Awakening

Chapter 12 - Edited

Their Journey Begins

The day was beautiful. Caliope could see the sun shining and the sky clear. She was still cuddling on the bed wrapped in the warm sheets and the scent still perfuming the room. That night she had only good dreams, calming and soothing ones. Before going to sleep after dinner, Elaine made something she still couldn't understand, but it helped her to clear her mind and forget any bad dreams or thoughts.

Someone knocked on the door and she turned her head as it opened. Amra was standing at the entrance with a kind smile.

"Would you like to have some breakfast before we leave to the airport?"

"I can't eat... I am too excited, nervous, anxious..."

"Would you like me to ask Elaine to calm you?"

"Oh no please! I like to be me! I do appreciate her soothing me to sleep, but that is about all I wish to be manipulated, thank you..."

"Then let's get moving, you will eat something in the air..."

Caliope quickly stood up and settled herself on the entrance with her bags. She was ready for the first part of their trip. Elaine accompanied them to the airport and Magna went to the office instead of her. There were four people waiting for them once they got to the main entrance. Some people were standing observing, but in the everyday movement of the airport it wasn't a big enough event to alter the rhythm of passengers. Amra was calmed and focused on Caliope, who was more nervous, as she never did really enjoy flying. That, of course, was the least of her worries; she didn't share the ones that were terrifying her. She was going to meet the generals that guard the earth, angels who were motivated and living only to serve the higher powers, and nothing else. She was the daughter of something they hated, and she knew it would play an important role in how they would treat her.

"My Asteria... it will all be ok... but we can turn back now if you don't want to go, we could postpone the trip..."

"Please, there is no need, I will be ok, I always felt scared to fly, but what is there to fear if I fly with my personal Angel?" Caliope admitted while smiling at him.

She confirmed her more obvious fear, and managed to convince him that she was ready. Pronab joined them when they were about to board the plane. He was a little tense but nothing that would worry either Elaine or Amra. Before entering, Elaine held Caliope tight and kissed her forehead. That nestled tension in her heart suddenly was disappearing, in fractions of seconds she felt as if she was just happy and nothing else, no worries, no anxiety, and no nervousness. Elaine had as one of her gifts the ability of soothing minds and bodies. Caliope looked at her and shook her head, but she couldn't be upset, she was too happy.

"There was no need for you to do that, I was fine..."

"There is one higher force that would not have forgiven me if I didn't calm you at least a little... please, do not hold it against him... he cares too much, that is his only flaw..."

"Thank you, will you be in constant communication? Do I have to do something in particular? It is starting to sound like some weird big vacations..."

Elaine chuckled and shook her head "well, that is a way of looking at it... follow your heart, I know it is with Amra... remember our mission and keep him focused, and whatever you do, please remember, your role in this, is bigger than any of the generals, do not let them intimidate you..."

It was as if Elaine could sense some of where her worries were, and although it was not accurate enough, Caliope closed her eyes and nodded in understanding to her words. She was the force that was driving the powerful arcane Angel that came to save the earth, after all. She giggled and squeezed Elaine tight then let her go.

Amra leaned to give a kiss on Elaine's cheek and then took Caliope's hand leading her to the boarding gate. Elaine smiled surprised by the kiss and waved even happier at them as they departed. The flight attendant led them to their seats in first class. Caliope sat next to the window, Amra right next to her, and Pronab sat behind them. The voices signaling their departure, the guidance in case of emergency, everything in general, vanished as soon as Amra held her hand and caressed her face holding their eye contact.

"Now is the time for you to tell me what is worrying you... I know I asked Elaine to ease your mind, make you calmer... but I feel as if I am taking you against your will..."

She had him looking at her soul with his eyes, she was nervous but she knew she was going to be a big weight on his shoulders if she didn't come clean to him now. He was right, this was the time, before all the meetings start, the plans and plots, the war.

"There are many things going on in my mind, we are going to meet important people..."

"You are important..."

"I know I am, there is no doubt about this... But I still feel that I need to prepare myself for how they will react meeting -me-"

"They should feel lucky..."

Caliope smiled at him and replied "I mean, what I am, beyond your..."

He drew a smile and nodded "You know what you are to me, I guess it is my fault that I am not being very, formal..." grabbing her hand and kissing it "Caly, would you be my companion?"

Caliope gasped and blushed. He was smiling at her keeping her hand on his, pressed to his lips. She felt overjoyed with his question and after some seconds, she nodded.

"I would be honored..."

Amra smiled and kissed her hand again "now that we have that solved... you are worried they would not like you? I don't care if they do or not... you are worried of what they may say of you because you are a descendant of a dark Angel? Is that what really worries you?"

Caliope nodded "yes..."

"They know already, and it keeps them nervous, but they are more worried about other things, like a missing Archangel... you might be a descendant of a dark Angel, but even that dark Angel had to feel love to have you... you are product of love, an almost impossible love... and we don't get to choose parameters when we fall in love, that is why, we respect the loved ones..."

Caliope suddenly felt silly. That was true, the generals would be more focused on the reason why Amra was in earth in the first place. There was nothing else that would worry them more.

The plane took off and the flight was long but easy. Caliope slept through most of it. She kept waking up hoping to be there, but found herself in the air still. Amra chuckled every time she asked how long until they arrive. The view of the sky was beautiful, both Amra and her agreed. When they arrived at their first destination, Amra woke her. She looked at him first, then outside the window. The sun was just rising.

"Welcome to Santorini, Greece..."

She was wide awake with his words, and grabbed his hand as he led her outside the plane. Pronab was in a horrible mood, but he remained polite; spoke a fluent Greek to the airport officers, and led Amra and Caliope to the diplomatic area, where two embassy representatives were waiting for them.

"Sorry, the flight was too long, is everything in order?"

"Yes Sir, this is my partner Johnathan and we are going to take you to your residence" a suited woman replied.

"Thank you Sarah, these people are coming with me, it's better you don't know who they are, makes things easier..."

Pronab was being very cryptic, Amra was letting him do and say what he needed, and he seemed not worried or bothered by any of it. He kept holding Caliope's hand and led her to where they were being taken. As they walked outside the Airport, a car was waiting for them. Johnathan sat on the driver's side and Sarah next to him. Amra guided her to the middle and he took the side. As they were heading to their destination, Pronab only spoke a few words.

"We are staying in a house I bought a decade ago in the outsides of Fira, we are about to enter there now. After we all get some rest, we will start having meetings tomorrow.

A few minutes later, the beautiful town of Fira was welcoming them quietly. The car rarely accelerated, they did not want to draw anyone's attention. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a simple, elegant, well preserved loft located away from other houses. Sarah and Johnathan helped put the bags inside on the entrance and once there Pronab asked them to leave, with instructions to return early in the morning.

Amra was looking outside the window and Caliope was picking up her bags and looking for a room. The house was made entirely of wood with metal decorations. Four similar bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. She dragged her bags to each room and once she found the fourth room Amra took the bags from her hand.

"All of these rooms are the same, this one though, well, I like it best..."

Caliope was chuckling and nodding "yes Sir... this will do then... I don't know why I care; honestly, we won't be here long to enjoy much, right?"

"I will make sure we have some time for you to enjoy whatever humans enjoy..."

Caliope smirked and looked at him almost with amusement. She was really in Greece, on some paid vacation, with someone who in such short time became the center of her life. Everything was magical.

Amra left her to arrange the room; Caliope took a deep breath and smiled without any worries. She opened one of her bags and took out some clothes to change into, walked into the bathroom, and was surprised to find fine decorative touches. Somehow, she never thought of Pronab as someone who would care much about decorations. She knew he was well educated, polite, but something in him made her keep her distance.

She slowly started to get undressed and by the time she turned the water on, she stepped into the hot tub and yelped. The water was cold. It would have been just as in her own apartment before, but she became too spoiled while staying in Elaine's residence and forgot to check before getting in. When she turned her head Amra was there concerned at the door.

"Are you ok...?"

Caliope blushed and stood still. With a tight grip she was still holding herself from the bathroom curtains.

"I am... sorry... the water is cold... I didn't... check..."

Amra frowned a little then smiled at her softly. Only then she realized she was completely naked in front of him. His eyes though, never dropped on her body, they remained locked on hers, reading her emotions. He walked inside the bathroom and closed the door behind him. She started to breath heavier, nervous. He kept looking at her eyes with a soft smile, and slowly removed his shoes; his shirt already half unbuttoned easily felt to the floor. She held the shower's curtain tighter and almost felt like she was going to faint. He removed his pants and walked closer to her. When his underwear was gone and his body stood naked in front of her, she could feel the warmth from his body touch her.

A leg in, then the other, and he was now letting his arms hold her, pulling her towards him. She closed her eyes feeling dizzy, her heart was pounding fast, and he nestled her on his arms pulling her slowly under the shower. The water now was warm and caressed her body with such delicacy. She felt his body, his skin, so tight against her. Goosebumps were now covering her as he lifted her chin up making her look up at him. She felt him in every way, one of his arms was holding her, and the other was resting on her lower body. She found his gaze and something inside her simply changed. She lifted herself on her tiptoes and locked her lips on his, the kiss intense and passionate. He gasped, and she blushed at his reaction. A simple mortal could make such a magnificent creature gasp, she felt addicted to this new world opening up to her, a world of the most intimate touches, caresses, a world he did not know anything about, a world he was experiencing for the first time, and was abandoning himself to her. Her hands now caressing his body, slowly she showed him every sensation. He closed his eyes and she kissed his neck, his chest. He moaned as she caressed him intimately. Finally they became one, and she felt the earth shake. It was beyond kissing an angel, beyond feeling the touches of a mythic creature, it was a new world opening up for her, her body was connected to his and they were glowing. Their lips were locked, she fed him with her breath, and in return, he breathed into her soul.