Chapter Twelve
Fallen
Nathaniel fell to his knees and held his head. Not only had he let God down by his stupid actions, he’d practically given Eloise to Lucifer. And if Devlin did sell his soul to him and fall to Earth, he’d use his good-looks and charm to trick Eloise into believing he loved her. Then Lucifer would have control over both of them.
Rocking on his heels, Nathaniel bit hard into his knuckle. There had to be a way he could warn her, but how? He couldn’t just turn up at her house stark naked and homeless. Madeline would call the police and have him arrested. Staring up at the ominous sky, he held his arms out.
“Oh, Lord, I know that I deserved to be punished, but why have you forsaken Eloise?”
Hearing no answer, he glanced around, but the beach was deserted. Even Ramiel had abandoned him and so had Michael. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he rested his head on his knees, but that didn’t warm him. Shivering with cold and pain, he got to his feet and started running along the shore to warm himself. At least if anyone turned up, he could dive into the ocean.
As he tried to figure out where to go from here, he pondered on why this had happened to him. He’d always prided himself on his willpower and morals, but now he’d weakened and broken God’s rules. Though that didn’t mean he was willing to join Lucifer and become one of his demons. He’d just have to find a job and a place to live. Then somehow, he’d find a way to help Eloise, though that would take too long. Closing his eyes he rubbed the back of his neck. There must be something he could do now. Lucifer had given him twenty-four hours before making an offer to Devlin, but who in their right mind would trust him? Guessing he’d probably already done a deal with Devlin, he knew he’d better find some clothing, and fast. Then at least he could go and warn Eloise.
He was already feeling tired but there was no time to stop. Looking ahead, he spotted the public restrooms in the distance. If he was lucky, there could be some discarded clothes in there that he could use. If not, as lest he could shelter from the wind for a while. As he sprinted towards the white stone building, a strong wind whipped sand in his face, peppering his skin as if he’d been stabbed by a thousand tiny needles. He sheltered his eyes with his hands and kept on running. Being human certainly wasn’t easy. He was used to flying from place to place within minutes or even seconds, and the pain that humans felt certainly wasn’t pleasant, though the mental anguish was worse. The ache in his heart and mind from the loss of guarding Eloise was tearing him apart and he’d never felt so useless.
It suddenly dawned on him that he was the only human on Earth who knew about Lucifer’s plan to capture Eloise’s soul and his stomach knotted like never before. He was sure he was going to throw up again, but he couldn’t stay on the beach stark naked, even if it was getting darker. He’d be arrested for indecent exposure for sure.
Reaching the white stone building, he entered the men’s changing rooms, but as he walked inside, he stopped in his tracks. The water was running in one of the cubicles and someone was whistling. As he tiptoed around to check the empty cubicles for any leftover clothing, he noticed a tracksuit and a pair of joggers on the bench. It was the only bit of luck he’d had since losing his wings, so without another thought, he gathered them up and bolted outside. With his heart pounding in his chest, he glanced around to make sure no one was coming, then he darted around to the back of the building. He guessed the clothes belonged to the guy in the shower, but he couldn’t afford to feel guilty. Saving Eloise before it was too late was the only thing on his mind.
With a fresh feeling of hope, he dashed behind some bushes and pulled on the track-pants. He could hear the man singing from the shower window only a few meters away. His heart racing, he quickly shrugged into the jacket and zipped it up, then he curled his nose up and cringed. The top was damp with sweat and there was a horrible pungent smell under the arms. Unable to be choosy in his predicament, he shoved his feet into the sneakers, but as he tied the laces, the taps in the shower went off and the cubicle door squeaked open.
His pulse whooshing in his ears, he crossed himself, then tiptoed out of the scrub and bolted as fast as he could down the first sandy bush track he came to. As adrenalin pumped through his veins, he glanced over his shoulder. Holy crap! The man was charging after him, wearing nothing but a towel.
“Hey, you freaking shithead,” he yelled. “Come back here with my clothes or I’ll break your frigging neck.”
Nathaniel ran faster, his legs aching like he’d never known. When he reached the street, he darted across the road and zipped into a supermarket. After hiding behind some shelves, he bent forward with his hands on his knees as he tried to get his breath back. As he waited for his heart to slow down, he prayed the man hadn’t seen where he’d gone, but when he peered out the window, he spotted him across the road. He was standing on the other side of the street with his hands on his hips and a towel around his waist. Jeez, he was only a teenager. He didn’t look more than nineteen or twenty, though he was well over six-feet tall and built like an ox. And from the way he was clenching his jaw and flexing his biceps and, he was looking for a fight.
Nathaniel bit his lip. He didn’t doubt for a second that he would win any fight with a human. He’d fought too many battles with demons to be afraid of a muscle-bound teenager, but that didn’t mean he wanted to engage in useless street brawling, nor did he want to hurt an innocent boy. Waiting for an opportunity to escape, he moved away from the window so he couldn’t be seen. Time was running out and all he was interested in was getting to Eloise and warning her of the danger before Lucifer spoke to Devlin.
When a bus pulled up outside the store, it blocked his view of the road, but when it moved with the flow of the traffic, the boy was nowhere in sight. After waiting a few minutes to make sure he’d gone, Nathaniel strode to the exit, but as he passed a full length mirror, his jaw dropped with shock as he stared at himself.
His curly brown hair was windblown and sticking out in all directions as if he’d had a fright. There was sand and blood all over his face and dark circles under his eyes. And for the first time in his existence, his normally smooth chin was covered with dark stubble. Frowning, he glanced at his clothes in disgust. He looked like he’d slept in a refuse tip. The tracksuit was now stained with his blood and although he was six-feet tall and muscular, it hung from his body like a sack. Eloise would think he was a homeless person, but then that’s exactly what he was. He had no money, no possessions, and nowhere to stay.
Knowing he couldn’t afford to waste a second over vanity, he rushed outside. No wonder people were staring at him. They were probably wondering why his clothes were covered in blood. As he hurried up the street, the aroma coming from a restaurant entrance was making his stomach growl. He guessed it was the smell of cooked food, but having never experienced hunger before, he was surprised how uncomfortable it felt. He blew out a sigh. It was much easier being an angel and not having to worry about things such as food and grooming.
He raked his hands through his tangled curls and pulled his collar up around his neck. It was already dusk and he still hadn’t figured out where he was going to sleep for the night, but looking for shelter would have to wait until after he’d seen Eloise and made sure she was okay.
Though it wasn’t raining, the air was damp and cold and as he jogged along Beach Road, he was glad for the comfort of the shoes, at least they were the right size.
As he turned into the cul-de-sac where Eloise lived, his stomach flipped with nervousness. Although that was another thing he wasn’t used to, he was also experiencing something strangely pleasant, a sort of anticipation at seeing her again. Just the thought of her was making his heart skip, though he didn’t have a clue what he was going to say to her. But knowing Eloise’s sweet nature, he didn’t expect her to call the police on him, at least he hoped not. He wasn’t so sure about Madeline though. If she was home, she’d more than likely get the broom to him, and then have him arrested. She could be
quite fiery when it came to protecting her daughter.
The nearer he got to Eloise’s house, the faster his heart raced. Nerve endings in parts of his body he never knew existed began to twitch and he took a deep breath to calm himself. His hands were sweating and his legs were wobbling so much, he was sure they’d buckle from under him. What on Earth was happening to him? He was behaving like a child. Grabbing onto the neighbour’s fence to steady himself, he stopped to rest for a moment. His head was aching and his mouth was dry. With a sudden urge to drink water, he licked his lips and stared at a garden hose, though he feared if he turned the tap on, someone would come out and see him.
Deciding not to risk it, he turned into Eloise’s driveway instead. Although he was pleased Madeline’s car was nowhere in sight, he was disappointed to see Tom’s motorbike, still parked on the lawn. He was hoping to talk to Eloise alone.
As he tiptoed down the side of the house, dried leaves crunched under his shoes. Freezing on the spot, he feared someone would come out and see him sneaking around. He began to feel even more self-conscious about seeing Eloise now that he was so close to her, and his face was burning with embarrassment.
Hearing her sweet voice, he realised he was standing only a few feet from her open bedroom window and his heart began to pound. It was already quite dark outside, so he hoped she couldn’t see him, but when he peeked into her room, he sucked in a sharp breath and held his mouth. Tom was lying on the bed next to her and they were looking at a book. When Tom suddenly leaned over and kissed her, Nathaniel fell to his knees and held his chest. There was a pain in his heart as if he’d been stabbed with a dagger, he was sure he was going to die.
As he leaned against the side of the house, he covered his face with his hands. He shouldn’t have come here. Spying on Eloise like this just wasn’t right. He wasn’t her guardian angel any more. It felt so wrong—but why, oh why did it hurt so bad to see her being kissed by Tom?
Taking deep breaths, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ease the ache in his heart. Neither the hunger in his belly or the burns on his back felt as bad as the mental anguish he was feeling. The image of Eloise and Tom kissing was tearing him apart, and he couldn’t get it out of his head. He doubted any willpower or denial could stop the way he felt, but what on Earth was it? Love, lust, jealousy? Probably all three, but he had no idea how to handle it.
Stumbling to his feet, he clenched his fists. He was losing control again. He just wanted to drag Tom away from her and toss him onto the street, but not for the right reasons. Trembling with an uncontrollable rage, he staggered to the bottom of the garden and leaned against a gum tree. But no matter how many deep breaths he took, he was unable to control the fury building inside him. Growling like a bear, he punched the tree trunk with both fists, not stopping until blood squirted from his knuckles and splashed on his face and clothes. As he cried out in pain, he stared up at the night sky. It seemed fallen angels were just left to suffer for their sins with no help from the Lord, or his angels. Holding his wounded hands to his heart, he bowed his head in shame. Why wouldn’t God punish him? After all, he was punishing himself, wasn’t he?—even if he couldn’t help the way he felt about Eloise. Tears filled his eyes. He had no more control of his feelings for her than he did of breathing air into his lungs.
He slumped against the tree and gritted his teeth as he laughed hysterically. The pain from his wounds was excruciating, but it hadn’t overtaken the pain in his heart like he’d intended it to do. He still wanted Eloise more than anything in the universe, and if he had the chance to give her up to earn his wings back, he knew he’d refuse. Throwing his head back, he screamed up to the Heavens. “Keep your bloody wings. I will fight my battles alone.”
To be continued in: Nathaniel Teen Angel...................
To Follow the Ominous Series:
Nathaniel Teen Angel (Book One)
Ominous Love (Book Two)
Ominous Angel (Book Three)
New Series Coming Soon
A huge thank you to Patti Roberts for creating my wonderful book covers. Thank you also to Melisa Hamling for checking the medical terminology in the hospital scenes.
Thank you to my wonderful husband for putting up with my endless hours on my computer, to my mother for her encouragement, my father for giving me the confidence to follow my dream, my in-laws for always telling me I born to be an author, and to my family for their support.
To everyone that has read my books, thank you so much. You make it all worthwhile and I’m truly grateful.
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