The Falling (Book I)

Greenhouse

Something damp sprinkled my nose, causing it to twitch. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter before cracking them open. I was lying on a hard cot, my body cocooned in a scratchy blanket. The fabric of the blanket rubbed against bare skin and I realized someone had removed my clothes. My cheeks flushed and I hoped it had not been William after all. A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. I was too hot but was hesitant to move if I was naked. Finally, modesty lost and I sat up and untangled myself from the blanket, taking in my surroundings.

[As if there is anything to be modest about; you look like a boy with tits,] Rayi sneered.

I chose to ignore her. I was in a large glass enclosure filled with plants of varying species. Some I recognized and others were so exotic; they seemed alien to me. The air was humid—almost unpleasantly so—and smelled of warm earth. I looked around slowly, my brain pounding against my skull. Wincing, I lifted a hand and cupped my forehead.

"Ugh, my head...what happened?" I asked.

[You passed out in the middle of a storm. An angel rescued us.] Rayi replied. My body tensed at this revelation and I swiveled my head, eyes scanning for the angel. I ignored the vertigo that erupted from the movement.

"Ah, you are finally awake! How are you feeling?" A blond head poked out from behind a large potted plant directly beside the cot I was sitting on.

Not expecting him to be so close, I jerked backward with a surprised cry. I tried to stand up but forgot my legs were still wound in the blanket and I unceremoniously fell to the ground, cracking my head on the stone floor. Groaning, I sat up and clutched my head as my vision temporarily blackened.

"Easy, I will not hurt you." His voice was conversant and sounded closer.

I looked up and saw the angel Zane had been with looking kindly down at me, his smile anxious. He was still maintaining his distance, seemingly not wanting to spook me any more than I already was. He had his palms facing me.

"I-is it alright if I help you up?" he asked.

I hesitated but decided if he were going to hurt me he would have done so already. I nodded my assent, and he smiled and walked over to me. His slim hands gently grabbed me by my upper arms and pulled me up. I struggled to move my legs and keep a grip on the blanket. Once I was on my feet, I wrapped the blanket around me in a makeshift dress and the angel hoisted me back onto the cot, the strength in his thin arms surprising. Once I was situated, he took a seat on the bench across from where I was sitting.

"Where am I and why am I naked?" I finally questioned after a minute of uncomfortable silence.

"My greenhouse: it is my heaven away from Heaven!" He crossed his legs. "I found you a few hundred yards away from my greenhouse and recognized you from earlier. You were almost frozen solid; I was afraid I was too late! So, I brought you in to warm you up.

"U-um, as to why you are naked, I had to strip you because they were wet. The Angel of Health told me once to remove wet clothes off someone suffering from cold-fever. D-do not worry; I-I did nothing indecent to you!"

As he explained, I regarded him closely now that my brother wasn't there to glare at me. The angel was slight, almost feminine in build. His downy hair was cut to his ears with the ends turning up. His chin was startling sharp given the softness of his cheeks. He wore a brown long-sleeved tunic, gray trousers, and boots. He stared at me with a peaceful expression.

"Why did you help me?"

He blinked, as though puzzled by my question.

"Well, you are important to Zane. And it was the right thing to do." He said, fidgeting with the sleeve of his tunic.