Fallen Angel

Chapter 46: Emily

Gazing out the window, I looked down at the city with fondness. It was beautiful at this time of the early evening. The sun was lower, shining across the buildings as the sky began to darken. It was an array of pink and orange hues, truly glorious.

"It's marvellous, isn't it?"

I turned to the angel that approached, he held two champagne glasses.

"It is."

He offered a glass to me, which I accepted knowing there was no additives. My return to the warm embrace of heaven was met with a lot of uncertainty at first but they had slowly accepted it. Their disbelief was understandable considering that I'd escaped from Arcaedia but once I had explained why I wanted to leave his so called care, they understood. He was on a new assignment, somewhere far, far away from me.

I was still a deus angel, something which had shocked me when the devil said it. My upgrade had been offered at the debriefing but I had assumed that my harsh rejection would have made them rescind the offer. But they hadn't because they were happy with what I'd done and for that the offer was always going to stand.

With a sad smile, I looked out the window and sipped the champagne. It had only been a week and I still missed Brannon but I had to get on with things. The wings weren't going to change themselves and I had to do things right otherwise I would never convince any of them that what I wanted was for the best.

Life had improved since they had accepted me back and it pained me to think it but I was beginning to like it here. There would always be a struggle if I were to return to hell to be with Brannon, I knew that heaven would do anything to keep one of their own. I'd been misguided as to the belief that I meant nothing to them, I was everything. Even though I was just an infra, I still meant something. And that's why they took me away.

Their reasons for the whispering in my mind was not exactly nice, I was grateful that they had explained why their desperate attempts to get me away from the devil had been so harsh. Arcaedia was supposed to abduct me but after he had realised that I'd slept with Brannon, he decided that I was no longer fit to walk among the angels. When his whispers had failed, he decided to revert back to the original plan and abduct me, then let the hierarchy deal with my so called failure.

The problem was the hierarchy didn't care that I'd had sex with Brannon so long as he felt the pain of my departure. It was only minimal but they were happy. The scales had been tipped and were now almost even. They had their plans to make it tip even further, what they were I do not know but I feared for Brannon and his family.

"To us."

Smiling weakly at the angel, I clinked the glass and took another sip before I could offer a return. What could I say? As part of becoming a deus, I'd been offered the ability to enter the breeding program. Given a list of potentials, it was suggested that if I was interested in taking a life partner then I could do so with the blessing of those above me.

I'd picked this guy because he was the opposite of Brannon, I didn't need a daily reminder of my deceit. It was bad enough that I hated myself for living this lie but to look upon what could have been a similar image of the man that I loved would be too cruel.

Sarul was a second generation created angel, which meant that his mother was a laboratory created angel for his naturally created father. Like me he was a deus, though he had been one for about ten years now. The purple eyes seemed the gleam against the tanned skin, waves of dark blonde hair fell around his face. To say that he was handsome was fairly accurate.

This was the second date; I was still at odds with the situation. It was going as well as the first one which was three nights ago, it was awkward and it was getting worse by the minute.

"Our table is almost ready. We will be in the private section on the east side."

Great, where it's darker and more romantic, just what I wanted. I offered another weak smile, hidden behind the champagne flute. We were dining among the humans, Sarul wanted to try this restaurant because it sat high over the city.

Sarul's hand flicked my hair off my shoulder, smiling as his gaze lowered to watch his hand move.

"You know; your hair stands out Emily."

"It's meant to, that's why I dyed it bright red."

"But it's not a natural colour, angels are supposed to remain pure."

I nodded, feeling my mood sink lower. It wasn't the first time that my hair colour had been mentioned. Walking around the corridors of the meeting rooms, I could feel the stares because I stood out. When I was approached by one of the office staff to advise that my overseer was ready to begin the meeting, the woman looked at me like I was diseased.

My overseer suggested that I revert back to my natural colour, to avoid anyone noticing me. It was this way so that I could do my assignments and not be noticed by the humans or any other creature that might pass by me. I could understand their reasoning but it didn't mean that I liked it.

"I know." I said softly.

Sarul took my empty glass, putting it and his glass on the platter as a waiter passed by.

"Emily, I know that it's only been the second date but I think that it's going well, don't you agree?"

"Sure."

"So you're interested in more then?"

I looked up into those gleaming purple eyes, the suave smile and picture perfect good looks. Just as I opened my mouth to answer him, the maître d called us over.

"Oh good, our table is ready."

Sarul grasped my hand and together we walked towards the seating area. Unease washed over me, feeling the dread of his question. It might have been unanswered but I knew that he would want a response. If he would like the answer, I couldn't say because I didn't have one yet. I was lost, unable to find my path.