I Knew Her As August

four: stranger savior

Conrad was right, it was just a short walk from where they were. Nicki tried not to feel the shame and embarrassment of being so close and yet so lost. Conrad tried to explain the different train routes as they walked, but Nicki quickly lost track. She listened to her with an extensive attention though, like Conrad's words were poetry.

The two girls rounded the last corner and came to a sudden halt. The streets were filled with city police cars and policemen, the lights flashed against the store windows making the whole square look like a Christmas tree.

"Shit. Is that for you?" Conrad asked in disbelief. Nicki gulped and feared that she was right.

She was ready to turn around and tell Conrad that she didn't have to deal with this and could leave, but a loud shriek made everyone freeze.

Tulip pointed in their direction, her face red from crying, and screamed in horror. A herd of policemen flooded the scene and rushed at Nicki and Conrad. They grabbed them with far more force than necessary, ripping Nicki away as they slammed Conrad into the ground. Her cheek skidded against the concrete and drew blood.

"Stop! Let her go!" Nicki cried out but no one listened to her. She tried to kick and fight her way free, but the officers kept their firm grip and led her away from the scene.

The next thing she knew, Nicki was being thrown into the back of a car. It was the same car they had rode down in, Thomas sitting silently in the driver seat.

"What's going on? Why'd they attack her?" Nicki yelled, trying to find a way out of the car.

"Calm down, Princess," Thomas huffed. "You're safe now, that Demon won't hurt you."

Nicki saw Conrad being loaded into the back of a police car, her hands cuffed behind her back. She tried to fight but it only resulted in her being forced onto the hood of the car, the officers cursing at her. Nicki banged on the window desperately.

"She didn't hurt me! She's the one who brought me back here," Nicki shrieked. She felt a lump forming in her throat.

Her words touched Thomas though, his face softening. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small phone. He pressed a button and brought it to his ear.

"My King, the princess needs a word with you," he mumbled into the speaker. They waited for a reply but saw Copenhagen approaching the car to talk in person. Nicki had never seen him look this angry before, or this worried. His jaw was tight and his blue eyes darkened like there was a storm brewing inside his head.

He opened the car door and slid inside, the roar of the commotion outside filled the air for a second before it was confined again to the controlled silence.

"Nicolette Sage Rosewood. Where did you go?" His voice was full of authority and reminded Nicki of their mother.

"Look, I just wanted to check something out real quick, I was gonna come right back. But then I got lost and this guy wouldn't leave me alone, and that girl they're arresting is the only reason I'm alive!" Nicki yelled, her hysteria swelling into her face.

Copenhagen's face immediately bounced back to his youthful days, his full lips pursed with suspicion. "That girl? A Demon? Are you sure about this, Nicki? This is a very serious matter."

"Hell yeah this is serious! You're arresting an innocent person. You should be thanking her, not blaming her," Nicki snarled, her voice booming against the windows. It shook some sense into Copenhagen and he immediately jumped out of the car and stopped the police car before it could drive away.

Nicki watched him talk to the officers, frustration and confusion growing on their faces. She clenched her fists as she waited for something to happen.

The conversation seemed to go on forever, until finally the back door of the car opened and Conrad stepped back out onto the sidewalk. The officers unlocked the cuffs like it disappointed them.

Nicki tugged on the door handle and was relieved when Thomas unlocked it and she stepped out into the chilled air. She ran over to where her brother and Conrad stood, the policemen all driving off into the night without another word.

"Conrad, are you okay? I'm so sorry about this," Nicki cried, glancing over the cuts and bruises on her arms and face.

"My apologies for the unwarranted arrest and the rough housing. We acted on impulse and made a false judgement. It is to my new knowledge that you are in fact the hero of the story. Is it true that you saved the princess?" Copenhagen asked, his voice roaring over the low drone of the passing cars.

Conrad's eyes were dead as she rubbed at her wrists. She looked between the two Angels, like one of them was going to strike at any moment. They waited for her reply, giving her air to breathe.

"I didn't know she was the princess," Conrad muttered. "I just helped because it was the right thing to do. But I guess being a decent person is criminal now." She spat, looking the king in his eyes with complete hatred.

Copenhagen exhaled, his broad shoulders tense. He suddenly dropped his head in a deep and meaningful bow, his hair brushing along Conrad's boots. Her face dropped in disbelief.

"I am Copenhagen Odis Rosewood, King of the Angelic people and ruler of the land of wings. And I am indebted to you," Copenhagen exclaimed, straightening up.

Conrad gawked at him, her brown eyes like saucers. No one had ever bowed to her before, let alone a king.

"Please, what is your name? I must know the name of my sister's savior," Copenhagen asked kindly and calmly, the chaos from earlier fading with the sun.

"My name is Conrad Hale, your highness." Her formality was almost a joke. The wind picked up and twirled around them, warning of a cold night.  Conrad's curls draped across her face like a curtain.

"These streets are no place to discuss my debt to you. Please, allow me to have a car pick you up tomorrow and bring you to Rosewood Castle. I'm sure my mother would love to thank you in person." Copenhagen insisted.

"The Rosewood Castle? As in, the angel castle?" Conrad said, not believing him.

"Yes, the very same. It's a lovely place, I'll gladly give you a tour." Copenhagen flashed her one of his dashing smiles.

"Uh, okay. Sure." Conrad agreed happily and a little bewildered.

"Excellent. I'll have one of my drivers take you home." He waved an Angel guard over. "I don't mean to rush off, but I feel we have caused enough of a scene here and must return home before its completely dark. But I look forward to our discussion tomorrow, Miss Hale." He took Conrad's hand and kissed it lightly. She looked at him like he was insane but didn't pull her hand away.

Copenhagen whisked Nicki away before she had the chance to say anything more and tucked her back into the black Suburban. Tulip was already sitting inside, her face puffy from crying.

"Nicki!" she cried out, wrapping her arms around Nicki tightly. "I thought you were dead!"

Nicki patted her friend's head lightly. "I'm okay, Tuey. No scratches, no bruises." Nicki tugged at the hem of her skirt, trying the hide the darkening spots of blood.

Copenhagen closed the door and instructed the driver to take them home in a strict order.

Nicki began to tell Tulip the daring story of how she got lost on the trains and wound up in trouble, only to be saved by a kind stranger.

"A Demon saved you?" Tulip asked with shock and an unwavering disbelief.

"The world is quite a strange place, isn't it?" Copenhagen murmured, rubbing his eyes with exhaustion as the car disappeared behind the winding trees and into the night.