by Sirena Noir
It was a trick question. It had to be. Aiden had never seen that angel before. He shrugged and gave a dismissive snort. “You tell me.” How far would he be able to push the disrespectful tone? He didn’t appreciate being put on the spot like he was to blame and he certainly wasn’t going to stand for it.
Rais wasn’t backing down. His jade irises glistened with flakes of light. “You’re the only one who would know.”
Aiden knew Rais wasn’t a bad person, he would never be allowed in Nevaeh, but he could fool even the best. Yet, he wasn’t fooling Aiden. Rais had an ulterior motive for goading Aiden with questions he couldn’t answer. Aiden just didn’t know what it was. “And why would I be the one who knows that?”
A hint of a smile played at the corner of Rais’ mouth. Something rarely seen. It was as if he knew something Aiden didn’t and took pleasure in the fact. “Because,” he nodded at the downed lorean, “he was you and your brother’s guardian angel when you lived on Earth.”
Chapter Four
A hundred loreans stood there, but not one said a word.
The steadily growing crowd watched, shocked and surprised. A lorean didn’t just show back up after missing hundreds of years. Especially one who used to be Aiden and Chase Hawthorne’s guardian. There was definitely something strange about it.
Aiden stared at Rais, trying to read his mind. There was no way Rais could be telling the truth. Yet, he had to be. They were standing in Nevaeh. No lorean anywhere would dare lie while standing in the lightest layer of all the worlds. Granted, they weren’t in the lightest part of Nevaeh, but still, the precept was the same.
Rais’s mind was clear from thought, leaving Aiden to dart his attention to the man on the ground. He was curled in a ball, his wings draped back on the ground behind him as if exhausted and unable to follow him further. Upon closer inspection, the lorean had gray streaked hair. That wasn’t possible.
Angels didn’t age. They reached an approximate physical appearance similar to that of the age of Earth’s twenty-five to thirty-year olds and that was it. There were no wrinkles or graying. There was no breakdown of the body like on Earth. Loreans lived for many lifetimes and it would never do to have things deteriorating around them while they served. Crow’s feet lined the corners of his eyes which were squeezed shut and lines in his forehead marked something tragic in his past.
What had happened to cause such aging in a creature that didn’t age?
The moment pulled Aiden toward Rais. He couldn’t help whispering to the authoritative lorean from the side of his mouth, “How did he age?”
Rais was equally taken aback as he studied the lorean himself, except his was from a different reason that he made clear with his reply. “You should have seen him when we found him. He’s getting better every moment.”
The truth in Rais’s words made Aiden inspect the dropped one closer. In front of his eyes, Aiden watched as silver receded up the thick dark hair, leaving behind a healthy unkempt style. The pallor to his skin recolored and the breadth of his shoulders increased. All in a span of a few seconds.
The angel rocked back and forth as if in extreme pain. He rolled back and then forward to his stomach and back again. Something clutched in the man’s arms caught Aiden’s attention and he blinked in disbelief.
A healer picked the angel up. The lorean hung loosely in the healer’s arms, and the item in his hands fell, but due to his position and being jostled closer to the situation, Aiden caught the small box before anyone else could see it.
Aiden’s breath hitched. He held the air in his lungs, afraid to let it out. He glanced at the distracted crowd before lowering his gaze to study the object.
A small wooden box with Aiden’s last name burned into the top stared up at him from his palms. In the wood above the lock was an amethyst crystal. The crystal was a dull purple that lacked the shine of a polished gem. The corners were well worn and scuffs marked the top and sides. Obviously, the box had taken a beating as much as the angel who’d carried it had.
His mouth dried as he stared at the letters etched into the wood.
HAWTHORNE
Cautiously, he looked around before stuffing it under his arm. He couldn’t let anyone around him know about the box yet.
“Can you read his mind?” Rais moved up to take a position at Aiden’s side, his voice much lower than before. “Can you tell us what’s wrong with him?” There was a soft plea in his words and Aiden stopped his quick retort to rethink the circumstances.
Aiden’s abilities and powers were a secret, only murmured about in theories. He could hear the whispers of other loreans when he passed by in Nevaeh. He knew they talked about him. But they didn’t know the truth. At least, not the whole truth. And those who did, didn’t know how deep his powers ran.
It wasn’t just reading minds that had them talking. Siphoning off other loreans was rare and prohibited. Aiden had to keep that power a secret—even from Tristan.
Even his brother, if he were still there. Chase had the power, he’d just never really utilized it around Aiden, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t using it now. Chase was in Cynnistear after all.
Aiden shrugged slightly. “Not sure. I could always try. But, I wouldn’t believe everything you hear. I’m not sure the rumors are true. Do you know what I mean?” He knew Rais had his own background that he tried to cover. Whispered rumors about Rais included a past that involved cherubim work.
Seeing the look of derision cross Rais’s face was worth every syllable Aiden spoke.
“Then try,” Rais spoke through gritted teeth.
Aiden turned to follow the healer carrying the unconscious lorean, slipping the small box from under his arm to the inside of his shirt. He spoke over his shoulder. “I’ll see what I can do. In the mean time, why don’t you have your men clean up my room? It gets old cleaning up your messes.” Aiden spun to walk backward, so he could see Rais while he talked. “Did you find what you were looking for this time?” He turned back around, a sly grin pinned to his face. Riling up the guard gave him a boost of energy.
The council had given Rais the privilege of being in charge of searching for the tablet for at least the last hundred years, if not longer. And the rift between Rais and Aiden made the tablet hunt a fun game for Rais. Any time Aiden left on assignment for a long period, Rais would pillage through Aiden’s room. They both knew he did it just to upset Aiden. Rais knew he wouldn’t find anything there. It was just a game of authority, two loreans wanting to prove something to the other. Except, Aiden didn’t have to prove anything.
A part of Aiden, a very small part, liked the guy. They had something in common, though he doubted Rais would ever admit it. But Aiden knew Rais had a bit of a dark side he tried to hide as well. Maybe that was what he hated about Aiden. Aiden made him feel the truth and he didn’t like it.
The small box burned against the side of his chest, reminding him that the unconscious lorean was somehow associated with him. He should be focusing on that, not musing over how to irritate Rais more, even though the latter was so much more amusing than the former.
The healer took them to a small room in the farthest tower. Nevaeh wasn’t small by any means, but they all lived comfortably without the lavish things of the other worlds. Aiden wasn’t sure he agreed with that part, and lived for his assignments that took him to Earth.
Inside the building, a white carpet covered the floor wall-to-wall. Tall arched windows with no glass reminded him of the towers in HALO and the many days and nights he spent staring out, wondering which side he would choose. The bright light that filled the room was everywhere in Nevaeh, reminding loreans that darkness could not survive where there was light.
The healer laid the angel on a platform bed and walked away, leaving Aiden alone with him. Wanting to know more, but afraid to seek the answers, Aiden pushed himself forward another step. What if this man had been with Aiden’s mother, Elana, this whole time? What if he was with Hawthorne? Did the lorean somehow know how to g
et in and out of Outer Darkness without the prophecy needing to be in play? Would there be a way to get Aiden off the task of solving the worlds’ problems so he could see his brother again? He wanted it more than he wanted air. He was sick of feeling so alone and that’s exactly what an eternity without his brother would drag on as – Aiden alone and suffering.
Aiden had hoped at one time that his mother was too pure of a soul, even if she was a fallen angel, that she went to the other side and was in peace. Perhaps she wasn’t in Outer Darkness like he and his brother had assumed. If only that were the truth, then maybe he could talk Chase out of fulfilling the prophecy and denouncing his dark side, leave Cynnistear, and come to Nevaeh. There was so much more they could accomplish, if they worked together.
Pulling the box out from under his shirt, he stared down at the engraved name on the lid. There was a reason the strange lorean clutched the box that was Elana’s. There had to be. It was significant.
If only Aiden could remember why. He ran his forefinger over the slight recessed lettering.
Aiden remembered a small amethyst on a necklace that matched the one on the box. His mother had kept it hidden in the floorboard of their home in North Carolina. Even after hundreds of years, he could still remember her telling her boys that it was to be kept a secret and the location never shared. Not even with their father.
Especially not with their father.
Aiden used to be attracted to the gem on the necklace, hating when she would put it away, but… Aiden stared at the lock and his pulse quickened. The lock wasn’t an ordinary key hole. It was an odd shape that his mother’s necklace would fit perfectly in.
“Who is he?” Tristan’s voice filled the room, breaking into Aiden’s thoughts.
Quickly, he shoved the box back under his shirt before Tristan could spot it. “I don’t know.” Aiden’s voice was despondent. Lost in his own mind, he wanted to escape. He was never the emotional one. That was Chase. But right then, his heart hammered in his chest.
Aiden wasn’t sure if he could handle the truth. He wasn’t sure he wanted to read the angel’s mind.
“He, is Jestiah.” Rais entered the room, shutting the door behind him. “We had thought he was lost to us. We haven’t seen him since…” He fixed his gaze on Aiden. A softness fell at the corners of his eyes. “Since your mother died.” Rais neared the platform on which Jestiah rested. He placed a gentle hand on the lorean and looked back to Aiden. “So you can see why we need you to tell us how he got here and where he has been.” He returned his focus to Jestiah. “And what is wrong with him. Our healers can only do so much. There may be one…” He shook his head, setting his jaw in determination. “No, I’m not even sure she could help right now.”
Aiden wasn’t sure he was strong enough to search through Jestiah’s mind. What he wouldn’t give for an extra “twin” boost right about then. Being in Nevaeh didn’t rejuvenate him. Instead, he often felt more drained than ever when he was there for respite from serving. Returning to the darkened dawn or sunset would build him back to where he had been.
Maybe… Maybe he could take just a little from Rais without him knowing? He would never try Tristan, he was too sensitive to even the smallest amounts of power.
Aiden took a step forward, pretending to stumble toward the bed. He reached out and caught Rais by the arm. It was enough of a contact for him to recharge enough to sift through Jestiah’s memories, but not enough for Rais to know he had just been siphoned. Quickly, Aiden let go of Rais. “Sorry.” It was a small mumble of an impenitent apology.
A renewed burst of energy flowed through Aiden. It wasn’t as much as when he was close to Chase, but it did give him a high all the same. He’d have to remember to take even less if he ever used Rais again. The lorean was very powerful. No wonder he was leader of the Nevaeh guard. It was very stimulating taking his power.
“Just get on with it,” Rais said impatiently, shaking himself as if removing the remnants of Aiden from himself.
Concentrating, Aiden closed his eyes and let himself fall into Jestiah’s mind. Seeing a memory and reading thoughts were not the same thing, but came from the same power. It was difficult, but not impossible. After enough training at HALO, Aiden had figured out he could do both.
He sifted through timelines until he found what he searched for. A flash of an image like a still shot came into focus. It was like a family Christmas card, with Elana, Chase, and Aiden all sitting together at the dining room table.
Aiden stiffened. Seeing the memory through someone else’s eyes was hard. He could only remember the pain of the moment, while this lorean clearly remembered the good.
Elana had her wings wrapped around the boys. She was singing a song in the lorean language, but it was so different than how Aiden remembered it sounding. The experience was lackluster through someone else’s mind. But it was good to hear his mother. Aiden couldn’t remember her singing in his own memories. He could hardly remember her voice at all.
His throat dried. Except for when he saw Sabre earlier. He had nearly forgotten his mother’s voice altogether.
That night was the worst night of his life. He knew what happened next and there was no way he wanted to relive it through another’s eyes. First hand had been bad enough.
Watching his angel mother die was something he would never forget. Nor did he want to. It would mean he forgot their last moments together, and he couldn’t do that.
He fast forwarded past the gruesome scenes of ripped wings and death as well as the betrayal and death of his love for his father – no matter how faltering it had been. Then darkness shrouded the room. Aiden remembered the feeling, but didn’t realize it was real. He didn’t know the light that left with his mother had been Nevaeh’s light.
Jestiah had a hard time remaining with the boys. The darkness that their father projected pushed the guardian angel out. The next scene Aiden saw was at HALO and Jestiah pleading with the Lorean Council to help him find a Cynnistear angel to take over to help protect the boys.
Trilorean was in the council room. It was the only place both light and dark angels could congregate together for administration issues. The boys from the prophecy demanded a seat from both layers.
Aiden tensed. It had been so long since he’d seen the dark angel, but he looked just like he remembered.
“I will do it,” Trilorean said, pushing up off the table to stand before the other Council members. He held his head high and his shoulder squared. His black wings were rigid and unmoving.
The next moments were fuzzy and Aiden realized something must have happened to Jestiah. It was as if he had no memory over the next few days of his life. Something was wrong. Aiden knew that no lorean ever just forgot.
Then, a bit of light filtered back into focus. Jestiah was lost in the clouds. Fear of failing the boys pushed him to find his way out. His eyes were panic stricken, wide and scared.
Tealsdor.
Aiden would know that layer anywhere.
What was Jestiah doing in Tealsdor? How had he gotten in there? What happened? No one went into Tealsdor willingly. The crossover from human to lorean was so rare, the journey disgustingly difficult, not many would do attempt the route.
Aiden flipped through the memories, day after day, year after year. Tealsdor was all he could see. Images haunting Jestiah of Aiden and Chase as boys running to him, and then slipping through his fingers again. He would lose them, day in day out. Mind tricks of personal suffering taunted him with each moment he spent in the fog, reminding him he wasn’t good enough to save the boys.
And then…
Aiden couldn’t breathe. The connection flickered and he froze. He had to concentrate. There was no way he could lose that connection now.
Elana was there. She stood in front of Jestiah, a sad smile spread across her face. Her white wings lay behind her, ragged and crudely cut in half. The once strong and powerful appendages now a flaw in her beauty. Except even on Elana the ugly brutality had a beauty all t
heir own.
She knelt down and placed a hand on Jestiah’s shoulder, cooing and whispering in lorean. “You are not bad. You did nothing wrong. You are still good.”
Jestiah lifted his head to look at her and whimpered. “I failed. I’m so sorry.” Her bright countenance soothed him and his memory added a glow around her.
“You did not fail.” She pulled out a small box hidden under her half-wings and handed it to him. “You will find a way out. Take this with you. Get it to Trilorean.” Tears turned into sobs, racking her tiny body. “My boys… I miss them so much.” She sucked in a deep ragged breath. “Now go. Find them. Focus on where you want to go and remember not to lose your grasp on escape. If you let even a fracture show in your demeanor or goal, Tealsdor will erode your mind and soul into pieces.” Something in the shadows suddenly present in her gaze suggested she’d been to the dark side of insanity and returned, rebirthed.
The memory began to slip and Aiden grabbed at the fog, begging it to stay. He’d spend a thousand more years trapped in Tealsdor to see her again. He struggled to keep the vision of her front and center, but the fog of Tealsdor decided when to punish and when to show kindness, and the latter was rarely given. Even in Jestiah’s mind, the fog could torture Aiden.
Aiden pulled himself from Jestiah’s memories. There was no way he could tell Rais any of what he saw. “He was lost in Tealsdor. I don’t know anything else.”
Rais stared at Aiden. A long silence between them challenged Aiden’s words.
Tristan placed a hand on Rais’s shoulder. “I’m sure when the angel wakes up he can tell you everything you want to know. Aiden’s powers are amazing, but this lorean is unconscious. There is only so much Aiden can do.”
“You’re right.” Rais nodded. He cast one more glance at Aiden. “Let me know when he wakes.”
Tristan followed Rais out, giving Aiden a knowing look before closing the door.
Aiden turned back to Jestiah. He wanted to know more. He wanted to see his mom again. The fact that his mom had been wandering the mists of Tealsdor for over three hundred years punched him in the stomach. He wanted to yell and cry at the same time.
