“Why did you go to a school halfway across the world instead of one closer to your parents?” It’s something I’ve been wondering from the start. “Did it have something to do with me?”
“At the time, my parents sent me here because they said they wanted me to experience a normal life. Looking back, I’m sure the angels were leaning on him to send me here to be with you.”
“What do you mean a normal life? You’re half angel, that doesn’t seem normal to me. No offence.”
He just cringes and tries to laugh through it.
“Uh yeah, there’s still one thing I haven’t told you. I never intended for anyone to find out who I actually am, so I wasn’t going to tell anyone here, but you need to know. No secrets, right?” I nod at him to continue. “In Europe, I’m kind of famous. I didn’t choose to be, it just sort of happened, but no one knows who I am or what I look like.”
I stare at him with my mouth opening and closing a few times before I kick my brain back into gear. “Famous?” He nods. “How?”
“I’m an artist. Some rich guy saw a painting of mine at my parents’ house one time and things blew up from there. My alter ego, aka artist name, is Alfred Bretton.”
I knew he loved art, I just didn’t realize he was good enough to be famous! I’ve never seen any of his work, but he hasn’t heard me sing either, so I’m not surprised.
“Wow, congratulations?” I smirk because, I mean, what the hell else am I supposed to do when someone tells me they’re famous?
He smirks back at me and chuckles out a ‘sure’.
He quickly gets a sobering look about him before he looks at Orion still sleeping beside me rather than looking me in the eyes. “I have something else I need to tell you about the purpose of this school, and part of the reason Dad said that as long as you were unaware, you were in danger.”
“Okay?” I pull Orion into me, and he raises his head to nuzzle me while I wait for Bry to continue. I’m really glad Orion came to visit tonight. It’s like he knew I was going to need a furry friend.
“At graduation, you have to make a decision. Choose a side.”
“A side?” I think I know what he’s getting at, but could it really be that definitive? Choose good or evil?
“Yes. Good, or evil. Remember what my father said? Every one of us is given the choice freely. Most everyone chooses the side they are born into. I’m an angel and I have every intention of choosing good, like most demons will most likely choose evil.
We choose what we know as well as how we want to use our abilities. We choose based on what we are. Does that make sense?” he questions.
“What am I? I know what I am based on movies and books…am I a demon?”
“Yes.”
“So I’m going to be evil because of my abilities?” I really don’t like this idea.
I didn’t choose to be whatever the hell I am. I don’t want to be evil.
“Not at all, beautiful.” He moves so fast to cup my face that he almost squishes Orion who hisses at him, and goes to sit on the windowsill.
Guess he’s leaving soon.
“You were raised in a good family, you have never done a bad thing to someone, and you have incredible control over your natural ability to kill. So much so, you weren’t even aware you had it. I bet you didn’t even feel that darkness could be inside of you because you are so inherently good. It’s just who you are.
“Everyone is free to choose what side they want to be in, just most people choose to go the way they were raised is all. You were raised to be incredible.” He kisses me with force yet somehow remaining gentle.
“You are incredible. You are good. Angels aren’t usually assigned to help demons who show signs of choosing evil,” he finishes on a whisper.
I cry into his arms because I really needed to hear that. He’s wrong though. There is a darkness inside of me. It’s buried deep, but it’s there. Everyone has darkness inside of them. I just wonder if mine is worse than most.
“I choose good. I mean, we all have darkness inside of us, but I never want to hurt people, Bry. It’s not who I am.” I’m determined to never lose myself just because I’ve learned these new things about me.
It doesn’t change who I am and always have been. I don’t care what abilities show up in the future, I’m not going to let them pull me down.
“Was my mother good or bad, Bry?” I have to know at least half of where I come from. I’ll probably never know who my father was or is, but I can learn about my mother. Even if it won’t be something I like.
“Your mother chose evil. She enjoyed using her abilities to manipulate men into her bedroom, to make them do her bidding. She never gave a thought to being good as far as I know,” he tells me, not mincing his words and I’m grateful.
I figured he was going to say that considering what he mentioned earlier about her habits at ‘befriending’ multiple men.
“I’m nothing like her. I refuse to believe that I could be. She sounds nothing like me.” I’m shaking my head against his chest. I lift my eyes to see if Orion is still around to call him back over, but he’s gone.
Probably back to his family.
“I know, Harleigh. You don’t have to tell me that. I knew you were good the moment I saw you.”
“Can I ask you a personal question, Bry?” I’m unsure of how he will take it, but I want to know.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Do you have wings?”
He smiles at me before answering.
“I don’t. Some of us that are half-bloods do, but I’m not one of them. When the human part of me dies, that’s when I will receive wings as long as I’m deemed good when that time comes. Why?” He doesn’t look upset or angry.
I don’t even want to think about the possibility of him dying. We’re too young.
