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  Chapter Eight

  Austin’s white glorious wings spanned open; he had no choice but to let Claudia see them. Claudia had blacked out just before he reached her, but he knew she had caught a glimpse. Her body would have impacted on the rippling waves and he would have blamed himself for the pain she would have endured; or worse, her death.

  Effortlessly he flew, his wings gliding with the breeze as he held her gently in his arms. She was calm, a far cry from her frantic tantrum right before her fall. Her hair flowed softly in the wind while her dress billowed slightly, clinging to her weary body. Before laying her down, he pressed his face to hers and breathed in her scent. The smell of lavender at dawn, and a summer’s breeze at sunset swirled in his head. Then he placed her down on the bed and covered her with a light blanket.

  At first he set his eyes on her long auburn hair, then his eyes outlined the arch of her eyebrows, down to her long luscious eye lashes, cute bunny like nose, and her natural pink full lips. Visually drinking in the curves of her body, he sat there, hypnotized, taken in by her purity and beauty.

  As he watched her sleep, he wondered how someone like her, innocent, thin and fragile, could ever defend herself from someone like Aliah, one of the deadliest angels that ever existed, next to Lucifer. He would have to find a way or give her something to defend herself with. As these thoughts filtered through his mind, he remembered seeing blood.

  Carefully he lifted the blanket and placed his hands over her feet to heal the wounds. He didn’t mean for her to get hurt this way. If only he had handled the situation better. But he justified it by thinking she had made him emotionally unstable.

  Austin was tormented by mixed emotions. There was no doubt that he cared for Claudia, but he was mostly upset at himself for allowing this to happen. He had known her for such a short time, and the way she had taken him over, consuming his thoughts, was something he could not explain.

  He had never felt this deeply for a girl, nor was he allowed too. It was forbidden to fall in love. He fooled around, but had never fallen in love before. Austin had never known what falling in love or being in love felt like, so he wasn’t exactly sure what he felt with Claudia; only that he had never felt like this with anyone else–the way his heart fluttered, pumping happy chills throughout his body. The way he wanted to be near her, and how he missed her when she wasn’t around. With every look, touch, and hug, he was falling deeper and deeper. And it scared him more than anything he had ever known.

  He didn’t want to admit it, but he would do just about anything for her, even knowing her heart belonged to someone else. In ways, he felt sorry for her. She didn’t ask to have the Holy Spirit soul, and now these demons were after her. She must be constantly scared out of her mind. How he admired her for her brave disposition! He swore that he would protect her to the very end.

  Looking at her with adoration, he was thinking of ways to wake her up. He didn’t want to but he needed Claudia to wake up so he could finish his task. Once this was over, he knew there was a possibility that she would never forgive him; it was likely she would even hate him. He had no choice. He had to follow the orders that were given by the Divine Elders.

  Austin sensed Claudia awakening. He had to prepare himself for all her questions and how to explain who he was, even though she knew his kind existed.

  Claudia’s eyes opened. She blinked them several times, and then sat up in panic, her hair in disarray. She looks sexy, he thought.

  “Austin,” she called, breaking his thought.

  “Yes,” he answered softly.

  She turned to look at him. His heart skipped a beat and he became lost in thoughts of what he wanted to do at that very moment; go to her, hold her in his arms, and lose myself in her kiss. His mind and heart raced out of control. He quickly broke free from his thoughts when she spoke again.

  “Is this a dream?” She looked confused and groggy.

  “No.”

  “Did I die?”

  “No.” His tone was nonchalant.

  She suddenly got out of bed and brushed her hand on the bottoms of her feet. The cuts and the pain she remembered were gone. Looking extremely baffled, she scanned the room and looked at Austin as if he was the last person on Earth she wanted to be with. When she remembered what had happened, she headed toward the double door without a word.

  “I can’t explain if you don’t give me a chance. You know there is no way out unless you jump. Then I’ll have to save you again. We’ll be back to square one.”

  Claudia seemed to realize that Austin was right. She stopped and stood silent for a second before turning to him with a look of defeat.

  “Please sit,” he said, pointing to the bed. He waited for Claudia to get comfortable before he continued. “What I’m about to tell you, you may already know. There are several types of angels that exist on Earth. One type is called Earth angels, like Gamma.”

  “You knew Gamma,” Claudia asked in shock, her eyes suddenly filled with sadness.

  Austin’s eyes grew wide, realizing he had just touched a sore topic. He ignored her question and continued. “These Earth angels guide humans, hoping to keep them on the right track. They live among humans as if they were humans. Second, the Twelve, but they were separated. Phillip, Margaret, and Agnes are at Crossroads, guarding the alkins, while the rest of the Twelve are located throughout Earth. On Earth, we call them the Divine Elders. Then, there is my kind. We are called the venators, meaning hunters. We don’t interact with humans much. We find demon spirits and eliminate them. So, I’m not the bad guy here. I don’t want to take your soul. I have no use for one. I’m here to protect you and keep you safe.”

  Claudia’s eye grew wide and alert. “So…you’re not fallen or a demon,” she sighed, obviously relieved. She seemed to have understood and taken the information better than Austin had expected. But she was more curious with demon spirits. “What are demon spirits? And you kill them? Gamma never told me of your kind.”

  There she goes with questioning all at once, he thought, laughing inside, thinking how adorable she was when she did that. “It’s complicated, but I’ll make it simple and short. There are many types of demons, but one particular type of demon called demon spirit enters through human souls, possessing their bodies. These humans become like puppets. They do bad things, so we kill them.”

  “How many are there?” Claudia asked, in amazement that such things existed. She thought beings like those only existed in movies.

  “You mean, you want a number?” He looked puzzled.

  Claudia wasn’t sure what she was asking. She knew he really couldn’t give her the exact number so she rephrased the question. “Are there many? Have you killed many of them?”

  “Throughout my lifetime, yes. I can’t give you an exact number. I’ve killed many,” he boasted.

  Thinking about the demons reminded her of the moment when she had fallen, thinking he was a demon. “You have wings.”

  He didn’t say a word. “Your parents…you lied to me,” she said calmly. “You said it was just you and your mother. You said your father passed away. I felt sorry for you. You took emotional advantage of me.” She started pacing, trying to remember what Austin had told her when he took her to the hospital to see Gamma.

  “Emotional advantage? Now that’s something new,” he let out a short laugh.

  She gave him a cold stare. “You think this is funny?” she asked angrily.

  Austin didn’t say a word. He knew she had every right to be upset with him. Then, Claudia remembered Michael telling her that his father was one of the Twelve; and only the Twelve had wings. As if Austin could read her thoughts he said, “Technically, I told you the truth. I actually have parents. My mother is an angel and my father was a human. He’s…gone…dead. I never knew him.”

  “So, you’re half angel and half human. No wonder you’re not like the Earth angel.”

  “Yes,” Austin shook his head and looked confused by her words.

  “Well, t
hat explains a lot. Your lack of sensitivity is evident in your inability to be sensitive to my needs. You could’ve just used your words. You could’ve explained, but noooo, you had to show off and be rude. You had to be arrogant and selfish and…”

  Austin didn’t let her continue with her jabbering. He couldn’t stand for her to hate him this much. Losing self control, he surprised Claudia by placing himself right in front of her in a matter of seconds. She was used to seeing alkins move in great speed, but it took her a moment to accept Austin was one of them.

  Needily, he cupped her cheeks, all the while fighting against the desire he was feeling. Their eyes met, and neither one looked away. His eyes were running wild, wanting to tell or show her how he felt. Gazing into his eyes, Claudia’s face reflected the confusion she felt when she saw how much he cared for her. Her anger seemed to subside, and she seemed to be waiting for something.

  She didn’t need to wait long. Without warning, Austin used his power and pulled her into a trance. She stood still in silence, unable to break free. Austin knew better than to do what was to come next but he couldn’t control himself, nor did he want to miss this opportunity. He would make her forget what he was about to do, but he could make her remember how it felt to be with him.

  As his eyes continued to pierce into hers, he drew a vision of them inside Claudia’s mind. She was trying to fight back, but she was not in control. Too caught up in his spell, she whirled into a dizzy spin and surrendered. Her mind was now at his command. In the vision Austin had created, Claudia could feel his lips pressing onto hers as he held her tightly in his arms, afraid that she may slip away. He wanted her and needed her in ways he knew could never be. Longing to feel every part of her, he gently pressed his body into hers.

  His hands, resting on her hips, slowly glided up and traced every dimension of her back. Continuing to the small fragile nape of her neck, he ran his fingers up through her hair, clenching his fingers in hunger, and kissed her deeper. Claudia broke free from his lips, dazed and confused, and then succumbed to her own desire and let her head drop back, exposing her bare neck. Austin understood this as permission to continue, so he began kissing her neck, sliding his tongue lower, making her quiver.

  Their lips joined again passionately as he caressed his hands down to her rear and lifted her up. Her legs tangled around his hips as he held her against the wall. Her sweater had slid up, and she could feel his hands on her bare skin, moving upward, making her tremble with pleasure. Claudia felt hot with confusion, burning with the desire of wanting Michael, but she was kissing Austin. A part of her wanted him to stop and the other part of her was enjoying this moment of passion. She never knew that she could feel this way with him; she never wanted to know. It was Michael who she loved and wanted, not Austin.

  But Austin had fulfilled his desire. He had wanted Claudia to get a glimpse of how she could feel with him, and he had succeeded. Then suddenly, he stopped and moved away when they were interrupted.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Getting cozy on the job? Making out in her mind are you?” It was Michelle, and Gracie followed behind her. Michelle was gloating, her eyes glistening with joy, smiling with satisfaction to have caught Austin red handed.

  Austin threw his hands down as if he had just put his hand over burning flames. Claudia broke out of her trance, breathless, weak at the knees and dazed, but she didn’t know why. It took her a few seconds to realize where she was and to refocus on what she wanted to say. Before she could say a word her gaze rested intently on Michelle and Gracie. Astounded by their presence, she continued to stare, realizing they were at Patty’s birthday party.

  “What are you looking at?” Gracie snapped.

  Claudia looked away, embarrassed by her comment, and turned to Austin to vent her frustration. “Don’t tell me they are venators too?” Claudia asked hastily.

  Austin rolled his eyes. She guessed that was a possibly a yes; either that, or he was extremely irritated by their presence.

  “You told her about us?” Gracie asked, surprised.

  “I had to. I had no choice,” he said in his defense, though he hadn’t disclosed any information about them, yet.

  “You always have a choice,” Gracie fired back. “You can’t control yourself around her.”

  “Don’t mind Gracie. She’s just jealous. Austin doesn’t pay that kind of attention to us,” Michelle informed. “So, you’re the one causing all sorts of trouble. A couple of our male angels seem to be forgetting that having impure thoughts is forbidden. Well, impure thoughts are okay by me, but acting on them is a whole different story. Not that we follow that rule either.” Michelle snickered. “Mind control can be fun too.”

  “That’s enough.” Austin was livid.

  “Augustine, baby, don’t get mad.” Michelle pouted, swaying her hips across the floor, trying to seduce him. After she reached him, she leaned toward him and ran her hand down the front of his muscular chest. “Perfect. You can invade my mind anytime: or my body.”

  He pushed her hand away. “I said that’s enough.”

  “Fine. Play with your half human toy. And by the way, I released the first shield as you instructed. Michael’s coming and he’s gonna shred you to pieces with his massive wings. Not that yours aren’t nice too,” she teased, giggling on her way out the door.

  Michael is coming? My spirit was lifted. I knew he would come for me.

  “Michael is coming?” Gracie questioned, excitedly. “Michael, Michael, dreamy Michael. I would go to hell just to have one night with him.” Then she followed Michelle out the door.

  “Sorry about that.” Austin’s tone sounded sweet and sincere. “Michelle and Gracie were fallen angels. They’ve proven themselves by giving us critical information, which I’m not allowed to disclose. They are also under our protection so I’m stuck with them until this is over. Their attitudes and obviously their people skills need some brushing up on though.”

  “You think?” I huffed, unable to make eye contact. I felt uncomfortable. Something had happened between me and Austin that I could not explain. I felt something, sort of a twinge of anger and excitement. Then I decided to change the subject in my effort to know more. “Tell me, what shield is Michelle talking about?”

  “There is a shield around this island.”

  “We’re on an island?” I questioned, wondering what island we could possibly be on.

  “Well, technically…yes, though it’s more like a garden.”

  “Garden?”

  Austin seemed to sense that I was going to ask a lot of questions. He laid his finger on my lips, gently hushing me. “Let me explain. This island is located in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean; humans cannot see it or find it.

  “Why?”

  “Have you heard of the Bermuda Triangle?”

  “Yes,” I said with anticipation.

  “Island of Eden is located smack in the middle of it.”

  “What!?!?” I couldn’t believe my ears.

  Austin continued. “Many have tried to find it only to have their aircraft and surface vessels disappear under mysterious circumstances. Well, don’t mess with Mother Nature–or should I say don’t mess with the Twelve! We were told that after the original sin, when God tossed Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, he was so furious that he wanted to destroy it. The angels begged God not to do so, but instead to place it where they could use it for something good. God granted that wish. He placed the garden in the middle of the ocean and made sure no mortals could ever get near it; thus the Bermuda Triangle.

  “Because it was a gift from God, the Twelve promised to use it only for purposes of good, and place a shield, like the one from Halo City. The shield blocks the existence of this place from most angels. Only a select few know of its location. That is the reason why Michael can’t find you.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Austin’s words seemed incomprehensible. But, with everything I’d experienced so far, I guessed anything was possible. I turned my
focus to Michael. “But you’re on the same team.”

  “Yes and no. We follow one set of rules, and Phillip and the others at Crossroads follow another. Many times we disagree with what should be, but since we are the ones on Earth, it is our right to set them as we see fit. You can go outside now. Wait for him by the cliff.” Austin’s tone was weary.

  I opened the double doors, but before I walked out, I grabbed my boots. My black overcoat and my scarf were nowhere in sight. I didn’t bother to ask where they were; at that point, I didn’t care. I turned back to Austin as I recalled Michelle’s words–‘Making out in her mind are you?’

  “Don’t ever go inside my mind without my permission,” I said firmly. I was positive that he had; Michael had told me how angels could place themselves in a person’s mind and I could now confirm that Austin had done so. Austin looked genuinely remorseful, as if he felt guilty Then he composed himself, and grinned flirtatiously. “You don’t want to admit it, but I know you enjoyed it.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” I said coldly. “As far as I’m concerned, you poisoned my mind.”

  “I’m toxic. I like the sound of that. At least I know I excite you in a dangerous way,” Austin said.

  Irritation crept inside me. I wanted to yell at him for invading my personal space and my mind, but all I could do was glare at him, to tell him that I was not playing his game. I didn’t want to admit it, but there was a part of me that had grown fond of his friendship, because he had been there for me whether I wanted him there or not.