Unnamed Angel Stoy[Chapter 1--Agnel]

    The wind rushed through my hair, tugging at the angry snarls on the back of my neck.
    “That’s right, keep running.” A voice whispered past my ear, floating behind me as I sprinted through the dense underbrush.
    I pumped my legs harder, gritting my teeth to keep from crying out at the burning in my lungs. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. I would not show my fear. I would not cower. And I would not let this thing catch me.
    “Ah, but I will catch you. I’ll catch you just like I caught that meek human you swoon over.” The voice murmured, it’s high, shrill sound ringing in my head, refusing to give up its perilous chase.
    “Go away!” I cried breathlessly, my voice a weak whisper, drifting away with the wind as it whistled by my ears. “Leave me alone! Leave him alone!” I felt the hot tears pouring from my eyes, blurring my vision. They were probably the reason I stumbled and tripped over a tree root, sending myself skidding into a tree.
    I struggled to pull myself back, fighting against the pain searing in my leg.  I tried to stand, to run, but fell to the ground with a cry of pain as my leg seemed to burn.
    “Don’t run, Alexis.” The voice cooed, sweeping around me.
    “Go away!” I moaned, scrambling back again, trying to muster enough strength to keep running.
    What had I done to deserve this? What horrible crime had I committed that they should punish me so?
    “We’ll never leave you alone, you know that.” The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere, cornering me.
    I cried out in anguish. I couldn’t beat them. I couldn’t fight them. I could only run and even I knew that, eventually, they would catch me. I’d waited years for this moment, hiding and running to try and escape the inevitable.
    “Give in. Give up. You’ll never win.”
    At that moment I knew that it was right. I had no chance, no hope. They’d taken what belonged to me, the only thing I cared about. They’d taken Julius. What more did I have to live for? He was gone, and soon I would be too.
    I wondered if it would hurt. Had it hurt Julius?
    “There is no hope,” the voice whispered.
    Those words burned in my mind as if they’d been branded there.
    “Don’t hurt him,” I murmured and then the world went black.

    “When do you think she’ll come around?” A deep voice asked, rumbling like car tires over gravel.
    My eyes nearly flew open, but I forced them to stay shut, interested in whatever beings were speaking about me.
    “Well, it seemed to have gotten pretty close to her. It even left a mark.” I felt the warmth of someone’s, something’s, velvet skin as it traced something along my shoulder.
    “She’s conscious,” A third whispered, coaxing me out of my false unconsciousness.
    I opened my eyes slowly, blinking furiously as took in the two men looming over me and the other kneeling beside me. They all looked to be about twenty with muscular arms and chiselled jaws.
    What frightened me about them was the strange white glow that surrounded them and the large white wings that sprouted from their backs.
    I sat up quickly, pulling myself away from the winged-beings.
    “Ah, so the beauty wakes.” The creature kneeling murmured, his voice as rich as the sweetest honey. He had eyes as blue as the sky on a clear day and hair as brown as the earth in the garden my mother had once owned by our house.
    “Who…what are you?” I stammered, my eyes flickering to each of theirs, dancing to the next before I could fall deep enough into their beauty to lose my fear and begin to breathe evenly.
    “We…are angels,” the third murmured, his voice soft and melodic, like a saxophone.
    I struggled to stand, but my legs screamed in protest.
    Angels! These…men were angels! That was impossible! Angels were dark, mystical soul-stealers. These three seemed kind and gentle, nothing like the soul-stealing devils I’d imagined.
    “We are cousins to the angel that did this to you,” the second clarified, tracing something across my shoulder with his eyes.
    I looked down at my arm and almost screamed. Tattooed across my shoulder in dark, pronounced, black letters was the word, “Morior”. They’d marked me! How could they do that?  But I still had freewill. I wasn’t theirs…yet.
    “Don’t move,” the first gravely voiced angel instructed. “We need to heal your leg, you did of very good job at dislocating it. Movement will only pain you and lengthen the healing process.”
    They were going to help me? But angels were injurers not healers. They did not help, they hurt. Surely these could not be the same creatures.
    “Relax,” the kneeling brunette ordered. “Tense muscles only complicate the healing.” He rested a gentle finger on my sore ankle.
    The pain seemed to slip away from his touch as my muscles melted at the feel of his smooth skin.
    What was wrong with me? I was swooning over an angel. The very creatures that had taken Julius, the only man I’d ever loved.
    The third snickered, tossing back a lock of his disgruntled pale blonde hair.
    What was he laughing at? No one had spoken.
    A sudden emptiness filled me. It took me a moment to realize that my leg had stopped searing and felt better than it had before, the muscles revitalized after weeks, no months, of running and just barley escaping.
    “They’ll be looking for her,” the kneeling brunette murmured. His blue eyes were locked on my less appealing green eyes, gazing at them intently, like he was examining my soul. “She won’t survive unprotected.”
    “Agnel, we have others to heal,” the first said, his voice rough, as if he needed to be stern to keep the one called Agnel’s attention on his words and off of me. “We can’t follow her everywhere. We can ask Heavelena for a Guardian, but we, Healers, can’t give up our duties to all souls for her.”
    “Then go ask her for one,” Agnel countered, turning to face his accomplices. “I’ll stay. They are getting closer by the second and we should not risk her soul.”
    “Fine,” the third breathed. “Come, Demitri. Let’s leave Agnel with his pet.”
    The two whisked off into the forest finding a clearing before flapping their wings and drifting towards the sky.
    When I turned my eyes back to Agnel he was watching me, his head cocked slightly to the side as if he was curious about something.
    “Why did you stay?” I asked finally, my voice hoarse from disuse.
    “It’s not safe for you to stay alone. I have a duty to protect souls and yours should go as protected as the rest. I refuse to be careless about my job.”
    “Oh.” I breathed. So it wasn’t really because of me, just the strange devotion he had for his job.
    The corner of his mouth twitched, like he was trying to fight off a smile.
    We waited in silence for the other angels to return, our eyes set on each other.
    By the time the other angels returned the sky was lightening, the dark fog of night slowly lifting.
    “What did she say?” Agnel asked, rising as they approached us.
    “She has no Guardians to spare. The only way for us to get one is to find a Healer prepared to give up their trade to take up a new one.” Demitri announced.
    “No one will be willing. It is one of us or nobody, and none of us are willing,” the other said.
    “Benitti, have you lost your mind?” Agnel demanded. “She can’t go unprotected. They have marked her! Without a Guardian she’s as good as dead!”
    “Now, now, Agnel. Calm down.” Demitri stepped forward, seemingly unafraid of Agnel’s fury. “Let’s talk about this. We must be able to find someway to help her. She’s lasted a long time, especially considering….” He trailed off and gazed at me, his eyes locking with mine.
    “Then we should decide quickly because they are coming, I can feel it.” Agnel said.
    “Well, I’m not giving up healing for her. I chose healing because I didn’t want to be a Guardian. My preference has yet to change.” Benitti rumbled, his unruly curly red hair sticking out in odd directions but looking very put together.
    “Your job is to help souls. Helping can be by healing or by guarding. We have chosen healing, but guarding is just as rewarding. It simply means that you focus on one soul and work to protect it, to keep it safe from them.” Agnel spoke with great determination, trying to convince one of them, even himself, to accept the task.
    “I don’t need protecting.” I growled, my eyes narrowing as I watched their bickering over who would take the unwanted job.
    All three froze.
    “You’ll die the second you’re out of our sight.” Benitti reminded me, his voice calm, but his eyes threatening.
    “Alexis, that mark is like a homing beacon, it draws them to you. Without a Guardian, your soul is lost.” Agnel explained, trying to make up for Benitti’s straightforwardness.
    “I have lost too much, my soul means nothing compared to the others they have taken.”
    “Your soul is worth more than theirs,” Agnel said. “It is different, special. You need to live. We will not let you just give it up for them, for him.”
    I stepped back and glowered. “How do you know about Julius?”
    “That is irrelevant. Just know that he is not worth the loss of your soul.” Agnel seemed to realize that he’d slipped and was trying to cover it up, to keep me in the dark.
    “I don’t care what you think. I need no ‘Guardian’ and certainly not if it’s any of you!” I yelled before turning and storming off into the trees.
    I’d taken all of two steps before Agnel was in front of me, his hand wrapped securely around my arms.
    “You are the most stubborn human I have ever met.” He muttered.
    Suddenly, Demitri and Benitti were beside him, smirking.
    “Fine, I’ll guard her.” Agnel sighed, his hands still around my upper arms.
    “Let go of me.” I snarled, continuing to glare at him.
    He smiled lightly at my expression but didn’t drop his hands. “I’m sorry, Alexis, but I don’t feel like chasing you through the forest all day.”
    “We’d better get going, there are many to heal,” Demitri said before motioning to Benitti and disappearing into the forest.
    “Now, either I can let you go and you behave, or I’ll have to hold onto you until you will.” Agnel offered, his blue eyes twinkling in the light of the rising sun.
    I sighed. I didn’t want him to let go of me. His warm skin felt silky against mine and I wasn’t ready to forget the feeling, but I didn’t want to be walking around with him holding onto me all day. “I’ll behave,” I decided after a brief moment of deliberation.
    “Good,” He breathed as he released me.
    I stepped back, away from him. I needed to think, to find out how to get rid of Agnel without having him catch me the second after I tried to get rid of him.
    “They’re coming. I suggest we get going.” Agnel offered innocently, but a questioning look in his eyes told me he knew what I was thinking.
    “And where do you suggest we go?” I asked, raising my eyebrows and placing my hands on my hips. “Apparently everywhere I go the other angels follow.”
    “That is true, so it is best to not stay in one place for too long. The longer we stay here, the closer we are letting them get.” Agnel pointed out.
    “Then let’s go.” I grumbled.
    He didn’t move.
    “Why aren’t you moving?”
    “You can lead. You seem to be very good at that.” He smirked at me.
    I growled and lunged at him, my teeth barred my hand wrapping around his throat.
    He didn’t fight. He let me tackle him, his wings disappearing as his fell to the ground. He watched me with great amusement, the smirk still planted on his face. “Julius seemed to cower from you, now I know why.” He laughed lightly.
    “Do me a favour and never speak again. About Julius, about anything! Just don’t speak!” I snarled, pulling myself off of him.
    To my surprise he didn’t respond.
    Finally, maybe now I could think. I needed a clear mind to focus on finding a safe path, that’s probably why I’d failed Julius. Whenever he was with me, I could only think of him, of his calloused hands, his warm arms, his dark eyes, his black hair, his soft lips….
    “I thought you needed to focus,” Agnel interrupted my thoughts, pulling them back to him.
    Ugh! Why did females have to be so prone to obsessing over gorgeous males?
    “Be quiet!” I snapped.
    He smiled at me, but said nothing, pulling himself from the ground and flapping his wings, sending a small cloud of dirt off of his body.
    This was impossible. It was too hard to focus with his constant distractions.
    “Can you please stop it?” I demanded, turning to him, my eyes flaming with annoyance. “Either you let me concentrate or we’re following you.”
    “Now, there’s a good idea.” He stepped ahead of me and began weaving through the trees.
    I huffed angrily before crossing my arms, straightening my back and following him. I really felt no need to leave my soul to the angels, the dark angels.
    “So, why did you give up healing?” I asked, ducking to avoid a low hanging branch that threatened to tear my forehead. I wasn’t really interested in starting a conversation, I just wanted to hear his voice, to satisfy the craving I had for its musical melody.
    He sighed. “I never really wanted to be healing, I wasn’t attached to it. It didn’t seem to open to me as much as the idea of protecting a soul, of being a Guardian, did. I simply never found someone I wanted to guard. I’ve spent decades, no centuries, looking for a soul I would spend even a moment protecting from the…others.”
    “So, you want to guard my soul?” I asked, slightly sceptical.
    He looked forward, refusing to meet my questioning gaze. “I have no choice. The others wouldn’t, so I felt obligated. But even though I felt I had to….” He trailed off, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.
    “You felt you had to what?” I pressed, immediately suspicious.
    He stopped and turned to me. “Your soul seemed to call to me, like it was asking me to guard it. Your soul is very special to me.” He added in a murmur, reaching up to stroke my cheek.
    I froze. Julius was the only one who had ever touched me like that. It felt so…different to have Agnel’s velvet skin against my dirty cheek. It felt so off, so weird, so much better. What was I thinking? He was still an angel and just because he wasn’t on of the soul-stealers didn’t mean I could feel strongly about him, especially not if he was my Guardian. If something went wrong, if the relationship didn’t work, if my soul was taken, it would scar us both and ruin the bond.
    Agnel seemed to sense my thoughts, and the way my body tensed told him that I wasn’t comfortable with his hand on my face, though, truly, I’d never been more comfortable.
    “I’m sorry,” He murmured and turned, prepared to continue walking.
    “No!” I cried, grabbing his hand and weaving my fingers through his.
    He stared at me, puzzled, struggling to understand my thoughts, my emotions, and my intentions.
    “Don’t be sorry,”
    His eyes moved to our hands, locking on our twine fingers. Slowly, his lips turned up in a smile. It took two long, peaceful seconds before he ended it. In the time it took me to blink my hand was empty and he stood a good three meters away from me.
    I gazed at him, wounded and curious.
    “Did I…?” I trailed off, afraid of the answer if I finished the question.
    Suddenly he was only a meter away, but his back was to me. “It’s not you.” He assured me.
    I didn’t understand. If it wasn’t me, then what was it?
    He took a deep breath before turning to face me. “Come. We should start walking.”
    I only nodded, unable to tear my eyes from his.
    I suddenly wished that I looked better. My hair was matted and filthy, darker than its usual chestnut because of the dirt. My clothes were torn and brown from weeks without washing. My skin seemed to be brown though small white patches showed from streaks of tears and bloody cuts. I smelt pretty bad, I probably would have done better if I’d had some sort of shower or bath at least once in what seemed like forever.
    “Tell me about Julius.” Agnel offered, trying to fill the deafening silence that hung between us.
    I stopped abruptly. Had he seriously just asked that? What was he, insane? I could barley think of Julius without bursting into tears. I would be sobbing by the time his name passed my frozen lips.
    “You don’t have to,” Agnel assured me, stopping with me and noticing my horrified expression.
    I gulped, trying to dislodge the large lump in my throat.
    “I’m sorry for bringing it up. It must be painful for you to talk about.” Agnel lifted his hand but dropped it, remembering his reaction the last time he’d touched me.
    I ran the back of my hand over my eye. I would not cry.
    Agnel clenched his hands into fists, his body trembling as he seemed to fight with himself.
    I wanted to ask him what was wrong, to stroke his face—but that was probably because he was completely irresistible. Ugh! He was an angel, why couldn’t I grasp that? Still, he was so beautiful.... No! Alexis, control yourself. He’s still an angel, one of the demons that took Julius. Julius....
    Tears sprung into my eyes again and I swatted them away quickly before they could trail down my cheeks, burning the memories of Julius into my skin.
    Agnel’s face softened and he took a step forward, seeming to forget his fight. “I’m so sorry, Alexis.” He rested his hand on my cheek, his skin warm against mine.
    I leaned into his palm a bit before reminding myself of what he was.
    His hand moved a centimetre away from my face before returning to it, unable to resist it seemed.
    “We should get going,” I prompted, gently sliding his hand off of my face.
    He nodded, but made no move to continue our trek.
    I returned his hand to his side, waiting for him to turn and lead. I wouldn’t be able to find my way out of this place without his help. I wasn’t very good with directions unless I was focussed.
    “Lead the way,” I said, ushering him on with my hand, hoping to unlock his beautiful eyes from mine. Was it possible that he wasn’t blinking? I thought even angels blinked.
    He blinked slowly, but didn’t turn.
    “Agnel?”
    “Alexis.” He murmured, his lips unmoving but not a note of my name missed.
    “Ugh!” I groaned. “Don’t call me that!”
    This seemed to break him from his trance. “It’s your name, is it not?” He asked, a teasing edge in his voice.
    “It is.” I agreed. “But it sounds so…bland. I don’t like it.”
    “Then what should I call you?” He asked, his head cocking slightly again.
    I pondered that. I had no idea what he should call me. Actually, I think I preferred he never said my name, or any other, ever again. “I…I don’t know.” I finally admitted.
    “Can I choose something?” He asked.
    “Yes.” I answered too quickly.
    His lips turned up in a smile. “How about…” He swept back a lock of my hair, the movement slow and hesitant. “Lexi?”
    “Lexi?” I repeated. I liked it. It sounded nice, much better than Alexis.
    “Do you like it?” He asked watched me with curious eyes.
    I smiled. “I like it.”
    “Lexi. It suits you.” Agnel said, his eyes shining even in the dark forest.
    All those years of loathing my parents for naming me Alexis and in two seconds, he changed my name and made me appreciate it. Why did he have to be the one to make me admire my name? Why couldn’t it have been Julius? He was human and I loved him, this…soul-stealer shouldn’t be so...helpful.
    “We should go.” I murmured, not bothering to follow him if he wouldn’t move, and swept past him.
    I’d taken all of 3 steps before he was a few meters ahead of me. How did he do that?
    “Come on, we need to keep walking or else we’ll be running for a long time.” Agnel called over his shoulder, sidestepping around a large tree. “I have no problem with that, but you might.”
    I bit my tongue, trying to keep from yelling at him. Instead I just grumbled unintelligibly and lengthened my strides.
    We seemed to walk forever through the never-ending forest. The trees continued to un fold before us after every step.
    “Can we please stop?” I begged for the millionth time, my chest heaving as I panted. I needed to stop, to sit for a moment. My feet burned as they had for months before.
    Agnel paused, freezing mid-step.
    I froze too, trying to figure out why he had.
    “No.” He replied firmly after a moment and unfreezing.
    I sighed. With him guarding me I was never going to be able to rest again.
    “Come on.” He beckoned, urging me to keep moving.
    I grumbled crankily but gave in. He wasn’t going to let me rest so I might as well walk until I collapsed. Maybe then he’d let me rest, just maybe.