Finding Heathcliff

Forty-Three

Astrid stirred when the first sounds from the outside reached them-- their companions, having slept much longer than Astrid and Azrael, were up and ready for the next part of their journey soon after sunrise.

They would reach Oblivis tonight... Azrael shuddered at the thought of bringing Astrid there, but, yet again, he didn't have a choice.

Oblivis was for fallen angels what Hell was for demons-- a place of punishment. But there was no avoiding it if he was to take her to Michael. The archangel refused to set foot in Eurovea or anywhere else on Earth.

Feeling her hand on his cheek, Azrael realised that she was awake, finding her blue eyes watching him curiously when he looked at her.

The girl took his breath away; perceiving her thoughts entirely free of any sort of repulsion or remorse in his proximity was stunning. She let herself be guided by her heart, like the angels. How could the demon Arcturus believe that she was his brother's daughter...

"Are you thinking... about my uncle?" she asked, frowning, scattering his thoughts.

"And many other things," he admitted. "I should be more careful. The angel in you is awaking, soon you'll read my thoughts as well as I read yours."

"Hopefully." She smiled. "It's so unfair when you do it."

"You can block me," he said, bemused by the myriad of thoughts rushing through her mind.

"What am I thinking about now?" she challenged, and he could feel the faintest resistance as he dived into her mind again; she was beginning to learn.

"This," he pressed his lips to hers, following the thought he knew she didn't want him to see, unable to resist teasing her.

She gasped, and he knew that he surprised her. He steeled himself to pull away from her and never do it again, when her arms wrapped around him as if she couldn't prevent them and he, instead of pulling away deepened the kiss, getting lost in her closeness, feeling her getting lost in him.

"Ramiel, I can't find Azrael," Rigel's voice reached them from the insignificance reigning beyond the thin walls of the tent, making Astrid pull away from him, blushing, as their reality flooded her mind again. But not even now did she run from him. She simply hid her face in his chest, breathing him in, as he tightened his hold around her, his fingers playing with her hair.

"Your scent, Azrael, it's how I imagine the burning incense in the ancient churches smelled once," she muttered.

"It's the scent of my wings. I fell from Heaven, through this pit, into Oblivis. The fall took seven days. My wings burned, feather by feather, while I fell."

Astrid gasped and wrapped her arms around him again, wishing she could delete the memory of the pain that she could perceive in his thoughts.

Azrael. I know you are inside. We better move on so we find a suitable place to spend the night. You know Oblivis as well as I do, keeping our human friends safe will be a challenge, Ramiel's thoughts reached Azrael's mind, and as on cue, Astrid shuddered, getting a glimpse of them.

"Oblivis isn't a safe place but we will do anything to protect you," Azrael said encouragingly, kissed her on her forehead then removed her arms gently from around him, exiting the tent and leaving her alone while she dressed and packed.

"Did you sleep with the girl again? And does she finally know? And she is happy about it?" Ramiel attacked him with the whispered statements worded like questions, but Azrael was sure that his friend had already picked his answers from Astrid's thoughts.

He knew how irresistible her thoughts were, but he didn't like to share them with Ramiel or anyone else.

"The girl is learning fast, Ramiel, but until I teach her to shield her thoughts, would you please not read them?" Azrael demanded, keeping his voice as low as Ramiel's.