Chapter 13
"How dare you!" Angel was more furious towards Erik than entranced by Reece. The cell phone lay forgotten at the moment on the lawn. In her anger, Angel had Erik backed against a tree. The whole situation would have gone differently had Erik not foolishly revealed that he called Reece. "What were you thinking of calling him!?"
Erik glanced down to the finger she poked at his chest with. "…Angel…I…"
"NO! Don't you dare go and make an excuse to get back in my favor. Erik, I can't believe you!" She shouted again. "I love…loved you, but you just…you just…you just nearly put me in danger! Do you want to lose me?!"
"Angel, please let me explain." Erik tried to cut in again.
Angel shook her head at him. Instead of continuing her shouts, tears fell from her eyes, "Why, Erik, why!? Why did you call him?"
Erik noticed that she was giving him a chance to explain. He knew he had only one chance, and if he failed, she might willingly walk away from him—forever. "Was it six times now that he's pulled a fast one on us?" He paused to let that notion settle into her thoughts. "I figured for once, maybe we oughta get the upper hand." Erik confidently latched onto her upper arms, "I decided to take to the offensive. I love you so much, Angel…I don't want to sit idle on the sidelines as he swoops in on you!"
"Oh Erik…" Angel fell into his embrace. "…my foolish Knight…" His mask quickly took up residence aside the cell phone. Angel planted kisses in a fury on his exposed face. Finally she pulled away, as they both were now breathing heavily. "Promise me…no more offensive. It's best just to avoid him altogether."
"But…"
"Promise me!" She spat again.
Erik sighed and held her tightly to him, "Alright, I promise." While, they stood that way for a few moments, Erik pondered again just how delicate Angel was with this whole situation. She would rather avoid him. But that is only delaying the inevitable. No one has really outright said it…but I know…I feel it…that time is growing short for all of us.
Finally, Angel pulled back, "I heard Father Keirnan in the room with us earlier. What did he want?"
"Ah, he mentioned that Chancellor Cheyvon was joining us for dinner tonight." Erik casually replied. They had just started walking back inside, but at the back door she froze.
"And no one bothered to ask me before inviting him?"
"Angel, no one invited him." Erik tried to sooth her. He didn't want another argument again. Father Keirnan DID mention that they knew nothing of her thoughts of Chancellor Cheyvon.
She grunted and went inside, with Erik tagging behind her. "A man with his personality should NEVER have been promoted to Chancellor."
"I don't understand." Erik hastily followed her back up the stairs to their room.
"I can't really say that he is worse than Reece…but Chancellor Cheyvon sometimes gets a little full of himself." At the top of the stairs she halted and turned to Erik, "Did you know…I wasn't even living with him for a whole year before he ordered a test run on my abilities."
"Are you saying that you hate him?"
Angel shook her head, "Let's not talk about this, ok?" Erik frowned as she entered their room with intent to dress for the day. As she slipped into fresh clothes, Angel grinned at him, "I dreamt about you."
"Oh, did you now." Before she could get a shirt on and attempt to detail him about the dream, Erik pulled her to him.
"Erik…!" She lost all momentum to protest when his lips connected with her neck before trailing down. Angel soon found herself only able to emit in nothing but moans of pleasure.
Meg was ever so relieved to have lunch finally roll around. Before she had left with Claire, the director had given them all good words of praise. Both girls had then agreed to eat lunch at the Coney Island.
"So, how is Angel doing? Is she ok?" Claire began as they sat at a table with their food.
"What makes you ask?" Meg answered.
"Well, I kinda visited her on set last night." When Meg began to frown, Claire quickly explained, "I was only returning the support since they came to see our show rehearsals."
"Ah, well she is fine. Erik made sure she was fully rested." Meg nodded.
"It was scary. The man with the gun…threatened her, but she wasn't afraid." Claire continued. "She did something, not just to the man, but to everyone." Claire looked off in a daze, "What is she?"
Meg set her sandwich down and stared thoughtfully at it. "I think Father Keirnan will have my head if I told you."
"Who?" Claire turned her gaze to Meg in time to see her shake her head. "C'mon, you can tell me. I deserve to know, don't I?"
That seemed to win Meg over. "Ok, I'll tell you." Meg sighed, taking a quick sip of her drink. "I'm not really sure I can give you a hundred percent correct answer…but from I've learned, Angel supposedly has a dangerous power in the form of her voice. And there's some crackpot guy out there with intent to use that power for evil." Claire just blinked. "I know…sounds too cliché, but it's true, Claire!"
"I believe you." Claire replied. It seems that little Meg doesn't like Master Atkins. But, she doesn't matter anyways. Once his plan is fulfilled, Megan won't even matter to Angel.
"Thanks." Meg mumbled as she looked at her watch. "Gosh, we gotta get back!"
"This is perfect!" Finn quipped as they arrived home that afternoon. "Angel is going to absolutely LOVE this." Behind him were Andrew, Tobias and Marie.
"What am I going to love?" Angel emerged from the kitchen upon hearing them arrive home. There was a half eaten sandwich in her hand.
"Angel, did you sleep well?" Andrew distracted her as Tobias fumbled to cart the package away to hide somewhere.
She hesitated to reply, giving a glance to Erik as he walked up from behind her. "Is something wrong?" Finn darted glances between Erik and Angel. "Did Re—"
Angel quickly shook her head, "No, he wasn't here…sort of."
Andrew's face fell somberly, "What do you mean sort of?"
"I don't want to talk about that." Angel countered. She quickly finished off her lunch and then pointedly approached Andrew, "But what I do want to talk about is our dinner guest for tonight."
"Angel." Erik sternly spoke in attempt to casually guide her from what she was about to do. But she ignored him.
"I hear he invited himself." Suddenly she grew cross. "Who does he think he is?" And just as suddenly, Angel turned on her heel and huffed from the room.
Andrew gave Finn and Tobias a glance to follow him as he tuckered after Angel. "Angel, we need to talk. NOW!"
She had led them outside. "Why is he coming? Is he going to chase off my fiancée?"
Andrew knew she hinted at the whole Christian affair. "Actually, Chancellor Cheyvon got along quite well with Erik. He just wants to see you."
"I don't." She shot back. "I still haven't forgiven him."
"Why not? Because of Christian?" Tobias stepped forward. Angel shot him a look.
"He's chased off Christian…but that was after he chased off Father Keirnan. Oh sure, he brought him back—but that bit of info won't help him to get back in my favor." Angel started pacing. Finn and Tobias knew what she was talking about with Andrew. "I don't want him getting buddy-buddy with my fiancée. Araphim is NOT my father."
"And neither is Reece." Andrew finally dropped the bomb, knowing that once Araphim found out he did that, Andrew would be in quite a lot of trouble.
Angel froze, "What did you say?" Then she shook her head in disbelief. "Of course he's my father."
"Because he told you?" Andrew continued.
Angel stopped again, this time turning to Andrew, "Why wouldn't he be?"
"Reece was a friend of your parents. That's why your mother hated you. Apparently he killed your real father and made your mother believe…"
"My god…" Angel interrupted. "How long have you all kept that a secret?"
"Angel, I'm sorry…Chancellor…" Finn tried to apologize.
"Just shut up!" She flashed in anger towards Finn, "The bloody bastard doesn't even deserve to be Chancellor. He was supposed to be trustworthy, but he only USED me from the beginning."
"Used you?" Finn was confused.
"Father Keirnan knows." Angel vaguely offered.
Tobias and Finn glanced at Andrew. "Angel, that was only to see where you stood concerning your abilities." Andrew revealed. "Chancellor Cheyvon had a right to know exactly what Reece had done to you during the eight years you were raised by that maniac!"
"He's right, Angel." Finn added. "We all want what's best for YOU."
Angel felt ashamed then—for accusing and being angry with the wrong group. "I…I'm sorry." Timidly she glanced up. "God, I'm such a fool for holding on to a useless grudge."
"No, Angel." Erik had walked up to her. He had stayed off to the side and heard the whole argument. "You were just misled so deeply that anyone wouldn't have seen the real truth."
"Erik?!" She turned to him, startled at first, but regained herself and walked calmly into his embrace. She cried a little, but quickly pushed it down.
"Perhaps we should go out." Erik suggested. "I have a surprise for you."
Angel pulled back, "A…surprise?" Erik only nodded.
Once they were gone, Andrew sighed, "Well, that was rather interesting."
"I'm glad it's all sorted out now." Tobias added.
"And now we know what she had thought of Chancellor Cheyvon." Finn finished. They all walked back inside to have a late lunch.
Alfred pulled up to the curb by the seamstress shop, "We're here, Sir."
Reece glanced up from the magazine he was reading, "Thank you, Alfred." Just as he attempted to exit the car, his phone chimed. "This better be important."
"Yes, Sir." Reece recognized the voice of the lead construction worker. "The trucks and candles have arrived within the past hour. I had my men check them over thoroughly before calling you—so there are no problems at all."
"Ah, excellent." Reece smiled. "Park the trucks as planned. As for the candles, unload them and place them on the shelves in the room, but do not light them. And before locking the room up temporarily until tomorrow night, make sure there is a lighter left for me."
"Yes, Sir."
Reece ended the call and turned to Alfred, "Wait here." He entered the shop and was immediately greeted by the seamstress.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
"Pickup for Atkins." Reece patiently replied as he approached the main counter.
The lady turned to the counter behind her and frowned, "Well, I have two here for that name, so I'll need a first name."
Reece paused. Two? The other one must belong to Angel. "Uh, Reece." He was then handed a package.
"Would you like to inspect it now or perhaps try it on? The event isn't until tomorrow night, so I could make any needed adjustments during the day."
Reece shook his head and opened the package, "I trust you did well the first time around."
"That's very kind of you, Sir."
There was a pause in the conversation as Reece inspected his suit and the mask that went with it. "Very well done." The lady then repacked it. "I would like to see the other one now."
"Sorry, but I can't do that since you aren't the owner."
"Of course you can!" The lady had just lost some points in favor to him. "I know the name of its owner and surely she won't mind me pre-inspecting it." The lady hesitated. "All I will do is look at it." Finally, she relented and began to show him the other costume.
Outside of the shop, another car had pulled up. Erik emerged first before turning to help Angel out.
"A costume shop?" She gazed at the building before turning to Erik with a sly grin, "Wait…you little sneak…you ordered my costume here, didn't you?" Erik only smiled and nodded. Angel quickly hugged him, "My gosh, Erik, you're the best!"
"I try." Erik was only able to briefly return the hug as he replied to her. In the next moment, she was already bolting down the sidewalk and around the corner to the front door of the shop. By the time Erik managed to catch up to her, she was frozen with her hand on the door handle. "Well go on, Angel." Suddenly and wordlessly, she spun on her heel, latched onto Erik's hand and pulled him back to the car. He tried to protest, but the panic in her actions paused his questioning.
"Drive home." She simply told the driver. The car matched her urgency as it sped away from the shop.
"Angel, what is it?" Erik tried again.
She remained quiet during the return trip home. This was the first time she managed her sensing ability early enough to successfully detect Reece before she became unable to resist the pull.
Back inside the shop, Reece had gotten his fill of the dress. This certainly works in my favor. Now I'll know what Angel shall be dressed in, and she won't have a clue about me. "Tell me, when is this one to be picked up?"
"I placed a call early this morning, but there really is no telling when they will come to retrieve it—could be now, or maybe tomorrow sometime." The seamstress set the package back behind her on the counter.
"Thank you." Quickly, Reece paid for his outfit and left. Once outside, he glanced around, but saw no other vehicle but his own.
Next Chapter Soon...