Falling From Grace (Grace Series)

by S. L. Naeole

  Well? Are you going to sit there and think about saying something, or are you actually going to do it? Fickle, idiotic humans; Always believing yourselves to be so superior because you’re human, and yet still wanting to be like us and the others. It’s pathetic.

  I couldn’t have stopped the words from leaving my mouth if I had wanted to. But I didn’t want to…

  “How difficult it must be for you Lark, to always know that even with your ‘limitless’ powers, you’re still just as imperfect and flawed in your world as you are in mine.”

  Her sightless eyes showed no reaction to my statement. Her face was like stone. Even her mind did not lash out with the venom that I expected and braced myself for.

  The reaction that I had to my own words, on the other hand, I had not braced myself for, had not expected. I felt ashamed and ever the hypocrite. So much for not being held responsible for your actions; I was now my own judge, jury, and executioner.

  “I…I’m sorry, Lark. That was wrong. I shouldn’t have said that, shouldn’t have thought it,” I apologized, staring at the ground, not knowing if she was even there anymore, much less listening.

  As corny as it may sound, I suddenly heard angels singing. It was a curious thing, with two voices that were similar in so many ways. I knew immediately that one was a distinct alto, the other a soprano. The song they were singing was charismatic, lively. It almost sounded like…laughter!

  And so it was, but not the laughter coming from two different voices. No, it wouldn’t be something as simple as that. I listened very carefully, focusing on the similarities, and realized that the voices belonged to the same person. And that person was singing in my head, her thoughts—a duet in my mind singing of regret and folly. It was an amazing feat, and I couldn’t help but be awed by that.

  “You have an amazing gift, Lark,” I whispered, my eyes stinging at the threat of tears. I did not want to cry in front of her but knowing that she’d hear my thoughts as soon as they formed, I almost felt like it was pointless to even fight it.

  I was right. You humans are fickle. One minute you’re picking on what you perceive to be a disability, and the next, you’re apologizing and crying as though you’ve crushed my poor, fragile self-esteem. News flash, honey; I’m an angel, not a flower. You’re not going to cause me to wilt by pointing your spotlight on my flaws.

  I turned to look at Ameila who I knew had heard every single word her daughter had said, and was surprised to see not a grim expression, but a pleased one.

  “You have impressed her,” she said to me, smiling. “Few humans ever do.”

  Well. I had impressed Lark, the ice angel. I felt much better.

  The duet filled my head again.

  Don’t think that I like you any more now than I did five minutes ago.

  Oh of course not. I knew better than to be hopeful. Especially after…

  I turned my head towards the gazebo, knowing that Robert would still be there. Whatever his mother had placed there for me had long since been found. He was merely waiting for some sign that it was okay to approach us, and I didn’t want to be the one to give it.

  Ameila, however, thought it was time that we did discuss this because she focused her gaze in the same direction and Robert’s head picked up, nodded, and then he was walking towards us at a very slow pace.

  His mother turned to me, let go of my hand, and placed both of hers on my face. She began to fill my mind with the images that Robert was seeing in his. All of them contained images of my face.

  “Whatever his intentions are for you, Grace, I do know that he cares for you a great deal. I cannot say for certain that they are as intense as those you feel for him, and unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent how you feel about Robert. No human can. You naturally feel a compulsion to be around us, a strong desire, one could say, to be with us, in so many ways. It is what keeps us from being too scrutinized for our subtle differences. You would ignore anything—believe anything just to be with us.”

  I sat there, stunned. Was that it? Were my feelings merely the side effects of being near an honest to goodness angel? A contact high? I had been emotionally destabilized by Graham, had my home life physically altered by the presence of not one, but two new individuals coming into it, and had made a mortal enemy without ever having met or interacted with her simply by existing. My entire life had changed in just the prologue of my senior year. It would make sense that I’d be even more susceptible to the unnatural charms of one hormonal angel.

  “So is that what you think this all is for me then? My human reaction to Robert being an angel?

  “Grace, I know that you’re far different from any human girl that Robert’s ever known. You’re certainly the first that he’s ever wanted us to meet. I’m just not sure if you’re truly capable of feeling for Robert what you’d feel for one of your own kind if he weren’t what he was,” Ameila sighed, her shoulders hunched down as her words flowed out in the answer that I had asked for, but didn’t really want.

  “And, Robert’s past is what it is. He’s lived a very long life—and he hasn’t done so alone. I have seen the strongest of minds succumb to the charms of my son. He is, after all, an angel. It isn’t his gift, of course—just who he is.”

  I nodded my head, not wanting to accept that she thought I had the mind of a lemming, eager and willing to follow the pack—I could see where Robert got his obtuseness from. Wanting to change the direction of this conversation before it brought me even more down, I asked, “So these gifts—every angel has them?”

  Ameila’s lips pursed. “Each angel possesses a strength that is beneficial to all of us as a whole. Think of it as a body part. Each one of us could be an arm, a leg, an ear. Separate, we have our own, individual purpose. Together, we’re one body. There are some things we all can do, like change the way someone feels, alter their moods with our own, alter the way the weather behaves. You already know that we can rearrange the natural way of things—your hair for example—and move things without touching them at all. You humans call it telekinesis; we call it laziness.

  “And then there are the strengths that are ours and ours alone. Some are purely physical. I’m aware that Robert has shown you that I can change forms. This is my ability, what I contribute to my kind as well as yours. Robert’s, as you now know, is healing. It’s the mental abilities, however…those we can share.

  “There are those of us who can see the futures of each mortal walking this earth because the future is a living, breathing entity, much like you humans. And, because of our ability to share our thoughts so freely without a care, when one knows, all can know if we want them to. We will all know when someone will die, when someone will become sick, when someone will become hurt if the beginning of the chain chooses to send forth this knowledge. This constant influx of information might seem daunting and overwhelming to you, but for us, it is merely a blip, taking up only a fragment, a fraction of our minds.

  “We’re also very strong. We never get sick—our bodies are not human, though we look it—we have hearts and we have lungs; we eat, but we don’t need to follow the same human rituals as you do. Our hearts will keep on beating without oxygen or sustenance because we’re not alive as a result of their existence. We are alive because of our destinies.”

  Ameila paused then, her face growing very serious as she looked over at Robert still standing in the gazebo. She looked at her son with what can only be described as motherly concern, the silent thought that mingled within her head, whether she was sharing them or not, creating a crease in her otherwise perfect brow. She took a deep breath and sighed, patting my hand before continuing, “But destiny…destiny is no living, breathing thing either. It does not change with the tide. It isn’t shaped by emotions or actions. It has been set in stone from the moment life itself has existed. The destinies of those not yet born have already been laid out.”

  I tried to digest all of this new information as Ameila continued to pat my hand, knowing that I was f
eeling incredibly overwhelmed by the tide of revelations and secrets that had washed into my mind—not just this night—but over the past few days. Sensing that we weren’t alone anymore, I looked up from Ameila’s face and saw that Robert was standing in front of me, a small box in his hand. I blanched at the angry expression that ironed into his face the harsh lines of confusion. Even then, he was so beautiful it made my heart sprint towards an unseen finish line. He glared at his mother as he handed her the small box, which she then handed to me.

  I took it, thanking her softly, and opened it. Inside was a…rock. “Um…thanks,” I mumbled, the confusion clear in my tone and on my face.

  “It’s a piece of the Parthenon. Robert told me that your mother had an extreme fondness for Greek mythology—I thought that you would appreciate something that came from a time when it was more than just myth,” Ameila explained, smiling as she picked up the rock. “Robert and Lark say I’m terrible at giving gifts; I think too much about it, they both tell me. If you don’t like it, please just let me know.”

  I snatched the rock from her fingers, afraid to offend her, and actually appreciating the sentiment behind her choice. “I like it. Really. I didn’t understand it at first, but now that I do… Thank you, Ameila.” I gave her my brightest smile, hoping it appeared sincere. I wasn’t lying. I just wasn’t sure that I would feel the same way after tonight.

  I placed the rock back into the box and closed the lid carefully. Searching for a pocket to place the box in, I looked down at my clothes and blushed, embarrassed at my state of undress. Why hadn’t I realized that I’d been in my pajamas this entire time? “Um…I’d like to go home now,” I said as I stood up, feeling extremely self-conscious

  When Robert offered me his hand so that he could lift me into his arms, I stepped back. “And I’d like Lark to be the one to take me home.”

  He flinched. Actually flinched, as though I had hurt him, like such a thing were possible. Of course I had hurt him, I realized. I’d hurt his pride. Grace the SuperFreak was rejecting him.

  He stiffened, his eyes, cold steel, were angry. “If that’s what you wish to think.”

  And in an instant, he was gone.

  Ameila sighed, her face pained. “I will talk to him. He is upset at his sister and I for interfering. We never have before, and for all his time here on this earth, he doesn’t understand why.

  “Thank you, Grace, for allowing us this visit. I should like to speak to you again sometime, situations permitting, of course.” She kissed my cheek and disappeared, leaving so quickly, she might have never been there at all.

  “Lark?” I called out; I did not know where she had disappeared to, or if she was even there. I just knew that if she wasn’t, I’d have a very long walk home. In my boxers.

  As if that would happen.

  Suddenly she was there, appearing as if out of nowhere, and I began to sputter like a mad person.

  It was unnerving, and she knew it.

  And she liked it.

  I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. “Lark, could you take me home? I-I know I should have asked you first before I told Robert that you would, but I…” The words seemed to fail me.

  Lark’s face lit up, then. I caught my breath—her smile, coupled with her now blazing white glow would have lit up a ballroom. Instead, it illuminated the two of us: Me with a face so sad and drawn I’m sure even Tragedy would tell me I was a downer, while Lark’s face could only be called ethereal and breathtaking.

  Another musical duet—the sound of her laughter—filled my head, but this time I could actually see her amusement. “I guess I should tell you now that I owe you, Grace. You’ve given me far more entertainment in one night than I’ve had witness to in decades. No one has ever turned my brother down for anything. It’s not…normal for you humans to do so; you’re always so easily charmed that we could tell you to walk off of a cliff and you’d do so. And, apparently, Robert doesn’t take rejection very well. I think he’s had this coming for a long time and I’m glad that it was you that did it.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. I didn’t know what to say to anything, really. I could feel the exhaustion wearing down on me as the seconds ticked by and knew that if I didn’t lie down soon, I’d be pass out on the bench. Everything else was secondary.

  I looked at Lark—her unseeing eyes seeing far more than they let on were pointed directly at me. “Are you ready?” she asked, her foot tapping with impatience. My human thought process was too slow for her.

  I nodded my head. She came towards me with her arms outstretched, and I shrank back. “Wh-what are you doing?” I asked, backing away from her even as she came closer.

  “You wanted me to take you home, right?” she said, her tone bored.

  “Well…yes, but I was thinking that perhaps you came in a car or something,” I mumbled as her hands got closer to my arms.

  She stopped then and placed one hand on her hip, while pointing towards her face with the other. “Do you see these eyes? I know that I can. I can see what I look like through your eyes. Tell me what department of motor vehicles office is going to allow me to even apply, much less take the test with eyes like these?”

  And she was right, of course. Her nearly colorless, sightless eyes were obvious. Even more so in her beautiful face.

  “So, how are you going to take me home?”

  She smirked. “How did Robert get you here?”

  Oh.

  “Oh. What? Did you think he was the only one who could fly without wings?” She laughed again. “I see there are a lot of things that Robert didn’t explain to you.”

  “It’s kind of hard to explain thousands of years of information in a day,” I muttered.

  “That is true, but you’d think that’d he at least tell you some of the basics. Instead he went all theatrical on you—trying to get you so frightened, you’d cling to him. Typical male.”

  I thought about that for a bit. “Well, could you tell me the things that he didn’t?”

  Her face looked thoughtful. She approached me, and very quickly, before I could retreat, scooped me up in her arms. “I’ll tell you as much as you want to know that I can.” And she pushed off with her feet, launching us into the sky…and we were sailing.

  THE CALL

  The awkward feeling of being carried by Lark kept me from talking for a few minutes, despite the flood of questions that was threatening to breach the levies of my self-control. She carried me in a way that made it feel like I were a pile of dirty laundry. She didn’t want me to drop, but at the same time, she didn’t want me to touch her either. And, much like with Robert, we were surrounded by what looked like smoke. It almost looked like our feet were on fire, and at any moment, bright orange and yellow flames would start licking at my legs.

  “Why the smoke?” I asked finally, starting my inquisition.

  “Well, we’re kind of conspicuous—two people just indiscriminately flying around—so this helps to hide us when we travel this way. It’s sort of like angel camouflage.”

  I nodded, understanding the need to remain unseen. Now that the first question was out of the way, I couldn’t stop the current that had been pent up too long. Instead, I just let the first question to fall out next have its chance to be heard. “What kind of special abilities do you have?”

  “Well, you know how my mother was talking about how our minds are always open, and connected? That we can always hear each other?” I nodded as she continued, “Well, she wasn’t exactly telling the truth. She wasn’t lying, of course. You already know about that rule. It is true, our minds are all connected, but for most of us, we have to be near each other in order to hear each other’s thoughts.

  “I, on the other hand, don’t need to be near anyone. I can hear the thoughts of anyone, anywhere.” She had a smug look on her face, as though she were proving it right now by listening in on someone she probably shouldn’t.

  “Whose thoughts are you listening to now?” I asked, curious.
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br />   She gave me a wicked grin. “The President of the United States. He’s playing a game of Battleship online by himself and is mad that he’s losing.”

  I couldn’t contain the loud snort of laughter that burst out of my mouth. She couldn’t lie, so I had no reason to doubt her, which made the whole image in my mind just that much more comical.

  “What else do you want to know? I know that can’t be your only question,” she said, trying to control the corners of her twitching mouth.

  “What are some of the things you can’t do?”

  “Hmm…well, the list is pretty long. How long do you plan on living again?” She raised a solitary eyebrow and looked at me—well, it looked like she was looking at me—and smiled slyly.

  I looked to the side, her sightless, yet seeing eyes giving me the creeps. “I’ll live for as long as it takes to learn everything about Robert I can.”

  The smile on Lark’s face grew wider. I assumed it was because she was looking forward to a lot more occasions where I’d be turning her brother down for one thing or another. “Okay then, let’s see…we’re not allowed to tell anyone about who or what we are without a good reason. It’s pretty self-explanatory why, but the good reasons part is kind of confusing. Some things that I’d never figure to be a good enough reason turns out to be perfectly fine. It’s all circumstantial, basically.

  “We’re not allowed to lie. We physically cannot do it—the consequences against us are instantaneous and…severe. We’re not allowed to take a human life without just cause. The punishment for that can be very severe. But as with the lying, for the most part it is physically impossible for us to do it.”

  We swayed to the side a bit—a flock of birds passing us as though we didn’t exist—and Lark smiled a knowing, semi-amused smile. “Just for your own future reference, animals don’t see us. Dogs, cats, wild ferocious lions—we simply don’t exist as far as they’re concerned. There are some of us who can speak to them, but for the most part, we’re just an aberration of space. It was be explained in the bible, if you’ve ever read it, that God gave man dominion over the earth, blah-blah-blah. Long story short, we’re air to them.”