Divinity: The Gathering: Book One (42 page)

I needed to see where she had been hurt and
I hated that I couldn’t heal her. Edanai could but I didn’t want to summon her for this. Perhaps Drakael could offer his services again if he was given permission, even though the thought alone irked me.

After what could have just happened and what I would’ve done with her if I had been in my own flesh form; I hadn’t decided if maybe I needed a few more days before I could be alone with her. In the meantime, I had to get this lust out of my system somehow
, somewhere…quickly and I knew exactly where I could do just that.

XIV: Starling:

T
hough I was exhausted, I didn’t sleep much once we made it back home. I didn’t want to let my guard down, and I wanted to keep an eye on China. The major pounding in my head and the sour feeling in the pit of my stomach was what woke me up. My back hurt and I felt gross, dirty and sweaty. I don’t remember falling asleep in my clothes, but I supposed that I had more than likely passed out. Guess I’ll be doing laundry this weekend, which would include my comforter.

I rolled over onto my back with a slight wince. The muscles in my back ached. I pulled the thick comforter down from my head letting out an exasperated sigh.
Smoothing my curls back away from my face, I stared up at the motionless ceiling fan, and the lined pattern the sunlight created through the closed blinds.

A nightmare come to life as reality were the only words I could find to d
escribe the scenario that replayed in my head from last night. The rush and danger, I had to admit was a tad exhilarating, but the strange strong pulse of…desire I felt when I hugged China in the woods, had been completely unexpected and embarrassing.

             
Though there were many things that I was used to seeing already that had taken place last night; none of which I would ever tell her; I still wasn’t sure if we had been saved by an angel or not.

Something else had entered her body
, but it wasn’t to hurt her or hurt me. That cop had been a demon…a demon with tattoos like Cam — another officer. Coincidence?

I wasn’t sure
, but I did feel the static in the woods.

              The sensations that I felt in the air with Cam, hadn’t been the same as that demon cop, but I did feel some sort of similar and distinct static with both of them, nonetheless. The horrid smell was also absent around Cam, but it had been strong and offensive around that cop. I didn’t know what to think, or even if making the comparisons even made sense. All I knew was that we had been saved by something, but that something hadn’t necessarily been a positive energy.

I know I was only beyond relieved t
hat China had returned to being — China, and that she was okay, because I had been scared for the both of us. I can’t explain the strong pull of lust I felt coming from her at that exact moment either. I may be a virgin, but I know I wasn’t a lesbian or even bi-sexual by any means and neither was China, so it had me confused. Maybe it was because the aversion of possibly dying and God knows what other horrific thing all pounding down on us at once — had been abated at the last minute.

But that hadn’t been the strangest part.

She had smelled different to me all of a sudden. For a moment, it wasn’t her familiar scent of Prada Candy that she had spritzed on last night, but it was a scent that was still familiar to me. A wash of fresh cool rain and an earthy cinnamon had hit my nose, promptly reminding me of Cam. In fact, he had been the first thing to come to my mind when I inhaled.

I didn’t know what to even make of that bizarre comparison
, let alone trying to reason or convince myself of anything logical in regard to the why.

Then another weird feeling began to settle over me, like the realization that I could actually sense the worst was yet to happen to me
, and I didn’t know how or when, but I felt like it would be really, really soon. After all I had been through in my life, the worst for me would be my own death, and that was exactly what I felt was looming just as close as my next breath being my last. If I had to continue to see and deal with the physical harm these shadows and demons were beginning to inflict on me, or being helpless while they tortured my friends because of me any longer — I think I would both prefer and welcome death, if it meant saving them from harm.

There was still so much I wanted to do in my life
, and it was then that I decided that I was going to write out another living will. In it, I will specify donating my money to homeless shelters, food banks and orphanages around town. The rest, I had long ago written out, and had notarized to specifically divide between Joel and China — neither one of them knew anything about it though. I would also devise and begin work on a personal bucket list. Maybe then I wouldn’t be so afraid of these demons and ultimately my death. Or maybe I was simply being a coward and taking the easy way out because I didn’t want to be here when the end of the world came…it was too horrific to face.

The one thing that I did realize last night was that maybe Drake was right, that there were guardian angels around us all the time, but then again Ms. Hawthorne had told me that I also had a dark one following me too and maybe that was why China felt and smelled weird to me for a moment thereafter. The shadow that had taken over China and the demon that had been that cop all — left their negative energies behind. That demon cop had the same type of tattoos as Cam on the same part of his hands, and that alone struck me as vividly, uncanny more than any other part of last night did, as a detail that I would never forget.

I gasped
and sat up with a sudden realization, that to anyone else would have seemed out of this world and crazy but to me…it had to be the only explanation. The feather in my room — was it an Angel feather? A symbol for me to let me know my guardian angel was out there and looking out for me? But Angels were spirits not physical and real to the touch like the feather was…were they? Well, I supposed they could manifest into flesh just like Demons could…I knew that was true firsthand.

Oh my God
— I had an actual Angel feather in my possession!

             
I wanted to hold it between my fingers once again, and I flung the covers off of me, nearly staggering and falling down, gasping at the throbbing pain of the hangover headache that seized me, nearly bringing me to my knees. I cradled my head and paused, leaning against my dresser for support; feeling the bile and Sake, along with undigested sushi begin to snake its way up my esophagus with a burning vengeance.

I hiccupped; cupped a hand over my mouth and raced to the door, yanking it open and
making a dash for the bathroom where I nearly collided with China who squealed as she jumped out of my way.

The bathroom was humid and foggy, she had just finished her shower apparently
, but I didn’t care about or notice anything else; barely making it on time to lift the toilet lid and spew chunks of last night’s happy hour tray in gags and bursts of involuntary stomach spasms that kept pumping the disgusting looking stuff out of me. The more I puked though, the better I began to feel.

“Oh eww… here, you’re gonna get it in your hair,” China said as she quickly but reluctantly knelt down beside me and held my hair away from my face.

“I got mine over with this morning already.” She then quipped.

             
I finally stopped, feeling as if my entire stomach had turned inside out but with much relief as I spit out the rest and reached to flush.

“Better?” China asked.

I heard her running the sink faucet. So far, she sounded like and behaved like China again.

I nodded weakly as I closed the lid and sat back against the side of the tub with my eyes closed.

China handed me the cool washcloth and then leaned back against the opposite wall with her arms folded across her middle. Her hair was still damp and she was in her robe. I wiped my mouth and held the washcloth over my head and then the back of my neck.

“I don’t know much of what happened last night but looks like we both made it home alive,” She began, “I Guess we couldn’t hang
, and I don’t know what the hell I did or how I got this bump on my head and you obviously didn’t even bother to change or shower either I see. Damn, we must have fallen and rolled around on someone’s lawn or outside here at the apartment.” China joked rubbing the lump on her forehead tenderly.

My eyes widened when I looked at her and I caught sight of the small reddish cut on the skin beneath her hairline that had already begun to heal over but leaving a small, rounded, lightly bruised lump. It was a reminder that last night did happen as I fingered the fourteen carat gold ring that held mine, my mother and my father’s birt
hstones around my fourth finger.

My grandmother had gotten it for me on my birthday a year before she passed away. I guiltily glimpsed down at it for a second seeing a small spot of dark brown dried blood that had been China’s crusted on one of the stones. I cringed inside, making a mental note to let it soak in my jewelry cleaner jar.

I looked down at myself. China was right, I hadn’t made an attempt to get out of my filthy clothes and I felt disgusting all over.

“Does it hurt?” I asked her.

“Nah, not really, but I hope the swelling goes down before tonight though. I guess a little ice may do the trick. I don’t remember busting my ass but thank God it’s my only injury. Wanna get some coffee and a big fat greasy burger downtown?” She suggested.

I moaned despicably at the sound of food
, though I smirked when I looked up at her and admired the pretty familiar face that I’d known for the last two years, with the glimmer of light in her vibrant green eyes. Though I hadn’t planned on telling her any of what really happened last night, I realized I didn’t have to. She didn’t remember anything, but I guess that wasn’t her fault, of course she didn’t remember anything much like Professor Phillips hadn’t.

China didn’t bust her ass, I had punched her in the
forehead. I stopped myself from reliving the events of last night in my own head when I felt my pulse quickening again and goose bumps rose on my arms from the mere thought. Last night had given me the most sickening feeling I had ever had since the episode in Professor Phillips office and even Hurricane Katrina.

B
y the grace of God she was China again and she was okay for now, I was grateful for that much.

“I can’t, gotta get to the Y.” I then told her.

“In your condition? Uh, I think you should call in sick.” China then said.

I shook my head no.

“You are a trooper Star. Well, shower is all yours then. I guess I’ll just make us some coffee with some greasy BLT’s here and take in some study time. How long are you gonna be at the Y?” She then asked.

I grunted as I braced myself against the side of the tub and reached over to turn on the hot water on and run the shower.

“Same time as always why?” I asked.

“Well, I want you to come with me. CYU is one of the radio stations that are hosting a live pre show event down in college town
, and they’re giving away free prizes, tickets and backstage passes for the concert tonight. I’m trying to score an interview with one of the bands, because I’ve got to cover it for an assignment anyway, so I’ll be recording and making notes too.” She grinned excitedly. I really had no interest in going myself, but if China wanted me there, I’d go for her.

I frowned, “What time is it now?” I then asked.

China stepped out to peer at the clock in the living area for a moment and then turned back to face me.

“Eight ten.” She said.

Good, I still had some time. I didn’t have to be at the YMCA until nine anyway, and it wasn’t far.

“I can meet you there I guess
, but I won’t be out until three.” I told her.

Her shoulders sagged, “Three? Well, it’s going on up until five
, because they’re gonna be there for the concert, so I guess that’ll work, but text me when you get there so you can meet me wherever I happen to be. What time is your date?” She then asked.

It took me a moment to even comprehend what she asked when she said date
, and I couldn’t believe that I almost forgot, even though he had crossed my mind this morning. I’d have guilt stamped all over my face when I was with him tonight, and that made me feel nervous.

I guess I could always cancel the date.

No, I wanted to be with him, especially after last night.

“Oh…yeah I think he’s picking me up at seven
, so I need to be back here by five so I can get ready.” I told her.