Underground Angels

Chapter Twenty-Four | We Go Flying

Chapter Twenty-Four

We Go Flying

 

 

                                    New Years day started out cold but bright, and Noel woke to Gabriel poking his head into her tent.

“I want to show you something.” He whispered.

“Get out of my tent.” She mumbled, burrowing deeper into her sleeping bag. “It’s early.”

“I know. Now c’mon, this is worth it.”

Moaning, Noel rolled over and glared at him. “Fine.”

Crawling out of her tent a few minutes later, hair crushed under a hat Bernie knitted her, she looked up at Gabriel and squinted at the bright sun. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I’m much better,” he said, handing her a cup of steaming tea. “C’mon, you’ll love this.”

They wove through the tents, waved to Constantine as he huddled by a fire reading a book. Noel spotted Lola with a few of her siblings eating breakfast, and looked away quickly; those icy green eyes were colder than the winter day.

Gabriel led her to a small snowy path through the woods, and coming through the other side Noel was confused – there was a snowy old horse pasture, empty except drifts of snow sparkling in the early light.

“Um, nice view?”

Gabriel smiled, the one he always used when she didn’t see something – or maybe he used it when he was showing her part of his world. “Look harder.”

Squinting, Noel focused on the hazy pasture. As her eyes adjusted her jaw dropped. “Are those…?”

“Pegasus.” Said Gabriel happily. He walked over to the pasture and clicked his tongue, holding out a hand full of what looked like chewy coloured candies, starbursts maybe. “Hey girl,” he said as one drifted over, happily taking the candies with its long tongue. “Want to ride?”

“Uh, I’ve never really been a horse person.”

“It’s great, don’t worry.” He climbed the fence and slung one leg over the Pegasus’s back.

“I don’t know…”

Gabriel offered his hand “You won’t fall Angel, I promise.”

Begrudgingly, Noel took his hand and got up on the Pegasus. The heat from its body radiated through them, and she was no longer cold. It’s white hair was softer than anything she’d ever felt, and it shimmered with other colours as the winter light hit it.

“You better make sure I don’t fall.” She said, and Gabriel laughed.

“Don’t worry Angel, I’ve got you.”