A Gift of Wings (21 page)

As a fully human Sensitive, the girl had none of the extra strength and healing abilities his angelic half provided; she was as physically vulnerable as his mother had been. Even worse, since she hadn’t yet come into her full Sensitive powers or learned how to use them, her very abilities could sometimes be a handicap to her. He had begun to suspect—and hope—that the pain she experienced in the presence of the Dark One whose attention she had for some unknown reason already attracted was a result not of intentional affliction on his part but of the erratic nature of her own new powers. If that was the case, she would be considerably less vulnerable to him in the next few days, once her powers were complete and she began her work with Zeke.

Shower finished, Aidan pulled on a pair of loose flannel pajama pants and stretched out on his bed, leaning back against the pillows he’d stacked against the headboard. His thoughts were still spinning around Lucky and the encounter with the Dark One at the country club. He wished he had some idea of what the being wanted with her. Did it have anything to do with her personally? Were her powers such that the Dark would have some special interest in her? Or was it the result of the attention that the Fallen had focused on her since he had told Zeke of her existence? Or—his jaw clenched at the thought—was it because of him? Had the Dark One somehow known of Aidan’s reinstatement among the Forces of the Fallen as well as his connection to the girl? Was he hoping to hurt him by hurting her?

As his thoughts darkened, Aidan reached for the half-full glass of scotch on his bedside table. Swallowing the last of the alcohol, he focused on its smoky taste and the warmth sliding down his throat. Well, he resolved, he would be ready this time. He was going to keep the girl safe if it was the last thing he did.

Turning out the light, Aidan slid under the covers, dislodging the ferret that had draped itself around his shoulders. Harley chittered at him, before resettling at the foot of the bed.

Aidan’s sleep was troubled by dreams in which, bound and powerless, he was forced to watch as fiery-eyed shadow creatures twirled his mother’s bloody body through the movements of a macabre and torturous dance. When she was directly in front of him, the tormented, pleading eyes she turned toward his were not the soft blue he remembered but an unusual shade of jade green.

Aidan woke himself with his scream. His chest rocked by the beating of his heart, he took several deep breaths to steady himself and raised his hand to stroke the ferret who was standing on his chest making noises of concern.

It took him a long time to fall back to sleep.

CHAPTER 14

Lucky was awakened by Josh pounding on her door and calling, “Get up, sleepyhead.”

“Go away, Josh,” she groaned, turning over and pulling a pillow over her head.

Undeterred, her cousin replied, “Not happening. I’ve got plans for you today.”

Then Lucky heard the door open and two light thuds followed by the patter of feline feet on hardwood as Shu and Tef jumped off the bed and headed for the open door. The next thing she knew Josh’s weight came crashing down on the foot of the bed.

“Come on, get up,” he said, grabbing her foot through the covers and giving it a shake. “The day awaits.”

Muttering under her breath, Lucky withdrew her head from under the pillow and pushed herself into a seated position. “Just come on in, why don’t you,” she grumbled, brushing her long curls back out of her face.

“How late were you out last night anyway?” Josh asked. “It’s almost noon.”

“Noon?” Lucky looked up in surprise. “Wow. I think it wasn’t much after midnight when I got in. I was just really tired, I guess. So, what’s the deal? What are your plans for me?”

Her cousin grinned, looking so much like the naughty little boy he used to be that she wanted to reach out and ruffle his unruly brown curls. “Well, since tomorrow’s your birthday, I thought we could spend this afternoon just playing. You know, go to Navy Pier, wander around downtown, play tourist.”

“I haven’t been to Navy Pier in a long time,” Lucky said, catching Josh’s enthusiasm. “Can we ride the Ferris wheel?”

“If we must. But you have to get up first, so we can get going.” As he finished speaking, Josh gave her leg a smack through the covers and then hopped off the bed. “Hurry up! I’m hungry.”

“Then eat something,” Lucky grumped at him, throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed.

“Huh-uh,” Josh shook his head. “I’m saving myself for a Chicago dog.”

Lucky reached down to draw the covers up over the pillows, and as she did so, the dragon medallion around her neck swung forward, catching the light. Reaching a hand toward it, Josh asked, “What’s that you’re wearing?”

Lucky instinctively closed her fingers around the amulet. Feeling a slight flush rise to her cheeks, she let her hand fall to her side, so Josh could see the necklace. “Aidan gave it to me. It—it’s supposed to be for protection or something.”

“Protection?” Josh frowned. “Protection from what?”

Lucky shrugged.

Josh’s frown deepened. “You were with Aidan last night? I thought you were going somewhere with Mo.”

“I did go somewhere with Mo. It just so happens that Aidan and Eric were with us. What difference does it make?”

Josh sighed, rubbing a hand back through his hair. “I just didn’t want to think you’d lied to me about where you were or who you were with. I know you’re not a child anymore, Lucky, but I can’t help worrying about you.”

“I didn’t lie to you, Josh,” Lucky said, her fingers rising to touch the amulet again. “I didn’t know Aidan was going to be there. I ran into him at the—lecture—I went to at the OI, and he ended up going to the dance with me.”

“Just be careful, will you? He’s older than you, and he’s—well, best I can tell, never had a shortage of potential girlfriends. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“It’s sweet of you to be concerned, Josh. Annoying, but sweet,” Lucky said. “You really don’t need to worry though. Aidan is the least of my problems.”

Josh frowned again, “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

Lucky laughed and gave him a push toward the door. “Come on, it’s not like my other problems are life-threatening,” she lied. “I’m about to turn eighteen, I need to find a job, and my live-in cousin is over-protective. Oooh, scary! Now, get out so I can get dressed.”

After pulling on clothes and catching her hair up into a ponytail, Lucky grabbed her backpack and started for the door, hesitating as the statue of Michael and the dragon once again caught her eye. Going back to the closet, she retrieved an old sweatshirt, which she wrapped around the statue, before tucking the bundle into the backpack. She shrugged her arms through the straps of the backpack, taking comfort as the weight of it settled between her shoulders. With the statue at her back and Aidan’s amulet nestled against her skin under her sweater, she felt as protected as it was possible for her to be, and she had every intention of enjoying her day playing tourist with Josh.

When they arrived at Navy Pier, the first thing they did was make their way to the food court. By this time Lucky was hungry too, so when Josh ordered his Chicago dog, she added a New York dog to the order.

“I don’t know how you can eat those things,” she said to her cousin as he pulled the Chicago-style hot dog, laden with pickles, relish, tomatoes, and peppers out of its box. “It’s more like a salad than a hot dog.”

Opening her own hot dog box, she eyed the kraut dog within with satisfaction. “Now, that’s what a hot dog should be.”

Josh chewed and swallowed a large bite, then looked at Lucky’s hot dog with disgust. “Well, I can’t believe you’re so misguided as to actually like sauerkraut. Give me tomatoes, pickles, and celery salt any day.”

They walked as they ate, taking in the sights and sounds of the pier, stopping at vendor stands to look at everything from t-shirts to funky, imported jewelry. Surrounded by people and shops, her mouth filled with the salty and pungent taste of her food, Lucky felt more light-hearted than she had in days.

“I want to ride the Ferris wheel,” she said, excitement beginning to catch her, “and then I want to go in the Fun House maze.”

“Can we please go through the stained glass museum first?” Josh asked. “I’d like to give the hot dog a chance to settle before getting on the Ferris wheel.”

“Still afraid of heights?” Lucky teased, as she popped the last of her hot dog into her mouth.

“A real man is not afraid to admit his fears,” her cousin replied. “So, yes, I confess that the thought of being in that thing that far off the ground makes me want to lose my lunch.”

“Alright, then, stained glass it is,” Lucky said, looping her arm through his. “But prepare yourself. We’re going up in the Ferris wheel before the afternoon is over.”

They spent over an hour wandering through the stained glass museum. It stretched almost the entire width of the pier mall and contained over a hundred stained glass pieces of various periods and styles. Lucky liked many of them, but her favorites were the Tiffanies with their intense, layered colors—and their angels. She was especially drawn to the Tiffany Annunciation, a two-paneled piece, the right half depicting Mary and the left the angel Gabriel, who had come to tell her she would bear the son of God. Mary’s features were so delicate; the purples and blues of her robes, so rich. The angel of the Annunciation shone with a golden light that extended from its own panel into the upper left of Mary’s. Lucky gazed at the piece in silent admiration.

Suddenly, all the color faded from the glass, leaving behind white panels, against which Mary’s face and hair and hands showed dark in stark contrast. The leading around Mary’s robes and the cushions on which she knelt was still visible, but the angel had almost disappeared.

It took a moment for Lucky to realize what had happened and what she was seeing. The light source behind the windows had been turned off, hiding the rich colors. Tiffany had layered milky white glass panels over the colored pieces—except for Mary’s face, hair, and hands—and the leading of the angel’s form was on the far side of the glass. With the light behind the panels extinguished, the angel could no longer be seen. As Lucky watched, a soft light began to glow behind the windows, increasing in intensity until Mary and the angel showed clearly once more.

Lucky was enraptured: all that color and depth, all that richness, hidden away just waiting to be revealed by the coming of the light. She stood and watched the windows change as the light went off and on for several minutes. She was struck by the changes in Mary’s face. As the light brightened behind the glass, her features appeared out of darkness, gradually moving from a soft glow to a delicate and exquisite radiance, as if she were awakened and illumined by the angel’s shining presence.

Looking at the piece, Lucky couldn’t help but think of Aidan’s glowing form and flaming wings. She could feel the slight weight of his amulet against her breastbone, and her fingers rose to touch it through her sweater.

“Thinking of me?” said his voice in her ear, as if her thoughts had conjured him.

Gasping, Lucky spun around to face him. “What are you doing here?”

With the spot-lighting from above making a halo of his golden curls and his lapis eyes glowing as if lit from within, Aidan looked as if he could have stepped out of one of the windows, but for the clothes he wore. The faded jeans, black t-shirt, black leather jacket, and boots spoiled the effect somewhat; although, Lucky had to admit, as her pulse picked up a beat, the look was a good one for him.

“I sensed you were here, and I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. “Besides,” he added, when she remained silent, “I needed to talk to you to make plans for tonight.”

“You could have called,” she said.

He shrugged, his hands in his pockets.

“Aidan!” Josh said, as he joined them. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s exactly what Lucky said. You’re going to give a guy a complex.”

“It’s not that we don’t want you here,” Lucky said, directing a pointed look at her cousin. “We’re just surprised to see you is all.”

“I live not too far from here. Sometimes I come down to the Pier to be around other people, to get out of my own head.”

Although she knew there was a different reason for his presence here today, Lucky somehow understood that what Aidan said was true. Josh must have heard the same veracity in his tone, as he accepted the explanation without question.

Turning to Lucky, Aidan added, “The show’s at 9:00, which means I have to be there about 8:30 to help get set up. Pick you up at 8:00?”

“Ben and I can give Lucky a ride, save you the trip,” Josh inserted, before Lucky could reply.

“It’s no trouble,” Aidan said, his eyes never leaving Lucky’s. “I’d like to pick her up, if it’s okay with her.”

“It’s okay with me,” she said.

“See you about 8:00 then.” Aidan lifted his hand so the tips of his fingers rested against her cheek. “Be careful,” he said, his voice dropping so that only she could hear.

She nodded, a shiver going through her as the movement caused her cheek to brush against his fingers like a caress. He dropped his hand, his fingers curling into his palm as he lowered his arm to his side.