Sojourner (29 page)

“Lizzie?” Jimmie whispers hoarsely.  The sound is dry and grating, his throat raw.

I blink and nod.  Jimmie blinks rapidly, trying to clear the haze, I imagine.

“Jimmie,” I whisper, immediately leaning forward, my hand grabbing for his.  Lev scoots to the edge of his seat to be closer to both of us.  “I’m so glad you’re awake.  I was so scared.”  I feel the panic and tears I’ve been holding washing over me, immersing me in that painful tide.

“I’m okay.  Could I have some water?” he whispers. He keeps blinking as thought the bright light hurts, so I turn one of them off.  I start to grab the water pitcher from the nightstand, but Lev stays my trembling hand.

“I don’t think Jimmie wants to wear that ice water; I’ll get it.”

I nod, still in a daze, thinking maybe it’s the fatigue kicking in.  I know I’ve been awake for close to 24 hours so I’m bound to get loopy any minute.

“Thanks.” I offer Lev a weak smile and go back to Jimmie’s bedside.  “How are you feeling?”  I take his hand and stroke it.

“Head hurts.”

Lev offers him the cup.  “I didn’t fill it completely because I was afraid the water might end up on you.”  Lev pushes the button to raise the head of the bed.

“Smart,” Jimmie says, closing his eyes and taking the cup with his IV hand.  He sips at first then keeps going until the cup is completely dry.  Lev holds out his hand for the cup and takes it from Jimmie.

“More?” Lev asks, one hand resting on the pitcher.

“That’s plenty.”  He rests his head back against the pillow.  “Thank you.” 

Lev sets the cup down next to the pitcher.  “Who did this, Mr. Abram?”

He gazes around the room as though he’s fully realizing his predicament.  “He came at me from behind.  I never even saw him.”

“Do you remember Griffin coming by?” I ask softly.

Jimmie blinks once or twice.  “Yeah.  He kept trying to say that he thought you were in danger.  Hell, I could have told him that much.  Besides, he almost killed you at the falls, and I didn’t have much of a mind to listen to him ramble on so I yelled at him to leave.”  He shakes his head.  “If I remember correctly, I had to keep yelling for the next ten minutes.”

Lev and I exchange glances.  So much for that.  Still, the fact Jimmie is still here is more than I dared to hope for.

“I told you this town was no good.  You can’t stay at the house by yourself.”  His voice almost dies, and he winces as the pain washes over him.

“She won’t, Mr. Abram.  She can stay in my sister’s room, and if the police okay it, I’ll help clean the mess.”

Jimmie whispers, “Thank you.”  I can tell he wants to say more, but the fatigue won’t allow it.  As it is, his eyes are closing.  The last thing he says before drifting off is for me to get some sleep.

We both sit there long after Jimmie has drifted off, but I feel Lev staring at me more than Jimmie, which seems odd.  Then, as if to command my attention, he brushes the hair from my eyes.

“I should take you back.  It’s been a rocky day, and you really look beat, kind of like you’re going to fall over at any moment.”

“Shouldn’t I stay here?”  I wipe my face, trying to get rid of the haze clouding my thoughts, but I can’t.

“Nope.  Even Jimmie said you need rest and what Jimmie wants, Jimmie gets.”  He lifts me from the chair by my arm.

“I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”  I stare at Jimmie’s face, hating the way the gown and bruises have made him so vulnerable.

“Too bad.”  He pulls me toward the door.

“Don’t you ever listen to the word ‘no?’”

“What do you think?”  His winning smile mocks me.  “Besides, Jimmie is fine.  You, however, need about a 20 hour nap to recuperate, and it just so happens that I can help you with that.”

Without waiting for me to protest, he drags me down the hall to the exit.  Once we step through the sliding glass doors, I notice that the temperature has dropped significantly since last night.  It feels like it’s about five degrees without the wind blowing.

Lev sees me shivering and drapes his arm around me, drawing me into his warm zone.  I’m so tired.  I lean against him, longing desperately for sleep as we trudge across the lot to the truck. 

Lev opens the passenger door, and I force myself to stay awake so I can get inside.  My fingers fumble drawing the seatbelt across my lap, but then I can lean against the seat and close my eyes.  Somewhere in the blackness, I feel the truck start moving, but I’m past giving it serious thought.  I feel my body shifting with the movement, and Lev gently draws my body toward him as he lifts his arm up so that I rest against his chest, my head tucked just beneath his chin.  The movement goes on, lulling me deeper.  I’m barely conscious when we come to a stop and Lev gently picks me up and lifts me from the truck to carry me inside.

“Is she all right?”  Celia whispers, leaning close to me.

“Exhausted.  I’m going to put her in my bed and I’ll take the couch.”

I try to fight the blackness, but that, coupled with Lev’s warmth finds me unable to escape, not that I really want to anyway.  It’s only when he gently sets me on the bed and removes my coat and shoes that I realize I’m in Lev’s bed where he lovingly draws the covers around my body.

Lev kneels and kisses my forehead.  I can’t explain it, but he’s the only part of my life I can’t wish had never happened.  Through half-closed eyes, I see a smile touch his lips.  He starts to pull away, probably heading for the door, but I grab his hand.

“Please, stay.”

“You’ll be safe here.”  He tries to pull free, but I won’t let go.

“I’m not scared.  I just don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course.”  He kisses my forehead again and settles on his side against the mattress.  Then, as if in a dream, I see his wings erupt from beneath his shoulders, austere and white and amazing as they wrap around me, closing off everything but him.

Chapter Nineteen

That night the only dreams I have are of Lev and me floating among the stars, his great wings lifting us as far as we want to go into a black sky studded with shards of starlight.  The moon hangs high, a huge yellow ball, illuminating our skin.  Lev’s arms clutch me, my back against his chest, the world spread out far below, and when dawn at last creeps into the sky, it steals across our skin in pink and blue as the sun emerges from her bed.

Then I wake to find him there, watching as I stir.  His arms are drawn about me, and his wings have vanished into hiding but I can still see their barest shimmer.   Curious, I reach out to touch them but to no avail.

“What are you doing?” Lev asks, grinning.

“I can always see this shimmer where your wings are.  I thought I might touch them.”

“You see a shimmer?  Really?  You’re the first.”  He seems genuinely surprised.

“No one else has?”

“Not that I’m aware.”  He shrugs and watches my hand.  “Do you feel anything?”

“No.” 

The shimmering grows a little brighter, and I see the outline of the wing.  “What about now?”

“Nope.”

More brilliance, then, but this time I feel heat, and, in its wake, something solid.  It’s weird.

“Well?” he asks softly.

“I feel it.  It’s just not what I expected.”

He laughs and shakes his head.  “Angels never are.  How did you sleep?”

“Okay.”  I sit up slowly and glance at the window, where the sun is already pouring around the curtains.  “What time is it?”  I run my fingers through my hair, and from the feel, it’s all over the place.

“Ten.”

My mouth drops open.  “Wow!  I never sleep that late.”  Throwing the covers back, I scramble out of bed.  “I have to check on Jimmie.”

Lev rises and lays a hand on my shoulder.  “Take it easy.  Evan is at the hospital with Jimmie.  Right now, he’s eating breakfast and giving the nurses a hard time, which tells you how much better he must feel.  He knows where you are and that you’ll be in to see him soon, so take a deep breath and grab a shower while I fix breakfast.” 

He pats my shoulder.  And before I can reply, he’s out the door.  For a moment I stand there trying to regain my focus.  I should be calm; at least Jimmie’s okay.  But that doesn’t stop the fear.  A cold chill runs through me, and I force myself into the bathroom. 

By the time I’ve finished and dressed in borrowed sweats, I smell biscuits baking and bacon sizzling.  I towel my hair dry and then brush through it.  Moments later I find Lev in the kitchen fixing two plates of food.  When he sees me, he smiles.

“Hope you like scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits.  I figured the last thing you wanted was pancakes.”  He nods to the table.  “Have a seat and I’ll get you some juice.”

“Thanks.”  I pull up a chair and sit, brushing the hair from my face.  Lev has already set out silverware and a napkin.  “I didn’t think I was in the shower long enough for all this.”

“You’d be surprised.”  He carries a pitcher of juice to the table and fills our glasses.  “If you’re anything like Celia, she takes long showers and leaves no hot water.”

“I’m sure that’s not a problem for you,” I say, pointing to the faint shimmer.

“Nope.  Somehow I radiate a lot of heat.”  He picks up his fork.  “Dig in.  Cold eggs don’t taste very good.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that.”  I, too, pick up my fork and eat.  For a second, I’m stunned by how normal this whole thing feels-- sitting here having breakfast like Jimmie hasn’t been admitted to the hospital because he was attacked and our home was destroyed.

“Thinking about it won’t help, Elizabeth,” Lev says quietly.  “Just worry about one thing at a time.  After we finish breakfast, I’ll drive you to the hospital.  Whenever you’re ready, we’ll drive to your house.  If the police will let us, start picking up the mess before Jimmie is released.  The last thing we want is for him to come home to that.”

I am touched by his kindness for both Jimmie and me.  “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Everything.”  I look down, momentarily feeling overwhelmed by emotion and I blink to drive the tears away.

“You don’t have to thank me.  I’m just glad to be with you.  And besides, you’re not leaving my sight, remember?”  He levels a knowing glance at me, as if to remind me of why that is important.

“I know, I know,” I finally respond, unsure of what else to say.  I want to ask him that if the person never tries to kill me, does that mean he’ll stay with me, forever waiting?  It’s stupid to think of things like that, and I’m just trying to find a loophole.

“There are no loopholes,” Lev whispers, pushing his empty plate away. 

I shake my head, frustrated.  “How can you take all this so calmly, as if none of it matters?”

He stands and carries his plate and glass to the sink.  “I’ve lived on this earth a long, long time, Elizabeth, and I’ve watched you die over and over until I felt like I didn’t even know my name, but I’ve always known that no matter how many times your spirit has walked this earth, you’ve never made it to 18.  The last time I saw you die, I knew that was all I could take.  Maybe I won’t get everything I want, but at least I get to know that I’ll finally have done something for you that matters.”  He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and forces it out.