Colors of Angels

8. Rebels

*******
Falah's Point of View
*******

As Arabella heals my wings I close my eyes. The feeling returning to lost parts of them. She removes her hands and I can feel the power surging through them. I turn around to say thank you and see her laying back in grass. Drew rushes past me and drops to his knees next to her. I see her slowly open her eyes and look at Drew. I look around me. It's dark out now and I don't want to travel at night.

"We need to stay in town tonight, we can stay at your place. We will leave tomorrow, it's too late now." I say. I see him talking quietly to her and she weakly wraps her arms around his neck and he supports her by her waist helping her stand. She leans against him nearly spent. I feel a surge of guilt rack through my gut because she did it for me. She doesn't even know me yet she selflessly gave herself for me. How she did that I don't know.

"Let's get out of here" Drew says and takes off into the night sky. I look at them, her arms around his neck, legs around his waist. His arms wrap around her back. Her complete trust in this boy. Don't get me wrong I would trust Drew with my life, but the way she trusts him is more than that. I can't tell what it is yet, but I will figure it out.

*******
Arabella's Point of View
*******

I collapse back onto the grass, sending the last wave of health I can to Falah. I feel someone kneel beside me on the grass and open my eyes to see who it is. The first thing I see are those crystal blue eyes and they're looking right at me, my stomach flips.

"Hey, focus on me love, don't pass out, you need to stay awake" He whispers. I lock onto his voice. 

I need to stay awake. ya. that sounds right. but i feel so weak. I don't want to. It would be so easy to just sleep, ya, sleep. That sounds great.

"No, no Arabella open your eyes listen to me love, please stay with me"

Love? I havn't heard that forever.

My mind flashes back to a time he called me that. It was Friday night, he was dropping me off at my house after a football game and we walked up to the porch. I reach for the handle when he gently touches my arm and turns me around to face him. I look up at him and those blue eyes, his hand reaches up to my face and the other to my waist he pulls me close to him. I let him pull me closer. I can barely breath and my mind has gone blank as to where I am. As his lips touch mine my hands find their way into his blonde hair and I lean my body even closer to him till there is no space left. After a moment I pull away and he smiles down at me. "I'll see you tomorrow love" he said before kissing my cheek and walking down the porch steps and to his car. The first time he kissed me.

All this in a split second of time before I'm pulled back to reality by Falah's voice I miss what she says but Drew looking at me reminds me we have to go. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, pushing what we used to be out of my mind.

*******

Drew's Point of View

*******

I can feel worry knotting my stomach as I try to get her to stay awake. 

"Let's get out of here" I say as soon as I get Arabella on her feet. I take off and hear Falah follow behind me. We keep low, barely above the trees and fly along the edges of the valley, like Arabella and I did on the way in. We are able to move much faster though. I skim the dark trees below me for any sign of the Rebels. 

The Rebels are a faction of Guardians that split off. The decided they wanted to use their power for their own wants, rather than to protect the secrets we hold. They wanted to control the people, as slaves. They were put down, or so we had been told. It was what they call The Struggle. The Guardians were able to defeat the Rebels, but there were many deaths. It started 17 years ago with a guy named Pennington.

He went to Starboard University. Every Guardian must attend for at least a year. Most either go for two summers to complete their courses during high school or they will go the year after high school. If a guardian is planning on becoming a part of the Council or working for the Guardian society as a part of our system to be a leader they must attend more than just a year. Pennington was in his third year to become a leader when there was an attack on the University. It was traced back to him and a large group of students who were showing humans who they are and what they can do, they were a small society located in a town near the university. They attacked the university trying to take control. That was the start of it, they destroyed the university and continued to attack other Society buildings. The Guardians immediately moved to stop them, that was when Pennington went missing, for two years. When he showed back up it was with a following so large it started a war. Many Guardians and Rebels died, but people suffered most,  they were torn from their normal lives by the Rebels and thrown into a world with magic beyond their beliefs.

After a year long struggle the Rebels disappeared again. That was 15 years ago. 

And now it seems their back and they want Arabella. Well they won't get her, I won't let them hurt her. We soon reach the edge of town and land near my house. I slip Arabella's legs down from around my waist and slip my hand down below her knees and pick her up in a much more appropriate way for the dress she is wearing. I can't believe that just this morning I had no idea she was a part of my world.