To this question she lied and tried to sound angry at the insinuation by saying, “Geez, Dad, we haven’t even done anything yet!” This seemed to placate him as he went on to commend himself on what a good job he had done raising her.
Other than these few frustrations with her family though, the last two months had been the best of her life, mostly because of Gabriel. He had told her about his unique childhood as well. What it was like to grow up as an angel, how and why the existence of angels was kept secret, and more details about the animosity between angels and demons.
One thing he told her that she was the most surprised about was regarding the religious aspect, or more accurately, the lack of a religious aspect to it all. He had told her that religion didn’t come into play in his world. He said it was possible that at one time the biblical version of angels and demons appeared on the earth, but that the current version had no connection to Heaven and Hell and were merely humans in a highly evolved state.
Taylor had also questioned him a lot about Christopher and why he seemed so friendly when he was descended from a race that Gabriel had told her was hell-bent on eradicating mankind. Gabriel explained that not all demons supported their mainstream cause and that Christopher was of the relatively good variety. Taylor was extremely relieved as she was worried about Sam, who had been dating Christopher since they met, which was an abnormally long period of time for her best friend to be with the same guy.
The four of them, Taylor and Gabriel, and Samantha and Christopher, had spent many hours together and had become a pretty tightknit group, almost inseparable. Even the angel and the demon seemed to have become good friends, although the relationship sometimes seemed strained and unnatural.
On this particular day, Taylor couldn’t help but to just close her eyes and smile. She and Gabriel didn’t have any classes on this Friday afternoon and all of her friends were going to go hang out at the campus pool hall later that evening. The pool hall had become the group’s go-to spot when no one came up with any other ideas.
The lazy day drifted by as the afternoon sun began to drown on the horizon. They had barely said a word while lying on the lawn, but Taylor didn’t care. She just needed to be close to him.
When the last wink of sunlight danced out of sight, Taylor sighed and sat up. She looked at Gabriel with admiration in her eyes and he looked back, equally fascinated. They kissed and then stood up, walking hand in hand back to the dorms to put their barely-used books away.
After returning home they met up with Sam and Christopher, who had likely used the afternoon to make out, one of their favorite activities. Marla and Jennings met them soon after and they all walked to dinner together. They had a nice, long dinner. Taylor didn’t have a care in the world. These were the best days of her life, she thought to herself. She didn’t realize that everything was about to change.
PART III
“Something's wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of Snow White
Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Dreams of dragon's fire
And of things that will bite, yeah
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never-never land”
Metallica- “Enter Sandman”
From the album Metallica (Black Album) (1991)
Chapter Thirty-Seven
They were in the pool hall, laughing at a ridiculously difficult shot that Gabriel had just sunk—he was by far the best player—when Christopher came back to the corner table they were using. Trying to get away from the noisy hall, he had gone outside to take a call on his cell phone. When he returned, Taylor knew something was wrong by the look on his face. It was a shock to see, as Christopher was one of the most care-free, easygoing people that Taylor knew—she had never seen him scared or upset—but now his face was tense, stressed.
Gabriel noticed as well. “What happened?” he hissed.
“I didn’t invite them, I swear,” was the extent of Chris’s reply.
“Invite who?” Taylor asked.
“Them,” Christopher said, motioning over his shoulder, back from where he came.
The door to the hall swung open and three dark guys entered the room, their eyes sweeping from side to side. Instantly, the already shadowy pool hall darkened even further. The demons were huge, wearing tank tops to show off their impressive biceps and chests. Taylor felt her breath catch as she thought, this is it. Soon sand would be down her throat and she would choke to death, her dream becoming a reality. Or perhaps they would use poisonous black snakes to do the job.
Gabriel pushed her behind him as the gargantuans sauntered over.
“Heya, Christopher,” one of the meatheads said. “Funny meeting you here.” He glared at Gabriel.
“What do you want, Jonas?” Christopher said harshly.
“Hey, no need to get snippy. We were just checking out the on-campus facilities provided by the university.”
“Now why would you want to do that? You’re not students here.”
“Au contraire, my friend, we just transferred. We heard that UT was where all the action was.” Jonas, who seemed to be the spokesman for the group, appeared pleased to be able to contradict Chris.
“Well then, I guess you have every right to be here. Why don’t I give you a tour of the campus?” Chris suggested, clearly trying to get them away from the pool hall and his friends.
“Oh no, we wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience, we’ll just stay here and shoot some pool with you,” Jonas said.
Gabriel, standing quietly until now, stepped forward within inches of Jonas’s face and said, “That wasn’t a suggestion. Chris and I are going to give you a tour of the campus, let’s go.” Taylor was close enough to hear Gabriel whisper, “Don’t make a scene. We’ll answer all of your questions outside.”
Jonas thought about this for a second and then nodded his head once in agreement. The four demons and Gabriel headed for the door. Gabriel yelled to Taylor that they would be back soon. Fear entered Taylor’s heart as she watched Gabriel leave, flanked by the muscly, dark figures.
When they left, Sam asked, “What was that all about?”
The other three shook their heads in bewilderment. They would have to wait for them to return to find out.
Outside, Gabriel was surrounded by demons. Three were demanding answers from him and Chris was trying to mediate. “Let me explain,” Chris said.
“This better be good,” Jonas said. “The Elders were not happy with your last report. Or the one before that either. That’s why we’re here.”
“Okay, it’s simple really. Gabriel and I have reached an agreement,” Chris explained. “He doesn’t want any harm to come to the girl and neither do I. So we are staying in close proximity to her, as well as to each other, to ensure she is safe and that neither of us tries anything sneaky.”
Jonas said, “Wow, I’m so glad that you two have become BFFs, it almost makes me want to shed a tear. But there is a major problem with your little agreement. You and your pretty little angel friend are on opposite sides of a bloody, half-century-old war, in which the girl has become a key weapon. Sooner or later someone is going to have to make a move in this little chess match and we are thinking it should be us.”
“Dammit, Jonas!” Chris spat out, blood flooding to his face. “We have sworn to protect all humans and help ensure that they are able to live normal lives. That includes Taylor. We can’t just grab her and neutralize her when there is currently no threat to her!”
Gabriel listened intently to the verbal battle, glad that Taylor was not around to hear it. She would have been extremely confused after all of the lies he had told her so far.
Jonas laughed at Chris. “You have got to be kidding me! No threat to her? She’s got a freaking angel for a boyfriend and not just any angel, the angel that is
charged with tricking her into helping the evil angel cause.”
“Gabriel has told me that was his original mission, but he now has reservations about it given he has developed feelings for the girl,” Chris replied.
“Feelings!? And you actually believe this pigeon. You’ve been awfully quiet, pigeon, are you saying you are in love with the girl?” Jonas referred to Gabriel by the derogatory term that demons used to refer to angels, pigeon, considered by many to be one of the lowest forms of bird, scavenging on the ground for their sustenance.
“That’s accurate,” Gabriel admitted, ignoring the insult. “I was charged with convincing Taylor to join our cause. If she wouldn’t agree, I was given license to use requisite force to kidnap her. However, I quickly developed feelings for her—yes, I’m in love with her—and now place her safety above the requirements of my mission.
“I could be executed for telling you this, but it is necessary to gain your trust. The Council wanted to take the girl months ago, but I convinced them to give me until the end of the school semester to persuade her to join the angel cause of her free will. I was hoping that would give me enough time to come up with another plan. So far, I have nothing.”
Gabriel gave them enough information to give him a chance that they would believe him, but also lied about the most important part: Unbeknownst to Chris, Gabriel was still actively working to encourage her to join the angel cause. Above all, he was still an angel and focused on ending the War by any means possible. Weeks earlier, he had finally straightened out his head and realized that he needed to fulfill his mission. However, he would do everything in his power to protect Taylor at the same time. He had made it his personal mission.
“You have two weeks,” Jonas replied.
Gabriel stared at him, not sure what to make of his time-based statement. “Two weeks for what?”
“Two weeks to come up with a plan to protect the girl and keep her out of the middle of this war.”
Chris jumped in. “That’s ridiculous, we have made an agreement and we have until the end of the semester, which is two months away, to come up with a plan that works for everyone. Two weeks is impossible.”
“Nothing I can do. The deadline has been mandated by the Elders. Deal with it.”
Gabriel asked another question. “And what exactly do you think you’re going to do in two weeks if we don’t have a sufficient plan?”
“Take the girl and neutralize her,” Jonas said coldly.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Gabriel snapped back, his blood pressure rising. His body was glowing brighter now, in anticipation of a physical confrontation.
“It means whatever we want it to mean, pigeon,” Jonas sneered.
“I’ll kill you before I let you take her,” Gabriel said.
“We’ll see who dies,” Jonas replied. “And I’m dead anyway if your pigeon Council gets their hands on the girl. So I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Christopher stepped in front of Gabriel, apparently expecting him to strike at Jonas. Gabriel managed to keep his head though, realizing that even with his strength and training he was no match for three burly demons.
Instead, Gabriel just said, “You’re right, we will see. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going back to see my girlfriend. Don’t bother me for two weeks.” With that, he turned on his heel and went back into the pool hall.
Before the door closed, Gabriel heard Chris say to Jonas, “This was a big mistake.”
“You better figure out whose side you are on,” Jonas scoffed, before the three goons stalked off into the night.
Back inside the pool hall, Sam led the questioning. Taylor kept quiet, knowing that Gabriel wouldn’t give her the truth until they were alone. She pretended to listen interestedly while Gabriel explained how those guys were old friends of Christopher’s who had gotten into some trouble and Chris stopped hanging out with them. Now they were pissed that he had ditched their little gang.
Chris came in during the tail end of the story and reassured Sam that they wouldn’t bother them again.
The other humans soon forgot about the incident as Chris was back to his normal antics, telling a joke about a priest, an ex-convict, and a gorilla in a bar. Everyone was soon in stitches. The mini pool tournament continued, with Gabriel and Taylor holding the table most of the night. It was no thanks to Taylor as she only made two or three shots all night, but Gabriel was able to clean up the table whenever it was his turn.
Taylor wasn’t really into the game as she watched Gabriel from the corner of her eye. She could tell that something had disturbed him.
At around ten o’clock she forced herself to yawn and then let her eyes blink slowly a few times. Sam said, “Wow, Tay, you look exhausted.”
“Yeah, I am. I think I’ll head back to the dorms now, but you guys stay and have fun. Gabriel, can you walk me back?”
“Sure, let’s go. See you all tomorrow,” he said.
Taylor waited until they were a few blocks from the pool hall before asking, “What really happened with Chris’s so-called ex-friends?”
“It’s nothing to be worried about, Taylor. I can handle it.”
Heat rose in her head. She blurted out, “Screw you! Stop treating me like I’m some kind of a child, man! I can tell that you are worried about it so I am going to be worried about it, too.”
Gabriel seemed taken aback by the sudden outburst. “Hold on, Taylor. I’m sorry, you’re right. I need to be completely honest with you, even when I am trying to protect you. Let’s go to the Bird’s Nest and we can talk.” Taylor was momentarily pacified by the suggestion. The Bird’s Nest was the name she had given to the spot high above the football stadium where they had first…she smiled at the memory of that wonderful night.
“Okay,” she said, trying to breathe evenly.
They walked a block further and darted into a dark alley that was well-hidden from the street. Gabriel grabbed her as if she were a paper doll and did what Taylor liked to refer to as, “his angel thing”. Seconds later they were high in the air, speeding across campus.
Soon they were in the Bird’s Nest. She looked down at the beautiful stadium. It had been prepped for the following day when the football team had a very important game against their cross-state rivals, the Tigers. The UT Beavers were undefeated and on the verge of playing in the National Championship game. A win against LTU tomorrow would ensure their first ever appearance in the country’s most coveted college football game.
Fresh lines had been painted on the field, the white paint shining under the night security lights. There was a large banner stretched across the home entrance to the field, which the players would charge through when they stormed onto the gridiron.
Remembering why they were there, Taylor looked at Gabriel expectantly.
Gabriel’s mind was racing as he decided how much to tell her. He opted to continue to lie on the biggest issues, but to be as truthful as possible everywhere else. The tactic had served him well thus far, but he was worried that it would catch up with him soon.
Gabriel said, “I have tried to tell you as much as I could from the very start, but for your protection I’ve left out certain details that I didn’t think you would ever need to know.” Gabriel realized then that he hated having to lie to her. It used to come so easily for him. Now, it felt contrary to every instinct in his body. This disturbed him, as he had always prided himself on being a smooth and cunning liar when the need arose.
Taylor frowned. “Continue,” she instructed.
“I have told you and shown you how powerful a weapon you are if used by my people…”
“Because of my strong aura,” she interrupted.
“That’s correct,” Gabriel confirmed. “And then you asked what that meant.”
“Yes,” Taylor said, remembering back to the many conversations they had while in the Bird’s Nest, or lounging out in the sun.
“I told you that all it meant was that if the need ever arose, that the angels??
?my people—might come to you to ask for your help.”
“That wasn’t true?” Taylor asked.
“Not exactly. At the time I told you that, the angels actually already wanted and needed your help.”
“Then why didn’t you just ask for it?”
Gabriel lied again, masterfully mixing deceit with a bit of the truth. “Because I wanted you to be able to enjoy your first semester at college and not be burdened by the problems of my world. I was able to convince the Archangel Council to wait until the holiday break at the end of the semester to ask you.” Taylor took a deep breath.
“You should have just told me,” Taylor said, frowning. “I would have understood and we could have talked it through together. I don’t want to keep secrets from each other.” Taylor was getting upset now. She had been so trusting, so believing of everything Gabriel had told her; in short, she had been blinded by her love for him. Now she saw that he was capable of deceiving her and no matter how he justified it—he said it was for her own good—she still needed to be able to trust him one hundred percent. Her feeling of dread rushed back, momentarily paralyzing her. Her sixth sense! It had been trying to tell her that something bad was going to happen. It didn’t make sense at the time because Gabriel hadn’t shared all of the information with her.
Gabriel said, “I don’t know. I guess I should have. I just didn’t want you to be stressed out about what would happen at the end of the semester while you were trying to have fun and do well in school. You’re right though, I should have told you. I’m sorry.”