“Jeremy . . .”
He shook his head furiously. Rachel didn’t understand how tired humans got. He did. He’d been doing it for weeks, and it was exhausting.
“She’s tired,” he said, brushing his fingers delicately over Leilani’s cheeks. “Come on, sweetheart. I know you’re tired, but Sammy’s waiting for you.”
Something was wrong with his hearing. He could hear angel wings flapping in the distance, but couldn’t hear Leilani’s heartbeat.
“Look, I made something for you.” He shifted, reaching into his pocket and pulling the wooden pendant out. He could barely see it. He rubbed his eyes. He was losing his angelic sight. There was some kind of watery mist blurring his vision.
“Now don’t laugh when you see it. Okay, you can laugh if you want, but you need to wake up first.”
Now something was wrong with his throat. Why did it feel so tight?
The flapping grew louder and suddenly stopped. A pair of feet stood next to Rachel’s. Jeremy’s throat closed. He could barely breathe. He knew who they belonged to.
He’s wrong. He shouldn’t be here.
“See, my love. It’s a hibiscus flower. I made it so you can always remember that night we . . .”
A sob caught in his throat. Why wouldn’t the words come out?
He cleared his throat, ignoring the pair of feet moving toward him. “It looks just like the one I gave you that night on the cliff, don’t you think?”
“I’m sorry, my friend. It’s time,” Uri said softly.
His chest constricted. This was not happening, and that was not Uri’s voice he heard.
“Come on, Leilani. Wake up.”
That was not Rachel sobbing behind him.
“Please, wake up. You need to wake up.”
His chest was not crushing him, shattering his heart. “Please . . .”
A strong hand touched his chin, lifting it until he was gazing at the blue eyes of the archangel of death.
“I’ll be gentle. I promise. Let me do my duty,” Uri said.
Jeremy closed his eyes. He was hallucinating. Yes! That was it. Humans hallucinated after a trauma, seeing things that weren’t there. When he opened his eyes, Uri and Rachel would be gone, and Leilani would be awake.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. Uri was still there, waiting patiently.
Jeremy moaned. “No. You can’t have her. She’s not dead.”
“Rachel pulled her from the ocean. The girl was under for too long.”
“She can hold her breath for a long time. I know she can. I’ve seen her do it.”
Uri shook his head sadly. “Not for almost an hour.”
“No! I don’t believe you! She’s not dead!”
I’m not letting her die. Jeremy laid her gently on the black rocks. He kissed her cold forehead before trembling hands moved over her chest. He pressed down in a steady rhythm.
He’d once been a powerful archangel, a god among men. He could save her.
He pressed his hands harder, praying, pleading for her to wake up.
“Please, Leilani. Don’t leave me. Nau ko`u aloha. Nau ko`u aloha.”
He waited to see those soulful brown eyes appear. He waited for her sweet smile.
There was nothing.
“I need to start now. You know I don’t have a choice in this,” Uri said.
Jeremy’s eyes flashed up to Uri. Words that had once been aimed at him not so long ago fell from his mouth. “You know we have free will! You don’t have to take her!”
Uri took a step back, surprised. “I, uh, well, I have to.”
“I know you love her,” Rachel said. “But you’re an angel. You can’t be with her forever. Humans die.”
“Not this way. Not her!” Jeremy cried. “She was supposed to live a long and happy life. She was supposed to grow old with me.”
“It’s already done,” Uri said. “Her body is—”
“No, Uri! Don’t you dare say it! Leilani deserves better than this. She deserves to lie in a warm bed and sleep to the other side. And I was going to be there with her. I had a plan. I was going to hold her until she passed. And when she was gone, I’d make my heart stop and find a way to be with her.”
“She’ll be in a place where she’s well taken care of. That should bring you some comfort,” Rachel said.
It was a familiar line Jeremy had heard before. He hadn’t realized how insulting it sounded until he heard it. “No, it doesn’t. I want her with me.”
Uri gave out a heavy sigh and stepped back a couple of feet as he lifted his arms.
“Put your hands down, Uri. Don’t do it,” Jeremy growled.
“I’m sorry, my friend. I truly am. Someday you’ll—”
There was a sudden rush of wind and two white blurs whisked past him. One rammed into Uri, sending him flying backward. He crashed into a nearby tree with a crack.
“Naomi! What are you doing?” Rachel squealed as she ran to Uri.
“Whoa, remind me never to piss you off,” Lash said as he looked over at a groaning Uri.
“Oops! Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to push him that hard. I’m just getting used to my strength.” Naomi snapped her wings into her body. “Help him up, Lash, just don’t let Uri near us.”
“I tried to stop her, Uri,” Lash said as he and Rachel helped Uri to his feet.
“Uh-huh. Yeah,” Uri said.
“No, really, I did.”
Jeremy was confused. Was Naomi an archangel of death now? Did Michael think by sending his family down that it would make this easier for him?
He gathered Leilani close to his chest. “This is not happening. I don’t care who they send.”
“It’s not what you think, bro,” Lash said.
“I’ll tell him,” Naomi said as she knelt down in front of Jeremy. She reached out and cupped his cheek. Pale blue eyes locked with his for a moment before she spoke.
“My dear brother, I was wrong. I pushed you away to punish you. I should never have done that. I’m sorry. As much as I wanted Welita with me, she wasn’t meant to be with us. I know you did what was right. Could you ever forgive a sister who loves you deeply and unconditionally?”
“There’s nothing to forgive. You were grieving. I understand.” He looked down at Leilani. “But this isn’t the same.”
Sister or not, no one was taking Leilani from him.
“I know it isn’t. I told you there was someone meant for you, remember? Well, you found her. It’s Leilani. She showed you what real love feels like, didn’t she?”
“Yes,” he croaked.
She reached over, hovering her hand above Leilani. “May I?”
Hope leaped inside of him as he nodded. Naomi placed her hand on Leilani’s chest and began to mutter under her breath.
“Don’t do it, Naomi,” Uri warned.
“Keep him away, Lash,” she said as she continued to focus on Leilani.
“Naomi! You can’t be serious?” Rachel balked.
Naomi moved her hands, murmuring ancient words that Jeremy had heard Raphael chant many times. He hoped beyond hope it would work.
“Where are they, Lash? They should be here by now.” Naomi glanced up at the sky as she kept her hands over Leilani’s chest.
“There they are.” Lash pointed to the horizon.
Jeremy gazed out at the direction Lash pointed. Raphael and Rebecca were headed in their direction.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Rachel asked.
“In a minute, Rachel,” Naomi said. “There. I’m done.” She folded Leilani’s arms across her chest. She paused, gently caressing her cheek before standing.
“Come on. It’s time to say goodbye.”
Jeremy looked at her outreached hand. “Goodbye? I thought you were bringing her back.”
“Not to Leilani. To us,” Raphael said as he and Rebecca landed beside Naomi.
Rebecca ran to him, pulling him up and hugging him. “My son.”
“What’s going on? I’m confused,�
�� Jeremy said as Rebecca wept into his chest.
“So am I,” Rachel and Uri chirped in unison.
“Let Naomi explain,” Raphael said.
“Michael and I agreed that you belong here with Leilani. But he needed another archangel. So . . .” She flicked her wings open and grinned.
“She’s glorious as the new archangel of death, isn’t she?” Lash kissed her cheek. “No offense, Uri.”
“None taken,” Uri said. “But Leilani is gone. I, you, someone needs to take her to the other side. You can’t just come in and resurrect her.”
“Why not? That’s what archangels do,” Naomi said. “It’s the one thing I asked Michael for.”
“And he agreed?” Rachel balked.
Naomi turned to smile at Jeremy. “Yes, he did.”
“So Leilani will wake up?” Jeremy couldn’t believe his ears. Naomi had become an archangel for him. She wanted him to be with Leilani, and he was going to have that chance.
“Yes, after we leave. But you won’t see us again either. Michael said . . . he agreed to this if . . .” Naomi turned to Lash and sobbed.
“If you want to stay with Leilani, you must remain human, my son,” Raphael finished for her.
“You’ll stay with your new family,” Rebecca said softly.
“Okay, so I’ll stay here on Earth. I was going to anyway,” Jeremy said. “So what’s the big deal? Why do I have to say goodbye? I’ll see you in a few decades. And I’ll bring Leilani with me.”
Raphael shook his head sadly. “You’ll go with Leilani.”
“I know, you just said that.”
“You’ll be human and live and die as a human,” Raphael said. “You won’t ever be an angel again.”
Jeremy blinked, astonished as he gazed at his angelic family and friends. “I don’t know if I . . .”
His heart was breaking again. He had to leave his angelic family and everything he’d ever known behind.
“It’s all right, my son. I’ll make sure all memories of your angelic life are gone. It’ll be less painful if you have no memory of us. All you’ll have is wonderful memories of your life with Leilani.”
“I love her, Father.”
“I know you do. It’s all right. Her love is your strength. Come. Let us say our farewells so that you can begin your life anew.”
30
They loved him. Each and every one of them.
There were tears, kisses, and promises that they would look over him and Leilani from above. And when they had finished their goodbyes, they stood back and waited.
He gathered Leilani back into his arms, never taking his eyes off them. He wasn’t going to forget them. Despite what Raphael had said, he knew he could fight against the spell that would strip him of angelic memory. He hadn’t been able to before because he hadn’t known. This time he knew exactly what to expect. Even though he would stay human, he knew all he had to do was sear their faces into his mind and repeat their names over and over again until Leilani woke up.
Jeremy looked over each and every one of his loved ones. Lash and Naomi held each other. His heart ached as he gazed at Lash, his best friend and brother. He would miss their good-natured arguing over a poker game and the way Lash sputtered whenever Naomi caught him doing something he shouldn’t. And Naomi, he’d miss her gentle smile and even her nagging. She’d challenged them all, questioning centuries of archangel rule. He had no doubt she’d continue to do so. Heaven was going to be different with her as one of its leaders. He could sense it, and he was going to miss seeing it.
His mother wept quietly next to Raphael, though she wore a soft smile on her face. Rachel’s lashes fluttered and tears rolled down her tiny face as she held Uri’s hand. He’d miss that crazy couple.
As much as his heart ached, he had no doubt that this was what he wanted. His only regret was that Gabrielle wasn’t there.
He would never forget them. And he’d tell Leilani about them, too—when the time was right. He was sure she’d believe him.
His vision blurred, and their shapes slowly began to fade away. He strained his eyes, repeating their names under his breath.
My family. Lash, Naomi, Raphael, Rebecca, Rachel, Uri.
“I love you all,” he said.
Lash, Naomi, Raphael, Rebecca . . .
He heard a faint chorus of ‘I love you’ drifting on the wind, all their angelic voices overlapping.
He could feel Leilani’s body warming beneath him. He gazed down, and his breath hitched at the pinkish hue of her cheeks.
“She’s coming back.” He looked up to their smiling faces, and when he blinked, they disappeared.
Lash, Naomi, Raphael . . .
“I won’t forget you,” he called out to the ocean. They were still there. He could sense it.
Leilani let out a cough.
“Leilani!” She was breathing. Tears streamed down his face as she coughed again.
Lash, Naomi . . .
Water sputtered out of Leilani’s mouth. When she stopped, she slowly opened her eyes.
“You’re alive! Oh my god. You’re alive.” He hugged her to his chest.
“What happened?”
His mind slowly churned as he tried to remember why they were sitting on top of black rocks. The place didn’t look familiar. How did he get there, and why was he all muddy? Were they surfing alone? He had a strange feeling about this place. It was as if someone was watching them.
“I don’t know. Where are we?”
“It kind of looks like Queen’s Bath. Why are we—Sammy!” Leilani quickly sat up, her face looking terrified.
Memories sluggishly filtered into his mind. Earthquake. Tsunami warning. They were looking for Sammy. But Sammy was at the restaurant. That was it! Leilani had gone looking for Sammy. But why would she think Sammy was here? He wished he could remember more.
“Hold on. Sammy’s back at the restaurant. He’s fine.”
“Thank goodness. So what happened? Why am I all wet? And what’s up with you?” She pointed to his muddied clothes. “Trying a new spa treatment?”
“I’m not sure. I remember taking Candy’s car, or was it my car? I’m not sure.” He looked around again, hoping that something would jolt his memory. The pounding in his head didn’t help. All he could remember was jumping out of the car. He replayed the scene in his head. It wasn’t making sense. It was like a film had been sliced and edited with new film.
“I remember you sliding down the path and me chasing after you. And then you tripped over that rock over there and bumped your head.”
She laughed. “I have Candy’s car. Are you sure it wasn’t you bumping your head?”
“Maybe. Who knows? Come on,” he said, pulling her up. “Let’s take Candy’s car back before she has a panic attack.”
“Too late for that. Just wait until I get my hands on Sammy. I don’t know why we were out here looking for him, but as soon I remember, I’m going to let him have it.”
“Don’t be too hard on him. It’s tough being a tween.”
“And I thought girls were bad.”
“Well we won’t have to worry about our little girls. They won’t step out of the house until they’re thirty.”
“We’re having girls?”
Jeremy paused and gazed down at her beaming face. There was something he was forgetting. It seemed important. Something that he’d promised he wouldn’t forget.
Then he remembered.
“Yes we are. And I promise never to leave them or you. They can even learn how to fire dance.”
“You remembered!”
“Of course I did. Who could forget a sassy bubble gum-chewing girl with spiky hair?”
“Don’t forget my wicked surfer skills.”
“That too.” He chuckled. Then his face turned serious, and he pulled her to him and whispered. “But first . . .”
“First?” Her lips brushed against his.
“Who do I ask for your hand?”
She threw her head back a
nd laughed. “Me, of course! And Sammy.”
“Well, I don’t know. Sammy is a tough one.”
“We come as a package, you know. We’re family. `Ohana.”
An image of hazel eyes that turned to pale blue flickered in the back of his mind. It was so faint he didn’t know if they were models from a magazine he’d seen or of people he’d met on the island.
“You’re my `ohana,” he said, shaking the images out of his head.
“Nau ko`u aloha,” she muttered against his lips as he kissed her.
“Nau ko`u aloha. Forever.”
Epilogue
Sixty Years Later
“Tell me more, Grandpa!”
Jeremy gazed down at the boy’s sweet face. Light brown eyes gazed up at him, entranced. Those eyes were so familiar. He wished he could remember. Everything seemed to run into each other in his aging mind. The boy looked like someone he’d met a long time ago. Who? One of Leilani’s cousins? He wished he had time to give Sammy a call. It was early in the morning in London. He was probably busy getting ready for work.
Leilani would remember. He’d ask as soon as he saw her.
“Samuel, your mother expects you to be sleeping before she comes home. You don’t want to get your gramps in trouble now, do ya?”
“Too late, Dad.”
Jeremy smiled at his daughter, Lani, who was standing at the bedroom’s doorway.
“Aww, give your old man a break,” he said, tucking Samuel into the bed.
“Grandpa was telling me how Grandma used to surf. Ain’t that cool?”
“Yes, it is,” Lani said as she stepped into the bedroom.
Smiling, Jeremy patted his daughter’s arm as she bent down to kiss Samuel’s forehead. Each day that passed, she looked more and more like Leilani’s mother. It was no wonder Leilani had wanted to name Lani after her mother.
Lani gazed at him for a moment, the sadness that had lingered in her eyes the past couple of weeks turned to worry. He knew what she was thinking. She was wondering why he was so happy. He didn’t blame her. He’d been staring out the window for days, not eating or sleeping since Leilani had passed away in her sleep. It was the first time she’d seen him smile since. He couldn’t help himself. He was going to see her soon, and he was excited.
Golden Angel: (Broken Angel #5) Page 14
