Fate and the Defiant Angel (COMPLETED)

Chapter 37- Arriving in style

"What do you think of this?"

Zara turned in surprise and found a figure standing there, flickering in and out of her focus. It was of a woman, but Zara could see nothing of her appearance or her face. Zara found herself in a grey world. She didn't know exactly where she was, some old garden with a black sky and flowers without colour. It was almost as if she was looking at an old television show, damaged from time.

"What?" Zara responded, not understanding the question.

"I asked, what do you think of this," and the blurry figure held out her hands which held a glowing ball of light.

Zara stared at it, completely entranced. It was beautiful, gleaming with a soft white light. It swirled in the woman's hand, revealing flashes of colour and patterns.

"I think it's beautiful," Zara told the woman softly.

The woman tilted her face, her face flickering black and grey. "I'm glad. No one else seems to. I just can't understand it."

"Me neither." Zara stared at the woman, narrowing her eyes. "Do I know you?"

"I think so," the woman replied. "I feel like I know you, but I don't know how."

Zara stepped towards her. "Who are you?"

The woman went to speak before she was wrenched back. Zara reached out in surprise, attempting to drag her back closer so she could see her face, but she was gone. Zara watched as the flickering figure was dragged into blackness.

Just before she disappeared a flash of colour.

Zara squinted as she was shown intense red, wings expanding and the only flash of colour in the grey world.

Then Zara locked eyes with the woman, the only feature she could see.

The last thing the woman called out, "You can't bury me forever!"

"Zara, you alright?"

Zara gasped awake, her heart racing and sweat doting her forehead. She frantically looked around, trying to understand where she was. Violet sat beside her, hands up like she was attempting to tame a wild animal. Anya had turned her head and was staring down very unimpressed.

"You were very fucking loud," Anya told Zara matter-of-factly.

Zara took a deep breath and adjusted her position in the car. "Sorry, I just had a nightmare I guess."

Violet looked at her with concern. "You were yelling a lot."

"Anything interesting?"

Violet shrugged. "You said some stuff about beautiful, and then you kept saying forget over and over again. Then there were just a lot of gurgling and moaning."

"It made the drive interesting," Norma perked up.

Zara felt her cheeks flushing, embarrassed that they'd seen her so vulnerable and upset. "How long till we get there?"

"Well," Anya drew out. "Since Norma has done over the speed limit the entire way, and not just a little bit, we are going to make it there in like twenty minutes."

"I've been telling them where to go," Violet assured Zara.

The drive was long. They drove the entirety of the first day, with Anya taking over for the night shift and it was now approaching morning. It was abundantly clear that there wouldn't be any stops for rests and stretching the legs. They'd stopped for food four times and run to the bathroom, but other than that they were driving the whole time.

Zara legs ached and her throat burned for water, which she sipped slowly because she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to drink to much. She couldn't believe how close they'd gotten.

She peered out the window and watched as familiar scenery flew by. She was certain they were in Cassie's town know, she recognised the building of Cassie's old high school and a shopping mall she liked. They were getting close.

Zara didn't know what she could do when she met with Cassie. What could she possibly say? She had tried to run through the conversation a hundred times in her head, but never got it just right. How would Cassie react to finding out angels were real, and that Zara had been her guardian? Would she be mad and confused? Would she just not believe her?

Then there was the extended issue of revealing to Cassie everything else that was happening. How could you possibly break it to someone that they'd been destined to die? How could you possibly even begin to tell them that they were responsible for the world not being destroyed?

Zara didn't know how she could even talk to Cassie. She'd spent years being a silent watcher and protector. She guided her human through thousands of issues, just offering support and reassuring. Cassie was a good person; Zara was sure of that. She just didn't know how she would react to everything that was happening.

Zara was pulled out of her thoughts when they merged off the main road and into the forest.

"This isn't the way to Cassie's house," Zara told them.

Violet shrugged, "But she's here, I promise you."

Anya peered out, staring into the woods. "This is werewolf territory."

"Are you certain?" Zara asked, turning her attention to the trees that flew by.

"Yep, can you see them," Anya whispered lowly, gesturing into the trees and pulling up her sunglasses. Zara watched intently and saw it, a flash of movement. "They're following the car."

"Harriet's pack did that to," Zara remembered. "Are they going to stop us."

Anya shook her head. "They're just there to monitor whoever attempts to approach the pack house. They will know were not werewolves, probably think something along the lines of lost tourists. It happens more than you think."

Zara stared out the window intently, trying to stop herself from flinching at every shadow. "Cassie must be with her soul mate, his name is Jace."

Anya sighed. "God, I hate werewolves."

Zara wanted to question her on that but thought better of it, turning her attention away from the window to where Violet sat oddly still. Her eyes were glazed, and Zara knew the signs well enough to know that Violet wasn't sitting next to her anymore.

When they approached the large house, it was quiet with no one moving out the front or even in the house it seemed. Slowly Norma brought the car to a stop, turning her attention to Zara and Violet.

"Ok what now? How do we get in there and explain everything?"

Zara opened her mouth to say something, but Violet pulled the handle of the door, kicking it open and racing out. She was gone in a flash, flying inside the house.

Zara stared in shock.

"Well, that makes it easy I suppose," Norma muttered.

Zara slowly turned her head and watched as wolves began to stride out of the tree line.

Anya flicked down her sunglasses, "If we get ripped to shreds, it was nice knowing you."