Page 12 of Wings of Death

I gently touch his arm and close my eyes, sending as much warmth and light into him as I can. They taught us this technique at the academy, a way to calm our human. They don’t feel our touch, but they feel the effects of it.

“I’m sure. I’ve prepared for this for a long time.”

She tucks her long grey hair behind her ears. “Zarla, Kyle is special. There is more to him than you know.”

I knit my brows together at her words, as if they carry a hidden meaning behind them, but before I have time to ask her about it, she speaks.

“I had better get back to the Kingdom.” She walks to Kyle’s side and gently places her hand on his cheek. “Take care of him, Zarla.”

“I will. I promise.”

She smiles softly and drifts out of the room.

Kyle frowns, lifts his other hand, and places it over mine. He can’t feel me, but I’m still surprised at his action. It’s almost as if he knows I’m here. I step back, and he drops his hand, releasing a long breath. I study his features, his defined jawline, and broad shoulders. He is young, early twenties perhaps.

He crosses the room to the woman, leans down, and presses a kiss to her forehead. “I love you, Susan. Goodbye for now.” He then leaves the room.

I pass through the door and follow him out to the nurse’s desk where the same kind woman, Kay, is standing, her guardian hovering close by.

This guardian does not speak to me. He is simply doing his job, caring for his human.

Kay lowers her glasses. “Everything all right, dear?”

“I’m gonna go,” Kyle tells her.

She moves around the front of the desk and pulls him into her arms. “I am so sorry for your loss, Kyle. She was a beautiful woman. She truly was.” She pulls back, giving his hands a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Take care.”

A smile curls at his lips, but it doesn’t touch his eyes, and he walks away. I follow him through the corridors and eventually out to the parking lot, where he climbs into a large black Ute. He sits quietly for a moment, staring out the windshield before hestarts the engine, and it roars to life. I question whether to get in with him or follow from above. I go with the latter as he pulls out onto the street.

I fly overhead, following along as he winds his way out of the city and onto a country road. I’m growing curious to see where he lives now as we pass fields of what I have learned are cows. They taught us many things about what to expect down on Earth, but I am sure there will be some surprises.

Kyle eventually pulls into a long driveway that cuts through an extensive property, and I glide down and land in the yard. He climbs out of his truck and greets a big brown fluffy dog, who jumps up and licks his face. A laugh escapes my lips, and I’m happy that he has this animal to comfort him. I can feel the connection they have through our bond, and I sense his joy.

“Hey, girl,” he says, scratching the dog behind the ears.

The dog follows him into the house, as do I. He heads for the kitchen and grabs out a dark bottle of something from the fridge, pops off the top, and drinks it down. I wonder what it tastes like. He heads into another room, falls back onto a couch, and turns on the TV.

I sit down on the couch beside him, where he stays for the next hour before drifting off to sleep. Once I know he’s out to it, I reach for a nearby blanket but can’t grasp it. The damn veil is preventing me. He’s asleep, so there’s no harm in removing it for a minute. I take the veil down and drape the blanket over him.

Breaking more angel laws, I see.

I tense as the voice fills my mind. I immediately put the veil back in place and move through the house and out onto the front yard to find Finlay.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demand.

He tilts his head to the side as he studies me. “Now that’s no way to greet your second.”

I storm toward him with my fists balled at my sides. “Why are you here?”

He reaches out and strokes my cheek, and I bat his hand away.

“Kyle is my human too, in a way. I wanted to see him, get a feel for where he lives. You know, the usual, as expected, for all seconds.”

I narrow my eyes at his sarcasm. “Bullshit. You couldn’t care less about him.”

He laughs, shuffling from one foot to the other. “Wow, that struck a nerve. And no, not really. But I can see that you do.”

I turn and head back to the house.Leave.

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