Jennifer Murgia: Angel Star

Okay, I can look up now.

“Is it true that you love me?” he whispered, leaning closer.

“Yes. It’s true.”

Then, leaning even closer, he placed the sweetest, softest kiss his lips could possibly allow on my lips.

“You did mention Hadrian’s name a few times. Not many, but a few.”

“And?”

Do I really want to know?

He looked away for a moment, taking his light with him.

I felt left in the dark in more ways than one.

Oops, what have I done?

“Garreth?”

He turned to me, the dim glow of his skin illuminating my face.

“It was the way you said his name. As you slept, there were moments when you sounded downright terrified. I almost woke you up. I feel so guilty for leaving you to face him. And then, when your panic subsided, you…I don’t know. You sounded almost as if it was Hadrian you wanted.”

He took my hand, carefully cradling it in his own, and looked at my mark, putting an end to that conversation.

“Does it still bother you?”

“No, it’s all right.”

His finger traced the scrolling embedded in the skin of my right hand, then let it follow the tender flesh of my wrist, trailing it ever so softly up the inside of my arm. I shivered at the warm, prickling sensation it left behind.

I watched, amazed his touch didn’t leave behind a visible trail.

When Garreth raised his face to mine, I was weakened by how blue his eyes were even in the dim light of my bedroom.

“Thank you for saving me,” he whispered.

“You’re welcome.”

“I didn’t realize until now that we’ve sort of come full circle with each other.”

“What do you mean?”

He tilted his head to the side and gazed at me. “I’m so used to being the one to help you that when I was the one in need of help, I… I’m just very grateful.”

I smiled back at him. He was right. It was amazing how things had changed over the last few days. How both he and I had changed.

“It makes me feel sort of…human.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. Not at all. Now that you seem to be well in charge of things, perhaps becoming earthbound isn’t such a foreboding idea.”

“But you wouldn’t be able to save me from anything anymore.”

“Ahh, that’s where you’re mistaken, my dear.” He planted a warm kiss on my lips. “I can save you from the persuasive dark angel in your dreams.”

“Are you jealous…of a dream?”

“Very,” he answered.

Without warning, his hands were cupped at my jaw and his lips were on mine, only this time his kisses were hard, urgent, wildly human. His hands dropped to my shoulders where he let his thumbs slide the fabric of my shirt away from my skin. I tore at the buttons of his shirt but he stopped me, capturing my hands in his. He let go only to smooth away a lock of hair that had fallen against my neck. When I felt the soft warmth of his breath there, kissing the exposed flesh of my collarbone, it brought goosebumps and odd tremors to my skin.

Soon my hands were in his hair and with the moonlight streaming through my window I saw he was perfectly disheveled when he pulled himself away. His shirt was practically ripped from his chest, revealing the smoothness of his skin. His eyes were so blue and wild that it almost hurt to look at him. He was flawless.

Something I would never be, especially after what I allowed with Hadrian. Yet, I had just reduced Garreth to this breathless state. Perhaps there was a bit of power in me after all.

“What was that?” Garreth asked me.

As my own breathing became more controlled, I was pleasantly surprised to see he was still struggling.

“Wow. Do I have the same effect on you?” I couldn’t hide the smile forming.

“What do you mean?”

Was he really blind?

“You make me feel like this all the time,” I admitted softly. I was finding it easier to tell him how I felt.

“Do you mean to tell me I make you feel as if your breath has just rushed out of your chest all the time?”

he was smiling, inching closer to me.

“Mm-hmm.”

“And do you mean to tell me that your heart races just a teensy bit faster when my lips are…say, right about here?” His lips were at my neck again. He was enjoying this game immensely. And me? I felt all weak and fluttery, as if I were the one with the wings and they were holding me up as the rest of me just melted away.

His mouth brushed my shoulder. “Mmm, you’re so tempting.”

“Then stay.”

“I did. The sun’s coming up.”

I looked reluctantly at the pale streak of light creeping its way across my floor.

“Explaining to your mother why I’m here would be awkward, but I have a surprise for you now and one for later.”

He could see the disappointment on my face as he pulled me to my feet. I flung my arms around his neck, as if they could stop him from leaving. It was then I noticed my clock, perfectly placed upon my once-upturned nightstand. I spun around, looking in disbelief at my room. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

“When did…?”

I turned to Garreth, searching for an answer, but he was already gone.

After checking and rechecking my appearance in the full-length mirror for any sign that would send up my mom’s red flag, I decided to just get it over with and headed downstairs. I found her busy at the kitchen sink.

“Oh, Teagan. I didn’t hear you come down.” She stuck half of her upper body into the cabinet below to get a clean garbage bag. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Sleep? When did I sleep? Oh, yeah, when Garreth magically knocked me out on our way home from…where had I been again?

“Are you all right?” She was looking at me kind of funny.

Oh, geez, here we go.

“I’m fine, Mom. Why? Don’t I look fine?”

“I guess…well…” She let it drop. “You look a little different, that’s all. Are you hungry?” My mother turned and went about stuffing the new bag into the almond-colored garbage bin and stashed it back under the sink.

That’s a relief.

I leaned over and peered into the side of the shiny stainless steel toaster as soon as her back was turned.

I looked distorted, but as far as I could tell, there was nothing too abnormal about my reflection. If she only knew what I had really been through.

“I’ll just grab some cereal,” I said, making for the stack of clean bowls in the dish drainer.

“Oh, come on. Let me make you some breakfast. Eggs sound good? How about bacon?”

My nose turned up at the word. “Uh, let’s nix the bacon.

”

“Right.” I knew she was seeing the same mental picture of the last time this kitchen produced bacon for breakfast. It wasn’t a pretty sight, seeing me faint and then splashed with soapy dishwater to bring me out of unconsciousness.

An overwhelming sense of obligation surfaced in me.

“How was the funeral?”

“It was nice, honey. Don’t feel bad that you weren’t there. I’m sure everyone knows you wanted to be and they understand.”

I felt a little better, knowing I had avenged Claire’s death, and now that Hadrian was gone, it was nice to think of finally getting some sleep around here. But, somehow, I knew he would always haunt me, even if he wouldn’t be lurking in the shadows anymore. He would haunt me with the memory of the way he had made me feel at the end, just when I was about to take his life. I closed my eyes, wishing away the thought from my mind, and strangely, a part of me didn’t want it to leave entirely. How could I have just spent time making out with my angel boyfriend and then come down here and remind myself of the fleeting moments when Hadrian had almost seduced me? What kind of person was I? I felt like the monster.