Angel of the lake

Chapter One

Breathing had never been so unimportant.

To breathe was to give herself away, and Meg was smarter than that.

Just out here shivering my tits off...

Just another normal night in the heavens.

The night was too cold. Her warm breath was sure to fog up, carrying despite the absence of wind. And sure, some of the mistresses of the heavens might not notice it, but Meg recognised the figure beyond the wall she hid behind as Nadine.

If anyone would notice, then it was Nadine.

With those eerily piercing blue eyes of hers, nothing got past Nadine.

Even now, the fate- Nadine- undeclared leader of the mistresses- whipped her head back and forth, watching to make sure no one was about. It was past curfew. The Valkyries of the heavens were all supposed to be in bed. Being caught out at such a time would land her a severe punishment.

Don't breathe.

She had experience with this.

Meg was a, quote on quote, rulebreaker.

Through the dark, Meg squinted for a better look.

Nadine was there, along with two other mistresses. Two of them flanked an angel, whilst Nadine took up the rear as the look out.

In charge of all of the heavens and the wellbeing of the Valkyries living within said heavens, the mistresses were figures of responsibility and professionality.

No wonder they didn't want anyone knowing what they were up to.

Meg squinted harder, fighting to see that angels' face.

That angel's name was Giselle.

Meg knew her. She'd been here for nearly as long as Meg had. They'd grown up together, actually. Maturing into the sheltered immortals they were today.

But these days Meg didn't feel so sheltered anymore.

By the looks of it, Giselle was flailing, crying out in despair as the two mistresses dragged her along. They dragged her without remorse.

Meg knew those kind and sickly looks they gave out in the day were nothing but a lie. As she'd gotten older, she'd seen the malice behind those glances. The expectancy, as though guiding the angels to adulthood was a burden as opposed to a choice.

Meg's eyes had been opened the hard way.

Meg remembered what she'd say.

"Don't look now Megan. That mistress over there has let her mask slip." She'd go out of her way to reveal their 'true nature', proving they weren't the eternally patient beings they claimed to be. "Look closer. See that? The mistress has a gold tooth." Back then, Meg hadn't thought any deeper into it, but she had. "Do you know what that means, Megan? It says that the real her is rotting."

Why would an immortal need a gold tooth when their missing teeth grew back?

Nowadays, Meg saw it.

Like she had, Meg went out of her way to make mistakes, just to see those short cracks in the mistresses' facades.

She'd mess their names up to watch them scowl. She'd ponder indecisively to watch their jaws tick. Sometimes, she'd trip in their paths to watch them bite back slurs and curses.

There was no kindness in how they dragged Giselle along. No patience whatsoever.

"Be quiet, silly girl," One of the mistresses hissed, tugging on Giselle harder. Meg's fellow angel stumbled, crying out in distress. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."