Airel - Aaron Patterson [108]
I flushed with anger at the thought of ever abandoning my best friend in her hour of greatest need to the whim of some lunatic. After all, to what purpose had God gifted me so radically? So that I could lay it down when it was most needed? I didn’t yell at Kale though. I held my anger in check for once. “I don’t care if you can’t lose me. I can’t lose Kim! I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t just stand aside and let Kim die because I’m ‘so important.’” I took a few deep breaths.
Then a thought occurred to me that should have been obvious. “Will you help me?” For a moment, as silence filled the gap between us, I wondered if he would.
Then something else crossed my mind. “Kale, what’s Michael’s role in all of this?”
Kale stood like a statue, looking at me with clear hazel eyes. He did have beautiful eyes—sometimes. “Do you really want to know?”
He didn’t need to say it. I knew what he was going to say, and yet I couldn’t believe it. Michael loved me; he couldn’t be in league with his father. “I don’t believe it. He… he…”
“Loves you? No. He doesn’t. He used you and now he’s gone. He left last night. And I let him. If we do not confront Stan, he will come to us. Do you not see, Airel? Michael is part of the Brotherhood. He was sent to your school to get close to you, to find out if you were really what they thought you were. He is the reason why you were awakened—the day he came into your life was the day your old life ended.”
Chapter XI
I could not feel my legs as they ran. My arms flailed at empty air. I was swimming in grief, running blindly, my vision blurred and became kaleidoscopic with my tears. This just couldn’t be. I found myself in Michael’s room and I landed on his bed, which was unmade and still carried his lovely scent. But he was gone.
I saw a note on his pillow and reached for it, stretching and swimming through the comforter. I couldn’t even ask why. I looked at his handwriting and started to cry again. The words, the feelings. I had fallen for all of it. The love of my life crumbled to pieces, into meaninglessness. He had been planning on leading his demon father right to me—or maybe he had even planned on killing me himself. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand and looked at the note, the only piece left to me; the only evidence of the love that never was.
Dearest Airel,
I am so sorry if I ever hurt you. I have to go, and by now you know why. If I could change who I am I would; but I’m in too deep. Run, Airel. Run! Please!
Michael
I burst into deep heavy sobs and fell back on his bed. My hands shook in anguish as I crumpled into a ball. How could he do this to me? Didn’t he know how much I loved him? Didn’t he know that I would die for him? But he had told me to run. Was I supposed to run from him? Like this was some sick game?
I couldn’t think; it was all so wrong. I shivered in remembrance of his gunslinger eyes, those painfully blue eyes,The whole time I was falling in love with him, and he was encouraging me in it, he was thinking of how best to kill me. This was a game I had never played before, one I never wanted to learn, and one I was determined never to play again.
A hand touched my shoulder. Kale sat next to me. He pulled me into his arms. And in his arms I found my solace, my thoughts appropriately turning to destruction and fury. But that fuel was quickly spent, burnt, and I fell into despair. All of it was accompanied by a maelstrom of tears. The man I had loved to hate was now my only friend. The man I once loved was now my worst enemy. My body shook, wracked in spasms of pure white grief. I sunk low. I reached out looking for She. She could have told me; She could have warned me, and none of this would have happened.
I screamed to her in Kale’s arms, “Where are you?! Talk to me! Why?! Why didn’t you tell me!” I screamed until my voice gave out. She was there, and just as Kale had taken me in his arms, She did as well. Her warm wings covered me and I let everything go. All my emotions, hurts, and fears fell from my heart