Page 12 of An Unexpected Ascension (A War Between Worlds #1)

The Angel

Isummon my internal clock, counting down the days to work off my penance.

Must be a habit from when I was alive because the days do not turn into nights and the months do not turn into years.

We merely just exist and I’m slowly getting used to it.

Without the need to sleep, there’s more time to repent.

More time to hang out with Jessie and Will.

To take jogs around the endless blocks with Anthony. Avoid Sarah May at the market who still insists I tour her new house. More time to let John blither away about all those terrible thoughts inside his head.

I found spending most of my time with the kids at the orphanage keeps me plenty busy.

Watching them grow and learn, it almost makes me feel alive.

Over the last few months here – yes, I’ve been keeping track – I have seen a baby age into a toddler and a toddler into a child.

It’s strange, watching time tick by in some magical form of life while everyone and everything else sits still.

I’ve managed to avoid Galsip Falls, also avoiding the demon, but a part of me yearns to go back if only to see my mother.

My memory bank at home is like trying to sift through DVDs that aren’t in the right cases.

Scattered and frustrating.

“Phillip, don’t climb on that!” I gasp.

Handing over the baby in my arms to Jessie, I nearly leap the entire distance of the room, catching the three-year-old boy as his foot slips from the bookshelf.

He giggles as we both fall to the floor, him landing against my chest, my head bouncing off the ground.

“Briar!”

Sister Mary singsongs.

Growling at myself, I say.

“I know, I know. They’ll never learn.”

“They also won’t feel the pain,”

she reminds me.

I set him down, explaining to him why we don’t climb the shelves. Although, the logic doesn’t really stand anymore since the danger doesn’t exist. Now, it’s just considered bad manners.

“When you need something, what do you do?”

I quiz him.

“Ask for help.”

He smiles.

“Exactly, now which book were you looking for?”

He points to one on the third row. I hover my hand over one then another until he’s nodding his head excitedly.

The baby in Jessie’s arms starts to fuss, drawing my attention over to her.

“Here, I can—”

I start, but Jessie seems engrossed by the little girl.

Her warm chocolate eyes catch mine briefly, a subtle reassuring look that’s she’s more than capable, so I back off.

“Miss Briar?”

A young girl around the age of four tugs at the hem of my shirt.

I kneel down, my face level with hers and scan her little pale face. Her dark bangs bounce against her forehead, her hair pulled into a ponytail with a small purple scrunchy. In her, I see myself.

“Yes, Daphne?”

“When I was little, I used to have a puppy. Can you help me draw one?”

“Of course!”

I smile, letting her lead me to her table near the window.

I sit on the small, child sized chair next to the girl as she places crayons in front of me. Another perk of helping at the orphanage is not having to pay for all these little luxuries. Her eyes widen as I pick up the brown one, the tip already to paper.

“No! He wasn’t that color. He was black with white spots.”

“Oh, a Dalmatian.”

“No. Not like the dogs in 101 Dalmatians. He was all black, but his paws and belly were white.”

“Ah, got it.”

I didn’t know enough about dogs to name that one, let alone try to guess, so I just swapped the brown crayon for the black one and started drawing.

The girl watched me, explaining every now and then what the dog looked like, what his name was – Blackberry, because he was black...

When I finished the outline, she insisted she color it in. Handing over the crayon, Sister Mary calls my name.

I look up to find her busy shushing a crying toddler.

“Yes?”

“When you leave, can you take those clothes there over to Sally in the Market, she’s just past the dais to the right. It’s the bright yellow tent. She offered to make a trade for little May over there with Jessie. That girl is growing like crazy!”

She nods her head to the pile of clothes on the counter by the door.

“Of course! I’d be happy to.”

Sister Mary smiles her thanks.

It wasn’t much longer before we were reading bedtime stories and tucking kids in, drawing the shades until the everlasting sun was well hidden.

I wait for Jessie in the foyer, my arms full of baby clothes.

“Okay, I’m ready,”

she calls to me from the last step.

“I promised Sister Mary I would exchange these clothes with Sally. I hope we haven’t missed her.”

“Nah, I don’t think the market ever really closes. I swear those people live there.”

“Gives them purpose.”

Jessie holds open the heavy-set doors of the church, allowing me to walk through and down the cement steps.

Sometimes, I wish I could stay while the kids slept, tucking myself into one of those little cots with the drawn shades. A room so dark it could lull me to sleep. When I was alive, I often prayed there could be more hours in the day and now... I would do anything to see closure in the form of night. I never thought I would miss something that came so naturally.

Jessie and I stroll through the center market, angels still scurrying from one stand to the next.

“I can’t wait to be able to afford something here. I miss shopping.”

Jessie’s eyes linger on a handmade tote bag.

“Soon. Sister Mary pays really well. I’m only a few more days away from paying off my penance. Then I’ll start earning. I thought it would take years before I could afford anything.”

My eyes trail to my left where my friend’s attention was stolen. A mannequin dressed in a modest white dress with a lace skirt sits on display. I can feel the yearning from her.

“It’s so beautiful,”

she murmurs.

“It really?—”

My agreement is cut short by a blow to my shoulder, the clothes in my arms tumbling to the ground.

“Hey!”

I shout, crouching down to gather what’s dropped.

Black scuffed boots stare back at me, and I lift my head only to find a set of familiar navy eyes.

“Angel.”

I snarl, my muscles stiffening.

“Briar? Who’s?—”

“The name is Hermes. Pleasure to meet you.”

His lips lift in a charming smile.

A face of seduction.

Jessie offers her hand in greeting, but I gently force her to withdraw.

“He’s a demon. Don’t bother with him.”

“How is he in Heaven then?”

“You must not have heard.”

He smirks, eyeing me.

“If you don’t finish your penance in the time you’re allotted, then he drags you to Hell,”

I explain.

Jessie’s gaze widens in fear, swallowing an onslaught of nerves.

“But don’t worry, we’re both in the clear. Aren’t we, Hermes?”

He steps into me, his body looming over mine like his very shadow could engulf me.

“You’re on borrowed time.”

My mocking smile falters, but only for a second because little does he know, I’ve nearly paid off my entire penance.

“Not for long. Pretty soon, I’ll have a nice little residence not far from Saint’s Rowe.”

He chuckles, the vibrations in his chest rumbling against my arms clutching the clothes.

Leaning down, out of earshot from Jessie, he whispers.

“I’ve missed you in our little cave. Come pay me a visit. I promise I won’t bite.”

“In your dreams, demon.”

Rolling my eyes, I skirt around him, checking his shoulder for payback.

He doesn’t budge, didn’t expect him to, but it felt good anyway.

I can feel his eyes on the back of my head as we keep down the center of the Market, passing the dais.

On the right, a yellow tent sits exactly where Sister Mary claimed it to be.

Jessie elbows me in the side as I greet Sally, passing the pile of clothes over. I give her a warning look to keep it together long enough to get through this exchange before we talk about what just happened.

“And here you are! Sister Mary said these should work.”

Sally hands me an array of folded apparel for the infants.

“Thank you! I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again soon.”

After collecting the garments, we stiffly head toward Saint’s Rowe, out of the Market.

It isn’t until the meaningless chatter and friendly bargaining dies down that she finally asks.

“What the heck was that?!”

Stealing a glance behind me, I swear I spot a blur of darkness lurking behind a stand, its attention clinging to me, hooking those dreadful claws into my skin.

Farther... we need to get farther away.

As we round the block to the quaint little town past Saint’s Rowe, I sigh.

“It’s nothing. Just some demon that I met when I first got here. He has some weird fascination with my family.”

“Okay, but why is he so hot?!”

She groans.

I feel myself stiffen at the clear desire entwined with her admission.

“Ew. Jeez, Jessie. Keep it in your pants. He’s a demon! Literally bows down to the Devil. He’s hot because H-E-L-L is hot.”

I study her for a moment, trying to read her thoughts. I don’t even like this demon, but the idea of her all over him flashes in my imagination for the briefest of seconds, and suddenly, I’m bothered.

“Come on. Tell me if you were alive, you wouldn’t be all over that.”

I don’t grant her a response. The urge to lie to her is too great and I am not digging myself into a hole when I’m so close to freedom.

“I’m going to take your silence as an answer.”

“Do what you must. Can we please change the subject?”

“Wow. That demon must have really gotten under your skin.”

Perhaps he has…

“Hey.”

I halt, turning to her.

“He really isn’t someone to mess with.”

Her teasing grin slips, her features sobering.

“Of course. I was just teasing you.”

“Speaking of hot, anyone you care to share about from your life?”

I ask, resuming our walk.

“You know, I faintly remember a man. Sometimes, when I try to picture him, my heart flutters like it has wings.”

She giggles.

The sound is almost haunting in a way that one might laugh at tragedy, a sick reminder that we feel nothing here, not even love.

“You don’t remember him?”

“Not much. I mean, I try, but it’s cloudy. I think with the happy memories sometimes comes a sadness, you know? Because now it’s over.”

I nod.

“Yeah, I guess.”

For a moment, I consider telling her about the cave I found at Galsip Falls. The memories I’ve been able to dig up. There were so many that I began to remember who I was. Understand the mistakes I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned. It’s been a secret blessing, one that I’m not even sure the Gods know about. Otherwise, I can imagine those trips would end.

No, I can’t risk telling Jessie. It’s bad enough Hermes made our acquaintanceship known.

“Plus, I doubt God would want us watching all our past hook ups just to pass the time.”

She snorts.

Her laughter trickles into me.

“You are probably right.”

“Although, that doesn’t sound too bad, does it?”

I catch myself smirking, remembering a moment just like that not long ago shared with a certain someone. Before she can notice, I quickly change the subject.

“I used to dance,”

I blurt as we start to enter sinner’s territory, grey houses cluttering our view.

“Oh. What kind of dance?”

“Mostly ballet. I was really good.”

I smile to myself.

“But when I got to high school, my mom started feeling ill a lot, so there were weeks she would miss work. Money became tighter than usual, so I quit. I missed it so much, still do.”

Jessie is quiet for an uncomfortably long time.

“How do you remember all of that?”

“Sometimes it just comes to me.”

It’s not a lie.

“You never picked it back up as an adult?”

“No, I didn’t make much of my life after my mom died. I just kind of let myself go, I guess.”

“I’m sorry. What happened?”

“Bone Cancer. She waited too long to go to the doctor. I begged and begged, but the insurance through her work wasn’t all that great. She refused to pay the co-payments. Said ‘that’s a week’s worth of meals for the two of us.’ I had to explain to her that if she didn’t go, she was going to keep missing work and that was worse than spending the money to get checked out. Sure enough, that first visit led to more tests, which led to debt and a death sentence.”

“Have you found her, yet?”

“No. I’ve asked around, but no one seems to have heard of her.”

“You should try calling her name. Every time I call my brother’s, he appears.”

“I’ve tried that.”

“Hmm. Well, I can help you look. Maybe if you can show me a memory of her, I can keep an eye out.”

“Thanks, Jessie.”

I smile at her, pausing my steps.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Yep. Tomorrow.”

I nod to her as she leaves me on my block, alone, in what feels like the middle of the day.