"Kylar, Martin Kylar." Nat said softly.
I shot straight up in the chair splashing water everywhere, gaping at Nat my eyes wide, mouth hung open. I looked over at Alex to see him frozen stiff, eyes wide and burning into Nat, jaw clenched. I even think he's holding his breath.
"Willow, lay back dow-"
"Say that again." Alex interrupted. His voice came out quiet and barely audible. "Who did you just say?"
"Martin Kylar. What's the big deal?" Nat said to Alex. She slid off of the table and started walking towards me shaking her head in frustration.
"Martin Kylar was my father." Alex's voice, a barely there whisper.
Nat froze mid step, and stood gaping at Alex wide eyed. I looked back and forth between the two of them my mouth hung open. After what seemed like hours had past Nat broke the silence first.
"How old are you?" She asked Alex, her eyebrows frowning together.
"Eighteen. How old are you?"
"I'm twenty. You must be the younger son then. I saw the little group you guys were with, is your brother with them?"
My mouth opened and closed as I looked over at Alex, my eyes softening as I watch him. I saw Alex's jaw jump.
"He's not alive." He said quietly.
Nat's entire body shifted. "Damn, I'm sorry. How long ago?"
Alex's jaw jumped before he answered. "Two years."
Nat nodded her head slowly. She slowly looked back over at me, and it was as if reality had come back to her. "Willow, you have to put your head back down if you want the color to come out properly." Nat made her way over to me. She pushed me gently back down in the chair. Then suddenly she froze and her head shot up towards the front door and she cursed under her breath.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"We're going to have to cut this a little shot Willow; I've got to make a run." She pulled the drain from the sink and quickly lifted the chair back up helping me sit straight. Nat wiped her hands on her jeans and walked quickly over to the front counter where she pulled out a hand gun with a shiny top of the line silver silencer from a locked drawer and set it on the table next to the computer.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked as he made his way over to the front counter as I untied the cape from my neck and made my way over standing next to Alex. My hair dripping wet, and water running down my back and soaking my shirt.
Nat checked the magazine in the gun and sent it right back in a half second later. "I'm sensing a couple of angels. They've just crossed the state line, and they're heading this way." Nat opened another drawer and pulled out her big purse. She fished around inside for her set of car keys, then zipped the purse shut, grabbed her gun, and headed for the door.
I looked over at Alex to see his gun at his side with the safety flicked off.
"We're coming with you." He muttered getting back into his role of leader of the AK's.
"I don't do teams." She muttered as she tried to side step us and get out the door.
"Nat please let us go with you." I pleaded.
Nat stopped in her tracks with a hand on the door ready to exit, and turned back to face us. With a heavy sigh she looked from me to Alex. "Fine. Grab one of those towels Willow for your hair, and let's go. But you better stay out of my way."
I grabbed a towel off of a table and ran out the door behind Alex. Outside the shop Nat locked the door behind her and walked about four steps before she stopped and glanced between Alex and me to her Porsche, then her gaze fell on the Jeep.
She thrust her hand out in front of her. "We're going to have to take your Jeep; I'm driving, hand over the keys."
I glanced up at Alex then back at Nat, the two of them standing tall with locked gazes. At the rate these two are going it'll be a fight around every corner. UGH! I thought to myself. I pulled the Jeep's keys out of my pocket and handed them to her. She wrapped her fingers around the keys, gave me a smile, and headed for the driver side door.
About twenty minutes later, Nat behind the wheel, Alex in the passenger's seat, and me in the back. Nat zoomed down the two lane road, heavy metal blaring through the speakers. Nat looked up at me through the rearview mirror. "You. I'm going to need your help for a moment now." I sat up in my seat. "I need you to become your angel and fly about seven miles ahead of us-."
"Hell no." Alex yelled over the music. "She's not leaving this Jeep. Just drive until you find the damn angels and let's get this over with."
Nat crooked her head to the right and narrowed her eyes at Alex. She turned her gaze back to the road in silence. A second later Nat slammed down on the brake and the Jeep came to a screeching halt - throwing me forward, the seat belt cutting into the skin at my stomach and neck - in the middle of the road. Nat put the Jeep in park and turned off the engine the silence thick with tension. Turning back to Alex Nat said in a too calm voice. "What the hell is your problem? All I asked was for her help. You're her boyfriend, not her owner."
Before Alex could even answer I unclipped my seat belt and climbed onto the center console between them. "I'll help, I'll help! Please don't start fighting!" I pleaded holding my hands up in front of Nat trying to give her my best apologetic smile.
"Willow stop." Alex said in a low voice. "You're not going to put yourself in danger."
I looked over my shoulder and gave Alex a pointed look. Sliding back into my seat, I rested my head back against the chair, closed my eyes, and took deep breaths. Finding my center, I reached out to my angel and found her instantly. She and I became one, and suddenly I was floating above the Jeep. My wings stretched out on my back glinting from the sun and I took off fast flying a head of the Jeep.
Minutes past until I started to feel something. The further I pressed on I started to recognize the feeling as something angelic. I realizing I was flying very fast, I slowed down and flew to a small gathering of trees. Hiding behind a couple of big Oak trees I pushed with my mind and senses to find the approaching angels. I counted six energy's, and they were heading towards me, and fast.
I turned on my wing and headed back for the Jeep. The closer I got, I could see Alex and Nat just sitting facing forward not saying anything. And Nat had a look of annoyance on her face. I flew back into the Jeep and connected back with myself quickly.
"How many?" Nat asked not turning around, or looking at me in the mirror.
"Six, and their heading this way, and fast." I glanced over at Alex and watched as he pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans, and flick off the safety.
Nat looked at as if he was crazy. "What are you doing?" She asked him.
"What the hell do you think I'm doing?" Alex got out of the Jeep and walked around to the front.
Nat cursed under her breath and jumped out of the car. I followed after both of them and stood beside Alex.
"Again, what the hell are you doing? I told you, I don't do teams." Nat glared at Alex annoyance laced in her tone.
"One against six? You think you can take down that many angels by yourself? You're not a superhero, and you're not immortal. Face the fact that you're going to need help." Alex hissed, and glared right back, standing up straight, and squaring his shoulders.
"Uhh guys?" I tried to get their attention.
"Let me tell you something hotshot. I've been doing this by myself for years. I haven't needed any help before, and just because you and your little team drop into my town doesn't mean I'm going to invite into my world or ask for you to invite me into yours. Just because you're Martin's son, doesn't give you the right to walk around with your nose in the air and order everyone around." Nat said to Alex. She stepped closer to him and got in his face and narrowed her eyes.
"Umm guys?" I pulled on Alex's shirt sleeve some still trying to get his attention.
"My nose stuck in the air? You're the one who's walking around and won't take help when its handed to you on a silver fucking platter." He said coolly.
"I don't need your help!" Nat screamed.
"GUYS!" I screamed as loud as I could. Alex looked over at me. "Can you two stop fighting for about five minutes?" I pointed behind Nat's head. Nat and Alex followed my finger and Alex cursed under his breath.
The angels were about a little over a hundred yards away. Alex cursed under his breath again and pointed his gun towards the angels.
"What if their sympathetic?" I asked quietly.
Before Alex could fire a shot, breathe his next breath, or I could even blink, Nat pulled her gun out from the waistband of her jeans and threw her arm as if she was throwing a fast-pitch baseball. There was one thick thump that came from the gun, and the next thing I saw were two angels blowing up, and the fall out falling to the ground. I looked to the remaining angels, they started to pick up speed heading towards us and we could hear them screeching with anger and fury.
"They're not sympathetic." Nat mumbled under hear breath before she took off on a slow jog toward the remaining angels.
"Whoa…" I stood there stunned. I hadn't even noticed that Alex had taken off ahead of me towards the angels as well. Remembering I didn't have a gun on me, and figuring I wasn't going to be much help I went back to the Jeep and stood on the other side in a crouch out of sight.
It wasn't until then that I remembered my aura, and the fact that I could change its color. I brought my aura into view and cursed myself. I had forgotten to change it from the silver and purple, to something unappealing to angels. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. Dishwater brown I thought, and slowly my aura took on a disgusting shade of brown. I don't think even a starving angel would come near me with this.
I stood up and looked over the hood of the Jeep. Three more angels were gone, and the last one was making a straight line for Alex from behind. I started to reach of my angel, but I was stopped in my tracks suddenly and my blood turned to ice. Nat raised her gun, and from where I was it looked like she had her gun pointed right at Alex's brain. I let out an ear piercing scream when Nat slowly pulled the trigger. But the bullet didn't shoot Alex; it went right by his head and connected right in the middle of the angels' halo, fallout falling slowly to the ground. Alex and Nat stood starring at each other; silence ran thick in the air, and Nat slowly brought her arm down to her side and tucked the gun into the waistband of her jeans.
Slowly Alex tucked his gun away as well. I stood up from behind the Jeep and started to make my way over to them. Turning on her heel Nat made her way back to the Jeep. Shifting her gaze her Alex to the ground she took ten steps in my direction, when she looked up Nat stopped dead in her tracks, mouth agape, eyes wide and starring right at me. I stopped mid step, and looked over my shoulder thinking there was something behind me, when I turned back to Nat she was taking slow steps towards me.
Standing in front of me at arm's length away I could see that Nat wasn't looking at me like I thought. She was looking at my outline; my aura.
"How…?" Nat lifted her right hand and reached out towards me. She stopped her hand inches from my shoulder and she looked at me in the eyes. "Is... Is this ok?" I nodded my head to her and slowly her hand was skimming the surface of my aura. I could literally feel her fingertips in my aura.
I looked over Nat's shoulder to see Alex walk up and stand to my right. "Can you do this too?" Nat asked Alex but still keeping her hand touching my aura.
"No."
"I think it might only be an angel thing. Or at least a half angel thing." I said.
Nat brought her hand back to her side and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I've just never seen something like that before." Nat sighed heavily. "Come on Willow, let's get back to my salon and I can finish taking out that red for you ok."
Back at 'Changing Styles' Alex, Nat, and I were sharing a moment of comfortable silence at the moment. We had been quietly chit-chatting, sharing some stories, and Nat had me back in the sink. Alex and I told her about what happened in Mexico City, about half the angels in the world being gone, and I told her about my premonition and her being in it. The rhythmic tick of the timer was the only sound eating at the quiet air around us. Alex had pulled up a chair to sit next to me, and Nat was back sitting on the table from earlier sipping from a two liter bottle of Dr. Pepper.
Nat cleared her throat causing Alex and I to glance over at her. "Look Alex…" Nat sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for earlier. It's just that there hasn't been any AK's around here in a long time, and I just, I guess it kind of threw me off balance to think there's still some left out there."
"Can I ask you something Nat?" He asked, and she nodded her head. "Why didn't you attack Willow this afternoon? She's half angel, aren't you afraid of her?"
Nat had her bottle of soda to her lips and was taking a sip when Alex asked her his question. She nearly spilt Dr. Pepper all over her clothes and shoes from laughing at him. "Seriously? Why would I attack her? When I said I would've shot her at the restaurant I said that because she scared me when I went into the bathroom, I didn't mean I would shot her because she's half angel… Did the others in your group try to kill her?"
"Sort of. They'd never seen a half angel before… except for Seb, because he is one."
"Ahh, now I see. Well that's stupid, half angels aren't the enemy, it's a good thing you found those two when you did Alex. They'll be useful in the war."
Alex chuckled. "Yea and I-… Wait…?" Alex's eyebrows started to slowly come together. "Have you seen a half angel before? We all thought Willow and Seb were the only ones in the world."
This time Nat did spit Dr. Pepper all over the floor and her Converse shoes as she belt out a great laugh. "You guys think you're the only half angels in the world? HAHAHAHA! No, I can promise you, you're not the only half angels. Though you might be the only ones on the west coast right now, but certainly not the first."
Alex's jaw had fallen open and so had mine. Just when I was about to ask Nat a question the timer went off. Nat jumped off of the table and made her way over to me. Her walk was calm and collective, her shoulders were relaxed, and she had the bottle of soda to her lips as she took a gulp. Everything about Nat screamed 'leader' and she her entire being was a 'don't-fuck-with-me' attitude. But even with the short amount of time I'd spent with Nat, I knew she was a born leader, and that she'd be the one to help us in bring down the angels.
"Ready to be blond again Willow?" Nat said in a cheerful voice.
"Absolutely!"
When Nat was done washing out my hair, giving me a little trim, blow drying my hair, and adding a blue-and-gray hair extension she smiled at me and turned my chair around to face the mirror. It was just like my premonition, me in a chair looking back at my reflection. The emotions were just like I knew they'd be. Happiness, joy, and also sadness rolled into one. I caught Alex's gaze in the mirror, he had a smile on his from what I could see through the blur of tears in my eyes. Slowly Alex put his arms around my shoulders, leaning over the back of the chair and kissed my neck.
"You look beautiful." He whispered in my ear.
"Thank you." I leaned back into his hug and smiled at our reflection.
"Eww, no romance in my salon you crazy horny teenagers!" Nat yelled as she came out from the back room. "Seriously no mushy shit here, I hate seeing people in love."
"You know Nat, I know someone who would be great with you. He has a loud Texas accent, blond hair, blue eyes, tall, kind of lazy, but he's still a good AK." I said with a laugh.
"Willow Nat would chew up and spit out Sam." Alex whispered quietly in my ear.
"I know, but maybe she'd straighten him out of his laziness." I whispered back.
"No thanks. I love my work too much to be in a relationship right now." Nat said.
Alex kissed my cheek one last time before helping me out of the chair. "There's something I'd like to ask you for Nat. A favor really." He said to her with an apologetic smile on his face
Nat raised an eyebrow at Alex and took a seat in a salon chair crossing her legs, and her arms over her chest then waved her hand in a gesture for him to continue.
Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Here's the thing. I'd like to ask you to join our team." Nat opened her mouth to protest her 'I don't do teams' but Alex put a hand up to stop her before she could. "Hear me out please. You killed five angels by yourself today. Without even breaking a sweat! Even I cant do that. From the looks of it, there's only six AK's left in the world, you included it that. Willow was telling the truth about half of the angels in the world being gone. Well now is the time to fight back, and destroy the rest of them while we still have a chance.
"Look all I'm asking is that you think about it. Maybe come and meet the rest of the team. We're going to need all the help we can get in bringing down the rest of the angels. We need your help Nat, please." Alex and I stood staring at Nat. Slowly I realized I was biting my cheek because I started to taste blood.
Nat looked between the two of us for a long time. Minutes ticked by before the silence was broken by Nat. "Listen, I'm not joining your team right now ok? But I will hear you out and I will think about it. I understand that youre going to need my help, and you'll get it no problem. Tell you what… I'll come to your camp and meet everyone and see if I can get use to the environment, if everything goes ok, I'll think about joining up with you all. But if not then I'll stay a solo, and you and I will only work together on hunts… occasionally."
"How about a trial run?" Alex offered.
"What do you mean?" Nat asked.
"Here's why I'm bringing this up now. Willow and I need to go to New York. She has some family issues she needs to take care of, and I'm going with her…. Here's where you come in."
"Youre about to ask me to babysit aren't you?" Alex nodded his head to her and she let out a heavy sigh and ran her hands through her hair. "Alex…"
"Please Nat." I said quietly. "It's a trial run remember. Two weeks is all we're asking for. I swear I will forever be in your debt. Our team needs someone to show them around, and help them get better and become great AK's like you. I know you have great leadership abilities, and its time you see that. Please."
"Did you guys forget that I have a salon to run? I cant close down shop for two weeks, and like hell will I let Jazmine take over."
"I'll think of something for you. Maybe you could do half and half? Please Nat, we need you. You and Willow have connected a bond already; please at least do this for her." Alex said.
All was quiet again. The ticking of the clock on the wall, my heart pounding in my ears, and Alex's breathing the only sounds around. Minutes passed by, but they felt like hours. Nat sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Alright I'm in. Two weeks, that's all I'm giving you. You better not make me regret this." She finally said.
