Wings that Guard Me

Chapter 28 Seraph

Back at school. At least that hasn't changed. I still have a small grasp on some form of normalcy. I've been trying not to think about all the information that's been pushed onto me. I told Raphael that I wanted to talk more after school today. Neither of us is in anything after school so we plan to just find a quiet corner and wait for Tony to get done with practice.

"I'm ready." My voice is more confident than I feel. I don't feel ready at all. But I know I have to be if I'm going to find out any more. He turns to me. The look on his face, as if he isn't sure of me, is only there for a second. It's replaced with a  solemnity that scares me a little, then a mischievous grin. It's almost as if he knows what he's going to say next is going to be painful, but he's going to enjoy saying it to me anyway. It makes me a little sick thinking about it. But I can't back out now.

"Alright. What do you want to know?" He asks. It feels like he's patronizing me.

I set my jaw, determined to know more by the end of the night. "What else is there?"

"That depends on what you want to know today." He searches my face, trying to detect the conflict going on inside me right now. "Why don't I make it easy for you? Do you want to know about my people or yours?"

It's a good question. So what's my answer? I honestly don't know. "How can you know anything about my people? It's not like we associate with your kind." That question has been gnawing at me for a while, I just needed the courage the ask.

It seems as though I've taken him by surprise. And suddenly I'm taken by surprise by a sharp pain in my back where my wings would usually connect. I take a deep breath and as I slowly let it out the pain subsides. This had been happening on and off for about a week. It takes me a second to realize he's been talking, giving me some sort of weak excuse. I don't think he's going to tell me the truth about that anytime soon. "Are you ever going to tell me the truth?" I cut him off.

He looks at me startled, "I have been telling you the truth. It's not my fault your first instinct is the assume I'm lying."
I roll my eyes. "Maybe my first instinct wouldn't be to assume you're lying if your first instinct wasn't to lie to me."
His eyes flash with anger and I know I've hit a nerve. But can anyone blame me? His people's leader is known as the Great Deceiver, otherwise put as the King of Lies. "Then I'll tell the truth right now. And you tell me if I'm lying." I raise an eyebrow but don't comment. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed. I thought your people could sense evil such as my people like oil running over your skin. We've been watched for the past few days. At least I have."

He keeps talking but I don't hear him because the pain in my back comes back, stronger than before. I hiss and sit down hard on the nearest desk, the wind knocked out of me. He cuts off and gives me a concerned look. Why would he be concerned about me? We're enemies. He walks up to me and kneels down in front of me.

"How long?" I'm cast off guard by his gentle tone. At first I can't respond, my attention still on my back. He grabs my hand, making my halo begin to sting. The makes me gasp and turn my attention on him. "How long?"

"A few days. Maybe a week. It comes and goes." I barely recognize my whispered reply as my voice.

"Where?" Again his voice is gentle. He's been nothing but patronizing and rude to me. It's so unnatural to hear a creature only meant for evil and destruction be to gentle and kind.

"My back. Where my wings used to be." What was he point in keeping it a secret. He obviously knows where my wings are.

"You haven't let them out have you? Do you realize what could happen?" An edge enters his previously gentle tone. I pull my hand back and shift nervously, only making my back hurt worse.

"What are you talking about?" I barely whisper.

"Are you stupid or ignorant? Don't you know the consequences if you don't let your wings out?"

I'm confused. What could he be talking about? How would he know anything? He can't know anything about this. It's too rare. He may have an impressive amount of information on my people, but I find it very hard to believe he'd know anything about something that's practically banned in my society.

"How am I supposed to know when almost no one has been brave enough to go through with this for years?" I tell him with an edge in my voice.

"You could lose your wings! Angel, you will lose your wings. Do you understand that Angel? Your wings will be crippled. Let them out now." He demands in an urgent voice.

"I can't!" I snap back at him. I know I can't. I'm not strong enough. My halo could burn my hand to a point of no healing. If I can't use my hand I can't harness my halo's power. That would mean my end. Not just as a guardian but as an angel. No wing and no halo. I'd be a disgrace to all angels . With this realization I give up my hope, my halo stops protecting me at my sudden cut off of will. I'm made aware of my wings trying to force their way out of my back with painful force. The moving of my wings puts pressure on my spine without the protection of my halo. I'm stuck, paralyzed by my own lack of strength, my own halo's power.

"Great. How am I supposed to explain this?" I hear Raphael mutter as he comes towards me, prepared to take me to the safe house. I close my eyes against the pain as I felt him pick me up. I guess I'm not surprised by the speed he gets to the safe house. He can't get me to Grey though. Grey doesn't know I've been communicating with Raphael. He can't. He'll report me. And then I'll be finished if I'm not already. "Stop." I whisper.

"I can't just dump you on the lawn." He sounds irritated. I don't blame him.

"You have to. He'll kill you if he sees you. And I'll be ruined, banished. You have to leave me." I plead. I still haven't opened my eyes. But now I do. I ask him silently to leave me for Grey. I'd rather wait and face Grey's judgement alone than him still be here and both of us left for dead.