Beneath The Light

4. Primary Patrol

Primary Patrol

The hotel was massive. And posh. Topaz looked up at the intimidating statue of a Greek Goddess in the foyer and held back laughter. It was mocking the mermaid tradition. Patriots would've knocked the statue down, but Topaz merely found it amusing. Hauling one of her many bags upstairs she travelled to the fifth floor and dumped her bag on a large double bed in a separate room within the one hotel suite. Topaz wasn't used to Norant surroundings, but she liked it. She sat down on the amazingly comfortable bed and lay down, feeling exhausted but unable to relax. She still felt on edge, Aden's wings taunting behind her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to feel his feathers beneath her fingers, the urge startling her to her feet. When she went out into the main room her older brothers were picking their own rooms, Zac shuffling around the room moving bags into rooms after their owners. "Zac," Topaz broke his concentration as she counted the rooms three times more. "Where are you sleeping?" She expected him to say something like 'the sofa' or 'with Robert' but instead he said, "In the suite at the end of the hall."

"You're sleeping in a separate suite?" Her brother nodded and dumped the rest of her bags at her feet. "If you need me, call me." He handed her a Norant mobile phone, a similar one in his other hand. "The only number stored on there is the number to this phone. I trust you Topaz, to behave." Topaz looked deep into his eyes as she said, "Well that's ironic because I don't trust you." Her brother didn't react in any way. He merely turned towards the door while he said, "That's good, you're finally doing what I've tried to teach you... Trust no one," He pulled open the door to the suite and stepped out saying, "Try to get a good sleep, we've got a busy day tomorrow."

Aden lay awake, staring up at the ceiling above his bed. His room was minimal compared to the suite containing the Nightingale's. He knew his sister was in a room similar to his own, he just didn't know where. He'd been too distracted by the shine of Topaz's hair to worry about which room his sister was sleeping in. But as he lay awake at four in the morning, he wished he'd bothered to care. He needed to talk to someone, anyone about his feelings. He wasn't normally so open, so truthful about how he felt. But he needed help, serious help. He swung his legs out of the bed and walked to the mini-kitchenette, flicking on the table lamp as he went. He made a cup of coffee and sat down on the dressing-table-stool, staring at his reflection. Suddenly he wished he wasn't an Angel. He looked at the large white wings towering behind him, their stunning feathers strong and safe. He looked at his taught skin, tanned and boringly plain compared to the tattooed skin of mermaids. He didn't find himself attractive, although he presumed he was with the looks he received off the Angel girls back home. Thinking of them brought up the image of Topaz, of her stunningly long waist-length black hair, her ever-changing eyes, her pale skin. She was beautiful in every way. Aden was attracted to her, hard, and he didn't have a clue what to do about it.

He jumped out of his stool, spilling coffee down his bare leg in the process as three sharp knocks resounded on the door. He was only wearing pyjama shorts just above his knees, and he refused to be seen like this. Slamming his cup on the dresser and shaking the coffee off his fingers he grabbed his jeans and yanked them on, staggering to the door in complete wonder. He reached up and realised the door didn't have an eye-hole so there was no way to see who was on the other side of the door without opening it. Sliding back the chain and twisting the lock he pulled the door open.

Topaz felt naked. She hadn't let a boy see her like this. Ever. Not even her brothers. She was always a vision of perfection; her face moulded to a masterpiece with eyebrow pencil and thick eyeliner, her clothes always tight-fitting and skimpy. Now, she was vulnerable. And she was asking for help. From an Angel. She had her hair pulled back in a slouched bun, the only way she could sleep with it. She wore a black baggy top dropping to her knees. The rest of her legs were on display where her pyjama shorts disappeared beneath the top. Her slipper socks had ducks on them. She liked ducks. When Aden pulled back the door he looked bewildered. And then suddenly, overwhelmed. "Topaz..." He gasped in awe as if she was standing before him in her birthday suit. "Didn't interrupt anything, did I?" She asked curiously, eyeing his unbuttoned jeans. "What?" He followed her line of vision and stood back, bashfully, fidgeting enough to fascine them. "No of course not I was... Trying to sleep actually."