An Angel's Wings.

Ch. 24 Water.

I was underwater. Above me the water rippled, and I turned my body to look around. The crystal clear depths went low, and I propelled myself downward. My hair and clothes being pushed backwards by the force it took. Twisting once more, my lips formed a smile. I was free, what was above didn't matter anymore.

I was free to swim where ever I wanted.

The bottom was close, and I saw something shimmering below, the urge to get closer was tempting, and I obeyed. That was when I felt a disturbance in the waves. Looking up I saw the bottom of a wooden boat, and an odd emotion swept over me. I saw a figure with dark hair lean over the side, and vaguely heard the figure yelling for someone. Maybe swimming down wasn't the best idea?

Frozen in confusion, my gaze darted up and down, and finally I decided. Tuning out the yelling, I swam down to the shimmering object. The mud at the bottom of the river was covering it, running my hand over it, I easily moved the mud and saw a mirror. The girl staring back had glowing white eyes, with no color, and her veins were glowing gold. She was powerful. Before I could open my mouth to say anything, the girl in the mirror shifted and instead I saw him. Dark hair, a smile, cold haunting eyes, not comforting. Not the other one. Every feature in his face was etched in greed.

I opened my mouth to scream, and I inhaled the water around me. My body convulsed and the world went black.

Shooting up, I nearly fell out of my bed.

"Twelve?" I heard a voice ask, looking up it was Angel. "How'd you get in here?" I asked, "Well I was taking the long way home and I saw your bedroom window open." He answered, the long way to his house? My face must've looked puzzled, if it did Angel didn't comment. "Are you alright, you're soaking wet." He added, and I realized I was. Like I'd been swimming or something, my bed was damp, and my body was drenched in water. Still something about this was bothering me. Angel's house was opposite from mine, even if he took a long way home it wouldn't be near my house.

"I'm fine, why were you actually here?" I asked, Angel sighed, leaning against the wall. "Promise not to freak out?" He asked, "No. But you should tell me anyway." I responded. He looked down. "Well E visited me recently, and told me to keep an eye on you. Sometimes I patrol your house to make sure no demons are breaking in, so you won't get abducted. I never go in, I promise, but tonight I saw your bedroom window open and got worried. I really don't want you to get abducted again." He sounded so earnest and I couldn't be creeped out. Angel is close to me, and he isn't going through my stuff or watching me sleep like a pedophile. He was walking around my house to make sure I was safe. Which is relevant because I was abducted.

"Oh, thanks." I murmured in surprise. "Do you need a towel?" He asked, I shook my head. "I'll go change." I stood up, and suddenly it felt like I was choking on something. My whole body seized as I wretched. Angel was by my side, and he sat me down. My whole body was shaking and I was cold. "I'll be back." He stated, and he raced off. I couldn't remember my dream well but it had something to do with water...

My eyes kept going to the mirror in my room. Something about it was making me really uneasy, and nauseous. Angel returned with a towel and blanket. "Angel?" I asked, he looked at me awaiting a command. "Please cover that mirror." I couldn't keep the quivering out of my voice. "What?" He asked, "Cover the mirror." I repeated. It was obvious he was puzzled but I must've looked pretty scared because he took a sheet off of my bed and covered it. Then he sat in front of me, he blinked and his eyes turned yellow. That made me smile a little.

"Raven had a pretty bad face injury," He started, an odd feeling went through my body. "Really?" I asked, some reason I wasn't surprised. Angel nodded, "How did you find out?" I asked, Angel sighed, and gave me a slightly sheepish look. "I guess I should tell you." He responded, my eyebrow arched slightly. "Raven's my sister."

Suddenly all the puzzle pieces clicked together. They both took different roles in the school to remain hidden. Angel went the introverted route to conceal himself, Raven went the extroverted. No one would guess they were related, they had completely different skin tones, and acted completely different. But they did have similar facial structure. "Why didn't you ever stop her?" It's odd that's the one thing I asked. I didn't gasp in surprise or ask further questions about their relationship. Instead a broken question escaped my lips, a broken question from a broken girl. That caught Angel's attention, "Twelve," He started, his voice and face contorted in concern. "Sorry I know you didn't know me that well." Tears swelled up in my eyes despite my not wanting them too. He paused then suddenly pulled me close. "I tried, I tried but she insisted that you had to hate her, so you two couldn't be connecting. No one would suspect you were connected to a halfling and try to hurt you." He explained in a delicate voice.

"She knew I was a halfling?" I managed through my tears. "I don't know but she said it was for your own good. She cared about you so she hurt you, it wasn't right but it's how she deals with things." Angel explained, cradling me delicately. "What?" I managed. "Raven isn't like me because I was raised by our father, the angel. But our mother took her first, demons can't stay perfect. My father only found her when she was 13 and my mother ruined her. Raven would only speak in latin for two years, she killed things because she thought she had too. Our mother ruined her Twelve, and she thought she was protecting you." Angel insisted. Bullies break people because they're broken. I've heard it all my life but only realized it just now. My body relaxed, and I let out a sigh. "Sorry for freaking out." I whispered. I couldn't exactly put years of torture behind me, but now I had a reason behind it.

"It's fine."

Usually people say those words spitefully, but I knew Angel meant them. He still held me close. "How did she get hurt?" I asked, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You did it." He stated, I stiffened in surprise and then the memories came back. "I did." My voice held clarity. "I wanted to tell you, I think your lapsing in and out of accepting the prophecy and your powers and then being normal again." He explained, I nodded, but I didn't move. "Angel?" I asked, "Yeah?" He asked.

"I know I'm supposed to be thinking about demons and angels, halflings and prophecy. But there's something else on my mind." I stated, "What?" He asked, and I mustered up the courage to ask. Tilting my head back, I looked him in the eyes. "Are we dating?" He smiled, "That's a question I've been thinking about too." He seemed a little flushed but the happy smile on his lips was undeniable. I love it when he's happy. "I think we should go on a date before we start saying we're dating. I know nothing about us is exactly human, but I would like to be traditional with these things." He explained. "Oh then would it be untraditional for me to ask for a kiss?" I asked, he smiled. "Nope." Our lips met and mine curled into a smile, and he pulled back.

"Are you alright now?" He asked, I nodded, and he helped me change the sheets on my bed and lay back down. "See you later Twelve." His lips were curled into a smile, and his face was flushed, but he waved before he left. I closed my window, and laid back down. My eyes closed. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

"Tarasynoria." Someone whispered the name and I woke up instantly. Looking over I saw a woman who I'd never seen before. She looked like she either had no color or was full of color. Her clothes and hair were pure white, but every once and a while it'd flicker and her skin would turn ink black, or her hair, or her whole body. But she resonated calm. "Yes?" I asked, I wasn't scared. Her lips curled into a smile, she didn't seem intimidating or friendly. Oddly passive. "Come closer, let me see your face." I noticed her eyes were hidden behind her hair. Even though she didn't seem good or bad, I could sense her power, so I rose up and walked to her.

She outstretched her hand, but her fingertips barely brushed along my jawline. When they did, so much warmth and bliss went through my body it was like everything was perfect. But she retracted her hand and her fingertips were stained like she'd dipped them in pen ink. I also noticed she hovered slightly above the ground. "Follow me." Her voice was beautiful, and she drifted down the hall. I followed.

We walked down a path in the woods, and reached a lake.

The water in it was crystal clear.