We have been traveling for a few hours, going as fast as two hundred miles per hour. Death's wings brushed mine on every down stroke and every time they did, I felt a tiny shock. Whether from pleasure or nervousness, I don't know. I was never one for emotions.
Death was even worse. He didn't talk much and he always wore the same expressionless mask. But he opens up to me and I am grateful, if not glad, that he does. It always helps when you open up, instead of bottling up inside.
"Guardian," Mischief called. I turned my head to her to let her know that I was listening. "In the human shelter down below, I feel pure hearted humans, and their thoughts are clean."
I nodded and angled myself downwards. I could sense them, too. My Flock of Angels followed my lead and I tucked my wings in, plummeting toward the ground like a rock.
When I landed in the grass in front of the human shelter, sheltering the pure hearted humans, I closed my wings, not comfortable with humans seeing them and worshiping me because I was an angel. God was the only one to be worshiped.
I strode confidently to the front door of the human shelter and knocked on it, careful not to intrude. I waited for a few moments, and then I heard the sound of feet rushing to get the door. I heard a lock unlock and the door opened to reveal a small young girl. She stared at us and I looked behind us to see if my Flock of Angels' wings were folded tight against their back.
"Yes, may I help you?" the girl asked.
"Hello Ella Marie Martinez," I said. Her eyes widened and she glanced between us all.
"How do you know my name? Why are you wearing sheets? And who are you?" she demanded.
"I know your name because I can read your mind. I don't know why I'm wearing—what do you call them? Sheets? And I am Guardian Angel. This is my Flock of Angels. We need your help," I explained, keeping up with her rambling. Human minds are slow and I can read them in a heart beat, figure out the meaning and fix the problem.
Ella Martinez snorted. "Angels? Ha, hardly. Angels are supposed to wear pretty dresses and gold. They're supposed to have golden eyes and golden streaked hair. They need to have wings, also. You're no angels. So stop with this prank and tell me why you want to prank me. And I know you can't read my mind," she said, sticking her nose high.
"Perhaps if we go inside, I can explain," I said, glancing around. "It is not safe for us to talk out hear. We risk being heard. And yes, I can read your mind. Right now you are thinking about how Light and Dark is—what do you say, hot?—and how Death and I can make a great couple. You are thinking about how right I am and how freaked out you are. Now you are starting to believe we are angels."
I didn't expect these humans to be so hard headed and disbelieving. I thought humans went along with anything and everything. Mischief giggled a little girlish sound, like chimes in the wind. Ella Martinez looked at her and I saw her face take on a look of awe. She believed that Mischief was the most adorable girl in the world.
"Guardian, most humans are strong willed and disbelieving," Mischief said, giggling again. "Not gullible."
"Ella Marie Martinez, may we come inside?" I asked politely, trying not to intrude. But it was very important to get out from in the open. Ella Martinez nodded and stepped aside, allowing us in her shelter.
"Ella? Who was at the door, honey?" A woman with dark brown hair, almost black, and olive skin walked in, her hands fumbling with a sort of cloth used for hands and faces. She froze when she saw us, her eyes raking us up and down, taking in the—sheets?
"Who's this?" the woman asked, her voice strained.
"Hello Valencia Ale Martinez," I said in introduction. Her eyes widened just like Ella Martinez's. She was the mother of Ella Martinez.
"What is this?" Valencia Martinez demanded. "Are you some pranksters from the gangs? What do you want with us? We've never done anything to you."
"Relax, Valencia Ale Martinez. I am not here to hurt you. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I wish to help you.
"I am Guardian Angel and this is my Flock of Angels. We're here because we need a shelter for the others while Death and I go scout. We are trying to prevent war here, Valencia Ale Martinez," I said gravely. "If this war happens, it will be the end of the world. And I need my memories back. If I prevent this war, the world will be saved and I can return to Heaven and reclaim my memories."
"Angels?" Valencia Martinez said warily. I nodded. "Don't angels have wings?"
I nodded again, unfurling mine a little so she could see them. Their eyes widened so large, I thought they would pop out of their heads. "Real angels," Ella Martinez murmured, swaying a bit. I reached her side before she collapsed and picked her up, effortlessly holding her in my arms.
"Her sleeping quarters?" I asked Valencia Martinez.
"Down the hall, first door on your right," Valencia muttered, staring up at the roof of the shelter. I nodded my head in thanks and made my way to Ella Martinez's sleeping quarters.
When I got to the right room, I gently lay her down, and left, closing the door softly behind me. I then made my way back to the biggest room and found my Flock of Angels sitting down on soft looking cushions. No one was talking and when they saw me, Death immediately got up, coming to my side in a second.
I saw Valencia Martinez's eyebrow raise slightly as a question formed in her head. "He is my mate," I told her like it would be obvious.
She nodded and motioned for me to sit. I took the offer, gracefully planting myself in between Light and Dark and Death. Love, Mischief, and Flame were sitting on the ground, looking content.
"You have questions," I said. "Ask them and we shall answer best we can."
"Oh, okay, um…" she started. "Might I ask, who are you, exactly?" I knew that she was talking about our titles and names.
"I am Guardian Angel, protector and leader of all angels. I also guard the nature of this planet, though man kind has started to over power me," Death grabbed my hand, giving me moral support and comfort. "I am the first angel God created and I am a millennia's old."
"Wow," Valencia Martinez breathed after a moment of silence. "You're really that old?" I nodded. "Okay, um, what about you?" she asked, pointing to Light and Dark. I tapped him on the back of the hand twice to let him know that she was talking about him.
"I am Angel of Light and Dark. I live in the dark, but I live in the light. I am third angel God created," Light and Dark explained, giving a small riddle in the end.
Valencia Martinez looked closer at his eyes and when she saw that he couldn't see, she gasped. "You're blind? But how come you're an angel if you're blind?"
Light and Dark hissed. "Those who do not have eyes are not as helpless as you may think. I hear, I smell, I taste, and I feel. I see in many ways. Those who have eyes may be tricked, but do not think me a fool," he hissed. Valencia Martinez's fear spiked sharply. I elbowed Light and Dark in the ribs.
"Say you are sorry, Light and Dark. She shall not have known," I scolded.
He turned his blind eyes to Valencia Martinez. "I am sorry, Valencia Ale Martinez. I do not mean to scare you."
"I-It's okay—Light and Dark?" she said his title in question. He nodded.
"There's a reason Guardian is the Leader of us," Flame muttered. Mischief and Love giggled.
"And what about you?" Valencia Martinez asked of Death. He turned his empty eyes to her and I saw her shudder slightly.
"I am Angel of Death, second angel God created. I control all death of living things. I sort you when you die," Death said in a monotone.
How can he be Guardian's—mate, was it? He looks like he can't love. Why? Valencia Martinez thought.
"He does feel," I said calmly. "He may not show it, but he does. Human, do not judge what you don't understand."
"H-how did you know what I was thinking? And do you always sort deaths? Even when you're here on Earth?" Valencia Martinez asked Death and I.
"I can read all human's minds," I answered her question to me. I let Death answer his own questions.
"I sort every second of every day. I am sorting even now, as we speak," Death said. Valencia Martinez nodded and quickly moved on, seemingly unnerved by him.
Death rubbed circles in the back of my hand with his thumb and I tried my best to ignore him and focus on the conversation.
"And you—?" Valencia got cut off by Ella Martinez coming down the hall.
"Mom? I just had this crazy dream. There were the kids that came to our door and said that they were—," she froze in the open doorway. "Angels," she finished half-heartedly. I smiled at her, trying not to seem threatening.
"Hello, Ella Martinez," I said kindly.
"Hi, honey," Valencia Martinez said awkwardly. "This is Guardian Angel, the first angel God ever created," she pointed to me and I smiled warmly at her. "This is Angel of Light and Dark, third angel God ever created," she then pointed to Light and Dark and he just nodded his head in acknowledgement. "And this is Angel of Death, second angel God ever created." She then pointed to Death and he just stared at Ella Martinez. When she met his gaze, she looked away immediately.
"I was just getting to the others." Valencia Martinez pointed to Love.
She grinned and said excitedly, "I'm Angel of Love! I'm the fourth angel God created! I love your hair by the way! It's so pretty and when I get back to Heaven, I'm changing my hair to yours. And I love your shelter—it's called a house, right? Right. Well, I'm not used to a lot of man-made things. I am just trying to keep the love between the continents and it is hard because you humans do not like things that are different to you—"
"Love!" I barked as second time that day. She quieted immediately. Smiling at Valencia Martinez, she muttered, "Sorry…"
I glanced at Valencia Martinez and smiled kindly. "I am sorry about her. She likes to say whatever is on her mind."
"I-It's okay," Valencia muttered, staring at Love. She moved on, not wanting to set off another rant of Love's.