Reposting this because something was up with the website on Sunday and the alerts didn't get sent out properly. Tightened the chapter a bit as well. Thank you to JoVersify for her wonderful pre-reading as always :)
Spring
Madness was waiting for them outside.
Eden was in an uproar with Edvardiel's presence. Everyone wanted to talk to him. Everyone wanted to see him. Jacob's truck had turned into the Holy Truck and their cherry tree was being paraded around as the Holy Tree. Jacob and Paul themselves were nowhere to be seen. They seemed to have taken cover—a smart move because Issa nearly got trampled when someone grabbed her and pushed her away to get closer to Edvardiel. He turned to find her but she waved as she waded away from the crowd.
Edvardiel didn't know how to react to all the attention. Their bond swirled with his emotions—he was all at once surprised and flattered, and confused and distressed. As she sat herself a distance away, watching as the crowd all but devoured her poor Keeper, she felt oddly lonely. She wasn't sure why she felt it so strongly here. It wasn't as though she'd had many friends in Hell. It wasn't as though she'd lacked attention with the charms bestowed onto her by Lilith. It wasn't as though she belonged here.
And there was the problem—she knew she didn't belong in this beautiful, peaceful place, but she wanted to.
Ridiculous.
She should've been grateful that they hadn't found out what she was. She should've been thanking her lucky stars that a creature like her caught a glimpse of Eden. She shouldn't be wishing for things out of her reach.
As she wallowed, the pitter-patter of footsteps approached her.
"Angel!"
Issa looked up in shock.
Alice.
"Angel! I knew you would come!" She was practically vibrating with excitement and this time, Issa lifted the girl onto her lap and held her close. She inhaled, confirming Alice's familiar scent and her heart squeezed. If only Yassper could have held her. If only Yassper could've seen the Garden.
"Has anyone told you how precious you are?" Issa said.
Alice giggled. She was no longer wearing the torn pink frock but a new dress, this one a brighter pink than the previous one, the skirts poofy and glittering in the sun. There were even gauzy wings at its back.
"Where is your maman?" Issa thought of the odd healer woman.
"I don't know," Alice said cheerfully. "Somewhere in the Garden." She beamed at Issa and pointed at her mouth. "Look, I lost a tooth. Maman helped me pull it off with your ribbon. I made a wish with it and my wish came true!" She hugged Issa around the waist, pigtails swinging. Ribbons made from the angel cloth gleamed in her hair.
"It looks pretty in your hair." Issa smiled and pressed a kiss to the girl's cheek, surprising herself yet again. When had she become this demonstrative? Edvardiel was rubbing off on her.
Alice snuggled against her contentedly. "I missed you so much."
"Me too, dove. Me too." She held the girl more tightly, her heart so light she felt like she could soar. Her skin tingled, alit with what was unmistakably glory.
Before she could take a closer look, Edvardiel reappeared, his hair dishevelled and panic in his eyes.
He grabbed her hand. "Let's go."
Issa started. "Go where?"
"Anywhere. Quickly, before they find me!"
The inadvertent order zapped through her and she was on her feet, Alice sliding off her lap.
"Sorry," Edvardiel said hastily, realising what he'd done. He shot an anxious look behind them as Issa tried to figure out where to go.
"I know a good place to hide," Alice piped up.
"Lead the way, soldier," Issa said solemnly.
Alice took them through a thick woods, skipping ahead and humming to herself.
"Is it me or is that girl a ninja?" Edvardiel panted.
Issa pretended to think about it as she pushed aside a branch. "Well, you're not the most athletic angel I know."
"Because you know so many angels," Edvardiel said dryly. "I'd wager the archangels run worse than I do."
Issa tried to imagine Michael running and figured Edvardiel had a point. Angels had wings for a reason.
"Too bad about being three-quarters angel then," Issa said. "If you had a quarter more human, you might've been better at running. Or walking in genera—" Her foot caught on a tree root and Edvardiel caught her by the elbow.
"You were saying?" His lips twitched.
Issa righted herself, brushing off her angel dress primly. "That you might be better at walking with more human in you."
"Who knows," Edvardiel said, as they navigated the winding path—if the narrow space between the bushes and tree trunks could be called that. "Maybe it'll come out that my father was human and I'll only have myself to blame."
Unbidden, another face entered her mind—harsh features, golden eyes and flame-red hair. Her dream seraph bore many similarities to Edvardiel. Then again, he was probably a figment of her own wishful thinking.
"There's nothing wrong with being human." She grinned. "Even an ambulatorily-challenged one."
"No, there isn't." His expression turned thoughtful. "After meeting you, I understand why some angels choose to Fall."
"There are angels who choose to Fall?" Issa raised her brows.
"Yes," Edvardiel said. "Some destroyed their own wings. I remember Michael throwing a fit over it."
The memory of Edvardiel's wings had been horrific. How did an angel destroy their own wings? "They must've really hated Heaven."
"Or they must've really loved someone."
Issa turned to stare at him but he was concentrating on his steps, apparently unaware of what he'd just said.
What was it with him and not holding anything back?
She decided he'd been speaking in hypotheticals. No one would drop a bomb like that without some sort of reaction.
"Where is that little ninja?" Edvardiel asked.
"Hurry up!" Alice's voice called out from somewhere ahead.
"We're coming!" Issa called out.
The trees cleared to reveal a clearing surrounded by stones. Deep blue waters shone from between the stones, bubbling and steaming.
"Welcome to Eden's hot spring!" Alice said, hopping from stone to stone.
"Be careful," Edvardiel called out. He dipped a hand in the water. "It's practically boiling."
Issa reached out to do the same but he caught her wrist. "Didn't you hear? It's boiling."
She turned his hand around. "But you're fine."
His face was so close to hers that she could see the vivid ring of glory in his eyes as it glowed more brightly. "I'm rather heat-resistant."
"You're my Keeper," she said. "Your strength is mine."
Before he could say another word, she'd stuck her other hand in the water.
The water was boiling. But it was also pleasant to the touch. Edvardiel gazed at her hand and, when it didn't blister, both relief and apprehension shot through their bond.
Issa thought of her dream angel and his fire and wondered if her subconscious was trying to tell her something.
"Say, Edvardiel," she said, as she waded into the spring. "You never did show me your full glory." Seraphs were the most powerful angels for a reason. They were the only ones with glory, and glory in its purest form was a weapon.
"I thought we were trying to save my glory," Edvardiel said, "not waste it."
"But what is your glory?" She reached to pull off her angel dress but it slithered out of her hand and turned into a bathing suit. Issa blinked in surprise.
Edvardiel chuckled. "I think my robe likes you."
"Is it really yours if it likes me this much?" Issa teased as she sank into the spring. The hot, bubbling water felt heavenly.
"That's exactly how I know it's mine." His tone was teasing but his gaze was steady.
Issa felt heat creep up her neck and rested her arms at the edge of the stone. "So. What is this mysterious glory of yours?"
He didn't beat around the bush—she was surprised how easily he confided in her now. "Angelfire," he said. "But I can't control it. I unleashed it once, more by accident than anything, and I never want to do it again. No point talking about something that's not going to be used."
Angelfire… That explained his body heat. His sensitivity to the cold. He hadn't been afraid of the fire at the gates either—had that been angelfire?
"Does that mean you're fire-proof?" she asked.
"I don't know," Edvardiel said. "But angelfire isn't ordinary fire. It destroys everything in its path, even its wielder if they're not careful."
Issa frowned. "That sounds a lot like hellfire."
Edvardiel shrugged, uncharacteristically blasé. "Then I guess seraphs have more in common with demons than we think. We were both made to destroy and kill."
Issa wanted to tell him that there was no way angels were anything like demons when Alice reappeared. "The hot spring is nice, isn't it, angel?" Her big smile revealed her missing front tooth.
"It's very nice, my dove." Issa straightened, ready to catch the girl if she tried to leap in. "But I think it might be too hot for you."
"I know," Alice chirped, picking up a pebble and skipping on several stepping stones to the other end of the spring and tossing it over the water. "Maman told me not to touch the spring."
"Be careful," Edvardiel called out again.
Alice only jumped from the last stepping stone to the edge of the spring and scampered through the thicket, disappearing out of sight.
"I know this is Eden but what if she falls in?" Edvardiel fretted.
"She'll be fine," Issa said, leaning back into the water and closing her eyes. The girl had survived demons, possible cannibals and an apocalyptic blizzard. She was smart enough to avoid some hot water. Speaking of which, the hot water was amazing. She sighed, feeling like jelly.
Edvardiel leaned on an elbow at the edge. "I don't think I've ever seen you so content."
"Best thing ever," she said. "I'd die happy drowning in this." She'd die happy right now. She wanted to freeze this moment forever. She sidled up to the edge where he was sitting. "Don't you want to join me?"
Edvardiel looked embarrassed. "Honestly, I'm still worried about the crowd. They scare me more than the demons. God knows what they'll do if they find me in a hot spring."
He hovered at the edge, looking tenser than he had when they'd been in Hell on Earth. An idea came to her. She crept closer and grabbed him by the shoulders, yanking him into the water with her.
He toppled in and flailed, gasping and sputtering.
"Issa!" He scowled and pushed his long, wet hair out of his face, looking so much like an angry, wet poodle that she couldn't help the giggles bursting out of her.
"Take off your clothes, for goodness' sake," she said. "You look ridiculous."
"That was your ploy all along, wasn't it?" he grumbled.
"Mind out of the gutter, there's a kid nearby."
"My mind is in the gutter?" Edvardiel said, but he obliged. Off went his shoes, socks and his pants. He hesitated at his pullover. "I don't want anyone to see," he said. "Especially not a child." He glanced in the direction where Alice had disappeared.
Issa wanted to tell him that Alice had seen her disembowel a demon but she knew it wasn't about that. She paused. He didn't want anyone to see his wing scars but he'd trusted her enough to let her try and heal them. "Is it still itching?" she asked guiltily.
"A little," Edvardiel said. "I got used to it."
"What about the rest?" Issa asked. He'd thrown up blood in the museum and his heart ached with every beat. "I know something's not right with your heart, Edvardiel."
"It's been broken too many times," he deadpanned, and she gave him a push.
"Don't give me that."
"That's her, isn't it?" he said suddenly, nodding in the direction of the bushes. "The girl you were looking for?" Issa knew that if she'd seen everything he'd gone through the void, he must've seen everything she'd seen too. But Alice had never been in her void memories. She'd never mentioned searching for Alice.
She whipped around to face him. "How do you know?"
"After the void. You said her name when you woke up. Alice."
She'd said it once. Once.
"I'm glad you found her."
"Me too," Issa said. "I'm glad she's safe here."
"About that," Edvardiel said. "The glory in the gates isn't going to last forever. Ezekiel told me. Apparently—"
"Can we talk about that later?" Issa begged. "Please. Let's not ruin the hot water." She shifted closer instead, catching him around the waist. "About your auto-heating function—"
"The child?" Edvardiel asked dryly.
"Nothing wrong with a hug," Issa said.
"Mm," Edvardiel said. "Because that's all you want to do."
When did he get this bold? Where was her blushing angel?
She rather liked his new confidence. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she tilted her face upwards but he put a finger on her lips. "We're not turning this into an R-rated film in front of a child."
"Didn't realise you watched R-rated films."
"Hey! There you are!"
They broke apart as Jacob and Paul came into view. Edvardiel shifted so that she was partially hidden behind him and Issa looked at him, amused. She was wearing a bathing suit and her body was no secret garden. His body, on the other hand…
Paul took one look at the hot spring and made a face. "That looks like it burns."
Jacob made the mistake of dipping a finger and hissed, pulling away. "How are you not burning up in there?" He turned to Edvardiel. "And what was with the whole Samael-is-a-demon thing? Did you really not know? Or were you testing me?"
Edvardiel blinked and surprise flitted through their bond. "I've never tested anyone in my life. I didn't know."
"Well, good thing you're here," Paul said. "It's absolute insanity out there. I nearly got mauled."
"You don't say," Jacob said. "I get that he's Eden's son and everything but man, they should chill before they scare him out of the Garden. Even I'm scared." He looked at Edvardiel. "I knew there was something about the both of you! I had a feeling. I'm only three percent angel but I'm Samyaza's descendent, mixed in with a bit of guardian angel. Samyaza was a good friend of your grandfather's, you know?"
Jacob's eyes flickered to Issa. "Who's yours? You're probably a quarter angel or something close, right?"
Issa hid behind Edvardiel after all.
"Angel!" Alice was back.
Jacob stiffened the moment he saw Alice. "Jumper," he said, looking around wildly.
To Issa's surprise, Alice waved. "Hello, smoky man."
Jacob looked ready to bolt.
"My maman is looking for you." Alice bounced on the balls of her feet.
Jacob turned white as Rosalie came into sight, her bow unslung and her arrow docked, eyes narrowed.
"Well, well. If it isn't three percent guy."