“Don ’t worry. You didn ’t do anything crazy. You only tr ied to take advantage of me, but that ’s all.”
Feeling utterly embarrassed, my face felt extremely hot. I looked at him and gave him the “are you serious ?” look. He just flashe d his unreadable smile. I couldn ’t tell if he was joking or telling me the truth.
Austin chuckled again. “Don ’t worry , I won ’t tell anyone.”
I brushed the tip of my lips with my index finger when a sudden rush of a tingly sensation course d through me, as if I was reliving th e moment that gave me th e feeling. Something had happened. Did I really kiss Austin?
“Claudia? Claudia?” Austin waved his hand and broke my thought.
I must have tuned out when I felt the sudden rush and became deep in thought. “Sorry, ” I smiled. “I ’m listening.”
“You need to get ready. My dear mother, Katherine , is expecting us at Nubilus City. I ’ll give you a tour. If you think Island of Eden is breathtaking, wait till you see the outskirts of Nubilus.”
“Give me some time to freshen up, ” I said.
When I slid off the bed, my eyes were fixed on Austin ’s T-shirt, recalling Patrick having the same one. It read, ‘I fly with angels, ’ which was center ed with white wings expand ing from both sides.
Austin noted what I was doing. “Patrick had one too, ” he said wearily. “I…I was thinking of him. I guess , in a way , it keeps me connected to him.”
“You don ’t have to explain, ” I said softly, placing my hand on his shoulder. “He was like a brother to you.”
Austin rested h is hand on mine and gingerly slid my fingers off. He kissed the back of my hand and said, “I ’m okay. You ’re a big distraction, especially when you dance.” He winked.
“Ahhh!” I pushed him playfully. “You need to leave so I can get ready.”
“I do? I can sit here and watch if you like , or I can help you get ready.”
“Out, Austin, ” I said and laughed inwardly, unable to stop myself from smiling.
He walked toward the door, turned and eyed me from head to toe. “I can help you undress.”
“Austin!” I threw a pillow at him. Of course he dodged it, gave me sly smile , and closed the door , laughing out loud.
The last time I appeared in Nubilus, I was inside Katherine ’s office. This time, we appeared in the back, in the middle of an endless floral garden. It was magical, colorful with a mixture of wild flowers, reminding me of Island of Eden with the similar floral scent. Surrounding this place were statues of angels. I knew of them. They were angels called watchers. Just the site of them put you under their spell—they were strikingly beautiful. And just like they were placed on Island of Eden, they stood there , lifeless , as their duty was to protect and be called upon only in times of danger.
The architectural design was much like Island of Eden too—simple, elegant and modern. Nubilus was definitely breathtaking as Austin said it would be , as not a whisper of wind or the touch from Mother Nature placed its hand here. The weather was perfect , and I could breathe without any discomfort. But then again, we weren ’t high up in the clouds. We were somewhere beyond.
Nubilus nestled on top of a gigantic cloud. I walked toward the end of one side and my stomach dropped. If I took another step, I would plunge to my death. A drop to where?
“Don ’t you just love the ‘fall of endless ’?” Austin asked, peering down with me.
I backed away to my comfort level. “It ’s magical here. Kind of reminds me of Jack and the Bean Stalk . The fairy tale like castle nested on clouds. Do you have any golden eggs?”
Austin chuckled. “Let ’s go. Don ’t want to keep Katherine waiting.”
I followed Austin through the path that intertwined with other paths. There in front were stairs. I couldn ’t see them from afar so when I saw them, I gasped in surprise. There were only ten steps, but the y were not ordinary one s…they were made from clouds. I imagine d my feet going right through, but that wasn ’t the case. As I observed Austin go ing up, they gave him complete support …h e didn ’t fall through. It was phenomenal. He turned and beamed a “don ’t worry ” grin , as if he knew what I was thinking.
Feeling elated, I stepped on one step at a time with a giggle, enjoying what would only happen in a dream or in a fairy tale book , and follow ed Austin into an open large entrance that had no doors. As I marveled at this grand room, my tennis shoes squeaked across the pristine white marble floor. On our left was a huge staircase leading up to the second floor , and on to the other floors and so on.
Austin led us to the right and I followed him toward the double doors. I had expected that it was a door to Katherine ’s office, but that wasn ’t the case. The room was massive and the light seeped in through the glass walls. I only wished Austin would have informed me where he was taking me. I was overwhelmed by their presences and how many the re were.
Everyone stared with their eyes set deeply on us , as if our entrance was a sign to halt. Seemingly, they knew we were coming. All was so quiet that you could ’ve heard a pin drop. There must have been hundreds of venators, each holding a bow ; perhaps they were sparring with their partners. They stood tall with their weapon s pointed downward in a straight line formation , like statues.
Katherine g reeted us with a nod and gracefully glided silently toward us. As always, she was dressed exquisitely, attire d in a black pant -suit with a white ruffle d shirt underneath. Her hair was pulled back in a low pony -tail. Her clear crystal earring s and heart shaped necklace shone brilliantly. But what stood out the most was the ring on her hand. It was the color of turquoise, fourteen -carat crystal, rectangular shape, and facet on a white gold band. It was simply stunning , and I couldn ’t help but marvel at it.
“Hello Claudia, ” Katherine said, smiling. “Welcome back. You look well and rested.”
Managing to pee l my eyes f ro m her ring, I looked up to her welcoming, radiating smile. “Thank you, ” I replied , feeling nervous and uncomfortable as the venators continued to hone in on our conversation.
“I would like to introduce you to my venators.” She turn ed toward them with a proud gleam. “Everyone , this is Claudia.”
Unexpectly, they lowered their heads in unison as a sign of greeting , and remained standing without even a twitch. Katherine continued, “Many of them will be joining you on your mission. It will depend on how many I need to send out with you and Augustine.”
“Call me Austin, Mother, ” Austin whispered, leaning toward her.
She raised her brows in discontent, mostly likely not lik ing being corrected by him.
“Your first mission is to get to know the A lpha group and scoop the perimeter of Paradisus, a place beyond this realm. There has been some kind of energy there . I want you to take the A lpha group with you. I will see you both later for an update.”
“Yes, ” I responded, thinking I should have said something more intelligent than a simple yes. Seeing Austin bow, I bowed too. Why didn ’t I think to do that first? Where were my manners?
Then she left the room. As soon as the door closed, Austin said, “At ease.” It was like they suddenly became alive. Some of them gathered in groups. I could hear the whispering voices, most likely talking about me.
“Hello, Austin, ” a girl said suddenly. I turn ed for a second and there she was , a ll blonde and blue eyed, slightly swaying her body, batting her long lashes …clearly flirting. Her lavender spandex outfit clung tightly to every inch of her, showing off her feminine curves. She never la id her eyes on me , as if this room only exist ed for the two of them.
“Hey, Delilah. This is Claudia.”
Delilah smiled briefly without a word and focused on Austin again. “When are you going to take me to Island of Eden? I heard it ’s gorgeous.” She closed the gap between them, making me feel uncomfortable , like I was the third wheel. “Maybe not as gorgeous as you .” Her hand s rested on his broad shoulder s, and then she slid them lower to his muscula
r arms.
Gag! Hello. Clearly you don’t care I ’m here. Delilah was irritating , and what was even more irritating was that I wasn ’t sure if I was upset because she was flirting with Austin , or because Austin was flirting back. I got a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach , a nd just like that, I didn ’t like her —but why ? Then all sort s of questions ran through my mind. Was she eve r my friend? Did we get into a fight? Did I even know her? Ahhh! I brushed it off. It was no use. Clearly, my memories were still working on fixing themselves .
I did n ’t know what came over me, but one thing was sure ; pride and jealousy knew what to do. “Island of Eden is beyond gorgeous. Too bad you ha ve n ’t seen it yet. Let ’s go Austin.” I tugged his shirt and pulled him toward the door like a puppy on a leash. From the corner of my eye, I saw her huff a “how dare you ” sigh.
“Hold on a minute, ” Austin said, stopping suddenly so that his weight anchored my progress . “What was that for? I was enjoying my conversation. That was kind of rude.” He straighten ed the section of his T-shirt I had tugged.
Suddenly I felt horrible. What was wrong with me? This was not who I was …at least , I didn’t think it was .
Austin saw my apologetic expression. “Hey...I ’m flattered that you ’re jealous.” His lips and brows twist ed into a smile.
“What? No. I was not jealous. I got a bad vibe from her , that ’s all.”
“Uh huh.”
“Seriously…I don ’t know what it is, but something isn ’t right, ” I whispered this time , a fraid she may hear our conversation.
“That ’s okay. You don ’t have to admit that you ’re jealous , e ven if it was for a split second. I ’ll take it.”
“No, I wasn ’t, ” I fibbed , t hough I knew a part of me was . I would never give him the satisfaction.
“Yes, you were.”
“No, I wasn ’t.” My tone was strong and adamant.
“Yes, you were.” His tone was light and confident .
Ahhh…this conversation was going nowhere. As I turned to argue, I froze when I saw all their eyes on us. I swallowed a big lump. How silly we must look, sounding like two children arguing back and forth. Great!!! And we are supposed to be the leaders. Great going Claudia, I thought, wishing I wasn ’t t here. I could feel my whole body blaze with heat from embarrassment, but it didn ’t seem to faze Austin at all. I guess he didn ’t care much what they thought; after all , he was Katherine ’s son.
Seeing what I was observing, Austin held up his right hand. “Back as you were.” Everyone turn ed and mind ed their business as they had been , practicing their skills with their partner.
Unexpectedly, a venator walked toward us with beaming emerald green eyes and a smile that could light up th e room. He wore jeans and a navy button polar shirt. Looking directly at Austin he said, “I ’m the new Alpha team leader.” Austin practically dropped his jaw and didn ’t look pleased at all.
Chapter 7
Davin saw Claudia and Austin walking in to the training room at Nubilus City. Having her intoxicated and not knowing him was one thing, but to see her t here, alert and awake , made him nervous . How could he look her in the eye knowing he knew who she was, but she knew nothing of him? What if he sa id the wrong thing? He knew the risk , but h e wanted to be t here, and keep the promise he ’d made to Michael.
But then there was this Austin issue. He didn’t like the way Austin was taking advantage of this open opportunity with Michael out of the way. Clearly it was possible to fall in love with your guardian angel…he guessed. What did he know about falling in love anyway? He didn ’t even know what it felt like.
At first he kept his distance so he could observe from afar. He could feel some kind of connection between them. One thing he knew for sure, it was more one sided , and this made him happy. Even with Claudia ’s selective memory loss, he had faith that she would find her way home—to her home—to the truth of her past and who she really was.
Might as well get this over with , he thought. Sooner or later he would have to face her. But he couldn ’t help the strong urge to run up to her and squeeze her as he always ha d .
When he heard Austin and Claudia arguing about something, he decided it was time to step forward. A nxious, he walked toward them , hoping Claudia wouldn ’t be able to see right through him. But he couldn ’t wait to see the look on Austin ’s face when he told him the great news , and that alone made him smile .
“I ’m the new Alpha team leader, ” Davin said , gloating, ready to catch the look on Austin ’s face…pause…wait for it…and BAM…there it was.
Austin dropped his jaw and his eyes widened . Claudia was standing next to him , and Davin could see Austin visibly trying to maintain his composure . Claudia had no idea of their history , and they both knew she would ask a bunch of questions if Austin seemed displeased. All he could do was cringe at Davin ’s huge, satisfied grin.
“Davin, what a surprise. I knew you were here, but didn ’t know you were the A lpha leader.”
“Yes, Katherine thinks I ’m most qualified.”
“Oh, does she?” h e muttered under his breath.
“We ’ll be working together a lot . How about that?” he jeered through gritted teeth, slapping Austin ’s back.
Austin rolled his eyes and smirked .
Shifting her feet, Claudia cleared her throat.
Davin looked squarely into her rich and luminous golden eyes . “Hello there, pretty lady. Where were my manners?” Davin took Claudia ’s hand, knelt down , and kissed the back of her hand.
Strangely, h is mere presence made her happy , l ike seeing an old friend she hadn ’t seen in years. Her face warmed and she smiled shyly. Uneas y with his kneeling , she pulled him upright . “Nice to meet you too, Davin.”
Claudia. Davin said her name through his heart. I know you. You are my friend , he wanted to say and couldn ’t. He swallowed the guilt . He had to play along no matter how much he disliked it. Even if he did tell her everything, she would never believe him. He was a complete stranger to her.
“Have…we me t …before?” she asked hesitantly .
“Perhaps a lifetime ago, ” he answered nervously. He needed to get out of this situation or he would break right now. Think fast , he thought. “Let ’s meet the rest of the A lpha team.” Davin turned and headed back toward his team. Austin and Claudia follow ed , weav ing in and out of the sparring venators , trying not to get hit from one of them. Davin finally led them to the back.
“Your A lpha team, ” Davin introduced.
“Hey princess, ” Holly greeted.
“Hello again, ” Michelle and Gracie said at the same time. Michelle winked at Austin. Gracie blew him a kiss. Austin frowned and glanced away .
“This is Delilah, Elissa, Connor and Aaron, ” Davin continued.
They waved their hands and smiled, except for Delilah, who ignored Claudia. After the introduction s , the group went into the garden to help Claudia tighten up her skills with her bow. She got a kick out of shooting them through the clouds and having them fall off the edge, only to fall to who knew where.
Days before, Caspian had informed Michael about his family. He asked Michael to join him at the supernatural school so that his family could meet him in person. Florence and Elijah Pierce were Caspian’s adopted parents. Sophia and Alexander were fraternal twins. They could telepathically communicate with one another and read other people’s thoughts. Caspian mentioned other names , but Michael didn ’t care to listen , nor did he remember. A vampire was a vampire. He didn ’t come here to make friends. Finishing his mission as quickly as possible and getting back to Claudia was all that matter ed to him. In a way, the Pierce family reminded him of his family in Crossroads ; all the more reason to hurry. How he missed them.
Michael was used to only working with his kind. For as long as he could remember, Davin, Caleb and Vivian had always been by his side. He could count on them without thinking twice. They ’d always had each other
’s back. Now he was obligated to work with blood see k ing demons, whom he was also forced to trust. He guessed it couldn ’t be all that bad since the witches they call ed Ebony and Eliza were their friends. But being told Ebony was now also a vampire was a whole different story he didn ’t care to know , even though he knew that they turned her to save her life. He d efinitely didn ’t want to be the first angel turned vampire if they ever needed to save his life. Lucky for him, he had a healing crystal. He pulled it out to examine the beauty of it and inwardly thanked Margaret for giving it to him before he left. I t was rightfully his , handed down by his father who had passed away.
Right on schedule, he placed his crystal back into his pocket, exhaled a heavy sigh and walked in. From the moment he walked through the door until he reached the front of the auditorium, he could feel their gaze s fall heavily upon him. He glanced among the supernatural students. There must have been hundreds of them and right in front, he spotted Benjamin, the sole reason he was t here. Benjamin was the nephi li m he needed to help protect. They made eye contact and exchanged smiles .
This meeting room looked like any ordinary auditorium, only it was furnished with top-notch materials. The cherry wood tables and chairs with plush cushion s looked too comfortable , n ot that they could feel the difference. In the front of the room was a laptop and a projector placed on a table.
Michael didn’t want to be the center of attention, more so he didn ’t want to be t here. He had just been with Claudia. He could still smell her scent , as if she was right t here. Even though the experience with her had weakened him, h e had to be strong and make it through this speech. Impressing the vampires was important. As Michael prepared himself to speak, all eyes were focused, filled with curiosity as they listened intently.
Michael cleared his throat. “Hello, my name is Michael. Angels like myself are called alk ins . We are the first and only generation in Crossroads. We are not permitted to interact with mortals. We can ’t spend extended periods of time away from Crossroads. You can think of it like a rechargeable battery. We need to return home to energize ourselves. Of course , there are times we would like to stay here, but it ’s just not allowed , and they will change everything to keep it that way. I know it ’s for her…I mean….” Uncontrollable thoughts of Claudia rippled through his mind , causing him to stumble off topic . He closed his eyes. “Focus, ” he said to himself.