Guardian Angel (17 page)

Michael looked up and grinned, making Jasmine blush in embarrassment. She hid it by taking a long swig from her orange juice before settling down to watch her charge eat. Pangs of emotion welled up again, threatening to overwhelm her judgment. Gratitude and love seeped into her being unbidden; all she felt like doing was embracing her charge. Jasmine shoved the feelings down, suppressing them with all her will and training. Now was not the time to be acting like a love-struck teenager. Something big was happening, and keeping Michael safe had to come first.

She reached a decision. Jasmine did not want to leave Michael’s side, but she needed guidance desperately. When Michael left to see Claire, she would go on high and seek some answers. She would find the Metatron and request an audience with the Almighty.

 
The thought struck her as impertinent. As a rule, no angel simply barged in and asked to talk to God; they spoke to him through the Metatron or, in rare cases, were summoned by the Almighty. Jasmine had to know what to do, though, as well as why no action had been taken against her.

 
Jasmine had broken countless rules in the last few days, and yet there had been no summons, no warnings, nothing but the usual song of the symphony. Again she wondered about that discordant note kept playing again and again, disrupting the perfect balance of the heavenly choir. She had to find out the reason for that.

Jasmine found it difficult Michael alone even for a moment, but things couldn’t continue as they were. She rationalized by remembering that she could return to Earth at a moment's notice be by her charge's side. In any case, Jazen would be there to protect him when Michael arrived at Claire’s. She couldn't escape the fact though, that the decision was partly selfish. Jasmine needed to know what to do; she could not stand being unsure of the path in front of her.

Michael finished his meal, while Jasmine pondered and stared at him. He had always been a slow eater; rushing his food tended to lead to stomach aches. She could see that it made him feel uncomfortable, but was too engrossed in her thoughts to care. 

After a while, Michael got up to do the dishes. He picked up the plates and cutlery, rinsed them off and placed them in the dishwasher. Jasmine’s musings were finally broken by the clang and clatter of pots and pans and she looked up.

“
Michael… when you go to visit Claire, I am going to return on High.” Jasmine's tone was a little guilty.

“
Oh, ok.” Michael replied, looking disappointed. “Didn’t you want to check on Jazen while we were there? It’s a shame you're not coming.”

“
I’m sure he’s doing fine. He is impulsive and very attached to Claire, but he seemed to take my warning seriously.” Jasmine replied feeling a bit hypocritical.

“
Ok, how come you're returning? Has something happened? I've noticed you’ve been looking and acting a bit…distracted since last night.”

 
Returning to the table, he sat down and reached out his hand in a gesture of comfort, but Jasmine stood up and walked over to the window. Michael withdrew his hand quickly, looking a little awkward. Jasmine stood with her back to him watching the rain, a pained look on her face.  It was because of their recently intimacy. She had told Michael angels suppressed their feelings and weren’t supposed to grow close to their charges.

After a pause
, Jasmine answered Michael’s question. “I need to get some answers about what's happened and get some information. I also need to check that I’m….following the right path.”

Michael sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. “Well you gotta do what you gotta do.”

“Thank you, Michael. I promise I will be back as soon as I can.” At that moment all Jasmine wanted to do was reach out for her charge, but she suppressed the urge with one strong push of will.

“
If it’s OK with you, I would like to spend some time in meditation before I leave. Can I use your room? Do you need me for anything?”

“
No, there's nothing I need in there, so feel free to use it. I won't disturb you.” Michael replied shifting awkwardly. He looked like he wanted to say no, make up an excuse for her to stay, but Jasmine had made up her mind.

Jasmine stood up straight after away and walked over to his bedroom door, hesitating at the threshold. She looked back at her charge and was again overwhelmed by a surge of feelings, some of them less savoury than mere affection. She violently quelled the aberrant emotions, bunching up her fists and shutting her eyes tightly. The mere thought of lust at a time like this made Jasmine feel disgusted at herself.

 
She pushed through the bedroom door and slammed it shut behind her. Jasmine took a deep breath to master herself, then sat cross legged on Michael’s bed. The cool sheets felt good against her skin as she shut her eyes and began humming softly. A light breeze blew in through the window bringing a faint smell of rain.

Jasmine imagined the breeze cooling the raging fires in her soul, the rain putting out the flames as it pattered outside and against the partially open window. Her thoughts kept turning back to her charge, but little by little Jasmine regained her composure and detachment. She listened to the symphony, ignoring the bizarre note that kept playing in discord to the whole. The sound soothed her further, and her breathing steadied to a slow rhythm.

Jasmine remained in a meditative state all morning and most of the afternoon. She was dimly aware of Michael’s activities outside. He watched some television, took a couple of phone calls from his parents and confirmed his visit to Claire later on that day. A pang threatened to disrupt Jasmine’s cool when Michael was speaking to Claire, but it was easy to suppress in her relaxed state.

 
Eventually, she heard Michael go to take a shower and decided that she was ready to leave. Jasmine had originally intended to say goodbye and let Michael know she was leaving, but when the time came, she couldn’t face leaving the room. The comfort of being as she used to, without confusion, was too much to disturb and , even though it was an unangelic act of selfishness, Jasmine decided to just leave without a word. She could always apologise later when she returned.

Jasmine shifted her position until she was kneeling and pressed her palms together. She raised her head to the heavens, letting her hair fall about her slender shoulders. She shut her eyes and let her wings slowly spread out behind her. Her wingtips stretched and lightly brushed the ceiling. Jasmine sang softly, touching her feathers together and slowly opening the portal to the heavens. She stood up, hesitating at the last moment.

“
Goodbye, Michael, I promise I’ll be back soon,” she murmured, unable to go without saying something, even if it was just to the rain outside. She beat her wings once, propelling her into the portal. The ring of light shut just as a knock came on the door.

***

  Outside the window, two women leaned against the tree Jasmine had sat on the previous night. The rain fell all around, but not a drop touched them; the Lilith Sisters never did like to get their makeup smudged. They smiled up at Michael’s apartment as Jasmine departed, satisfied with the results so far. They walked away slowly, rain falling around them, to prepare the finale for their master.

***

  Michael felt awful by the time he was making ready to leave for Claire’s. Jasmine had left without even a single word of goodbye, just like all those times a girl he had been dating changed her mind or found someone else, leaving him in the lurch.

 
Even knowing that wasn’t the case here, couldn’t stop him being hurt and very confused by Jasmine’s recent behaviour. She had been with him all his life, and caring for him. Being able to see her had only strengthened their bond, forming into a friendship and even something more.

 
Over the last day or two, though, Jasmine’s actions had become erratic: one moment deeply affectionate, the next cold and distant. Obviously the situation between them was anything but normal, but still the way she acted was giving him headaches. A little consistency would have been nice.

The days since his accident had been a rollercoaster of new discoveries, experiences and emotions, a very confusing and scary rollercoaster, with big highs and deep lows. Somehow, Michael couldn’t imagine his life the way it used to be, mundane and boring. Just going to work, coming home, going to the pub and watching telly seemed pointless. With all the confusion and fear in his life now. He didn’t want to return to how it had been, and he didn’t want to let go of Jasmine and his feelings for her, either.

Taking a deep breath, Michael stood up straight and looked himself over in the mirror. “Things will work out, I just know they will," he said to himself. "I can get through anything if I try.” The words had become a kind of mantra whenever he faced difficult times. Even when he was back in school he had said those words and drawn strength from them.

For all his sometimes sullen and apathetic nature, deep down Michael cared a lot about the world around him, and he didn’t have it in him to give up, no matter what happened. It was a part of him that served as a double edged sword. A few times in the past, when trying to raise extra money, or help a friend, he had pushed himself too hard. Regardless it was a part of himself he was proud of, and was sure would help him through now.

His mantra spoken and his appearance taken care of (the look in the mirror serving a double purpose) Michael decided he might as well leave for Claire’s. It was still a little early, but waiting for Jasmine to return seemed like a forlorn hope.

Michael hesitated at the doorway, hoping that Jasmine might return, even though he knew it wasn’t going to happen; he sighed after a couple of minutes and shut the door. As he left the house, Michael looked up at the tree by his window. He remembered the morning when his life changed, the day of the accident. It had been bright and sunny, nothing like this grey, rainy day. Hunching his shoulders and pulling his coat tight around him, Michael hurried down the road to the bus-stop, hoping to catch a bus before the rain got any worse.

His luck was not holding that day. The rain turned into a heavy downpour as he made his way down the street. Large drops hammered into the pavement, making small splashes on the paving stones. The world rushed past as Michael ran for the bus-stop. He paid no heed to the various people hurrying around or past him. He didn’t even notice their Guardians, too focused on getting himself out of the rain. He got a vague sense of unease as he ran, catching brief glimpses of the angels around him. He thought he heard someone shout his name, but he ignored it thinking the person wanted someone else's attention.

Eventually, Michael made it to the stop. Despite running, the journey actually took slightly longer than usual due to the heavy rain. His jacket was soaked, dripping water under the shallow shelter of the bus-stop. A sultry looking woman was the only other person waiting. She wore a revealing, low-cut top and ultra-short skirt, presumably to go out for a night on the town. He tried not to stare but found himself stealing guilty glances at the woman. There was no guardian around her. Had her angel abandoned her too? Was she just like him?

After a few minutes, the bus turned up. Michael got on board, paying his fare. The driver gave him a dirty look for dripping water into the bus but Michael ignored it. If anything, the few drops from his coat would clean the dank and dirty interior of the London bus, not add to it. As he found his seat, Michael cast a glance outside. The woman had not moved from her position leaning against the shelter.

As he looked at her, she bent down low to reveal her cleavage and winked at him with a huge grin. Michael felt himself blushing and turned away on nervous instinct. He thought guiltily about Jasmine, but still couldn’t help but cast a second glance as the bus pulled off. Who was that woman, and why was no Guardian was with her? It occurred to him she could have been in a similar situation to him.

***

  Back at the bus stop the Eldith straightened, grinning. She had taken great care with her makeup and appearance before setting out to wait for Michael. Her sister had only told her to wait at the bus stop until he arrived, but Eldith liked any excuse to get dressed up and bring a little lust into boring mortals lives.

She had even taken a short break when a moderately attractive man had shown an interest in her. Taking him to a quiet alley, she had satisfied his desires twice before consuming his soul and leaving his spent husk to wither on the ground. His Guardian had been powerless, watching helplessly as the man was consumed by his own lusts. The man had not been truly corrupt, though, just a little stupid and lonely and his angel too pure. A pity, Eldith would have loved to add another succubus to the infernal ranks.

 
When Michael arrived, she was careful to subdue her demonic nature. The spell was a difficult one, but one her sister had drummed it into her over the centuries. She found the mortal curious. He was average looking, skinny and dressed normally, yet something about him aroused her interest and, when he looked at her, a slight shiver passed through her. If Garamond did succeed in turning him to their side, she would spare some time to find out just how he could perform.