Seraphina: Initiation (2 page)

I can
’
t help the
ridiculous smile that is all over my face as I make my way back
through my closet to my bedroom. I see Nate drop the last few boxes
on the ground when a thought hits me, it
’
s crazy that twenty five years of my life is packed
away in these seven little boxes. Sensing my sadness, Nate
approaches me and pulls me into a hug.
How does he always know
what to do?

“You want help unpacking?” he asks into my
ear trying to change the subject.

“No, I can handle it.” I really want to make
this place my own, plus I don
’
t even want
to think about Nate handling or even seeing my
undergarments…yet.

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it,” stating over
his shoulder as he heads for the door, only when he reaches the
doorway he turns around to add, “You made the right decision, Sera,
you know that, right?”

“Yea, I know,” I reply as I pick up a box
and head into my gorgeous closet. I drop the box down on the closet
floor as I look around for a place to put all the clothes I’ve
brought. I run my fingers over the clothes on the hangers before I
open a drawer and pull out a pair of cargo pants. I suddenly
realize, the clothes I brought are from my old life—they aren’t
going to cut it anymore. I’m no longer going to be lounging around
the coffee house, I’m going to need training clothes. That’s what
this was all about, he knew I would need a different wardrobe.
Glancing down at the box I brought into the room, I come to the
decision to just throw them out. The old Sera is dead, I remind
myself. I have to start anew.

I’m kicking my box back out into the bedroom
when I hear my phone chime with an incoming text. Jumping over the
last of the boxes, I grab it out of my book bag and sit on the edge
of the bed as I read it.

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! … Which
is pretty much nothing so- use protection! No Angel Babies until
after you save the world!
Amanda’s text can always put me in a
good mood. I begin to crack up, I have to admit below the sadness
was a little bit of nervousness that I’ve been avoiding. Nervous
about training, about living with Nate, but laughing about it
always makes me feel better.

I moved in with a boy—I win
. I type
back, It’s true that’s something she has never done.
Oh, and if
you must know we have special holy water blessed condoms.

OOOHHHH OWNED! Lol
. My phone displays
her reply before another pops up
, I guess you turned out to be
more spontaneous than we all thought.

She’s right. I have no response to that.
Instead, I decide to text my mom and tell her Godzilla interrupted
my trip to Hong Kong so I had to take a detour, but I eventually
made it. (Again that classic Cross-Sarcasm screaming through with
every word) I don’t wait for her reply, instead I kick my shoes off
and dash into the closet to try on all my new clothes.

I think I tried on every outfit in my closet
and send the best ones selfie-style to Amanda to approve. She would
always make some comment like I look like Combat-Barbie. But I know
she found this just as funny as I did, I mean I was always the last
girl picked in gym. When I actually went, most times I would play
hookie in the nurse’s office until the period was over, the bell
would ring, and I’d magically feel better. To say I wasn’t the most
athletic girl is a huge understatement. I’m the type of person that
would rather diet than have to do any form of physical exertion. To
be dressed up like I’m going through army boot camp is a sight to
behold.

“Knock, Knock,” I hear called into my room.
I look around at the piles of clothes lumped all around me and
panic. I pick up a pile and try to shove it into a drawer, but I
can’t get it to close. “Sera?” Nate calls again and I give up. I
hop over the pile by the door and shut it closed behind me just as
he’s entering my room.

“Yea, sorry I was in the closet…”

“I brought you dinner,” he states holding
out the pizza box in front for me to see. I didn’t think anyone
would deliver so far out here. But I’m distracted from asking when
my stomach begins to scream with excitement at the smell of the
fresh pizza. He piles a few boxes on top of one another and puts
the pizza on top of it. I drop to my knees in front of it like a
child waiting for the big reveal as my mouth waters. Nate comes to
sit beside me as he opens the top of the box revealing a whole pie
of peperoni pizza, my favorite. I smile over at him in a wordless
show of appreciation before I dive in for a slice.

“I thought you were unpacking…” he points to
my unopened boxes still where he had left them only a few hours
ago.

“You didn’t leave me much room,” I joke in
between bites, “But it’s okay, I think its time for some spring
cleaning.” I reach in for another slice.

“But it’s December?” he questions obviously
not totally caught onto human lingo.

“It’s just a phrase, never mind.” I don’t
have time to explain as I shove another bite of pizza in my mouth.
I’ve recently gotten used to the amount of food I can consume, I
think it’s because I burn so many calories now throughout the
day.

“So, Nate-aroni, tell me about yourself,” I
ask with a mouth full of pizza waiving my crust in his face for
emphasis.

“What would you like to know?” he guardedly
continues as he reaches over for another slice of pizza. I smirk
when I realize I’m already on my third.

“Is Nate your real name?” I randomly blurt
out as I pop crust into my mouth.

“Actually, God called me Nathanael, but it
didn’t seem right to use it… afterwards.”

“Nate, tell me about Heaven,” I inquire,
intrigued at the insinuation of Heaven
.

“What would you like to know?” he asks again
not wanting to give anything crucial away.

“Is it as beautiful as they say?” I ask
tilting my head to the side.

“More,” he gets out before taking another
bite.

“More beautiful?” I stare off into the
corner of the room as I try and piece it all together.

“You can’t even humanly imagine,” that just
intrigues me more and I try to picture everything I’ve ever read
about it, “The ornately sculpted pearly gates are just the
entrance, the way the river of life pulses it’s as if it has a
heart beat of it’s own. Then there’s the chanting, the way it calls
to you… soothes you to your very core.” He shakes his head as he
stares at the pizza box between us, “There’s nothing like the
feeling of Heaven, the peace it brings. You never want, never need,
there is no hunger, no pain just love and harmony. I don’t seem to
realize my eyes are closed as I picture Nate’s words until they
come snapping open at the last image. It was as I pictured walking
along the river of life, feeling the pulsing through my feet when I
look up and see Nate walking along side a gorgeous female Angel,
their robes slightly touching as they walk along together.

“Did you have a girlfriend up there?” I
blurt out as my mouth catches up with my mind.

Startled he coughs an uncomfortable cough
before responding, “No…it
’
s not like that
up there. In Heaven, you serve the Lord. There is no
boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife, mother/daughter, everyone
serves and worships Him,”

Shocked by his answer, I continue to pry,
“So, did you have another human girlfriend?”

“Another? Are you admitting to being my
girlfriend?” he slyly implies with one eyebrow raised.

“Don
’
t you change
the subject, Mister!” I quickly fire back, leaning forward to poke
at his hard chest and admitting to nothing.

“Sera, I told you. You were my first
assignment here on Earth. I was Guardian to the Lord’s throne
before that, I was pretty high up there in ranks believe it or
not,” he states looking into the fire as if reminiscing.

“What does that mean? Is that a boring job?
It sounds kind of …”

He laughs.

“What?”

“There is nothing greater that being deemed
powerful enough to protect the lord’s throne. I had to protect him
from rowdy souls and Demon attacks, so boring it definitely is
not!”

“Do you miss it?” I
’
m struck with guilt watching his face lights up as
he talks about it.

“Sometimes…” he pauses before looking me in
the eye, “But then I look at you and I can
’
t say that I would be able to go back to how things
were,” he admits honestly. After a few seconds of silence, my mind
starts working on overdrive and I begin to think out loud.

“Wait a minute, so that means... so you mean
you never… ya know…with a girl… ever?” I stutter, finally coming to
the realization that Nate may be experienced in the ways of an
Angel, but he is inexperienced in the passions of the human
flesh.

“No, never,” he replies with a smirk. I sit
pondering this for a few minutes before I find I have to change the
subject.

“So, tell me about being an Angel, like what
can we do? Am I going to sprout wings? Do I have to swear devotion
to fighting evil for as long as I shall live?” I lean back against
the side of the fireplace as I munch on the last crust.

I see a smile spread over his face, I’m glad
he finds my ignorance funny. “Only God can give an Angel wings,
since he didn’t exactly make you I don’t think those are coming
anytime soon. As far as the devotion to fighting crime, you have
sworn no oath, you do not
have
to do anything. I, on the
other hand will not be able to come across a Demon I don’t want to
kill, old habits and all.”

“So there’s no Angel-loyalty program or
anything?”

“I was released from my oath when God took
my wings, I am no longer an Angel of God, I am considered a Fallen
Angel.” I cringe at the word as if it were a curse. I don’t know
why but something inside me hates that term.

“Okay, now get to what I can do now!” I
change the subject to something more exciting.

“Well, I can tell you what Angels can do.
They have heightened senses of the world around them, they can move
things with their mind, and we do something called ‘conjuring’
where we can create objects with our minds.”

“Conjuring,” I repeat curiously.

“Can I alter already created things? Like
say a shirt?”

“Yes,” he responds closing the empty pizza
box, “Why?”

“I think I’ve done it…” I admit thinking of
the shirt I changed from green to red in the mall a few days ago.
It was creepy when I didn’t know what was going on—now it kinda
seems cool. “But wait, that’s it? I can’t read minds or fly? This
is kinda lame!”

“Well, some Angels have certain… shall I
say, gifts.”

“Now you’re getting all Twilight on me…” I
roll my eyes.

“Twilight?” he asks, sometimes I forget he’s
not human.

“Nevermind.”

“I don’t know about this ‘Twilight,’ but
Angels are created with certain talents in Heaven and after they
fall they don’t ever seem to shake them.”

“What are your talents?” I lean in finally
getting to know the real Nate.

“In Heaven, I was known for mastering the
element of fire. Not just literal fire, but the deep fire within
everyone. I can burn out thoughts of doubt and instill desire and
passion. I don
’
t alter minds, but I can
influence emotion.”

“So… can I do what you do?”

“I don’t know... Can you access peoples
feelings or emotions?”

“I don’t think so…”

“Put your hands up towards my head and try
to open yourself to my mind,” he instructs me.

I follow his directions, placing my hands
near his face and closing my eyes. I relax my mind and focus on his
mind, his brain.
Show me his thoughts, his emotions
,
his
deepest desires
, I think. I stay like that for a while trying
to enter his mind, trying to get deep into the mysterious Nate, but
I’m met with nothing but silence. Finally giving up, I lower my
hands and shrug my shoulders in failure.

“Well, if I had to guess, I’d say your
talent has something to do with the power you create in your hands,
I’ve never seen anything like that before, in Heaven or on
Earth.”

“What could it be?” intrigued at this new
development.

“I’m not sure, but the way it made that
possession curl up and sizzle like bacon I’d say it comes straight
from God.”

“But, how can it come from God if you said
that he didn’t make me himself? Wouldn’t it make sense if I have
your powers since it’s your blood I have inside me now?” I feel my
face crinkle up and I let out a shiver. I see Nate rise and make a
move toward me. Freezing in my spot as my heart begins to flutter,
I begin to think he might kiss me, his eyes meet mine as his hand
reaches behind me. My eyes immediately fly to his perfect lips, I
feel my eyes close slightly and my head tilts back preparing, until
I hear a shuffling behind me. I turn my head to notice he was
reaching for the fireplace poker. I let out a sigh as I scoot out
of the way so he can adjust the fire, looking around my room trying
to distract me from his body being so close to mine. Once he has
returned the fire to the roar it once had, he comes back into
sitting position across from me.

“I don’t exactly know what to tell you,” and
I realize he was pondering his answer this entire time, “You are
the first of your kind. I don’t know what is supposed to happen or
what you can do because there is no norm. We have to figure it out
as we go along.” I stare into his blue eyes that are echoing the
flickering flames they stare at. I have mixed feelings myself about
all this, but Nate seems to hate the unknown and I have a feeling
guilt is behind all of this uneasiness.