Wings of Boden (38 page)

Vyn snickered, and appeared in the mirror as
he stood behind me, dressed in crisp slacks and a white button-up
shirt, folded wings primped and dark hair styled off his
forehead.

“You’ll be fine,” he said, and then gave me a
reflected grin. “Can you believe the last few months? Maybe we
should write a book and send it back in time, warn them about the
dreks. We wouldn’t have to send the actual book. We could figure
out how to channel thoughts to the past, you know, like the dreks
do, and find some human to write it. Yeah, I think I’m gonna do
some research on that.”

“Have you been smokin sage? I’ll make you a
deal, when you discover time travel, or channeling, or whatever you
call it, mister brainy scientist, we’ll write a book, deal?” A
squinting head tilt at his mirror image. “This is stupid. You’re
just distracting me, aren’t you? Thank you.”

After lifting a perfume bottle, I sent a
little sprits to my neck—Violets, lovely.

“Wow, that smells nice,” Vyn said, then
lifted my hair and bent a kiss to the back of my neck—Shivers, the
good kind, and a little warm twinge in my belly.

In the mirror, the fear in my eyes dissipated
into the blue and I offered Vyn a reflected smile. Because he
calmed my nerves with a bit of distraction, I spun around in my
chair, pulled his face to mine, locked into a
real
kiss,
long and full of passion. When Vyn drew back, he stood on wobbly
legs, his glassy gaze down at me, cheeks like ripe tomatoes.
Blue-tipped wings peaked over his shoulders. My body swam in
tingles.

Choo
, he sneezed, and again,
Choo
.

Wow, a double. He hasn’t done that in a
while.
Choo
… A triple! Uh-oh.

As he stood there in a daze, I couldn’t help
but glance down at his slacks. Oh, my. I’d better stop this.

“Calm down, Vyn. I have a job to do right
now.”

“What? Oh. Yeah. Right. I need to sit.” He
barely made it to the edge of the bed and flopped, catching his
breath.

Yep, I still got it. I thought while watching
him. My Vyn, always my beautiful Vyn.

KEE-EEE-AAR!
Dakarai sent through the
sky outside.

“Well, I guess I should go out there.” As I
rose from my chair, ladybug wings fluttered in my stomach. My pumps
took one step, and another. While eyeing through the thin lace
drapes, I stalled. Blood
thump thumped
in my ears. After
drawing a deep breath, I finally parted the drapes and stepped out
to view the side yard.

The crowd became so hushed I heard a bird’s
wings as it flew through the forest. Colorful flower boxes sat on
the railings to the left and right of me; the scent of violets and
pine forest mixing. While I gazed in silence over the yard,
breakfast slid around in my stomach. Mom and Dad stood in the shade
under a pine at the back of the crowd. Dad put an arm around Mom as
she tilted her head to his shoulder, her eyes aimed up at me while
she rubbed Dad’s chest. I sent them the closest thing to a smile I
could manage.

Maybe two hundred souls waited in the yard
and spilled into the forest, all silent and staring while my heart
pounded my ribcage. With a blueberry-stained face, little human
Cassie was perched on her mother’s shoulders. She picked a berry
from a small bowl, a gleaming joy on her face while she watched me.
Ginelle stood beside them with Steffunnie perched on her shoulders,
same blueberry-stained face on Steff. They must have made friends,
so nice.

“Yay! Ellie,” Angie called from below,
breaking the quiet. “I love you, sis!” She gave me a helping wink
and I returned a tense smile. Chin to chest, I tucked some hair
behind my ear. Warmth of embarrassment slithered from my toes up to
my wings.

No need to worry, little one
, Dakarai
said. I angled my head to see him perched tall and confident on the
roof.

“Did he say something?” a female voice
called.

I swiveled back around. “Um, he said I
shouldn’t worry, that you understand.”

“What?”

A little more volume, “He said I shouldn’t
worry, that you understand.”

“We love you, Ellie, all of us,” a male
voiced out near the back of the crowd. “There’s no reason to worry.
Just take your time.”

Such kind smiles of patience filled the
yard.

“I love all of you, too. I really do.”

Murmurs of encouragement spread.

Dakarai said,
Just face the crowd and
forward the words for me. Your confidence will come. Source is with
us now.

“What did he say?” another voice called. How
do they know when he talks? Does he click his beak or
something?

“Um, he said that I’m supposed to forward for
him. I’ll do the best I can. I hope you understand.”

A collective nod waved through the sea of
souls.

Dakarai began to speak to me and I started
for him, “Um, it’s time for us to become one now, one population
existing in harmony, helping one another”—The words were coming out
of my mouth!—“The drekavacs will hide, you can be sure. However,
you must know, they are intelligent. They devise ways to survive.
You may not know this, but they do not kill the children. They take
them and raise them as their own, training them in dark ways to
poison their minds. This is how they build their population.
Drekavacs are simply a cult, bent on filling the world with
darkness.”

I had to pause with that horrific thought.
The “family” of dreks at the campfire, the way I see flashes of
children when I look at them. Was I seeing their true form? Their
human or angel form? Oh, no, I have to save them.

Dakarai waited for my attention, before we
continued:

“After the last war, we did not know they
continued to exist. We assumed there was peace in the world. We
were mistaken. It became clear they had infiltrated and infected
human minds. We will not make that mistake again.”

“No. We won’t!” a deep male voice bellowed
out over the crowd, a StarWing team member. “Not this time!”

A grumble of agreement lifted from the team …
died down.

Dakarai and I went on, “The drekavacs will
devise ways to infiltrate. We will stop this. Angels will rid the
world of this disease. There will be no treaty this time. Their
time is over and the dark will die in the light. Angels will guard
our cities and humans will exist in peace, above ground. We will
build a community of one. Steadfast and strong, we will
prevail.”

At Dakarai’s next words to me, I snapped my
head around and tossed him a burning glare. He had said,
We have
a new princess, and she stands before you now. She will be your
advisor, and forward messages I receive from Source.

Princess! No!

“Dakarai, I can’t tell them that. And please,
please
don’t call me princess. You want me, me? There’s no
way. I can’t do that. I’m just, just … Elle.”

“What did he say?” a crowd voice called.

Go ahead, my little one. Princess is simply a
title. Tell them what you wish. Yet, your path has been destined
since the beginning, and I have waited. See, there is something
your family does not know. This is your father’s seventh lifetime,
but he cannot recall his former position as a king, nor your mother
a queen, and yet, once a king, always a king. Therefore, you have
always been Princess Elleria Soepheea, Angelica Marie your princess
sister, and I hear Princess Emmelina will be joining us soon. I
have always been your knight, my dear, and that will never change.
Back when I was in human form, I gifted your father the statue as a
reminder of times to come. Also, you must understand. Stories of
this new time will go on for millennia, your stories. And as humble
as you are, my princess, we are the dawn of the legends of
Elleria.

“What did he say?” the crowd voice called
again.

After a long, long, long moment of staring in
awe at Dakarai, gathering myself and attempting to understand what
he’d just said, I took a breath, swiveled back around.

“Um, he said you will have a new— He said I’m
supposed to forward messages from Source to you.” Scrunching up my
face, warmth of embarrassment washed over me. My chin tipped down
as I tucked some hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I
should—”

“Ellie, Ellie!” a male voiced out.

“Ellie, Ellie!” others joined until the yard
filled with the sounds of approval. It went on, and on, and
on.…

Raise your hand, little one. They will
listen.

I raised my hand for a tentative, friendly
wave. The crowd sounds dissolved. Murmurs bubbled here and
there.

“Thank you my friends,” Dakarai said, I
forwarded. “Also, an angel has discovered a vaccine for the dark
sickness. He will be the scientific director and advisor. He is
called Vyncynte D’rik.”

Following those words, I could’ve sworn I
heard a
thud
hit the bedroom floor behind me. Did Vyn black
out? The image of him on his back pulled a smiling giggle from me.
It’s no fun, is it, Vyn?

You can take it from here. A fine job you
did.

“You can take —” I started to forward, before
realizing. “Oh, yeah, duh.” I looked up at him. Was he grinning at
me? “Thank you, Dakarai. It was such a wonderful speech.”

My pleasure, lovely Elleria. Now, tell them
one more thing from both of us. Tell them in your own words to
enjoy the life.

Drifting my gaze over the buzzing yard, I
considered for a minute. Then tucked some already-tucked hair
behind my ear, lifted my chin and placed my palms on the wooden
railing. A hush fell over the yard … I began:

“The angels will take care of the details,
everyone. All we want is for you not to worry. Remember, do
everything in your power to spend each moment with a smile. Live in
love and peace, and have so much fun enjoying all the gifts of
life. That’s what we’re here for, everyone, all of us. I love you
all so much, so very much. I will live my life as an example to
you. I will dance in the flowers and bask in the light, as will
you. You are free now, all of you. Look at the sky, it’s all yours.
You don’t need to live under anymore. Your calling is above, here
with us. I’m so happy to be a part of this and I won’t let you
down. I will never give up.
Never
. You are all my family and
we’re in this together.…” I couldn’t think of anything else. “Um,
that’s all I have to say. Remember, I love all of you so very
much.”

Very well said, little one, very well
indeed.

Humans and angels were lost in sobs. As my
gaze skimmed over the crowd, Mom wept into Dad’s chest. Dad’s face
filled with emotion as he rubbed Mom’s back and wings. Angie leaned
into Jaydenn, tilted her head to his chest while he wrapped an arm
around her. The team stood around, nodding pursed lips. Luca pushed
through the crowd, made his way to Ginelle and embraced his wife,
little Steff was still on Ginelle’s shoulders.

A female angel in a gorgeous flower-printed
sundress walked up to Ginelle, tapped her on the shoulder, said
something while Luca released the hug and stood with them. They all
turned and looked up at me. When I noticed the female, my heart
skipped a beat. It was Dahlia Emil! She folded her arms over her
chest, tilted her head, a feminine twinkle in her eyes as she gave
me a mischievous grin. When my gaping mouth finally closed, I
smiled back at her.

At the feel of a hand on my shoulder, I
turned to see Vyn as he said, “Ellie, you okay?”

What? Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

Something hid behind Vyn’s smile. His eyes
went from mine, to the crowd, and I followed his sight line and
back to see him and Angie locked in some sort of communication.
Angie gave him a grinning tip of her chin. Vyn returned a
pursed-lip nod.

Vyn placed his hands on my shoulders, gently
pulled me around to face him—and didn’t say a word. Just gave me
that ice-melting smile and those luscious blue eyes … Still, not a
word. Something, his energy, something, held me in his gaze and
stole my breath.

My heart stuttered. Trembles began.

He leaned, touched his lips to mine, drew
back and lifted my hands into his. His palms felt clammy with
sweat.

I just looked at him. And with his eyes
pouring into mine he finally said, “Ellie, my beautiful, I need to
tell you something.” He paused to give me a grin. “We were eight
years old when I first saw you, picking flowers from a field. You
were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and still are. For
hours, I sat beside a tree, just watching you. You were my dream.
When Dakarai grabbed you, I had to do something. He was taking you
away from me. I was just a kid, but something lit inside me. I ran,
jumped, and pulled you away from him. Pulled you back to me, and
just held you on my lap. The second I kissed you, I knew. But you
wouldn’t wake up so I ran and got your dad.”

Stunned, all I could do was look at him. Just
look, and look, and look. He squeezed my hands and added:

“I am so in love with you, since that day in
the flower field. I know how long you’ve waited for me to say that.
I’m sorry you had to wait so long. Those words have always been
inside me. I couldn’t get them out. Every time I try, well, Source,
Ellie, I look at you and I can’t breathe. But that’s no excuse. I
should’ve told you. I want to tell you for the rest of my life. So,
it’s time I pulled the words from my pocket.”

Warm tingles washed over me.

I forgot how to speak, how to think.

In my peripheral, his hand dropped, but his
eyes held mine. As my bottom lip started to quiver, I blinked away
the threat of tears. Vyn’s hand came up as he said, “Ellie?”

“H-uh,” a whimper caught on a light sob.

“Ellie, my life, my heart, all of me, has
always been yours … Ellie?”

“H-uh.”

“It’s your birthday, Ellie. I couldn’t think
of a better way to celebrate how thankful I am to have you in this
world. This is for you, my angel, for us. Please look down.”