Chapter Four

“I can’t stay, Layla,” he said.

I stared at him. His voice was not in my head. The melodic words had emanated from his shapely lips. It was the first time he had spoken out loud. His voice did not sound like any other voice I had heard before. It had a tone I felt I could listen to forever. Then he took hold of my hand in his and looked down at me.

“I’m sorry,” he continued out loud.

I watched his lips moving.

“It’s not safe if I stay here.”

I took hold of his other hand.

“Please, I don’t want you to go -”

I couldn’t stand the thought of being alone again.

“Teseen,” he said, “My name is Teseen.”

“Teseen,” I finished.

His hands engulfed mine and made me feel safe.

“I can feel he’s nearby,” he continued, “and I must keep you safe, Layla.”

I looked down at the antique ring on my finger. It had a tree and five-pointed star design which should offer protection if I needed it.

“Who?” I asked.

His brow furrowed. “Someone that wants to destroy my kind.”

I nodded slowly and could sense him perceiving my thoughts again. It was easy for him to answer my next question. He let go of my hand and took a step backward. I took a step backward too, suspecting what might happen next. It wasn’t until it did, that I truly believed my suspicions about the naked, olive-skinned stranger.

The gray sweatpants dropped to the floor as his limbs and torso shrunk to the size of a small child. His skin became a feathered mantle and wings replaced his arms. The man was gone and I looked instead at the bird of prey in front of me. Its dark eyes were mesmerizing. Thick yellow claws clung to the metal bar of the balcony railing. Its strong legs supported its majestic white and brown-feathered chest and its dark brown wings were folded at its sides.

“Te-” I began and closed my slackened jaw.

“Layla,” the voice in my head replied, “I will see you again.”

~*~

My living room was empty and suddenly seemed too big as I ambled around it. I picked up the book I was reading, read a line and looked up as I rubbed my finger over my ring. When would I see him again, I wondered. And who had he gone to fight? I prayed he would be okay.

The downstairs buzzer chimed. I put my book down on the sofa. I was not expecting any visitors. Could it be him? But why would he ring the doorbell? His face and the image of the bird took over my mind and I rushed to the door.

The image in the viewer crushed my hopes. It wasn’t him, but it was another man. He was handsome too. The buzzer chimed again.

I pressed the button.

“Yes,” I replied, “can I help you?”

“Miss Bradshaw?” his deep voice replied.

“Err – yes. Can I help you?”

“I have to talk to you,” he continued, “it’s about the man you recently met.”

“Wha- what?”

“You must let me in,” he said, “There’s something you need to know about him.”

His head was partially concealed in the hood of his dark gray coat, but strands of bright red hair still fluttered out. His eyebrows were pulled close together.

“I – err,” I hesitated.

I didn’t know this man at all, but then again, how well did I really know Teseen. Then I noticed his hand and buzzed the door open.

“Thank you,” he said, stepping inside my apartment and rubbing his hands together.

I stared at his tattoo as he tucked his bob-length hair behind his ear.

“Who are you?” I asked looking up. “And why do you know my name?”

He shifted his weight to his other foot. He had on a fitted white shirt under his coat, tucked into a pair of snug fitting jeans.

“I am Nesu,” he said.

I saw him glance at my ring.

“Has a man come to see you recently?” he asked, “A stranger.”

“Like you?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

“He is tall and has brown hair,” he added, “and his name is Teseen.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Teseen-” I repeated.

He nodded.

“He’s a dangerous man, Miss Bradshaw,” he said, “very dangerous.”

“I don’t know anybody by that name,” I responded.

My hand wrapped around the Azurite crystal in my pocket as I took a small step backward.

He frowned.

“Are you sure he hasn’t been here?”

The crystal was warm in my hand.

“No,” I replied, “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

Nesu looked down at his hand and promptly hid the three intersecting triangle design in his pocket.

“Well, if he does come to see you,” he added. “You should know, he’s not who he says he is.”

But he wasn’t the only one, I thought.

“You must let me know if he contacts you,” he continued.

The crystal boosted my confidence too. I nodded at him and moved closer to the door.

“And how will I get in contact with you?” I asked.

He stepped backward. “I’ll be around,” he replied.

He turned around and left. I watched his long, gray coat disappear across the road and between two cars, from my kitchen window.