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Chapter
Eight
“So,
what exactly are we doing?” I asked, as we faced each other in the
park, the light of the day long gone. Cash placed both of our jackets
on the park bench, but still didn’t elude to the real reason we
were here. This park – the same one I’d been shot in – looked
not much different than it had in the days when I’d peacefully
played my guitar here.
Staring
at the stones that once might have been stained with my blood, I
didn’t realize that I’d moved away from Cash and towards the
scene of the accident. How long had people maintained the forlorn
scene, avoiding it out of respect for the dead girl I’d once been –
or out of the fear of the incident itself.
It
wasn’t until I sensed the motion behind me that I was brought back
to reality, and dove out of the way of the foot flying through where
my shoulders had just been. “What’s the big idea?” I demanded,
coming out of my rolls and standing to face the shadow that was Cash.
“You
could have been sent flying if you were still human,” he said, his
hair and the outline of his wings glittering in the dim light of a
street lamp. His outline disappeared again as he moved faster than a
human could have. Diving again, I knew I wasn’t going to make it.
His kick impacted into my left side, and sent me flying. I felt no
pain, but I skid on the paving stones on the path – feeling the
fabric on my shirt pick up dirt and fresh wear marks.
Now,
it was my turn. Standing up, I picked out his outline and went for
it. Willing my limbs to dart for him, I felt a fist impact his head –
but the knee to his gut missed as he spun away, laughing. “We can’t
hurt each other – what’s the point?” I growled, turning to face
him as he came within inches of my face, looking down at me with the
half smile I’d always known.
“Because
I didn’t know if you could fight or not. You’re good, I guess.”
Cash brushed a piece of hair off of my forehead, the idea of his
touch sending a thrill through my new body. “What was that,
Angel?” He asked, his eyes suddenly level with mine as they
glittered in the street light. The glitter wasn’t something I was
entirely comfortable with, so on impulse, I stepped away.
“Why
are we fighting, Cash?” I asked.
“I
just told you–,” He started, and I shook my head.
“I
mean, what does this have to do with showing me the ropes?” I
asked, looking towards my jacket.
It
has everything to do with it. If you don’t know how to fight,” he
paused, and made his stance casual. “You’ll need to be taught.
There are some things that really aren’t avoidable when you’re a
Guardian.”
I
nodded. “Okay, I can agree with that.” I said, and fixed my hair
into a tighter ponytail. Walking back over to the bench, I grabbed my
jacket. It was a cold night – and anybody who would have looked out
their windows would have definitely thought both of us were out of
our minds. Slipping it on as Cash seemed to step away, his back to
me. He ran his hand through his hair, and then walked over for his
coat.
“You
up for some drinks?” He asked. I chuckled.
“I
still look seventeen, remember?” I asked. His eyebrows met briefly
– and then he laughed.
“You
haven’t really looked in the mirror, have you?” He asked, and
then took my hand. “You don’t look seventeen anymore. Not that
you really ever did,” his voice came with little bursts of fog as
he pulled me back onto a sidewalk, and towards a row of shops. The
lights on the street lit the glass like mirrors, and as we passed a
particularly wall reflective one, Cash stopped, and placed me in
front of it.
I
froze, looking at a much older looking me. My wide brown eyes were
even more defined then they’d been before, and my skin was as
flawless as Cash’s. My long, curly brown hair was glossy, but
overall, I was still me. Not wearing makeup, I would easily pass as a
twenty-one year old, or better. Fixing the collar on my turtleneck,
and checking my figure once more, I looked back at Cash. “And you
didn’t mention this sooner because?”
I asked, and he shrugged.
“I
was told girls look at the mirror a lot – so I just assumed you
had.”
“Classy,
Cash,” I said, taking the would-be insult in stride. I’d tried
hard to never be that kind of girl, but the fact was hard to avoid
that some girls really did do that. As we neared a local bar, I
spotted the characteristic outliers of the crowd – the ones that
were leaving, the ones that were coming, and the varying degrees of
loiterers. The space, or what I now realized was a busy club, danced
with lights and life. I’d never been in one – but with Cash,
there was no backing out now.
Cash
had taken my hand again, and when we walked through the door, the
bouncer didn’t even look twice at us. My tight jeans and converses,
while plainer than what most of the scantily dressed girls were
wearing, still blended in with the casual crowd around the black
marble bar.
“Whatcha'
want?” The female bartender asked, her face a calm smile, when she
noticed us standing there. When Cash replied with a smile of his own,
I noticed that they must have known each other.
“The
usual,” his voice seemed to disappear into the music of the space,
and then the girl was off – making whatever his ‘usual’ was.
I
leaned against the counter, my elbows on the cold stone, and watched
the dancers moving in near synchrony on the floor. The music didn’t
have lyrics – or at least this song didn’t – and the dancers
all looked like they’d found partners of one or another sex. The
smile that crept to my lips was more of amusement as Cash seemed to
notice me looking.
“So,
what do you think?” He asked, and then seemed to look in the same
general direction. “Something you’d get used to?”
I
turned my head as if I was going to look at him, but kept my eyes on
the dancers. “If you gave me long enough, maybe. I’m more curious
as to how you
got used to it.” I paused, and took my eyes away to watch the
bartender place the two identical drinks on the counter.
“Twelve
bucks,” she said, and seemed to pause there as Cash swiped the
money out of his pocket, and into her suddenly waiting hand.
“Thank
you for your patronage.”
She
winked, then was off taking more orders, and not looking back.
“You
two know each other?” I asked, and Cash handed a thin necked
martini glass to me. “Should I?” He answered, and his cavalier
attitude made me laugh.
“Guess
not.” I said, and eyed the green olive in my glass.
“I
guess you always knew you liked things dirty,” I joked, and Cash
laughed as he eyed me.
“I’m
not that kind of guy,” he said, frowning. It was my turn to wink as
I lifted my drink.
“Bottoms
up.”
The
taste of the alcohol was sharp, but the burn of it didn’t come as
it slid down my throat. Cash and I continued to watch the dancers
until both of us finished our drinks, and walked to leave our coats
at the check – something Cash had managed to forget about doing
beforehand.
I
bit back sarcasm as Cash got me onto the floor and into the throng,
dancing to a slower song to start. His hands gripped my wrists gently
as he taught me how to move like the others, though something told me
I wasn’t going to be nearly as good. I’d chosen never to be a
good dancer long ago, but it seemed my lack of trying really was
going to cost me now.
When
a faster song came on, though, nobody paid attention as everyone
moved their focus to their partners, and I felt caged by all the
pulsating bodies. Cash danced with me, his hands around my waist,
keeping me there. Eventually, it became less uncomfortable, and I
almost wondered if alcohol could still bother me, as an angel.
I
could feel the lust of the people in the air, and I could smell every
bead of salt that poured off the bodies. It was a situation I was
slowly becoming tolerant of, until I looked into Cash’s eyes, and
saw the unbridled desire there. Finally shown in it’s true form, I
couldn’t hide as he moved his face down, and his lips brushed my
nose – just before the song ended – and I rushed to break apart.
He
didn’t notice my movement, or if he did, he appeared not to be
bothered by it. Saying I wanted a break, he shrugged and said it
looked like I wasn’t that into being here at the bar, and offered
for us to call it quits for the night. I nodded gratefully, we
grabbed our coats, and then left without so much as a backward
glance.
The
walk home was quiet, along the lit sidewalks. The only sound for a
long time was of Cash and I’s breathing, and our joined footsteps.
It didn’t change much until we were long past the park, and we
passed an alleyway.
What
happened next probably should have been predictable, but as the large
man tackled Cash to the ground, and the other one grabbed me by my
coat, I hadn’t been thinking of the possibilities. Their yells were
incoherent for several seconds as they both tried to establish
dominance in the situation – and Cash and I exchanged looks as his
face was pressed against the concrete of the sidewalk. The man
holding me, however, was the one who finally seemed to give the
demands. “Your wallets, and whatever valuables you’ve got,” his
voice growled, and I felt the presence of a knife against my back.
Cash didn’t move, and neither did I - but images of Cash’s
attacks filled my head suddenly, and I looked over at him.
“Fight,
Krista,”
I heard his voice, but saw no movement, and I froze even harder. His
lips hadn’t moved - but his instructions were crystal clear in my
head. Nodding imperceptibly, I lifted my leg and drove it with such
force that I heard the bones snap in his foot. His grunt filled the
air as his knife moved away, and I darted just far enough away to get
a successful elbow slash to his face.
The
big man watched his companion fall in pain, unmoving, until he locked
eyes with me and decided to attack. “You dumb bitch, you’re in
for it now!” Seemed like a cliche thing to say, but as the words
came grunting out I dodged the goons knife, and then sent a foot
solidly between his legs, his words turning soprano before he even
hit the ground. Cash appeared behind me a flash later, but we didn’t
stick around to see if the two were up to continuing the brawl.
