An Angel's Ascent (35 page)

I understood a little better now.

Kali left; she would not speak with me again. She allowed me to hear only because she wanted me to know she would arrive in two weeks. My chest felt ragged and full of holes. Sobs escaped, and my legs buckled. Sen had me before I hit the ground. He had heard Kali and my conversation.

“
I’m sorry. I wish we had more time. We both knew it was coming. We’ll be ready; we have to be.”

Sen would leave me, and the world would die.

“
I will always be with you. You know this. I have asked my Master if my spirit could wander for the rest of eternity. He granted my final wish. So I could be with my daughter, real daughter. I should have never left you, but I had no choice.” Sen bowed his head in shame.

My tears of sorrow were joined by tears of fury. He had left me to endure the pain of my past alone. Let my mother die when he could have saved her. For this, I should have hated him.

“
I cannot change your past. I came when I did because I begged him to let me save you. He allowed this, only if I didn’t reveal who I was. I gave you everything I could so you could defend yourself against the world. It was all I could do, I swear. I was forbidden to interfere. You had to learn the wisdom of those years. I’d give anything to change it, Angel. Your mother never told me she was pregnant. Not until it was too late. My master sent me on a mission in that area just so you could be born. He knew I wanted a family. He gave me a mortal’s desire and need only so you could be born. Then he took them away. He didn’t expect me to love her, to go back and find you.”

I stood up now with him holding me to him.

“
Is Sen your real name?”

“
Has been for many, many years. It’s what your mother called me.”

“
Were you ever going to tell me?”

“
After I was gone,” he whispered.

I walked away from him then. It wasn’t fair to me. None of this was my fault. I was given everyone else’s burden and problems and told to fix them. I was to destroy the world, save what little people were left, and face armies upon armies of supernatural creatures that would over run the world and some would try to kill or enslave us.

Sen didn’t move. I was nearly to the docks when I saw Aries. He was approaching Sen and would wonder why he was just standing there. Would he tell him?

The boat was just arriving. I could see Bella, her sister, and her brother-in-law.

When I reached them Bella and quite a few of the others were surprised. The band seemed nervous. They knew there wasn’t much time left. Frank was even wary. I tried to smile, but inside I wasn’t feeling it. Cross sensed my despair and tried to hurry things along. Switch showed up about that time.

“
Are you alright?” Switch whispered in my ear, so no one human could hear.

“
I need a moment alone is all, to sort some info out.”

“
Gotcha,” he told me.

“
Angel, Raven needs you at the motel. She couldn’t make it down here,” Switch said aloud.

“
Thanks. Bella, Frank, I’ll catch up to you soon. There’s always something needing to be done,” I told everyone.

Aries and Sen had just arrived as well, wondering why I had to leave.

“
I’ll go with you,” Aries said, curious about why I looked pale and pissed.

“
No I’m fine, stay here and help Switch. I need a moment, please.”

Aries nodded but wasn’t happy. He looked at Sen who seemed to look withdrawn and distracted.

I walked as quickly as I could uphill when I remembered I had not seen Michael’s parents. They had not arrived yet. Michael had not said anything to me, but now that there wasn’t much time I would have to ask him if he had heard from them yet. Raven’s family had come in weeks ago and had decided to stay. They still didn’t know why we had invited them, but were fitting right in, not missing a beat. Her sister, Lillian was head nurse at the clinic, while her husband, Thomas was the deputy.

Seems Thomas had a secret he had kept from everyone. He was part of a government program. He was stationed in our little town to watch for any suspicious activity and report it immediately. It was long term, and he had met Lillian and married her. By the time, Raven had been born he had switched loyalties and was now Frank’s friend and main go to man for information. He kept the pretense of being a supervisor at a construction business. He had never even told Lillian. He knew everything we told Frank, our secret, and had cut off all contact with the government when they moved here. He was now AWOL, and a traitor under our protection.

Surprisingly Lillian was pregnant again. She’d have the first baby in two to three weeks, more than likely after the apocalypse. She and I had become good friends. Raven seemed a little weird at first, but quickly understood the need for me to ask advice from another pregnant woman.

Nearly to my hut I spotted Raven. She was headed to the dock, and I caught her.

“
Come with me,” I told her.

We walked towards the jungle, where a secluded glen was.

“
I just found out some interesting. I can’t explain it all right now so just bear with me. I found out who my father was, and that he’s alive right now.”

“
That’s great,” Raven said.

She waited for me to say more, but I was trying to contain more tears.

“
Let’s bring him here.”

“
That’s the part that hurts the most. Even if he’s here he’ll die, and I found out more. He knew where I was the whole time. Honestly, I’m having a pity party.”

“
Why?” she asked, sitting down, realizing I truly needed my friend.

“
All the shit I’ve been through and will go through, for having to be the one to fix everyone’s problems when I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“
Well, chick, don’t get mad at the messenger here, but like that old saying goes, shit happens every damn day,” she replied with a sigh.

She was right of course.

“
My father knew where I was the whole time, and saw the things I had to deal with, and still wouldn’t take care of me or help me!”

“
I know that doesn’t help much, but look at it this way, at least your immortal. Or will be…”

I looked at her and then, unable to take anymore I cried harder than I ever had. My best friend, no my sister, would die. She was a sister witch true, but she could be no closer if she was born from the same mother, or father.

Switch found us sometime later huddled together bawling like the girls we were. He stared at us like we were insane or something, which we might have been a little. Then he pulled us into his arms and held us while we got the worst of it out.

Toward the end, he asked us what was wrong.

“
Raven… Raven’s not… will… die!” I cried sobbing so hard he barely understood what I was saying.

“
Angel shouldn’t… it’s not fair… why her… so much pain…” Raven wailed, gasping and hiccupping between words.

He must have, moments later, understood all the gibberish because he sat back and looked at us.

“
I’m sorry that you girls are upset, I wish I could fix this but I can’t. Only the gods’ can I think. I do know that things happen for a reason. That each of us, immortal or not, are strong enough. Or we wouldn’t be chosen for these roles in which we were given. We have to do our best, because giving up, or in, means that we are weak. I know for a fact that neither of you are weak. Ha, you are the strongest, bravest, smartest, and most beautiful women in the world. We can’t have it all. Some get more, or less, but either way that’s the hand we were dealt and you win, you lose, or you tie.”

He was right as well, and we both stood up. We had a moment of weakness. I wouldn’t let her die. One way or another, before she grew too old I’d find a way to save her.

Raven smiled tentatively at Switch, perhaps seeing him in a new way. Michael wasn’t like this for her. He had his own problems to deal with. Switch was strong, hot, and smart. Michael was too, but Switch was also made of stronger stuff.

We all walked back towards the center of things, back to what we were doing. Michael saw us walking, smiling and laughing together and assumed the worst, like he always did. He was smart but blind.

Aries and the others had made it to the hotel and were staring at us, as well.

I went to him and put an arm around him.

“
Did you fix that problem you guys had?” he asked me.

“
Yep, I needed some girl time,” I whispered.

He raised his eyebrows.

“
I think you should go rest Angel; you’re kind of pale,” Raven said.

“
Yeah, love,” Aries agreed.

I nodded and went to our hut. Raven walked with me.

“
I was wondering if you’d like to take over my job. Switch has been doing it, but here shortly he’ll be a little busy. I need you to do it if you would.”

“
Sure, the hotel has calmed down so I’m left wandering around looking for something to do.”

“
I’ll speak to Switch and have him work with you, catch you up on everything. It’s easy but can get frustrating figuring out where everyone is and keeping things up to date.”

“
Not a problem, I need more to do,” she replied.

I told her thanks and went inside. Nanna handed me something to drink and gently put me in a chair. I may not suffer like most women from various pregnancy problems, but it wasn’t easy either.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I ended up taking a nap. When I woke Nanna was sitting in a chair not far from the bed.

“
We need to talk, girl.”

“
What is it?” I asked, sitting up. I was still a little groggy. Did all pregnant women feel so tired?

“
You’re near your time, yes?”

“
Very.”

“
In da mortal world, I’d say a week or two. Yes?”

I nodded. My back was achy from supporting all the weight so long. I was getting stronger yes, but I was still human, and had such a tiny frame.

“
If you were completely mortal chile, you could not do dis. It’d kill you. You need to rest more, if not I foresee complications.”

I hoped she was wrong; there was so much work left.

Nanna left after that to finish dinner. I dressed and went back upstairs. Aries was just coming through the door with Sephina. She had begun to talk to me, but no one else. I had noticed she communicated with Nanna but without words.

“
Michael and Raven got into a massive fight a few moments ago. He’s moving into the hut with the band. He should be here soon. I don’t know if they officially broke up, but I figured you would want to understand why he was taking his stuff out of here in a minute or two,” Aries said sitting next to me.

“
It was only a matter of time. I think I was wrong to set them up.”

“
It’s not your fault, love. He can’t get over you, which is seriously starting to piss me off.”

We stopped talking because Michael walked in and went straight downstairs. Ten minutes later he came back up with two bags, a pillow, and a large box.

“
Michael, I hate to bug you when you’re busy but um, have you heard from your parents? There’s not much time left,” I asked.

He glanced at my stomach, glaring for a second, sighed, and then shook his head no.

“
Have you called them?” Aries asked.

“
They’re not coming.”

“
Why?”

“
They have family business to attend to they said.” Michael looked impatient and kept glancing at the door.

“
What do you want to do?”

“
I don’t know,” and with that Michael walked out.

I realized that I was not alone with my problems. Everyone had to sacrifice something. Switch was right.

I went to visit Bella who was bouncier than ever. She gushed over me being pregnant, saying she wished she had known, she’d have bought something. She chattered for half an hour before I had taken in too much. I told her to make herself at home, she was welcome forever, and I’d be around, just ask anyone, and they’d show her where I was. Her emotional roller coaster was a bit much to take in right now.

I found Raven with Switch. He seemed to be consoling her. When I walked up I overheard them talking about her taking over our work.

They smiled, and Switch gave me his seat.

“
She told me what you had decided, and I think it's a great idea,” Switch said.

“
I thought so,” I replied smiling.

We discussed final details, and then asked Switch to walk with me to talk with Aries and the other band members. I had sent them texts to meet me in the meeting hall. I had also asked Aries to let Sen know, as well.

Ten minutes later we were all surrounding a large oak table. It could fit a few more if necessary.

“
I think you all should know that we’re almost there,” I told everyone.

“
How do you know? You're only eight months, right?” Madness said.

“
Let’s say women’s intuition. I wanted us to meet to make sure we’re all up to date on what happens when I go into labor.”