Avoidables Angels Read online

  Chapter Sixteen

  What the hell was the lad doing?

  We didn’t move as he entered the circle. A handful of bare arsed angels with white feathered wings was a lot for a teen to take in.

  ‘We’re naturists,’ I blurted.

  William glanced at me. He had been appointed the new leader of the Perfect government only days ago, how would he explain our weird going’s on in the woods?

  His gaze flicked to the wing behind my shoulder. It had been quick thinking but not quick enough. If we’d had time to hide our true selves, we wouldn’t be watching the young lad stare at us.

  ‘What are you?’

  He spoke to William. Maybe he knew who William was in the city. That would make things even worse.

  ‘You know this lad?’ I asked.

  ‘Paul, this is Jason,’ William started.

  Jason? Great! The young man that was supposed to unite the Perfects and Avoidables had already foiled us.

  ‘I told you that everything was not as it seemed.’ William stood proud, we all did. There was nothing to be ashamed of in our nakedness or our…angelness.

  ‘Paul,’ Melissa whispered, drawing Jason’s attention.

  ‘You! So you knew each other all along.’ He pointed at the pretty blonde woman, Melissa. The red on his cheeks glowed brighter when she stepped towards him. His young eyes were drawn to her physical body. I followed his gaze, wondering what it was that was so fascinating about the female form. Melissa looked nice as a human. Her hips were more curved than mine. The skin on her body was smoother, too.

  Why had she called my name? What did she want me to do?

  ‘Jason, we’re here to help your city.’ Her soft voice floated around the circle.

  I was tempted to pull my wings back in and get dressed. The energy was starting to fade, leaving my body chilly.

  ‘What are you?’

  Melissa’s wings flapped gently. The lad’s eyes were going to pop out of his head. I tried to imagine what it must be like seeing a group of angels for the first time. Naked angels at that.

  ‘This is Paul, he’s going to help you to understand.’

  My gaze shot to William. Why did Melissa want me to tell the intruder? Our leader shrugged, folding his big arms over his chest.

  ‘Jason. We’re angels. As you may have noticed, your city is in a dire need for change. The Perfects are cruel and unkind. You all think you’re untouchable and above those weaker than you, when quite frankly-’

  ‘Are you sure your name isn’t Frank?’ Jason interrupted.

  The twitching of his lips confused me. Was he being funny? I didn’t get the joke.

  ‘No. I’m the angel, Paul.’

  William shook his head as he came forward. Placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder, he ignored the slight jump of his body.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Jason asked him, stuttering.

  Glaring at Melissa for putting me in the middle of it all, I rolled my eyes when she winked at me. She had found a way for her cheeky side to be expressed on earth. She had always been a mischievous angel.

  ‘I’m sorry you had to find out this way.’ William looked deeply into Jason’s eyes.

  Jason’s eyes widened as the pressure of William’s hand grew stronger on his shoulder. The force of his fingers digging into the skin through his shirt was visible to us. Was he really doing what I thought he was?

  Jason gasped. He grabbed hold of William’s hand, trying to prise it off. The angel was too strong.

  A small light started to emanate from William over to Jason. The lad didn’t know what to do. He looked around at us as if pleading, then his body started to shiver.

  ‘What are you doing?’ he asked, his voice going high pitched.

  William closed his eyes before speaking. ‘It’s okay.’

  Jason stopped panicking. His body relaxed as his own eyes fluttered shut. The chill of the night ran over me. I shuddered as Jason fell to the ground. William crouched with him, his hand still squeezing the bones of his shoulder.

  ‘Let it come, let the power flow,’ he said.

  Jason started to thrash. His eyes rolled into the back of his head. I had no idea what our leader was doing but it didn’t look good. Should I step in to stop it? Glancing at Melissa, I raised my eyebrows. Shaking her head once, she pointed at William and then reached around herself to touch her own wing.

  ‘Allow yourself to-’

  Jason groaned as he hunched into a ball. He brought his knees up under him and wrapped his arms around them.

  I rubbed my arms as I watched, transfixed by what was happening in front of me, but unaware of what William was actually doing.

  ‘What are-?’

  ‘I’m helping him remember,’ William said, glancing over his shoulder at me. ‘It’s the quickest way.’

  Was he doing what I thought he was? Crouching to the floor of the woods, I watched, waiting to see if William was brave and strong enough to do what I thought he was attempting.

  ‘That hurts!’ Jason moaned. ‘Please, get off me!’

  William shook his head but the lad couldn’t see. The leader stared at his back. We all stared at his back.

  The only sound in the woods came from Jason as his breath started to pant. Like a woman giving birth. I could remember watching that traumatic experience from above. I was glad that I had come into a male body.

  ‘Is it working?’ Melissa asked.

  William frowned as he concentrated. The crack that came from Jason’s back, followed by the howl, answered her question. I had never heard a human cry out in so such pain before. Once the process started, it didn’t take long to complete.

  Jason’s shirt ripped open as wings covered in white feathers emerged from his shoulder blades.

  The smile on William’s face as he released the boy and stood up made me laugh. He looked at me, his eyebrows raised.

  ‘You like to cause someone pain. I didn’t know you had it in you,’ I muttered.

  He shook his head, dismissing me as he took a step back. ‘I like to see transformation.’

  Jason stopped squirming. He opened his eyes but stayed curled in his ball. The wings on his back were smaller than ours. It was the first time he had ever set them free. They would grow in time.

  ‘What are they?’ he breathed, reaching around to touch them.

  His whole body shook. Adrenaline was a bizarre but interesting chemical in the body.

  I had never expected to feel high as a human. The angels vibrated at a higher frequency but harnessing adrenaline in the body was a completely different experience.

  ‘You’re a bloody angel,’ I said, bending down to speak to him. ‘You were born on Earth in a normal body so technically you’re half angel. And you have this whole-’ I may have sounded flippant, but that’s just the way I was.

  ‘Thanks, Paul.’ William threw my pants at my head, interrupting my speech. ‘Time we were getting dressed.’

  When I stood I glared at the others. They had pulled their wings in and were busy getting dressed. I was always the last to know what we were doing.

  ‘What have you done to me? What do you mean angel?’ Jason sat up slowly. He leant back, almost toppling with the new weight on his shoulder blades. Correcting himself, he blinked as he stretched the feathers right out.

  ‘You must have heard of us,’ I asked.

  He looked at me, his eyes narrowing. The breeze whipped around me, making the skin on my arms pucker. I looked at the goose bumps that rose the hairs, numb to anything outside the weird feeling.

  ‘I learnt a bit about you in school but not a lot. My mother told me not to question anything that wasn’t to do with Perfects. Are my parents angels, too? How is this happening? Why have I never known before?’

  I snorted.

  William glared at me. What? I couldn’t help it if Jason had chosen to have the worst Perfect parents in Upper Side.

  ‘No. Catherine and John are not angels. You are only half angel yourself, Jas
on. Do you not remember telling me that you felt different?’

  William was such a smart arse. He knew what to say at the right time. I had a habit of offending people by being too blunt. Even when I was an angel.

  ‘Wait.’ Melissa grabbed my arm. ‘I can hear something.’

  Everyone froze in various stages of undress. She was right. There was a rustling sound coming from beyond the clearing entrance.

  ‘Did you bring anyone with you?’ William demanded, looking down at Jason.

  The young man shook his head quickly. William gestured for us to disperse as the noise grew louder. We would be found any minute. I grabbed Melissa’s hand, pulling her away. She tripped as she tried to look behind us.

  ‘Come on!’

  I was half dressed. Melissa was completely clothed, except for her shoes. She would have to get them back next time.

  ‘I’ll get you out of here,’ I heard William say.

  Jason yelled. I heard the sound of wings flapping. Letting go of Melissa, I looked back to see what was happening. William had wrapped his arms around Jason. His wings moved fast, forcing them both into the air. My mouth gaped open as I watched William disappear over the top of the trees.

  ‘They’re here,’ Melissa squeaked.

  I followed her gaze to the entrance. Pulling her into the cover of the trees, we watched as two guards came into the clearing. Their guns aloft, aiming into the darkness.

  ‘I heard something. I’m sure I saw someone come in here, too.’

  We had taken everything with us. Except for Melissa’s high heels. Why had she been so careless?

  ‘We need to go,’ I whispered.

  ‘Who’s there?’ the guard shouted.

  Melissa’s hand found mine in the dark. Tugging gently, I guided her away from the men. She had just gained a new job with the government. The last thing she needed was to get caught. They would never listen to us. Unless we pretended we were lovers. The thought made my body flush. It had been happening every time I thought about a woman.

  ‘Hurry,’ Melissa whispered.

  Twigs snapped behind us, making me speed up. They were following the sound we made as we traipsed through the woods. Maybe we should have flown away, too. It would have been a lot easier. The click of a gun made my palms sweat. The hand that held Melissa’s started to slip from her grasp.

  ‘Don’t leave me,’ she whispered, her breath rasping.

  I let go of her hand, fell back slightly and put my arm around her waist. The smell of her hair wafted into my face. Once we got out of the woods, I would need some space from her.

  ‘There!’ She pointed to a street lamp through the trees.

  The running footsteps behind us grew quieter. We were losing them. Bursting through the hedge, I felt a sense of triumph.

  ‘Freeze!’

  Another two guards stood on the road ahead of us.

  We stopped running but I didn’t let go of Melissa.

  ‘Raise your arms!’ one of the men shouted.

  Melissa glanced up at me. Her gaze pleading for me to do something.

  ‘Ah, guys! Come on, we were…you know,’ I said, pointing at Melissa.

  Their weapons slacked a little. Our breathing was heavy, which helped our case. Melissa clutched at my shirt, which was somehow ripped. It helped our story.

  ‘You been showing her a good time?’ one of the guards called.

  The other one chuckled. They lowered their guns as they eyed up my so called date. Melissa smiled coyly, looking to the ground as her cheeks heated.

  ‘Let me take her home to finish what I started.’

  They looked at one another before nodding. ‘Okay, you can go.’

  My grin reached across my whole face as we moved past them. ‘Thank you. I know you understand.’

  They winked at Melissa. She giggled, taking hold of my hand and pulling me away from them and towards her flat.

  ‘One more thing,’ the guard called. ‘It’s illegal to be in these woods. If we find you here again, we will arrest you.’