Savior (9 page)

              Angie rushed to the young angel and wrapped her arms around her. Alyssa sobbed into the woman’s bosom as Angie pulled her into the shop. Marcus grumbled under his breath and quickly surveyed the exterior of the shop. The body of the attacker was nowhere to be seen, though his blood still stained the stone wall of the building across the street. Marcus focused his mind and his bodily energy condensed into a translucent barrier around the doorway. Now that everything was secure, he went over to Alyssa to comfort her. They sat on a soft couch as Angie fussed behind the counter. The angel’s small hands trembled slightly and tears streamed down her face. “I am sorry I was not there sooner Alyssa, I should have been.”

              She reached out her hands and wrapped them tightly around Marcus’s neck. “Please Marcus, I… need you to hold me.”

              Marcus nodded and smiled at her as he took Alyssa’s frail body into his arms. “Alyssa, I am so sorry, I cannot believe someone would ever wish to harm an innocent angel in such a way.”

              “Can I get anyone some tea?” she called to them. Alyssa nodded quickly and stifled her sobs as another wave threatened to overcome her.

              “Who was that man?” Angie asked as she handed Alyssa the cup of hot tea. Alyssa blew on the amber liquid as the steam swept over her cheeks and eyes.

              “Just someone I used to know,” she whispered back. She had only been with the man a few times, but even those were seared brutally into her mind along with all the others from her years of captivity.

              “You seemed to be pretty friendly with him darling,” Angie said as she sat next to them. Alyssa shot her an angry glare, which instantly stunned the woman into silence.

              “We weren’t like that. Well we were, but not by choice. Mine anyway,” she grumbled miserably. She had never tried to explain what had happened at Ruben’s to anyone. Alyssa had no idea how she would do it now. “Nicholas Hawthorne is a lord and a good friend of the man that used to own me,” she explained to Angie.

              “That’s absurd, who would want to own an angel?” she giggled nervously. The cup of tea trembled in her hands as her mind tried to grasp what the angel was saying. Alyssa rested her head on

              Marcus’s chest and ran her hand over his arm in lazy circles. He still held her tightly and she was grateful for him. Never before had any man stood up for her.

              “The man that owned me was named Ruben. He… well he…” she sighed. “He let his friends and anyone else that could pay his price have me for a night,” Alyssa said quickly. She shut her eyes tightly and trembled. “Mr. Hawthorne was one of those men that were rich enough to pay, most of the time though he got me for free.” The angel was afraid to look either of them in the eyes. Her fear of rejection was overwhelming and so she sat quietly waiting for either of them to speak. Angie wiped a few of her own tears away and touched the little angel’s shoulder gently. Alyssa watched her as she went to fill her teacup.

              Marcus wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace, his sorrow pooling in his eyes. He knew that Ruben had mistreated her, but this was beyond cruel. His words jumbled and twisted within his mouth. “I am sorry Alyssa, I am so very sorry.” He rubbed her upper arms while trying to dry away a few of her tears. Marcus could barely halt his own crying, though he was determined to be strong for her.

              He held her closely, rocking back and forth in the silence of the little shop.

              Alyssa nodded and relaxed into his embrace. “Thank you Marcus,” she whispered to him. She carefully ran a feather over his eyes, wiping away the tears that he had been bravely fighting back. Angie returned with fresh tea and filled each of their cups.

              Angie bit her lip and fought back her curiosity. But it finally got the better of her and the questions began pouring out. “When did he first take you Alyssa? How many times has it been since then?” she blurted.

              Alyssa looked up into her eyes with a mixture of annoyance and understanding. Humans were odd creatures, she thought to herself. But she had anticipated some of them acting the way Angie was. The questions didn’t bother her as much as startle. “I was thirteen the first time, and there have been way too many times after that,” she said without hesitation. The numbness had crept back into her heart. As long as it was there, talking about what had happened no longer hurt. It felt like any other conversation.

              “When was the last time?” Angie asked as she sipped her tea.

              Alyssa blushed modestly and looked away. “It was about an hour before Marcus came to Ruben’s manor.”

              Marcus sighed heavily and changed the tone of the conversation, “We should be heading back soon Alyssa, the sun is already touching the horizon.” She nodded back at him and Marcus thanked Angie for taking care of Alyssa with the clothing and tea. They said their final good-byes and departed from the store.

              Alyssa looked over her shoulder as they headed out of town. “I forgot to ask Angie what was in the cream. I will do that next time I guess.” She slipped her hand into his and squeezed gently. “Thank you again for back there Marcus.” Alyssa fluttered her wings until she was a few inches off the ground.

              She kissed Marcus’s cheek and quickly returned to the grass. She was blushing deeply and refused to meet his eyes.

              Marcus’s face flushed red and he smiled at her. She looked so beautiful in the light of the fading sun, her pale skin glowing softly. Alyssa shyly smiled back at him and wrapped her arm around his waist. He placed his arm around her and held her close to him as they set forth on their journey. They walked along the road and reached the gate to the house just as the sun’s last light vanished from the sky.

              Marcus touched the phoenix and the doors swung open to allow them entry to the forest. The full moon shone brilliantly in the night sky, lighting their path to the cabin. Marcus opened the door for Alyssa and they stepped inside. The torches upon the walls illuminated strongly, lighting the small entryway of the home. Alyssa walked to the bedroom and he took a seat on a wooden chair within the living room.

              Marcus reached into a pouch tied to his belt and removed a small brown box. He lifted the delicate lid and examined the silver necklace that it contained. Its chain was thin with a small silver angel pendant. Blue crystals formed the wings with sparkling diamond eyes. Alyssa returned from the bedroom and Marcus quickly hid the box before she could take notice.

              Alyssa emerged from the bedroom wearing a long white silk gown that brushed the floor. Her hair was tied up in a haphazard bun. Tendrils had already fallen loose from it and they lay scattered over her shoulders. Her left hand clasped the jar of cream for her wings. She went to the library and sat on the floor in front of Marcus. The silk of her gown felt cool and comforting against her skin. Never before had she owned a gown of pure silk. The angel looked up at the man sitting across from her and smiled to herself. Even though she had just met him, Alyssa felt more for Marcus than she ever had for any man in her life. His kind words and gentle touches were wiping away all of the bad memories that seemed to make up her life. The years of abuse and torment seemed like only a distant thought, maybe even another life or a story she had heard.

              She took a small amount of cream and began working it through her feathers. They shown and glittered in the firelight. The flames danced across her bare arms and back. Her wings were growing rapidly. Most of it she knew was the cream, but they seemed to be growing right before her eyes. The brittle ends had become soft and supple. They were back to their old brilliance that she remembered from her childhood. Flying, she knew, was out of the question. But their fullness had allowed her to rise off the ground, even if it was just a few inches.

              Soon her wings were covered in a light layer of cream. She reached around to her back for the last few inches but couldn’t reach. Alyssa again tried but her fingers could only just barely brush the short feathers. She frowned and looked up at Marcus. “Are you busy right now?” she asked him. He shook his head no. “Would you please come help me with my wings? The base is hard to reach,” she asked shyly. He smiled at her and sat on the floor behind her.

              Marcus dipped his fingers into the fragrant, white cream and warmed it in his hands. Marcus rubbed his hands over her sheer feathers, giggling slightly as they tickled his palms. He worked the healing compound in deeply, making sure to cover every feather from base to tip. The cream was working well, but Marcus decided to aid it by trickling a small amount of his magic into her wings. Once her wings had been fully covered, he replaced the lid to the cream and returned it to her. Just as he had finished the application, a soft knock came at the cabin door. Marcus rose to his feet and opened the door slowly to reveal the woman waiting for him.

              Lady Kathryn smiled at him and kissed each of his cheeks in greeting. “Hello Marcus, it is so good to see you again. I have missed you very much.” Alyssa’s ears perked up and her pulse quickened as she heard the woman talking from the other room. She went to the bookcase and removed a map that had caught her eye as she waited for Marcus to return. Alyssa traced her finger over the winding rivers and longed to visit those far off places that lay scattered over its crinkled surface.

              Marcus gave her a polite, yet forced smile and showed her into the cabin. "Hello Lady Kathryn, it is nice to see you, may I inquire as to what brings you here this fine day?"

              The woman chuckled and handed him her cape. “I have come to see you dear Marcus. It’s so terrible that you are all alone up here with only the animals to keep you company,” she said as she pushed past him. Her eyes found Alyssa as she lay in front of the fire. “Oh, you let her stay in the house with you?”

              "Of course, where else should she stay?"

              Kathryn giggled and led the way to the living room. She sat down on the couch and pulled Marcus down next to her. “This place could really use a woman’s touch. The people in town are starting to wonder about you,” she said distractedly. Alyssa stifled a laugh and pretended to be fascinated with the fire.

              "Wonder about me Kathryn? I honestly find that there is not much about me that is all that interesting to wonder about, and besides, if there were I'd much rather keep my business out of the public's ear."

              She nodded. “Of course Marcus. Oh, I brought you a little present. Carl said you had it on hold and I wanted to save you the trip,” she said as she handed him a book. “You must get so lonely out here all alone with only that creature to keep you company.” She glared down at Alyssa, but the angel pretended not to notice.

              Kathryn slid her hand onto Marcus’s knee and leaned in closer to him. “Really Marcus, it’s nice that you are keeping her as a pet, but shouldn’t the animals sleep outside? You wouldn’t let a cow sleep in your house too would you?”

              Marcus brushed her hand aside and walked to a nearby table and plucked a rectangular object from its smooth surface. He held up the book for Kathryn to see, "Alyssa was kind enough to pick up a copy of that book for me a few days ago, though hers did not have torn pages or a stained cover."

              Kathryn looked down at the little angel. “Well that was so very kind of her.” She had been outdone once, but she swore that the girl would not win.

              He returned the book to her and took a seat on a chair across from hers. "You will kindly not refer to Alyssa as an animal, she most certainly is not beast-like by any means.”

              Kathryn giggled. “I am so sorry Marcus. I meant nothing by it.” She sat closer to him and forced the sweetest smile possible. “I don’t know how you can like books like that though. Everyone knows that elves and the like don’t exist, but it’s probably because you spend all your time out here alone with that little winged bat.”

              "That is interesting Miss Kathryn, perhaps you did not have your eyes open enough as you stepped into my forest, perhaps I should introduce you? I hope your vision does not fade on you madam, as it can clearly be seen that Alyssa looks nothing like a winged bat."

              Kathryn giggled and shifted nervously on the couch. “Well I meant no disrespect Marcus. Surely someone as wise as you must realize that.” The woman turned to Alyssa and nudged her shoulder with her foot roughly. The angel rubbed her sore shoulder and looked up at the woman. “I did not mean to hurt your feelings. If you have any of course. Does your kind have feelings?” Kathryn said the words slowly, as if she was talking to someone of little intelligence.

              Alyssa was quickly overcome with rage, but she hid it as best she could. She stood abruptly and stormed out of the room. She slammed the cabin door behind her and disappeared into the night.

              “Oh I hope I didn’t say anything to upset her,” Kathryn said with a wicked smile. She slid her hand to Marcus’s thigh and brought her lips to his neck. “Oh darling, you have no idea how long I have been waiting for this, tonight all your dreams come true,” she whispered to him.

              Again Marcus set aside her advance, this time somewhat more forcefully. "I am sorry Lady Kathryn, but you are not a part of my dreams." Marcus got up from the chair and busied himself with making a pot of tea. He poured himself a cup and peered at her, "It is getting late, if you have no further business here I think it would be a good time to take your leave."