The Impact (Book II)

Interruptions

Keith's training progressed nicely over the course of the next several months. Enough so he was allowed to go back to school and his life was out of any immediate danger. Yet the incident between him and Zach had caused a strain in my marriage with Will. We seldom spoke with one another, making dinner tense and awkward, and one went to bed long before the other and was gone before the other awoke. And Zach had become almost unbearable when Orlene wasn't around. He constantly tried to pick fights with Keith and, occasionally, with me. He looked ready to strike me when I told him he was acting more like a demon and less like an angel with each passing day.

I visited the portal a handful of times, each time my wish to momentarily escape my reality growing stronger until it was almost impossible for me to resist the urge.

"Trouble in paradise?"

I barely reacted to the sound of my brother's voice coming from behind me.

"Zane," I greeted, bored eyes on the portal.

His heavy uniform clinked as he plopped down beside me, leaning back on his hands as he stretched his legs out. He regarded the portal with his head tilted to the left. "Do you ever miss it?"

"Recently I have. I've been wondering...what my life would have been like if I decided to marry Lin after all. If I didn't choose Will." I softly admitted, digging my fingers into the flesh of my arms.

"Still have no regrets?" he inquired.

"No. I'd do it all again. Even if I knew how unhappy I'd be at this point in time. I just don't know what's going on between him and me, Zane. It's like I'm married to a stranger." I looked helplessly at him.

He appraised me flatly and shook his head to get his black and white hair out of his face. "What did you expect when you married an angel? Your natural enemy? Of course it wasn't going to stay on Cloud Nine forever; I'm only impressed it stayed like that as long as it did. Give me the boy."

I jerked my head. "What?"

"Your demon boy is the one causing problems, right? So, give him to me and I'll take him to Hell with me." Zane elaborated.

My eyes narrowed and I dug my nails into my arms. "No. I would never forgive myself if I just gave him up. Besides, Lucifer wants my family dead. That would just be giving him what he wants."

Zane didn't seem so sure. "He might show some leniency."

I snorted derisively.

"You are not so naïve to believe Lucifer would show a Semifacta demon leniency. Not when his father is an Archangel."

He changed the subject and I took it as a victory on my part. "The Angel of Death has really been cracking down on summoned demons. Do you think he collects souvenirs like the way we do when we kill an angel?"

My ear twitched. "What? I haven't heard anything about that."

"Well, your pretty boy husband wouldn't want you to know, now would he? No matter how much he loves you, he will always view you as nothing more than a demon. And a demon looks after their own, whether they admit it to themselves or not." Zane stood and dusted off his pants.

"I need to get going; gotta report. 'Still no change.'" He headed towards the portal, hands in his pockets, but then he paused.

When he looked over his shoulder at me, there was real concern in his eyes. "Look, Mels, I shouldn't say anything but I have to tell you: your future doesn't look good. You should run while you still can."

Before I could ask him what he meant, he stepped through the portal and disappeared.

At dinner, I couldn't shake off Zane's warning. I chased a piece of chicken around my plate. Orlene was present—as she typically was—and making pleasant conversation with Keith. It was odd; she didn't shy from him the way most humans did. He was talking with her, his face carefully neutral. I didn't think he had quite gotten over his dislike of her, but at least he was trying.