“I will,” she replied before starting her walk home. Her steps felt lighter, her visit not only easing her worries about Niall but the quietness also helped her memory. She had seen him again, the shadow of the guy was starting to merge into a real person.
Three blocks from home, she suddenly felt an arm loop through her own. She didn’t jump, she heard Reece coming well before he appeared. He knew not to sneak up on her.
“Hey beautiful,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Guess where I’ve just been?”
Leila pretended to think it through before answering. “Umm, the Arc De Triumph in Paris?”
“Guess again.”
“The Parthenon?”
“You’re a terrible guesser so I’m going to just go ahead and tell you,” he teased. “I’ve been at the mayor’s office.”
Leila stopped, feeling her happy bubble bursting around her. She didn’t like where the conversation was going. “Why were you there?”
“The mayor has heard about all the good work you’re doing and wants to organize a big party for the re-opening.” Reece stood there, his chest bursting with pride. He expected a squeal of delight, perhaps a hug of gratitude, even just a quiet ‘thanks’ would have been good. He received none of those things, just a scowl.
“You shouldn’t have spoken with the mayor,” she scolded, trying not to sound as horrible as she felt. “I don’t know when we’ll be finished or if we want to make a big deal out of it.”
“I thought you’d be happy. This is an exciting thing, something good is actually happening in Aron and everyone wants to thank you for it. That’s not a bad thing, Leila.”
“It is if you don’t want it.”
He started walking away, not waiting to see whether she would catch up. She hesitated only a moment before hurrying after him. She looped her arm through his, just like he had done only moments before.
“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to find the words to explain herself. “The library and the museum have been my safe haven, it’s hard opening them up to strangers. I still expect them to damage the place, like before.”
He gently placed his hand over her arm, making sure she didn’t take it away again. “I understand your fears, but at some stage we’ve all got to move on. Before needs to be forgotten so we only have now.”
“I know.”
“The world is a better place now, Leila, we’ve got to remember that. We aren’t going to return to how it was.”
She didn’t entirely believe that but figured it wasn’t a good time to tell him. She used her best coping mechanism instead and changed the subject. “I just saw Niall and he’s doing really well.”
“That’s great news. He’s living proof that things have improved, everyone in the community is doing better.”
Leila couldn’t disagree with him on that point. Looking around at the houses as they walked, nobody had boarded up windows anymore. Flowers were being planted in gardens, houses rebuilt, and people were starting to trust their neighbors again. The community as a whole was doing extremely well considering the circumstances, it was just Leila that was struggling so hard with it.
“Maybe you’re right and we should forget about what happened,” she said, trying to sound more positive than she felt. “It would be good to forget about-”. Leila stopped, not only her words but her feet too. The presence was back, she could feel the invisible entity again.
“What’s wrong?” Reece asked with concern, seeing the faraway look on her face.
She shook her head, trying to focus her thoughts. “If I tell you something, will you promise me you won’t think I’m completely crazy?”
“I already think you’re crazy,” he grinned.
She half-heartedly punched him on the shoulder. “I’m serious, promise me whatever I say you won’t judge me.”
He searched her face, trying to predict what she was going to say. He could only come up empty and the seriousness of her tone told him the jokes were over. “I promise I won’t judge you. You know you can tell me anything and I’m not going anywhere.”
Leila took a few deep breaths as she tried to tell whether he was lying or not. His eyes said he was sincere but she had been fooled by others before. What she was about to say was going to sound crazy and she didn’t know whether he would be put off by it. But if she kept it to herself, she thought she just might go insane – for real.
“You know the guy I’ve been trying to remember?” She hesitated while he nodded and urged her to go on. Her words felt like razor blades in her throat. “I’ve been thinking of him a lot and I can remember more.”
It wasn’t the big news Reece had been hoping for. His girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be remembering a guy that had been special to her in the past. He was supposed to be enough for her, he was supposed to fill her every thought.
Reece tried hard to remind himself that it was important to Leila so it should be important to him too. He knew they were together, she wouldn’t leave him to return to an ex. He tried to tell himself that as he urged her to continue.
“What are you remembering?”
“What he looks like,” Leila answered, like it was easy for her to do. Unfortunately it was anything but. “I also remember something else and I’m certain it’s true but it’s the crazy part.”
“Well, don’t leave me hanging, what is it?”
“I think he’s an angel.” Leila let the words hang in the air, studying his reaction to determine what he was going to do. Half of her thought he might laugh, the other half thought he might run away. There was no middle ground where he would just believe her. “Say something, Reece, please.”
He licked his lips, buying himself some time before responding. “What makes you think he’s an angel?”
“His wings. He has these huge grey wings made of feathers.”
Reece started walking again. Leila just stood there, feeling her stomach twist into knots. She didn’t want him to leave but couldn’t expect him to stay – not when she sounded insane. She started questioning whether she should have said anything. Reece was the best thing that had happened to her in ages and she had completely messed it all up. She wished she could recall her words.
When it was clear Leila wasn’t following him, Reece held out his hand for her. “Are you coming? I want to hear all about these wings but I’d also really like to get some food. I’m starving.”
Her lips twisted into a smile as she hurried to catch up. She gripped his hand and made sure he couldn’t get away. He wasn’t going to go anywhere, she would make sure of it. Her heart leapt with the thought.
A few steps behind, Jerome stood still, letting them walk away into the distance. He couldn’t move, his feet were stapled to the road. Leila remembered. She remembered him, everything about him including his wings.
He had only flashed down to check on her, feeling guilty about not doing it for a few days. He was only with her for a few minutes and he was just about to leave when she started talking about him. There was no way he could leave then.
His heart was beating faster than it was safe to, he didn’t know what to do. Should he stay with her and wait until she remembered everything? If so, he could show himself to her without incurring the council’s wrath. If she remembered on her own, he wouldn’t be breaking any rules.
But what about if she didn’t continue to remember? Perhaps that was as good as her memory got. Jerome wondered if it would be enough for him to reveal himself. Probably not, she could still think she was just crazy. Unless she remembered everything, all angel kind was still safe.
His name was suddenly being called, Jerome was being summoned back to the village. It had never happened before but he learnt about the summoning at school. He knew it had to be something major to be called back when on active duty. If an angel didn’t leave Earth by choice, they could be leaving their human in harm’s way. It was a serious call to make.
Jerome didn’t hesitate to hurry back and was within the walls o
f the hostel in no longer than a few seconds. Nobody else was there, not Alexander or any of the other occupants. That was unusual in itself, there was normally someone in the hostel at all times. He started to get nervous.
He hastened out the front door, trying to find someone he could question about the summoning. However, outside everyone that could be seen was running in one direction.
Jerome started running too, unsure where they were all headed. The only thing he knew was that when angels ran, you wanted to be running too. They didn’t move quickly for no good reason.
As the panic and tension set in, they started flying. Hundreds of wings lifted into the sky, the sounds of steady flapping filtered through the silence. Like migrating birds, they flew in formation with their graceful movements. The line of angels were as long as any of them could see.
Jerome realized where they were headed: the Grand Council of Guardian Angels. He couldn’t even fathom why they were all being summoned there but his gut feeling told him it wasn’t for good news. He prayed the demons hadn’t returned, he couldn’t handle that again. There was no way they would all survive another war, it would be impossible. Tiresius hadn’t predicted a second one, there would be no prophecy to aide them again.
As they got closer to the building, the angels dropped down to their feet. The path was littered with debris and angels, they had to tread carefully to ensure they stayed upright. The acrid smell of smoke filtered through Jerome’s nose, making him want to vomit. His hand instinctively covered his face, trying to filter out some of the horrible stench.
They reached a blockade and couldn’t go any further, council guards standing in their way and refusing entry.
“Stay here. Councilors will be out to talk to you shortly,” they repeated over and over again as questions were fired at them from all angles.
Jerome switched off and just surveyed the scene behind the barrier. The council building, erected thousands of years ago, was burning. Fire licked at the windows from the inside, sending dangerous chards of glass in all directions. The roof was covered in orange flames, threatening to make the whole thing collapse inwards. Council members and other staff were running from every available exit. It was complete chaos.
“We have to help them,” Jerome called over to the nearest guard. He couldn’t just stand by and watch them burn, he needed to get in there and do something. With the amount of angels waiting at the barricade, they could be of great assistance.
“There’s angels helping already,” the guard replied calmly. “We need to wait here so they can do their job.”
“But there might be people left inside, we need to get them out. That roof isn’t going to hold for much longer.”
“Just wait here.”
Jerome stared the guard in the eyes, trying to convince him. It wasn’t working, he stood there resolutely refusing to budge. Never before had Jerome felt so conflicted. Every fiber in his body told him to get up there and start helping but he couldn’t. The restraint over his muscles made them ache, the pain in his conscience even worse.
He watched them flee the building, some were even still alight. Feathers were highly flammable, they didn’t stand a chance in the flames. He shuffled from foot to foot, starting to lose his resolve to follow orders.
Suddenly, the clouds above the building opened up and drenched the flames with rain. The heat from the bricks and mortar sizzled with the abrupt change in temperature. Steam billowed up back into the sky.
An ear-shattered crack rang out, the roof finally caving in. With it, some walls also fell backwards onto the wreckage. If anyone had still been inside, they wouldn’t stand a chance of getting out now. Jerome prayed they had all made it out. As much as he didn’t like the council members, they didn’t deserve to die like that – nobody did.
The injured angels lay out on the lawns, being tended by those with medical training. They would heal without medication, but they should at least have their wounds bandaged so they wouldn’t get infected. Burns were notorious for infections, they would need immediate action.
Murmurs ran through the crowd, spreading as quickly as the fire had. Nobody knew what was happening or what had caused the destruction of the building but it didn’t stop them lending theories of their own. Jerome tried not to listen, he didn’t pay attention to gossip but he couldn’t help but hear some of the conversations. The crowd was too dense to be completely oblivious.
The main theory was that they were under attack again. The deep fears of the demons returning was common amongst every angel who had survived the war. All Jerome could think of was if the demons were responsible, there wasn’t going to be anyone left after the next war.
CHAPTER 11
“It has been confirmed that two of our beloved council members have perished in the tragedies of today,” Archangel Carlo’s voice boomed over the crowd. He was standing on a makeshift podium before the barricade, holding everyone’s attention in the palm of his hand.
Jerome listened intently, wondering who the two councilors were. He hated to hope for some to be alive over others, but he couldn’t help it. He hoped one of them wasn’t Helena, or even Ambrosia for that matter.
Others in the crowd were having the same thoughts, several of them yelled out demanding to know who they were. Carlo waved them down, trying to restore order before it quickly got out of hand again.
“The two councilors were Heraldo and Daniel. May they rest in peace in the higher realm.”
Jerome sighed with relief and immediately felt guilty again. Heraldo and Daniel were both middle councilors, neither remarkable for anything in particular. They did, however, have families who would be mourning their passing. It was a terrible tragedy to have to suffer that loss.
Carlo continued on. “Due to the events of today, the village is now officially in lockdown. You are all to return to your homes and not leave until further notice. Only those with assigned humans who feel they are in imminent danger can go to Earth. Unless it is vital to their protection, you will stay in your home.”
Nobody liked hearing the stern orders. The thought of being cooped up in their homes without being able to move about was suffocating. Rumblings of disagreement filtered through, each one directed at the archangel.
Never in the history of the village had they gone into a full lockdown. Not even when the demons had been attacking and it was safest for them to be indoors, did the council enact the law. Jerome knew they had the power to after reading through the rule books but he never imagined they would use it. It was virtually unheard of.
The archangel wasn’t listening to their critiques. “Everyone needs to leave. Now! Anyone not obeying this order will be banished to the wastelands immediately. Go directly home and do not leave again until further notice. This is not up for discussion.”
He stepped off his podium and turned to leave, completely ignoring the protests. None of the angels dared to cross the barricade, none of them could justify the act of defiance. They were, after all, angels and obeying commands was at the forefront of their existence.
Jerome watched them all turn to leave, he hoped Alexander was in the group somewhere and doing as he was told. He hadn’t seen him since he arrived but it was easy to be lost in the crowd. He hadn’t seen that many angels in one place for a very long time.
As he gazed at the council building for the last time, Jerome spotted Ambrosia hurrying away. He too was leaving, although he was more eager to put distance between him and the building than most.
Jerome subtly lingered, hoping nobody would notice. Ambrosia certainly didn’t, he rushed right by him. Jerome grabbed his arm to stop his haste.
“Ambrosia, thank goodness you’re okay.”
The councilor stopped, almost in a daze as he looked at him. He shook his head, trying to clear it. “Oh, angel Jerome, you should get home.”
They started walking together towards the village. “What happened to the building?” Jerome asked, hoping to get more information than Archangel Carlo
had been willing to share.
Ambrosia was clearly shaken, his words were stuttered and barely coherent. “There was an explosion. Everything went black for a minute and then I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t breathe and I didn’t know where I was.”
“But you made it out,” Jerome said positively, hoping to keep him talking instead of being frozen in place in his memory again. They would run out of pathway if he kept up the same pace.
“I got out but some didn’t.”
“Do you know what caused the explosion?”
Ambrosia nodded, his eyes staring ahead into space. He wasn’t even watching for debris on the path, just walking like a zombie. He spoke like one too.
“Councilor, do you know what caused the fire?” Jerome tried again, trying to get some sense out of him.
He stopped, causing Jerome to almost trip over him. Ambrosia turned to the angel, he had never seen his face so horrified before. Whatever was going on in his head, it wasn’t pleasant.
“Don’t you see, angel Jerome?” He paused, licking his lips for some moisture in his smoky mouth. “It was one of us. Only an angel could have got into our council building. Somebody in our village tried to kill us all.”
He blinked and turned to continue walking. Jerome let him go ahead, too stunned to ask any more questions. Why the guards had kept them away from the building was clear to him now – they didn’t want anyone to have a second shot at the council members.
His head spun as he reached the hostel and entered. All the other occupants were mingling around, it seemed like nobody knew what to do with themselves. There was no precedence for their situation, not one of them knew what they were supposed to do. Suddenly the walls of the hostel were starting to close in.
Spotting Alexander, Jerome hurried over and pulled him aside. Whispering in his ear: “We need to talk.” His friend nodded and followed him upstairs for some privacy. They didn’t speak another word until the door was firmly closed behind them. With what Jerome knew, he couldn’t be too careful.
“Were you at the council building? What the hell happened back there?” Alexander asked as he started pacing in the small room.
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