While looking back from out the coffee shop window, there was no point for me to huff and puff to gather my breath, the fog of smoke was so thick in there. I barely could see Michael sitting across from me. Meeting here for about the last 20 years made us regulars I suppose. It'd become the point of job delivery. It wasn't far from my home, and the location was prime also for hearing tid bits of gossip from the smokers and sippers that monopolized the free Wifi with a coffee.
The coffee shop was located on the corner of Nimble and Main, adorned with brick colored awning and brown faded stone walls on the outside. It boasted only about 7 booths and a handful of high sitting tables. It was somewhat comfortable, the walls faced you with the yellow tinged glass and frames of pictures showing various plants, coffee beans, and famous faces that had become strangers to the newer generation.
Beth and John called the place their little 'Corner of Bliss'. Literally the name was plastered on the window facing the street. Being the owners, they took pride in the cheery smiles they gave, and service of hometown goodness. They were Other, though what species I am never sure of. I had an inkling they were closely associated with Angels, their need to feed everybody, be it coffee or pastry, seemed to fit. Beth had just served me black coffee and Michael some fancy spring water she kept around for the 'higher up Others' that would make an occasional visit. I was still learning, and feeling with my aura is considered rude. As always, I waited for Beth's to be reaching out, but it never did.
Others are anything 'other' than human, Angel, or Demon. Though on occasion be it Angel, or Demon, I still stuck them in the same category as Others, it was just easier to keep the list of species that weren't straight human, on track. I learned about Others after my sudden snatch from Death when I took my own life 20 years ago. I ended up then face to face with the Almighty himself. What I had done was a sin he told me, and now I owed him an eternity of service, protecting Others like Beth and John. I wasn't sent to Oblivion like I should have been, the Almighty decided it'd be fun and rearranged me completely so I could be put to good use.
"Thinking I could enjoy a nice vacation, but not one day after the last job, here I am again Michael. When is the Almighty going to let me breathe for more than 24 hours?" I needed to whine a bit, I would get used to having time off from being the bodyguard for the scaly and furry, then surprise! I get a text from Michael saying a new job has come in.
"Look Ayda, I'm just here to deliver the message. It's not my type of fun and games, you should know that." Michael cracked an innocent grin that hid the truth.
He wasn't my supervisor, but more a messenger between the Almighty and myself, so here I was again, squaring off with him verbally, like many other occasions, when the Almighty sent his orders. Michael has smooth to sharp features, deep dark eyes with white bleached waves perched on top of his head, he looked like your basic pretty boy, pop idol. Forget the chiseled bodies that are portrayed in bringing you that rough, manliness, Michael was lean, tall and all smoothness of rolling snowy covered meadows. He was the first Angel that I had met. He taught me the basics of what an Others aura felt like, and attempted to overwhelm my brain with information about them. I forgot most of it at that time and have been learning the hard way since.
"The mark refuses to join the West city juncture of Weres. He's refused too many times and finally someone put a big hit on him. Boss has something bigger going on that this is a part of, so he has a reason Cash needs to stay breathing. " Michael stated the assignment to me as always in a very bored tone this time.
"I refuse." I tried whispering softly, playing on that femininity of innocence. It failed, however, because I couldn't stop glaring at Michael's pointy nose.
"You can't, you know it, get over it." Short and to the point as usual.
"Michael, there is not an Other more annoying, cocky and an absolute pain in the butt on His holy earth than those damn things." That was a lie, but I was trying to get out of it.
Just like many Others having 'particulars', if you can look past a Weres one night a month furry episode, they are pretty normal. It wasn't the violence or control that I was hung up on, it was for their ironclad pride and cockiness.
Even though this would be the first Were I'd be guarding, I still knew enough for it to leave a bad smell in my nose. I may just be brought back from Death, but I was oh so nicely graced by the Almighty with some interesting perks. He had a twisted sense of humor when 'creating' beings.
"And if I still refuse?" Sounding flat and stern, stomping my feet as I tried sitting forward, the result caused the chatter of the small chipped, fancy coffee cup on a saucer at our table. The sound gathered a few looks from several humans and Others sitting around us. I could feel the stares but one glance from Michael, and they went back to sipping and eating.
"Try to Ayda, I dare you. You'll end back up on Mt. Juniper with the Dryads. Staring at trees and being bullied by the Dryads overpopulating it. I do dare you though, I so loved hearing you beg for forgiveness." Saying that with a sly smile, I knew Michael was right. I had no service there so I could only yell to the skies, begging for him to get me the heck out of there.
"The mark will make his way here shortly, and you won't have much time, little bird, so I suggest you quit your pity party early, down that sludge you claim is coffee, and get ready. This one, will be a little tricky." Trickey. That last word rolled off his tongue in such a way that it caused a cascade of shivers down my spine.
"Trickey, oh fantastic, I needed something to upend my boring life" The sarcasm I laid on in response failed.
He shrugged his shoulders slightly. Michael would rather wipe the entire race of others and sip a cold cocktail then deal with anything. He won't elaborate either, it's not his style to get caught in too deep with the ways and workings of upstairs.
"I wonder why a wolf wouldn't want the safety of a pack, he gets to live comfortably and bump fuzzies with whatever female he wants." I mused out loud glancing out the yellow stained window. He looked at me and chuckled.
"Well, that is, if he's strong enough. I however think there is more to it, but alas, I am just the messenger." Michael had a point on both accounts. I wasn't overly confident in my knowledge of the inner workings of Pack Others, but I knew some basics. Strength and pride are handled delicately among most things, and the thought of that made this even worse.
I wasn't getting out of this, no matter how much I whined. I sat there thinking and sipping my sludge. Sometimes the realization I needed to grow up and get over it slapped me.
"Be careful on this Ayda, I'm serious. I won't be around to snatch your little rear from the Devil's mouth this time. It's my tour season." He ended with a wide grin. How convenient for a pop idol to come and go as he pleases.
"Snatched, humph, more like dragged by my hair and fingernails." Mumbling this I remembered the last run in I had with him. The Devil is no joke. He definitely finds himself hilarious, but if you want to compare scariness, Michael is a bunny compared to him.
My thoughts of meeting King Lou for the first time, and Michael playing intervention counselor ended up on repeat in my head for a moment, before I was interrupted with Michael's voice slithering in and announcing "Almost time little bird". I hated when Michael called me that.
YOU ARE READING
Wings of Momentum
Fantasy"It was just a question. No need to get upset, its protocol for me to ask what the issues are and try to resolve them, before inevitable violence comes our way. I am here to protect you, not judge your length, of ego, or any such thing. It was also...
