Eternally Yours (15 page)

“Bout time you girls came back,” Wraith pants. “Although, I did enjoy our conversation on your walk back.” He winks at Kaia.

I thought she seemed distant on our walk back and now I see why. I tried making conversation with her a few times but she was lost in thought and didn’t reply, so we just quietly walked side by side after that.

Gabriel walks over towards me and smiles a sweet, caring smile. “I missed you, don’t leave me with him anymore,” he cants his head towards Wraith. “I don’t know how many times I have to best him with the sword before he learns who gives the orders and who takes them.”

Wraith hugs Kaia while he shoots Gabe the bird behind her back and I snicker. I’m never bored with them around.

“So while you were gone I was informed that we’re scheduled for our flight lesson in…” Gabe pauses to check his watch.  “In an hour!” He takes my hand and kisses it like a prince would kiss a princess. I’m happy to say that chivalry really isn’t dead.

“Really?” I squeak, trying to sound excited and not nervous. But I am nervous. I don’t know how I am going to play this to where he doesn’t realize that I have already released my wings.

“Yeah, my dad pulled a few strings. I guess there are a few perks to your dad being the
Overlord
,” he says.

“Uh…yeah, I guess so,” I say sarcastically. “I would say that my fiancé has some connections anyways.”

He winks at me and smiles, so genuinely happy to be able to do something for me. I feel just a little bad hiding this from him. Secrets are already coming between us, thanks to me.

We all make small talk for about thirty minutes, then Gabe says we should go to the room and put our flying gear on.

“What color are you going to put on?” he asks.

“Probably white,” I say. I don’t want to wear the blue one for him too. It has special meaning to me now.

“That’ll look beautiful on you,” he says as he pulls out a black one.

I don’t even try to resist my smile. “Thanks,” I say bashfully.

“It’s just the truth. Are you nervous?”

“Ah yeah, I’m not so sure this is going to go well,” I say. And that’s the truth, because I don’t know if I can pull this off.

“You know I won’t let anything happen to you.” He practically puffs out his chest as he says it. He has so much pride. He seems so confident that he honestly doesn’t even think it’s a possibility that he could fail; that something out of his control could happen. Pride cometh before the fall, they say. So his pride may be his downfall, but I really, really hope that is never the case.

“Thanks, Gabe. It means a lot. You’re… really great, you know?”  And I mean it.

He smirks and shrugs his shoulders, like he just can’t help being wonderful. He grabs the bottom of his white t-shirt and lifts it over his head, muscled rippling as he does it. I try to look away but all I manage is a slight turn of my head, my eyes still on him. It’s hard to fight this temptation when I know he wants me to look, but a small part of me feels like it’s betrayal to Shadow. I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to turn around. I step into my white flying outfit and try my best not to remember when I did this last. I try to forget who was standing behind me that time, too, because this is not that time. I pull it up and put my arms through the holes, wondering how I’m going to fasten the straps in the back, when he grips my waist and startles me.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” his husky voice whispers in my ear. Goosebumps travel across my skin.

“Oh, it’s okay,” I exhale.

“Here, let me help you,” he insists. His fingers are steady and gentle as he buckles the straps for me and runs his hand in between my shoulders, right where my wing muscles are. I involuntarily shiver and worry that my wings will burst out of my skin due to my lack of experience and control over my emotions. Fortunately, they stay inside my body. I wonder how Gabriel can be so masculine and strong and yet so gentile and soft. Is Shadow the same way? I don’t remember noticing. I remember how his hands were shaking and he was so timid and nervous when he touched me, but so was I. When Gabe touches me I feel hesitant and indecisive, but not nervous. Which way should it be? I wonder. Before I can figure out it, he twists me to face him.

“Your skin is so soft,” he whispers looking down at me with half lidded eyes. He rubs my arms lightly as he stares intensely into my eyes and I can’t help but look away and swallow nervously. I don’t want to kiss him right now. I do want to kiss him right now. I don’t know what I want and I certainly can’t think with his face mere inches from mine and his breath tickling my cheek. I feel like I’m betraying Shadow, but it’s so much worse than that. It is Gabriel that I’m betraying.

“Where are you at right now?” he asks softly.
I look back into his beautiful eyes now and they have changed. They no longer look sultry and dangerous, but now they are soft and sincere. Have I never truly noticed how unique his eyes are? They are so crisp and clear, like the sky on a cloudless day, yet deep as the ocean. They also hold secrets and his eyes are the windows into his soul, but I don’t yet know what I see. I do see that he knows what he wants, and it’s so simple for him.

“Nowhere,” I sigh. “I’m right here, with you.”

Whether he believes me or not, I guess I’ll never know, because then he shuts his eyes and closes the short distance between us. His lips are soft and gentle, just like the rest of him when he touches me. He smells of leather and something crisp and clean. For a second, I get lost in him and I forget the battle inside my mind. For once I just relax and let go. And it feels so good to do so. I know I’ll have to come back soon, but I feel so free right now, so lost. His kisses turn more urgent and he pulls me closer by my waist, moving his hand to that dip in my lower back. This catches my attention and brings me back to the present. For some reason, I want to pull away but I don’t know why and this confuses me even more as well as frustrates me. Every second that ticks by, his gentleness fades and is replaced by urgency. He backs me against my closet wall and presses himself into me so tightly that I struggle for a full breath. My hands somehow squeeze between us and I push back breaking the kiss.

“Sorry?” he says, more of a question. He’s panting and seems confused, maybe a bit mad.

“I—I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s just—“

“Just what?” he interjects, sounding angry.

I gasp, startled at his complete attitude change. “I just don’t want to move too fast.” I slump my shoulders because I feel hopeless. I don’t know what I want and I think it’s beginning to show. I might lose Gabriel before I decide, and then I would be screwed.

“It’s just a kiss, Alexia, and we’ve been living together for three weeks now. Damnit, most of the
angel
s have already sealed their bond!” He’s getting frustrated now. He rakes a hand through his hair and his abs flex, distracting me. He isn’t wearing anything from the waist up because that’s how the flying gear on a male is made. It distracts me seeing his chest pump up and down as he tried to catch his breath and calm down. I can almost feel the heat radiating off of him as well. He is a virile male, but I can’t say that I don’t like that.

“Well I bet those that have don’t keep secrets from each other!” I retaliate. I close my eyes immediately wishing I hadn’t said that because I’m keeping secrets too. Sometimes I don’t think my brain filters things fast enough for my mouth to speak them.

“Secrets? What is that supposed to mean? You think I’m hiding some big secret from you or something?” He throws his hands up like he doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “I’ve told you things I’ve never told anyone else!” He’s talking about our conversation from a few weeks ago, about possibilities of leaving and escaping and choosing who we want to be with.

I press my lips into a flat line and narrow my eyes. “Well what about the prophecy? What about your father and what about the war that everyone thinks is going to happen? You haven’t told me any of that, and Wraith even told Kaia! I had to hear it from her!” I’m exasperated now but somehow I manage to lower my tone as close to normal as I can. “Talk about embarrassing, my husband’s dad is the
Overlord
and I’m clueless.”

He sighs loudly. “I’m not hiding anything from you, Alexia, I just didn’t think to tell you. Honestly. And it’s kind of hard for Wraith to keep a secret with Kaia always fishing around in his mind.”

“What?” I ask confused. “You mean—“

“Yeah,” he cuts me off.  “I mean he didn’t tell her, she just figured it out. Actually the Guard is under strict orders not to mention anything; we don’t want to start an unnecessary panic on some old prophecy that probably isn’t true.” His mouth lifts up on one side. “But I would have told you. I would have told you if I had thought about it.”

Great! Now I feel about this big (insert finger pinch with no space between the two.) “I’m sorry, Gabe. I’m just stressed and nervous and—and a whole bunch of emotions I don’t even know. But mostly, I’m really sorry.”

He grabs me for a hug and pats the back of my head, mumbling that it’s alright and not to worry. He tells me that we will take things as slow as I want and that even though it’s hard for him to resist me, he will try his best. This makes me blush and I kiss him on the cheek.

“I guess we better get to our lesson,” he says.

“Yeah, this should be interesting,” I say sarcastically, and I smile at him as he takes my hand and leads me out of the room.

There’s a landing on the tallest part of the wall, specifically made for the lessons. We have to ascend about 1900 steps to get to the platform and the wind vigorously whips at me, trying to throw me off balance. Several times Gabe grabs my arm to steady me and I am thankful. If I fell I would not fall to my death, but I would give myself away by showing my wings. Just that by itself would be my death sentence. We finally make it to the top, hand in hand, and I have to bend over and rest my hands on my knees to catch my breath. I feel embarrassed because Gabriel only releases one deep breath and then he is fine. I watch as he stands there, the wind blowing the little spikes of hair on his head.

“This is amazing!” he exclaims. “This is what I love! Let’s get the party started, Cole!” he says as he slaps our instructor on the shoulder with affection.

“Indeed we will, Captain, just as soon as the wife catches her breath.” He smiles tightly at Gabe. They both look at me and I stand straight again, breathing in as much air through my nose and out my mouth as possible.

“I’m fine now, thanks.” I sound weak, and very unconvincing. Plus I don’t really like being called, “the wife” because I am not a thing, I am someone and I have a name.

Gabriel closes the distance between us and grabs my hand again, leading me to the edge of the concrete platform. He nods at Cole that we’re ready to begin.

“Alright, there are a few things you need to know. I will explain the process of the wing release mechanism and what needs to be done in order. Also, I will be jumping with you to ensure nothing goes awry in the event such that things do not go properly.”

“Wait a minute. Did you say jump?” Gabriel asks and I smile inside. I guess everyone is a little unsure of themselves when looking down fifty stories and knowing you are going to step right off into that abyss. Mr. Cole explains everything to Gabriel and I that Shadow already explained to me. What to do, the order to do them in, what to expect, and what helps. He says that he is going to release Gabriel’s wings and let Gabriel release mine. Gabriel nods and looks to me for…assurance? I give him a confident nod and a sure smile. He turns to face the edge where Mr. Cole has already released his rather small, white wings waiting on Gabe. Compared to Shadow’s wings, his are miniscule, maybe even less than half of their size. Even my wings are larger than Mr. Cole’s. I’m suddenly anxious to see Gabriel’s wings, wondering how large they will be and what they will look like.

I have never seen Gabriel nervous but right now I can tell that he is, and I touch his shoulder gently and give him a sure smile. Mr. Cole flutters his wings like a giant butterfly and ascends out in front of Gabriel. “When you’re ready, Captain.” He offers.

Trying to be brave, Gabriel wastes no time and leaps out toward Mr. Cole and out of my line of sight. I rush to the edge to look over and watch my husband’s first flight. It happens so fast I can’t believe it. Mr. Cole is diving downward with his wings in a point behind him to catch up with Gabriel who is trying to keep the aerodynamic position while falling a few stories every other second. Before I know it, Mr. Cole latches onto Gabe and places his hand along his spine in the middle of his shoulder blades. They are getting smaller and smaller to my eyes as they continue falling down. Just as I have to squint to see them, a big, beautiful, white pair of wings unfolds and I know they’re Gabe’s wings.

His wings are the most beautiful white wings I have seen. They are also the largest and from here I can’t tell if they’re bigger than Shadow’s wings or not. They are such a bright, pure, white color. From here his wings look longer than his body length. This reminds me of a bid I read about in a science book of extinct animals from before the war. The Wandering Albatross was the bird I remember as having a wingspan of about twelve feet, the largest that was known. I would say we have a new record for wingspan now.