Uriel (The Hallowed Chronicles Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter Eight

Everything was spinning out of control, and I was powerless to stop it. While Jophiel sat on my bed, I paced the floor with thoughts racing through my head. The council had left without saying a word to either of us, and I was glad; I wouldn't know what to say anyway. A slight breeze squeezed past the screen of my window and cooled my room, but I found no comfort in its whispered lullaby. I could feel Jophiel's anxiety pounding against his head as we remained silent. "What do you think we should do?" he asked quietly, picking at the quilt on my bed. Sighing inward, I stopped pacing and faced him with my arms crossed.

To be honest, I didn't have an answer; we needed the others here because maybe they would be able to come up with something. "I don't know. He was definitely the one from my memory," I replied.

"We need to find the others."

"But how? They could be anywhere and as far as I can tell, this world is bigger than we think. Plus, they may not even be awake yet."

"You're right, but if I woke and you woke, maybe someone else woke before us."

This was too much to think of, and I was on the verge of pulling my hair out. As if feeling my stress, Jophiel stood and walked toward me, cupping my crossed arms in his hands. His energy pulsed rhythmically against mine like a separate heartbeat and I stared at him. His eyes traveled down my face, stopping short before snapping back up. "Everything will be okay, Uriel," he said tightening his grip. I didn't want to, but I doubted his words. I found no comfort in thinking of the future and what it may hold.

"I hope so," was all I could say.

"It will be. We cannot tell anyone about your memory... not yet at least. We still need to figure out if it was even a memory."

"I'm not questioning that. I know it was a memory, but we should at least tell Nikita."

"No, she could give it away and try to do something about it."

"But..."

"I know you want to help her and you want to make sure she stays safe, but to keep her safe, we mustn't tell her."

I hated to admit it, but he was right, and as much as I wanted to tell her, I had to make sure I didn’t. At least not yet. Freeing an arm from Jophiel's grasp, I ran my hand through my hair, pushing it out of my face. I was starting to get a headache from everything and I hated how vulnerable I felt. After several moments, my other arm was freed and I noticed a sparkle in his eyes. Curious, I tilted my head and scrunched my nose. "What?" I asked.

He seemed to be looking at the empty space next to me, avoiding my eyes. "I'm gonna guess and say you've never seen a movie before," he said flatly. Though I knew what a movie was through overheard conversations humans had, I had yet to experience going to see one myself. Shaking my head, he seemed to straighten his posture, more confident of himself. "Let's go see one, then," he said with a small smile.

"When?"

"There's a movie I want to see around eight tonight. It's a comedy so you might enjoy yourself."

My eyes traveled to the clock beside my bed and saw it was three now. Though I was stressed from the events that happened not too long ago, I also wanted to experience what the humans did in this life. Maybe a movie would get my mind off of everything, even if it was only temporary. "Alright," I said, trying to mask the rising excitement. Something flashed in his eyes and disappeared before I could figure out what it was and he grabbed his coat off my bed.

"Okay, I'm going to go home and buy the tickets. I'll be back here around seven thirty to pick you up. It'll give us time to get our seats and some snacks," he said smiling before heading out of my room and down the stairs.

Once he left, I sat on my bed and turned on the television, flipping through random channels until one caught my eye. On the glowing screen, humans were preparing for a show where they would model clothes to other humans waiting on the other side of the curtains. With eyes glued to the screen, I took note of the women that sat in chairs as someone else painted their faces with colors and charcoal. Touching my face, I got up and walked to the mirror on the wall perpendicular to the television and stared at myself before looking back. It seemed that humans had found a way to mask the natural look of their faces with manmade substances called makeup. Though I didn't hate my appearance, I was intrigued with how different people could look when they applied it.

Digging through dresser drawers, I found a pouch full of things the people on television were using to create a new look on the model's faces. I watched them apply the makeup, staring intently as their hands glided gently against the faces. In the mirror, I mimicked their hand movements, applying a thin layer of eyeliner on the top lid of my eyes. Next, I grabbed a similar tube to that shown on the screen; something they called mascara and waved it across my eyelashes. Content with the work I did, I stepped back and studied my face. I was shocked to actually see a difference. Without makeup, I appeared young and innocent, but with it, I seemed older and more mature. It made me feel as if people would take me more seriously if I were to continue wearing it.

A knock at my doorway tore my gaze from the change I had done to my face and saw Nikita standing there with an unreadable expression across her face. She studied me and the corner of her mouth lifted as she walked toward me. Crossing her arms, her smile grew. "I see you have discovered makeup," she said with a chuckle. I began to feel self-conscious, thinking that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. "Normally, girls just starting out with makeup fail horribly at putting it on, but you make it seem as if a professional has done it for you," she continued cupping my chin in her hand.

A smile escaped my lips. "Thank you," I said quietly as she let go.

"I do want you to know that you don't need to wear it, though. You're beautiful the way you are."

"I know. I was curious and fascinated by how different makeup could make me look."

There was a sudden silence, but Nikita kept looking at me, and I wondered what was on her mind. Without prodding, I moved closer and grabbed the remote to turn off the television. "What's wrong?" I asked her, staring at her stone face.

"You're going somewhere with Jophiel tonight?" she asked, though I knew she knew the answer.

"Yes. Why, what's going on?"

"Nothing. It will be good for you. It'll get your mind off a lot of things, but I do have a question. Do you like him?"

I blinked. It was an odd question; of course I liked him, but it seemed that question had a deeper meaning I couldn't quite grasp. "What do you mean 'like him'?" I asked curiously.

"There are two ways you can like someone; as a friend and as something more."

"I still don't quite understand, but he is my friend and I do like him."

She seemed satisfied with the answer, and she once more stepped toward me. There was something in her eyes that made me feel safe to be around her. Kindness radiated from her and though she was my Guardian, I couldn't help but remember how I claimed she was a mother to me, and it made wonder if she ever wished to be one. "Mind if I show you something else you could do?" she asked me. When I nodded, she guided me to the bed where I sat and she came up behind me, pulling at my hair. I stared at the mirror's reflection as she split my hair and wove the strands around each other. Within a few minutes, I had a neat tangle of hair tied together behind my head. "It's a braid," she explained. I liked it. Her energy plummeted and I glanced at her through the mirror. "Uriel, I want to warn you of something," she said. "When you're out in public, please be sure to conceal your wings. We try our best to stay hidden from the human world as much as possible. We avoid it so humans can continue believing what they want to believe without interference. Whatever you do, don't expose who you really are. That is why you must keep your wings hidden. Do you understand?”

"Of course. I would never do anything to risk our secret."

Seven thirty rolled by quicker than I thought possible. Nikita had waved me goodbye, reminding me to keep in mind what we had talked about. The movie was two hours long and as I sat in the scratchy seats that wouldn't let me lean back to be comfortable, I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging... and discomfort. As Jophiel and I walked out, hidden in the mass of people, we chatted loudly about the movie. "So did you like it?" he asked loudly over the many conversations going on at once between the people around us.

"I didn't get a lot of it," I said truthfully. Humans had a weird sense of humor indeed.

"Yeah, humor has changed a lot compared to in the earlier years. To be honest, I prefer the old comedy ways."

"I'll pretend I know what you're talking about."

He laughed loudly and guided me to his car. I didn't know much about cars, but when he talked about it, he said plenty of positive things, which made me feel safer traveling at high speeds while I sat there unmoving. Making our way toward the car, I heard the sound of crying from behind the building of the theater. I stopped short causing Jophiel to collide into me. "Do you hear that, Jophiel?" I asked.

He straightened, listening. "Yeah, it's coming from behind the theater," he replied. He started toward it and I followed, my heart racing. Things didn't feel right... it felt darker as we got closer to the back. There in the dim light sat a child around seven years old, sitting with her face in her hands. Tears had escaped through the cracks of her fingers as she cried and I sensed her loneliness. Stepping forward, I was stopped by Jophiel. I stared at him in disbelief until he pointed behind the girl. A shadow moved and had placed its hands on the girl and the energy around her began moving toward the shadow.

My gut twisted inside me as I realized it was eating away at her energy, and I wanted to help her. Hitting Jophiel with a pleading look, he leaned his head into mine. "I will distract the entity, you get the girl out of there," he said. I was perfectly fine with rescuing her from the darkness and I stepped back as Jophiel extended his energy toward the entity, pushing it over and leaving it dazed. "Go," he said, using his energy to pin it down.

Without hesitating, I wandered over to the girl and squatted in front of her. "Hey," I said quietly. "What are you doing back here? Where are your parents?" I asked. When her eyes found mine, they widened, still watering with tears and she touched my face. Putting my hand over hers, I listened to her as she spoke through hiccups.

"I don't know where they are. I'm lost," she sniffled.

"How about we go and find them? I'll protect you, I promise."

Standing, I extended my hand toward hers and she took it, standing with me with a sudden smile. "Okay," she said cheerfully, using her other hand to wipe at her eyes. I glanced at Jophiel who nodded to me, a silent one-sided conversation. I would meet him back here to get home. Holding the girl's hand, we walked around the building just as an overwrought couple came running up to us. The girl dropped my hand and ran to them, sobbing. "Mommy, daddy!" she screamed, running to them and clinging to her dad's leg. They were all frantic and crying, hugging the young girl and it made me smile. It felt good to see that I had brought happiness back into their lives. She tugged on her parents' arms and started toward me. "This is the angel that helped me find you!" she said happily.

They looked at me and the father shook my hand. I was then pulled into a hard hug by her mother who continued crying. "Thank God you found her! Thank you!" she said through sobs. I was taken aback by the sudden affection and gratefulness that she radiated. I smiled.

"Honestly, it was nothing. I would hate it if I was lost and couldn't find my mother."

"You have no idea how happy we are that you brought her back to us. How can we ever repay you?"

"Kindness is an act from the heart. Its only reward is the satisfaction of the happiness brought into the other's life."

"God bless you."

I stood there in slight shock at those words, even as they walked away with the girl sitting on her father's shoulders. She turned and waved happily at me, a child's way of thanking someone, and my heart flipped happily. Jophiel was already behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You did great. You were a real angel and that girl won't forget it," he said in my ear.

I turned to him and we walked side by side as I examined the rips in his shirt. "Must've been some fight," I said with a small smile.

"Nothing I can't handle. I'm just that awesome."

With a grin, I got in the passenger seat of his car and watched the world go by through the clear glass of the window. I was happy for the family, but most of all, it made me feel like I was flying.

Chapter Nine

After the night Jophiel and I brought the lost girl home, I had to tell Nikita of the feeling of flying I had felt after it had been done. She noticed I had been glowing and all she did was smile and tell me I was becoming a true angel. Though I couldn't help but think it was more than that; I had done a good deed and most of all, the girl knew what I was, making me feel as if the more innocent and pure you are, the more of my world they could see. Not that I minded. I hated keeping secrets.

The next morning, I woke early to get to school on time, meeting Jophiel outside my house. We never talked about it, but it seemed like a silent agreement we made for him to drive me to and from school and as much as I loved it, I couldn't shake a growing feeling blossoming inside my chest every time I was near him. In the space between us, it always seemed as if electricity was shooting to and from our bodies, clashing against each other in a burst of energy. As we walked into the school, we were greeted by a comforting silence of the halls. It wasn't like my first day here, busy and crammed with countless bodies of young humans trying to get the school day over with. I was at my locker when someone came up behind me, and I turned to meet the eyes of another student, a female. "Hey," she said with a smile.

Closing my locker after piling books into my arms, I smiled back. "Hello," I replied, struggling to push my hair behind my ear with my arms full.

"My name is Jenna. I saw you two days ago looking like a lost sheep. You're new here, yea?"

"Yes, I am. My name is Uriel. It's nice to meet you."

"Hmmm... You sound very polite, Uriel. Not very common in our generation. Everyone is usually cold blooded."

"I guess it's just how I was brought up."

Jenna studied me with a watchful gaze and in those eyes, I knew almost everything about her. She was the student council president, second baseman in varsity softball and most of all, she held Jophiel close to her heart, and it made a knot in my stomach. Shaking my head, I opened my eyes to her looking over me, a sort of hope filling in her brown eyes. I didn't have to look back, I knew he was coming and I sighed inwardly. "Uriel," Jophiel said, draping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me in before letting me go. His energy seemed to shift when he noticed Jenna who failed horribly at making it seem like she didn't care that he was near. "You've met Jenna then," he said plainly. I only nodded as Jenna twirled her hair, an irritating gesture.

Before I could say anything, she piped up, her voice raising an octave as she spoke in his presence. "Jophiel! Are you trying to keep Uriel all to yourself so she can't make any friends?" she asked him.

"No, I'm just making sure she knows the ropes before figuring out who she fits in with."

"Oh come on Jophie. The first party of the year is tonight; you know this! Stop hogging her and let her mingle with her fellow students... You know, get to know us all before finally melding into her own little posse."

"I don't think that's such a--"

"Let her decide, okay?"

There was a long silence, and I realized they were staring at me. I was too heated on Jenna's nickname for Jophiel to notice they had been waiting for an answer. I knew I wanted to make friends, learn about their ways of communicating, ways of affection. I wanted to learn what it was like to live in this world. With a sudden churning in my stomach, I gave him a pleading look. "I think it's about time I made some friends," I said with a lump rising in my throat. Nodding to himself, he glared at Jenna who smiled cheerfully and he leaned into me.

"I will go with you to that party. Humans are always making bad decisions and I want to make sure you will be okay. Before the party, we should train," he said before walking away, not needing an answer to leave. Jenna wrapped her arm around my shoulder as more students piled in and the first bell rang; a warning to start getting to class.

"Hey, the party is at seven. Why don't you come over to my house and we'll have some girl time? I'll give you a makeover and make you look hot!" she said happily, handing me a piece of paper with her address. "See you around six," she continued before skipping off to her own class.

It was fairly easy to remember where my classes were, though I had difficulties finding my way around. As I dumped my books into my locker, keeping the notebook that held the assignments the teachers gave the class, I could hear shouts coming from the cafeteria. It was lunch time and I knew it would be loud considering the number of students attending the school, but the air held a violent static above my head and I nearly ran to the cafeteria. When I grew closer, the shouts were louder and the energy started suffocating me. I walked in slowly to a crowd where I made the note that violence attracts a lot of attention. Pushing through the mass of bodies, I could feel a familiar energy and I found why when I got to the center. Jophiel had the kid from our English class by the throat and pushed into a table. The kid's eyes rolled over to me and he smiled. "Speaking of the sweetheart," he said, struggling to breathe. Jophiel let go instantly when our eyes connected and I noticed the blue in those familiar eyes had intensified. "Uriel," he said stepping to me. I didn't know what to do. So I ran.

There were so many thoughts racing through my head as I ran down the halls, ignoring the calls from Jophiel who ran after me. After studying the difference between genders of humans, I found comfort in the sign for the girl's bathroom and pushed the door open violently, letting it slam behind me. My heart was racing, but I didn't know what to do about this situation. I hated violence and from the looks of it, Jophiel seemed to have started it all. I stood in front of the sink staring at myself through the reflecting glass of the mirror, and I heard the door open quietly, clicking behind whoever just walked in. Then I felt him and turned around.

"You're not supposed to be in here," I said flatly. He shook his head and stepped forward.

"You need to understand something," he replied.

"No, I don't. I know what I saw."

"But you don't know the beginning of it. Human men are animals."

"What does that even mean?"

"He doesn't have good intentions and he said something about you."

"What did he say?"

"I can't--"

"Tell me!"

My throat closed up, and I gripped the sink, making it groan under the strength I had been putting to it. The vibrations in the floor went up my legs as he walked closer and put a hand on my shoulder to turn me toward him. I stared into his eyes as he spoke, trying to explain. "He said something along the lines of you being extremely good-looking," he said hesitantly. I raised an eyebrow. "How is that bad?" I asked crossing my arms. There was something he wasn't telling me and I knew it. "Look, it just is," he said quietly just as the bell rang. Sighing, I pushed past him and left the bathroom. He wasn't telling me everything and it angered me.

When I stepped foot into my English class, I heard a whistle coming from the kid I sat next to. As soon as I took my seat, he turned to me and grinned. "Are you coming to the party tonight, Uriel?" he asked.

Pushing the hair out of my face, I gave him a blank expression. "Yes, I am," I said before turning to the front. Jophiel walked in and I glanced at him, seeing his eyes bearing into the kid next to me, walking up to his desk.

Jophiel grabbed him by the collar. "Remember what I said, Nick," he spat before letting go and walking to his desk just as the teacher walked in.

It was a long while before class finally ended. Eventually school ended, and I found myself hesitating to walk to Jophiel's car. Sighing, I stuffed my backpack full of books for the classes with homework and headed for the parking lot where I found him standing outside his car, waiting for me. When our eyes connected, he turned and opened the passenger side, waiting for me to sit. Throwing my backpack in first, I glanced at him standing there with his hand still on the handle for a moment before ducking my head and sitting, letting him close the door and move to his side. Without any words, he started the engine and took me back to my house. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone; we still had to train.

We trained for hours, and I used every minute to take out my frustration on him. It amazed me that Nikita didn't ask us to roughhouse somewhere else even as she watched as I threw him into walls. I was more surprised to find myself unable to release the rage that would've given me more strength; it was as if something was blocking it. When the time turned to nearly five thirty, Jophiel left without saying goodbye and Nikita shot me a questioning look. Ignoring it, I stomped upstairs and rummaged through my closet, looking for something to wear. It took me what seemed like forever to find a dress that screamed my name and I finally put one up to me in the mirror. It was gorgeous, a sleek pink dress that went down to the beginning of my knees. After a few moments of wrestling it over my head, I finally pulled it on and noticed how well it hugged my body and also noticed the lack of something at my chest. Something deep inside me knew what I was lacking and told me I should've started growing by now. Sighing, I put on black flat shoes and I went downstairs to find Nikita in the kitchen. She looked up and smiled as her eyes traveled up and down my body. "You look great, honey. Going to a party?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm going to my friend Jenna's house soon so she can give me a... 'makeover.' Though, I'm not sure what to expect," I replied.

"Girls tend to go nuts with makeup and hair, love. Nothing to worry about. But I want you to be careful, okay? Humans now tend to be a lot riskier than back then and the consequences can sometimes be... scarring."

I didn't know what she meant, but I nodded anyway, my head snapping to the front door as the doorbell rang, chiming a song I could have sworn I heard before. Shaking my head, I walked to it and opened the door to Jenna's overly happy face. "Ready to make the boys drool over you?" she asked excitedly. Confused, I turned my head toward the kitchen where Nikita remained.

"Wasn't I supposed to meet you at your house?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I couldn't wait. Come on, this will be fun!"

As we walked to her house, I was hung up on her first question. "What do you mean 'make the boys drool over me'?" I asked. She looked at me like I was crazy before laughing.

"Duh, Uriel, we're going to make you look hot! Stunning, attractive... Make the boys want you," she replied.

"Why would I want to make them want me?"

"It's cute how you act like you're from a completely different world."

"You don't even know half of it..."

She didn't seem to realize how accurate she was, and I wasn't sure I wanted to go through with this makeover anymore. I didn't want boys gawking at me; I had other things I needed to worry about and one of those things included Jophiel and... Nick in the same area. I wasn't sure what Nick had said to make him angry, but with what I made of it, Jophiel was in the wrong, but something inside me said otherwise. If only I knew what that meant.