Chapter One
Coldwater, Maine: Present Day
Bo's Arcade was like a second home to me. If someone was looking for me, their best bet is Bo's. I am constantly hustling people in pool and poker. The gambling aspect of Bo's was a large part of what drew me to it. I was an expert gambler, even before I had fallen; only the bravest of the angels would play me in a game of gleek or piquet. I figured since I had already gambled my angel status away there wasn't much left to lose.
Smoke filled my nose as I breathed in the polluted air from Bo's basement. I looked down at the cards in my hand, the five and nine of spades, a pair of aces and a king of diamonds, I was considering my options. The other two aces were on the table along with the two and three of hearts and the king of diamonds. I looked around the room, observing the other players, while carefully maintain the perfect poker face. I was playing Texas Hold 'Em and I was counting on leaving with a brand new television and plenty of cash. I could smell the fear radiating from the other guys at the table. I am very good at this game, and they know it. With a smug grin, I pushed a stack of chips amounting to five hundred dollars into the pile accumulating in the middle of the table. Everyone accept one person folds, he is new to Bo's, poor guy. When our lasts bets were made the pot totaled somewhere around two thousand dollars. We showed our hands. I won. A new hand was dealt out, no special bets this time, just whatever is in the pot.
I heard footsteps clambering down the stairs, and I had a feeling it was a message for me. I looked up to see Bo's cashier standing next to me. He appeared nervous; he obviously didn't want to be disturbing me right now.
"Someone upstairs wants a word with you," he stutters.
That was vague. I raised my eyebrows and waved my hand, prompting him to continue, without dignifying him with a verbal response.
"She wouldn't give her name, I asked a couple of times," he continued defensively, "I told her you were in a private game, but she wouldn't leave." He looked at me, trying to judge my expression that was as masked as ever. As a last resort Cashier Boy says, "I can throw her out if you want."
To be completely honest, I was intrigued by this mystery girl. Bo isn't the smallest or friendliest guy in the world, so the fact she insisted on seeing me is interesting. "No. Send her down." I watched only for a second as Bo trudged back upstairs. Looking back at the cards in my hand, not very good anyway, I decide to stop playing. "I'm out," I declared. I folded and collected my large stack of chips before sauntering over to an empty pool table. I set myself to be leaning back on the table with the perfect angle to see the girl coming down the stairs.
I'm momentarily stunned. It's her, why is she here? It can only be bad news. The shock that covered my face was just as quickly erased and replaced by a neutral face. Her long, straight blond hair fell down to her waist as she descended the stairs. She was wearing a pink tank top and painted on jeans, and oh yeah, she was barefoot. If she didn't look like she was trying to sell the innocent look already, she was sucking on a lollipop too. But I knew better.
"Dabria?" I said out loud.
She took the lollipop out and trashed it as she smiled at me, "How have you been?"
What you see is almost never what you get when it comes to Dabria. This angel of death had ulterior motives. Popping in to see her ex-boyfriend without cause was not like her. "What are you doing here?"
Her smile turned devious, "I sneaked out. I had to see you again. I've been trying for a long time, but security- well it's not exactly lax." She paused and her smile faded slightly, "Your kind and my kind- we aren't supposed to mix. But you know that."
"Coming here was a bad idea," I pointed out.
She pouted, "I know it's been a while, but I was hoping for a slightly more friendly reaction."
I don't answer.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you." Dabria lowered her voice, in a very sexy way and stepped toward me, "It wasn't easy getting down here. Lucianna is making excuses for why I'm absent. I'm risking her future as well as my own. Don't you want to at least hear what I have to say?" She bats her eyelashes.
She's not affecting me like she wants to, "Talk." I am not even close to trusting her.
"I'm haven't given up on you. This whole time-" Her eyes were watering, she held in her tears and continued, "I know how you can get your wings back."
She then smiled like she was giving me the world, I didn't return the gesture. There is no way it's possible, some fallen angel would've figured it out by now.
"As soon as you get your wings back, you can come home," She spoke with complete and utter confidence. "Everything will be like it was before. Nothing has changed. Not really."
Did she think it would be that easy? "What's the catch?"
"There is no catch," she beamed, "You have to save a human life. Very judicious, considering the crime that banished you here in the first place."
She thought she was doing me favor, I didn't ask for this. There was only one question I needed answered. "What rank will I be?"
All confidence Dabria was just showing shattered "I just told you how to get your wings back," she noted condescendingly, "I think I deserve a thank –you-"
I cut her off, "Answer the question." I knew the answer to my question. I just wanted to hear it from her mouth, confirm my worst fears.
"Fine," she admitted, "You'll be a guardian, all right?"
I throw my head back and chuckle. This must be a damn joke. She's known me for a long time, how could she possibly think I'd settle for being a guardian? I was an archangel, a leader.
"What's wrong with being a guardian?" Dabria insisted, "Why isn't it good enough?" By that she meant why isn't she good enough.
"I have something better in the works," I put simply. But I have to give her credit; she was a persistent little thing.
"Listen to me Patch. There is nothing better," her voice was full of surprise, rejection and hopelessness, "You're kidding yourself. Any other fallen angel would jump at the chance to get their wings back and become a guardian. Why can't you?"
I pushed up from the pool table, "It was good seeing you again, Dabria. Have a nice trip back." I started to walk away from her when she grabbed fistfuls of my shirt and pressed her mouth against mine with fervor. Why not? I turned my body towards her and ran my hands down her arms.
After a long moment she broke away, "I should go. I've already stayed too long. I promised Lucianna I'd hurry." She laid her head on my chest and softly whispered, "I miss you. Save one human life and you'll have your wings again," she was practically begging now, "Come back to me. Come home." She pulled back, "I have to go. None of the others can find out I've been down here. I love you." With that, she turned around and began to walk away.
I grabbed her wrist, "Now tell me why you're really here." My tone was dark and demanding. My face told her she had better quit the act before she really pissed me off.
I pushed her towards the bar and put her into a seat. I took the one next to it. I leaned in close because the music was loud.
"What do you mean, what am I here for?" Dabria stuttered, "I told you-"
"You're lying," I growled.
Her mouth was agape, "I can't believe you-you think-"
There is no way she thought I'd just accept her alternative because she loved me. "Tell me the truth," I threatened, "Right now."
After a small hesitation and a killer glare, "Fine. I know what you're planning to do."
I laughed, I had a lot of plans, and I wondered which one she was referring to.
"I know you've heard rumors about The Book of Enoch," She accused, "I also know you think you can do the same thing, but you can't."
I folded my arms on top of the bar, "They sent you here to persuade me to choose a different course, didn't they? If I'm a threat, the rumors must be true." Here presence here was more than enough confirmation.
"No, they're not." She denied hopelessly, "They're rumors."
Her words don't tell me what her face does, "If it happened once, it can happen again."
She is controlling her expression again. Confidence restored she says, "It never happened. Did you even bother to read The Book of Enoch before you fell? Do you know exactly what it says, word for holy word?" she challenged.
"Maybe you could loan me your copy," I wasn't even close to joking.
She wailed, "That's blasphemous! You're forbidden to read it! You betrayed every angel in heaven when you fell."
I know her, and I know I can get what I want, "How many of them know what I'm after? How big of a threat am I?" I started with easy questions.
She shook her head furiously, "I can't tell you that. I've already told you more than I should have."
I could see the urge to give me whatever I wanted gleam in her eyes, she truly did love me. I was about to test how much, "Are they going to try to stop me?"
She speaks clearly, "The avenging angels will." Was she trying to scare me?
I looked at her with sincerity, forcing the memories of us back into her mind, "Unless they think you talked me out of it."
"Don't look at me like that," she tried to sound definite, "I won't lie to protect you. What you're trying to do is wrong. It's not natural." She was so close to snapping.
"Dabria," I whispered with fake longing. It was a low blow, because our entire relationship meant almost nothing to me. But I knew it meant everything to her.
"I can't help you," implying that she desperately wanted to, "Put it out of your mind. Become a guardian angel. Focus on that and forget The Book of Enoch."
I planted my elbows on the bar top and thought for a moment. I could get it out of her if I really wanted. She would do anything for me, except maybe fall. I immediately understood the meaning behind her visit. She wanted me back; she wanted me to be an angel so she could have me again. Trouble was I didn't want her again. But having someone on the inside is always helpful.
"Tell them we talked, and I showed interest in becoming a guardian,"
"Interest?" she questioned, unbelieving.
I repeated myself. "Interest. Tell them I asked for a name. If I'm going to save a life, I need to know who's at the top of your departing list," I affirmed, "I know you're privy to that information as an angel of death."
"That information is sacred and private, and not predictable. The events in this world shift from moment to moment depending on human choices-"
"One name, Dabria," I coaxed.
She yielded, "Promise me you'll forget about The Book of Enoch first. Give me your word."
That was laughable, "You'd trust my word?"
"No, I wouldn't," she receded.
I laughed out loud at that point, took a toothpick from the dispenser, and walked towards stairs. She would follow, or stop me, I knew her too well.
"Patch, wait-" She fretted as she hopped off the bar stool, "Patch, please wait!"
I looked back over my shoulder, she was coming closer.
"Nora Grey," she threw her hands over her mouth.
I frowned slightly, annoyance mixed with disbelief. That can't be. I had tracked her down to be a descendant of Chauncey. She was my ticket to a human body, a single sacrifice. My plan would be completely messed up if she died before I had the chance to kill her myself. "How is she going to die?" I asked.
"Someone wants to kill her," she says with absolute certainty.
"Who?"
Covering her ears and shaking her head rapidly, "I don't know. There's too much noise and commotion down here. All the images blur together, they come too fast, I can't see clearly. I need to go home. I need peace and calm."
I reached and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gave her a very seductive look. She shuddered under my touch, gave a small nod, and closed her eyes. "I can't see…I don't see anything… it's useless."
I urged gently, "Who wants to kill Nora Grey?"
Her voice was anxious, "Wait, I see her. There's a shadow behind her. It's him. He's following her. She doesn't see him… but he's right there. Why doesn't she see him? Why isn't she running? I can't see his face, it's in shadow…."
She gasped, choking on the air she just breathed in. Her eyes were wide in shock.
"Who?" I asked.
She was trembling with her hand s at her mouth when she looked me in the eyes and said, "You."
Shock cracked my controlled mask of emotion. No one else was planning to kill her, but the angels did know my plan, I was going to kill Nora Grey, and they wanted me to save her. This one insignificant girl has my future resting in her hands.
Dabria's tone was thick with confusion, "Why do want to kill Nora Grey? Is it in spite of the angels? Is it because I told you to save her?"
Why lie? Dabria wouldn't tell anyone anyway, "She happens to be related to Chauncey, my Nephil vassal."
Her face was covered with horror, "Patch!" She clawed at my arms as I started up the stairs.
"You can't tell the other angels, you know that, right?" I laid out the persuasiveness nice and thick, "Goodbye, Dabria." And with that, I walked out of Bo's Arcade.
