Ch. 88: Angels and Mates

CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT:
Rachel~
I opened my eyes to a field surrounded by redwood trees. The sun was setting and a lovely scent, honeysuckle, wafted through the air. A flock of birds flew overhead and I continued to look around. I was in a sitting position, my legs crossed, like I had been meditating.
“Rachel, good. You’re awake,” I heard a light melodic voice say from somewhere behind me.
I turned to see a lovely middle-aged woman with long auburn hair and intense violet eyes. She was beckoning me to stand.
“I’m sorry - do I know you?” I asked her as I pushed up off from the grass.
She shook her head, “No, not really. But I know you.”
That made me raise my brow. What did that mean?
“I don’t mean to startle you..” she said, brushing imaginary dirt off the skirt of her dress. “I’ll introduce myself. I am the Archangel, Aurora.”
Huge white wings unfurled behind her as if in emphasis.
I gasped. My jaw hung there, open.
And then it hit me, one thing at a time. Vance. Sean. Ally. Kyle. Me. Magic. Fae. Witches. Warlocks. Demons. Walking through the stairwell. Pain in my arm.
I looked down at my arm, but couldn’t see anything…
“You won’t see that here,” Aurora informed me and I looked back up at her.
“Can I ask- where is ‘here’?” I looked around, the place totally unfamiliar.
“That’s a little hard to explain. Let’s say it’s a layer of Heaven,” she began to walk and motioned for me to follow.
“Heaven?” I looked around again. Not a puffy cloud or harp in sight.
“Yes, there are dimensions of Heaven. This is one of them. It’s closest to the living realm, so it was easier for us to meet here,” she went on.
“Am I- am I dead?” I asked her.
“No, Rachel. You’re not. You are very, deeply unconscious at this time. I thought it would be a good time to meet you,” she turned to face me as we neared a park bench.
She sat down and she gestured on the seat next to her. Not knowing what else I could do I sat.
“I apologize, I can’t imagine how confusing all this must be… I will explain as best as I can, but some things will have to play out on their own,” she elaborated in her soft voice.
I nodded.
“I know you are now aware of supernatural beings. And you’ve stumbled into some ability of your own,” she glanced at me to make sure I was following. “Well, even fewer people know about the existence of the angels. And an even fewer number of people interact with them. But you, Rachel, you have been chosen by a few of us to fulfill a calling.”
She paused as I soaked in everything she was saying.
“Us?” I asked her.
“Yes, ‘us’ as in a group of higher beings. Selene - or Artemis - as she is sometimes called, myself, and a few others - we saw some concerning things coming together in the mortal realm and became concerned. There was a time some years ago when we tried to intercede, to keep things from happening altogether… But we didn’t get it quite right. This time we have learned from our mistakes,” the Archangel filled me in.
Wow. So much to unpack there. Higher beings and the past; the fact that these beings could make mistakes…
“I have so many questions - I don’t know where to start…” I said aloud to myself.
“I know, but while I can clarify some things, I can’t change so much that events roll out differently. It’s imperative that we have it right this time. But don’t that worry you, I know that you will be strong enough to fulfill your destiny when the time comes. I do wish I could tell you more, but I promise once things are done, we can talk about all of it. I will be here for you. Afterall, you are family,” she added the last part with a smile.
“Family?” I asked, totally flabbergasted.
“Yes. You are spiritually connected to a being of mine - my daughter. And you I will care for you as I care for her. You’ll meet her soon, on your birthday,” she informed me.
So many more questions flickered like fireworks in my mind.
The Archangel squinted for a moment and said, “It’s time. You have to go… We will talk again. Just remember, when things get hard, that you are stronger than you think. You are growing in your strength - as a person, in your magic, and in here.” She pointed at my heart.
“When will-?” I started to ask, when everything faded away.

Ally~
Light. Painful light. My head and neck throbbed and I held my hand up to block the light from my face as I opened my eyes.
“Uhh...” I heard Kyle groan next to me.
I sat up in a rush - Rachel!
“Kyle!” I yelled, getting up.
He was up in an instant.
Somehow we were a few streets away from the top of the hill. I remembered fighting Vance, and Kyle getting him to sleep before reaching for Rachel in the trunk. Then pain.
“Someone must have jumped us!” Kyle shouted as he booked it back uphill, I chased behind him.
We heard a commotion coming from just beyond the bushes, and we rushed to the trunk. She was still there!
Kyle went to grab her and I was overcome with heat. My heartbeat picked up to a pace that should have killed me. Something smelled absolutely delicious, like a warm apple pie. I turned to see what it was but didn’t see anything obvious.
And then Jake emerged from the stairwell.
Holding Vance’s head. It was not attached to anything.
I gagged and reached out to the car to steady myself while I emptied the contents of my stomach.
“What are you doing?” I heard Jake’s voice.
His steps came closer, something thunked to the ground - I did not want to look at what I knew the sound was…
“Uh, rescuing her?” I heard Kyle’s carefree tone. “Though it looks like you already went all Game of Thrones on the situation.”
I heaved again.
“Ally?” I heard Evan’s voice now.
Someone rushed up to me and placed a hand on my back, rubbing me.
“GET. BACK.” another voice said, something familiar about it. And then a growl sound. The hand retreated.
I fought the dizziness and used my sleeve to clean my mouth before I turned around, smelling the freshly baked apple pie once more.
How could I be smelling something so good when-
“Mate,” Nick said five or six feet away from me.
We stood there, staring at each other and my heartbeat went even faster. I was warm all over. My amulet was glowing. Yellow and silver tones emanated and I could swear I heard it whisper, soulmate to me.
“What?” I whispered.
I was frozen in time. Heated and with my heart knocking out of my chest. I was in a trance, staring at Nick. When did he get so freaking handsome. Like knee-shaking, static electricity handsome? I always considered him a good looking guy, but… when had so much changed? He was straight-up giving me goosebumps.
He started to walk toward me cautiously, and I was stuck where I stood - one hand on a stranger’s car, reeking of vomit, my best friend in the trunk of a car, my other friend frozen as well, Jake giving Kyle a murderous look, Evan’s head whipping back and forth, watching it all.
“Ally?” he asked me, his voice totally unsure of itself.
He reached out his hand and something in me automatically answered. I put my hand in his and electricity shot up my arm, to my spine and I let out a sound of pleasure.
Oh crap.
I bit my lip - totally embarrassing! My cheeks heated and I tried to turn away but he held on.
“I- I- I need a second,” I said, yanking my hand back and stepping backwards, stumbling on something, but Nick moved faster than light and caught me.
“Uh, Jake?! Can we talk over here?” Evan said really loudly, getting everyone’s attention.
Nick’s arm was around my waist. Electricity was everywhere. I could feel every nerve, every cell in my body.
He was looking deeply into my eyes and I was so embarrassed by this whole thing - especially by the sound I made and the falling over- I broke eye contact and pushed away a little. He seemed to get the silent request and slowly let me go. We separated a little and I saw Jake, Evan, and Kyle a few stairs further down the way, with Rachel being cradled like a baby in Jake’s arms.
I stepped further away from Nick and he let out a barely audible, “Please don’t.”