Chapter 19 Izzy
IZZY
What. The. Fuck?
I know how you can get back at Saldrea, if you’re interested.
Those words barely registered over the appearance of a real-life angel in front of me. Though, given the history lesson Rook had given me — or was it more geography? — angels were real here.
Still, knowing they existed and seeing one were two different things.
This man had been beautiful before he’d had wings. Tall, blond, and Hemsworth gorgeous. But now, with wings of stunning gold and white feathers, he was… well… angelic.
Wow.
His appearance shocked me to such a degree, I had no idea what to say.
“I-I-I n-need a wrist-clock,” I stammered, then cringed inwardly at how inane that sounded.
He blinked in confusion. Then he shrugged.
“I have a better idea,” he whispered conspiratorially. “Why don’t we use Saldrea’s funds to buy you a top-of-the-line computer and phone?”
I liked that idea instantly, except…
Why was he being nice to me?
He was the only one of Saldrea’s retinue to be remotely kind to me previously, but still… I didn’t trust him.
Also, “I’ve been literally stepped on by her, I don’t want to piss her off any more than I already have.”
He winked. “That’s the best part. I’ll tell her it was what I needed to do to get in good with you. And frankly, given her fortune, she’d barely notice.”
“Get in good with me?” I questioned.
He nodded, then offered his arm to escort me.
Was this a trap?
Also, as he turned, his wings just… vanished.
Bye-bye beautiful wings. I may have pouted just a tiny bit.
“I’ll be honest,” he said with easy candor. “She sent me here to befriend you, seduce you, find out all your dirty secrets so she can use them against you. I don’t plan on doing that. I hate that—” he looked around quickly, “—witch.”
Me too. But I wasn’t sure I could believe him. He might just be saying that to get in good with me, then betray me. I didn’t trust easily, and this guy already had several marks against him because of the company he kept.
But… if what he was saying was true — at least about Saldrea sending him — then he should be able to buy me new stuff and she’d go along with it. I liked that idea.
I may not trust him, but I could use him… until he proved himself trustworthy.
“Then a shopping spree it is!” I said, linking my arm in his. And wow, there was a lot of muscle under that shirtsleeve.
He smiled down at me.
Wow… okay, disarming much? I’d have to be very wary of that smile. Rook’s sinful grin might melt my panties, but this angel’s soft smile made me want to take them off willingly.
“My name’s Vynsiel,” he said casually. “But most people call me Vyns.”
Sounded like “Vince,” but I doubted it was spelled that way.
“Izzy,” I said. “But you knew that.”
Given that enticing smile, I’d have to be careful how much I told him, but I figured my name was safe for now.
Vyns didn’t take me to the shop in the north building of the lesser residence. We strolled across campus to a place called Royal’s Hall, which sat next to a river. An arching bridge crossed the river south of the hall, and just beyond that the river vanished over a waterfall.
Beautiful.
“I’m not royal,” I whispered to him.
“But my mistress is, and that gives me access. Might as well get you the best devices, yes?”
I smiled. Why not.
Nearly everyone inside the hall were elves, and those who weren’t were clearly attendants or guards of elves. I got a few looks, but mostly people dismissed me. I was below their notice, it seemed.
The small shop here had a limited display of clothes and supplies, but I quickly found out it had far more stock than it seemed.
When Vyns asked to see computers and phones, the girl behind the counter began pulling out dozens of items from somewhere below the counter.
Vyns must have caught me gawking.
“Infinite storage boxes,” he said. As long as you know what’s in them, you can just reach in and pull it out. No limit and each weighs only a few pounds, very handy.”
Since he seemed to be in an explanatory mood, I asked, “There seems to be a lot of crossover terminology between this world and… the human realm.” I almost said earth. “Computer, phone, angel…?” I prompted.
He smiled.
God! That smile! Oh, would you like my panties, here, let me give them to you.
No!
Stop!
We don’t trust him yet!
“It’s a two-way street of intermingled terms,” he said. “Some terminology came from our realm and spread to yours, others came from yours and spread to ours.”
He leaned casually on the counter as more and more computers and phones appeared. They were all made of that special magical glass I’d seen, nothing like my old one.
“Long ago, the human realm had more magic and people from your realm and ours came and went freely. Hence all our terminology of angels and demons passed into your vernacular.”
Huh, so those terms came from here originally? Curious.
“More recently, visitors to your realm marvelled over your advancements in technology and wished to copy it using magic. Hence, we now have phones and computers, your words which we use.”
Fascinating.
By that point the clerk was ready to tell us all about the items on display. In this world, it seemed people didn’t care about “gigs” or “RAM” or “megapixels.” The clerk spoke of “A.R.U.s” and “clarity rates” and “internal intelligence modules.”
My eyes glazed over.
I’d never been one for tech-speak and this whole new version went right over my head.
“You pick the best,” I told Vyns.
He did.
And it cost — Saldrea — four gold coins for the computer and phone.
Four weeks worth of spending money for me.
Then I looked around the small shop — since we were already here — and the small selection of clothes, which seemed much nicer than what I’d bought. So, I asked to see more.
I came away with three very nice dresses, several pairs of — much sexier and not school branded — panties and magical bras to match. Yes, magical bras… which adjusted to your size to fit you perfectly. I also got some nicer shoes, stockings, some camisoles and other items to fill out my wardrobe.
That was another three gold.
By then I wanted to get out of there, feeling like someone was going to accuse me of stealing all this.
But our final purchase was a carry-all handbag, a mini version of those infinite storage boxes.
It wasn’t infinite, it could only hold about five hundred pounds or five cubic feet of stuff, but still…
The bag alone cost nearly as much as all the rest.
I hurried out, feeling more than a little out of place in that building.
“Anything else you’d like to know? Places on campus you’d like to see?” Vyns asked.
He was trying hard.
But was it an act?
I usually had a pretty good read on people, and he seemed genuine in his desire to help me. But… why?
So, I asked him.
He blew out a long breath as we ambled along smooth stone-paved paths. My new handbag was light as a feather despite everything in it.
“Because you’re… different.”
“Different?” How? Compared to who? Saldrea? Hell right, I was different than her.
“Everyone here is so inured to the power dynamic. They don’t question it. Elves rule and others get by, mostly by serving and fawning over elves. But not you.”
Okay, yeah, he had me pegged there.
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” I muttered. “Only gotten me into trouble so far.”
“It’s everything,” Vyns whispered. And when I looked over at him, something in his brilliant blue eyes, so intent, made me feel so very seen.
Whoa.
I didn’t know what to say.
Vyns continued, his voice soft. “My parents were of the upper-middle class in Elysial,” he said, tone a bit distant.
“Even before the elves conquered our realm, the sylphim ruled. We seraphim were second class citizens: warriors, expendable. Although, those who distinguished themselves in battle against the nephilim might gain renown and fame, perhaps even ascend to a higher class, but they were never rulers. We were always… lesser… but that was just the way of things; everyone accepted it.”
I wasn’t sure why I needed this history lesson, but I listened, curious where this was going.
“When the elves came, they made the sylphim nobility, under the rule of an elven governor. Seraphim were third class now, though we could still gain status through martial exploits. My family has done just that over the centuries and was in good standing, but still not noble. But when I was chosen by Saldrea — because of my exploits in the war — my family’s standing increased dramatically.
They’re now practically on par with the sylphim of Elysial. ”
His voice grew taut, hard.
“My parents were so happy I was chosen, that my position elevated them as well. They didn’t care that Saldrea was known to be brutal and heartless.
They happily overlooked that I was becoming a glorified bully.
They’d always pushed me hard, their affection earned, not freely given, but it was on that day that I realized they’d never cared for me.
I’d always been a pawn to them, born to increase their status. ”
Fuck, that was messed up.
“They’re just playing the game, like everyone else, like I did.”
I couldn’t decide which was worse: not having parents or having parents who wanted to use you?
“I had integrity once, morals, pride. Not anymore. Saldrea’s wrung it all out of me and I’m… done. I can’t stand to live like that anymore.”
He looked at me, face a mask of pain and self-loathing. Yet those stunning blue eyes were filled with hope and something else… perhaps a desire for atonement. I may have been reading way too much into that look, but still… it made me want to hold him, comfort him.
Warning bells!
Red Flags waving!
Too much.
I looked away.
“Then I met you,” he whispered reverently. “So fearless and beautiful and… powerful.”
He made me sound like a superhero.
Heat filled me, flooding my face. No one had ever spoken about me like that before. Sexy, sure. Determined, yeah. But… powerful?
It sparked something inside me, renewing my faith in myself that maybe I could make a difference here. While at the same time, making me so very self-conscious.
“I instantly felt like I had to know you, had to understand you.” He sighed heavily. “I know now your fearlessness that first day came from a place of ignorance.” He hit the nail on the head with that one.
Some of that awkward confidence drain out of me.
“But still… I don’t know what it is about you, Izzy, but I feel like you could change everything, reform this entire world if you wanted to.”
And I did want to, which meant, I was back to being completely and utterly seen by this man.
Was he for real?
Did he mean that?
Was he saying all this just to get closer to me?
I wanted to believe him, but even if I hadn’t had trust issues, I wouldn’t be easily swayed by someone who’d once worked for that arrogant, entitled, elf. It was amazing how quickly the word “elf” had become a four-letter word for me.
The question was: where did that leave me? Where did that leave us?
I had absolutely no clue.