Tuesday Tales

Fallen for an Fallen Angel ©2006, Tempest Knight I leaned over the ledger, making sure the numbers were correct. I could hear Cora and Cassie, co-owners of the Café and part-time waitresses, locking up and cleaning. The Café was opened 24/7, but since it was Thanksgiving, we were closing at dusk. “TK? All’s set. We’re ready to go.” Cassie stood on the doorway in the office. I nodded. “Thanks.” “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Cora piped in from behind her. “Yeah. I need to finish the books.” I lied. The truth was I didn’t want to be around people tonight of all nights. I’d lost too much during the past year so I had nothing to be thankful for anyway. I saw the ‘look’ pass between the Louisiana-native young woman and the red-head witch. “I’m going to be fine. Really.” “We’ll see you tomorrow then,” Cassie said, notably unconvinced. Cora just nodded. “Happy Thanksgiving.” “You too.” As I leaned back in the chair, ledger in hand, I heard the backdoor close behind them and sighed. The place suddenly felt empty. My gaze strayed to the corner where Dixie’s bed would have been just to find a small table in its place. My familiar was gone. Together with the house and my parents. Gone forever. That sense of loss I worked so hard to keep at bay crept back. Breathing deeply, I shook the feeling away and focused on the numbers. Anything to keep my mind busy. **** By the time I tossed the last ledger into the file cabinet and closed it, my neck was stiff. Rubbing the tense muscles, I looked around for something else to do. I sure didn’t feel like going back to my apartment. After all, there was nothing there to go back to. I grabbed my shawl and climbed the stairs to the roof. It was 3:00 am. Deep midnight. I didn’t have to check the o’clock. A tomb-like stillness clung to the darkness. I shouldn’t be outside at this hour when only evil came out, but I didn’t care. The autumn chilled breeze sipped through the thin layers of fabric, and I wrapped my shawl tighter. Out of the corner of my eyes I spotted small orange blazes trailing in the night. Shooting stars? The flapping of wings broke the silence. A fireball zoomed towards me. Before I could react something knocked me down. “What the—?” “You’re safe,” a deep, masculine voice whispered, the warm breath in my ear. I twisted my face and saw… feathers? His scream startled me. He slumped over me, and the acrid smell of burnt feather and flesh reached me. I pushed him off me and rolled to my left as another fireball exploded. “Demons.” Five hovering above. Drats! I was too far from a body of water to command. I wasn’t a child of Air, but I whispered words of Power and felt the wind coiling around me until all I could hear nothing but the angry sound of it. Like a hurricane. And I was its center. “Go back to Hell,” I shouted as I lifted my arms and released the gale, blowing the demons away, their ear-piercing shrieks fading. Spent, my knees gave out, and I fell on the floor. Breathing hard, I crawled to the form lying unconscious, wide wings blackened, some feathers bent. An angel. Still slightly shaky, I glanced around. We couldn’t stay out here. Those damn creatures could be back any minute now. With the help of magick, I managed to take him to my office and settled his large male form in the futon. I sat on the edge and brushed soft strands of dark, rich chocolate-color hair from his mesmerizing handsome face. My gaze lowered to his full, sensuous lips, and for a moment I was tempted to taste them. I took a shaky breath and tried to concentrate on his wounds instead. His white shirt smoldered in some areas, the stench of sulfur clung to it. My hands shook a bit as I unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his bronze skin. My breathing hitched as my gaze trailed from his smooth chest down to his flat abs. I absorbed the strength and beauty of his exquisite musculature. “An angel,” he whispered. My gaze snapped up. His eyes blue as a summer sky were looking at me intensely. Blood rushed to my cheeks. “I’m not an angel.” He tried to shift and groaned, and I remembered his back burned. “You’re hurt. Let me bring something for it.” His strong hand tightened around my wrist, but it was his gaze that held me in place. “No. It’s okay, TK.” My eyes widen, my lips went dry. Nobody called me that but Cassie and Cora. And never in public. “How do you know—?” “I know a lot of things about you, druidess.” I shook my head. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re my guardian angel.” “It’s been a long time since I’ve been an angel.” His lips turned into a wicked smile, and my heart leapt. No man had affected me like this. Then again, he wasn’t a man. I lowered my gaze to my hands resting in my lap. His finger curled under my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. “I hate to see your eyes like this.” “Like what?” His fingers ran gently through my hair, and a shiver shot down my body. “Full of sadness. They used to shine.” “And how would you know?” He chuckled softly. “I’ve been watching you for a long time.” “So you are a guardian angel.” He leaned forward, and his lips lingered a mere breath away. “I told you. I stopped being an angel.” Then his mouth brushed mine like a sweet caress, and I sighed. His arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me towards him, my body molding to his. I could feel his hard muscles under my hands, his skin warm were I touched. My face rested on his chest. He tenderly held me, his hands gently running up and down my back in a soothing motion. I closed my eyes and inhaled his aroma of sandalwood, which I found very calming too. I lay in his arms, and for the first time in a year, I could close my eyes without fear of the memories of everyone I'd lost coming to haunt me. I lost track of time, and when I opened my eyes, the sky had turned golden in the horizon. Reluctantly, I pushed away from him, already missing the comfort of his closeness. “You can’t stay here.” “I know.” Was that regret in his voice? In his eyes? I gave myself a mental shake as I watched him get up from the futon and button up his shirt. "I'll walk you up." He extended his hand. For a moment I hesitated, then took it. Hand in hand we walked out of the office and up to the roof. The sun chased down the darkness. He turned and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Good night, TK." "Good night, fallen angel." I let go of his hand, and he stepped over the ledge, his wings spread. He took one last look at me, and then jumped off. I watched him fly until I could no longer see his form outlined in the pale pink, morning clouds. Smiling, I got back inside and sat behind my desk, when the door opened and Cora walked in. “Still here? What did you do all night?” My gaze fell on the single white feather laying on the futon in my office. “Not much.”