Angela

 

 

Angie couldn’t believe what was happening. Who was this twat muffin?

She guessed that was what she got for being too afraid to demand answers. It still sucked to see though. The bitch had said that Arlen was being hunted? What could he have possibly done to make a king track him down?

Angie suddenly wasn’t sure who Arlen was anymore. Whatever he was accused of must have been pretty bad to warrant a manhunt. Had that been why he was so on edge?

She was reminded once again just how much they didn’t belong together. He was Fae and she was just a human. Granted, she was a human who could see the future and the past, but still, nothing extraordinary.

“What did she mean?”

Arlen turned slightly and finally met her stare head on. His violet eyes were practically glowing. She couldn’t get any kind of read on how he was feeling or where his mind was.

He rolled his shoulders and opened his mouth as though he were about to say something, but he shut it again without giving any sort of explanation.

In the ten minutes or so that the woman had been there, she’d managed to drop a nuclear bomb on whatever was growing between Angie and Arlen. Angie couldn’t help but feel like things would never be the same. How could they? He had a damn fiancé waiting for him. Or did he? He had sort of told her to get lost, yet it didn’t explain why she was acting like she had a current claim to him. Then there was the small bit about him being hunted by the king’s assassins, which well…woah!

“What haven’t you been telling me? Were you really going to marry that gutter skank?” I kept the being hunted comment under wraps, saving it for later. One thing at a time. 

Angie felt like after everything she’d been through, she was finally beginning to build a sort of solid foundation, but with that woman’s unannounced appearance, all of that was crumbling beneath her feet. She was afraid that the next time she was rejected by a man she loved she wouldn’t be able to pick up the pieces after she was broken.

“No, I’m not.” He sighed, glancing away.

She had thoroughly prepared herself for the tirade she was planning to unleash on him when he confirmed her worst fears. So, it took her a moment to process that he had actually shut her down and made it clear there was nothing going on.

“R-really?” she stuttered, still reeling.

He nodded. “Maybe once it was a possibility, but things change. People change.”

Angie was hesitant to ask the question which was simmering in the insecure stew that was her mind, but the damn thing wouldn’t let her go on without some sort of closure. Would he be angry? A million what ifs ran through her mind until, almost without realizing it, she blurted it out.

“Did you fuck her?” Angie’s hands flew to her mouth, shocked and prepared for an angry tirade. However, what she got was far from it.

Arlen chuckled. “Is that where all of this anxiety is coming from? You want to know about my past lovers?”

“Yes…no…I mean, yes, but I just don’t know you very well. Actually, I barely know anything about you and after last night, I sort of feel like I just jumped into the deep end of the swimming pool without a life jacket.”

“I can’t say you’re too far off, but if you need to know more about me then I guess I could be a little more open.”

Arlen seemed as though he was making a major life decision, though if he was, he wasn’t cluing her in at all. He was by far the most changeable man she’d ever come across. Arlen reminded her so much of a puzzle that needed to pieced together in order to get a good look at the picture.

“So...?” Angie prompted. Her eyebrows rose as the tentacles of awkwardness crept in. She sounded like a jealous child.

The truth was that she couldn’t help it. She’d been burned by men before, by ones who swore they loved her, after then she’d find them in bed with some bimbo from the bar. Or a coworker. She’d been through it time and time again. Angie was just bad with men, never finding the ones with worthwhile qualities, like loyalty and honesty.

“There isn’t all that much to tell. Caressia was picked by my parents before I had even reached maturity. I never paid her much attention and certainly never cared for her in any way other than that of a fellow being, until the night my father called for me. Usually, he was a generous man, but that night he was different. That was the beginning of his change. He said it was time I became a man and took responsibility for my life. He insisted I marry her at once and pushed for a wedding. When I refused, he tried to break me of my defiance. There was a girl I cared for, nothing more than an infatuation and an emotionless fling. My father had her brought forward and gifted to one of the brothels.”

Angie hung onto his every word, but still struggled to think of what Caressia had to do with any of it. She seemed to be just another pawn in the affairs of their parents. There was no way she’d ever like the woman, but she was beginning to feel something towards her. Perhaps it was something as simple as a softening of the blind hatred she’d felt when she first confronted her.

“So your father must’ve been pretty powerful and had a lot of pull?” she remarked.

“You could say that,” he said flatly.

“So what happened to Cassie? Or whatever her name is?”

Arlen slipped into the closet and put his baton away. Sealing the entryway, he shut the door behind him. Then, he made his way back to where Angie was sitting and waiting not so patiently.

“It’s Caressia, a’maelamin.” His tone had lost some of his seriousness, becoming more playful as he emphasized the rolling R’s in the name.

Angie grinned, eager to play along. She liked playful Arlen, a lot.

“Well, the way the Fae society works is that it is considered a disgrace of the highest variety when a woman is not a virgin on her wedding night,” he said, his voice was dripping with mirth. His eyes had become glassy and his mind seemed to be in a far off place. “I made sure that she was no longer a viable candidate. It was one night that meant so little to me that I can’t recall what she even looked like underneath the layers of leather and cloth. My father had his suspicions that it was me, though he wouldn’t outright accuse me.”

Suddenly, Angie no longer felt the hostility she had felt for the woman. She’d gotten a shit deal and then been taken advantage of and betrayed. She could tell from the look on his face that Arlen had no regrets about the outcome or what he’d done. She was finding it difficult to reconcile the man she was coming to know with someone so cold hearted.

“Was it consensual?” she questioned.

She watched every movement and detail of his face while she waited for his reply. It was something that would determine the rest of their relationship or lack thereof.

His shocked face bordered on angry at her question.

“Of course it was. I may be many things, but a rapist is not among them.”

Angie knew that was his final answer on the subject.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, not really looking at each other, yet not overtly avoiding each other either. After spending the previous night together, it felt like both a slap in the face and like they were regressing. Arlen had taken care of her and rescued her from captors that had put her through hell. He made the visions seem not so bad, like she could survive them.

“There’s so much more that I need to tell you. It’s not fair to keep you in the dark anymore.”

She decided to cut to the chase right along with him. “Are you going to tell me why you’re being hunted?”

He huffed as though she’d stolen his thunder. Angie cracked a smile despite her best attempts not to. Warmth bloomed in her chest as she watched him eyeing her in return. Arlen looked so much younger when he allowed himself to relax a little.

“She’ll hate me for it.”

Arlen’s voice was as clear as a bell, but she hadn’t seen his lips move.

“I’m sorry? What was that?” she asked.

Arlen gave her a peculiar expression. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Yeah you did. I just heard you,”

“Is it the bond?”

There it was again. There were no doubts in her mind that it was Arlen’s voice. It even had his distinct intonations as he spoke. Just as before, his lips never moved. Maybe it was part of being Fae?

“I heard you again! What’s going on?”

She could tell Arlen wasn’t used to having to explain himself to people. It wasn’t really frustration, but a realization that he wasn’t alone anymore and he’d have to keep more than just himself in the loop.

“Can you promise to remain calm and not freak out until I can explain things fully?”

She nodded and plopped back into the cushions of his oversized couch. She examined the worn threads of the material.

 “The Fae are different from humans. Even though physically, we’re similar, our chemistry is different. Humans have talked about soul mates for hundreds of years, but if they wanted to, they could leave. There’s nothing that binds them to the one they love. A human could have more than one person in their life that they could consider their soul mate. It’s different for the Fae. We have one true mate throughout the entirety of our long lives.” He paused to make sure she was paying attention.

She wasn’t meeting his gaze, but she was still enraptured. He must’ve found what he was looking for because he continued after a beat.

“When a Fae finds their true mate, they bond. In a sense, they become one. It begins as a purely emotional attachment, even beyond the call of flesh. It goes far beyond lust, even though it might be fueled by it. Once they meet, there is no doubt. Once a pairing is consummated, the bond grows into something more. The pair will be so in tuned with each other that it’s possible for them to hear each other without needing to speak out loud.”

She had a funny sort of feeling gathering in her center. It was a mix of trepidation and wonder. She was beginning to see where he was taking her little culture lesson and she wasn’t quite sure she was ready to hear it.

“Are you telling me that I did actually hear you just a few moments ago? And that I heard you because I’m supposedly your soul mate or something?” she asked. How could such a thing even be possible? She wasn’t Fae; she was a human and an ordinary one at that. A million thoughts raced through her mind.

Arlen’s violet eyes were intense as he watched her every move. She didn’t miss the traces of fear that lingered there in his gaze. Was he afraid she wouldn’t believe him? Or was it something else? Was he afraid of her rejection? She didn’t know for certain. Everything was slowly sinking in and she couldn’t fathom a reason why he’d be lying to her. Not after the way he’d cared for her and hopefully, not after the night they’d spent together. 

“Human and Fae pairings are not unheard of and it is known to be possible for a fated partner to be a human. It’s rare, but it’s happened before.” Arlen’s reply echoed in her mind and she couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping open.

She knew her eyes had to be the size of saucers as she realized everything he was saying was true. Angie couldn’t deny what was right in front of her. Well, she could explain it all away by simply believing that she had finally lost her mind, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that made her believe him.

“How did this happen? How did we become bonded?”

A light blush crept up his neck and colored his cheeks a light pink. Even the tips of his ears were burning with his pent up confession.

“Last night, things got a little out of hand and I know this should’ve been discussed with you first so you knew what you were getting yourself into. I hope you know just how sorry I am to have dragged you into all of this and I understand if this is too much. It might hurt, but I won’t stand in your way if you want out.” Arlen no longer seemed playful or hopeful. He was ashamed, defeated, and resigned.

Seeing him in such a way made Angie’s insides twist and churn, almost painfully.

“I just need a minute,” she whispered, trying to absorb everything.

It was a lot to take in, but she was even more surprised to realize that she wasn’t angry that he’d taken away the decision.

It was an opportunity for something better than she’d known before. This man was standing before her saying that he was hers unconditionally and she was his. He wouldn’t run when things got hard. She knew it.

Their relationship would be so much different than any which had come before him. This was her chance for a happily ever after and she knew she’d accept anything Arlen offered. No, she wasn’t angry and she wouldn’t run either.

“Okay,” she said with more confidence than she’d known since before the world had gone insane.

“Okay? Alright, I know somewhere I can take you. I know you’ll be safe there and it’s someone I trust with my life, even if his methods are outside of the box. I promise you, I will never bother you again.” He wouldn’t meet her gaze.

Arlen was crushed and it dawned on her that he had misunderstood what she had meant.

“Why would I be leaving? I’m not going anywhere, Arlen. I’m in this for the long haul. You and me against the world, if we have to.”

His eyes went round as she reassured him that she was his and would be there standing by his side no matter what they had to face. The seconds ticked by and slowly, the creases near the corner of his mouth deepened as a small grin took over.

“You mean it?”

“Never meant anything more in my life. Actually, I lied. There is one thing I mean more than that.” Angie took a deep breath to steady her nerves before she chickened out.

Arlen stepped closer to her, his upturned lips lowering as he got closer, crowding her. His musky scent filled her senses and was setting her on fire just by the way he stalked around her. She knew that underneath the sexy exterior was a battle hardened warrior, a killer when he had to be, and a truly good man. His gaze was predatory yet fearful. The tiny vixen on Angie’s shoulder hoped he’d do naughty things to her if he thought she might back out…as a type of incentive. A wonderfully sinful incentive that she was sure to love every second of. There was that word again.

Love.

She decided to put the man out of his misery and tell him what was on her mind. He’d done a brave thing by admitting that he’d made a mistake.

“I think I…love you,” she rushed out the last half before she could turn back.

“Think? I know I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you in that church. Even through all the blood, bruises, and swelling you were the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen.”

He closed the gap and tenderly pressed his mouth against hers. He sipped at her lips gently as if she’d break under a rougher touch. His kiss was feather light and still left her breathless and craving his touch.

Angie felt moisture on her cheek as she realized her emotions were so pure and overwhelming that they’d begun to leak out in the form of tears. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d been so incredibly happy.

Slowly, the kiss turned into something more. Arlen became urgent and demanding as his tongue explored her mouth. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her in flush against him. The bulge pressing at her belly told her he wasn’t playing anymore. He wanted her almost as badly as she craved him. Angie’s fingers wove their way into his thick, dark hair and slide over the silky strands with ease. The slim muscled lines of his body molded perfectly to meet her own. They really were in every sense a perfect match. Her blood was humming with excitement.

Just as things were beginning to go to the next level, a tingle ran up her spine and her brain began to fog over. Arlen paused as soon as he noticed she wasn’t responding to him anymore. She couldn’t. Another vision was taking over and blurring her field of vision.

“Can’t stay with you…” she whispered before the blackness overtook her again. Angie was hurled through the abyss, only marginally aware of what was happening around her.

Angie was really beginning to hate the curse that she’d been saddled with.

***

Why of all the moments in her mundane life did it have to pick that one? Things were just starting to get really good!

The weathered wood of the St. Louis Cathedra’s entrance came into view again. Her nose was only a few inches away from the hard surface. She’d never picked up where she’d left off before. It had to be telling her something important. She peeked over her shoulder to where Arlen stood over Rhys’s broken form. Arlen was a man who’d seen too much loss in his long life. Rhys might’ve been the closest thing he’d had to a friend in a long time and she was witnessing him losing that.

The double doors of the cathedral were ajar and she ran her fingers over the coarse grains. Her feet felt like lead as she trudged forward and gave the thick slab a shove. It slowly swung open. The electric lights were out. Only the illumination came from the dozens of prayer candles staged at the front of the congregation, Angie squinted towards them as she tried to make out anything.

Angie noticed instantly that the church was abandoned like she’d thought, but in fact, it was quite the opposite. Each seat was filled by seemingly unharmed citizens of New Orleans. Each face was turned towards the front of the room, oblivious to anything going on around them. No one even batted an eye as she shuffled up the aisle past them. There was something wrong with them. It was like they were all in a trance and helpless to snap out of it.

An electric energy washed over her once she reached the front of the pews. She had been carefully studying the people around her that she missed the form spread wide on the floor. Angie tripped over something large and was sent sprawling to the floor in the most ungraceful fashion. Pain tore up her leg from her knee and Angie knew there would undoubtedly be a nasty bruise later. However, she could move her lower leg and was sure nothing was broken. She rolled over and pushed herself up until she was sitting.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of what she’d tripped over. Long, dark hair was fanned against the cold marble of the floor. Green eyes, once so vibrant, were glazed over against unusually pale skin.

Maya.

Angie slowly blinked and opened her eyes again to see the dead body of her best friend. Blood leaked from her lips and had begun to dry at the edges. She scrambled to Maya’s side and pulled her face onto Angie’s lap. Maya’s skin was beginning to cool and felt rubbery under Angie’s shaking hands. Why would fate be so cruel to show her something like this?

Catching movement in her periphery, Angie glanced over her shoulder. What she saw had her coming undone. None of it had happened yet, but it was coming. It looked to be soon too. The shadow demons had come. They were no longer shadows, but solid devils as black as tar.

An older woman crouched across from her, hands hovering over Maya’s lifeless corpse. Tears brimmed her dark eyes, and her lips quivered as a sob threatened to escape her. Her skin was worn like old leather as deep wrinkles marred her flesh. A purple wrap kept her hair back and away from her face. She had a motherly aura about her that made Angie content to know that Maya had that before her passing. She’d deserved so much better.

“Oh ma cher, ya wasn’t supposed to go dis way. Not like dis. No, no, no.” Her fingers ran through Maya’s thick hair as if Angie weren’t even there. A much younger man with skin like rich mocha crouched beside the old woman with his hand on her shoulder. They’d known Maya. That much was clear. They were the only two mourners present. The rest of the audience sat still as if they were frozen in time, nonreactive to everything.

A shrill, upbeat whistling echoed through the hall. Angie and the pair across from her turned to the source of the noise. The Baron Samedi waltzed through the open doors of the holy building like he owned the place. She recognized him from his painted skeletal face and characteristic suit. She’d seen replicas hundreds of times since she was a girl. He had a pep to his step that contrasted the situation in ways that pissed those in attendance off. At least it did to Angie. She assumed the other two felt the same since they stood abruptly, hostility rolled off of them in waves.

“Come to gloat? Or finish what ya started?” the old woman croaked.

He frowned momentarily before his expression turned back to one of indifference.

“It’s a pity and a waste, but the girl made her decision.” His accent was thick with his Creole language. She had to pay close attention to understand him fully.

“Bow or die? Don’t seem like much of a decision to me,” the woman’s companion remarked.

“Hush, Tyrique. Da time will come, trust me.” She squeezed his hand and returned her attention to the Baron.

“Yansa, always the self righteous one, weren’t you? No matter, your time will come as well. There’s a new God in town and your only hope is dead on the floor.”

“There is always hope.”

The tingle returned and she was swallowed by the darkness yet again. Angie felt like she was falling back into her body and she was sure it was a feeling she’d never get used to.

***

She blinked a few times, trying to push some moisture back into her painfully dry eyes. She had no idea how long she’d been gone for that time, but it was longer than she cared for. Her shriveled eyeballs agreed.

Arlen’s vibrant purple eyes were right above hers, full of worry and fear. She felt the butterflies in her belly go wild at the notion.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She wasn’t, not in the least after everything she’d just seen. How was she to tell him about it all?

She shook her head, her chest constricting with the tears beginning to flow. Maya was going to die and there was nothing she could do about it. She wanted to know more, like a specific date. If she knew when it would happen, maybe she could stop Maya from being there. Was it possible to change the outcomes of her visions? She’d never really considered it before.

Arlen’s arms slipped around her and he dragged her onto his lap. She buried her face into his shoulder as her tears soaked the thin material of his t-shirt.  He didn’t seem to care though. He squeezed her tightly. It was exactly what she needed and he had instinctively known without her needing to voice it. The bond that connected them was mind boggling to her. Even though it hadn’t even been a full day, it was already more precious to her than almost anything.

“It was bad, Ar. It was really bad,” she whispered, wiping away her tears as best as she could.

“What happened this time?”

“It was Maya and Rhys. Something bad is coming. I think the Baron is going to kill them all.” Her voice had become barely audible. It was as though she thought it wouldn’t be as real if she didn’t say it out loud, like a bad dream.

“What did you see?” he asked.

She relayed everything she’d seen, even down to the creepy congregation of people sitting in the church like weird zombies. He didn’t interrupt. He just let her spill her guts to him and sob. Her mind was replaying the sights over and over again like picking at a scab so she couldn’t move on to healing.

Arlen’s face betrayed his emotions. Or maybe she was just being allowed past his inner fortress.

“We will figure this out. We won’t stand by and do nothing. They’re our friends and we will do what we can to help.”

The sound of his voice in her mind was soothing and reassuring.

“Can we? Is the future changeable? Or is it all a part of destiny?”