Turning to face the imposing 12th century kirk, Alex drew a deep breath to steady his frayed nerves. He stepped forward; leading his small band the short distance across the flagstones to the cathedral’s doors. Alex could not help but allow his eyes to run up and down its old stones again. He had been here many times; it was a happy, busy, pleasant place of worship. But seeing it draped in the shadow of night made it look unwelcoming. The pale light of the crescent moon bleached the stones of their colour, their character and their soul. It felt as if they were walking into a false church; a poor, cold, hollow copy made of paper shadows.
They found Gabriel sitting on the steps to the altar, his sword resting across his folded legs. Monica sat as far away from him as she could on the steps, her knees huddled to her chest. She made no attempt to scream or bolt when she saw her guardian angel. Instead she stared at him with wide, wary eyes. Gabriel slowly rose to his feet, sword in hand. He seemed at ease, half-stretching his black feathers as he stepped forward to meet his brother.
“This was not part of the bargain,” he said flatly, shooting Hayley a deadly glance. The newborn held his stare, flexing her fingers around the pommel of her sheathed blade.
“Hayley had already ascended by the time we got your message,” Alex replied coolly from behind dark eyes.
“Oh yes,” Gabriel said with a wry smile. Placing the point of his sword against the floor, he twirled it idly with his right hand. “Then she came back from the dead and mysteriously she has ascended again.” He stopped the action and looked at his younger brother, amusement dancing in his eyes. “How stupid do you think I am?”
“Pretty stupid,” Alex said.
Gabriel’s eyes widened with surprise. Then they flashed with anger. “You are the one who thought such a naïve trick would coax me out. I can’t believe you really thought I would go back to the hospital after she mysteriously returned from the dead. Such an obvious sitting duck to bait me with?” He smiled.
“You were the one stupid enough to tell us where to find you.”
The right corner of Gabriel’s lip curled, forming a mischievous smile. For a heartbeat in the grey half-light of the dark cathedral he looked almost the reflection of his younger brother. “You three are no threat to me. You know I am the faster,” he said, his eyes moving between them. “I would have killed the girl and have slain at least two of you by the time you took a step forward, Alexander.”
“You leave her out of this,” Galloway warned, drawing several inches of his sword. Hayley placed a hand on his arm. He stared at her angrily. Hayley shook her head. Reluctantly and slowly, he sheathed the blade.
Gabriel watched on with a wide grin. “This one is clearly young and stupid. Tell me, boy, is this your first time as a guardian?”
Galloway faltered under the fallen angel’s piercing gaze. Swallowing hard, he lowered his eyes.
“That’s a yes, then,” Gabriel tittered, looking Alex’s way. “Losing the first one is always the hardest, wouldn’t you agree, brother?” he asked, voice dripping with venom.
Alex held his gaze. “He is right, though. She has done nothing wrong. She is not a part of this. This is only between you, Hayley and me.”
Gabriel’s eyes wandered back to Hayley. “Give me the War Child and you can have the girl.”
“How about…”
“Shh!” Gabriel commanded, raising a hand. Alex fell silent. Gabriel’s eyes flitted this way and that. Then they returned to Alex, a smile creeping across his face. “Oh, very clever, I should have known.”
Michael stood behind the fallen archangel, the point of his sword pressed against his back, just left of Gabriel’s spine.
“Galloway,” Michael said, nodding towards the frightened three-year-old huddled at the corner of the altar steps. The guardian ran for her without question, forgetting the danger of Gabriel as he bolted past. Scooping the trembling, sobbing youngster in his arms, he retreated back behind Alexander.
Michael looked at Alex. “Take his sword.”
Alex cautiously reached for the blade, watching Gabriel like a hawk lest he tried something. Gabriel watched back with smiling eyes but surrendered the sword without any resistance. Blade in hand, Alex carefully stepped away.
“It is over, Gabriel,” Michael said firmly. “You will be returned to your sky cell and await your trial with The Elders. New charges will be added and you will be judged on those accordingly.”
Gabriel’s smiled broadened.
“Michael!” Alex screamed too late. The cathedral exploded.
Chapter Eighteen
Hayley’s screams rang through his mind. The pain of her flesh being stripped from the bone by the flames poured through him like a suffocating torrent. Coupled with his agony, the experience of being incinerated twice was overwhelming. It took an asserted effort but Alex finally managed to harness enough strength on his end of their conjoined soul to overpower his panicking counterpart. He numbed Hayley’s consciousness and reeled her energy into his. The blast had scattered both their energy states like ashes to the wind and Alex needed to pull them back together into one, single entity.
With Hayley’s soul and his own in one place, Alex reappeared as flesh and bone in a nearby grave yard. He fell hard onto his knees and pain shot through them. Alex threw his head back and gasped, the cold night air stabbing at his lungs. His weak limbs and pounding heart drove him onto all fours, coughing desperately. His wings splayed open across the frozen grass. They felt like leaden sheets across his back. Alex felt his stomach churn and for a moment he thought he would be sick. At the last it seemed to settle, as did his reeling mind and aching limbs. It felt as if he had been in a boxing match. He allowed himself to slump to the ground. After a few minutes he used a gravestone to pull himself up. Turning and resting his back against it, Alex pressed his head back against the cold stone and drew a deep breath, shutting his eyes. He felt Hayley begin to stir within his chest.
Kindred. Even in his mind he sounded weak.
Hayley’s soul flashed with a muted glow. I think I’m hurt.
You’re fine, you’re just tired, it will pass, he reassured her.
Galloway? she asked, looking through his eyes.
He’s safe, I can sense him. He showed her.
Where’s Gabriel?
Alex released a deep breath and it frosted on the night air. He shook his head. “I don’t know but he’s a long way from here, that’s for sure.”
Michael fell from the sky in a flurry of feathers and a whirlwind of rage. He landed heavily a short distance from his subordinate, his boots crunching upon the frozen, short grass. “Are you both all right?” he called, hurrying to them.
Pushing himself off the ground, Alex staggered onto wobbly legs. “Yeah, we’re fine,” he said, still breathing heavily.
Michael looked him up and down, his angry eyes growing soft. “That blast knocked a lot out of you.”
Alex nodded meekly. “Hayley wasn’t expecting it. Her energy was scattered.”
Michael gave him a sorry look. “She is much too young to know what to do in such situations. I should never have asked you to bring her here.”
Alex shook his head and drew another deep breath. “It’s fine, she wouldn’t have let you come alone anyway.” A roar of fire engine sirens drew their attention back to the orange and red dancing inferno on the horizon. Alex’s eyes grew wide. “How could he do such a thing?”
Michael stiffened, his expression turning hard. “Any hope I harboured for him is gone now. He truly is beyond redemption.”
Alex looked back to the brooding archangel. “Do you know where he’s gone?”
Michael’s eyes told him yes but he uttered not a word.
“Michael, please, let us help you,” Alex implored.
The archangel shook his head. “No, I have already asked too much of you both. Return home, Alexander. This is not your fight anymore.”
Alex blinked. Incomprehension crossed his face. “But we still have so much to
do here...”
“Your mandate was to protect Hayley Foster until she died. That has happened,” Michael said flatly. “It’s over, Alexander. Go home. I will continue the hunt for Gabriel.”
Alex was about to protest further but the angel was gone in a rumble of thunder. He stared at the inky, black sky, wide eyed, looking for an answer he could not find.
******
Alexander burst through the door to John’s room. The teenager - who had been staring out of the window - jumped. His shocked expression turned to relief when he realised who it was. “Alex…”
The angel nodded his way but his attention was firmly on his brother in the corner of the room. Christopher had been sitting, crossed-legged, reading when they came in. He stood now.
“Brother, what news?” The younger angel asked, hurrying across the room.
He shook his head. “Gabriel escaped…again…” he grumbled.
“Where’s Hayley?” John asked, joining them.
“She’s here, John. In here,” Alex said, pointing a finger to his temple.
John gave the guardian a funny look but was wise enough not to press for an explanation. They had bigger problems to deal with - much bigger.
“She’s not in the best mood for talking,” Alex directed his words to Christopher. “Michael is chasing Gabriel. Hayley and I have been ordered to go home.”
Christopher’s eyes widened. “What?” he shouted, louder than he intended.
“I know.” Turning, Alex walked across the room on silent feet to the table. Pulling the closest chair out, he sat down. He sighed. “We came here because we didn’t know what to do.” He shook his head. “Neither of us want to go home…not yet anyway.”
“This is not fair,” Christopher said, finally breaking out of his stunned stupor.
“Fair isn’t the way I would describe it but I know what you mean. I dislike Mike going after him alone. What if something happened to him?”
“No, no, brother, that’s not what I meant.”
Alex straightened, his wings twitching with curiosity. “What do you mean?”
Christopher stared at him for the longest time, his sullen face betraying no explanation.
“Chris?” Alex asked, standing.
The younger angel turned away, head low.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Alex asked, hurrying over to his little brother. “Christopher,” he said gently, placing hands on his shoulders. Christopher lifted his head to reveal pools of tears in his grey eyes. They looked like pebbles at the bottom of deep streams.
“This. All this, Alexander,” Christopher muttered in choked tones. “None of this was ever supposed to happen.”
Alex shook his head. “I know, Christopher, but I don’t know what we can do about it.”
“You’re not meant to go home. Michael was never meant to send you away.”
Alex let go of him. “There’s something you’re not telling us.”
Biting his lip, Christopher reached into his trouser pocket. A moment later he produced a folded scrap of paper. He held it out to Alex.
Alex gave the crumbled piece a wary glance then looked back at his brother.
“Take it.”
“No. It’s not for us to read,” Alex insisted, drawing away.
“But I want you to read it.”
“Those words are not for Hayley’s eyes or mine!”
“Does it really matter anymore when our planned timelines are so messed up now?” Christopher asked, following him, arm outstretched.
“I don’t care! I was wrong to ask you what it said in the first place! I don’t want to know!”
“What is it?” John cut in.
“Nothing,” Alex spat. John looked stung.
“It is not nothing! If you will not read it then I will,” Christopher said, fumbling open the slip of paper. Glancing at the elegant glyphs before him, he looked at his brother. Alexander’s face turned ashen. The message delivered, Christopher carefully refolded the piece of paper he had clung to with such great care for so long and returned it to his pocket.
“What is it? What did he say?” John asked, looking at Alex desperately for an answer.
Alex stared at John as if he were a stranger. The teen shifted about uneasily. “It doesn’t matter,” he said.
“Oh, come on! It must have been something! It’s not like you two to be scared of a bloody piece of paper.”
“Leave it alone, John,” Alex warned him, his eyes narrowing. “Some words are meant for only angels, not boys.”
“I’m not a boy! Don’t you dare talk to me like that!”
Ignoring him, Alex turned towards the door. John threw his mind at him, but the youth was shot down instantly by the angel’s superior conscience. One glare over his shoulder was enough to send the teenager’s mind reeling and his knees giving way. John fell onto his arse shivering and gasping, in a cold, clammy sweat. He jumped when he felt two hands wrap around his arm and shoulder.
“It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s just me,” Hayley said, trying to soothe him. John stared at her with wild eyes. Hayley flashed an angry look at Alex. “You didn’t need to hurt him. You know he is no threat to you.”
Alex turned on his heels to face them. “I don’t have time to put up with his stupid behaviour or questions anymore! We have to find Gabriel!”
“Go then, Alexander,” Hayley said, her eyes ablaze like star fire. “Go without me and the people you need. You’ll get yourself killed.” Alex stared at her, stunned speechless.
Sadness crept into the old angel’s eyes and he looked at John. “He can’t come with us,” he said, his eyes growing steely once more. Turning away he left, slamming the door behind him.
John cuddled into Hayley, shaking furiously. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her head on top of his. It was all John could do but cry.
Chapter Nineteen
Alex sighed and stood up. The angel had been enjoying the peace from the lofty heights of the hotels sloped, terracotta tiled roof in the warmth of the setting sun. For the fourth time in twenty minutes that peace had been shattered by the appearance of his soul mate. “I told you to leave me alone,” he said, stomping off across the tiles as soon as she landed. Hayley followed close behind, mimicking his voice in a silly fashion. Alex turned on his heels. “Stop it! You’re not a child,” he warned, pointing a finger at her.
“Neither are you so stop behaving like one,” she replied, slapping his finger away.
Alex ignored her chastising and turned away. “And stop trying to get inside my head as well!” he grumbled back to her.
“Oh grow up. We’re meant to be soul mates,” she said, folding her arms.
“Well not just now, I want some time to myself!” he snapped, rounding on her.
Grabbing him by the shirt collar, Hayley pulled Alex’s mouth to hers. The old guardian failed to pull away as she stole a long kiss from him. When they parted, Alex wrapped a hand around the base of her spine and pulled her to his chest. Hayley looked up at him, eyes sparkling.
“I’m sorry,” Alex said, his heart suddenly melting, his mind opening to hers again. He kissed her again, more passionately this time.
Hayley pressed her head against his chest and Alex cuddled her. “It’s ok.”
Alex sighed deeply. “No, it’s not. I need to apologise to John.”
Hayley looked up at him thoughtfully. “Give it five minutes…no ten,” she said.
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
******
John sat on his bed, back pressed against the wall, staring into space. He started when the door opened.
Christopher stopped in his tracks. “It’s only me, may I please come in?” John nodded. With a soft smile the angel continued in, wooden tray in hand. On it sat a clay cup and jug. On a small, matching plate sat a small mound of olives. “I brought you some food and water,” he said, sitting it down on the end of the bed. Sighing, he looked at John. “Sadly the food stores are a bit bar
e. The delivery from Longtown is running late.”
John forced a fleeting smile and nodded. “Thanks,” he muttered. He reached for the cup and jug.
When it was clear the teenager was not going to say anything else, Christopher turned to go.
“Chris,” John said, getting his attention. “Do you want some?” he asked, holding up the plate of olives.
Christopher eyed the oily green pitted ovals and shook his head, smiling. “I cannot say I care for olives but thank you for offering anyway.”
“I hate them as well,” John said, sitting the plate back down on the tray. “But thanks anyway.”
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else you want instead…”
“I know why you’re doing all this, Christopher. I know you fancy me.”
Christopher blinked. “I…excuse me?”
John snorted a laugh and stood. “Oh come off it, Christopher. We’re soul mates, I know what that means for fuck sake,” he said bluntly, pacing to the window.
Christopher watched his retreating back, unsure of what to say or think.
John pressed his hands against the window sill and gazed out of the window. “Well?” he demanded after a long minute, staring back at Christopher. “Say something!”
“What do you want me to say?” the angel asked softly. “There is no point in discussing this until you come out of your denial.”
John turned on his heels, mouth hanging open. “What the hell, Christopher!”
“Before you say anything else, know this,” Christopher cut in, raising his voice. “You are gay and you do love me, no matter what you say.” The angel vanished at that, leaving the teenager gawking in stunned silence.
Chapter Twenty
“We don’t have time for this,” Alex said again, storming down the hallway. Christopher hurried after him, struggling to keep pace. Finally he bolted past, blocking Alex’s way to John’s door.
“Please, brother, I understand that,” Christopher implored. “But John is coming to terms with a lot right now. He needs some time and some space. That is all I am asking.”