Scarlet Angels.
Bodyguard
“Hailey, don’t make your life harder… Just come down, will you?” Rafe called.
Hailey smiled. It wasn’t her life she was about to make difficult. He flew closer, faster now, but still wary. When he was close enough to touch, Hailey locked her wings and dropped. Rafe looked startled as she flicked open her wings again, used one sweep to come up behind him and pin his wings shut. Unable to use his wings to stay airborne, he plummeted, with Hailey holding on. He yelled, arms flailing, as he fought to open his wings and stop his fall.
Still Hailey held him.
Azzure looked a little surprised as Hailey opened her wings at the last moment. Pushing off from Rafe’s back, she once again flew.
Rafe was able to open his wings a split second too late, hitting the ground with a thump. He rolled onto his back, trying to breathe.
Azzure laughed. “Who taught you that, Hailey?” She asked as she crossed to where Rafe was lying, holding out a hand to help him up. “Watch her,” She warned. “She’s tricky.” She pulled him up.
“Why do you want me?” Hailey finally said. Her eyes, had they been close enough to see, would have indicated her anger, stormy as they were. She was pale, and her breathing was a little fast.
Azzure was still calm. “Just come down. Right now being stubborn is not helping.” She looked at Hailey, who thought about it.
“As long as he is by the chair.” He was Rafe. Hailey could only afford to do fancy manoeuvres when she had one opponent. Azzure motioned him back. Hailey lifted her wings at an impossible angle – for the second time, Azzure realized – and floated forward, down to earth.
Azzure frowned.
“How do you do that?” Rafe asked from the chair. Hailey looked at him, not answering. Her eyes were still stormy, and she looked skittish. She was still trying to figure him out.
Azzure was getting tired of the lack of trust. “Hailey, the reason I want you as my apprentice is because you have guts, speed, and – most of the time – brains. In fact, you remind me of me in fourth-year. But I’ve never seen the wing thing before…” She trailed off, waiting for an explanation. Hailey shrugged.
Crystal clearly didn’t like being ignored. “Hailey, don’t do it! Don’t agree to anything she says! I don’t mind sacrificing myself for you to live freely!” She puffed herself up, trying to look noble and dignified. Azzure and Hailey burst into laughter at the same time, genuinely amused. Hailey turned to Azzure, a small smile playing about her lips.
“Azzure,” she said, “I would like to take you up on your offer. I will be your apprentice… If you get me my medal.”
Azzure grinned. “Thank-you, Hailey. We will be a very good team, I think.” She smiled indulgently. “And guess what?” She added. “Rafe is now your personal bodyguard…” She smirked at the horrified look on Rafe’s face, before he smothered it.
Hailey managed to keep her face clear. “Why would I need a bodyguard?” She asked. “You don’t have heaps of enemies, do you?” She sounded like she hoped not.
Azzure laughed. “Only sometimes. Now, time for business.”
Crystal stood up. “Hailey,” she announced grandly, “I’m sorry to have to do this. But since you have forced my hand, I must tell you, as High Commander, that you will not be receiving your medal or the title for the speed record.” She held her head high.
Azzure watched Hailey. Hailey went so pale she could have been compared to marble. She stopped breathing for a moment; shock was clear on her face. Her stormy eyes were lost somewhere near the ceiling, clearly wishing she could be there. She slowly moved her gaze to Crystal. “As High Commander?” She asked in a deadly voice. She stepped nearer to the chair. Crystal went to step back, away from her, but fell into the chair. She looked up at Hailey, fear on her face.
“May I ask how you came to be High Commander?” Hailey still spoke in that deadly, cold voice. To Crystal it was more intimidating than if Hailey had been shouting. She didn’t move.
Azzure was pleased at how Hailey was controlling her anger. The girl was almost shaking with rage. “Actually, Crystal, I’m the High Commander, the HC now. You’ve been demoted.” She told the angel on the chair. Rafe had a hand to his mouth, hiding a smile. Azzure saw it.
“Rafe, stop that. Control yourself. Your charge is close to attacking the ex HC. Think about how that would affect you…” Azzure told him.
He stepped forward and took Hailey’s arm. He spoke in her ear. Crystal looked shocked. Hailey was smiling as she turned away from the chair. Rafe followed, smiling also. Azzure said to Hailey, “I will meet you outside soon. You can go anywhere you want, but Rafe must be with you at all times. Rafe, you may use your stun gun on her if she tries to escape.”
Hailey frowned at Azzure. “I’m not going to run away. I want my medal. We were going now?” She said to Rafe. It wasn’t a question, and she made it clear.
Hailey came out of the hall, Rafe close behind her. The fires were still alight, but not as large as they had been earlier.
“So,” Rafe said casually, “what is the medal you’re talking about?”
Hailey smiled in the flickering light. “I broke Azzure’s speed record for the 200 foot flying fox…And now Crystal won’t give me the medal for it.” She narrowed her eyes. “She says I have to pass the last-years’ test…”
Rafe gaped down at her. “But you’re only what… fourth-year? I graduated fairly well, but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do… Some of the angels in my year failed. I don’t see how a fourth-year could do it. Aside from Lady Azzure, of course.” Hailey didn’t say anything. She merely frowned and walked faster.
“Hailey…” It appeared that only Hailey heard someone calling her name. She stopped dead.
Hailey smiled. It wasn’t her life she was about to make difficult. He flew closer, faster now, but still wary. When he was close enough to touch, Hailey locked her wings and dropped. Rafe looked startled as she flicked open her wings again, used one sweep to come up behind him and pin his wings shut. Unable to use his wings to stay airborne, he plummeted, with Hailey holding on. He yelled, arms flailing, as he fought to open his wings and stop his fall.
Still Hailey held him.
Azzure looked a little surprised as Hailey opened her wings at the last moment. Pushing off from Rafe’s back, she once again flew.
Rafe was able to open his wings a split second too late, hitting the ground with a thump. He rolled onto his back, trying to breathe.
Azzure laughed. “Who taught you that, Hailey?” She asked as she crossed to where Rafe was lying, holding out a hand to help him up. “Watch her,” She warned. “She’s tricky.” She pulled him up.
“Why do you want me?” Hailey finally said. Her eyes, had they been close enough to see, would have indicated her anger, stormy as they were. She was pale, and her breathing was a little fast.
Azzure was still calm. “Just come down. Right now being stubborn is not helping.” She looked at Hailey, who thought about it.
“As long as he is by the chair.” He was Rafe. Hailey could only afford to do fancy manoeuvres when she had one opponent. Azzure motioned him back. Hailey lifted her wings at an impossible angle – for the second time, Azzure realized – and floated forward, down to earth.
Azzure frowned.
“How do you do that?” Rafe asked from the chair. Hailey looked at him, not answering. Her eyes were still stormy, and she looked skittish. She was still trying to figure him out.
Azzure was getting tired of the lack of trust. “Hailey, the reason I want you as my apprentice is because you have guts, speed, and – most of the time – brains. In fact, you remind me of me in fourth-year. But I’ve never seen the wing thing before…” She trailed off, waiting for an explanation. Hailey shrugged.
Crystal clearly didn’t like being ignored. “Hailey, don’t do it! Don’t agree to anything she says! I don’t mind sacrificing myself for you to live freely!” She puffed herself up, trying to look noble and dignified. Azzure and Hailey burst into laughter at the same time, genuinely amused. Hailey turned to Azzure, a small smile playing about her lips.
“Azzure,” she said, “I would like to take you up on your offer. I will be your apprentice… If you get me my medal.”
Azzure grinned. “Thank-you, Hailey. We will be a very good team, I think.” She smiled indulgently. “And guess what?” She added. “Rafe is now your personal bodyguard…” She smirked at the horrified look on Rafe’s face, before he smothered it.
Hailey managed to keep her face clear. “Why would I need a bodyguard?” She asked. “You don’t have heaps of enemies, do you?” She sounded like she hoped not.
Azzure laughed. “Only sometimes. Now, time for business.”
Crystal stood up. “Hailey,” she announced grandly, “I’m sorry to have to do this. But since you have forced my hand, I must tell you, as High Commander, that you will not be receiving your medal or the title for the speed record.” She held her head high.
Azzure watched Hailey. Hailey went so pale she could have been compared to marble. She stopped breathing for a moment; shock was clear on her face. Her stormy eyes were lost somewhere near the ceiling, clearly wishing she could be there. She slowly moved her gaze to Crystal. “As High Commander?” She asked in a deadly voice. She stepped nearer to the chair. Crystal went to step back, away from her, but fell into the chair. She looked up at Hailey, fear on her face.
“May I ask how you came to be High Commander?” Hailey still spoke in that deadly, cold voice. To Crystal it was more intimidating than if Hailey had been shouting. She didn’t move.
Azzure was pleased at how Hailey was controlling her anger. The girl was almost shaking with rage. “Actually, Crystal, I’m the High Commander, the HC now. You’ve been demoted.” She told the angel on the chair. Rafe had a hand to his mouth, hiding a smile. Azzure saw it.
“Rafe, stop that. Control yourself. Your charge is close to attacking the ex HC. Think about how that would affect you…” Azzure told him.
He stepped forward and took Hailey’s arm. He spoke in her ear. Crystal looked shocked. Hailey was smiling as she turned away from the chair. Rafe followed, smiling also. Azzure said to Hailey, “I will meet you outside soon. You can go anywhere you want, but Rafe must be with you at all times. Rafe, you may use your stun gun on her if she tries to escape.”
Hailey frowned at Azzure. “I’m not going to run away. I want my medal. We were going now?” She said to Rafe. It wasn’t a question, and she made it clear.
Hailey came out of the hall, Rafe close behind her. The fires were still alight, but not as large as they had been earlier.
“So,” Rafe said casually, “what is the medal you’re talking about?”
Hailey smiled in the flickering light. “I broke Azzure’s speed record for the 200 foot flying fox…And now Crystal won’t give me the medal for it.” She narrowed her eyes. “She says I have to pass the last-years’ test…”
Rafe gaped down at her. “But you’re only what… fourth-year? I graduated fairly well, but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do… Some of the angels in my year failed. I don’t see how a fourth-year could do it. Aside from Lady Azzure, of course.” Hailey didn’t say anything. She merely frowned and walked faster.
“Hailey…” It appeared that only Hailey heard someone calling her name. She stopped dead.