Volare con gli Angeli | ••Selever•• Book Two

Vogelkop

Bao P.O.V.

I caught Hope in the hallway bowing my head to her. She was always gleaming like that in the sun. But all that light reflected on her like light did on broken glass bottles on the beach. Hope turned to me her golden eyes digging a tunnel into mine. As if telling me not to say a word to anyone. It was a stare I knew well but I wasn't that scared of it or at least not anymore than I already was. I gulped and nodded resting my hand over Hopes looking down at her hand and running along her fingernails. Long clean and sparkling. It was hard to look at her. She shined with praise, with honor. I wanted to be like that. But I didn't look anything like her.

I wasn't perfectly sculpted for Raphael, I had to work my whole after life to be where I was now, and even now, my once perfect embordering fingers grew thicker and harder, calloused because of picking up pots and pots of herbs or handling every weapon in my arsenal to protect something. It was hard to be jealous of her. With the way she twinkled, she intimidated everyone.

You couldn't look into her eyes because they were hidden under a sheath of gold. But still able to show emotion like glass. Her arms were elegant and strong, able to wield any weapon as if it was something easy in her hands. Her hair was incomparable to anyone else, standing out in a crowd. Halo dripping onto her golden head. Her waist was slim and perfect. I would stare in the mirror every day trying to recreate a body as slim and bendable as hers. Even her legs I was envious of. They were so strong and yet so beautiful. After a long day being able to see them in shorts was almost a miracle in itself. It was like flesh clung to bone.

But no matter how perfect she was. No matter how sparkly she seemed. There were things about her that just seemed unholy. She was a snake with beautiful wings. She wouldn't let anyone see her feelings, or be like her, she morphed and changed prided herself in everything she did. Just like her master. She was a beautiful liar with a voice dripping with honey. When she's removing your hairpins before bed, and running her hands through your hair her voice drips into your head like the pitter patter of water. She knew how to bend you in any way she wanted. And yet no matter how broken I am, no matter if she discards me like the feathers she preens. I will continue to try and keep her out of trouble. But I was just so...

Tired.

I reached for her hand rubbing the back of it gently.

"You need to stop while you're ahead."

Hope looked down at me with a smile. "You're not really telling me to stop right?" She stopped and took my gloved hands in her cold ones. I had to look away turning my attention to the carpet underneath us. It needed a cleaning. "No... No no. I mean, couldn't you just... gone a little easier on them? If it's true-"

"Then we're closer to the stars than ever. It's good to know getting rid of Changping one hundred years ago did us some progress!" She interrupted me. I bit my lip remembering her face as Hope pushed her into the reincarnation well. I didn't... I couldn't do that again. I'd be killed by the archangels. "Why can't you just ask Gabriel and Metatron to send in a good reference for you." I stopped when Hope squeezed her eyes shut. "Do you think Gabriel would want to make me an archangel? He wanted to replace me with that snide bitch in that room over there." She stood above me looking down on me. "Just like Samael replaced me with Azrael, just like Michael replaced me with his "ex lover" as that archangel of yours calls it, I won't trust Gabriel to do anything for me." I shut my eyes tightly.

"I know. I know." I said. "Now look at me! I'm fuming! It's all that little angels fault! If it's true they're Changping then I'll be glad to shoot three birds out of the sky with just one stone." Hope stood back and took a deep breath lifting her arms above her head and folding them. "Whatever. It doesn't matter anyway. I'll find a way either way." Her eyes turned to me. "As for you."