The Angel's Fate

Chapter 4

I stand frozen for a minute, waiting for his lips to make contact with mine. I’ve waited so many years for this.

But then I pull away. I can’t let him near me. When my mother was taken from us, it nearly killed my dad. There’s no way I can let Robin go through that. I love him too much. He deserves someone stable... someone safe.

So I step back and adjust my gown a little, trying not to look into his intoxicating eyes.

I don’t have to see his face to know that I’ve hurt him, though.

“Robin,” I whisper, “You know how much I love you,” He inhaled slightly at the words. “But do you really want to risk ruining our friendship?”

His gorgeous shoulders slump in defeat. He shakes his head slightly as he sighs. “Let’s just go get some food, then.”

He releases my hands, and the sparkling magic instantly fizzles away. “This way,” he says quietly, gesturing down the hallway.

He leads me down another living passageway of vines and flowers, and I wish that I could stay here forever. To just forget about warring species and live in peace.

But that’s not my fate.

We approach a sprawling room with a table that stretches the entire length, and dozens of tall, slender fairies with pointed ears and sleek, dark hair are taking their seats. They all eye me curiously, though they’re doing their best not to stare.

I feel so out of place.

They’re all so graceful and delicate, and I’m just brute strength sprinkled with apocalyptic doom.

Robin pulls out a chair made of knotted wood and vine, and gestures for me to have a seat. He takes the seat beside me at the head of the table, then raises his hand in the air and snaps his fingers.

The vines around us come to life at his command, creeping and stretching toward us. They twist and twirl about like little fingers. When they reach over our plates, they drop shimmering purple and blue fruits of various shapes and sizes. The golden sap drips from their branches to fill our goblets.

“Thank you,” ring various voices down the table as the fairies express their gratitude to the trees before delicately digging into their meal.

They even eat beautifully.

After a few moments, Robin clears his throat, and the Fairies all look in his direction curiously. “Thank you all for joining me here today,” he begins. “To welcome our guest, Mariel. She is my dearest friend, and the angel who finally defeated Lucifer.”

I can hear the admiration in his voice, and he punctuates the word “angel,” almost as if trying to tell me something.

He and the fairies all raise their glasses toward me. “Suilad!” The chorus of voices call out before they all take a drink.

I follow suit. The drink is like sweet golden wine, and I can feel it sparkling as it trickles down my throat. The magical energy of the fairy woods fills me from the inside out.

They all return to their meals, and Robin sits back down. He leans in close to me, and my pulse quickens at his nearness.

I wish I could just erase these feelings.

“So, Mariel,” he says quietly, “What really brought you here?”

I take a short breath. I can tell that he wishes he were the reason for my visit.

I do too.

“The vampires,” I answer. “They’re on a rampage, killing and turning as many humans as possible. The werewolves too.”

He looks at me with a furrowed brow. “The shifters?” He asks.

I nod, “from what I hear they’ve been especially mischievous lately. But you know them, they tend to be solitary creatures.”

“Any idea why?” He asks before taking another bite of his food.

“They aren’t afraid of the demons anymore,” I explain. “The few demons left are running amok too, with no leadership they are practically feral.”

He sighs and leans back against his chair. “Who would’ve thought demons could get worse?” He muses.

“I know,” I say sadly. “And the angels won’t help me. They expect me to clean up the mess.”

“Of course,” Robin says with a roll of his eyes. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to visit the leaders of each tribe and try to assemble a council. Negotiate a peace... or something.”

Robin grabs my hand, and the green sparks instantly start to fly between us.

A few fairies notice the magic, staring at us in surprise before we pull away.

“That’s too dangerous,” he whispers. “I’ve met the Alpha of the werewolves, and he is a ruthless and bloodthirsty king.”

“I handled Lucifer,” I answer, “I can handle a werewolf.”

“But the pack will do whatever he commands... to the death,” he says with desperation in his voice. “Can you handle an entire pack? Especially if their numbers are growing as quickly as you say?”

“Yes,” I tell him with a smile. “Don’t worry about me. I just want to be sure I can count on you to be at the council.”

“I will always worry about you, Mariel,” he says, putting a hand on my knee under the table. “Of course I will be at the council. I will come with you to negotiate with the Alpha too, and bring some soldiers as well.”

I shake my head emphatically. “No,” I say, “I will not risk you being hurt. Besides, bringing soldiers will make it look like an attack. I don’t want to appear threatening to them if I want to negotiate a treaty.”

The fear in his eyes is obvious. “Okay. But please be careful, Mariel,” he whispers. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

My heart thuds loudly at his words.

That’s exactly why I’ve been pushing him away. I feel a constant doom hanging over me, a darkness that won’t go away. I can’t let him be a part of that.

“I will,” I say with a forced smile.

We finish our meals quietly, and Robin guides me back through the hallways to my room.

We stop in front of the doorway for a moment, both of us wishing we could spend the night in each others’ arms.

Unable to hold back anymore, I throw my arms around his waist and bury my head in his chest. A tornado of glittering magic swirls around us. “I love you,” I say quietly.

He kisses the top of my head, and I feel like a bolt of lightning has struck my heart. “I love you, too,” he sighs into my hair.