Angel's Curse (37 page)

I picked up my hand and reattached it to the bloodied stump of my wrist. The skin began to heal, joining the two parts together, just like I’d seen happen with the severed head and feet of vampires, years before. When the healing process was complete I flexed my fingers and rubbed the wrist, appreciating just how lucky I was to be able to do such things. I could die whole and complete.

I rolled Raphael’s body over and removed the dagger. I sent it back to the vase at the La’miere, to be coated in blood before returning it to Drake. The wings I sent to Satan — a parting gift.

26.
The Visitor

With Raphael finally gone there was no reason for me to stay. I returned to the La’miere one final time and sat cross-legged on the floor in the bedroom, leaning back against the bed, the last of the daggers in my hand.

I was at peace with myself — Raphael was finally dead and I’d had my revenge — but I was also sad — would I still go to heaven after all this? A single bloody tear trickled down my cheek and I wiped it away.

I guess it didn’t matter where I ended up. I’d accomplished what I’d set out to do and would have to be happy with that, regardless of where I went. If my afterlife was to be spent in hell — being tortured by none other than Satan himself for the rest of eternity — so be it.

I changed my scent to angel. I wanted to die as a creature I’d longed to be. I took the haft of the remaining dagger in both hands and rested the point lightly on my stomach — it was an easier target than my heart. The pain would be of little consequence to me, only the end result mattered. If I was truthful with myself, I didn’t have the courage to pierce my heart.

As I was about to drive the dagger into my flesh a blindingly bright light pierced through the gloom. It seemed to be coming from outside. I thought a police helicopter was shining its spotlight into my hotel room. As I watched, the light moved closer, coming
through
the window and into the room. It was no longer shining from the outside, but on the inside instead. A shape moved within the light and solidified. The light faded to a dull glow — an aura.

For a moment I thought I recognised the face, but it was a trick of the light.

“I see you,
Satan,
demon in the guise of an angel,” I called out. “You can’t have me yet, you’ll have to wait a few moments more.”

How did he find me? I thought this was a safe place. I thought if I didn’t bring him here he wouldn’t be able to find me. I thought he couldn’t leave hell … unless the apocalypse
was
upon us.

I pushed with all my might on the hilt of the dagger and the blade pierced through the feather top and my skin, deep into the flesh of my belly. I felt searing pain and waited for the poison to work its way through my system.

I began counting in my head.
One, two three, four, five
… I should have felt something other than the searing pain by now. It should be working quicker than it was.

“What have you done to me?” I hissed.

“Helena, it’s me, Danny.”

I stood up — the dagger firmly wedged in my stomach — and leapt at him, striking him hard across his face.

“
What have you done to me?
” I yelled.

The air stirred around him and as I went to strike him again I picked up a new scent, not demon-like at all, but fresh, clean and masculine, so like …
Danny
.

“Stop, it Helena,” he said, pulling the dagger from my stomach and tossing it aside.

“
Danny?”
I whispered, collapsing to my knees. “Am I dead? Did I go to heaven?”

He dropped on his knees in front of me and grabbed my arms.

“Look at me, Helena.”

I looked up into the beautiful sapphire eyes.

“What has happened to your eyes?” he asked, shaking his head and stroking my cheek gently. “It doesn’t matter. You’re alive, Helena. You’re not in heaven.
I was sent back to you.
”

I pulled back and shook my head. “I don’t believe you. It’s a trap, a trick. You want my
soul.
”

“What can I do to convince you?” he asked.

“We had aliases, code words, for some of the places I frequented. Name a few,” I said.

“Do you remember calling the abandoned copper mine Rancho el Stinko and then shortening that to the ranch? And you called your snatch and grab raids snags and thought it was hilarious because you’d learned from some mortals — Australians I think you said — that snags are food — sausages — and that’s what the vampires were to you — food.”

“What did we call the cottage?” I asked, trying to catch him in a trap.

“It didn’t have a name. It was always the cottage.”

“
Danny,
” I whispered, grabbing at his shirt and resting my head on his chest, tears of blood running down my cheeks.

“Danny, is it
really
you?”

“I told you it was me,” he whispered into my hair. “I’m back.
He
sent me back.”

“It seems like forever since you left.”

“I’ve been gone less than three months,” he said.

I laughed. “Three months! It’s been almost
seven years.
”

“Seven years is little to an immortal.”

“Tell that to my heart,” I cried. “It continued to beat even when ripped out.”

He seemed alarmed by this. “
Who
ripped out your heart?”

“Don’t you know?” I asked him. “You did, Danny,
you did.
”

“I’m so sorry, Helena. It had to be done. You understand that now, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t,” I said dryly. “Why make me suffer so, only to return you?”

“Would you rather I stayed away?” he asked.

“No,” I said in a panic. “That’s not what I meant. Please, explain to me
why
it had to be done the way it was. What was the reason for it?”

“It’s a long story,” he said.

“I have forever, don’t I?”

He chuckled. “Indeed you do.”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “I want to check something.” A newspaper appeared next to us and I checked the date. I poked Danny in the ribs. “Do you know what today is?”

“No.”

“It’s my birthday — nine-one-one, September eleven.”

Danny chuckled. “And you always said bad things happen on your birthday.”

“Not today,” I murmured. “Today is the
only
exception.”

He picked me up and sat me on the bed.

“Explanations can wait until later. What would you like to do? I promised we’d celebrate your next birthday, if we were together. We’re together again, and it’s your birthday …”

“Yeah, but what about all the
other
birthdays in between,” I said. “You missed those.”

“Then we’ve got a lot of celebrating to do to catch up,” he laughed. “You did get my presents though, didn’t you?”

He ruffled the feathers on my top.

“Not all of them. I wasn’t here a lot of the time and I think they got stolen. I did get all of the cards and letters though.”

“Where were you?” he asked.

“Explanations can wait, remember. We’ve got a lot to talk about, but tonight, for a few hours at least, I just want to forget about everything and everyone … except you and me.”

“Where shall we go? You name it, we’ll go there.”

“Home. I want to go home.”

Danny thought about this for a moment. “You mean the cottage?”

“Of course I mean the cottage. You can bring it back can’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then do it, but be careful where you place it. There’s a memorial where part of the back garden used to be.”

“A memorial?”

“Yes, a friend of yours erected it in your memory.”

“Do you know whom?” he asked.

“Hael,” I said. “He said his name was Hael.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and took us back to the place I’d been happiest. The cottage was there, exactly as it had been before the angels had descended and wreaked havoc. Even the garden was restored to its former glory and the scent of freesias was refreshing and sweet.

27.
Catching Up

“I missed you so much,” I said, pulling him up the stairs into the small ballroom. “Come dance with me.”

“I missed you, too,” he said.

The same song we had slow-danced to all those years ago began to play. We slowly danced around the dance floor, lost in each other’s eyes, committing every small detail to memory. When the song ended I sighed, and Danny kissed my forehead.

“Happy birthday, Helena,” he whispered.

Seven years melted away. If it wasn’t for my eyes I could’ve fooled myself into believing we’d never been apart. I was warm and safe, happy and content — all I’d ever wanted to be.

“I love you,” I said.

“I love you too.”

Danny took my left hand, turned it over and kissed my palm.

“Didn’t you like the ring?” he asked.

The ring!

I rested my forehead against his head, too ashamed to look him in the eye. I couldn’t tell him the truth.

“I’m sorry, I lost it.”

He lifted my chin, to look at my face. “What would your answer have been?”

“To what?” I asked.

“If I’d asked you to marry me, what would your answer have been?”

“Yes,” I sighed. “It would have been yes.”

“Will you? Marry me that is.” he asked, kissing my lips. “I want you all to myself, forever.”

My heart sank. If he knew what I’d done while he was gone he wouldn’t want to know me, let alone marry me. I’d been a bad, bad girl.

“Danny, before I give you my answer, we have to talk,” I said sombrely. “It’s important you know everything.”

“And it’s important I tell you everything. You need to know about the things I’ve seen.”

As much as I wanted to lose myself to him, with him, I had to clear the air first and start afresh, if he’d still have me. We headed downstairs to the living area, a lovely warm fire glowing brightly in the fireplace, even though it wasn’t cold. Danny sat on the couch and held his arms open and I leaned back against him, wrapped in his arms, breathing in his scent, and aching all over again.

“I’ll start,” Danny said. “It was quite a ride once I’d passed over. I left my body and watched as you cried and screamed. After a time I saw a light. When the light enveloped me I moved faster than I’ve moved before, straight up, until I reached the place where Saint Peter waits to pass judgement on those wishing to enter heaven.”

“Show me,” I said, “like you did with Michael.”

I figured the blind spot was known to all the angels now, so there was no point in not saying their names anymore. If they weren’t aware that Danny had returned then there were still big problems in heaven.

Danny flicked his wrist and a three-dimensional image appeared in the air. It showed an elderly gentleman with long white hair and a long white beard, wearing long, flowing white robes and tan coloured sandals. He looked exactly as many people would imagine Saint Peter to be. The only thing missing were the pearly gates, but Danny had told me the gates weren’t necessary.

“Saint Peter,” Danny said, clasping his arm.

“Danizriel!” Saint Peter clasped Danny’s arm in return. “I must say, I wasn’t sure if you would end up here, before me. The young lady you placed all your faith in was wavering. She could have gone either way.”

“My faith was not unplaced. She always does what is right, even when she thinks it’s not the right thing to do.”

“You love her very much, my friend, don’t you.”

Danny nodded. “I do.”

“Has your love perhaps clouded your judgement?” Saint Peter asked.

“If it has, then I have done her no favours. But I am not the one here who must pass judgement,” he reminded Saint Peter.

“Indeed,” Saint Peter said. “Come, let us sit and talk, but we must make it quick. I’m expecting a busload of tourists — the driver fell asleep at the wheel and the bus went right off the edge of a cliff — and tourists are
always
a bothersome lot.”

They walked to a small Japanese-style garden, complete with a bench and large fishpond. In the fishpond a number of brightly coloured koi swam around contentedly. Saint Peter sprinkled a small amount of food on the surface of the water and the fish ate greedily. He then sat on the bench next to Danny.

“They are very peaceful creatures, these fish, but not very intelligent. Perhaps there is a link. If I could get away for a little holiday I would study the relationship between peacefulness and intelligence. I keep
asking
for an assistant and the answer is always the same —
when we can find someone as capable as you, Saint Peter, you shall have your assistant
. Poppycock I say. I think they just like working me to the bone, and as the mortal world grows, so do the number of people reporting here.”