When Angels Cry Blood

“I’m telling you! The things he has been saying to me aren’t warnings for Alex. He wants an angel!” I nearly screamed trying to make Gabriel understand. I hadn’t slept a wink after I allowed Gabe to bring me back to the apartment. He stayed up with me for as long as he could, but now he was crashing on the couch.

“Please, Isa. Just give this up! Why would he want an angel? It’s ridiculous,” Gabe breathed, exhaustion seeped through his tone.

“No! I won’t!” I hissed at him before slamming my hand against the wall. I knew violence wouldn’t help the situation…but it would help calm my shaky nerves.

“He said I’d be surprised! Alex said when he followed her it was like he was waiting for someone to fall out of the sky…”

“But why,” Gabriel growled at me sitting up giving me his full attention. “Why would any vampire want an angel!?! We’re meant to destroy the creatures of darkness, are we not?”

“It’s got to be a ritual. Maybe angel blood is involved?” I collapsed on the floor. “There’s got to be something.”

“Ritual,” he took the word slowly repeating it over and over until it sunk in.

“There might be a ritual. There was a demon once, before your time Isa, who tried to summon darker forces. If I recall correctly the ingridents were a fang from a wolf, the horn of a unicorn, the wings of a bat, a few ounces of Holy water, angel’s feathers, an ounce of demon’s blood and the binding ingredient was…” he trailed off staring at me in horror.

“What, Gabe?!?”

“The binding ingredient is the blood of an angel. If it is true, that Xavier is involved in this ritual that means…”

“He knew I’d be sent to him if he looked too suspicious because of our past,” I finished for him. He nodded bleakly before grabbing my arm and pulling me onto the couch with him. He hugged me tightly.

“We have to get out of here quickly before…”

A knock interrupted my panicked state. “Just relax, alright. We’ll be okay,” Gabe promised as he walked to the door, glancing out of the peep whole. He turned towards me with wide eyes. “Get a bag, get everything you can in it, and let’s get out of here,” he whispered.

“Isabelle!” The muffled voice was gruff and frantic. “Please? I need to talk to you!”

“Is that,” I hissed. Gabe nodded furiously as he quietly grabbed every piece of clothing he could get his hands on. I began helping him.

“You have to listen to me,” he pleaded beating the door. “I can’t…” There was something tragic in his voice. I heard a loud thud as something slid down the door. “Please, angel. Just listen.” My hands shook as I dropped a few shirts while my legs slowly made their way to the door.

“What are you doing,” Gabriel hissed.

I peeked out of the hole, watching the white tip of his gray converse sway back and forth. “You are everything, Isabelle. Five and a half years ago, when I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were special,” his voice lowered, “those pure, sparkling eyes with your beautifully dark hair. I knew there was something inside you waiting to be unleashed.”

I crouched down leaning against the door. Putting my hand where his shoulder most likely rested against the wood. “What are you talking about,” I whispered before Gabriel let out a low growl.

“They don’t want any angel, my love, they want you,” he stated bluntly before his breathing became ragged. I stood quickly snatching open the door causing him to fall backwards.

“Why,” I hissed.

“You are the custos bonorum et malorum, and he wants you for himself,” his dark grey eyes bore into me. “He wants you to return him to power.”

“What are you talking about? What power,” Gabriel yelled.

“You are the string that keeps the Earth in balance. Isabelle,” his face softened as he reached out to stroke my cheek, “you are so good at your job because you, my sweet angel, are the angel chosen to protect good from evil…and if he is right, you also protect evil from good.”

“What does that mean?” I questioned pulling back from his touch before motioning for Gabe to pull him inside.

He looked at me as if I were the biggest idiot on the planet. “Listen, you are apparently not getting what I’m saying to you… I don’t know how much clearer I can be,” he stated. I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued, “There are some evil bastards out there who want to do a ritual on you! They want to do it because they think that you are some key between good and evil, you know, light and dark. The balance hangs in your hands… Do you get it now?”

“No,” Gabe and I chorused. Xavier shook his hands.

“You, love, are the key that they want. Not your precious human.”

I stared at Gabe for a moment before we rapidly started to pack again.

“I have to get out of here!”

“Especially since you’re the one they want so badly.”

“Does Jai know?”

“He should if he’s paying attention.”

I stopped in my tracks before I turned back to Xavier who’d made himself at home on the couch. He held the remote in one hand as if he were preparing to watch TV while drinking out of one of the soda cans on the table. I glared at his attitude.

“You! You’re going to tell me who they are,” I hissed as I stopped over to him.

“I wish I could. I only know one, and I definitely don’t know his real name,” he shrugged. Gabriel lifted him off the couch.

“I’m serious,” he sniffed before growling. “This is-“

“Gabriel, yes, that is. Now, who are they.”

“Did you know she’s in love with you,” Gabriel growled. My fell as he dropped Xavier on the floor. He jumped to his feet preparing to duel with Gabe.

“You’re what,” Gabe turned to me in shock. I shrugged trying to keep the blush from rising to my cheeks.

“Who are they,” I asked again this time pleading.

“My sire, the man who made me; he is very old and more powerful than you can imagine. I was supposed to meet him tonight to call off the hit on you, but he didn’t show. He knows that I…” Xavier trailed off.

“You’re in love with her,” Gabe stated throwing his hands up. “If this isn’t the stupidest moment in history… How is an angel supposed to be with a vampire?”

“I am still prepared to take you on, you piece of-”

“The next time one of you threatens the other, I’m kicking you both out.” I yelled, but they continued bickering.

I was ready to break the two boys up when another knock on the door startled us all. We fell silent as Gabriel went to glance out of the door. No one shouted out this time or banged on the door. Gabe waved his hand towards us as he shook his head.

“Who are you, and what do you want,” he asked loudly.

“I am Marius, and you know exactly what I’ve come for,” the velvet voice purred through the door. Xavier’s eyes widened as Gabe slightly gasped.

“I’m afraid-“

“I know,” Marius laughed. “I could smell the fear two miles from here, but I have no concern with you.”

“Why didn’t you show,” Xavier barked as he stomped towards the door.

“I knew what you would do, my son,” Marius purred again. His voice was smooth and seductive. I wanted nothing more at that moment than to fall into his embrace. I could feel myself move slowly towards the door.

“I told you, sire. I will not let you have her!”

The chuckle was musical and deadly, “You don’t have a choice.”

Both Xavier and Gabriel turned to look at me. I hadn’t realized how far across the room I moved until Xavier grabbed me causing me to stop moving. “She is mine,” Xavier hissed.

“Excuse me,” Gabe butted in, “but if you ask her, apparently, she’s in love with me!”

“Give me the girl now, and I might not torture you…too much.”

“Go back to hell, Marius!” Xavier exclaimed before handing me to Gabe. He made his way to the window. “Lock this behind me,” he mouthed as he unlocked and climbed out of the window. Gabe followed the instructions with me in tow. I was snapped out of my dazed by ravaged growling and fading hissing. The noise stopped moments before someone else knocked on the door…