Shattering Halos (9 page)

“All right, so the dress fits you, Gaia. Like a bloody snakeskin.” Her eyebrows waggled, accentuating her fake British accent.

“Thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“No, honestly, dude. You’re not planning to
wear
that anywhere, are you? It reveals, hmmm…” Marina searched for the best way to describe my new look. “Oh yeah: Everything!”

Or not.

“Hey now—”

“Every dip and curve, chicky.”

I rolled my eyes, shooing her out, and she giggled from the other side.

“Skimpilicous!” She breathed through the curtain.

“Oh, for the love of God, Marina.” I stepped out for a peek in the full-length mirror, “Do you like it or not?”

We were doomed the minute I came out of the dressing room; Gabriel stared at the short, red dress and took one precious step toward me.

“Too much!” he groaned.

God, it was easy. Before I could think, I’d flung myself into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist. After a whole long, wasteful month, I was kissing him, and he squeezed me so hard it hurt.

Marina’s shocked “No!” didn’t register with me at first. When I opened my eyes, her jaw had dropped. She wasn’t one to stare at people, but this time she had no qualms.

Her reaction made sense, though. My BFF had never witnessed Gabriel materializing before. He was a luminous fog that thickened slowly, particles flickering until he consolidated.

Incandescent in my arms, Gabriel wouldn’t stop kissing me. With eyes squeezed shut and face smoothened in delight, he seized the moment and didn’t let go.

The bliss he generated swelled through the store like a tidal wave, but Marina remained on task: “There it is—my proof. Gabriel orchestrated everything, all the craziness over last week!”

I couldn’t focus on a reply from inside my sensory overload, so I didn’t.

“Let go of her!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “Go back to hell and stay there!” She yanked at me, and my baby’s hold tightened around me.

“Gabriel, don’t. I’ll be okay…” I whispered.

His grip loosened, and Marina yanked me out of his arms. My gaze stayed glued to him while she dragged me out of Access and down the escalator.

The store was in complete disarray. Dazed customers mulled around, and Mitzi, the owner, gestured in slow motion. Gabriel faced her, still as a Greek statue, and by the time they disappeared from view, Mitzi’s expression had changed from confused to elated.

“We’re going to Uncle Sebastian’s,” Marina said.

I smiled to myself, nodding a little. Marina pulled the price tag off the dress I didn’t own on the way to the parking garage.

“I wish we could go back for your clothes, Gaia,” she puffed, “Ah, and I wish you’d tried on something less slutty!”

The insult didn’t register, probably because I was busy dreaming about Gabriel. With the car coming into view, Marina fumbled inside her purse and dug out her phone.

“Uncle, remember my friend Gaia, the one that didn’t want to go to our church?” Her bluntness still didn’t bother me. “If you’ve got a minute, she’d be ready for a, uh, chat.” She sent me a swift glance.

At the car, Marina stuffed me into the front seat and buckled me up. Her zeal made me want to giggle.

“You’re freaking lethargic, Gaia. Man, I hope my uncle can fix you. If he can’t, then it’s Father Damian next: Church-CHURCH! All right?”

“I don’t need fixing, Marina.” My blink might have been too slow to convince her.

“Oh, right, because sucking face with a demon is a totally normal thing to do.”

“No, I told you—he’s an angel.”

“Gaia, he’s
not
an angel. You’ve got to believe me! You’re my best friend, and I wouldn’t make this up. Please, please,
please
believe me. You don’t want to let this beautiful…
thing
spellbind you.”

I wavered. “Why do you always think the worst? Gabriel is so good to me.”

“Gaia, ‘good to me’ my ass. Think! Please, think. He’s good to
himself
! An angel of God making out with a human in a mall? Like that would ever happen. What do you think is next on his, um,…agenda?”

She was merciless, and I stared out the window, swallowing.

Sweet Lord. She has a point.

“What makes you the expert, Marina?” My voice sounded thin.

“I learned about this stuff in church, remember? Anyway, Uncle Sebastian will tell you. He’ll make you understand.”

My hand wiped across my eyes, and for a second I met her gaze. Was it compassion she hid under that no-nonsense surface?

As we waited at a traffic light, Gabriel coalesced in front of us. He illuminated the grays and blacks of twilight with his body. Cross-legged at the foot of the pole, he broke into a heart-stopping smile and waggled his fingers at me.

And I? I laughed softly.

Chapter 10 — Angel Oaks

Gaia

Haphazardly situated in a modern American suburb, the Angel Oaks Estate gave the impression of having been uprooted from an Italian village. The walls of Uncle Sebastian’s mansion boasted solid granite, and the stone saints and angels perching along the driveway were carved in precise detail from the same, somber rock.

“You freaking kidding me?” I demanded.

Marina giggled, “Yeah, right? Uncle Sebastian’s all about this stuff, plus he’s so rich he can afford it. Neat, eh?”

Or creepy.

“This place is humungous. Does he have a family?”

“Uncle Sebastian? Nah, never had a girlfriend, they say. Grandma calls him a rich, grumpy old scholar. They don’t play nice anymore.” She smirked. “That palace can’t even house his ego!” she mimicked in what I guessed was her grandmother’s voice.

A man with small, shrewd eyes creaked the massive door open. From Marina’s descriptions, I’d pictured someone in his eighties, but Sebastian was younger than that. Mid sixties? Smooth olive skin stretched over high cheekbones. Age-appropriate wrinkles and a sensual mouth triggered memories from classic Sicilian movies I’d watched with Dad.

“You must be Gaia,” he said, glancing at Marina for confirmation. “It’s a pleasure. Let me show you to my office.”

“Sure—um, nice to meet you too, Mr. Lampedusa.”

Our heels echoed over vast checkered floors and set me on edge. If only he had believed in small talk. I peeked around me, craving Gabriel’s presence, but he was nowhere to be seen.

God, I hope he’s here.

Meticulously shaven and with gray hair cut tight to his head, Uncle Sebastian advanced with measured ease. He seemed harmless enough, and for a moment my teeth unclenched in my mouth.

To our left, an archway bared a spacious room with domed ceilings. Was that a private chapel?

Our host passed it without a second look and pushed the door open to another room. Marina didn’t hesitate. She strode in with confidence, and I instinctively latched on to her arm to avoid being left alone. I accepted a seat in an armchair across from his desk while Marina lowered herself into another.

Uncle Sebastian’s “office” must be what Marina had referred to as the library. Shelves upon shelves of leather-bound volumes filled the vast, murky room from floor to ceiling. With their tattered binding and faded gold titles, they could have been extracted from the same medieval village I imagined for his home.

Uncle Sebastian studied me. Then, he leaned forward and folded his hands on the desk. “Gaia. Marina enlightened me regarding you and your…problem.”

“She did?”

Apparently, uncles excused from seminaries were exempt from Marina’s vow of silence. My gaze flitted to hers, and she smiled back, not putting two and two together. Mr. Lampedusa moved on in a compassionate tone.

“You can share your story with me—I might be able to relieve you of some pressure.”

‘Pressure?’ What’s that supposed to mean?

His gaze raked discreetly over my body. Maybe it was my imagination, but he seemed to skim my sleeveless dress with its way-too-generous neckline all the way down to my bare legs and pumps. Feeling exposed, I let my slight cleavage disappear behind my hair.

I needed to calm down. He was Marina’s granduncle—I must be high for imagining this sort of vibe! Another peek at Marina revealed how much she trusted him, and my shoulders relaxed.

I blew out a breath. Okay, I was ready for his expert opinion now.

Once I’d let my guard down, I talked about Gabriel being my guardian angel, his plan of staying away—even about me not helping. I didn’t conceal much from them. Mr. Lampedusa listened without interruption while little gasps from Marina alerted me to the parts I hadn’t shared with her before.

“Uncle Sebastian, I don’t think Gabriel ever tried to leave Gaia alone, though. He’s been haunting her since the accident,” Marina tattled.

“What? No! He’s stayed away from me a lot.”

Marina shook her head. “Nuh-huh, I’ve seen how you’ve been.”

I gaped at her, searching for a retort, but her uncle caught my attention by straightening in his chair. He inhaled deeply, as if savoring something sweet. Then, his voice boomed out in an entirely different timbre.

“‘
The sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Genesis 6:2.’”

I glanced anxiously at Marina. Erect like a good schoolgirl, her mouth curved into an adoring smile at her uncle.

“I think that covers what you should know about him. Yes, he is an angel, but a fallen one. A dark one. Have you heard of fallen angels? In the Book of Revelation, Chapter 12, you can read about how Michael the Archangel cast a third of the angels out after they lost the War in Heaven. God created them as good beings, but they
freely chose evil
, Gaia. These malevolent creatures brim over with unforgivable sin. These demons—they will possess you!”

A sharp intake of air came from Marina’s chair.

“No, no. Gabriel’s my guardian angel. Not evil. Good!” I said.

Mr. Lampedusa snorted disdainfully. “My dearest Gaia—”

I’m not your dearest anything, dammit!

“—do understand. This thing is not Gabriel, but uses the name to ensnare you. The real Gabriel is an archangel, God’s primary messenger, not a mere guardian angel. Now, what does this tell you? We’re talking about a demon. One who wants to possess you and lies to you in order to get his way.

“‘When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.’ Joshua 8:44
.
God’s angels would not lie. They are all goodness and no evil.”

I wanted to ask him how many angels he’d met, but somehow I knew the answer. If he ever met one, he’d label him a fallen no matter what.

Marina had me cornered in her own version of safety. Her face shone with relief, while her uncle’s expression was smug. Nothing I said would convince them. How could they be so sure?

How could
I
be sure, though? I only had Gabriel’s word. So far, three people knew about him. Marina, Mr. Lampedusa, and my mother. Was it a mom thing to instinctively know what was bad for her child? She didn’t know what Gabriel claimed to be, but she still had misgivings about him.

They’re right, aren’t they? An angel attracted to me—makes no sense.

I choked up at the thought, and Uncle Sebastian’s features tinged with an odd mixture of interest and sympathy. “I’m sorry, Gaia. I didn’t mean to upset you. But now that you know the truth, let’s take precautions.”

He reached for a tissue and began to dab in small circles around my eyes. I needed to be alone. No Marina, no uncle, no Gabriel.

“Why don’t you start the car, Marina? In the meantime, I will give your friend something to repel the demon with.”

Oh, this is where he’ll ‘relieve the pressure?’

Marina thanked him profusely. When we both rose, he put a hand on my arm. My instincts screamed for me to squirm away, but I curbed my trepidation. The last whiff of fresh air left the room as Marina hurried out.

Mr. Lampedusa’s eyes darkened. “It’s a secret, Gaia. What I’ve got for special occasions can’t be common knowledge.”

In a corner of the library, a dim backroom lurked behind a half-open door. His palm landed on my hip as he gallantly held it for me, but he ruined the impression by stealing an eyeful of my chest as he waved me through.

The only way out slammed shut with a bang.

“You have to swear not to tell—” Uncle Sebastian insisted while my stomach quivered in refusal.

No emergency exits. No walls thin enough to bludgeon my way through even in my imagination.

Crap.

He took my hand and guided me over to a big dresser. Dozens of crucifixes, all on chains, came into view when he pulled out the top drawer. There were wooden crosses, silver crosses, and even some with gemstones.

“They have been blessed with holy water and are highly effective in keeping the hideous creatures at bay.”

Hideous?

He turned and tugged me closer with a hand at the small of my back. With a cheap crucifix dangling from the other, he leaned in the last inches to my ear.

“Let me help you.”

“It’s fine—I can put it on myself,” I said, but he wasn’t listening.

A flowing shimmer solidified at the corner of my eye. With brow knotted and arms crossed, Gabriel watched and waited. He didn’t censor the glare he bored into the man’s spine.

Mr. Lampedusa reached around my neck and locked the pendant in place. His hand caressed my throat casually as he straightened it. Then his bony fingers ran over my collarbone and down to the elbow, leaving my skin crawling in their wake. Misunderstanding my reaction, he smirked and grasped my other shoulder.

Adrenaline scampered through my veins. Lungfuls of air rushed out in shallow bursts. He pressed himself against me, trapping me flush to the bureau.

“What are you doing? Stop!”

I lost balance, my head hitting the wall with an awkward thump. Oh, the cologne. So overpowering. My stomach rolled. Numb, my hands moved in slow motion to fend him off.

“Darling girl—sweet temptress…” His hand trailed down to my hip, driving its way in between our bodies.

“Oh God, no!”

His lips didn’t make it to mine.

A petrifying screech crushed in, rattling the stone walls. It hurled him across the sanctuary and forced the oxygen out of my lungs. Bolts of light stabbed through the darkness until they merged into a whiteness so bright it devoured the room.