Angels of Moirai (Book One) (13 page)

James seemed unfazed by the attention as he strode with confidence into the class, clearing a computer area so that we were able to sit side by side together.

I focused my attention on starting up the computer and opening up the Xcel spreadsheet I had been working on. When I stole a glance at the rest of the class, praying I wasn’t the centre of attention anymore, I was quickly treated to some serious death stares from the likes of Maddison, Kassidy, and surprisingly, Dale.

“Now what have I done?” I hissed to James.

James turned and looked at the class then back to me. “Maddison and Kassidy?”

“No,” I replied, “I know why they’re looking at me like that. No, Dale. What’s his problem?”

“Oh, him,” James replied casually. “He knows I asked you to the formal and that you said yes.”

“What? How do you know that?”

James kept a straight face, “I just know.”

“Right, I’m guessing it’s just one of those things you can do then.”

James rested his hand on my lap, “Don’t worry about them, Lila. I’ll smooth things over with Dale later.”

“I’m trying not to,” I replied. “I just don’t like being the topic of conversation, and with all this drama with Maddison, it’s like I’m fuelling the fire.”

“Well, just for a little while longer anyway. I overheard your sister this morning telling a number of people that I stayed at your house over the weekend.”

I sighed. I knew Hayley would tell her friends, I hadn’t said to her James being at our house was a secret or anything. I just didn’t think the whole thing through enough. I was a little naive to think it wouldn’t cause a scene at school.

Sure enough, James was right. After BCT, James and I parted to go to different classes and by the time I got to my second class, I can say without doubt that the whole school knew there was something going on with James and me. Before I entered the class, Mr Peters was walking by and he pulled me aside.

“Is everything okay, Lila? I’ve noticed you’ve had a rocky couple of weeks with being sick and absent from school.”

“Yeah,” I replied, “I’ve just been stressed out about exams and everything.”

“It’s got nothing to do with Maddison then?”

I shook my head, “No, I mean we’ve had our conflict, but I’m not letting it get to me.”

“Good. School will be finished soon and you have your whole life ahead of you. You’re made for big things, Lila, and I don’t want people like Maddison to take that away from you.”

“Thank you.”

Mr Peters nodded his head, “I’ll let you go to class then.”

“Hold on,” I quickly said, stopping him walking away. “Are you okay? You weren’t at class this morning. It wasn’t because of what happened with Maddison last week, was it? I hope my drama with her hasn’t caused any issues.”

Mr Peters smiled. “Don’t trouble yourself over it, Lila. It’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ve dealt with families like Maddison’s for years now. They don’t like not being able to control people with their ‘influences’ and money. It will all smooth over shortly.”

“As long as everything is okay…”

“It is. Now off to class, lots of study to do.”

“Always,” I grumbled.

Smiling, I said goodbye and breathed a sigh of relief that Mr Peters seemed okay.

I appreciated Mr Peters taking the time to talk to me and see if everything was okay. He was one of the few teachers that I felt really cared about their students.

Although I managed to dodge questions about James from the other kids in my next class, the amount of snickering and attention I got was enough for me to take the first chance I got and escape to the school forest at lunchtime, the moment the bell rang.

I sat on the forest bench, my face in my hands.

“That bad?”

I looked up at James briefly, “What do you think?” 

He walked closer to me. Still standing, he said, “Is it the attention you don’t like, or is it the association with me that you don’t like?”

I shook my head and looked into James eyes. “No, it’s not you. I just… this all happened so fast and I don’t even know how to explain it to myself, let alone other people. I’m getting asked how we got together, how you ended up staying the night, if I think you’ll stay the night again, if we are boyfriend and girlfriend-”

James interrupted my rambling, “Yes. Tell them yes.”

“Yes to what? That we are boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“It’s the most honest response, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I... I…” I shook my head. “I have no idea what we are, James. You’re an angel for Christ’s sake, and I’m a human. I doubt there is even a word to describe our relationship.”

James leaned down and grabbed my hand, pulling me up towards him. He held the sides of my shoulders, his eyes bearing down into my own. “I don’t need words or a status to define our relationship. I know how I feel about you, and what that means to our relationship and me. But if you would have it that you need to label it as such, then label it that we are together, boyfriend and girlfriend as you would like to call it, although, those terms seem too simplistic to describe what we have.”

I didn’t reply, I couldn’t. I’d lost myself in his embrace and words failed me.

“I give myself to you, Lila. Everything I am and I have is yours, and if you’d allow it, I’d like to call you my own.”

James moved his head towards mine, his lips pausing as they touched mine, and waiting for my answer.

I replied softly, “I am yours.”

His lips pressed against mine and I found my solace. Every troubling thought left my mind and all that remained was the vision of James and the emotions that he evocated within me. Without him, I was like pieces to a puzzle, scattered and uneasy, always searching for a way to fit in, a reason for my being.

I felt my inner body glow at his touch. I didn’t want my lips ever to leave his. I didn’t want my hands ever to stop holding onto him. I wanted him so badly; a desire that fuelled my urgency as my lips held on to every embrace, and wickedly searched for more.

I held restraint as our kiss slowed, taking in each tender moment. As our lips parted, my breathing remained unchanged. Our pace may have changed, but it hadn’t lessened the unyielding desperation I felt for him.

James breathed, “With you… It’s as if everything and everyone before you was inconsequential. I have always known what to expect, and what is expected of me, but with you, I am completely and utterly blinded.”

I smiled. “I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling like that.”

Looking pleased, James whispered, “Now we better be leaving this place, someone will be in to talk to you after what they’ve just witnessed.”

I raised my eyebrow, “Wha-”

James stepped out from in front of me to my side and there stood Jackie, trying her hardest to hold back the laughter that was desperately trying to escape her lips.

“Hey…”

“Hey,” she said back, barely containing her giggles.

James turned and looked at me. “I’ll leave you to it.”

I nodded in reply.

He leaned down and kissed my cheek, before saying goodbye and walking back towards the school oval. As he passed Jackie, he said with a grin on his face, “Lovely to see you again.”

“You too,” she snickered.

When James was out of earshot, she ran to my side. “Okay. Details. Now.”

I laughed and took her arm in mine. “Where to start…”

“Preferably from the beginning,” Jackie joked.

I playfully pushed her side and proceeded to tell her all about James on the way to our next class. Much like the story I’d told Hayley, I’d left out all the details about James being an angel. Her reactions were similar to Hayley’s and both ended with their seal of approval.

I waited in the car park for James when school finished. As I stood by my car, I watched as James, Dale, and Noah walked towards me.

They all laughed together and as they approached me, Dale smiled and nodded to James, “See you tomorrow,” he then looked at me. “Lila.”

I smiled awkwardly at Dale, and ignored all contact with Noah. I figured that was the best way of dealing with someone like him.

My jaw nearly fell on the ground. “How on earth did you manage to become best buddies with Dale again in a day?”

James shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a guy thing.”

“Okay…”

“I may have said something along the lines of… that you meant a lot to me and if he wanted to be friends with me, he would have to get over it and move on.”

“That easy, hey?”

“Boys are a lot simpler than girls.”

“Clearly,” I replied laughing.

James reached forward and grabbed my hand. He moved it in between his fingers and palm, gently playing it against his. With one touch, I was back to being his.

“Will I see you later?” I asked.

“If you want to.”

“Of course.”

“Until then,” he said, bringing my hand to his mouth and gently brushing his lips across them with a simple, yet soul crushing, kiss.

I smiled, “Nobody does that anymore you know.”

“I’m not nobody,” he said, winking at me and walking away.

“No, you’re definitely not,” I said quietly as I watched him walk away. He glanced back at me once more and smiled before he walked out of sight.

Sometimes, I nearly had to pinch myself that James was even real, and that he was interested in me. I just hoped it wasn’t too good to be true, but those kind of things usually are.

8… FOREVER IS A VERY LONG TIME

After twiddling my thumbs for a good portion of the afternoon, I put my head down and began some study. Next week was exam block, and the last week of my school life ever. I needed to focus… well, the best I could under the circumstances.

It was late into the evening when I felt a gentle breeze touch the skin on my back. I quickly turned in my chair away from my desk with anticipation.

I couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw James standing on my balcony grinning at me.

I bounced off my chair and flung myself into his arms. He lifted me up so we were face to face and we both laughed like two silly kids in a playground.

“Missed me?” James asked amused.

My smile softened as I looked into his eyes and replied quietly, “Just a little bit.”

I pressed my lips on his and was spellbound. It wasn’t until James lowered me back to the ground with my two feet pressing against the cool pavers, did I remember where I was.

His fingers ran through my hair as he took deep breaths. When he opened his eyes he sighed, “I can’t stay.”

“Why not?”

“There are things I must attend to.”

“Like angel things?”

James smiled, “Yes, angel things. I still have a duty to uphold.”

I nodded slowly, unable to hide the disappointment on my face. “Should I be worried?”

“No, of course not.”

“What is it that you do, exactly? Like I know you’re an angel of fate, but what does that mean? You don’t kill…”

James stopped me short, “No, Lila. Never. We don’t decide fate, we just make sure they are following their designed paths. Most of the time its simple things like forgetting a textbook at home, or missing the bus. Every little thing you do defines your fate. We are there to ensure that everything goes as planned and only interfere when needed.”

“So, does that mean you always know what I’m going to do next?”

He laughed, “No. We have the ability to focus in on individual’s paths, but with you, it’s never that simple.”

“Why?”

“You like to change your fate. You don’t stick with your designed path. You often make choices that are constantly changing your future. It’s not uncommon for people to do this, but it is rare. You’ve been the hardest one I’ve had so far, and being with you hasn’t helped…. It’s as if your future is blurred with me, I can’t get a clear reading. One minute you’re going in this direction, the next minute you’re going in another.”

“Is that bad?”

“Don’t concern yourself with it. I’ve told you before, we can only steer you on your path for so long, and in the end, you can determine your own fate.” James lifted my chin with his fingers. “I will see you tomorrow, Lila. I promise you, if I could, I would never leave your side.”

I tried my best to smile and reassure him I was okay. As I watched him fly off into the sky, I couldn’t help but be left feeling strange. It was moments like that, when I remembered who he really was. Beyond the feelings I had for him, and the moments we shared, it would never be simple for us, and he would always remain who he truly was…an angel.

***

I usually loved storms, but the one that hit on Tuesday wasn’t fun. Half the school decided that they would spend their lunch break in the Library, meaning my study session was never going to happen. Some of the buildings in our school were scattered, leaving little protection from the forces of nature. To say I was relieved when I got home to get out of my soggy clothes, was an understatement.

When James came over that night and said he wanted to take me to watch the storm, I nearly fell backwards.

“Seriously?” I said with my eyebrows raised. “I just got dry! I feel like a wet dog!”

“Seriously,” he imitated, “you’ll be fine. You won’t get wet, I promise.”

I laughed. “There is no way you can keep that promise.”

James stood at the door with his arms crossed.

“Oh, God. You are serious, aren’t you?”

He slowly nodded his head.

“Fine,” I sighed, “let’s go.”

I walked towards the door but James stood his ground in front of it, not budging one bit.

“Well, come on,” I said, nudging him.

“Not that way?”

“Wha… What?” I stuttered.

James nodded towards the balcony.

“Oh…” a smile formed on my lips, “that way…”

James smiled and took my hand, leading me out to the balcony.

He wrapped his arms around me. “Hold on tight.”

I pressed my body against him and took a deep breath.

With one quick push from James, we were up in the air. We pushed through the thick, dense clouds. I knew I should have been scared with the lightning and thunder as it struck around us, but with James, I wasn’t. It wasn’t like anything I’d seen before. There was something magical the way it lit up the sky.

It wasn’t long until we reached the Cliffside we’d been to only days before, and when James set me down on my feet, I looked over my body, and not one drop had fallen on me.

“How did you do that?” I exclaimed in sheer disbelief.

James replied, “It’s a secret.”

I shook my head and watched as his wings settled down against his back. No doubt, they had protected us from the rain, and also his little power of manipulation played a part.

“They are so beautiful,” I said, brushing my hand across his feathers.

“They haven’t always been like this.”

“No?”

He smiled, “They took a bit of a beating in the first couple of decades I had them.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“I was still very young when I became an Angel of Moirai. I liked to push the boundaries. I didn’t respect my role the way I do now. I used my abilities wrongfully, which lead to many…” he searched for the word. “Disagreements with other Angels of Moirai.”

“Bad boy, James, hey? I’d like to see that.”

“There’s a bad side to all of us, Lila,” he said while leaning in and touching my lips against his.

It didn’t matter how many times I kissed James, every time seemed just as perfect as the last. The way he traced his lips with mine, the taste of
W
his lips, and the warmth that radiated from the tip of my head down to my toes.

Even with the cracking thunder and lightning, all I was able to hear and feel was James. If only I were to live one moment again, then I would happily live that moment until the day I died.

***

The news of James and I together continued to stay the topic of conversation on everyone’s lips, even with the impending school formal. It didn’t matter what anyone was talking about, as soon as James and I walked into a room, all eyes were on us.

It seemed too that Dale had truly gotten over the whole situation, as he was being rather friendly with me and back to his playboy ways with the rest of the girls at our school. A number of girls, particular Maddison and Kassidy, hadn’t gotten over it yet and even as James and I walked to my car on Wednesday afternoon, I could still overhear the less than pleasant words coming out of their mouths about me.

As I pulled up my car that afternoon at home, James was already at my door, as usual, opening it for me to get out. Funny how such a simple gesture warmed my heart. Other men should take note. It’s the simple things that count.

“Why, thank you, kind sir,” I mocked jokingly.

“It’s a pleasure, Miss. Anything else I can be of service to you?” he replied in a posh English accent.

“Well, there is one other thing,” I said, my voice lowering, “there is this kink in my neck that just won’t go away.”

I grazed my right side of my neck with my fingers.

“Whatever shall we do,” he said quietly, the corner of his mouth whispering a smile. He leaned down and pressed his neck to my neck. I closed my eyes in response, devouring the touch of his lips as his tender kisses made their way up to my mouth, but before his lips could reach mine, I placed my finger on his lips.

“It would be improper of me to let this continue,” I joked again in my English accent. “What would people say?”

I made an exaggerated sigh and turned to make my way towards the front door.

I heard James say behind me, “I know exactly what they’d say.”

When I turned to look at him, he had the most devilish look on his face. So I did what any proper person would do, I ran.

Just as I reached the front door, pushing it open in front of us, James scooped me up into his arms. I squealed with laughter as my books fell to the ground.

He wasted no time in planting kisses all over my face and neck, I withered beneath his clasp, but my attempts at escape were dismal, and it only seem to make him laugh more.

It wasn’t until the sound of someone clearing their throat did I realise that we weren’t alone. We both froze, and I turned my head to see Anne standing only a few feet away, with an unimpressed look on her face.

“Anne,” I said as James slowly lowered me to the ground.

“Lila,” she replied, “and you are?” her question directed at James.

“James,” he replied smiling and reaching out his hand to shake hers. “Pleasure to meet you, Anne.”

“Mmmm,” Anne replied, hesitantly shaking James hand.

James opened his mouth to say something else, but he must have changed his mind. Instead, he looked at me and exhaled, “I better go, Lila.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Anne replied.

James nodded. “Again, lovely to meet you, Anne,” he said before turning to me. “Talk to you later?”

“Yep,” I replied, trying to hide the smile on my face.

I had never seen James so out of his element. It was highly amusing.

Anne waited until James closed the door behind him before she crossed her arms in front of her chest and questioned, “So who is he? Are you together? Why haven’t I met him yet?”

“He is a senior at my school, recently transferred…”

“Transferred?” She interrupted. “This late in the school year?”

“Yeah,” I replied a bit stumped. “Family business I think…”

“Mmmm. So you’re together then?”

“Yes, but we only just got together.”

“Do your parents know about him?”

I was a bit taken aback. “I’ll be sure to let them know, the next time they call of course. Could be a few months before then,” I shot back, making my way to the front stairs.

Anne grabbed my arm. “Lila.”

I looked at her pleading eyes and knew I’d hurt her. “Sorry…”

“Your parents care about you.”

“They have a funny way of showing it,” I said softly, fighting back the tears. My parents were not a subject I liked to discuss,
ever
. It didn’t matter how hard of an exterior I put up, they could pull my walls down and leave me exposed in a matter of seconds, and I hated it.

“I haven’t ever seen you this way before. It looks serious.”

I played nervously with my hands. “It might be,” I sighed, “I don’t know, Anne. He’s different, you know. He isn’t like anyone else I know. With him, I feel like I’m the only person in the world. He makes me feel like the true Lila. The Lila I didn’t even know exist. It feels so right, I know it sounds crazy…”

“It’s not crazy,” Anne quickly said. “Love is love.”

“Love...” I toyed with the word. “Whatever it is, I don’t want it to stop. I just want to press the pause button on my life. I’m happy. I think I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“I can see that. Come,” Anne said, taking my hand. “Why don’t I make you some afternoon tea and you can tell me more about this mysterious James that’s stolen my Lila’s heart.”

I smiled and took her hand.

We talked over afternoon tea the way a mother and daughter were meant to talk, only Anne wasn’t my mother, but that didn’t worry me anyway.

I’d waited up for James that night, thinking he was going to come and visit, but as the hours ticked on, my eyes grew heavy. He didn’t have a mobile, if he hadn’t been an angel I would have considered him somewhat strange, so there was no way to contact him. I waited up, hoping he would show, but all the stress with upcoming exams and handing in final assessments consumed me, and it wasn’t until the early hours in the morning did I wake.

“James?” I croaked, sitting up on my bed. The sound of the sliding door closing had woken me, but there was no one in the room. It was still dark, although I could see in the far distance the sun beginning its journey into the sky.

When I had just about convinced myself that it must have just been a dream, I spotted a silver coloured glistening dress hanging on the mirror in my walk in wardrobe.

I jumped out of bed and walked over to it quickly. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a strapless, full length, silver paillette-covered sequined grown. There was a slit up the thigh of one side, and already with the little sunlight, it glistened in all its beauty.