THE TRAGIC + DIVINE Page 20

  Non-serviam, Latin for ‘I will not serve.’ The phrase Lucifer spoke when he refused to serve God.

  My throat went dry as I stared at the computer screen. I thought back to the angel’s unusual behavior. None of them acted like the pious angels on TV. Was it possible all of the angels were fallen? Was the compassion and kindness they displayed on TV all an act? If so, it only meant one thing; Milo was a fallen angel. Lucifer was real.

  “What you reading?” Julian interrupted my thoughts.

  I jumped. “I was, uh—”

  “What is this?” Dawn said picking up the pamphlet. “Fallen angels, uh? I once read the angels are actually the aliens that landed in Roswell like a million years ago.”

  “You know how to read?” Julian said with a hint of sarcasm.

  “Yes, I know how to read,” Dawn scoffed offended. “I’m not as stupid as you look.”

  “Sure had me fooled,” Julian retorted.

  “Fallen or not, the angels are sexy. I don’t care what anyone says,” Dawn replied.

  “But if it’s true? You don’t think it’s strange the angels from Eve’s Paradise are never in the news? Or that they drink, have sex with humans and gamble?” I asked.

  “They’re trying to fit in just like everyone else,” Julian said dismissing my suspicions.

  “Still…it freaks me out they might be fallen. If they are then that means they could be—demons.” The thought sent goosebumps up my arms.

  “You’re starting to sound like all the Jesus freaks in this town. Besides, the angels already confirmed the devil isn’t real. He’s your ego—whatever that means,” Dawn said. “So it doesn’t matter. Sin is in”—Dawn took her cell phone out and took a quick selfie then uploaded to her Snapchat—“hashtag sinner.”

  Later that afternoon, I was sitting in my art class trying to finish the latest project. I’d been in class for almost thirty minutes, but my canvas was still blank. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I found. Non-Serviam floated through my mind, I will not serve. Priscilla’s distress call.

  I glanced around the room, scanning the faces of the students until I stopped on the auburn-haired girl who asked me about the angels last week—I think her name was Mary. She was diligently painting on her canvas until she caught me staring. She smiled when suddenly her face briefly distorted into a demonic figure.

  I jumped out of my seat accidentally knocking over a bucket of paintbrushes. I made a run for the door but ran right into Mrs. Mercury.

  “Is everything okay, Alexis? You seem distracted,” she asked, a concerned expression crossed her eyes. At that moment, Mrs. Mercury’s eyes twisted abnormally.

  “I think I need to throw up!” I exclaimed.

  Mrs. Mercury moved out of the way as I ran past her. Five minutes later, I was in the bathroom splashing cold water over my face. What was wrong with me? Lately, I’d been seeing things. First the figure at my house, then the black SUV, the man with the black hoodie, my sister, now this? I kept telling myself that it was nothing. I’d been hallucinating. I blamed it on the weed and the drinking. The image of the demon was nothing but a figment of my wild imagination. Turning the faucet off, I grabbed a few paper towels to wipe my face. The toilet flushing behind startled me. Through the mirror, I saw Savannah exit the bathroom stall.

  “Move,” she commanded with an attitude. Savannah shoved me out of the way.

  Irritated by her hostility, I replied, “What’s your problem?”

  “You’re my problem,” she said without looking at me.

  I fixed my angry eyes on her and decided to confront her about what I saw at Stone Mountain.

  “I saw you,” I said.

  Savannah kept her gaze on her reflection and applied lipstick.

  “Saw me where?” she snapped.

  “I saw you at Stone Mountain.”

  Her peach face turned pale white at the mention of Stone Mountain. Her eyes suddenly became distant for a tiny second, then she narrowed her eyes at me through the mirror.

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” she replied then went back to fixing her face.

  “What were you swearing your allegiance to? A cult? Are the angels forcing you to do things?”

  “They’re not making me do anything!” Savannah shouted. “God, you’re so pathetic. Just like all the other losers in this town. Do you know what’s it like to feel like a prisoner?”

  Actually, I did. But I didn’t say it out loud.

  “All my life, I’ve been told what to do, what to believe, how to act”—she suddenly mocked her mom’s voice—“Yes ‘ma’am, no ‘sir. Behave like a lady! It’s driving me crazy!”

  I stepped back unsure how to react to Savannah’s meltdown. It was almost as if, the real Savannah had finally been unleashed.

  “He makes everything better,” she giggled, her expression coming alive. “He makes all of your fears disappear. I don’t have to hide who I am when I’m with him.”

  “Who is he?” I asked afraid of the answer.

  Savannah looked me straight in the eye, her frown blossomed into a knowing smile.

  “You know who.” Her tone sent chills all over my body. Savannah stepped out of the bathroom and left me standing there wondering who she was talking about. Was it Zane? I wasn’t entirely sure.

  CHAPTER

  21

  I was writing down the last answer to my AP World History quiz when I looked out the window. Milo was leaning against his motorcycle looking cool as ever. My entire body flushed with heat. His marvelous dark hair hung loosely around his face. I almost dropped my pencil. When he offered to pick up on Monday, I thought he meant after school, not during school.

  My heartbeat picked up, torn between staying in school to finish out the day or skip school altogether to spend time with Milo. Standing up from my seat, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked toward Mr. Gregory.

  “Already finished?” he peered up at me through his glasses.

  “I need to make a phone call,” I said walking away without letting him answer. I raced down the empty school hallway and out the back door toward the parking lot. Milo flashed me a dazzling smile when he saw me, in return, I smiled back excited to see him. I slowly sauntered over to him trying very hard not to run.

  “I know what you’re going to ask,” he said reading my mind. “I’m here for you.”

  “I was in the middle of class,” I said through a smile.

  “You’re a bad girl,” he purred. He pulled me in, my lips parted. I inhaled his intoxicating scent of earthy must and peppermint, then rested my forehead on his.

  Damn. If only he knew the effect he had on me. I felt his lips softly brush over mine, his kiss gentle at first then it sunk further into my mouth. I temporarily got lost in my senses, quivering under his touch. Milo’s lips tasted of cherry chapstick and sweet peppermint gum. My knees turned to pulp again. No one has ever made me feel so weak and powerless.

  Seconds later I was sitting on the back of Milo’s motorcycle driving away from Dixon and into the scenic mountain roads. The trees were covered in amber colored leaves dancing in the warm Indian summer breeze. Extending an arm out, I felt the air flow through my fingers, enjoying every second. For the first time in a very long time, I felt happy.

  Milo drove for another thirty miles until we reached an unmarked road made of dirt and gravel. About three miles in, he parked the motorcycle in a small clearing in the woods. Without saying a word to me, Milo disappeared into a brush. I was alone.

  “Milo?” I panicked.

  “Over here!” he hollered.

  I followed his voice through the brush shoving branches out of the way until I reached a lake. The water glistened in the mid-afternoon sun without a ripple in sight. The picturesque mountains in the distance made the scene look like something straight out of a painting. Milo was waiting for me inside a mini cruiser boat hidden in a cove.

  “Is this your boat?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said.
“I bought it a few years ago from a retired vet.”

  I scanned the body of the cruiser and stopped to read the name on the back of the boat.

  “Rolling Stoned?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.

  “Did I mention he was a big Rolling Stones fan?”

  I shot him a suspicious look.

  “Okay, so he was a bit of a stoner.” Milo gestured toward the boat. He took my hand while he steadied the boat with his foot as I climbed on board.

  “Where are we going?” I asked taking a seat.

  “You’ll see.”

  Despite its size, the tiny boat was luxurious: white leather seats, shiny wood trim, and wood floors. Milo started the engine to the cruiser then he slowly backed away from the wooden dock. I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the fiery-colored trees unfolding before us. I’d been living in Dixon for seven years now, and I’d never visited any of the lakes nearby. Hell, I hadn’t left Georgia since we arrived, with the exception of my Quince party in Mexico. While the kids at school migrated south to the sandy beaches of Florida during Spring Break, we’d stay home because my mother had to work and couldn’t afford to take a vacation.

  We cruised down a curvy river to an unknown destination as the warm breeze blew through my hair. I sat quietly allowing the serene sounds of nature soothe me.

  “It’s so peaceful,” I noted closing my eyes absorbing the warm sun rays.

  “I love it out here,” Milo said.

  “Tell me where you’re taking me?” I asked again this time eagerly.

  “Be patient.”

  We entered a remote cove where Milo slowed down and parked the boat on a sandy beach. He lowered the anchor into the water from the back of the boat, then walked to the front, jumped off and tied the cruiser to a tree. When he came back, he helped me jump over the water so I wouldn’t get wet. I landed softly on the sand.

  “We have to walk from here,” he said indicating to the woods.

  We climbed through a rustic, unkempt trail for about twenty minutes as the woods closed in on us until we approached a rocky wall blocking our way that looked like it’d been there for over a hundred years. I thought Milo was lost, but he climbed over the wall reaching out for me. I was hesitant at first, the wall was there for a reason; we obviously didn’t belong on the other side. But I sighed, took his hand and climbed over anyway.

  After a short walk, I heard the sound of rushing water growing louder until we finally reached an old dilapidated train bridge overlooking a massive waterfall. I gazed at the white water cascading down into a blue-green basin. Streaks of sunlight filtered through the dense trees resembling something out of a fairy tale. And the best part, we had the whole place to ourselves.

  “Wow,” was all I managed to say.

  Milo stood on the edge of the bridge calculating the drop. “Now we jump.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” I looked down at the thirty-foot drop suddenly feeling anxious. “The water could be shallow, not to mention it’s probably freezing,” I complained, but Milo wasn’t giving in. He kept his hand out, waiting, a crooked, mischievous smile spread over his lips.

  “Isn’t there another way to get down there?” I pleaded.

  My eyes drifted to his back, his wings were retracted.

  “Or maybe we could fly down the way we did at Stone Mountain?” I hoped.

  He kept his hand out patiently waiting for me to join him. What he was suggesting was crazy. I wasn’t immortal like him, I could die upon hitting the water—or drown. I wasn’t a strong swimmer, my dad tried teaching me, but that was a long time ago. I was maybe five-years-old?

  “Trust me,” he said his eyes turning soft. It was a look that had the power to melt my worries away.

  I chuckled with nerves. On any typical day, with a normal human being, I would never be stupid enough to jump. But I took a little comfort that I was there with an angel. I didn’t believe for one second Milo would let anything bad happen to me. So I gathered up the courage to stand by his side, even though I was scared AF, and chose to trust Milo with my fragile human life.

  “I better not die doing this,” I warned.

  “Just, relax,” he said without an ounce of concern we were about to jump thirty feet down.

  My body trembled with nerves, but I shook them off with laughter. Terrified of looking down again, I focused on the trees straight ahead and counted slowly to ten. One…two…

  “Ready?” He asked.

  Three…

  My eyes locked with his, I nodded…four…five. I closed my eyes…six. I stopped my mind from thinking and allowed my body to relax…seven…I felt my body lean forward, I lost my footing on the bridge and shrieked when my body felt weightless. My feet kicked around, my eyes tightly shut as the warm air rushed past my face. We accelerated faster and faster. My heart was pounding all the way down as I prepared to hit cold frigid water.

  But nothing happened.

  I opened my eyes and gasped. I was floating on top of the water. When I looked down, fish were swimming right below my feet.

  “How is this possible?” I asked. I gaped over to Milo who was flying in mid-air, his wings were fluttering like a hummingbird. He kept his grasp on my hand, and I felt a warm pulse of energy emanating from Milo’s hand to my fingertips.

  “I’m going to put you down,” he began. “Whatever you do, do not allow doubt to enter your mind, believe you can walk on water.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the moment you allow fear to enter your mind, you’ll fall.”

  Let go of fear, I thought. Stay calm, stay focused, in control. Cool. That should be easy—yeah right.

  The moment Milo let go of my hand and the connection was lost, I fell straight into the water. The water consumed me as I made impact, but it wasn’t cold. It was surprisingly warm for October.

  Instinct took over as my arms moved to swim up. Once I broke the surface, I desperately gasped for air. When I opened my eyes, Milo was swimming right next to me.

  “I’ll race you to the shore,” he said swimming away from me.

  Taking a deep breath, I swam after him. I felt the burn of every stroke in my muscles. Milo swam gracefully ahead of me as I tried hard to keep up. Once we reached the shore, my feet pounded in the water, and I saw the perfect opportunity to tackle Milo while his back was to me. Running after him, I jumped onto his back, but Milo quickly twisted me around and took me by the waist. Losing my balance, I fell on the sandy beach as Milo landed right on top of me.

  Milo tucked a strand of wet hair behind my ear, his eyes intently skimming my face, the tension rising between us. We didn’t say anything, and for a short second, I stopped breathing. I thought—hoped—he would kiss me again. Instead, he pulled me up by the neck into a sitting position.

  “I can’t believe I just did that!” I exclaimed breaking the silence. “How was that possible…I mean—” I glanced at Milo who looked calm, then it clicked—“you’re telekinetic.” I shook my head and smiled. “What else can you do that people don’t know about?”

  “If I show you, I’ll have to kill you,” Milo said with a wicked smirk.

  I frowned, a spark of fear shot down my arms but I laughed it off. “Come on, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

  “I don’t think you’re ready to see.”

  “I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” I bit my lip when the words came out.

  Milo flashed me a wicked grin, then said, “Anything?”

  I flushed. “As long as it’s PG-13.”

  Milo chuckled softly. “For every ability I show you, every question I answer, you have to take a piece of clothing off.”

  My stomach flipped upside down. “Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  Questioning whether it was worth the trouble, I took off my sweater. “There. Your turn.”

  Milo smiled with satisfaction. “Are you ready to see something that’s going to blow your mind?”

  “Yes,” I replied eagerl
y.

  Milo waved his hand in the air, his face fully concentrated.

  “Do you see it?” he asked.

  “See what?” I looked around confused. The cove was bathed in a beautiful golden light, the water continued to cascade into the basin, but nothing happened. I followed my gaze with Milo’s. I saw nothing. Then with one tap of his finger, a transparent wall wiggled like Jell-O in front of me.

  I gasped.

  “So this is the veil.” I poked the wall causing a ripple of waves. “That’s amazing! Is this how you keep this place hidden?”

  Milo nodded looking into the water. “It’s my own little paradise.”

  “Why don’t we know more about your abilities?” I asked.

  Milo’s gaze lingered on me expectantly as if to remind me of our wager. I growled under my breath and rolled my eyes. I took off one sneaker followed by my sock this time as Milo’s smile faded to disappointment.

  “One sock?” Milo raised an eyebrow.

  “You said a piece of clothing. Last time I checked, socks are part of the list. ”

  “We’re going to be here a while,” he groaned.

  “So? My question?”

  Milo buried his elbow into the sand stretching his body making himself comfortable. “If humans knew what we were truly capable of, they’d fear us. They would not accept us.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it. Now your turn.”

  I let out an annoyed sigh then removed my other sneaker and sock.

  “Is that why you’ve been keeping your true identity a secret?” I took the pamphlet out of my back pocket and tossed it on the ground next to Milo. His eyes momentarily glanced at it with serious consideration. I could have sworn there was a tiny hint of panic in his expression, but he brushed it off as quickly as it appeared.

  “I had a feeling you kept that,” he said in a controlled voice. But I could tell there was anger boiling inside of him. “It’s propaganda.”