Page 5 of Live Like Legends

“You good?” Reese asked, waving his hand in front of my face as we walked. I was walking, but he walked with a slight limp given the damage he took to his leg during our fight in Purgatory. It wasn’t noticeable anymore unless you really paid attention. His wings had survived without much of an issue,but from what he’d told me about his continuous visits to the infirmary, his leg needed more time.

I shooed him away, placing both my hands in my pockets. “Yes, why?”

“You have that preoccupied look on your face. The one where you would rather be anywhere else, but you also have a job to do so you have to look like you care.”

“I don’t look like that.”

Reese scoffed. “Yes, you do. I would think shacking up with your girlfriend would make you a little less like you have stick up your ass.”

I rolled my eyes. “Having Ariel second guessing and undermining everything I have to say allows me to have this look on my face,” I bit the inside of my cheek. “She’s also not my girlfriend.”

My best friend stopped, grabbing my elbow. We were a few steps from the briefing room doors and all I wanted to do was go inside and yet again have my ass chewed out for things I couldn’t control, while actively avoiding this conversation.

“Excuse me?”

“What is the problem now?” I said, annoyed.

“Let me try to understand this…you went all the way to Purgatory for her, yet you haven’t asked her to be your girlfriend?” Reese’s hazel eyes narrowed as if he was truly trying to break down the very words he spoke.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, my first thought when coming back to Heaven’s Gate wasn’t to lock down my relationship.”

Reese shrugged. “I mean she did basically die, so wouldn’t you want to make the most out of her newly resurrected status.” Then he smirked. “I mean, besides having more sex than I think you’ve ever had in your twenty-four years of life.”

I let out a small chuckle, but then there was a sharp tug at my chest at his mention of my age. My birthday had been during thetime I’d spent away from Dani, those months we didn’t speak. My mind drifted slightly to the tiny party my father threw for me. I was never one for big ordeals, especially for my birthday, so it was small and intimate. It took my mind off of the darkness I was harboring, and I felt lighter even if it was only for a few hours. Maurice Cassial didn’t always know everything that was going on with me, but he somehow knew how to make me feel just a little bit better with the simplest things.

I shook my head letting the happy memory fall away. I realized I had yet to even tell him all the details of my time in Purgatory, all the dark things my mind still toyed with every now and again. None of that seemed even half as important as finding out my mother hadn’t just up and left us like he let me believe or that somehow, I gained additional powers I still didn’t quite understand from a woman I would never know.

As if he could read my mind, Reese said, “he asked about you.”

I turned for us to start walking again. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb, Nick. He just wanted to know how you were doing, that’s all.”

“Did you tell him I was just fucking fine?”

Reese rubbed between his eyebrows with his index and middle finger. “Yes, although I did leave out the hostility.”

“Great. Is he doing fine?” Once we got to the doors, two sentries were stationed outside as Ariel had now permitted. They were literally in every single briefing room, lounge area, the cafeteria and the outside of the Divine Library. I swore even the storage closets had security.

The sentries nodded at us, remembering us from the last ten times we’d been here.

“Yes, he’s fine, except for the fact that his son refuses to see or speak to him. You told me what happened, and I understand you’re upset but…”

“Good, let’s move on.” I had told Reese as much as he needed to know and the look of sympathy in his eyes had me regretting opening my mouth at all. Despite his lack of words when I’d finished relaying my newly found past, Reese had just sat in silence with me, realizing that right then I didn’t want pity or comforting words. Now that some time had passed, it was like he and Dani had some sort of mutual agreement when it came to getting me to finally talk to my father.

The sound of hinges unlocking and the door creaking open filled my ears as I cut him off. I heard Reese let out a sigh. The sentries moved to the side so we could step over the threshold and see Ariel in all his unearned glory.

His red hair was tucked behind his ears and hit right at his earlobes. His teal suit looked freshly washed and ironed. He was speaking to angels who looked like messengers when the doors closed behind us. Ariel leaned against the long table, but straightened when he noticed us. He spoke a few more words to the others, gave a cheeky laugh which they reciprocated, then sent them on their way.

The angels gave Reese and I small smiles before they left. It always felt as if people wanted to say so much more, but with Ariel around it was hard to speak your mind without being reprimanded for having a personal thought.

“On time yet again. I’m delighted you boys are following the rules,” Ariel said, giving two small claps.

Reese laughed. “Let’s not pretend like you aren’t making us come here to keep an eye on us.”

“All I want is everyone’s safety, Mr. Diniel. It is quite simple.”

I pulled out a chair, removing my sword from behind my back and sat down. “We’ve already told you Lilith thinks she’s dead. I hardly think she’s coming to search for her.”

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