Circles and Wings

Chapter 40

*Raph*

We sat silent on the bench after that. Watching the children play with Hunt, the hound who was growing on me. She looked at him, then the sky, and then at my wings. And then she shot up from the bench.

"Michael stole my mother's fertility." She said softly. I looked at her, confusion plaguing me. "Jenkins said... or maybe I misheard..." She slumped down beside me again. She leaned her head on my shoulder, "He said so many things... I think..."

I wrapped an arm around her and squeezed, hoping it would be enough to steady her mind. "I'm sure it will all be clear enough soon."

She shook her head, looking up at me, "I don't know..." she said, "Words are hard."

"I know..." I looked into her ice blue eyes. "Did you know, when I was made, I said nothing for fifty years?"

She pulled back, "Heaven must have been in pure bliss."

I laughed, "It was Emily and Aurelia assigned to get me to speak." I said, running a hand over her cheek.

"You knew my mom?" I nodded, "Was she nice?"

"The nicest women I'd ever met. Always was." I said, my thumb brushing her lip. "Scarlett, you don't need to feel bad about having a muddled head."

"But... What if it's something I need to know?" She asked.

I kissed her nose lightly and watched a little grin form on her lips. "Then I am sure you'll remember it."

"I don't want to be tortured tonight." She said, "I don't want to be in pain again."

"I'll tell you what." I said, "I'll sleep on a couch in the sitting room, hidden, and if I hear you scream, I'll come check on you."

She nodded and leaned into me. "Raph... how long are we supposed to pretend I can keep this up?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, running a soothing hand down her hair.

"Every time I'm near him, my uncle, I smell Mom... every time I see Aurelia I see Mom's face when she told me to run." She started shaking, "It's torture."

"I didn't realize..." I started.

"Did you know I fell into myself when she died?" I paused, nodding after a moment. "I'm caught between doing that again, and burning the three realms to the ground."

She looked at me and I couldn't help but stare into her eyes. "It's going to be alright, Scarlett."

She nodded, staring at me with eyes in deep thought. And then her gaze flashed to my lips, and back to my eyes. She brought her hand to my cheek and traced soft lines over my skin, leaning in slightly. I leaned in too, and when she didn't retreat I brought a hand to her cheek to pull her closer. And our lips brushed—

She jolted back when Hunt came panting up the her and dropped his head in her lap. She pet his head and placed a kiss, my kiss, on his head. Stupid hound. "Are you ready to go back Hunt?" She asked.

The hound whined as the boy from this morning, Phillip, ran towards us. "He's good and tired today!" He said coming to stand before Scarlett. He looked between us and whispered to her, "This isn't the man you were kissing earlier."

She leaned forward and whispered back, "I kiss many men."

"Is that allowed?" Phillip asked.

"I didn't really ask for permission." She laughed, "How are you fairing?"

"I'm good, Nanna said if you wanted to come over for dinner or to see us you're allowed to... also..." he trailed off looking at the ground.

She knelt before him, "What's up?"

He swallowed, looking into her eyes, "Daniel wants to know if he can touch your horns... he's hiding behind that tree right now." Phillip pointed at a tree to his left and another 13 year old boy, with skin as dark as Jasper's and eyes of silver. His hair was black and cut close to his head. He had silver wings and wore grey. An unusual color for someone in Heaven.

"Phillip," the boy whined, "You weren't supposed to ask like that."

Scarlett turned her attention to the boy, "Daniel, I presume." She held out her hand, and he nodded taking it. "I'm Scarlett." She guided his hand to her horns and let him run his fingers over them. Phillip came next to him and touched the other one.

"They're warm." Phillip said.

"I would assume they'd be warm, Phillip, she's made of Hell fire." Daniel said with a laugh.

Daniel reached behind her and touched a finger to the sharp tip of her wings, it drew blood. "Careful, my wings are sharp..." she laughed taking his finger and wiping the silver blood on her purple dress. The prick was healed before she let go. "I think it's time to get Hunt home." She said, "He's tired."

"Will you come back?" Daniel asked, "Or may we visit you?"

She looked to me, and I nodded once, "I suppose you could visit us." She said with a smile. "I'll see you both again."

"Bye!" Phillip and Daniel called as we walked away.

"They adore you." I told her.

"They see me as a shiny new toy." She laughed, "But they're nice and I wouldn't be cruel to them."

I took her hand in mine as we made our way back to the palace, "I wouldn't think you could be cruel to an innocent."

As promised, I fell asleep that night on a couch, hidden with a blanket and a glamour. And it was quiet, for a while, until the close struck midnight. Then there was a ruckus in her room. I got up, and pressed my ear to her door. Voices. Two voices in her room... but why?