The Angel's Fate

Chapter 2

I bend down and skillfully draw a transportation symbol into the ground with my sword. When I finish, it pulses with a dark blue glow that matches the rhythm of my heartbeat. I bend down and place my hand in the center of the rune and close my eyes, concentrating on my destination with all of my might. It flashes bright, surrounding me with smoke and light.

As I feel myself pulled through a vortex of space and time, I can’t help but smile with excitement. I’m about to see Robin. My best friend. The only person who truly understands me. The thought makes me feel like a giddy little schoolgirl.

Granted, I am still just a teenaged girl. Being around Robin is the only time I can just be... a kid. We've both been shouldered with more responsibility than should ever be thrown at teenagers, but we've trudged on. His father was murdered by Lucifer's army, forcing him to take the throne of the Fairies. And me? I was born the mythical "Beast..." destined to prevent the apocalypse. With so much on our shoulders we never get to see each other anymore. But at least we still write to each other, just like we’ve done since we were kids.

But before I go see Robin, I need to make one more stop.

When I open my eyes, I’m in the most wonderful place on earth. My home.

I walk toward the tavern, and when I get inside I’m greeted with a chorus of drunken cheers from the old men inside. I giggle and shake my head at them. They’re ridiculous, but they’ve become like a family to me.

I bound up the old, rickety staircase in the back of the room. I pass my door and head directly to my parents’, knocking gently.

“Come in!” My mom’s voice echoes from inside.

I open the door and peek around it, and the sight before me makes my heart squeeze with happiness. My mom is laying on my dad’s chest as he strokes her hair and reads her a book. Pride and Prejudice, I think.

After everything they’ve been through, they deserve this peace. She was an angel, and he was a demon... doomed. But not anymore. They’re finally mortal. It was the only way for them to be happy together.

I sigh wistfully as I gaze at them, taking a moment before I finally decide to speak.

“I’m going to visit Robin,” I say, “I just didn’t want you to worry. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.”

My dad scoffs. “Worry?” He says with a teasing smile, “You’re the most powerful being I’ve ever met. We have nothing to worry about.”

My mom sits up and raises a questioning eyebrow at me. “Except her heart,” she says.

How does she always know what I’m thinking?

“Mom!” I whine. “We are just friends. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”

A knowing smile creeps across her face as she lays back down on my dad’s chest. “I’ve seen the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you.”

I roll my eyes at her. I might be an apocalyptic beast, but I can still act like a teenager sometimes. “Whatever, mom.”

My pretend annoyance doesn’t last long. I walk over to her, bend over and plant a kiss on the top of her head.

“Have fun,” she says with a wink.

I snicker and shake my head, then hug my dad too before leaving the room.

My room is next door, and I decide to pack a few things. Just in case.. well... you never know.

But when I go inside, I quickly realize that my room isn’t empty. It’s filled with an impossibly bright light. In the center of the blinding aura is a giant angel with flowing golden locks and white robes.

“Hello, Gabriel,” I say flatly. The angels haven’t always been the most helpful to my family, so I waste no time on politeness with him. I brush past the magnificent being and pull out my backpack so I can start to pack. “What do you want?”

“I think you know, Mariel,” he says sadly. “The balance.. it’s shifting rapidly. For a millennia, there was an equilibrium between heaven and hell, good and evil. Now that Lucifer is gone, the demons run wild with no leadership. The other supernaturals sense the chaos and have begun to feed on it, preying on humans and trying to build up their forces. I think we are heading for a war.”

“Yeah, I know,” I say with a shrug as I throw a sweatshirt in the bag.

“You know?” He says, shocked.

“Yeah, I’ve just come from a... meeting with some vampires.” I look up at his radiant face, relishing in his confusion. “You just enjoy the sound of your own voice so much I couldn’t bear to interrupt your little speech.”

He continues to stare at me, but I just ignore him. “Now, if you don’t have anything more important to say, I’m going to head out. The fairies may be able to help me.”

His gaze follows me about the room as I finish packing. “Yes... good...” he says, trying to sound confident again. “Good plan.”

“I’ll go talk to Robin,” I say firmly, “Can I count on the angels to help with this one?”

He clears his throat a little. “Well, Mariel, you know how hard it is for us to leave heaven...” he starts.

“Cut the crap, Gabriel,” I say in exasperation. “There’s always some excuse. And my family always has to pick up your slack.”

I flash an angry look at him before pulling out my sword to draw another transportation rune.

“There are so few angels left,” he says quietly, “We cannot take the risk.”

I groan and run my fingers through my long, dark curls. “And what am I? Expendable?”

Gabriel can’t answer. I just shake my head at him and bend down to place my hand in the center of the glowing symbol. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” I say acidly as I place my hand down and immediately get whipped through space.

When my feet touch ground again, I’m at the edge of the Fairy woods. To a human these trees look absolutely normal. To me, they glow with an iridescent shimmer, and greet me when I arrive. Their branches caress me, making a path as I walk through. The evening sun shines through the leaves, dancing around my feet in an amber glow.

Even with everything that happened today, I can’t help but feel peaceful in here.

The trees continue to guide me through, gently nudging me along the way. Before long, the Fairy kingdom rises in front of me. A majestic tree with golden shimmering bark stands in front of the place where Robin’s father was slain by the demons. I touch it softly as I walk past, my little greeting to him.

I climb the steps, trying to adjust my wind blown hair and frumpy dress before I see Robin, but there’s no time.

The castle doors fly open, and there he is. The impossibly stunning king of the fairies.

And he’s my best friend.

His long, dark hair is just slightly wet, and caresses the iridescent skin of his shoulders. His inhumanly green eyes are dancing with joy when they settle on me.

And he’s not wearing a shirt. He was obviously just bathing when I interrupted him.

God, how embarrassing.

But good Lord, what a sight! His bare chest is glowing in the fading sunlight, sculpted like Michelangelo’s masterpiece. His biceps ripple gloriously as he goes to brush his hair away from his face.

And then he grins.

Keep it together, Mariel.

You’re just friends.

Keep it together.

I absolutely cannot let myself develop feelings for him. He’s my best friend. And besides, he’s a perfectly divine fairy, and I’m... well... a beast. He deserves so much better than me. I’ve seen the pain love can cause. I don’t want any part of it.

“Mariel,” he whispers with a huge smile, “You’re here!”

Ugh. I might actually melt into the floor.