by Dale, Lindy
At last they reached the spot and Cam set Lacey down upon a boulder, high on the hill that overlooked the town.
“I’ve never been here,” she breathed, her eyes overwhelmed by the myriad of stars in the sky and the scene of the little town below. “It’s awesome.”
“Angel’s Peak,” Cam smiled. “I thought you of all the kids would know it, given your fascination with angels and the like.”
“What do you mean?”
“The story.”
Lacey shook her head and Cam explained.
“It was told that a young girl was walking here one day. Taking a wrong turn, she became lost and wandered into the night. An angel heard her cries and saved her, just as she was about to step off the edge of the boulder. Of course, they fell instantly in love and when her parents disapproved of the match, the girl became angry and asked a wiccan to curse them. Angered by this, God turned the girl and her angel to stone in punishment, condemning them to stand side by side forever but never touch.” He pointed to two large silver grey boulders behind them. They did look a bit like people.
“You’re making that up.”
“I said it was a story. I didn’t say I believed it.”
They sat for a while taking in the surroundings, letting the dark creep around their bodies. The houses of Angel’s Bend looked like spots of glitter on the ground that had fallen in a grid marking the line of the streets. The moonlight shone a beacon on the maze and Saint Michael appeared to be keeping watch over the town.
“Its so pretty up here,” Lacey said.
“I knew you’d like it.”
“Do you come here often?”
“When I need to contemplate,” Cam told her. “It makes me feel closer to God. He helps me choose the right path.”
Lacey wondered if Cam had decided upon a course of action. Just how, exactly, did he think he was going to be able to save her from what seemed a certain fate? What plan, if any, had he formulated? There were only three weeks left.
“Have you been here lately?”
“I have. I asked God to help me and he led me here to this very place. All the stones are quartz. Pink Quartz, to be exact; the stone that represents me. When I came up here, I knew what I should do.” He pulled a small satin bag from his pocket. A golden drawstring held the top. His face was sombre. “This is for you.”
Lacey took the small parcel from his palm and loosened the chord. Inside was a heavy silver pendant, carved with intricate symbols and inlaid with pink quartz. Lacey was stunned. “Oh, Cam.”
“It’s a sigil,” he explained, as he took the chain from her and placed it gently over her head, adjusting it around her neck. “The quartz and engravings have been made especially strong to protect you from harm if I’m not there.”
“So, I won’t be taken away by any creatures with horns, then?”
Even Cam smiled at that. “Demons don’t have horns. Like us they can change form to look as human as they please. Your only indication will be in the eyes.”
“How?”
“A demon’s eyes carry flashes of red. When angered or about to strike, they will change fully to scarlet and be able to entrance you.”
Lacey considered this. She’d come into contact with so many new people since she moved to town but none of them had flashes of red in their eyes. Well, except William. Could it be possible that he was the demon who was after her? Zac had scared him away but she had no doubt he’d be back. Then there was Ty. But she didn’t believe his red eyes had anything to do with him being evil, more than likely it was to do with his lifestyle.
“So if I have the sigil, why do I need you?”
“The sigil will protect you from harm in the short term but only I can get to you and remove the danger entirely.”
Lacey lifted the stone and studied it. Even if it were a simple necklace she would have worn it but this was more. She could feel its vibrations radiating against her chest. “Its very beautiful, Cam.”
“I had it made for you by the Ellerwoman who lives in the valley, over there.” Cam pointed out into the night. A single light could be seen at the bottom of the vale where the forest was at its thickest.
“The who?”
“The Ellerwoman. She’s a faery who has a hollow heart that enables her to cast the most powerful type of spells in objects. She does not like to help - but she did so for me.”
“A faery?” Now, he really was making things up.
“A faery that looks like a woman. You’ve more than likely seen her in town, on occasion. She likes your aunt’s shop a lot, or so I’m told.”
Lacey shook her head in disbelief. If anyone had told her a few months back that she’d be sitting on a rock taking an angel at his word, she would have laughed in their face.
“Come on, Lacey. You believe in angels. A faery can’t be that much of a stretch, can it?”
Lacey gave a tight laugh. “I guess not.”
“Anyway, this is the only one of its kind, invoked with loving words of protection for you alone. Keep it on always.”
Lacey leant over and kissed Cam’s cheek. “Thank you.”
Cam didn’t reply but the warm pressure of his hand on hers was comfort enough. He cared. Even if he couldn’t admit it or act on it, she knew he cared.
Lying down, Lacey put her head in Cam’s lap and closed her eyes. His fingers crept onto the crown of her head, combing her curls apart, then replacing each one to frame her face. High in the sky, the moon’s bright silvery orb moved from behind a cloud to dance across Lacey’s cheek. Cam watched it, letting his fingers follow its path.
Sensing his scrutiny, Lacey rolled to her back and opened her eyes to look up into the profile of his face. He had gone back to staring into the dark.
“Cam, were you ever human?”
He lowered his head to look at her, his hand moved to stroking the moonlight along her chin and around the lobe of her ear, infusing her with feelings of affection more powerful than any she had ever felt.
“No. Contrary to some ideas, people don’t turn into angels when they die. I was never a person.”
“Would you like to be?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes, I see the normal things you do every day and it makes me sad that I can’t have that. But then you can’t fly so I guess it sort of makes us even.” Stroking the softness of her hair again, he added. “I’ve contemplated the thought once or twice but the transformation isn’t something one could do easily.”
“So you can’t jump from a height and when you land, you’ll be human?”
Cam’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Where did you hear that?”
“I saw it in a movie. The angel fell in love with a girl and he gave up being an angel to be with her.” She felt him stiffen and then relax. He was trying to hide it but she felt the imperceptible movement.
“It doesn’t work like that,” Cam sighed. “I could choose to be human, I suppose, but it’d mean giving up my relationship with God.”
“But heaps of humans have a relationship with God. That’s what religion’s all about.”
“It wouldn’t be the same as the one I have now.”
“I guess it’d be like denouncing the only family you’ve ever had.” Lacey couldn’t imagine that. Sure, her parents had been annoying at times but she’d never thought of a life without them. That was one of the things that had cut her up so much when Mum died.
They stayed on the boulder for a few minutes more before Lacey announced that it was time to go home. “I need to get a good night’s sleep,” she said.
“Of course,” Cam replied and lifting her into his arms again, he flew her down the hill through the night and back to her window.
“Sweet dreams, Lacey.”
Lacey climbed back through the window, turning to wave him goodnight. “If you’re in them, they will be.”
In high spirits, Lacey took off her ugg boots and mittens and slipped into bed. The flight with Cam had been a turning point, a revelation of sorts
. She’d had the most incredible feeling inside her, like she’d had the best dream ever but couldn’t remember what it was. As she adjusted the covers around her, she thought about what had happened. She’d lain, with her head in his lap, feeling settled and happy and despite the fact that she should feel nervous that some crazy arse demon was looking for her, she wasn’t. She was calm. Cam made her feel that way.
Reaching for the sigil Cam had given her, Lacey rubbed the pendant between her fingers, feeling the indents of the engravings beneath her fingertips. She knew it was ridiculous to feel this way but she did. Every time she saw him, the warm feeling spread to giddy sensations. She wanted to be near him, touch him. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. Oh Geez, she was mad for Cam and though she knew he would deny it, that he could never act on it, she didn’t care. Somewhere in all this idiocy, she had found her heart. She was in love with Cam.
Chapter Eighteen
With only two weeks to go until Lacey’s birthday not much had changed in Angel’s Bend. The town was quiet, no demons had made their presence felt and school was the same as ever - busy but boring. It was almost as if the threat didn’t exist. But for Lacey, only the relief of lunch and the countdown until the Exhibition made the days bearable. That, and Cam. He made an odd sight, keeping his nightly vigil at Lacey’s window with a silver dagger exposed at his hip and his luminescent skin shining under the lamplight. Even if they didn’t speak, Lacey was comforted by his presence. She knew he was keeping the demons at bay.
Making her way down to the oval, Lacey saw the gang already ensconced in their usual spot under the tree. The twins were there, guarding Zac, and Ty and Abbie were sitting close, holding hands. The rest of the circle was tight, leaving no room for her. Nobody spoke. Their ears were plugged, listening to something. As she got closer, Lacey could hear the faint strains of the music emanating from their earbuds. It was those damn trumpets again. Sounded God awful coming second hand from their ears, so it must have been hideous inside their heads. But why were they all listening to the same thing? Sometimes these kids were plain weird.
Walking up to them, Lacey threw her bag on the ground and sat down, hoping to gain some form of acknowledgement. She waited, leaning her back against her school bag. “Hey,” she said, determinedly ignoring the row of backs presented to her. It was as if they were in a trance or something.
Taking out her earbuds, Abbie turned around. Her expression was sullen as if she were fighting her own demon. Lacey had never seen her so pale. The girl who’d been so brave in the library the other day looked to be a distant memory.
“Hi Lacey,” she said. “I thought you weren’t coming today. You haven’t been down here for ages.” She stared down at her blackened nails and picked a loose fleck of polish off.
“I’ve been getting everything finished for the Exhibition. You all done with your pieces?”
“All, but.”
“Wish I was that organised. I’ll be changing stuff up to the last minute, the way I’m going.”
“That’s because you’re so anal about it.”
Woah. Where had that come from?
“That’s because I have to be.”
“Whatever.”
Lacey plucked a daisy from beside her, on the lawn, and began to divest it of its petals. What the hell was going on? The Abbie she knew was so supportive, so enthusiastic about everything. Yet, today the negativity was oozing from her. And she seemed listless or tired or something. What the hell had changed?
“You okay, Abs?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Abbie shrugged with indifference and melted back into silence. The rest of the group sat poised, like they were waiting for her reaction. It was so weird.
“Nice necklace,” Ty said, at last. He pulled his earphones from his ears and pocketed them, indicating the sigil hanging around Lacey’s neck. “Is it new?”
“Yeah, Cam gave it to me. It’s pretty, don’t you think?” Her hand went to her neck, fingering the engravings on the sigil, feeling the strength of its words protecting her.
“If you like pink.”
“I do, actually.”
Lacey didn’t miss the pointed look exchanged between Ty and Zac or the eyes that were suddenly trained to her chest, as if she’d gotten fake boobs on the weekend. She had no idea what was going on but clearly it involved Cam. Zac and Cam. Again.
“So, you’re in with Foster, now are you?” The sneer on Zac’s face was most unattractive.
“We’re friends. Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s nice. I’m allowed to have more than one friend, aren’t I?” Lacey straightened. The cheek of Zac trying to micromanage every relationship she had. It wasn’t like they were boyfriend and girlfriend or anything. She looked around the group, hoping for support but even Ty was quiet.
“I thought you were going to be one of us?”
Lacey groaned. Not again. “Seriously. This may sound pathetic but it’s a free country.”
Zac shrugged and bent over to whisper something to Abbie, who was spread out on the grass beside Lola. As if driven by remote, Abbie rolled to her knees, pushing to stand up. “Lets walk,” she said. “I feel like exercise.”
“Ah, okay.”
Ignoring the fact that she’d never seen Abbie ‘exercise’ since they met, Lacey pulled a chicken roll from her bag and set off around the oval with her friend. While they walked, she unwrapped one end of its plastic casing and tore it in half, offering some to Abbie who waved it away. “I think I caught a stomach bug. The sight of food makes me puke these last few days.”
“Must be all the winter germs.”
“Yeah. Must be.”
It didn’t take long before they reached the goal posts at the far end. Sensing that Abbie wanted to say something out of earshot, Lacey figured it was probably safe to talk now. “What’s up?”
“Um, I don’t know how to say this….”
“How about you just spit it out, then?”
“Look, we all know you’ve been hanging out with Cam, that you’re friends.” Unable to look Lacey in the eye, she rushed the words out.
“So?”
“Well, as you’re closest friend, I was sort of designated the spokesperson. We don’t think you should see him anymore. He’s a freak.”
Lacey stood, disbelieving. “And how did everyone know that Cam and I are friends? Apart from what just happened then, there would have been no clue.”
Abbie swallowed. Her tongue ran nervously over her lips as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I guess I told Ty. He must have mentioned it to Zac. Now Zac’s annoyed.”
“Why? I don’t understand what Cam’s done. Why can’t I hang with him?”
“Its not my place to talk about it.”
“But it’s your place to warn me off?” Lacey glanced back across the oval. The group under the tree had stopped talking and were watching intently the happenings between her and Abbie. “What’s wrong with your buddies? Are they too gutless to tell me themselves?”
“I’m the newest member. I have to do a bit of dirty work.”
Lacey shook her head, sadly. “Oh for Pete’s sake, do you realise how totally primary school that sounds? It’s ridiculous, Abbie. If Zac can’t come over here and give me some good reasons, for himself, then I’m afraid I’m going to have to ignore the warning. Go back and tell your stupid little gang I can be friends with whoever I please, and if they don’t like it then I won’t be friends with them, or you, anymore.”
Taking an angry bite of her roll, she stomped off to finish their lap of the oval.
“Lacey, please,” Abbie called after her.
“No! I like Cam. He’s kind and gentle and if Zac can’t handle that, then he’s not who I thought he was. And you should know better. You’re supposed to be my friend. You should be supporting me. Instead, you’re going along with everything they say, just so you can be in that crummy gang. Geez, I have enough to deal with, without you being all manic.
”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Look at you. You may as well have a sign on your head that says ‘I belong to Ty’ cause that’s how you act. You blabbed my private business to your boyfriend and now everyone’s angry.”
“I didn’t know it was private.”
“Well, what else did you think it’d be? It’s not like the town’s in love with Cam. My friendship with him is private. I wanted to share it with you because I thought you were my friend but now I’m wondering.”
Abbie started to cry. Lacey could hear her feeble sobs. Now what was she going to do? She couldn’t leave her there. She’d behaved like a total idiot but she was Lacey’s only true friend. They needed each other. A heavy sigh escaped Lacey’s lips as she walked back to Abbie’s side.
“I’m sorry, that comment was way out of line.”
“I’m sorry, too. You’re right. I should be defending you. Cam’s never done a thing to me. I don’t know what the boys’ beef is about.”
“Still friends?” Lacey wrapped her arms around her.
Abbie squeezed. “Yep. And if I open my mouth again you have permission to hit me.”
“So, what’s all this with Zac then? Why are you doing his dirty work?”
“Its not like I want to, but Zac convinced me. He’s so into you but he’s frustrated and angry that Cam is always in the picture. He said I should talk to you, ‘cause I’m the only one who can get close enough without Cam ‘popping out from behind a fuckin’ tree’ as he put it.” She gave a small smile at that. “He thinks Cam’s up to something. Something strange or possibly dangerous.”
Ha. Like Zac didn’t go around threatening people with a knife.
“So he likes me a lot? And he’s just worried?”
“Yeah. He said he’s tried to tell you, but he said every time he gets close to you, Cam appears and you take his side. He thinks Cam may have brainwashed you or something. He’s worried Cam will hurt you.”
Lacey’s eyes bulged. “What, physically?”
“Mmm. If you came into the gang with us, we could protect you.”
