Unkillable (Monsters Series #1) (Wattys2014)

Chapter 14: The Question

“What?” I asked, concerned, “Do I have something in my teeth?”

“Jesse, ma vie,” Angel whispered in my ear soothingly, “You’re glowing. Seriously, you’re glowing.”

And I was; actually, it was more like I took a shower in glitter. Each of my pores were a single speck of silver, like tiny stars in a pale yellow sky. How ironic that was. I didn’t see how the exercises made me glow, but I was on Liberal Ground; anything could happen.

“Why am I glittering?” I asked worriedly.

“It happens when you’re nearly done with your full transformation.” Angel explained, “For me, the transformation energy was gold, but it shouldn’t be any different from yours.”

“I thought I was already transformed.” I paused, “Does this mean I’m still mortal?”

“You’re in between, Jess.” Angel replied, “In just a few more days, we’ll be together forever. I promise.”

I gave him a brief kiss and embraced him. He kissed the top of my head and stroked my hair. I looked in the mirror in front of me.

My red hair faded, so it was platinum blonde again. My yellowish skin was becoming pale from the lack of sunlight in the tunnels. My eyes were still black, and my body was still like a tree sapling, but I was more toned from the exercises.

“Jesse,” Angel whispered nervously, “Can you meet me at the gardens in an hour? I have something...important to talk to you about.”

“Alright. Sure.” I whispered, feeling melancholy for having to be away from him for a whole hour.

He kissed my forehead and was gone.

I decided to take a walk around the tunnels while I waited. The tunnels had puddles of brown water on the otherwise clean and reflective aluminum. It wasn’t as busy that day than usual, so it was very peaceful in the tunnels. I could only hear the sounds of the water dripping on the floor.

Drip, drip, drip. Drip, drip, drip.

Suddenly, I felt an all too familiar feeling in my fingers. I looked down at them and saw that there was a current running between my fingers. This was no uncommon sight. Why? It's because I'm the Starkeeper. I can control anything having to do with the stars and light. I have been able to since I was five. Even then, I knew how everyone on this side of the border felt about Witchcraft, so I kept it a secret. I finally got the confidence to tell my family in November, and you know how that went down.

I could feel it now. The star came through the walls and multiplied. The stars danced across the tunnel ceiling in a row like ballerinas in The Nutcracker. I couldn't help but smile at the display. After a long while, the stars retreated to the night skies once more.

I could see my reflection in the walls, along with someone else’s. I turned, and the person was gone without a trace. That means someone here knows who I am.

After what seemed like forever, I was on my way to the gardens. The gardens were a large room meant to resemble a large, open valley with flowers, blue skies and all. If there was anything like that in the Holy Land, I’ve never seen it.

When I got there, I could practically feel the wind against my face, I could smell the flowers in the far-off wing.

“Hello, ma vie.” Angel whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

I turned and rested my head in the curve of his neck. He held me and stroked my hair; I breathed him in. He smelled like roses and honey now, without the gunpowder. His hair wasn’t in its usual gelled, kempt state but completely free of the oils he usually uses. He was wearing a just a white button-down and jeans, but this was probably the most beautiful I had ever seen him. It must have been the look in his round obsidian eyes that stared into the soul.

“Do you like it here?” Angel asked softly.

“Of course I do!” I replied, “You’re here.”

I placed my hand on his cheek; he placed his hand over mine and kissed my palm. Angel took it and set it on his chest.

“Jesse,” Angel whispered, “Before you came into my life, I was a train wreck. Beth was probably the only thing that kept me from trying to find some way to end that misery I called my life. Then I saw you, injured and alone, and I decided to save you, because you...”

He paused for a moment to recollect himself. I wiped a single, salty tear from his cheek with my thumb. I let him continue.

“You...made my heart beat again. It was as if you had fallen from the Heavens just to make me feel alive again. When you smile, my heart races, and when you cry, I just want to hold you and kiss away your tears. When I overheard you and Nevaeh talking about me and discovered that you felt the same, I was the happiest man in the world at that moment. I still can’t believe you love me!”

By now, Angel was practically a tear factory.

“When I first kissed you, it was as if everything made sense in the world. I was meant to be with you, Jesse.”

Then I felt the tears running down my face. Angel just held me close to him. He took my hands in his and kissed them.

“What brought this on?” I asked through my joyful sobs.

Angel just cried into my shoulder for several minutes. I grabbed the back of his shirt and bunched the fabric into my fists.

When Angel finally stopped crying, he brought himself up to gaze into my eyes. They were filled with love and joy; they were like a black sea of lava.

“Jesse,” Angel whimpered, “I love you. I have loved you since I first saw you, and I will love you until the day I die...if that ever happens.”

Angel reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black velvet box. He went down on bended knee and opened the box. In the box was a silver band that fit my finger perfectly. The carvings in the band read: You are my love, my life, my world.

I gasped. My heart was pounding in my chest. I looked at him in surprise.

“Jessiah Rasselas Salvatier, will you marry me?”

I stood there in speechless awe for a few moments, trying to see if this all was real instead of a beautiful, beautiful dream. Angel wanted to marry me. Angel wanted to marry me!

“Yes!” I cried, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”

I embraced him, nearly knocking him off his feet. I kissed his lips passionately. To my surprise, he grabbed me by the waist, picked me up, and spun me around and around with glee until I could feel the earth moving on its axis. He then gently set me on the ground and kissed my lips. His forehead leaned against mine.

“You have no idea how happy you just made me.” Angel whispered, “You are the only person in the world that could make me this happy. There’s so much to do! January is only a few weeks away, and we need to pick a venue, the wedding party...”

“Angel!” I soothed, stroking his hair, “Let’s do this one step at a time. First, let’s plan how we’re going to tell everyone.”

“Alright.” Angel replied, “So how are we going to tell them?”

“How about we just tell them at dinner tomorrow night?” I suggested.

“Perfect!” Angel exclaimed, “This is going to be a wedding no one will ever forget.”

He pecked my lips gently. We exited the gardens hand in hand like lovesick teenagers.

“Papa! Father! Papa! Father!”

Angel and I ran toward the voice of our daughter. Beth was being beaten to death by someone in a black cloak. Angel grabbed him and pinned him against the tunnel wall. The hood on his cloak fell, and it revealed the face of Damien, my brother.