Phoenix

Chapter Seven

Thankfully, traffic wasn't obnoxiously terrible, despite it being a Thursday, and because of the lack of cars on the road, I made it to my destination with...minimal annoyances, not to mention in record time, too, with fifteen minutes to spare. So all around, I was pretty happy that I didn't have to cuss out idiot drivers who didn't know what the hell they were doing. So...yay, I guess.

What I wasn't particularly fond of, was the icy wind that greeted me when I stepped out of my car, an involuntary shiver wracking my body as I begrudgingly gripped my jacket closer to myself.

Seeing as my...well, specialty, or whatever, was centered around fire, I loathed the colder part of the season because the air was always much too frigid to be acceptable. Not to mention it always seemed to take my breath away, often making it difficult to breathe on the colder nights. Which was why I personally preferred the summer season.

So with a hefty, childish pout, I made my way into the warmth that was Starbucks, a relieved sigh leaving my lips as I made my way to the counter to order drinks for Jack and me.

I, of course, ordered my usual caramel macchiato, as I never order anything other than that, and I ordered Jack a whipped mocha frappuccino; his favorite, according to him.

After the order was made, I gave the barista my name and found myself a table. Far enough away from the windows, or door, that I wouldn't feel the icy air pouring in. I was already shivering enough, even with my jacket on...I didn't need anymore reasons to regret not wearing enough layers.

So corner seat away from any windows, it was.

Nibbling at my bottom lip as I waited for Jack to arrive, I whipped out my phone and texted him, letting the other man know I was here before I searched up the number the witch gave me, a certain...question lingering at the back of my mind.

-I have a follow up question in regards to what you told me about the reapers.

I sent her the text and sat my phone down, sighing as I dragged a heavy hand down my face. I had a feeling she would want something in return for my inquiry...but I had to know for certain if Father knew what the reapers were doing, or if he was just as clueless as I was. If he knew, well, he could send someone from his end to handle the problem, and I wouldn't feel obligated to return to Heaven. However, if he didn't know...I would have to find time to return to that place of bad memories and tell him everything I was able to find out. Because souls were powerful, and if they weren't returned to their intended destination when they were supposed to go...well, I really didn't want to find out.

In the middle of my thoughts, I heard a giggle, causing my brows to furrow as I turned to look where the sound had originated from. And once I made eye contact with a small group of girls, they squealed and tore their prying eyes away from me, giggling amongst themselves as I mentally shook my head in amusement.

I didn't really mind if they stared, after all, I was an angel, and that angelic beauty was often the cause of wandering eyes and flirtatious attempts. So I was used to having eyes on me, as unintentionally vain as that sounded.

Though...for the briefest of moments, I swore I smelled the musty, suffocating scent of death, and when I scanned the area...I didn't see anything, and just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone again, and I was left wondering if I had imagined it.

My stomach felt heavy with dread, my muscles taunt as I stiffly faced forward in my seat, grabbing my phone to see if I had any messages or not. I frowned when I saw that neither friend nor witch answered, and I began to worry my bottom lip with my teeth, not even noticing the woman that approached me until she cleared her throat, causing me to jump slightly and look at her.