Chapter 10
Ten
Kai
Days tend to meld together when you’re doing something you don’t particularly care for. Cleo and I have sorted through all the artifacts, and it’s only been a few days since we started.
She’s come up with a classification system based on chronological order.
If you flip an artifact upside down, you’ll see a symbol indicating the century it was created—she taught me that.
Consequently, we’ve been focusing on batching the artifacts together in different groups, sorted by century.
We’ve even assessed artifacts dating back to the first century.
I can’t wait to rub this project in Jasper’s face after we meet again one day.
Friday arrives quicker than expected. Thankfully.
I sigh in relief as I enter my haven and eagerly change out of my jeans and sweater into black pants and a collared short-sleeved black button-down shirt.
I’m giving the monochrome fit a whirl. Sure, it’s been years since I’ve been to a party, but I remember the ins and outs of partying like it was yesterday.
I want to appear approachable—just not too approachable. Hence, the black ensemble.
The sun went down hours ago, yet I still can’t stop thinking about work. More particularly, my coworker.
Watching her take in the sunset at the library earlier this week caught me off guard.
She likes to act like she doesn’t care, but the look in her eyes as she got lost in that golden sheen held something I couldn’t decipher. Something more potent than sadness, stronger than frustration.
In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to exercise soulsight to see if I could discern the darkest corners of her mind and help her… But I resisted.
I’d prefer to get to know her the good old-fashioned way.
I wander over to my mirror, checking myself out. I push my fingers through my hair and splash some water on my face. Tonight’s going to be lit, as my old students would say. I exit my haven and make my way over to the atrium in the marketplace downtown, to the left of our living quarters.
Firefly-lit lanterns light the path from the square to the marketplace, composed of several shops constructed around the atrium in a rectangular manner.
The atrium is an open courtyard filled with artsy, angelic statues, four-tiered garden-style fountains, and a variety of flowers, all set against a striking view of the night sky.
From this realm, the sky isn’t only black—it’s a mixture of black, blue, pink, and purple.
During daylight hours, the atrium is a sight to behold, but it’s otherworldly at night—fitting, considering this realm is far from worldly.
Immediately upon entering the courtyard, I’m offered a foggy substance in a tall champagne flute by an angel with golden-blonde hair and bright yellow wings. “Drinking tonight?”
“Is that even a question?” I throw her an easy smile, glancing at the mysterious drink in her hands. “What is it?”
“Alcomist. Instead of drinking it like orthodox alcohol on the land below, you can simply breathe it in. A pleasant buzz is guaranteed after only one glass.”
“Say no more.” I grasp the glass and take a deep whiff, inhaling it like air. Refreshing. Cleo was right. It has a crisp taste to it—like how I’d imagine candied icicles would taste.
“Delicious, right?” the angel asks, beaming—evidently a bit tipsy herself.
“Right.” I grin politely, then wander away from the entrance, venturing deeper into the party and scanning the crowd of dancing angels. The music is ethereal—it sounds indie. Props to the live band of angels. I’m sure Iris or Jasper would know this type of music well.
Angels all around me seem to lose themselves to the music, their bodies flowing freely in line with the melodic notes.
I’ll admit, I’m surprised by the closeness the angels are all exhibiting—during the day, most of these angels maintain chipper countenances and relatively professional demeanors.
At night, a different side of them seems to unmask itself.
As my eyes search the crowd, they drift over to the stone seating placed throughout the atrium and catch someone I wasn’t expecting to see. Before I can think better of it, I breathe in more alcomist and stride toward the seating area, landing directly in front of my target.
“Can I help you?” Stephen asks, his tone drenched in dismissiveness. I tick my jaw. His arm remains wrapped around a blue-eyed angel with long straight red hair. “I’m in the middle of something.”
My eyes drift back to the redheaded angel, and I plaster a charming smile on my face. “Mind giving us a moment to catch up, red?”
She twists her hair around her finger, eyeing me and smiling softly. She rises, but before walking away, she whispers in my ear, “Come find me later.”
I gulp in response.
I plop down on the stony seat to his left—thank gosh it has cushions—entering his personal space with zero regard. Stephen clenches his jaw, pinning me with a glare. “What do you want?”
“Why’d you do it?”
“Do what?” His glare turns into a cocky smolder.
“Don’t bullshit me. Why the fuck did you do it?” My irritation is growing stronger by the minute. This isn’t normal for me. I don’t lose my cool.
“You broke our most divine law. You didn’t really expect to get away with that, did you?” His jaw drops, and a look of performative shock crosses his features.
“Not that,” I drawl, cracking my knuckles.
He’s a big guy, but I could take him. Easily.
I didn't like the way he sneered at Cleo throughout our sentencing one bit. I pierce his eyes with my gaze. “I couldn’t care less about you exposing me; I made my choice. I accept the consequences. Why did you bring her into it?”
His lips part, and a flicker of confusion crosses his eyes before he deadpans, “Stay out of it.”
“Not my style.” I toss him a lopsided grin, taking another deep inhale of the mist, realizing for the first time how light my head feels.
Whoa. Deciding I’ve wasted too much time on his sorry ass and I have a party to get to, I whisper, “You’ve done enough damage as is, and she deserves a hell of a lot better. Leave. Her. Alone.”
Then, I give him my best predatory smile, reveling in the way his throat subtly bobs upon hearing my words.
I saunter back into the crowd, giving way to the music and dancing with the angels, continually scanning the crowd and taking note of the wings I see.
Green, red, blue, black, white, silver, and yellow wings surround me, all of which are magnificently unique, but none as breathtaking as midnight blue.
I must really get under my new best friend’s skin. And no, she doesn’t know we’re best friends yet, but she’ll figure it out soon enough. Sadly, I haven’t seen her tonight.
It feels like forever since I last saw her. It’s been a whole, what? Six hours? That’s six hours too many tonight if you ask me.
I thought she’d be here. I have no clue why I thought she’d join me tonight. I mean, she made it very clear she had other plans. But what other plans could she possibly have that would take precedence over the most amazing angelic party ever with her new best friend?
I’ve danced with so many people—women and men—I’ve lost count. I’ve also lost count of the number of alcomisty breaths I’ve taken.
…You caught me. I’ve had a lot to drink… or breathe, is it? Frankly, I’m surprised you’re surprised. I’m an angel, not a saint. Drinking my sorrows away was the plan for tonight all along. Keep up, buttercup.
The only thing that would make tonight even more spectacular would be a certain short, feisty brunette with golden-brown eyes.
I mean, seriously. What could she possibly be doing right now? I’ll bet she found a way to work after hours and is taking pleasure in working overtime. She’s probably in her office right now, sitting at that little desk of hers, twiddling her thumbs and wishing she had attended the party tonight.
Good. She should know she’s missing out.
…I have the best idea.
My feet start walking before I can fully register where they’re going.
Up, up, up they go. Up the stairs and across the rainbow bridge, into the palace, my greatest foe. One step in front of the other: left, right, left, right, right, left, left, right.
The building’s bright lighting nearly blind me as I make my way through its grand hall, staying on the first level because, although I can’t entirely remember why I’m here, I’m certain this is where I’m meant to be.
Oh, fuck. I’m wasted.
I chuckle, laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all, as I stumble through the hall for what feels like forever. Then, I lean on a door for extra support during this difficult time.
Feeling adventurous, I turn the doorknob to this dark mysterious little room on the first floor. I sniff the air, catching the scent of eucalyptus. Oddly enough, it’s comforting.
I venture deeper into this dark abyss, leaving the door cracked open and embracing the dark with a warm smile. The light from the hall barely shines into the little room. I glance to my right, my eyes catching on something moving. The light from the doorway casts only a shred of light on the being.
I squint my eyes and realize it’s her—the angel I’ve been looking for all night.
But why is she sleeping on this couch here in this little room?
Her head rests gently on a beaten, worn-out pillow, her thick, dark hair splaying across the pillow in all sorts of directions, and her wings are nowhere to be seen. She must have magically tucked them away again.
A knitted blanket is loosely draped around her waist, nearly falling off.
Oh no, we can’t have that.
I approach her as quietly as I can given my sorry state and gently wrap the blanket around her, tucking her in.
Upon closer inspection, I notice a hardcover book in her grasp, still open. I smirk softly, admiring her obvious passion for reading. I may be an idiot sometimes, but it’d take an even bigger idiot to miss the way she stares in longing at all the books in the library daily.
Deciding I’ve overstayed my welcome, I step backward, meaning to leave, but stumble and nearly take down a chair with me.
She immediately jolts awake, rising and staring at me in horror.
“Kai… What are you doing here?”
If I continue to back away slowly while maintaining eye contact, the predator may leave me be.
I continue backing away, not breaking our gaze.
She fully sits up and rubs her drowsy eyes while letting out a yawn and stretching.
Uh-oh. I must be really wasted because I’m convinced that was the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
“And I repeat, for emphasis: what the hell are you doing here?” she asks again, irritably.
I stop backing away and lean against her doorframe to steady myself, crossing my arms in an attempt to look as not drunk as possible.
Sober—the word I’m looking for is sober. Duh.
Wait, am I standing right? Do I usually stand with my legs crossed? Maybe I should cross my legs… I slowly begin to cross my legs and lose my footing, nearly stumbling again and covering my mouth to hide my grin.
Note taken—no need to cross my legs.
“You know, I liked you better when you were sleeping.” I nod, wearing a lopsided grin, my eyes flickering to her ensemble peeking out from under the blanket—a silky long-sleeved black blouse with matching silk shorts.
I swallow a smile at how nicely our clothes mesh together on this fine evening.
Suddenly, the temperature seems higher, so I unbutton another button of my shirt.
Her eyes lock on my chest, then dart away.
“You know, that’s a pretty problematic statement,” she quips.
Sharp as a nail, this one.
I hold up my arms in defeat, nearly toppling over and letting out a laugh against my will.
It’s like my mind knows this is the last place I should be in this inebriated state, but my feet brought me here, and they’ve remained planted despite my better judgment.
“I just had to see what plans you blew me off for.”
I may be wrong, but I swear, I just saw her cheeks go a little pink. “I didn’t blow you off. I blew the party off. You said it yourself, I’m not a partier. Are you really that surprised?”
“That was reverse psychology, sweetheart. I thought you caught my drift, but alas, I was sorely mistaken," I sigh exasperatedly. "Don’t worry. Now that I’ve seen what you blew me off for, I’m good to go. I’ll get out of your air.”
Hair. I meant hair. But it’s better to leave it; I wouldn’t want to draw attention to my mistake.
She breathes out a puff of air and pats the seat next to her. “Sit.”
“Ever the flatterer, aren’t you, angel?” I chuckle, shutting my eyes and feeling a little dizzy.
I walk over to her side, plopping down and sinking into her couch.
At least it’s comfortable. I lean my head back, resting it against the wall, then look at her.
She’s already turned on the lamp next to her and picked up her book to resume reading, leaning on the armrest away from me beside her lamp and wooden bookshelf. “What are you reading?”
“Just a silly love story about a princess and a masked bandit,” she answers quickly, turning the page, her eyes skimming the new one already.
“I love those.” I smile, closing my eyes. “Is it your first time reading it?”
“It’s my first reread,” she says nonchalantly. “Do you like to read?”
“I’m not a reader. I think I could be, though. I just haven’t found the right book. Maybe you could help me find it.”
I crack my eyes open and gaze into hers, the gold in her eyes more pronounced than usual. Those golden flecks remind me of shooting stars.
“I’d like that,” she whispers, continuing to avoid my gaze.
It’s interesting. During all our exchanges up until now, she’s never shied away from meeting my eyes. Tonight, her boldness appears softer.
Suddenly, my eyes feel heavier than cinder blocks. My head feels like a weighted blanket, too. I find myself tipping over like the Leaning Tower of Pisa until my head lands on something soft and warm. I cuddle into the soft spot, reaching my arm over to hold on to it tighter.
I hear a soft gasp followed by the faintest chuckle, so quiet I'm convinced I imagined it. I latch on to that magical sound, committing it to memory before darkness consumes me.