Broken Angel

Chapter 16: Different

PENELOPE

Meditation helped me.

It was calming, and soothing, and somehow it still left me bereft every time. I felt like no matter how much I meditated and practiced breathing exercise, I was ready to crawl out of my skin. Like this wasn’t what I was meant to be. Not who I was meant to be.

Perhaps Gabrielle was right. Maybe if I changed the way I helped the humans, it would help ease this restlessness inside me. I may have strayed too far from my intended purpose.

So, I continued sitting here, legs crossed, arms relaxed, and head full of rambling thoughts.

“How long do I have to sit here for?” Aurora––Rory, I would have to remember she preferred that terrible nickname––asked from beside me. She too was meditating. Or as much as a child could meditate.

It should be easier for her. What problems could a child have. Thoughts none. Head Empty. That’s what she was supposed to be like. But this one had so many feelings and thoughts and just simple little quirks.

I struggled to keep myself from looking at her. I simply remained calm and shut my eyes tighter. “As long as it takes. This is good for you.”

“I want to watch Peppa Pig.”

This again? “There is no pig named Peppa here.” I have had to tell her countless times that there were no pigs here that she could befriend. The locals used them as sacrifices from time to time. I had more than enough common sense to know she would not like to see this Peppa the pig slaughtered.

“But my dad l––”

“The Reaper is not here!!” I yelled cutting her off.

I was sick and tired of hearing about the Reaper. How great her daddy was. How he loved her and her brother so much. How he got her the bestest gift for her birthday. How he buys her dresses and cute socks and matching bows. And how he and her brother will begrudgingly allow her to put a bow on them.

And damnit! Why was that just a little heartwarming that my chest felt like it was ready to cave in.

Before I could apologize, I felt another presence near. Wings flapped and the air whooshed around us. I knew it wasn’t the Reaper. I was all too keenly aware of his presence whenever he was near.

I looked up just in time to watch Zachriel’s feet hit the ground in front of us. “Figured you’d be here.”

Instead of his usual robes, he was wearing white linen pants and a light brown top tucked in. His white hair was mussed from the wind, sunglasses covering up the darkness behind them, his face giving away no emotions or feelings. He was always the only one that I couldn’t get a read on. It must have had something to do with the way he was formed. He had no eyes, and therefore no connection to the outside world.

“You are interrupting our meditation,” I sniveled, not wanting to go back to the previous conversation.

Beside me, Aurora stands on her bare feet, her oversized pants and shirt swaying in the wind.

I too stand when I realize that she recognizes Zachriel. “How did you even find us?” I ask him.

He only gives us a noncommittal shrug in response. “I searched through the memories.”

“What a nice little gift. I’ll have to borrow it sometime,” I said, giving him a saccharine smile.

I notice that he begins to edge his way towards Aurora without facing her, looking at anywhere but her. As if he couldn’t be bothered by her presence. “You need to give her back. Now.” I do so hate being told what to do.

“I wasn’t planning on keeping her, just borrowed her until my curiosity was satisfied,” I answered honestly. I wouldn’t be able to keep her indefinitely. The Reaper surely wouldn’t have allowed it. And yet, looking down at Aurora, I found myself not caring what Azrael would think.

“Do you know who she is? Whose daughter she is?”

“The Reaper’s, she wreaks of Death.” I thought that was obvious, and the way that Rory keeps looking at him tells me that they somehow know each other.

Zach faces me once again, a frown clear on his oh so handsome face, even with a lack of eyes. “I might despise my brother but he does not deserve this. Take her back,” he demands. Displeased, his wings ruffle behind him.

Having grown tired of this conversation I reach out for Aurora, ready to push her back into the Temple. I can sense that all the monks have made themselves scarce. There wasn’t a single presence within three hundred feet.

“Technically she’s your niece, don’t you want to meet her?”

He only shakes his head, still not glancing towards her. “Not in the slightest. I don’t work with children this young. They’re barely able to process a memory, but she’ll remember this. You’ll traumatize her.”

Was I actually traumatizing her? To me it seemed that she was already there. There was something she did that wouldn’t let her sleep at night. Then remembering who her father was, was just feeding fuel to the already blazing fire.

“The little heathen probably deserves more. She’s guilty you know.”

Aurora simply stood off to the side, understanding that her input wasn’t necessary. She just listened to everything that was being said. Taking in all the information. She even had the gall to glare at me after my last comment. Hurt flashed across her little face. Her pert little nose turned a very distinct shade of red. Oh she thought we were friends.

How––cute.

Zachriel finally stole a glance at Aurora catching the flash of darkness that crossed her eyes. That was new. She was indeed the Reaper’s offspring.

“She’s a child,” he chastised me.

“She’s death personified.”

He looked like he was hesitating. Like there was something he wanted to say, but couldn’t. Or wouldn’t. Zachriel looked towards Aurora before turning back to me. He lifted his sunglasses off his face giving us a clear view of the darkness and stars that made a home of his face eyes.

“She’s your child!!!!”

Disbelief. Utter f*****g disbelief.

“I’ll prove it,” he yelled. “All you have to do is let me give you your memories back.” He reached out his hand towards me. I wanted to swat it away but I couldn’t stop the rage from coursing through me.

“So, you can plant false ones. I don’t think so,” I said stepping farther away from him.

There was no way that could be true. I would remember giving birth to a child, to this child. We couldn’t. I couldn’t have been the fool to––to have offspring with the Reaper. It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense.

He was lying.

A small, small, very small part of me recognized that this was why they were after me.

No.

I refused to believe these baseless lies. They simply wanted to control me any way they could. They knew I was stronger than them. Knew that I was better, that I was––different.

Oh. I was different.

“You know I wouldn’t do that. Let me help you.” Zachriel remained where he was still holding out his hand as if he was afraid I would run. That I was skittish and needed to be treated carefully, gently.

The darkness of his eyes began to swirl and I knew what that meant. His gift was about to start working and I couldn’t let it.

A small shuffle from beside brought me back from the edge of a precipice. Dark hair and blue eyes, and tan skin, and––and features not unlike my own. “You’re my mommy?”