Prologue

He’s been shunned from Heaven, and refuses to give up and be sent to the depths of Hell. Forced to live among mortals, Gabriel must look after a human in order to earn his place back in Heaven before Zale, a dark angel turned good–or so he says–claims it as his own. The human that Gabriel has been assigned to, a sixteen year old girl named Rafaela, who never listens to anyone, does whatever she wants, and who has gotten arrested before for a number of things including drunk driving, being in possession of drugs while at school, and caught smoking. Gabriel feels no need to look after a spoiled little girl who likes to disobey her parents. But when Gabriel comes face to face with Rafaela, he realizes why she is so wanted. Rafaela is sought after in both Heaven and Hell, and Zale wants her for his own. Well, if Zale wants her than she must be something special. Now it’s up to Gabriel to protect her, and keep her from falling victim to the false promises of Hell, and stay true to the pure allure of Heaven. 

Chapter One

Gabriel 

 

“I don’t understand.” I said, my brow creased in frustration.

 

Aria sighed and strode over to me, sitting down on the arm of the chair I was in. She began playing with my hair as she talked.

 

“I’m sorry baby, but you aren’t welcome anymore. Boss’s orders.” She said, ruffling my honey gold hair.

 

I shot up out of the chair, glaring at the angel before me. Aria had long light brown hair that cascaded down to her waist in curls. She had dark green eyes, and a sweet girlish face that was very misleading.

 

Aria was short and had a thin figure. At the moment she wore a plaid school girl outfit. Why? I had no idea. She was the kind of girl who didn’t give a damn what other people thought about her. It was one thing I liked about her. Aria, even though she was an angel, and not a dark angel, she was cunning and very mischievous. You could always count on her to have a plan. She watched me curiously, her head cocked to the side.

 

“I know you’re upset, but Gabe, what you did is unforgivable. God is very generous to offer you this. You know He’s upset with you, you should be grateful for this opportunity.” Aria said softly. I snorted.

 

“Oh yes, I am very grateful to be going a step down. To be downgraded from one of God’s very own angels to a guardian angel. Yes, I am overjoyed.” I sneered, turning my back on Aria and beginning to pace back and forth.

 

“There must be something else I can do.” I mumbled to myself.

 

Aria shook her head. “Nope. These are His direct orders. From me to you.”

 

I exhaled sharply, sitting down on the couch and taking a break from my quick pacing. I covered my eyes with my hand, speaking quietly. “Tell me who, Aria.”

 

She hesitated. I looked up, seeing a sheepish smile on her face. My eyebrows rose. “Aria?”

 

She waved her hands. “Now, don’t shoot the messenger.” She took a breath. “It’s Rafaela Geordie.”

 

I shut my eyes for a moment, and kept them closed while I talked.

 

“No. No, absolutely not!” I exclaimed, my eyes snapping open and getting to my feet once again. Aria slowly got up as well.

 

“Sorry babe, but that’s the one.” She said sympathetically, but her pity just made me even more infuriated.

 

I shook my head. This had to be some horrible dream. Some nightmare that I would soon wake up from. It was a feeble wish, but I hoped. Some part of me however knew that this wasn’t a dream, that this was just cruel reality. My punishment. A fallen angel’s punishment.

 

I looked at Aria, who was rocking back and forth on her heels. I had made my decision. I would do this, but I would need to see what I’d be working with first. Please, just let her be some saint. Some purity ring wearing, preppy, pretty girl who would be easy to deal with. I almost laughed at myself. If she was that girl then I wouldn’t be getting assigned to her.

 

“Show her to me.” I demanded.

Chapter Two

Gabriel

      

Aria came over and took my hand. Her touch was soft and gentle, reproaching.

 

“Okay.” She led me to one of the windows and climbed out.

 

I followed suit, keeping hold of her hand. We perched on the edge of the roof of the apartment, looking down at the glowing lights of the sleeping city below.

 

“Now, remember what I said about not shooting the messenger.” She mumbled.

 

I cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

 

She didn’t say anything, she just unfurled her wings. Aria’s wings were gorgeous. Pure white, they extended outside her back, each wing five glorious feet long. Hundreds of fluffy feathers adorned her beautiful wings, and gave off a faint glow. Her wings were pure, just like her. Just like an angel’s wings should be, they poked out of two slits she had cut into her shirt.

 

I cursed. “Damn it, I forgot about my shirt.”

 

Aria giggled. “Oh well, I guess you’re just going to have to make due.”

 

I grimaced, but extended my wings anyway. My wings were ten feet long, and were powerful and strong just like Aria’s wings. However, there was one difference. My wings were not white, they were jet black. Dark angel wings. I was disgusted with my wings. They were hideous. These wings were not mine, they were not for me. The wings that were me were the same wings that were on Aria’s back right now. Angel wings, not dark angel wings.

 

“Alright, looks like we’re all set. You ready?” Aria asked, yanking me out of my train of thoughts.

 

I nodded. “Yes.”

 

We kept hold of each other’s hands as we leapt off the roof. The wind caught our wings and we soared through the cool night air just as we were meant to. Aria sighed with pleasure, taking a deep breath of the wind rippling across us.

 

“It feels just beautiful, doesn’t it?” She murmured.

 

I nodded, saying nothing, enjoying the feel but also hating it. I didn’t want this feeling with these wings. I wanted my wings back. My real wings. My angel wings.

 

“Okay, it’s the house just down there.” Aria pointed to a large mansion in a very upscale, expensive neighborhood with over a mile long driveway leading up to the home, which was like a mini White House.

 

It had columns, a front balcony, and an elegant double door entrance. I groaned inwardly. Great. A spoiled little rich girl who probably gets whatever she asks for. Aria looked at me, her petite features pinched together in a scowl.

 

“Hey, don’t make any assumptions about this girl.” She scolded me.

 

I just rolled my eyes. “Oh c’mon Aria, she’s obviously going to be some bitchy daddy’s girl who gets whatever she wants whenever she wants, and–ow! Hey!”

 

I broke off, wrenching my hand out of Aria’s and rubbing my face. She had slapped me, literally slapped me. And it hurt.

 

“What the hell was that for?” I asked, removing my hand from my stinging cheek which I was sure was bright red. Aria’s eyebrows were scrunched together, and her face was flushed with anger.

 

“Don’t use that tone with me Gabriel Jamul! I swear, I will slap you much harder next time if you continue with this rotten attitude!” She said harshly.

 

I made a disgusted sound in the back of my throat. “Oh please. You and I both know that this girl is going to be–”

 

“If you call her a bitch one more time you’re going to skip right over slaps and move on to punches.” She threatened. I backed off this time, because I didn’t doubt that Aria could throw a mean punch. She might be small, but she was fierce.

 

“Fine, fine. I’m just saying.” I commented. At my words her color darkened from light red to cherry red.

 

“You know nothing about this girl, Gabe. You don’t know her past, or what’s going on in her life. Her life isn’t exactly easy, you know.” She said stiffly. I laughed.

 

“Yeah, and you think my life is? I’ve been banished from Heaven and now I have to babysit some girl in order to earn my position back. I can’t even think about Zale, parading around like he’s the King.” I sneered.

 

Aria sighed, shaking her head pitifully. “There is only one King. And this is not about you or Zale. You must focus and put your energy into guarding this girl. Because she needs help, Gabe. She really does.”

 

I sighed, looking down at the mansion with its windows bright even though it was nearing 1:00 a.m. Probably some party that the little brat had thrown. I looked at Aria then, at our wings beating in silent harmony. I loved Aria like a sister. In a way, she was my little sister. I looked after her. I cared for her, I protected her. After all, she was only fourteen. She placed her hand on my shoulder, smiling just a bit.

 

“I want you back in Heaven, babe. You know I do. So, can you just do this one thing? For me? Earn your place back beside Him.” She said softly. I scowled at the mansion just below us, but then smiled at the glowing little angel by my side.

 

“I guess if I must.” I said, my shoulders drooping slightly in defeat. Aria squealed, throwing her thin arms around my neck and bringing me close.

 

“Oh thank you Gaby!” She said, pulling back and smiling brightly. I rolled my eyes, but hugged her back.

 

“Yeah, now let’s go see what my assignment looks like.” I said flatly. 

Chapter Three

Gabriel

      

Aria and I soared down close to the ground, then retracted our wings so that they were now hidden well in our backs. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, to keep our wings under wraps like this, but we managed. Plus, it gave us the appearance of average humans with just a hint of unnatural beauty. To mortals, we would just be found charming. We fell about a foot until our feet made contact with the landscaped soil of the front yard. Now that we were on the ground, I could hear the deep bass, and booming reggae of a party looming beyond in the house.

 

“Well”, Aria said, brushing off her plaid skirt and white button up blouse. “I’d say this is it. Welcome to the Geordie Residence.” She said elegantly, looping her arm with mine and leading me up to the front door.

 

I had to restrain myself from whining and moaning like a little kid forced to do something they didn’t want to do. And trust me, this was something I really didn’t want to do. When I heard the name Rafaela Geordie, it rang a dim bell, but an unwelcome one at that. I think one of my old friends, Aaron–a former guardian angel who is now one of His personal angels which is where I should be–had watched over Rafaela for a bit and had promptly asked for someone new just a few weeks after being assigned to her. I had had a feeling she would be a hard case, and that was why at that time I was very grateful to not have to go through the hardships of being a guardian angel. Little did I know . . .

 

“What do you want?” I snapped out of my haze of thoughts to see a young girl in all black, with multicolored hair, piercings everywhere you looked, and a tattoo on her neck saying IDGAF addressing us at the front door. Oh, please don’t let this be her, I prayed. Aria smiled at the girl sweetly, however it had no effect on the rainbow catastrophe standing in front of us.

 

“We’re here for the party.” Aria said brightly, as if these two were the best of friends.

 

The girl scowled, scrunching up about six pieces of silver jewelry embedded in her face. Her crimson eyes–which I was sure were contact lenses–swiveled up and down both of us, seeing a tall guy with golden hair, jade green eyes, in designer clothes and fancy dress shoes, and also seeing a girl in a petite school girl’s outfit grinning happily. I swallowed. If we’d be allowed to leave alive, then we’d at least leave with a punch in the face. The cynical look this girl was giving us promised at least one good punch.

 

“You friends of Rafaela?” She asked, still squinting oddly at us.

 

Either the contacts were uncomfortable or that was just the way her face looked. When she said that, meaning she wasn’t Rafaela, my heart soared ten feet. Thank God! Aria’s grin brightened.

 

“Oh yes. But, didn’t she say that it was open house? Anyone allowed in?” Aria clarified, her smile as sweet and innocent as ever. After another moment of narrow-eyed assessment from the clown, she shrugged and moved aside.

 

“Ah, I don’t give a damn. It aint my house.” The girl grunted, walking away from the door and out of sight. I gaped at Aria, who flipped her light hair giddily.

 

“Don’t underestimate my power.” She said, waggling her eyebrows at me. I laughed.

 

“Yeah. More like don’t underestimate angelic charm.” I said, gesturing to myself. She rolled her eyes.

 

“Oh, same diff.” She said with a dismissive wave. I chuckled, ruffling her hair. She glared at me, then stuck her tongue out, attempting to fix her hair.

 

“Alright. Enough screwing around with me. Let’s find your girl.” She said. I grunted.

 

“Don’t remind me.” I said quietly enough so that she wouldn’t hear.

 

She grabbed my hand and began towing me around the house. She would look at every single person here and then move on to the next. I wasn’t sure what specifically she was looking for. From what I could tell, this whole party was filled with freaks. Nearly everyone had piercings in their lips, eyebrows, or nose. Most had different colored hair, wore punk rock gothic shit clothes, and their eye colors ranged from hot pink to neon green. They looked absolutely ridiculous. But, among the black clad psycho’s, Aria stopped suddenly, and pointed to a girl siting on a boy’s lap in the corner.

 

“That’s her.” Aria said cheerfully.

 

I couldn’t help the drop of my jaw. This girl was tall even though she was sitting down. She wore skin tight leather pants, spiky high heeled shoes, God knows how she can walk in those things, they were like ten inches tall, a see through lacy sleeveless shirt, and her hair was absolutely hideous. It looked like she had gathered it all into a side pony tail and chopped it off, except for a few long strands that fell straight to her waist. Her hair was dyed black, with streaks of magenta, dark blue, bright green, bright pink, and blonde. I couldn’t see her face, because she was angled towards the boy she was on top of. But I could see her body, and even though she was dressed horribly, she was incredibly sexy. She was thin, but had curves galore, and she was wearing those terrible clothes like they were tailored specifically for her.

 

I craned my neck, trying to see her face. I really wanted to see what kind of face could go with such a perfect body. Suddenly she let out a giggle, flipped her hair, and finally turned towards me. Everything stopped as soon as her dark brown eyes locked on mine. It was as if time froze just by her looking at me. Her face was exquisite. She wore dark eye makeup that made her eyes stand out like too hazel gems, blush adorned her cheeks giving her a faint flush as if she was excited, and she had a small ruby stud in her nose, and her ears were decorated in emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds. She looked at me, smiled, and stuck her tongue out, showing off a metal sphere pierced right in the middle of her tongue. Aria giggled, poking me in the arm.

 

“That’s Rafaela Geordie.” She said. 

Chapter Four

Rafaela

      

Conner’s fingers caressed my face, and he roughly grabbed my neck, shoving me towards him.

 

“Hey baby, who you looking at?” He whispered darkly in my ear, nibbling on one of my earrings since he couldn’t get to my earlobe through all the jewelry. I closed my eyes, tilting my head back as his lips traveled down my neck.

 

“No one.” I murmured. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back further, giving him more access to my body.

 

“I don’t believe you.” He said as he began kissing the exposed skin of my collarbone. I sighed in content.

 

“There’s no one else to be looking at.” I said.

 

I could nearly feel Conner smile, believing me without a doubt. He bit my neck, showing me his rough love. I yelped softly in surprise, pulling him closer to me. With my head tilted back, I opened my eyes as Conner’s arms snaked around my waist, his hands moving and searching for my nonexistent bra strap. Silly Conner, he knew I didn’t wear a bra. I looked around, noticing that the boy and girl I had seen earlier were gone.

 

They stuck out like sore thumbs here at my party. I hadn’t ever seen them at school, but that wasn’t much to say since I barely ever went. They looked like preppy private school kids, and yeah I went to a private school, but do you see me in a skirt and blouse? Hell no, and you never will.

 

Conner seemed to suddenly realize that I wasn’t wearing a bra, and he began to kiss me harder, much hotter. His arms wrapped around me in warmth and I threw my arms around his neck. As our tongue piercings began to click together, he and I stood up. He broke the kiss, his breathing heavy as well as mine.

 

“Let’s go.” He said, and began leading me to the bedroom. I didn’t object.

Chapter Five

Rafaela

      

I woke up to the sheets wrinkled, pillows tossed around the room, and Conner on top of me. I rubbed my eyes, my hands coming back smudged with black eyeliner. I rolled over, Conner’s arm tightening reflexively around my waist. I realized what had happened last night and a small smile spread across my face. Ah, yes. That was very enjoyable.

 

I groaned, shoving my arm under the pillow and resting my head against it. Probably half the original people who had come to my party last night were still here, camping out in the spare rooms. Some were probably in my parent’s bedroom. Oh shit . . . I hadn’t thought about that. Oh well. They were in Cancun and wouldn’t be back for another week. I could throw a million parties in this house and our maid would easily take care of the mess in just a few minutes.

 

I heard Conner groaning beside me, and he began to pull me over to him. I smiled as I rolled around, seeing him grinning at me. Conner was adorable. He had the classic scene haircut, which was actually naturally black but with unnatural streaks of rainbow in it. It was short, with some long strands, and it tickled my face when we made out, which I enjoyed.

 

His eyes were brown, like mine, but mine were darker than his. His were chocolate brown, warm and hard to look away from. He had piercings everywhere, piercings in his lip, his nose, his eyebrow, his tongue–like duh–and his ears. His ears were pierced in varieties of silver and diamonds. He was shirtless–again duh–and his chest was sculpted and pale. I ran my hands over his chest and stomach, enjoying the feel of his skin underneath my fingers. He was just so damn sexy.

 

His hands rested on my stomach as he leaned in to kiss me. I moved forward eagerly. Oh, the kiss was hot. I was sure people could hear our tongue piercings hitting each other from downstairs. I rolled over as Conner moved on top of me. I giggled in anticipation. He grinned, throwing the covers over us. Round 2. 

Chapter Six

Gabriel

 

Yesterday

      

I was frozen where I stood, I couldn’t move. Literally. I was paralyzed. Rafaela continued to wiggle her tongue at me before the boy she was on captured her attention once again. She turned towards him, grinned, and then kissed him fiercely. I could hear their tongue piercings clacking together.

 

I turned to Aria, who shrugged, grabbed my hand, and tugged me toward the kitchen, where there were a few kids holding red plastic cups and taking deep sips from those cups. The strong odor of alcohol hung heavily in the air. I grimaced. Angels were never around items such as drugs or alcohol. Being around it now, it made me sick to my stomach. Aria’s nose wrinkled in disgust. We weren’t used to this kind of atmosphere, and I certainly didn’t like it. I was sure she didn’t either.

 

“So”, she said, pausing to cough from the smells of toxic beverages and smoke from cigarettes in the house. “Keep an eye on her.” Aria said. I nodded, resisting the urge to plug my nose.

 

“If I must.” I muttered.

 

God, it stank in here. But I wasn’t very focused on the smell at the moment. I was more focused on Rafaela. The word beautiful didn’t even begin to describe her, but her attitude ranked high up there right next to bitchy, attempting to outshine her pretty looks.

 

“Well”, Aria said, looking at me with shining eyes. “I guess I’d better be going.”

 

My eyes widened in shock. I had thought she would stay with me at least for a little while longer. I hadn’t expected her to take off right away.

 

“You’re leaving me?” I asked.

 

Her eyebrows creased with sadness and concern. She came over and placed her hand on my cheek, then ruffled my hair. “Don’t worry babe. I’ll be back. This is part of your punishment. I’m sorry, but you know I can’t disobey Him.”

 

I looked down at her words. I could see the worry and remorse wash over her kind features. I wanted her to stay so badly. Not only did I care for Aria, but I didn’t want to be alone here surrounded by mortals.

 

“Hey”, she gently touched my face. I looked up. “You won’t be totally alone.” She said. I raised my eyebrows.

 

“Oh?” I asked.

 

She nodded eagerly. “Hmm hm. Nick will be here too.”

 

At the mention of Nick my stomach dropped. He was a banished guardian angel. He was quirky, talkative, and just plain annoying. The last person I wanted to be around was Nick.

 

“Hey”, Aria scolded. “He’s all you got down here, so you better make do.” She quipped. I almost groaned. She was right after all. He was all I had.

Chapter Seven

Rafaela

      

With the party over and our maid cleaning up the mess, there wasn’t really much to do around here. I figured that I might as well go to Bliss, this great little club just a few blocks from my place. I showered, slipped into a leather dress that barely skimmed my thighs, applied thick black eyeliner, black and purple eye shadow, some blush, bright magenta lipstick, blow dried, straightened, and hair sprayed my hair, and finally pulled on my fishnet tights and high heeled boots. I looked in the mirror, seeing my multicolored hair big and straight with volume, my eyes dark and alluring, and the dress fitting perfectly tight. I gotta say, I looked pretty damn good. I grinned, grabbed my black clutch, and headed out.

 

       At Bliss, rainbow disco lights sliced through the darkness of the club, dancing Goths, Emos, and even a few Scene and Hollister kids rocked to the head banging music, occasional bands played on the stage, but other times it was occupied by dancing kids attempting to find the beat to the wild screamo music, and then there was the bar in the far corner of the club, which was where I was headed.

 

I walked over, shimmying through the crowd of teens, and sat down on one of the bar stools, dropping my clutch onto the counter. The bartender, a cute dark haired boy with a pierced septum and tongue–don’t ask how I know that, let’s just say these drinks are really strong–and wearing a Black Veil Brides shirt, turned around and smiled at me.

 

“What can I get you beautiful?” He asked smoothly. I smiled back, leaning over the bar so that he could have an enjoyable view while I skimmed the menu.

 

“Hmm, well what do you recommend?” I asked sweetly.

 

He pursed his lips, spun around, and began throwing items into a blender. He pressed frappe, then after a minute pressed stop. He picked up the blender, poured the drink into a glass, spun back around, and placed the drink on the counter. He dropped a little lime green umbrella into it, and a straw. After all that what came out of it was a blood red substance that smelled strongly tropical.

 

I picked it up and without hesitation took a big gulp. It was overly sweet, like drinking sugar water mixed with caramel, and it was that thick too, and it burned going down. I placed the half full glass back on the counter, wiping off my upper lip and trying not to smudge my lipstick.

 

“Well?” He asked, raising a judging pierced eyebrow. I licked my lips, scowled and then grinned.

 

“Not bad. The whipped vodka was a nice touch.” I complimented. He laughed loudly and began wiping up the bar.

 

“Thank you. I aim to please.” He winked, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out the double meaning in his words. Like duh.

 

I spun around on the stool with my drink in my hand, surveying the area for someone to dance with. Now, I know what you’re thinking, this girl’s at a freaking club and she’s saying she can’t find anyone to dance with? Well, it’s actually pretty hard to find good dancers at a club. I mean don’t get me wrong I love a good cabbage patch and Charlie Brown when I’m drunk enough, but when I’m sober I prefer not to make a fool out of myself.

 

My eyes traveled around the room until they landed on one guy, moving his hips, feet, and arms like he knew exactly what he was doing. I grinned, chugged the rest of my drink, and headed over to the scene kid. Let’s see how great of a dancer he really was.

Chapter Eight

Gabriel

      

I gritted my teeth, gripping my ginger ale tightly in my hand. What the hell was this shit for brains bartender thinking? Serving a minor? He hadn’t even asked for her ID. No wonder she was such an idiot.

 

I sat back on the bar stool and watched as Rafaela moved towards a single boy surrounded by a crowd. She began dancing, moving her hips close, closer, until she and the teen were nearly touching. With an eager grin, he gripped her hands, raising her arms to the roof, and danced with her. My eyes widened at their grinding, hip swiveling moves. Talk about dirty dancing, and I’m not kidding.

 

A kid sauntered over and plopped down on the stool next to me. He turned so that he was facing me, and a grin curled his lips.

 

“Nice seeing you here, brother.” The guy said, and ordered one shot.

 

I scowled, looking him up and down. He was thin and lanky. He had spiky red hair, baby blue eyes, and sharp features on account of how thin he was. But there was a certain charm to him that attracted you and pulled you in. A sort of allure. My eyes widened when I realized who he was.

 

“Nick.” I growled. “What the hell are you doing here? And what are you doing ordering alcohol? You know we don’t drink.” I said angrily, my temper rising.

 

Was he insane? Archangel or guardian angel, it didn’t matter, you still couldn’t drink.

 

“Enjoying the night life. Well, more like afternoon life but I don’t really see the difference.” He said, grabbing the shot placed on the bar by the fool bartender. He swallowed it in one gulp, smiling afterward.

 

I opened my mouth to say something but Rafaela suddenly dropped down next to Nick. She was sweating a bit from the raucous dancing, and giggling from the drink she had digested earlier. I sneered in disgust.

 

“Hey!” She yelled to the bartender, who turned around and smiled when he saw it was her.

 

“What can I do for you babe?” He asked. She giggled again, swaying a bit on her stool.

 

“I’ll have some of that great stuff you gave me before.” She requested giddily.

 

He nodded and began tossing things into a blender. Nick turned to me, grinning ridiculously.

 

“I want some of that.” He said, then spun around to face Rafaela, who was sipping a crimson drink that did not smell very good.

 

“Hey”, he said, leaning slightly towards her. She looked Nick up and down, and flashed him a smile, her silver piercings catching the light and gleaming.

 

“Hi.” She responded, taking another long drink from her beverage.

 

Nick’s grin widened as he observed Rafaela, his eyes lingering on her chest for a moment longer than necessary before they returned to her face. I rolled my eyes. He was a pig. I had no idea why he was made a guardian angel. Why couldn’t he have just been stripped of his wings and be done with it? I was brought back to attention by Rafaela’s loud laughing.

 

“So, I have an apartment a few blocks away if you want to come over.” Nick suggested, leaning even closer to Rafaela until they were inches apart.

 

She smiled, her dark eyes alluring and bringing him in, even though he was really bringing her in with his unnatural charm. I knew that she had no idea what she was doing while Nick was in complete control. Rafaela was way beyond tipsy, her eyes were glazed over and she was slowly rocking back and forth on the bar stool. I realized suddenly that it was my job to protect her and keep her safe, that I should not be allowing this. I was tied down to this human girl. Rafaela Geordie was now my responsibility. 

Chapter Nine

Rafaela

      

My vision blurred as the boy in front of me leaned forward, his lips crushing mine. I threw my arms around his neck as he clutched my waist, pulling me onto his lap. I giggled as the boy’s hand slid up my back, again with the bra strap! C’mon here people! Did I look like the kind of girl who would wear a bra?

 

“What the hell?” An angry voice growled from somewhere behind the kid I was in the middle of swapping spit with.

 

“Get the hell off her.” The voice scolded, and suddenly the boy was ripped off of me and I went crashing to the ground, landing hard on my ass.

 

“Ow!” I exclaimed, observing my sore butt.

 

I looked up to see what had happened, and saw a blond haired preppy looking kid arguing with the red haired boy I had been kissing. Hmm, they were both cute. And it wouldn’t be the first time boys fought over me. I shrugged, deciding to watch the action unfold.

 

“What the hell man? I was kind of in the middle of something.” Red Hair sneered at Blondie.

 

“She’s my responsibility now, Nick. Sorry to ruin your fun, but I can’t let you continue with this. I’m taking her home.” Blondie shot back.

 

I wrinkled my nose in confusion. Wait a minute. Did Blondie just say he was taking me home? Red Hair–Nick, rolled his eyes, putting his hands up in defense.

 

“Whatever dude, I don’t care. Oh and here”, he tossed Blondie something that I couldn’t see. Blondie caught it and scowled, holding up the mystery item.

 

“What’s this for?” He asked.

 

“A key to our new apartment.” Nick sneered triumphantly. He turned, and looked over his shoulder with a smirk. “See you at home, brother.” He said and then left.

 

Blondie did not look very happy about the news that he had just been given by his brother apparently. I laughed.

 

“Well that was fucking hilarious.” I said. He looked down at me, studying me for a few moments, his gaze sharp.

 

“You”, he pointed a finger at me. I shrugged.

 

“Me?” I asked.

 

His eyes narrowed. I realized that he had really light green eyes. Huh, they were pretty. I shook my head, realizing that he was speaking. I tried to pay attention. No promises.

 

“I am not going to take care of you any longer. You are not worth it.” He said cynically. I snorted.

 

“Oh please. I’ll have you know that I’m way past worth it. I’m worth dying for honey. I’m the shit”, I leaned forward so that I was on my hands and knees looking up at him. “And don’t you forget it.” I finished, feeling accomplished.

 

His lip quirked at my words, and he rolled his eyes condescendingly, as if he didn’t give a damn what I said. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Who did he think he was talking to?

 

“You are such a brat.” He said, and my eyes snapped back to his face.

 

“Who in the hell do you think you are?” I shouted at him, knowing that no one would be able to hear me with the music turned all the way up and really not caring.

 

He knelt down, looking me in the eye. I realized that his eyes were really clear, and actually really sparkly, or at least I thought they were. Maybe it was because my head was spinning so much that his eyes seemed to sparkle, because my vision wasn’t at its best right now. I shut my eyes for a minute, trying to clear them up, but when I opened them again everything was still spinning! God damn it!

 

“Ugh”, I groaned and fell back on the floor, my head hitting it with a thunk. The boy moved forward in surprise, but disgust crossed his face as he saw me lying on the ground.

 

“What are you doing?” He asked me, his tone flat if not a bit bored or annoyed. I was betting on annoyed."

 

I’m laying down.” I said. “I’m tired.”

 

With a sigh, I heard him get to his feet. Good. Maybe he’d finally leave. “C’mon”, he said, and I felt him grip my hand.

 

“What the fuck!” I yelled, ripping my hand away. “Get your damn hands the fuck off me!” I shouted. I heard him sigh again.

 

“Get up. I’m taking you home.” He said. I laughed.

 

“Like hell you are. I aint going home with you for shit.” I said, stretching and getting comfortable.

 

The floor of the club wasn’t that hard actually. And I wasn’t that hammered. I felt someone grabbing my shoulders, probably Blondie, but I was too tired (and drunk obviously) to push him off, so I just let him pull me up and sit me upright.

 

“It’s time for you to go home.” He murmured in my ear. I didn’t know it I was tired or what but I just passed out right there after he said that.

Chapter Ten

Rafaela

      

When I woke up, I was in my room. It was dark, which meant that it was either really late in the afternoon or really early in the morning. Either way, I didn’t care. I sat up in bed, feeling not too comfortable.

 

My head was throbbing, my throat was dry, and there was a bad taste in my mouth. I looked down to see I was still in my leather dress that I had gone to the club in. When I tried to think about what happened last night it was fuzzy. I remember dancing, making out, getting in a fight, and then nothing. Oh shit . . . I hope I didn’t do anything too stupid last night.

 

I just thought this when I swung my legs over the bed, looked up, and noticed that there was someone else in my room with me. My eyes widened and tried to focus on who it was in the darkness. I couldn’t. My eyes still stung from the alcohol I had drank yesterday in Bliss.

 

“Who the hell are you?” I asked the dark shadow in the corner of my room. The shadow shook its head.

 

“I’m the person who brought you home when you were drunk off your ass last night.” The guy said.

 

I scowled as he came forward. He was pretty tall, with warm blond hair that was tousled like he had just been out in the wind, shining green eyes, and wearing a blue sweater, jeans, and designer shoes. My eyebrows scrunched together in concentration as I tried to place him. I couldn’t. Everything that happened last night was still a blur.

 

“Are you from my school? And what the fuck are you doing in my bedroom? I don’t do side jobs, even though I’m sure that would be the highlight of your life I’m just not into it. Hate to break it to you.” I said, standing up and stretching. The boy rolled his eyes.

 

“I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He said. I laughed.

 

“Why do you care?” I asked him. He shook his head.

 

“I don’t know.” He said almost to himself. I gave him a funny look.

 

“It’s not like I don’t love having boys in my bedroom, hate to tell you, but you’re just not my type. So just haul ass, kay? Good.” I said, heading into my bathroom.

 

“I’m not here because I want to be, trust me.” I heard him say behind me. I stepped out of the bathroom, my toothbrush in my hand.

 

“Oh?” I raised my eyebrows. “Then why are you here?” I asked.

 

“Because I have to be.” He said flatly.

 

I began brushing my teeth, going back into the bathroom to spit. I wiped my mouth and when I came back out he was still there.

 

“Why don’t you just leave me alone?” I asked. I just wanted to take a shower and make plans for tonight. I looked at my clock. Two fucking a.m.!

 

“Are you nuts?” I yelled at him. He vaguely looked at me.

 

“I’m beginning to think I am.” He said. I waved my hands.

 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Look, I don’t know if you’re retarded or stupid, or what, but I don’t care. I just want you to get the hell out of my house! It’s two in the morning and I should be at the club right now, not talking to you.” I said, going back into the bathroom to redo my makeup. He followed me, standing in the doorway while I took a wet washcloth and dabbed at my cheeks and eyes.

 

“I hate this just as much as you.” He said.

 

I looked at him in the mirror. His hair was shining, and his eyes were clear and sharp. It’s not that he wasn’t cute, just really fucking annoying.

 

“I doubt that. Why don’t you just go?” I asked, applying fresh blush and mascara, then moving on to eye shadow. “Who are you anyway?” I asked as I colored my eyelids black and deep lavender. He sighed, watching me work.

 

“Gabriel.” He said.

 

“Okay. Now what are you doing here?” I asked again, digging in the drawers for my purple lipstick. I could’ve sworn I had worn it last night.

 

“I brought you home from the club yesterday when you were unbelievably drunk. You wouldn’t have been able to make it without me.” Gabriel said.

 

I could actually believe that. Wouldn’t be the first time a guy has brought me home from the club without me knowing. But usually they asked for something in return, and this guy hadn’t mentioned anything like that.

 

“What do you want?” I asked him, still rooting for my lipstick.

 

“Here”, he said, placing something on the bathroom counter. When he removed his hand I saw it was my tube of magenta lipstick.

 

“Thanks.” I picked it up and unscrewed the cap. “Where’d you find it?” I asked.

 

“You dropped it at the club last night when you laid down to take a nap on the dance floor.” He said cynically.

 

I inwardly cringed. I didn’t know I had been that drunk. Damn, I should really try to keep track of what I drink and how much of it.

 

“Woops. My bad. Well thanks for the favor but you can go now.” I said, finishing up, pulling my hair back, and observing myself in the mirror.

 

I looked pretty damn sexy with my smoky eyes, pierced nose, eyebrow, lip, and ears, and with the long part of my hair pulled up, the choppy part fell in front of my face and eyes, giving me a great look. I grinned. The dress was still fine, all I’d have to do was spray some perfume and head out.

 

“Where are you going?” Gabriel asked, following me into my room.

 

I sprayed some of my sweet perfume on and looked in my full body mirror. I still needed shoes.

 

“Why do you care?” I asked him.

 

Sitting on the bed and putting on my high heels. He didn’t say anything for a moment, just shook his head again.

 

“Look, I’d appreciate it if you’d try not to get into any trouble tonight alright? I don’t want to clean up another one of your messes, Rafaela. And God knows you make a lot of messes.” He said sternly.

 

“Whatever.” I snorted, standing up. His eyes darkened.

 

“I’m serious.” He said, his tone stone cold. I rolled my eyes.

 

“Whatever. Bye, bye now.” I turned and began to head out the door when I felt Gabriel grab my wrist. I spun around, about to speak, when suddenly I was caught in his eyes. I was stuck.

Chapter Eleven

Gabriel

 

       I wasn’t sure what happened, all I knew was that I had grabbed Rafaela to keep her from going to the club and making a fool out of herself for the second time in one night and suddenly I had been sucked into her consciousness. She had turned around, and everything stopped. I looked into her dark brown eyes, and I knew her. I could see everything about her, everything that made up Rafaela Isabelle Geordie.

 

When she was five, her father died and she developed clinical depression. Her mother and stepfather put her on medication at the age of ten. When she was thirteen she got her braces off and decided to get her tongue pierced to show off something shiny in her mouth that wasn’t metal on her teeth. Later at fourteen, she died her hair black, started smoking, and met a guy named Conner Smith, who was fifteen. She had sex with him when she turned fifteen and him sixteen.

 

Also at fifteen, she got numerous piercings. In her bellybutton, ears, eyebrow, lip, and nose. At the age of sixteen now, her parents travel often, leaving the house as an open invitation for parties, she has recently joined the business of drug dealing and doing with her boyfriend Conner, and has gotten many tickets for driving while intoxicated.

 

I snapped back into reality suddenly, realizing that Rafaela had a hand pressed to her forehead, a slight moan escaping her lips. I swallowed. I had just read her whole life story with one look into her eyes. I knew what this was: Soul Speaking, a very rare form of speech between angels. It’s uncommon and had only been documented to occur with a human if that human was of special property to Heaven or Hell. Which means that Rafaela is going to be much more trouble than I had originally anticipated.

 

I now knew her perfectly, and I just wondered what she had seen of me . . .

Chapter Twelve

Rafaela

      

What the hell had just happened? I had been about to leave and then bam! It was like I was inside Gabriel, and reading everything that had went on in his life, although some of it was confusing.

 

When he was four his parents were sent to a very hot, dark, and fiery place which Gabriel feared more than anything else in the world. What the place was exactly was unclear, but the rest was pretty easy to understand. Later at ten, he was put next to a very high and mighty being referred to only as Him. Then when he was thirteen, he met a young girl named Aria Carnell, who became like a sister to him.

 

When he turned fourteen he developed a friendship with Zale Heights, someone who went away for a while and then returned when Gabriel was fifteen. All I knew was that Zale had done something very bad and very wrong, but I couldn’t figure out what. Then at sixteen, Gabriel Robert Jamul was banished from his special place for a very bad and unknown deed. Again, the reason was surrounded by haze, but I did know that the really powerful guy addressed as Him, was real angry about what Gabriel did. Now suddenly Gabriel’s here, and tied down to me?

 

Why me?

Chapter Thirteen

Gabriel

      

“What in the hell was that?” Rafaela said, her voice hitching up an octave higher than normal.

 

I pursed my lips, looking for a way to describe an angelic property to a human. There was none.

 

“Gabriel”, she said when I didn’t respond, “what the hell had just happened? You know, I’ve been drunk, high, and even a bit hyper because of meds, I’ve seen some crazy shit, but that has never happened to me before.” She said heatedly.

 

I paused, considering my options. I really didn’t have many. Knowing Rafaela, she wouldn’t drop this. However, I could attempt to make her. Then again I could tell her, but that would be breaking so many rules I wouldn’t be able to begin. My chances of returning to my place in Heaven were already slim, but telling Rafaela would be like jumping into the pits of Hell and laughing as I burned. It was an insane idea to tell her, but I didn’t see any other. Well, before I send myself to Hell, I’m going to try to have her forget this, or at least, leave me alone on the topic.

 

“It’s probably just your hangover.” I said. She cocked a disbelieving eyebrow, but I continued.

 

“I’m sure it was nothing. Don’t worry, take some aspirin and I’m sure you’ll be fine. I should go now.” I said, walking to the door. I had my hand on the knob when she gripped my shoulder.

 

“Are you insane? I want to know what the fuck just happened to me. And don’t act so innocent, I know you felt it too.” She said, turning the tables on me.

 

I eyed her guardedly. This was bad, as if I wasn’t already in enough trouble. I sighed, looking at her with the patience of a parent looking at a poor foolish child.

 

“Honestly Rafaela, what do you think happened?” I asked, switching things around back on her. She quirked her lip in a sneer.

 

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.” She said. And the spotlight’s back on me. I shook my head.

 

“Get some rest.” I said, opened the door, and headed into her hall.

 

When I was in the foyer, I looked up to see her running down the staircase.

 

“Wait! Gabriel, tell me what happened right now!” She shouted, and when she was just about to get to the bottom of the stairs, I locked the door, closed it behind me, and ran.

 

I didn’t care where I was or who saw me–breaking about fifty other rules–I unfurled my wings and took off away from Rafaela Geordie and all the trouble she brought me.

Chapter Fourteen

Gabriel

      

Things had once been simple. I had lived in Heaven as one of God’s angels next to my best friend, and then everything had gone all wrong. Now, I was a guardian angel watching over a damn party girl who is now a powerful objective between Heaven and Hell. I was worried however, about what would happen to Rafaela. As soon as word got out that she was a mortal Soul Speaker then the search would begin, and I knew just the guy who would be searching for her first. I flew through the sky with the wind blowing my hair back and my wings beating rhythmically. So much trouble I was in, so much. Not only had I been a complete fool by speaking to Rafaela instead of just leaving like I should’ve, but I had let her speak to me using an ability that’s barely known to humans. What I wanted desperately right now was to speak to Aria, to hear her kind words and know that things will be okay as long as I figure out what to do. I wasn’t sure what to do or where I was going, only that no matter where it was, it would have to be far away from Rafaela. Which would be a bit difficult, since I’m her guardian angel and am required to be at her side at all times.

Chapter Fifteen

Rafaela

      

I leaned back in the leather seat in Conner’s sleek black convertible. He kept the hood up though, because the wind messed up our hair. He had one hand on the wheel, the other around my shoulders, his eyes partly on the road and partly on me.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

 

Now, Conner isn’t the type to worry about anything. ‘A nice buzz will fix whatever’s troubling you’, was his motto. When he noticed something was wrong was when I noticed that I’d have to change. I didn’t know I was being so obvious. What had happened with Gabriel a week ago had been troubling me. Had I been drunk? Stoned? Or just plain old tired? I couldn’t figure out if I had taken a pretty wacky trip to La La Land, or if what had happened had really happened.

 

“Rafaela”, Conner snapped his fingers in front of my face, I blinked and shook my head, looking foggily at him.

 

“What?” I asked, irritated.

 

“I asked you if you were okay. Are you? Did you sneak something from my stash? I told you that stuff was for Ronnie and Ken, not for us. I have plenty left that we could use, the others were extras for my customers.” He said angrily, his arm tightening around my shoulders. I shook my head.

 

“No, I didn’t fucking steal from you.” I snapped, throwing his arm off me and leaning close to the door. He looked at me, his eyes dark.

 

“What the hell’s your problem then?” He asked me in the same pissed tone as before.

 

“Stop the car.” I said simply. He looked at me oddly.

 

“What?” He asked.

 

“Stop the damn car!” I shouted.

 

Conner immediately hit the brakes, lurching us forward. My arms flew out instinctively, and I gripped the dash to keep my head from going through the windshield. I slung my bag over my shoulder, opened the door, andjumped out.

 

“What the fuck are you doing?” He yelled, looking up at me furiously.

 

“I can’t do this right now Conner, I just can’t. I’m done.” I said, my face flushed.

 

Thunder boomed overhead, and I felt the first few drops of cold rain landing on my head. Perfect. Just perfect.

 

“What do you mean ‘you’re done’? Get back in the goddamned car!” Conner spouted, opening the passenger door and motioning me in.

 

I shook my head, the rain beginning to come down harder. My makeup was being shot to hell, but I didn’t care at the moment. What I cared about right now was getting away from here.

 

“No. I’m leaving.” I said, turning around and beginning the walk back home which was only a few blocks away.

 

“How are you going to get to school?” Conner shouted after me. I ignored him, resisting the urge to shout back.

 

I stormed in through the front door, the rain outside coming down in waves. I was completely soaked through, my mascara running down my face and my hair dripping. My boots squished as I came into the foyer and threw them off. Our maid Rita, rushed in, fussing in Spanish about my hair and my clothes. I rolled my eyes and threw her the only word I knew in Spanish and the English signal to go with it, bird is the word. Her eyes widened and her Spanish only came out more feverishly and pretty much pissed off.

 

I headed outside onto the covered deck where I plopped down on one of the wicker chairs, grabbing one of the linen napkins that were only for show and wiping the makeup residue off my face. I swiped another one and dried what I could of my hair. I threw the wet napkins on the table, running my hands through my damp hair.

 

Was I going crazy? Did what happen with Gabriel ever really happen? Had I just been super drunk and had hallucinated? Was there even a Gabriel? I rubbed my eyes. Damn, I must be crazy. If I wasn’t, then I would know if someone even existed.

 

“Fuck”, I said, keeping my hands over my eyes.

 

The pounding of the rain was actually pretty nice to listen to, and with my eyes closed I could imagine that what had happened hadn’t happened, and that I was back to not giving a damn about anything again.

 

“Rafaela.”

 

My eyes snapped open at my name. Oh shit, that voice was pretty damn familiar.

 

I looked up to see the person I had been wondering about for a week standing over me, looking pretty fucking real if you ask me. Well, there went my theory about being too drunk.

Chapter Sixteen

Gabriel

      

I looked down at Rafaela, her clothes wet and clinging to her curvy body, her hair damp and sticking to her face. I had been avoiding her, however keeping watch over her as well for the past week, and now I knew I had to talk to her. She looked up at me, her eyes widening in shock and I could see a hint of denial there. She must’ve been on the verge of convincing herself that what had happened last week actually hadn’t occurred. I wish.

 

“Oh shit”, she muttered, shaking her head. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

 

“What the hell do you want?” She asked, her tone laced with anger.

 

“We need to talk.” I said seriously. She threw her hands up in the air.

 

“About what?” She stood. “I have nothing to say to you.” She said and turned to head back inside, but I gripped her elbow, careful not to touch her skin and experience another mental lapse.

 

She spun around to face me, her eyes blazing. I looked away, avoiding her gaze. Soul Speakers were strong beings, and I was worried of a repeat performance of last week.

 

“I’m sorry I left you without an explanation before. I just wasn’t sure how to tell you, correctly.” I said, struggling for the right words.

 

I had come to the conclusion that I must tell her. There was no other way to properly explain what had happened. I would just leave out a few parts, like the one about me being a fallen angel. Rafaela tugged her arm free, staring at me angrily.

 

“Well, then go ahead and tell me what happened because I sure as hell don’t know.” She quipped, folding her arms across her chest.

 

I paused for a moment, reconsidering what I was about to say to her. I was going to break so many rules, and forget about returning to Heaven, I now had a one way ticket to Hell, no refunds. I inhaled, exhaled, and then told her.

 

“It’s difficult to explain what exactly had occurred that night, but I assure you it was nothing too serious.” I said hesitantly. She raised her eyebrows, not believing a word I said.

 

“Oh really? Then why’d you take off as soon as I asked you about it?” Rafaela shot back.

 

I shut my eyes for a moment, then opened them again. I had to give her credit, Rafaela Geordie was hard to sway.

 

“What the hell happened last week?” She asked, moving closer.

 

The rain was pounding now, so hard that it actually hurt when it made contact with your skin. But it didn’t look like either of us was going to move anytime soon, so I guess we were just going to get wet. I sighed, realizing that there really was no way around this. I would either have to tell the truth or make a run–or fly–for it, which I had already done. Well, here we go. Since I had already screwed myself over, what did I have to lose now?

 

“Alright, what happened in your bedroom last week was out of the ordinary and it’s hard for me to explain to you in detail about it. But I’ll give you the gist. It’s . . . almost like a . . . psychic ability, only not quite.” I said, having trouble finding the right words. She raised one eyebrow in confusion.

 

“Are you telling me I’m some medium? Like that Long Island chick?” She asked. I almost laughed but instead shook my head.

 

“No, not exactly. It’s a special property among certain individuals. You and I”, I took a pause, then spoke again. “Are some of these people.”

 

Rafaela eyed me suspiciously, her gaze cold. “Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you’ve been stalking me for the past two weeks.” She said, almost smugly.

 

My blood ran cold at her realization. Damn, she was more observant than I had originally anticipated, which was good and bad. I opened my mouth to speak, but Rafaela moved closer and began talking before I had a chance to.

 

“Look Gabriel, I know that you’re not normal. That kind of thing, reading minds or whatever, doesn’t happen to normal people. Now, I’m pretty fucking weird, but I’ve never met someone quite as weird as you. You show up at my party one day, then show up at the club, and now you’ve been mysteriously appearing at my school. That’s not just a little weird, it’s fucking creepy as hell.” She said angrily.

 

“Rafaela–”, I started once more but again, she cut me off.

 

“I just want to know what you want with me. I’ll be happy to believe the story that somebody slipped some whacked up shit into my drink at the club, I’m sure Eliot isn’t above that. But there’s just one thing I need from you, what the hell do you want with me?” She asked, scowling in confusion and a need to understand.

 

I almost laughed at the irony. I had no idea what was going on either, but apparently, I was in quite a jam here–well that was the understatement of the year–and there was no way out.

 

“Rafaela”, I swallowed, “I can’t leave you.” I said warily. Her confused scowl deepened.

 

“What are you talking about?” She asked.

 

I shook my head and with a deep breath, I revealed the ultimate secret of my existence that could ultimately destroy me, as if I wasn’t already damned. “I can’t leave you, because–I’m your guardian angel.”

Chapter Seventeen

Rafaela

      

My first reaction was to laugh, to point and laugh and say that his story was just a bunch of bullshit and I really had hallucinated. But then again, I thought, what if he wasn’t lying? What if he was telling the truth and he really was an angel? Okay, now I just sounded fucking stupid. But did I have any proof to back up that his story really was bullshit? No. Did he have any proof to say his story was 100%, without a doubt true? No. So, we were both kinda in the same boat here. Ugh, shit.

 

“You’re lying.” I said instinctively. Gabriel sighed, looking down and then up at the dark sky.

 

“I honestly wish I was.” He murmured. I gave him a funny look.

 

“Why? Why wouldn’t you want to be an angel? Like seriously, being some almighty being sounds pretty damn cool to me.” I said.

 

He shook his head, his green eyes cool and reserved, like he had given up too much already and wasn’t prepared to give up much more, if anything at all.

 

“You don’t understand. We aren’t ‘almighty beings’, we’re just subjects of the almighty. Our ranks don’t even compare to the ranks of God. But I wasn’t always like this, you know.” He said, sitting down in one of the wicker deck chairs.

 

I realized then that it was still raining fucking cats and dogs, so with the press of a button I let the awning release so that we were partially shielded. Although I couldn’t do much about the howling wind and loud-ass thunder. I sat down in the chair across from Gabriel, and looked at him. I mean I really looked at him, at his dark blonde hair that was like golden silk, at his jade green eyes that were now trained on the ground, and at his lean tall body.

 

As I gazed at him, I realized that he had this certain charm, this charisma that pulled you closer, closer, until you were so close you could nearly taste his beauty. I had never seen someone as gorgeous as him. I mean sure, Conner was cute and all, but Gabriel put him to shame. Seeing Gabriel now, in the pouring rain and muted darkness of the cloud shrouded day, I realized that he could be an angel, with the way he radiated perfection. All that was missing was a halo, or wings.

 

“What happened to you then? Like, if you weren’t always a ‘guardian angel’ then what were you?” I asked, my curiosity taking place over insanity at the situation. He looked at me, his expression surprised and a bit depressed.

 

“You sound pretty certain of what I just told you. How do you know that everything I said wasn’t just a lie?” He asked, seeming more curious than judging, like me.

 

I shrugged. “Well, I figure if I am insane, then I might as well go with it.”

 

Gabriel’s lips were pressed into a tight line, and I could see the anxiety on his face. I wondered for a moment what him telling me about who he was, was costing him.

 

“So tell me”, I leaned forward, my elbows on the table and my chin propped up in my hands. “What did happen to you? I mean, I got some of it when we had our little fucked up moment there but I don’t really know specifically what happened.” I said, a hint of humor in my tone.

 

I could see he almost smiled at my joke, almost. His expression smoothed out quickly though, into a blank stare of concentration as he dug up his past for me to understand.

 

“I used to be one of God’s personal angels. I was by his side at all times.”

 

“Like a bodyguard?” I interrupted. He nodded, seeming only mildly annoyed at my talking.

 

“Kind of like  a bodyguard, but not quite. See, we were very high beings, very important. But, if we misbehaved then, well, we’d be cast off. Or, kicked out, so to speak.” He said, clearing his throat and pausing.

 

I took a moment to try to understand what he had said. All I got was that he had been a bad boy and sent into the time out chair. Hey, that’s how I interpret things. I leaned forward and he looked up.

 

“So what did you do?” I murmured.

 

Before he had a chance to say anything, I saw his eyes, and looked right into them, which was a big mistake. As soon as I caught his gaze, I couldn’t break away. All I saw were deep, sparkling pools of green, jade green, his eyes. Everything else around me was gone and dark. Oh shit . . .

Chapter Eighteen

Rafaela

      

“Fuck me”, I think I muttered before I completely blacked out.

 

I saw Gabriel, kneeling at the feet of a really powerful being. God, I realized, was looking down at Gabriel. God didn’t have an exact description, since he was everything and everyone, at the moment he was just a bright and shining blur. But I could tell that he was really mad. I wasn’t really involved in what was going on, I was more like an observer, resting on the sidelines, watching the scene unfold in front of me.

 

“I didn’t mean to step out of line, I’m so terribly sorry.” Gabriel said so quiet it was nearly a whisper. The holy being just shook his head.

 

“What you have done is unforgivable, you cannot fraternize with a mortal and expect open, unearned forgiveness. Gabriel Robert Jamul, you are banished from the realms of Heaven.” God said in a strong, powerful, but also soothing and calm voice.

 

But I was sure that it didn’t sound anything but furious to Gabriel who was cringing on the ground. Then without warning, the wisps of white Gabriel had been kneeling on gave way, and he plummeted down into a dark abyss with a few lights shining. Earth, I realized with a jolt and without warning I was suddenly yanked roughly back to reality. I gripped the edge of the glass table to keep from keeling over, my head reeling from what I had just seen.

 

“Oh god”, I muttered, feeling a roll of nausea churning in my stomach and coming up my throat. “I think I’m gonna barf.” I said, trying to swallow down my bagel.

 

“Shit”, Gabriel cursed.

 

I tried to focus on him, but I kept seeing three Gabriel’s, and not the usual one. He reached forward and grasped my hand tightly, looking fervently at my face, but not into my eyes, thank god.

 

“What did you see?” He asked, his eyes blazing and hard to keep my eyes off of.

 

“I saw . . . you and uh, God. And, you were–well, he was pretty pissed, an–” Before I could finish Gabriel dropped my hand and shot up out of his chair.

 

“Goddammit.” He swore again, his back to me. I just sat back in my chair, wondering what the hell he had seen.

 

“Now”, I said a few moments later, getting up and moving towards him. “What did you see of me?” I asked.

Chapter Nineteen

Gabriel

      

I had never anticipated this power of Soul Speaking to be so overwhelming and so completely uncontrollable. It took everything in my power to break away from Rafaela when she had me locked in the dark clutches of her subconscious. It’s a powerful place, let me tell you.

 

What I saw of her was what had just recently happened, her breaking up with her druggie boyfriend Conner, and padding home in the freezing rain. Then cursing at the maid, and heading out here, in the midst of convincing herself that I didn’t exist and that she had been too drunk to really comprehend what had happened earlier last week. I could’ve kicked myself. If only I hadn’t shown up, if I had listened for a few more moments I could’ve sold the story of my non-existence perfectly, and we wouldn’t be stuck here where we are now. But after that little episode, things are that much worse. Because now, a human has seen what is only meant for angel’s eyes. At Rafaela’s question, I looked at her and shook my head.

 

“Nothing important. Just your little spat with your boyfriend and then you out here, telling yourself I wasn’t real. Hate to break it to you, but I’m damn real.” I said dryly.

 

She just watched as I began to pace from the end of the patio to the back door. I couldn’t believe I had left my defenses down like this. I was a fool, completely. “Damnation” couldn’t even begin to describe the trouble I was probably in now after what had just happened.

 

“So”, Rafaela said after a few moments of my quiet calculation. “You’re my guardian angel?” She asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. I paused, halfway in between my path. I turned and looked at her.

 

“Yes.” I said. Her smile spread.

 

“So you watch over me? Like, all the time?” She asked again, the amusement clear in her tone. I grinned.

 

“Well, not all the time. Respect is a big factor in our job description so no, I don’t see you all the time.” I said. She laughed, looking down.

 

“Hmm, I never really thought about guardian angels and all that. Do you . . . like . . .” Rafaela looked around the yard, then at me, smiling an awkward smile. “You know, have a halo? And wings?” She asked curiously.

 

I couldn’t help but laugh at her question, running a hand through my wet hair. She began laughing as well, shrugging afterward in embarrassment.

 

“Hey, don’t laugh at me! How was I supposed to know? I’m not some know it all specializing in angelic properties.” Rafaela grumbled, crossing her arms, her lower lip pouting. I shook my head and cleared my throat.

 

“Sorry, and to answer your question, you’re actually half right. I do have wings.” I said, smiling broadly. She rolled her eyes.

 

“No halo?” She asked. I shook my head.

 

“No. No halo.” I said. Rafaela cocked her head to the side, eyeing me curiously.

 

“What do your wings look like?” She asked.

 

At this my expression darkened, and I looked away from her.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I didn’t know it was a touchy subject.” Rafaela said hastily. I rubbed my tired eyes, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees.

 

“No, it’s fine. My wings, well, they’re probably not what you expect.” I murmured. She gazed at me, waiting patiently for more. After a moment, she spoke.

 

“I don’t care. I’m not here to judge.” She spread her arms around her, gesturing at the backyard. “Does it really look like I’m the judging type?” She said humorously.

 

I pursed my lips, thinking. The rain had slowed to a steady patter, which was distracting as I tried to sort out what Rafaela wanted me to do. To show your wings was the ultimate weakness of an angel. It was our Achilles heel, and if Rafaela saw my wings, then I would be left completely vulnerable. I took a deep breath and stood. Rafaela looked up, watching as I turned completely around so that she could see my whole body.

 

“So you want to see my wings?” I asked. With a silent nod, she sat and waited.

 

With another breath, I released the pressure in my back, by releasing my ten feet long, jet black wings.

Chapter Twenty

Rafaela

      

I gasped at the sight of Gabriel’s shining wings. They were glorious. Each wing extended so long that the tip of the left wing nearly touched my cheek, and black feathers adorned them. They were so beautiful. They seemed to have a faint glow, glimmering darkly in the shade of the clouded morning. I swallowed, staring bug eyed at his wings. I realized then that I was just staring at him, and I fumbled for words.

 

“The–they’re . . .” I swallowed again. Gabriel’s eyes were dark as he watched me struggle to find a way to describe his beauty.

 

“They’re disgusting.” He muttered, bunching his shoulders as his wings drew back.

 

My eyes widened and I got to my feet, surprised at his sudden shift in mood. Did he honestly think his wings were disgusting?

 

“What?” I finally managed to choke out. “What the hell are you talking about? They’re so–beautiful.” I murmured, my eyes glued to him in awe. He looked at me oddly, his eyes misbelieving.

 

“Don’t bullshit me, Rafaela. They’re absolutely horrid.” He said, his lip curling with dark conviction.

 

My brow scrunched in confusion and anger. Was he nuts?

 

“Are you fucking insane? Your wings are amazing.” My voice rose with frustration as I spoke, and I began to move closer to him. He flinched away from me, but I ignored him.

 

“Gabriel, you cannot honestly tell me that you think your wings are ugly?” I spoke sternly, but as he looked at me, his expression cold and drawn, I realized that he really did find his wings disgusting.

 

“Oh my god”, I said, my tone hot, “You are nuts.” I huffed and before I reconsidered what I was about to do, I reached forward and gingerly touched his left wing.

 

The feathers were so soft and smooth under my hand. As I ran my fingers over the black velvety feathers, my heart began picking up speed and pounding inside my chest. Gabriel had remained silent throughout my whole rant, and as I looked up at him I saw that his eyes had widened in surprise at my touch.

 

“They are beautiful.” I said truthfully again.

Chapter Twenty One

Gabriel

      

Rafaela stared at me, with her big chestnut eyes, as her hands traveled down my wing, caressing my feathers. I felt a shiver go through me at her touch. She was so warm, so soft, and so gentle.

 

A warm sensation stirred in my chest, and I watched silently as Rafaela reached out and touched my right wing with her hand, then use both hands to smooth down my feathers. I was shocked and confused, to say the least. At the sight of my wings Rafaela hadn’t been repulsed, like I had expected, but she had seemed to like them. How could she? They were hideous. Fallen angel wings were nothing to be proud of. My wings should not be black as night, they should be white and pure, just like before I had fallen victim to the allure of mortals and cast out.

 

Yes, I had deceived my Lord and broken my promises. I had preyed on an innocent mortal girl, we had touched, we had become close, and surely, He had found out. He knows everything, for He is everything. When I was banished I wasn’t surprised. However I was very angry and frustrated with myself. I had given up everything and for what? A taste of mortal desire? The luxury of satisfaction is something that I can no longer afford, because I had tasted the forbidden fruit, and while sweet, was not worth my position.

 

Aria had been right all along, I was lucky to be granted the position of guardian angel. Hell, I could’ve done a lot worse. I could’ve been stripped of my wings and become a mortal altogether. It’s what I deserved, but it’s not what I received. I could’ve been sent straight to Hell, just like my parents when they defied Him, but instead, I was lucky enough to make out with black wings and a bruised ego.

 

Even though I put up with Nick every night, Nick and his obnoxious babbling, his raucous music, and his bringing a girl home nearly every night and hearing everything they’re doing through the paper thin walls of the apartment, I’m still lucky. And through all this, all the way back to before I was sent away, Zale had been watching quietly from the sidelines, waiting for me to screw up. I had seen him, and I’m sure he had seen me, and now he had what he wanted. If there was anything Zale was it was greedy, and competitive. He loved to be at the top, to be the winner. He always claimed the ultimate prize . . . Suddenly it hit me.

 

With Rafaela gently stroking my wings as I realized my mistakes, I also realized with a jolt Zale’s motives, his obsession. He had always told me about his fantasies of ruling with lovely Speaker’s surrounding him, so that whenever he’d wish to talk he wouldn’t have to verbally tell his secrets and desires, he would merely have to gaze into one of his subject’s eyes, and with one touch, he’d be able to control them completely. Zale was a powerful being, rueful, and cruel.

 

Sometimes, he would point out women, in the Heavens, and down in Earth, women he coveted. His subjects, he stated, would strictly be female, so that he could enjoy his time of ruling with a pleasant view. Zale was a Soul Speaker, and had always wished for other Speaker’s to be around. He searched for decades, just like he said he had, and he hadn’t been able to find any Speaker’s he fancied. Until now. 

Chapter Twenty Two

He grinned, his lip curling ruefully as he gazed down at the fallen angel realizing that his doubts and suspicions were completely necessary, and completely true. It had taken him long enough to figure out my plan, he thought with a cold laugh. Finding Speakers was a tricky, and time consuming task, but now, his search was nearly complete. He could settle for one, one was enough for now. His gaze shifted to the girl who was staring alarmed at the angel she had been fondly caressing.

 

Now, Gabriel was in a tear, telling his little assignment what was really going on. Why she had been feeling watched the past few days, why she had been feeling uncomfortable. Oh, Gabriel knew he was more skilled than that, skilled enough that he wouldn’t have been spotted. Zale was more skilled, in many arts, however he had let his defenses down with this one. A small mistake, but a fixable one. He would fix it, in due time. But first, he had to find her. Rafaela Geordie, his first task at hand.

Chapter Twenty Three

Rafaela

      

I struggled to keep up with what Gabriel was saying. One moment, everything was calm, with the slow drizzle of rain around us, and the soft feel of his feathery wings under my fingers, and then something dawned on his face that turned him into a madman. He was now back to pacing and babbling about some guy named Zale who was after me.

 

“Wait”, I reached out to grab his shoulder, but my fingertips only skimmed his leather jacket. “Dammit Gabriel! What the hell is going on?” I exclaimed in outrage.

 

He suddenly stopped his frantic pacing, spun around and faced me. His eyes were wild, his expression twisted into one of anger and resentment.

 

“You want to know what’s going on?” He asked, but before I could answer he continued quickly. “You want to know? Okay, here it is. You’re a Soul Speaker, and so am I. There’s an angel, one of my kind, in Heaven, looking down at us right now and he’s after you.” Gabriel said, his tone sharp and cold as steel. I scowled, trying to comprehend.

 

“What? But that makes no sense. Why would he want me?” I asked. Gabriel rolled his eyes, continuing to pace once more.

 

“Because, you’re a female Soul Speaker, and he covets them. He had to get rid of his last Speaker because she wouldn’t obey his commands. Now, he’s looking for a replacement, and he wants you.” He snapped, then shook his head vigorously.

 

“Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t see this before!” He yelled, suddenly whipping his arm out, clutching one of the decorative vases and throwing it across the yard where it shattered loudly against the fence. I could hear our maid shuffling through the kitchen.

 

“Shit, she’s gonna come out here.” I muttered. Gabriel looked distractedly at the back door, where Rita was hastily making her way towards.

 

“Goddamn it all!” Gabriel exclaimed, grabbed me by the waist, and began tugging me away.

 

“Hey!” I clawed at his hands, trying to break free but he wouldn’t allow it. “Where the hell are you taking me?” I burst out.

 

“Someplace private.” He remarked tonelessly.

 

Oh, hell no. I wasn’t going anywhere with him. Guardian angel or not that didn’t mean I was about to take offsomeplace private with Gabriel.

 

“Let me go!” I shrieked, but he only held on tighter, dragging me toward the gate which led to the woods behind my house.

 

“Qué estás haciendo con ella?!” Rita screamed (even though I had no idea what she said), flinging the back door aside.

 

“Oh fuck”, I muttered but before I could say anything to calm Rita, Gabriel swept his arm out and under my legs, cradling me to his chest and breaking into a sprint.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” I shouted.

 

He didn’t answer me, of course. I was beginning to think “guardian angel” was just a fancy way of saying douchebag.

 

“Where are we going? Gabriel? Gabriel!” I kept yelling, kicking my legs and pushing against his chest with my fists in an effort to be released.

 

“You might want to hold on for this.” He cautioned.

 

“What’s that supposed to–” My words caught in my throat as Gabriel took a flying leap off the ground, and stayed there, rising up and up. Higher and higher into the dark rain-filled clouds he went. There had been a whooshing sound, and as I twisted my neck around, I could see Gabriel’s pitch black wings, beating silently against the wind. He was flying.

Chapter Twenty Four

Rafaela

      

I shut my mouth to keep out any unwanted insects, and watched in awe as my house and my development left us in a blur. Gabriel was fast, but also graceful. His strenuous wings beat effortlessly against the slight breeze, and he held me as if I weighed nothing at all. And trust me, I certainly weighed more than nothing.

 

I gazed up at him as he flew, at his stern, set face. His expression was smooth, his heavenly features making normal beauty look ugly. I pursed my lips, shivering against the cold wind.

 

“Gabriel”, I murmured before I thought better of it. He looked down at me, surprised.

 

“What is it?” He asked quietly.

 

I looked at him, at his gorgeous face, his angelic perfection, and shook my head, smiling.

 

“Nothing.” I said.

 

Confused, he grinned in return, focusing back on his flight path ahead. 

Chapter Twenty Five

Rafaela

      

After we passed my development and most of the town, Gabriel suddenly sped up. I braced myself against the shift, burrowing myself closer in the warmth of his strong chest. I could hear the steady beating of his heart, a soothing melody of thrums. I turned my head, seeing that he was headed for one of the old apartment buildings near Bliss.

 

While some of the condos near my fav club were really new and hip, this one resembled a home for old people. It was no more than twelve stories tall, which offered no good view of the city, and there wasn’t a doorman either, showing just how old the place really was. Updated apartments had doormen and bellhops, these crappy ones, had secretaries.

 

Gabriel tightened his hold on me, and just as I was about to ask what the problem was, he swooped down dramatically, the wind hitting me full force, blowing my hair back and making my eyes water. I stifled a scream ashe straightened up overhead of the building, tucked in his wings, and we dropped.

 

It was probably no more than a few feet, but I couldn’t tell, because I had closed my eyes being the chicken shit I was. But after a soft thump, I opened my eyes and saw that we were on the roof of the worn down apartment. I gasped, seeing the city before us. It was getting dark, and a few of the lights in the nearby condos and clubs had begun to blaze brightly, illuminating the shady sky. My eyes widened, seeing the whole city laid out before me, tall buildings shadowed by small ones, and people looking like tiny insects walking the streets.

 

“Wow”, I whispered, mesmerized.

 

“Yes.” Gabriel’s melodic voice came from just above me and I jumped, realizing I was still in his arms. “It is beautiful.” He said softly.

 

I looked up at him, seeing that he was looking down at me with his light green eyes. I swallowed, smiling awkwardly.

 

“Um . . .” I began, but before I could say anything, Gabriel gently set me down on my feet. I teetered for a second, Gabriel’s arms hovering at my sides, but I waved him off.

 

“I’m fine, just not the most graceful person in the world.” I said, brushing myself off. He chuckled.

 

“I would say not.” He said. I snickered at him and childishly stuck my tongue out.

 

“Oh shut the hell up. Now, you still haven’t answered my question. Where are we?” I asked.

 

“My apartment building. It’s where I stay when you’re not taking up my schedule.” He said, walking over to an emergency exit, opening the door, and gesturing for me to come over.

 

I went over to where Gabriel stood and peered down. Behind the door was a dimly lit flight of stairs that seemed to continue to go down and never stop.

 

“Follow me.” He said, and began to descend the stairs. Seconds later, he was completely swallowed by the darkness, his slim figure disappearing. I hesitated, looking down into the dark.

 

“Gabriel?” I called, leaning forward, my heart beat picking up speed as I peered into the utter darkness.

 

A hand suddenly reached out and clutched my wrist from the black stairwell. I yelped, smothering a scream as Gabriel’s face came into view, and then the rest of his body.

 

“You coming?” He asked, his jade eyes looking me over with concern. “Are you okay?” He asked. I nodded.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I said, a bit breathlessly as my heart continued to pound loudly. A sly grin spread across his face.

 

“A little jumpy? Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.” He said softly, then, his hand slid down from my wrist and he laced his fingers with mine. I gazed up at him, having a little trouble avoiding his sparkling gaze.

 

“Just hold onto me, and you’ll be perfectly safe.” Gabriel said, and began to pull me down into the dark along with him. 

Chapter Twenty Six

Gabriel

      

Keeping hold of Rafaela’s hand, we walked down the stairs and then came to the landing, where Rafaela stumbled right into my back.

 

“Oh–sorry.” She muttered, taking a step back but still gripping my hand.

 

“It’s alright.” I said.

 

We were now standing in front of a door, and I grabbed the knob and opened it as we stepped into a dim hallway with many doors on each side of the hall.

 

“My room’s just down here.” I said, gesturing to my right. Rafaela nodded and we both went down to room 154. I let go of her hand and she looked down, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. I chuckled at her.

 

Rafaela was such a strong, and snarky girl. But when I hold her hand she gets all flustered. I fished in my pocket for my keys and stuck the appropriate one in the lock, turning the knob.

 

“What? Why are you laughing at me?” Rafaela snapped.

 

I looked over my shoulder at her. Her hair was still damp and falling multicolored to her waist, her makeup was smudged making her brown eyes look dark, and her clothes were beginning to dry and become wrinkled. However, her face was still flushed, without the help of makeup. I shook my head.

 

“No reason.” I said, and gestured for her to follow me inside. Rolling her eyes, she walked in the studio apartment.

 

Inside there was only a den, a small galley kitchen, a living room that could barely fit a couch and TV, and a medium sized balcony that looked out to the parking lot where cars and dumpsters took up the space. Nick lounged on the sofa, watching some TV show that was probably not worth his time.

 

“Hey Gabe, my man. What are you doing back here so soon? Thought you were out keeping watch over your–” Nick began, but when he caught sight of Rafaela behind me, a sneaky grin became planted on his face. “Oh, I see. You brought your assignment home with you.” He winked.

 

“Very nice.” He said, getting up off the couch and stretching. I scowled at him in frustration.

 

“Now’s not a good time, Nick. We’re here for a reason.” I stated. He cocked his head to the side, his conniving blue eyes lighting up.

 

“Oh”, he dragged out the word to make it have more than one syllable. “Details please.” He said slyly, crossing his arms.

 

Rafaela suddenly slammed the door loudly behind us and came up to my side, scowling at Nick.

 

“Who the hell are you? Gabriel, what the fuck is going on?” She asked angrily.

 

I shut my eyes for a moment before opening them again. This was going to be harder than I’d hoped. It would be lovely if Rafaela would just comply without a lot of questions. But no, that’s just not how things work.

 

“This is Nick. You and he met before at the bar. I’m sure you don’t remember, though.” I said. Rafaela eyed Nick oddly for a moment before shaking her head.

 

“No. Not a clue of who the hell you are.” She said.

 

Nick chuckled softly. “I’m not surprised. You were slightly intoxicated while you were resting on my lap, quite comfortably, I might add.”

 

Rafaela’s eyes narrowed angrily at him.

 

“What are you fucking talking about?” She snapped. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing.

 

“He’s actually not lying, Rafaela.” I said, defending Nick.

 

Why? I don’t really know. I guess I was still a bit frazzled from figuring Zale out. With a wink, Nick waggled his eyebrows at Rafaela.

 

“You wanna try to recreate the scene?” He asked seductively, sitting down on the couch and patting his lap. “Take a seat, baby.” He purred.

 

Rafaela’s face flushed a deep red with anger, and she suddenly jumped forward, almost landing on top of Nick if I hadn’t of stepped between the two.

 

“Alright, that’s enough. We need his help, and I don’t think he’ll be as compliant if you rip his head off.” I said, holding her around the waist as she struggled.

 

“I’m not going to rip his head off, I’m going to rip his d–”

 

“Okay”, Nick got up and raised his hands in the air, cutting Rafaela’s threats off as she gritted her teeth at him speaking.

 

“What do you two need help with? I’d suggest sending the girl into the bathroom to clean up so that we’ll have something nice to look at while we scheme first.” Nick offered, rubbing his hands together.

 

Rafaela only thrashed more at what Nick had said, clawing at the air separating her and the perverted angel standing before us.

 

“Nick, would you do us all a favor and shut the hell up?” I snapped.

 

Honestly, Rafaela was already hanging onto sanity by a thread, and who could blame her? She’d just found out that I was a guardian angel, that an angel up in Heaven was after her, and had just flown through the sky via guardian angel. Wouldn’t you be a bit shocked to say the least? And Nick’s teasing wasn’t helping anything. I really didn’t want Rafaela to snap, especially not now, when she was at her most vulnerable. I might be her protector, but people seem to think that angels can do everything.

 

While we may be able to do a lot, we cannot do everything. If Zale came down and abducted Rafaela like I knew he planned, then it would be difficult for me alone to protect her, which is why we needed Nick’s help. He was the only resource I had access to, no matter how sick or annoying he was. Now, Nick folded his arms across his chest.

 

“What do you want Gabe?” He asked, his cocky attitude dropping for the time being. I took advantage of it, however I wasn’t about to let Rafaela tear him apart, so I kept ahold of her.

 

“I need you to help me watch over Rafaela. Zale’s after her, and I’m afraid I won’t be enough to keep him away.” I said in a grim tone. Nick scowled.

 

“But why would he be after her? What does she have that he could want, aside from the obvious?” Nick asked with a slight smile, his obnoxious side beginning to take over. I spoke quickly before he could slip back into the idiot that was trying to gain control.

 

“She’s a Soul Speaker, and she’s very strong. Only angels are supposed to be able to possess this ability, but she does. You know how Zale covets such gifts, and he’ll hunt her down and take her for his own if we do not protect her.” I said, my eyes begging.

 

“Please Nick, please help me. I can’t let anything happen to her. I’ll be thrown into Hell if any harm comes her way.” I said desperately.

 

Nick’s face fell, almost as if he was expecting something humorous and not the serious predicament that I had just dumped onto his shoulders. He sighed, nodding as he spoke.

 

“I understand. I’ll do the best I can to try to help you.” He looked at Rafaela, who had cooled down from Nick’s last comment enough for me to release her, but her eyes were still cold as he spoke.

 

“You can stay here with us for a few days, but her parents are going to wonder where she is eventually.” Nick warned, his words directed back at me. I nodded but Rafaela spoke before I could.

 

“Don’t worry about them. God knows they won’t worry about me. I’ll text them and tell them that I’m sleeping over at one of my friend’s houses or something. They never noticed when I spent the night at my boyfriend’s place, so they won’t notice if I camp out here for a while.” She said tonelessly. Nick nodded at Rafaela, then his attention focused on me once again.

 

“We know how clever Zale is. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. We’ll have to be careful. I won’t always be around, since I have my own assignment to look after, but since he’s a goodie-two-shoes rich boy, I’m sure I’ll be here most of the time.” Nick looked at Rafaela, who stared back at him.

 

“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping, don’t worry it’s far away from where we sleep.” Nick said, a sly smile creeping up onto his face.

 

Rafaela rolled her eyes disgustedly, but followed him as he led her to her room, which was actually the den of the tiny apartment, but it was far from the living room where Nick slept on the sofa bed and I slept on an air mattress on the ground.

 

I collapsed on the sofa once they were out of the room, rubbing my tired eyes. I felt powerless, like a caged animal waiting for the tranquilizer gun to come and shoot them. I could do nothing in order to make absolutely sure that Rafaela was safe from the ruthlessness of Zale, and even though Nick was now going to help, I wasn’t sure if it would be enough to keep Rafaela out of Zale’s hands. I sighed, laying down and closing my eyes. I heard footsteps coming into the room, and looked over to see Nick in the galley kitchen, poking around in the fridge.

 

“You know it won’t be enough.” He called, pulling out  a package of lunchmeat. I scowled, sitting up.

 

“What do you mean?” I asked. He didn’t look up from making a sandwich, but he did shoot me a knowing look.

 

“We won’t be able to keep Zale away, if he really wants her, then he’s going to get her no matter what.” He said, slapping two pieces of bread over a piece of bologna.

 

“I’m trying my best.” I said in a strained tone. Nick nodded.

 

“Oh I know. I’m not saying you’re not. I’m only telling you that it won’t be enough.” He said, picking up his sandwich and plopping down on the sofa next to me. I scowled at him.

 

“I’m hoping it will be enough.” I said, laying back down and throwing my arm over my eyes.

 

“I hope so too.” I heard Nick say before I drifted off.

Chapter Twenty Seven

He chuckled, turning away from the scene below. Ah, poor Gabriel, poor foolish Gabriel. He had no idea the power Zale possessed, and it was so saddening to see him crumbling under the realization that he might just be too weak to keep Rafaela safe. The Rafaela he watched over for weeks, the Rafaela he cared for, the Rafaela he loved more than anything else in the world, even if he was too weak to admit it. His weaknesses were his feelings. He was letting his emotions get in the way of his job, and that weakness was destroying him. Ultimately, Zale would win. He knew he would, of course. There was not a doubt in Zale’s mind that he would win. Gabriel knew it, Zale knew it, and even Gabriel’s dimwitted friend Nick knew it.

 

Oh, but Rafaela had no idea what was going on. She didn’t understand the concept of how much power she wielded, or how much control she had over Gabriel. And that’s exactly how Zale intended things to stay. It would be much easier to take her if she didn’t understand what was occurring around her. Zale would have to interfere very soon. Sooner than he had intended. He was watching Rafaela closely, and saw that she was much too strong for her own good. If he didn’t take her soon, then he feared he might not be able to take her without stirring up unwanted attention. So he would have to make an appearance in Rafaela Geordie’s life sooner rather than later. He was okay with that. This battle would be over once Rafaela was his. The only problem was getting around Rafaela’s little protector. Zale shrugged. A minor detail, one that would be very easy to take care of. 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 06.11.2013

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