Wings of Boden (13 page)

Vyn brushed my comment off with a shoulder
shrug and a crooked grin. “Are you coming out there, or what?”

“I’ll be out in a minute.” I took another
sip, swiveled to the window again.

“Okay then.” He crunched a chip. “I’ll see ya
out there.” Whistling as he walked, he left the room, the sound of
his tune fading away.

A few minutes later I heard Mom raise her
voice, “Can you boys just quiet down back there with that munching.
It’s giving me a headache and I can’t concentrate.”

“They’re so dense sometimes,” Angie said.

“I warned him,” I said on a chuckle, pinched
a grin out the window. On a long sigh, I pushed from my chair.
“Okay, I guess I should go out there and save them.”

“Better you than me. I’m gonna go get changed
and lie down.”

That sounded like such a great idea, but I
had some questions for Dad first.

Over the hardwood floor and various throw
rugs, I padded bare feet through the living room. The fireplace
flames winked through shadows, saturating the room with warm sounds
of crackling wood. Lined up on the mantel were silver-framed photos
of Angie and me as children. In one of them, I stood in the grass
of the backyard in my dress, my tiny wings resting on my back as I
held a lilac bud to my nose. Another frame held an image of Angie
on her ninth birthday, sitting at the breakfast nook table in her
dress, all prim and proper with her hands on her lap, smiling at
the camera while she waited for Mom to cut her birthday cake. I
could see the twinkle of mischief in her eyes, and the
unmistakable, devious crooked grin of my sister. Maybe it was
because of the cake. Yeah, that was around the time her obsession
with cake began.

In lamplight, Mom was lounged back on her
wings on the chaise, blond hair tucked behind her ears and falling
around her shoulders. A blue silk nightgown covered her legs down
to her crossed ankles. An open novel on her lap held her attention.
When she looked up at me, the light touched her eyes and hair with
such magic, stopping my breath for a moment. She placed the
bookmark in her book, set it on the backrest, and released a
tranquil sigh. The look of relaxation was so inviting I couldn’t
resist. I lowered to the chaise, curled my legs up, nestled up into
her and laid my head on her chest. She feathered her arms around
me. Even with murmurs of the boys behind us, the room’s ambiance
seemed to demand a soft volume as we spoke.

“Mom, do you have any jeans I can
borrow?”

“What, Ellie in jeans. What’s gotten into
you?”

“It’s just, Ginelle was wearing these jeans,
and they were so—”

“Who’s Ginelle?”

“The cheerleader, you know, the one who gave
me the uniform.”

“Oh, I see. Have you found yourself an
idol?”

“No, it’s not like that”—it was exactly like
that—“I just think it’s time for a little change, and they were so
cute.”

“Hmm,” Mom hummed. With my ear to her chest,
I felt the vibrations of her voice as she added, “Well, I think I
might have a few pair you’d like.”

With a gentle squeeze to my eyelids, I
snuggled a smile closer into my mother, my heart purring like a
comfortable cat. Her flower perfume was so lovely. The fireplace
drew my gaze once more. There were times in my life when happiness
overwhelmed me, and at this moment, I felt as if I would weep.

“I’ll go see if I can find them,” Mom said
even as she started to move.

My arms held. “No, not yet, Mom. In a little
while, please.”

She settled back, rubbed my arm, touched her
lips to the top of my head.

Mesmerized by the swaying flames, my eyes
slid shut.

Time slowed as I soaked in the warmth of my
mother.

Maybe a half hour later, Mom whispered, “I
have to use the restroom, Ellie. I’m so sorry, honey. I’ll get
those jeans for you.”

“Mm,” the vibration hummed in my throat,
drifting off again.

Mom nudged a soft reminder. As she lifted
from the chair and walked away, I sat up to the edge of the chaise,
hunched over.

With my clouded waking gaze into the
fireplace, I began to realize the nightmare didn’t come. In the
dimness of dream, I was strolling down a dirt path, surrounded by
lush forest and bushes. I remembered seeing something in the
distance that I couldn’t catch up to, but didn’t care. Moving down
the dream path, picking a leaf now and then and lifting it to my
nose, I seemed to be following a child angel. It had no wings,
though, and was clothed in a little dress, strapped shoes, hair
bouncing as she went skipping down the path. As I drew closer, she
would giggle and disappear around some bushes, as if playing a
game.

Hunched on the edge of the chaise, I shook my
head, ran my fingers through my hair, fluffed myself awake and out
of dreamland.

Weary legs carried me across the living room.
The porch lights were on outside the windowed front wall, lighting
up half the yard. There had to be deer out there at the feeder, I
assumed, so I wandered over to see. Mom’s flower baskets, vines and
petals spilling out, hung in a line over the railingless porch deck
as I held my thinking gaze out the windows. I imagined the sound of
bamboo wind chimes, though I couldn’t hear them, I knew they were
clicking outside.

Dad said behind me, “Jay, how’d you like to
be the bar manager for the Angelic Inn? I could use some muscle to
help keep the order.”

“Yeah, I could do that for ya. You sure you
want me, though.”

“I’ve thought it over for a while now. It
seems to me you’d be a perfect fit.”

“Well, I appreciate that, Phil. I’ll do my
best.”

“I know you will. The job’s yours.”

I spun around from the windows and strolled
across the floor. Shaded lamps glowed on end tables. The oak coffee
table held a bowl of chips, Vyn’s glass of tea, and a stack of
magazines, the Angel’s Closet fashion catalog on top. I plopped
down onto the firm cushions of the couch next to Vyn. Why is it
that the more money you spend on furniture, the less comfortable it
is? Ergonomics, Dad had once said. What about butt comfort? Though
when I relaxed back, I understood a little better. The
concave-designed back cushions provided perfect wing support. And
somehow made the pain go away.

The boys were in the middle of some sort of
discussion.

Bub lay on his side in the middle of the room
on a paisley throw rug, his floppy ear twitching, legs kicking a
bit as if he was dreaming. Dad was in his chair across the room and
to the left, Jaydenn on the loveseat to the right. I leaned
forward, took a quick sip from Vyn’s glass and snatched a chip from
the bowl on the coffee table. Then rested back on my wings and
crossed a leg, nibbled on the chip while I listened.

Dad was saying, “… from all the old retired
professionals. We personally know just about all of them, spread
across every continent, so an army of pros is what we’ll have. The
boys are making the calls as we speak.”

Eyeing Dad, I rocked my crossed leg over the
other, flipping my foot up and down. “Dad, I have a question.”

He gave me a smile, waited.

A voice in my head distracted me,
Goodnight, Elle. I love you
. I brushed it off with a
headshake, took another chip nibble while I formulated my
question.

Dad asked, “Yes, whattaya wanna know,
Ellie?”

“Um, I was just wondering why the drekavacs
are allowed in the stadiums.”

“It’s part of the treaty. They’re not
supposed to confront us. They go to jail if they do. Though they
don’t really seem to care about being locked up for a month, but
it’s all we can do. You remember the deal with the hunters,
right?”

“Yeah. The hunters agreed not to hunt in the
cities if we don’t kill the drekavacs.”

Dad’s pursed his lips with a nod.

Another question popped into my mind, “Where
do the hunters go in the daytime?” I thought about those blinking
eyes from the cave in the Crag Mountains on Saturday.

“They follow the night around the earth,
honey. You know that.”

Another chip nibble, before I said, “Yeah, I
guess I just needed to hear it again.” I smirked, considered for a
second. Dad was waiting to see if I had any other questions. He
waited a little more. Just as he was about to say something to
Jaydenn, I asked, “So. What you’re saying is, there are no hunters
in the caves up in the mountains?”

Dad’s grin showed that he knew I did that on
purpose, so he took a moment before he answered, “Not that anyone
knows of. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason.” I angled a glancing leer at
Vyn. “Just wondering.”

“Well, you’re just full of questions tonight,
aren’t you?”

“I have to know, if I’m going to hunt with
you,
boys
.” It was hard to hold back the sneer as I recalled
what Angie had said she’d overheard. A phase, huh? Not my time,
huh? I gave Dad a slit-eyed gaze, my foot flicking out a rhythm.
Show them, Elle, was what Angie’d said. Wondering if Vyn and
Jaydenn knew, I gave each of them a look. They just drifted a dull
grin back at me. They probably knew, I assumed. So that’s how it’s
gonna be. A light headshake, then I filled my cheeks and blew out
some exasperated air.

“What’s the matter, Ellie?” Vyn asked,
placing a hand on my bare knee.

“Not a thing. Everything’s
juust
fluffy.”

They all just … sat there, with those stupid
flappin grins. On a sigh, I got to my feet and snipped, “I’m gonna
go change into my nightgown. I have more questions so don’t you
guys go anywhere.”

Dad gave me a lost look. “We’ll be right
here.”

“Good, okay then.” I pranced off and to the
foyer.

While walking away, I heard Dad’s voice from
the living room behind me, “Don’t worry about it, Vyn. We’ll never
understand them.”

Understand this
. I picked out a finger
just for them, and threw it over my shoulder, then stepped up the
stairs … Source, I hope Dad didn’t see that.

The carpet of the upstairs hallway felt so
good between my toes as I made my way to my bedroom. Photos of the
family hung on both white walls of the hallway. They hadn’t changed
a thing since I was little, I noted, though I’d made the necessary
improvements to my room. Wallpaper replaced. Posters meant for teen
skippers—those bubbly little angels that skip across campus and
blush at every male—tossed away and switched out to European
landscape art, my travel dreams.

I pulled my spaghetti-strapped cotton
nightgown from a hanger in my walk-in closet. Holding it up in
front of me, I tried to let the pastel prettiness calm my mood as I
touched the lacy floral design around the bust line, smiled, and
carried it out of the closet.

“Um, Ellie?” Vyn stood in my doorway, stepped
in.

After tossing the gown to the down comforter
on my bed, I walked and sat at my dressing table, pulled off my
earrings and began to organize the jars of cream and bottles of
perfume. Looking into the mirror, I saw my poster-decorated bedroom
walls—Paris, Ireland, Switzerland.

Then Vyn blocked my view so I dropped my
gaze, dipped my fingers into an open jar of cream and began rubbing
it into my hands as I said, “Why do you always have to tease
me?”

“I know, Ellie. I’m sorry. I was just having
a little fun.”

“Well, it’s not nice. It scared me.” I
finished with the hand cream, replaced the lid.

While picking up my brush, I felt Vyn’s hands
on my shoulders, making my mood soften a bit. My hair pulled away
from my neck. His lips touched my skin. Oh, my. That’s not fair.
The back of my neck tingled, hyperaware of his touch.

Kiss on my neck
. “Let me make it up to
you.”
My earlobe
. “It won’t happen again.”
Kiss
.
“Let’s go on a date.”
Kiss
. “Candlelight dinner and a
movie.”
Kiss
.

My brush dropped to the table and I spun
around in my chair, pulled his face down and crushed my mouth to
his. The taste of his lips drenched my thoughts. Releasing the
kiss, I rose, tried to give him a scowl as I pushed him back with a
hand to his chest. “Well, it better not happen again,” I said.
Another push sent him back a few more steps. He locked his blazing
blue eyes on mine as I added, “I might have to hurt you.” His grin
didn’t look too upset about that, so I stepped forward and pushed
him once more, which sent him to bounce his butt down on the edge
of my bed. His grin widened. Wings twitched.

Choo
, he sneezed, rubbed his nose.
“Sorry,” he said. I gave him a little smirk.

I was in control, sort of. I bent down,
brushed teasing lips to his, felt the heat radiating off his skin …
then stepped back, gave him my version of an intimate smile, sultry
eyes, and poured the words out on a husky half-whisper, “Why don’t
you come here, Vyn.”

He looked like he was about to pass
out—cheeks aflame, wings shuddering, another sneeze,
Choo
.
So I reached down, yanked him off the bed by the front of his
sweaty shirt, and pushed my lips to his again. Should I punish him
a little more? I could just walk away, and leave him to stand here
all sweaty and confused. But, no, that wouldn’t help me at all.

Still locked in the luscious kiss, I unfurled
my wings, moved them forward. He did the same. His hands came up
and framed my face, pulling me closer. Closer. The rush almost
melted me when our wings touched. Heat of such love nearly sent me
to tears. Tingles washed over my body and wings like an electric
current. My heart thumped in my chest. I could feel the blood
pushing through my veins like a gushing river of lava.

Lost in rapture, my lips devoured his.

Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop
… Minutes
… My knees jellied.

Just when I was on the verge of crumbling to
the floor, our wings unlocked. Mine folded to rest between my
shoulders. His wrapped around me, enveloped me into a tight hug,
holding me up. With my ear pressed to his heated chest, I could
hear his panting breaths; feel the murmur of his heartbeat as it
flub flubbed
in my ear. I let out a shuddering sigh into his
chest. He tightened his embrace.
Oh Source, thank you.
And
the moment turned into a thousand years.…