Winter

"So, who is this guy we are waiting for?" I ask Dabriel. Atti brought us to a little café in the middle of town near the university I used to go to. The café is empty other than the waitress who brought us two teas over. I drink a little of my tea, it’s nice and normal. I could be on a normal date with a hot guy, you know, if he didn’t have wings. I know the waitress can’t see the wings or she would have run out screaming. I know this dark angel we’re meeting is meant to be able to see my past but I don't know who he is. Atti is picking us up here in a few hours, as it’s not safe to go back to my apartment or to pack lands anymore.

"His name is Lucifer," Dabriel answers.

"Like the fallen angel out of the bible?" I ask, but it's not Dabriel who answers me.

"Yes human, that was me." 

I glance up at the man, or angel, who spoke. He is the very opposite to Dabriel. He has long black hair with dark brown skin. His eyes are a dark purple, and his wings are full of black feathers instead of the bright white of Dabriel’s.

"I'm not sure I can class myself as human anymore," I tell him; he tilts his head to the side to look at me.

"Perhaps," Lucifer says and takes the seat opposite us at the small table. The bubbly waitress with blonde hair comes running over. Lucifer orders a cup of tea. It's so normal, that it's weird.

"You don't look like much," Lucifer tells me. 

"Let’s get on with this," Dabriel growls out, his tone is pissed off and goes with the scowl he’s aiming across the table at Lucifer.

Lucifer laughs and offers me his hand over the table. I hesitate a little when I see the glowing symbol in the middle. It glows grey against his dark skin and looks like a half moon with an arrow going through the middle of it.

"I would never offer my power to anyone, let alone a human who is now a vampire. I owe my children's lives to Dabriel. That debt will be repaid, as I do not wish to have it over my head," Lucifer says.

I look at Dabriel, seeing his reassuring smile before I slide my hand into Lucifer’s cold one and watch as his eyes glow black.

"So little, how I wish I could protect you." Isa, my mother, says to me. She is crying, as she holds me in her arms. I'm only a toddler in this vision with the little bit of brown hair I have in pigtails. I’m standing in front of her as my mother sways me from side to side. My little yellow dress matches the yellow top my mother’s wearing. I don’t know why I’m focused on that and not how my mother looks at me with such love that it hurts.

I guess because it hurts to admit I miss her. I miss a mother I can’t remember.

The vision changes so quickly and I'm in an empty street that looks familiar.

"We could just kill her, he won’t know and her power will keep us on earth," a crackly voice says behind me. I turn, seeing Isa on the ground. She’s bleeding from her mouth, her clothes torn and she’s watching the sky as two blue shadows stand over. They keep flickering between real men in black clothes and the blue shadow.

"Do it," Isa whispers. The shadows hold her down, their hands over her chest and she screams. I scream along with Isa as she dies. I recognise this dream; I had it when I was ten. 

The vision flashes again.

This time Isa is with my father, Joey. I recognise him from the dream I had before, his brown hair is like mine and I have his nose. They’re both looking at the little baby in their arms, wrapped in a knitted pink blanket. The room is bright with a raging fire in the fireplace and the windows to the little house are covered in snow.

"Winter, her name is Winter and she will save them all." Isa says gently. 

"I like it," Joey says and kisses her. The baby cries and they both smile down at her; at me.

I blink when I realise we are back in the cafe. The waitress stands holding the mug of tea and stares at us. I attempt to pull my hand back but Lucifer holds on. 

"Put it down, thank you," Dabriel tells the woman. She shakes a little as she puts the tea next to Lucifer and runs off.

Lucifer finally releases my hand and I sit back in my seat. His eyes are completely black when he finally looks up at me. They slowly turn back to purple as I watch. It's the opposite of the way Dabriel’s went white when he sees the future.

"I saw other bits but those are the only important things I will show you. The rest is small." He tells me.

"To you perhaps, it’s all I have of my birth parents. Thank you." I say, my voice a little cracked. It hurts in my chest; the feeling of those memories, of parents I never knew but I just saw how much they loved me.

"I am sorry for your loss." Lucifer says and he stands.

"My debt is repaid my prince," he looks towards Dabriel.

"It is," Dabriel answers. Lucifer goes to walk away but Dabriel stops him.

“I saw another child, a young one with dark wings and dark eyes. This one will need to move soon before the war takes him. You know whom I speak of and I know the decision you will make. It’s the only way,” Dabriel says. I don’t understand what he’s saying but apparently Lucifer does because he turns to face him with fully black eyes. Lucifer comes back over to the table and stands at the end. He joins his hands together, grey symbols appearing all over his skin. He has as many as Dabriel, well maybe a few less, but it’s impressive. I watch as he rests his bent head on his hands.

"Latus vero regi," he says, his words deep and I see the waitress drop a mug on the floor and run out of the shop. Yep, this freaked her out.

Dabriel gets up and places his hand on Lucifer’s head. Lucifer raises his head and nods at me before he leaves. I watch him go outside the shop and just fly into the air. A few people passing by stop what they are doing, looking shocked.

"Does he not care if humans know about him?" I ask Dabriel who is pulling money out his wallet and putting it on the table. It's a hell of a lot more than our drinks cost but I don't say anything.

"Angels don’t like humans, nor care if they see us. Not all are like that but most," he says. I hold his hand as we walk out the cafe.

“What did he say to you? What happened back there?” I ask him.

“An old magic-filled promise. I will explain one day my little wildfire,” he says. The street is quiet, as it’s Friday and the middle of the day. I spot the bowling alley across the street and I look back at Dabriel.

"Let’s go bowling," I say suddenly.

"The human sport of throwing balls at non-moving objects?" Dabriel says with a slight frown.

"Yep. Scared I'm going to beat you?" I ask him and he laughs. 

"No, let’s go." He says and starts walking towards the bowling alley. Guys can't stand their ego being threatened, supernatural or not. 

I catch up and slip my hand in his.

"We are safe for a short amount of time, right?" I ask him. 

"You are always safe next to me, I would fly you away if there's a problem," he says like there isn’t an issue. 

I don't reply but I just squeeze his hand as we walk across the road to the bowling alley. The male attendant looks half asleep as Dabriel pays for our games and shoes to rent.

"What size?" The man asks with a yawn. 

"Seven," I say and Dabriel says,

"Thirteen." 

The man nods and looks under the counter at the rack full of shoes. 

"Those are big feet dude; I’ll have to go check in the back room. Two minutes," the man shouts and I look at Dabriel.

"What?" he asks when he sees my big smile.

"Just thinking of all the big feet jokes Alex and Atti would come up with if they were here," I laugh.

"I don't get it," he says looking at me like I’m strange. I forget that he didn’t grow up around humans.

"Oh, it's a human rumour that if you have big feet, you have a big…” I stop talking when the man walks back up with the shoes.

"Big what?" Dabriel asks as he takes the shoes. I grab mine and shake my head.

"Never mind," I laugh. I’m not answering that.

He tilts my chin up with his hand and smiles down at me. 

"I know the saying and one day you can know if the rumour is true," he says in a deeply seductive tone. I blink in shock and he laughs as he walks over to the benches to change his shoes. Did Dabriel just trick me? I didn’t know he had it in him. It’s damn sexy, I think as I watch him bend over to put his shoes on and I get a good view of his sexy butt in those jeans he wears when he’s acting human. I like him dressed like this, he has a baseball cap on backwards, and a white shirt and boots that he just took off. I only move when he looks back at me and I snap out of my staring contest with his ass.

I go first when we start bowling and I knock all the pins down. I completely forgot about my perfect aim thing. There is no way I can lose this.

Dabriel is just as good as me and we both end with perfect scores. The place is empty other than the staff and us.

"We didn't think this through," Dabriel laughs.

"Nope but it was fun, normal. I feel like I don't get enough of that anymore," I say and he pulls me to his chest.

“How about I buy you lunch and I might treat you to one of those massive milkshakes I saw a photo of on the wall?” he says. I can’t see anything other than his chest but I hear the smile.

“That sounds very boyfriend like.”

“Being the good boyfriend that I am, I'll find out if they have a chocolate-flavoured milkshake,” he says and I laugh.

“You are a good boyfriend, no an awesome one,” I say and lean back to look up at him. He presses his lips to mine gently before he increases the pressure. My mouth parts and Dabriel takes over the kiss.

We do eventually get to have milkshakes and lunch but we spend a lot of time kissing first.