Faith Heights

Chapter 52

"Good night," I whispered softly, although I was sure he was already sound asleep.

But a moment later, he answered with an inaudible murmur and shifted closer to me. He reached out, startling me as he gently wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me back closer to his chest. It took me a minute to unstiffen, feeling his breath in my matted hair.

It was a novel feeling, the safety he provided with his arm around me. The safety I wanted him to provide. If I stayed, I had to give up a level of control, but what I was given in return was much greater. 

Nick was submerged well into the depths of unconsciousness, and once I relaxed, I felt the pull of sleep weigh down my eyelids. Despite my head running rampant with all the ways our stay here could end in pain... I couldn't help the smile pulling up my cheeks. For now, all we could do was sleep, and take comfort in the unexpected shelter we'd found in each other.

***

I woke up early the next morning, despite only finding a few hours of sleep. I laid contentedly in Nick's arms for a while before untangling myself from his embrace, and headed downstairs. I really needed a change of clothes, but a quick look through the three bedrooms' wardrobes revealed only a handful of male dress shirts- presumably Lucas'. I tried not to think about it too much as I grabbed a navy button-down and quickly stepped into a shower. 

I spent a good ten minutes scrubbing at my skin, peeling off the grime that I'd accumulated running through the forest. I found shampoo and conditioner in one of the bathroom cupboards, and let the shower's glass panels fog up with scalding water. With the thick heat, I could barely see my own reflection in the glass, from my wildly knotted hair to the scratch across my cheek- I must have run into a branch last night. I could still see my eyes, though, staring back at me with an unfamiliar awareness. 

Turquoise, Nick had once called them. They stared back at me inquisitively, and I tilted my head as I tried to remember just when my features had become so unrecognisable. My eyes were lit with an involuntarily excitement that changed them from sea-green to something brighter, and my right cheek seemed permanently quirked up instead of the flat line I tried to press it into. It was as if my reflection knew something I didn't. Was taunting me with it.

I swiftly dried myself and threw on the navy shirt and my jeans before the fog cleared from the mirror. I left my crusted white shirt on the bathroom bench and headed downstairs, feeling my stomach rumble. Jackson's protein bars had curbed my appetite, but the remnants of the peanut flavouring and soft texture stuck to my mouth with a bitter vengeance. I'd managed to find an unused toothbrush before showering, and had tried to replace the stale taste with mint, but only food would do the trick. And caffeine. Caffeine solved everything.

I'd wolfed down four pieces of toast and three mugs of coffee by the time Nick appeared on the stairs, staggering slightly and rubbing his eyes. He came towards me in the kitchen, and surprised me with a kiss, just a warm brush of our lips, as if we'd done it enough time to have already become a habit.

He stretched his arms behind his head. "Morning, darling."

I felt a smile hitch up my lips. "You've called me a few pet names lately. Darling, dear, sweetheart... Any particular reason?"

"Just trying to find one that sticks. I was going to go with angel, but that's a little on the nose, no?"

I laughed as he moved toward the kitchen's cupboard and began rifling through cereal boxes.

Nick had said that the angels wouldn't be able to see the cabin, so I went over and opened up the nearby curtains before returning to the bench. Morning light filtered onto the walls, turning the harsh paint to a rich red. 

"How long do you think the angels will stay in Faith Heights?" I asked, glancing out the closest window.

Nick shrugged, but his shoulders were tense. "Once they've scoured every inch of it. Lucas' wards should keep the cabin from their sight, so once they've skimmed the forest, they'll leave. Then we'll be free to go wherever we want."

I couldn't help but smile at his wistful tone. If only it could be that simple. I wondered when Lucas would return, hopefully with more answers. Thinking of Lucas reminded me of last night, when he'd thrown himself from the ground without aid.

"Why couldn't I see Lucas' wings last night?" I asked.

Nick took a seat at the kitchen bench with a bowl of dry cereal. "You could if he wanted you to. An angel's wings don't typically exist on earth's plane. He would have to summon them."

"Is it the same with your wings?" I asked, leaning my chin of my hands. He'd referred to himself as an angel yesterday, so I assumed that angels and demons weren't as dissimilar as I'd originally thought.

His jaw locked. "I don't have any wings."

I frowned, thinking back to when I'd jumped off the cliff. Nick had helped redirect me into the water, saving me from a jagged death. There was no way he'd been able to catch and throw me like that without flying. 

I repeated as much to him, but he merely shook his head. "I'm strong. But I don't have wings." He repeated stonily, taking a spoonful of cereal.

After a minute, he added under his breath, "I lost them when I fell."

I could tell there was more to the story, but the pain darkening his eyes stopped me from delving any further.

Before I could change the topic, Nick's head whipped toward the door. After a tense second, he clenched his jaw. "Lucas is back."