him Uncle Uriel, and he picked her up from her dance lessons when Aileen was working late.
When the nights came, they gave into each other with a passionate force that shook them both to their core. One night after a vigorous bout of lovemaking, they laid in bed cuddling. Uriel was playing with her hair and running his fingers through it when Aileen looked up at him.
“Do you feel guilty?” she asked.
“Yes, but I can’t help myself,” he answered.
“What happens now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Where do you see this relationship going, Uriel?”
“I haven’t really thought about it.”
“You’ve been here for weeks. Are we dating? Are we just having fun?”
“I don’t know. Where do you see this relationship going?” he asked.
“I would like for us to date each other exclusively. You’re already a part of our lives in such an intricate way that we might as well make it official to everyone.”
“Fine,” Uriel responded. He kissed his forehead and then rolled over and fell asleep.
Aileen laid there listening to his snores. She didn’t like how he responded and then fell asleep so quickly. She thought he would be more excited or they could talk about their relationship some more. She rolled over to her side and decided to call her mother the next day.
Chapter 18
Aileen dropped Deirdre off at her other set of grandparents for the weekend. She watched her niece wave at her and then go inside. She drove away and went to pick up her mother. They were long overdue for some mother-daughter bonding time.
“I thought we could get our nails done and then grab some lunch, dear,” her mother said when Aileen arrived.
“That’s fine, Mum. Do you want me to drive, or would you like to drive?”
“You can drive. Your eyes are so much better than mine.”
They got in the car and headed to the nail salon. Once they arrived, they were ushered into reclining chairs and sat down to relax.
“You sounded troubled on the phone this morning. What’s wrong?” her mother inquired.
“Uriel and I are now living together. We have been for some weeks.”
“Oh, and things are not going well?”
“Things are going wonderfully. I think I might possibly be in love with him.”
“Oh, that’s great! I’m so happy for you, Aileen!”
“The problem is I don’t know if he’s in love with me. I know he cares for me, but I don’t know if he loves me.”
“Your father wasn’t always the most vocal about his affections either. However, men are different from us, darling. It’s not so much in his words as it is in his actions.”
“I know, Mum, but when we talked about making it official last night, I thought he would say more than just fine. He literally just rolled over and fell asleep! I don’t get him!”
“Uriel did fly down to rescue you and Deirdre. He lost his wings as a result of his sacrifice for you. He must have strong feelings for you, and even if it’s not yet love, it will grow. Be patient.”
The manicurists came, and they both relaxed and let the women work on massaging their hands with lotion and soaking their nails in warm water. Next, they chose their colors and watched the manicurists apply them. Aileen chose green, since it was her favorite color and it matched her eyes. Her mother chose a soft pink.
After their manicures, they went to lunch at a delicious Indonesian restaurant in Dublin called The Chameleon. It was known for its delicious food set in an opulent style of Indonesian royalty. Guests sat on pillowed cushion in a relaxed environment and socialized.
Aileen and her mother sat down on their red, embroidered cushions and looked over the menu. Aileen ordered the Ikan Bakar Colo Colo or fresh Irish fish baked in a banana leaf parcel with an aromatic, spicy paste. Her mother ordered the Otak Otak Pipih, which were crab cakes, with haddock, Asian herbs, ginger, garlic, and chilies in a panko crumb. It included a delicious chili mango dip for her fish. The waiter took their order and left, and the women sat back and chatted some more.
“What do you think I should do? Just continue living with Uriel never knowing when he will come to his senses and leave me?” Aileen asked her mother.
“Hun, why don’t you try talking to him? Tell him your expectations, and then give him a few days to consider whether he will meet them or not. If he cannot, then you know where you stand, and what you should do.”
“Very well, I will do that then,” Aileen agreed.
“Don’t be afraid to walk away if he can’t meet them. We didn’t raise a doormat for a daughter. Your needs are important too,” her mother advised.
Aileen nodded and watched as the waiter set their food down in front of them. It smelled delicious! They dug in hungrily and ate. After the meal was finished, they started talking about the Samhain festival that was coming up in a few months.
Samhain was one of the most important Druid festivals. It was usually held at summer’s end to signify the end of most living things and the coming of winter. It was also a time to honor the dead, and Aileen and her mum planned on honoring Catriona who died in the car accident.
“We will all meet at the Loughcrew Cairns this year. There will probably be a lot of people there. When I last spoke to Sheela, she said to expect anywhere from fifty to seventy-five people. We will burn the fire again and go through the rituals to honor the
passing of summer. Will you be joining us?” her mother asked.
“Yes, expect me there for all the rituals. I know I’ve missed a few in the past, but not this year. I’ll be bringing Deirdre along to celebrate it too,” Aileen responded.
“Good, I want my granddaughter to understand our ways and keep the rituals alive. If Catriona was here, she would be passing all of these down. However, I’m glad you’re here to do it.”
Aileen nodded and finished her drink. They settled the bill, and Aileen drove her mother back home.
Aileen’s mother kissed her goodbye and smiled. “Remember to talk to him. And no matter what happens, remember that I love you.”
“I love you too, Mum.” Aileen watched from her car to make sure her mother got inside safely. Then she drove home.
When she arrived home, she saw a note from Uriel on the fridge. It read Out grocery shopping. Be back soon.
Aileen decided to go fill up the tub for a nice, warm bath. She was starting to prune when she heard the front door open and knew Uriel was home. She stepped out of the tub and dressed. Then she went to go talk to him.
Uriel had finished putting the groceries away and was getting stuff out for supper when Aileen walked into the kitchen. She was fresh and rosy from her bath, and she smiled at him.
“How was your day?” he inquired.
“It was good. How was yours?” she replied.
“Good. You should be set on groceries for the next few weeks.”
“Why for the next few weeks? Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes, I have to go help my brothers with the continued war against the demons. Truth be told though, I have neglected my duties for too long and must get back to them,” he explained.
“That’s fine, Uriel, but what about us? Where do you see us? You never really answered me last night,” Aileen responded with frustration.
Uriel looked at her and sighed. “What do you want from me, Aileen? I have given you more than any human being I have ever known.”
“I just want to know that you want to be with me and that this will turn into something long term. I want to know that you won’t leave me when you tire of me.”
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