The Above || Completed

38 These Wings

"Looks like I've been missing out," Erica said as we made our way back to the dorm for the night.
I looked down. "Yeah. I have a lot to tell you."
"You're just not ready, huh?" She assumed.
"I'm glad you understand," I said, watching her tie her inky hair back.
"I'll be here, Maddison." She winks jovially.
She walked ahead to catch up with Aeron. They struck up a bit of conversation back in the dining room. A good friendship looked to be brewing. I found myself in a slightly more hopeful mood.

"Maddison, are you feeling better?" Grace's voice came from behind me.
She was with Zachariah.
"Did something happen?" he asked, unease widening his sky-blue eyes.
I forced a smile. "You have nothing to worry about. Everything is all right, Zachariah."
"Are you sure?" Grace piped up.
I nodded insistently. "Of course. Thanks for your concern."
Just when I sped up, Zachariah spoke again. "By the way, that council lady wants to meet you after your excursion tonight."
I frowned, muttering mostly to myself. "Venus wants a progress report tonight?"
Zachariah shrugged. "Well, if you're leaving with Aeron, he's already gone."
"Oh, that's just fantastic." I grunted.

I made a detour to head to the courtyard. Surely, Aeron wouldn't have left without me? Well, if Venus was involved... Ridiculous. Aeron and I were exclusive now. He wouldn't just go off right after we'd made it so.
"Come on, Devonne!" Aeron's voice called to me from the baobab.
I snickered and jogged past the pale, snowy gardens the rest of the way. Aeron sauntered up to me with his hands in his pockets. With a smirk, he pecked me on the cheek in greeting. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Sorry to steal away your precious hours of beauty sleep. Venus insisted," he explained.
"Let's go then," I said, starting toward the nearest exit. "You have everything we need?"
He strode casually alongside me. "We won't really be needing anything."

Suddenly, I was of the opinion that maybe Aeron wasn't the brightest star in the sky.
"Cornelius." I sighed. "Honey, the whole point of attempting to find an angel is having the means to do so."
"Honey?" He smirked yet again.
I smiled bemusedly. "It's a nice word for naïve."
"Aw, you're being nice," he mused.
"See what I mean," I said with a shake of my head.
He heaved a sigh of surrender. "Well, we won't be hunting down any angels tonight."
"Huh?" I said in a tone unbecoming of a woman.
Aeron waved it off. "We can let Venus think we're investigating. Our progress report will be a lie anyway."
"Cool, I understand that. But what exactly are we going to do instead?" I asked, still beyond confused.
"Is it so wrong to surprise my girlfriend?" He retorted innocently.
I groaned exasperatedly. "Aeron, now is not the time for a first date."
"Who said it was a date?" He beamed mischievously. "Just wait and see. You won't be complaining when we get there."
Knowing our next adventure was inevitable, I remained silent and continued to walk beside him.

^^^

I forgot to keep track of how far and how long we walked. All I knew is that it must've gotten considerably late. Seriously, Venus couldn't have lent us one of the council's nimbuses for the night?The buildings around us rose as ominous silhouettes in the sky. Cloud metals in different places glinted in the starlight. It was one of those moonless nights. The atmosphere was ideal. I really had spent too much time indoors. Aeron led us through a small garden of monochrome tulips that gave off that familiar smog, only serving to amplify the atmosphere. Then Aeron stopped, startling me out of my admiration of our surroundings.
"We're here," he said, gesturing to the building we now stood in front of.

It wasn't an extravagant piece of architecture at all. It did a good job blending in with the rest of the buildings in the Above. Mainly constructed by concrete and intricate glassy patterns weaving through the walls. Like a lake frozen over in winter. Ice.
"Have you realized where we are?" Aeron asked expectantly.
That's what struck me about the building. It was overwhelmingly familiar. I reflected suddenly that my mother was an ice sculptor and my father owned an art gallery.
"This is..." I trailed off.
"Luziel's art gallery," he prompted me.
I swallowed, shocked. "How did you know where it was?"
"Venus was kind enough to tell me," he answered.
"To think she'd be useful," I muttered.
He laughed softly. "Want to go inside?"
Wordlessly, I nodded and watched as he stepped up to the crystal door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge.
"At this rate, this door will open when fish fly," Aeron said. "Brace yourself, I'm going to break the door open."
I snorted. "Don't be an idiot. You could hurt yourself."
"Have any other ideas?" he asked.