Dark Angel (Anak Trilogy) (17 page)

“I think all this is stupid. That’s what I think. This is the twenty-first century, and you’re asking my father if you can court me?”

Zell never looked at me once. He continued to look at my father.

“Annie, do you or do you not want to date this young man?” Dad asked me.

Slowly, Zell turned his silver stare on me.

“Or not,” I answered. “Zell, this is all unnecessary. We can hang out as friends,” I said as nonchalantly as possible even though I was sure my dad and Zell could hear how wildly my heart was beating.

“Annie, the term, hang out, would be disrespectful to you. I don’t need someone to play pool with. I want you as my girlfriend. I want to date you with your father’s blessing,” Zell said seriously.

My father looked at me raising one eyebrow as if in a question smugly grinning because he knew I had met my match. I hated it when he did that. It was like he was asking, “Well young lady, what do you have to say for yourself?” Instead, he said, “Finally, a young man that will show my daughter the respect that she, and all women, deserve.”

I huffed looking from my father to Zell. I was surprised that my dad wasn’t pulling out what hair he had left screaming, “Yes, of course you can court her.” All of this was so corny. But then, this was Zell’s style. If he did anything, he
did it in the appropriate way—beyond reproof. I crossed my arms and huffed again.

“Never,” I said almost gagging on the words.

“Annie?” Zell gave me a look, and I knew he was not pleased with my response. “Never is a long time, trust me.”

“Oh, Ok. You win. I agree. I will c . . . c . . . court Zell and anyone else that I choose.” It was all I could do to stutter it out. It all sounded so lame. I added that last part about anyone else that I chose just to irritate Zell.

“In that case Zell, you have my blessing to court my daughter,” my father adjusted his glasses nervously as he spoke, but I knew he was ready to flip a few cartwheels. “And anyone else you may choose young lady will be dealt with on a case by case basis.” I knew it! Zell already had my dad wrapped around his little finger.

“Thank you sir. I promise you that I will be good to Annie and protect her always.”

I rolled my eyes feeling nauseated.

“Good grief, Zell. Knock it off. You sound like you are asking for my hand in marriage,” I said exasperated.

“I wasn’t going to do that just yet. If you want, sweetheart, I will be honored to ask your father for permission to marry you.” Zell winked at Dad over my head unknown to me.

“Ahhhhhh!” I yelled. Gritting my teeth, I stomped to my bedroom and slammed the door and threw myself on the bed.

A few minutes later, I heard a soft knock on the door.

“Annie?” It was Zell’s voice.

“What?” I yelled.

“It’s a nice day. Let’s go
for that ride in the convertible,” Zell pleaded.

I pulled a pillow over my head and didn’t answer.

“Annie?” Zell’s voice came through the door again. “Please.”

“Oh, Ok,” I groaned dragging myself off the bed. I didn’t really want to lie around the house all day anyway, especially when there was a convertible sitting in my driveway. “I’ll be out as soon as I change.”

I went to the closet and tossed my heels in a box. Then I let the pink dress fall to the floor. I tossed jeans, slacks, skirts, dresses, sweaters, and tee-shirts one right after one another in the floor looking for something to wear. Zell was always perfectly dressed. I wanted to look perfect too.

“Hmmp, fat chance of that happening,” I growled. I was just too much of a tomboy. I didn’t have perfect clothes. Nor, had I ever wanted them until this moment.  Finally, I settled for a newer pair of jeans, a black tee-shirt with my favorite band plastered all over the front, and black
and silver glittery flip flops. I twisted my hair up and put a silver clip in it.

“Let’s go,” I growled at Zell when I entered the room where my dad and Zell still deep in discussion
sat talking.

“Certainly,” Zell rose to his feet and shook my father’s hand. “It has been wonderful to meet you sir, and I look forward to seeing you often in the future,” Zell said for my benefit.

“Anytime, Zell,” my father gushed back.

“
Add another conquest to Zell’s long list of groupies,” I said aloud staring at my dad in disbelief.

I stomped out the door leaving Zell behind. Zell grinned at my dad and shrugged. Dad laughed.

“Good luck, son,” Dad wished him still laughing.

I was sitting in the passenger’s seat buckled in when
Zell made it out of the door.

“Do you mind if we go by my
house, so I can change?” Zell asked.

“No,” I grunted
.

“Why are you always in a bad mood when I’m around?”

“It’s
just you wind everyone around your little finger. It’s getting disgusting.”

“Would
you rather I made them hate me? Maybe, I could flip my wings up, and let them see me for the monster I truly am.”

Instantly, I was remorseful. “You are not a monster,” I replied looking out the window. I didn’t want to meet his eyes. I
suddenly felt like I would cry. 

Within twenty
minutes we were at Zell’s lake house.

“I’ll just sit her
e by the lake while you change.“

I was mesmerized by the beauty and calming effect of the lake even though the last time I saw the lake there was a vampire standing knee deep in it.

Zell stood very still listening and smelling the air.

“Everything should be fine. You’ll be safe here while I change. I won’t be but a few minutes.“ Zell headed for the house taking off the coat of his suit as he walked.

It was a warm, sunny afternoon. The big meal, the warm sun, and the sound of lapping water relaxed me, and within minutes my eyes began to feel heavy. I’m not sure how long I slept, but when I awoke Zell was watching me from the chair next to mine

“It’s pleasant to sleep,” he said quietly. “You look so beautiful and peaceful when you sleep. I could watch you for hours.”

“Don’t be silly,” I yawned stretching. “Why would you want to do that?”

“I’ve waited on you for so long. I can’t get enough of being with you or just looking at you. I’m sorry if I seem forward at times, but believe me, I have no agenda other than keeping you alive and spending as much time with you as possible.”

“Yeah, right, six thousand years of waiting, I believe you said.” I still didn’t buy into the idea that
Zell was six thousand years old. He looked to be late teens at a stretch maybe twenty.

“I used to look younger, but I have aged some since you have been born. I have been careful all my life to get enough rest so that when you were b
orn, I could not sleep and age, yet still not be too old for you. The night we spent at the island together was the first time I’ve slept in seventeen years. “

“That’s
impossible."

“
With me, it’s very possible, even a fact.”

“Ho
w can you go without sleeping?” I asked still not believing him.

“I just don’t require it. I can sleep if I want. However, if I go for long periods without sleeping, it ages me.
I’ve aged probably two human years in the last seventeen years you’ve been alive, because I refused to sleep. I still don’t age as fast as a 100% human would, but I do age when I am sleep-deprived.”

“And you haven’t slept but once in seventeen years because you have been watching and protecting me. Is that what you expect me to believe?”
  I indicated with the tone of my voice that I didn’t believe him for a second.

“It’s just the way it is, Annie, whether you believe it or not.”

I jumped to my feet wanting to change the subject.

“Let’s go for that ride now.”

“Let’s,” Zell smiled and took my hand.

It was heavenly speeding down I-85 with th
e top down on Zell’s sports car. He had exchanged the Estoque for his two seater sports car while I slept. The weather was perfect—a warm, spring afternoon.

“Where are we going?” Zell asked.

“Let’s go downtown and walk around,” I suggested.

I closed my eyes and imagined I was back at Zell’s island fortress.

“What are you thinking about?” Zell asked me.

“I was wondering what you have been doing the last six thousand years.”

“Waiting for you,” Zell answered solemnly.

“No, really, what kind of things have you done? Six thousand years is a long time to fill up with activities.”

“I took the one thing my father gave me, the knowledge to fashion knives and swords from metal, and
I made a business of it. I have sold my swords and knives to knights, kings, and militaries throughout the ages. King Richard and Lancelot fought with my swords, and I fought by their side. King Richard even knighted me for my valor in battle. You may call me Sir Zell if you wish.  Have you ever heard of the Sword of Excalibur?”

“You did not. You didn’t make Excalibur! “

“I am a very talented blade smith. Who do you think thrust Excalibur into that Rock?” Zell laughed.

“Is that how you have made your money?” I asked.

“When you have a business that has lasted for thousands of years, you make a dollar or two.” Zell laughed. “Seriously, I have so much that I don’t know what to do with it all. I have many charities that I completely fund. I have money invested and banked all over the world. Lionel, my assistant, keeps track of it. His sister, Isadora, runs my household and keeps everything going. They are descendants of a family that has cared for me through the centuries. Isadora’s son, Lionel the XXXVIII is in college now. He is majoring in business. He will work in my company, Starr Cutlery, until his uncle dies. Then he will take his place in my home as my assistant.”

“Lionel, the thirty
-eighth?” I laughed. Zell laughed too.

“Yes, they don’t show much variety in names.”

“Why? Why would a family dedicate itself to you throughout the ages?”

I saw clouds of darkness veil his eyes as he began to relate Lionel’s story. “I saved the original Lionel and his father from
an early death many, many years ago.” Zell had pulled his car over at the curb and parked. “How about a coffee, and I’ll tell you the rest of the story.”

“That sounds great,” I answered truly interested in hearing the rest of his story. We didn’t immediately head for the coffee shop. Instead, we investigated all
the shops along the road in the artsy district of Atlanta. Zell took my hand, and we wandered in and out of shops and wove in and out of artists who sat on the sidewalk painting for patrons who posed for them, or we watched curiously over their shoulder while they painted for a patron. I talked Zell into posing with me for an artist. Reluctantly, he did so. He didn’t seem to like having his picture made or painted.

I hadn’t noticed that the artist was drawing caricatures. Zell and I both laughed uncontrollably when the artist finished. The artist captured the strong lines of Zell’s jaw line and had exaggerated them. Overblown muscles bulged from the shirt that the artist had drawn on Zell. The artist
drew me with hair wildly flowing everywhere in the portrait. Pouting, full lips, and big, wide blue eyes stared back at me from the caricature. The comical thing was that the artist had drawn beautiful wings on my back.

I laughed so hard that I thought I could barely catch my breath.

“You put the wings on the wrong person,” I gasped telling the artist of his mistake laughing until tears rolled down my face. Zell bent over clutching his waist laughing at the ridiculous portrait. The artist was totally confused looking first at me and then at Zell trying to understand the joke.

Zell stood up trying to quell the laughter and patted the man on the back.

“Thank you. I love your masterful interpretation of us.” Zell said as he pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed the artist a fistful of hundred-dollar bills. He reached back in his wallet and gave the artist another handful of bills. “Would you make another just like it? I would like for both of us to have one.  I love it,” Zell said again holding it up to look closer.

Apparently
, the artist no longer cared what the joke was about. He laughed too, while holding a wad of hundreds in his fist. Zell promised to return tomorrow and pick up the portraits. He took my hand, and we walked a short distance to the coffee shop still trying to compose ourselves. Zell ordered a couple of cappuccinos, and we found a secluded little table underneath the only tree in the small dining area near the street.

“Go on. Finish your story,” I urged Zell eagerly.

“Lionel was a first cousin of King Arthur. King Arthur left him in command when he went to fight the Saxons in the Battle of Mt. Badon. Mordred, son of Arthur’s half-sister, Morgause, attempted to kill Lionel and his father, and would have been successful if I had not intervened and fought off the assassins. It was Mordred’s intention to take the throne from Arthur while he was away in battle. There were rumors that Mordred was Arthur’s illegitimate son and felt the kingdom was his. I never asked Arthur if the rumors were true, sometimes I wish I had asked.  Anyway, Lionel and his father were so grateful to me for saving their lives that they never left my side after that. Throughout the generations, the first-born son has always been named Lionel and raised to care for me, my home, and my fortune. I never asked it of any of them. I have tried to stop them, but it is no use. They are not servants. I have made their families very wealthy. They could go their own way at any time, but yet they have all chosen to stay. I am grateful to them all.