"Where are you taking me?" I asked and he smiled.
"It's a secret." He said tapping my nose. He laughed when I realized something.
"What day is today?" I asked and smiled showing me a calendar "Saturday?"
"Yeah, you were asleep for like five days." he said like it was nothing but I stared in shock. Five days? That's not possible. I mean yesterday had to have been Sunday.
So he pulled me a while until he was sure I'd follow. I only followed because honestly I was very curious. I wanted to know why he was fussing, why, when we got close enough, everyone was fussing. What was the big deal with this mate thing.
Was it like being married only closer. I hate to admit I'm a fiction fan but usually mates are vampire or were wolves. Not angels but really, I thought all that was fiction not real life, now I know.
So I walked and walked and walked until we were away from the crowd but where we could see. Soren was smirking and looking up. I followed his eyes and saw Laurel whispering to someone in the shadows. I was about to ask Soren who that was when someone stepped out if the shadows.
"Hello everyone. I would just like to thank everyone for coming out and being with me on this exciting day. I am happy to announce the women-," with that I heard a few sighs,"-that I will be asking to be my mate."
Laurel started to step out when he beamed and called out" Deylia Scarlet Rosalinda Beau." He said and I stared in shock. Me, he had called me out. I didn't even know unless he was, no. I looked to get a better look and sure enough it was Ian up on the balcony.
"But why?" I asked Soren and he got a sad look in his eyes.
"Mary, you were the girl in the story, the beautiful angel's daughter, the one Ian fell in love with. That's why you're here." Soren said but I still didn't understand.
"Why did he say that his name was Ian, is it just so no one knows it's him?" I asked but Soren shook his head smiling.
"I think he may have known it was you or maybe not you but someone special. He wanted to get to know you. Without all the fuss of other students, you being afraid of him being all 'powerful' and millions of years old, he wanted you to get to know him and really like him." Soren said and looked far away.
"So Ian is Gabriel?" he said nodding. Suddenly the crowd parted like the red sea and Ian, I mean Gabe walked through powerfully yet shyly. Like a little puppy that had marked his territory but knew that he was going to be in trouble for it.
"Hey," he said shyly, almost like a question, a question of whether I'd talk to him or not. Laurel stepped from behind him. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.
"Hey Ian." I said putting my head down, hopefully hiding my embarrassment. I was as red as a beet, my blush creeping up from my neck to my face.
"Hi, so I am really sorry about lying to you." He said so sincerely I had to forgive him.
"Just tell him you forgive him so he can go." Laurel said under her breath. Ian, I mean Gabriel, turned around to her and shook his head.
"What is your problem? You are always trying to put her down. She's been here for less than a week and you have been complaining about her more than you've been breathing. What is your problem with her?" he asked, looking like an innocent whipped puppy.
Laurel stalked away, making her exit as dramatic as she could. Ian sighed and looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and Ian laughed.
"So, what should I call you, Ian or Gabe?" I asked and Ian smiled.
"I think I enjoy being called Ian more."
"Okay cause that really suits you better than Ian." And I walked away.
The next few weeks I spent hanging out with Soren and Ian. We had so much fun, I didn't understand how I could click with two people I barely knew. Even though Soren says otherwise, I don't remember them and even if I did, you can change a whole lot in over a decade.
Laurel was with her friends sneering and just being plain rude. Whenever I was alone she'd give me a dirty look or whenever I'd pass her friends in the hall they do the same. I was pretty sure I'd make no friends, that is, until my language class.
There was a lone girl, sitting there, engrossed in a book. As I got closer I saw she was reading Wuthering Heights, an absolute favorite of mine. I smiled and sat down next to her. But the second I did it felt like she moved her desk, away from me.
"So, how's the book so far?" I asked and she looked up startled. Like she was surprised I was talking to her.
"It's good. I've already read it but I like to reread the classics, especially my favorites." She said shyly.
I brightened up quickly, "It's one my favorite books too!" I exclaimed and she looked a bit taken a back "I'm Deylia-"
"Beau, I know, actually, I think everyone knows. Look, I don't mean to be rude but wouldn't you be better suited with Laurel and her friends."
"They hate me so I don't think that's the best idea." I said and she laughed and I made a really good friend.
That day I ran into Laurel. She was definitely mad at me that was obvious. But for a reason that anyone was aware of but herself, not so much. So as she stormed up to Fern-a-Liza, everyone here has a weird name, and I.
"Hey Laurel?" I said as Fern cowered, she's really afraid of Laurel, still. I mean if I was just a normal Cat demon, I'd be afraid of Laurel too, probably not but that's just my personality.
I'm not a skittish Cat demon, I'm just the amant of a billion-year old angel who happens to basically be the most powerful creature of all time. He's mostly my best friend but he formally, with my consent announced me as his "Lover" and that's what amant means, in Romanian.
The word amant to the demons or monsters or whatever you want to call them, knows this to mean that the person has a protector and anyone who kills the amant has to face the wrath of the protector. I'm Ian's proteced and he's my protector, awesomeness.
"Mary, how dare you!" she thundered and I was taken a back.
"What'd I do?" I asked and she sneered.
"You happen to be in the running for Queen. If you are so ignorant you don't know what that is, it's basically the female version of the student council president. Plus, you get to sit in at student council meetings, on a throne, next to Gabe." She said excitedly.
"Oookay-" I said.
"But you, shouldn't be in the running." Laurel said as Ian started down the hallway." You're just a-"
"Laurel, stop." I whispered but she didn't listen.
"You are just a human. Nothing special, I can't see why My Gabe even talks to you, much less makes you his amant. You are just a useless, filthy low-life-" when she suddenly stopped and turned around. She realized Ian was behind her and gave him her best whipped puppy look. It didn't matter though, he knew the truth and she could only make it worse.
"Gabe, she has been being mean to me for so long. I just snapped, I know she is so special to you but I couldn't help myself. I am so sorry, it was just that she was insulting you", nice one, "and I couldn't stand it. I feel the need to protect you."
"Laurel" he said coldly making everyone who was eavesdropping slink away, but to me he nicely said "Deylia, please meet me in the student council room." He strode away and I had nothing to do but follow Laurel there.
I walked in and I was surprised how large the room was. I bet the whole student body could fit in here. At the very front sat six chairs, two of which were very throne-like. And in one sat Ian, not looking too pleased.
"Deylia, Laurel please have a seat. I need to talk to you both." He said smoothly and a faint smile dancing on his lips.
"What is it Gabie?" Laurel asked and he shook his head.
"Laurel, I want you to be nicer to Deylia," then he motioned her to come forward and he whispered to her, "She's really special to me." and then he looked at me quizzically and asked, "What exactly did you do?"
"She said I'm in the running for Queen, whatever that is." And he ran over, big goofy grin and all and scooped me up. He twirled me around, just as he had in the infirmary and then I kissed him on the cheek.
"That's awesome, so they know you're-" he started, his eyes widening and then he looked at me. I was safely nested in his arms.
"Sorry, we got caught up in the moment. There is something that I need to speak to both of you about." He said quickly.
"What?" we asked in union, our eyebrows furrowing.
"Remember the day we first met?" I nodded, I remembered bits and pieces. Ian and Soren filled in the rest, "Well there is something that I didn't tell you, a tiny detail I left out."
Laurel's ears perked up. Something she didn't know, she looked very interested. I, on the other hand was worried. What could he have left out? Whatever it was can't exactly be good news.
"Deylia, you and I had been playing near a cliff." He started and it all played just like a movie.
She stood at the edge. She smiled so brightly it was as the sun inhabited her mouth. The night sky must be missing two stars because I could see them in her eyes. Her hair was a midnight cloak, with waves that belonged to the ocean.
She looked up at me and I finally knew what all my friends had. Just the way she gazed at me, I felt like a kid. The angel who was born an adult, finally gets to feel the innocence of childhood.
She sat down, her long for her age, lithe legs dangling off the edge. She looked up at me. There was wisdom, so rare at her age, in her clear blue eyes.. She inspected the sun for a bit. I was gazing at her and she was watching the sun. When she seemed to be done she began to get up.
There was a rock, unseen by us, under her feet. When she pushed her way up she slipped. Naturally, thinking she could fly, I let her fall. I never expected what happened to happen.
She fell and fell. Into the darkness. By the time I realized it, she was too far down. Down in the deep abyss, taking all the happiness I'd felt with. When I got to the bottom here she was.
Sprawled on the floor, her black hair covering her. She looked like a broken doll. I let out a cry. She'd been killed almost instantly. The bones in her chest had broken piecing her heart and other major organs, killing her. There was no blood, not even a drop. I couldn't bear it.
"I went up to the Celestial Court and begged them to bring her back. I promised my life for hers but they refused. Their leader though, a fairy, had something from me she wanted. She wanted me to set her up with my father, who was a widower. I did so and she brought you back."
"Little did I know it, there was a catch." He said sadly.
"What?" I asked, concern filling my eyes while fire danced through Laurel's.
"She used Dark Court magic so, unless you are anointed as an angel-" he started but Laurel gasped and turned to me.
"If anyone from the Dark Court gets you, you're one of them." She said looking very fearful.
"What? Why?" I asked Ian and Laurel answered for him.
"You happen to be Lucifer's daughter and he happens to run the Dark Court. All of his heirs were ordered to be killed because they allied with him against the Celestial Court." She said.
"So, why not me?" I asked and Ian smiled.
"Your mother was Michael and a good friend of mine. She became human to take you away from the Celestial and Dark struggles."