Davin stepped onto Crossroads, parted the tall grass and dashed though. Soaring across the thick , puffy clouds, he could not wait to see his friends. As he entered the colossal doors, it reminded him of the f irst time Claudia visited . She had looked like a little girl in a can dy store , h er eyes dazzled , not believing where she was.
He hadn’t been gone that long; he wasn ’t sure si nce they had no sense of time. As he gazed at everything around him, he saw the beauty of Halo City for the first time and wondered why he hadn ’t noticed it before. Capturing t he eternal light , the crystal ceiling radiated throughout, sparkling like diamonds , illuminating the entire room. Davin was so busy inspecting that he hadn ’t notice d his f riends standing by the entrance, watching him, wondering what he was doing.
“Davin!” Alexa Rose shouted, running toward him.
Davin turned and placed a huge grin on his face. With open arms, he welcomed her .
Alexa Rose wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. “I missed you so much.”
Davin leaned down, cupped her face and kissed her forehead. He looked up and stood in front of Caleb and Vivian. “I told you I ’d come back to visit.” He pulled Vivian into his hold and swung her around , and gave Caleb a manly hug with a slap on his back.
“Where ’s Michael ?” Alexa asked, waiting patiently for the greeting to end.
“He couldn ’t come, but maybe next time.”
“Did you see him?” A lexa Rose asked , trying not to sound worried or eager.
“I sure did.”
“Does he know you ’re here?” Vivian asked.
“No. We ’re kind of doing our own thing .” His eyes filled with sadness.
“How is he doing?” Caleb asked, referring to Michael’s pain of losing Claudia they way he had .
“He ’s okay. Just okay. It ’s rea lly difficult for him, but he ’s managing it. I came back because I was given permission to let you know you ’ll be joining us very soon . Katherine needs more help. The venators are good, but they are in t rain ing . I ’m so excited you ’ll be with me !”
“Really?” Vivan asked enthusiastically.
“Nah . I was just joking.”
Vivian’s eyes fell from disappointment.
“Nah. I ’m just joking again . Of course I ’m serious. Whoo hoo!” Davin twirl ed Viv i an ag a in . “Like the good old days.”
“Why y ou…you….” She wr u ng her fist tightly on his T-shirt , not knowing whether to be mad at him for playing her or hug him from happiness. “You ’ve become such a human , teasing me like that.” She let go.
“What do you mean…I ’ve always been more human .” Davin laughed out loud. “And of course you too, ” he said , looking at Caleb. “Katherine will be speaking to Phillip soon.
Caleb grinn ed and said, “Cool !”
“Give me five, ” Davin said to Ca leb , holding out his hand with his palm showing. Caleb didn ’t know what to do. Davin took Caleb ’s hand and showed him how to slap it.
“Strange, ” Caleb said.
“I know, but that ’s what the humans do…sometimes.” Davin shrugged his shoulders. “So , now that I ’ve shared my exciting news, what ’s up?”
“Nothing much. We like it this way , of course. Peace and quiet. But the plan is still on…right?”
“Yup, the plan is still on . I know Michael is working on it when he gets a chance. I don ’t know how he does it.”
Alexa Rose tug ged on Davin ’s shirt. “What plan?”
“Grown up plan and you ’re too little to know .” Davin lightly tap ped her nose. “How about you, my little one. How have you been?”
“Well…I spent my days worried about Michael and you. I prayed Michael would n ’t turn into a demon .” She sway ed back and forth, holding out her pretty pink dress.
“Yeah…me too, but he told me they ’r e pretty cool. So don ’t worry t o o much , okay?” Davin brus hed Alexa Rose ’s cheek. “What does Michael always say to you?”
“That I ’m too little to worry about grown up things.”
“That ’s right. Michael isn ’t here, but that ’s what he would say. Why don ’t you go on ahead and I ’ll catch you later. Meet me at the fountain.”
“I see…you ’re having a grown up talk , aren ’t you?” She giggled .
“You are just too smart for me.” Davin smiled.
“Sometimes …see you when I see you, ” she replied , beaming her a dorable smile. As she skipped away, her golden locks bounced with her steps , and Phillip, Margaret and Agnes enter ed .
“Whaaa….” he started to say and stopped. He was about to say , “What ’s up ?” then realized they wouldn ’t un derstand , and it was not how one should speak to elders.
“Davin, ” Margaret announced happily. “It ’s good to see you.” She rested her hands on his shoulder s and pulled him in for a light hug. Agnes did the same, and Phillip no d ded his head and smiled.
Warmth spread through Davin’s soul. He hadn ’t realized h ow much he ’d missed his family , and as he caught their eyes , h e could sense they missed him too.
“How ’s Michael ?” Margaret asked.
“He ’s alright. He ’s doing his best.”
“Good. I ’m glad .”
“We were told the dark shadows have escaped. This isn ’t something to be taken lightly. A soul h as been taken, someone like Claudia. There are more like her out there , and they are in grave danger, ” Philip informed. “I know Katherine is doing her best.”
“Yes, she is, ” Davin agreed .
“So, h ow do you feel working with venators ?” Agnes inquired.
Davin raised his brows and thought about the question. “They ’re…different . I miss the good old day s , chasing after Michael and Caleb.”
As Davin lighten ed the mood and ma de everyone laugh, they move d toward the fountain.
Chapter 10
I woke up to a beautiful morning, feeling fully rested. My room had no windows, only the double doors that led to a long walkway to the cliff, but I could already feel the warm th from the sun that it provided every single day. I didn ’t realize I was wrapped like a burrito in my blanket until I tried to move. It suddenly reminded me of th e angel , and when I was safely tucked in his embrace.
A smile spread across my face and my heart started to thump faster just by the mere thought of him. How could this stranger have this effect on me? I didn ’t know his name, let alone kn o w what he looked like , b ut something about him made me feel th at way. I needed to stop thi nking about it . I t was a waste of energy thinking about someone who wasn ’t thinking about you.
A soft knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. “Come in.”
The door cracked open, and Holly peered in. She was dressed in j eans with a gray ruffled short sleeve d shirt. The ruffles ran down the middle where the buttons were stitched. “Hey. You ready to have some fun?”
“Come in, ” I said cheerfully. I had forgotten about the girl s ’ day out. “I sure am. Is it just you and me?” I asked, trying not to sound disappointed or ungr ateful.
“Of course not, ” Michelle said, pushing Holly in and opening the door wider.
“Don ’t forget your favorite person .” Gracie stepped forward.
Michelle and Gracie were slightly over dressed for a day gathering. They both wore tight black sk irt s with different colored tops. Michelle ’s w as red and Gracie wore a hot pink shirt. Their hair was perfectly made, and they did, indeed, look perfect…down to their high heels, coordinat ed to the color s of their shirt s . It s eem ed like every time I s aw them —be sides when they were in training or fighting demons —they were dressed like they were going on a hot date.
“Me too, ” Elissa said as she stepped in to reveal her ca s ual outfit, jeans and a T-shirt. It was nice to see her wearing a bit of makeup and her red hair in soft curls .
“Great, ” I smiled, still lying in bed, wondering what I ’d got ten myself into. “Let me tell Austin I
’m leaving.”
“He ’s not here, ” Holly said.
“What?” I said softly, trying not to sound disappointed, and not know ing why. I guess ed I had got ten too used to having him cater to my needs all the time.
“He ’s in Nubilus City, ” Michelle informed.
“Oh….” I figure d he went to see Katherine.
“He ’s with Delilah , ” Gracie added.
My breath felt short. I felt a twinge of jealousy rush through me real fast. I tried my best to smile —even a fake smile would do…but nothing. “Let me get dressed, ” I said finally.
After I put on my jeans and a T-shirt, they took me off of Island of Eden and we hopped into Holly ’s car . Michelle, Gracie and Elissa sat in the back of Holly ’s silver SUV while I sat in the front passenger ’s seat. Wondering where we were going, I looked out the window. Nothing seemed familiar , and I didn ’t even bother to ask. There was small talk in the car, but we mostly listened to the musi c, until I finally could no longer take the curiosity of where we were spending our day. “Where are we going?”
“I thought we ’d go shopping.” Holly continued to tap her fingers to the bea t of the bass on the steering wheel .
Then it dawned on me. “I forgot to bring my purse, ” I lied. The fact was I didn ’t have one. And if I did, where was it? I never needed one , since Austin was always with me and we hardly ever went out to town.
“Don ’t worry. Austin gave me your credit card, ” Holly smiled. “I have it inside my purse. See, it ’s a good thing we ’re going shopping. We can buy you a purse too.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, I resumed look ing out the window. Again, I felt useless. The only money I remember ed having was the inheritance from Gamma. She left everything to me , including her house . I never ha d to work a day in my life. The amount of money she passed down to me was enough for my life time and then some.
The girls in the back held their own conversation. They acted and talked like they were life time friends. If they were truly my friends, why d id I feel like I d id n ’t fit in? Maybe it was my fault .
It started off slow, but shopping broke th e ice. They had me trying on different outfits till I felt like a supermodel on a run way. We e ven took turns checking each other ’s outfits , g iving a thumbs up if we liked it or thumbs down if not. We all bought outfits for different occasion s: ca s ual, formal and even one for a girl ’s night out. By the time we had eno ugh, we walked out with six big shopping bags each , and I even bought a purse. Not just one pur se, but several of them.
Michelle and Gracie flirted with the cute guys they encountered . We gig gled out loud like school girls , and I felt like a normal teenage girl. Austin was a remarkable friend and guardian, but hanging out with my girl friends was different in ways only girls could understand. Even knowing this, I couldn ’t help wonder what he was doing . I didn ’t want to think about it anymore , so I shoo k off the thought of him .
The drive back home was much cozier. The music was turned down low and our conversation was about the shopping experience and the hot guys we me t , but all of sudden, I needed to rel iev e my bladder. I spotted a small s hoppi ng plaza from a distance.
“Could you pull over ?” I asked .
“What?” Holly looked shock ed , like she never heard those word s before.
“I need to pee, ” I said sheepishly.
“You need to pee?” e veryone said , and looked at me like I ’d just told them something str ange.
We pulled off the highway and I jumped ou t of the car. Everyone else stayed behind except for Holly. We ran into a store called Fashion Wear , and t he door chimed when we walked in.
“Hello, welcome to Fashion Wea r, ” the sales person cheered , standing behind the register helping a customer. Her smile was friendly, looking at me through her soft hazel eyes.
“I ’m so sorry, but I need to use the restro om.” Then I looked at Holly, unsure why she followed me in . “I mean, we need to use the restroom.” I felt bad for interrupting.
“Sure. Go ahead. Straight ahead to your left. My name is Na n ci if you need anything.”
“Thanks, ” I said and proceed ed quickly. I was just about to pull the door handle when someone unexpectedly appeared on the other side. She looked at me and beamed a pleasant smile. Her smile warmed my heart in way s I couldn ’t describe. I was blocking her way out , that I knew for sure, but I wasn ’t sure how long I was staring at her. I t was déjà vu, like I had seen her before. Her mere presence gave me peace and comfort. It was the strangest feeling, the kind of feeling I ’d had when I first met Davin.
Though she continued to smile, her eyes were filled with questions, most likely wondering why I wasn ’t letting her out. “Excuse me, ” she finally said.
I snapped out of my trance. “Oh…I ’m so sorry.” I opened the door wider and allowed her to pass through. “Do I know her ?” I asked Holly, thinking that maybe I did and my selective amn e sia got in the way. For some reason Holly loo ked nervous, but she just smiled and shook her head.
After we took care of our business, I paced slowly across the store , observing the grand size , the high ceiling , and racks and racks of clothes. Though it wasn ’t a high class store, the kind of store my friends would like to shop at, it r adiated warm , friendly ambiance. Before I reached for the handle, I politely thanked Nanci.
“Hey Patty, could you take over for m e ? I need to make a phone call, ” I heard someone say .
I stopped and froze half way out the door, unable to move. Th e name Patty struck a nerve. Racking my memories, I closed my eyes, trying to figure out where and how I knew that name and why I felt this way. Holly m ust have thought I was losing it because she le d me out gently with her arms draped around my shoulders , cradling me like a child who needed guidance. “Hey, you okay?” Her tone was kind and caring. She cont inue d to lead me to the car, open ed my door, and guide d me in.
“I…I…just feel a little dizzy.” That was the truth , and I decided that I wasn ’t going tell her the reasons. “I think I just need some rest. All this shopping go t me w ired up. You know I don ’t get out much.”
“Yeah. We were out all day, ” Holly agreed. “Let ’s get you home.”
“Instead of taking me home, can you take me to Gamma ’s house? Just drop me off and I ’ll find my way back.” I needed to be close to Gamma even though I knew she wasn ’t there. I neede d to be somewhere I knew I belong ed , a place that I could call my home.
Holly looked at me and then back to the windshield, looking straight ahead. “I don ’t know if that’s a good idea. Austin may have issues.”
“Holly , I ’m not asking for your permission .” I tried to sound as polite as possible. “Please, I ’m asking you to take me there. I ’m a big girl. Everyone acts like I can ’t do anything for myself , l ike I ’m this precious China doll about to break. I need to sort things. I ’m really confused, frustrated and….” I stopped when the roads became familiar. Holly pulled u p right in front of Gamma ’s house.
“I ’ll tell Austin you ’re here. Please don ’t go anywhere else , and please don ’t do anything crazy.”
I g a ve her an “a re you kid ding ” look. “Thanks. It ’ll make me feel better.”
Holly let out a deep sigh. “It better , or else I won ’t hear the end of it from the boss . Don ’t worry about your bags. I ’ll put them in your room.”
After I thanked my friends for a great time, I grabbed my purse and headed to Gamma ’s house. Just as I wondered how I would get through the door without the keys , I decided to try turning the knob, hoping my angelic powers would kick in.
Concentrating on the doorknob, I willed my mind to open the door . A tingling warm sensation ran through me , the way it feels when you step into the sun from the cold. I turned the knob .
Click.
A successful smile spread across my face and I walked in. I let out a deep anguish ed sigh, missing Gamma ’s presence , and the pain
still stung like I had just buried her yesterday. Unexpected tears rolled down my cheeks as I stood by the doorway. Memories of her and her love for me rush ed through me . I took a moment of silence and let go of all the pain and tears , then looked up when I was ready.
Looking around, nothing had been touched , as expected. The paintings on the wall hung s traight though dusty. I spotted the rocking chair she had loved so much and sat on it. As I rocked back and forth, I gazed at the small coffee table with several picture frames. One of the picture s wa s Gamma and her friends. The other one was of Gamma, me and a woman I didn ’t recognize. She had her arms around Gamma and me. Pictures d id n ’t lie , so why didn ’t I recognize her? She obvious knew me. The only excuse I could use was my selective amnesia. Either way, I was determine d to find out who she was.
I opened the frame, folded the pictur e carefully and placed it inside my black purse. Afterward, I walked around the house , looking for more evidence or anything that could help me. Since I could n’t find anything helpful , I sat b ack down on the rocking chair. As I rocked back and forth like a pendulum on a clock, my mind and body relaxed. Exhausted , I f oun d myself drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 11
My eyes were wide open, u nable to tell if I was awake or if it was a dream. I tried to stand up, but I couldn ’t move. My mind and body were not in sync . I scream ed for help, but no sound escaped from my mouth , so I sat there , immobile , trembl ing with terror , knowing something was coming for me. I could feel my heart hammer ing out of control as a wave of panic struck through my core.
Sure enough, the dark shadows were swarming around me. Recalling what they could do, I had to find a way to escape. The shadows spiral ed around my ankles , reaching higher. There was no on e to help me so I took matters into my own hands . The f ear that emanated through my veins sudde nly eased, and I became calm . After all, m y father was one of God ’s first angels , and though I had sel ective amnesia , that was one thing I hadn ’t forgotten.