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I opened my mouth to question him further, but a rush of air announced Jophiel’s arrival, and I turned away from Remiel to lean over the balcony as he landed on the grass in front of the house.
“Are you crazy? You’re supposed to be trying to live under the radar. You can’t go flying around in broad daylight!”
Jophiel grinned. “Relax, I rode in the back of the truck until we were out of town. No one saw me. I just wanted to stretch my wings a bit. The others will be along soon, they are not far behind.” His eyes flicked to Remiel’s, and I cocked my head to one side. Something was definitely going on here.
“I brought your flowers,” Jophiel said, holding out the large bouquet of pink roses I’d asked him to get. They were my favorite. I smiled and headed down the steps to take them from him.
“Thank you, they’ll look perfect.”
“Shall I come with you? Or would you rather go on your own?” he inquired.
I smiled and slipped my hand through his arm. No matter how much time he spent outdoors, Jophiel was still as pale as the day I’d met him. “I’d love for you to come. We’ll be back soon, Remiel,” I called over my shoulder.
“No hurry, take your time,” he called back before disappearing into the house.
Jophiel and I strolled along in the evening sunlight, chatting together as we went. He left his wings loose, wrapping one around me to keep off the chill, and I snuggled into the soft gray feathers. He told me about the guys’ trip into town for some supplies and about the people they’d spoken to there. They were starting to settle into the community, and after a hesitant start, I had too. It appeared that my father only had a few friends in town. Most were afraid of him or just polite, and with him gone, they liked to talk to me. I never revealed what he had done, preferring not to talk about my past life. It seemed so far away now, like a distant nightmare, and I was determined to live my life without holding back.
We reached the bottom of the slope, and Jophiel slid back the bolt on the gate, holding it open for me. I stepped through, looking around the small enclosure. A white picket fence with a matching gate kept out the roaming rabbits and the odd sheep or cow that came this way, protecting this special place. The guys had brought me here a few weeks after I had gotten out of the hospital. While I had been safely out of the way, they had excavated the old pigpen and found the remains of two people—a man and a woman. They had brought them here and buried them under the sky by the river. Eleth told me that they had chosen the most beautiful spot they could find. I sat down on the small wooden bench that was surrounded by lavender bushes, and Jophiel took the roses from me and laid them on the nearest grave. He sat next to me, and I rested my head on his shoulder. The pink roses looked warm and soft against the white headstone that had my mother’s name. The other had the name Samuel Collins, a name Ade had managed to dig up after a little investigation.
“I wonder what my life would have been like if he’d let them walk away,” I murmured softly.
Jophiel turned and pressed his lips against my forehead. He sighed. “I know it’s selfish, but if they had taken you away, we never would have met, and I can’t help but be thankful that things turned out the way they did. Although, I would give it up if it meant sparing you the life you lived before.”
I kissed him, and he relaxed under my touch. He was warm and gentle, and he always put all of himself into every kiss. I was glowing by the time I pulled back.
“I guess we’ll never know how it works. I thought that maybe one person can only have a certain amount of love in their life, and that I had to lose her to get you and the others, but then how does that work when most people are lucky to meet one soul mate and I have four?”
Jophiel smiled down at me. “We were told that angels are beings of infinite love, and yet I didn’t know how much I was capable of until I met you, Dylan. I think it just goes on and on.”
I looked back down at the white stone. “Do you think... Would you know if she was in Heaven?”
Jophiel sighed. “I don’t know. The rules have changed and are still changing. Once it was enough that if someone still had the capacity to love, they would ascend, but now... I just don’t know. Gabriel controls it all, and I just don’t know.” He brightened suddenly. “On the other hand, I do know that if she went to Hell, it really isn’t what you think. I met a couple of fallen angels in Concordia last month, and from what they told me of the place, it isn’t that different from here.”
“Maybe they are together, and maybe I’ll get to see her again one day,” I said. It wasn’t a question, and I didn’t really want a concrete answer, I just wanted to live with hope. The guys had joined the Concordia about six months ago. From what Ade had told me, it was an organization for supernaturals who had once existed to keep the secret of angels and demons from humanity, but now that we knew, they were more like peacekeepers, making sure everyone who could live in harmony did. It was the perfect job for my men, and they seemed to manage it well around working on the farm.
Jophiel’s phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen.
“Come on.” He stood up and held his hand out to me.
“What?”
“Ade and Eleth are back from town and dinner’s ready.”
“Oh, okay.” I kissed my fingertips and pressed them to the top of the gravestone. “Night, Mom.”
Jophiel pulled me into his arms then slid his hands down over my ass and under my thighs.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “I thought you said dinner was ready?”
“Yup, and I’m hungry. I can get us there much quicker than walking.” He lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist, and I grabbed hold of his shoulders. Huge, soft gray wings spread out behind him, and with a couple of strong beats, we were in the air.
I squealed and clung on for dear life as the fields and river fell away under us, but it was in delight, not fear. I knew Jophiel would never drop me. We fell into a smooth glide that carried us all the way to the farmhouse, and we landed on the lawn outside. Heading up the steps, I smoothed my hair back, ruffled from the wind, and stopped as I got to the kitchen. Ade, Eleth, and Remiel stood in the hallway, blocking the way into the kitchen. Ade held a thick white envelope in his hand, and my heart thudded at the sight of it.
“It came?” I whispered.
He nodded and held it out to me. I shook my head. “I can’t. You read it.”
Ade nodded and tore open the envelope. The others crowded around him as he held up the top sheet.
