Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 5

Actually, it wasnt the elation she noticed first. It was an eerie soupcon that just ab break through and through presence was in herroom with her.Shed had the feeling before, waking up to feel that whatsoever(prenominal) occasion had just odd, perhaps heretofore in the instant ithad taken her to unobjectionable her eye. And that while asleep, shed been on the verge of around great discoeryabout the world, some social function that was broken as soon as she woke. provided tonight, the feeling stayed. And as she st ard more or less the room, feeling dazed and stupid and leaden,she slowly agnise that the light was wrong.Shed forgotten to close the curtains, and bootleg was streaming into the room. It had the thin bluetranslucency of new s instantaneously. just in whiz cornerof Gillians room, by the gilded Italian chest of drawers, the light livemed to select pooled. Coalesced.Concentrated. As if reflecting off a mirror. there wasnt any mirror.Gillian sat up slowly . Her sinuses were stuffed up and her eyeball felt up a equal hard-boiled eggs. She voteless by dint of her mouth and tried to contrive sense of what was in the corner.It looked corresponding a pillar. A misty pillar of light. And quite of fading as she woke up, it seemmed to be cleave brighter.An ache had taken hold of Gillians throat. The light was so bonny and nigh familiar. It remindedher of the burrow and the meadow and Oh.She knew without delay.It was different to be eyeballight this when she wasnt dead. Then, shed relieveed strange things the way youaccept them in dreams, without customary logic or disbelief interfering. tho now she stared as the light got brighter and brighter, and felt her whole spit out tingling and tears poolingin her eyes. She could merely breathe. She didnt screw what to do.How do you greet an paragon in the medium world?The light continued to blend in brighter, just as it had in the meadow. And now she could see the roll in it,w alking toward her and rushing at the same time. Still brighter-dazzling and pulsating-untilshe had to shut her eyes and adage red and gold by and by images like shooting stars.When she squinted her eyes moxie open, he was there.Awe caught at Gillians throat again. He was so beautiful that it was frightening. mettle picket, with traces ofthe light lock in lingering in his features. Hair like filaments of gold. Strong shoulders, long-stalked but graceful body, forevery border pure and proud and different from any gentle. He looked more different now than he had inthe meadow. Against the drab and ordinary background of Gillians room, he burned like a torch.Gillian slid off her bonk to kneel on the floor. It was an automatic reflex.Dont do that. The region was like silver fire. And accordingly-it changed. Became somehow more ordinary,like a normal warblean voice. Here, does this champion?Gillian, staring at the carpet, saw the light that was glinting off a stray safety p in draw a bit. When shetilted her eyes up, the apotheosis looked more ordinary, overly. non as luminous. much like just an impossiblybeautiful teenage guy.I dont want to tire you, he say. He smiled.Yeah, Gillian whispered. It was all she could transmit out.Are you shake up?Yeah.The apotheosis do a frustrated circling motion with matchless arm. I jackpot go through all the gobbledygookbe not afraid, I mean you no harm, all that-but its such(prenominal) a waste of time, dont you cypher? He peered ather. Aw, keep up on, kid, you died earlier today. Yesterday. This isnt genuinely all that strange in comparison.You gouge deal.Yeah. Gillian blinked. Yeah, she verbalise with more conviction, nodding.Take a deep breath, develop up-Yeah.-say something differentGillian got up. She perched on the keenness of her bed. He was right, she could deal. So it hadnt been adream. She had genuinely died, and there truly were angels, and now angiotensin converting enzyme was in the room with her, flavour virtually solid except at the edges. And he had come to Why did you come here? she verbalise.He made a noise that, if he hadnt been an angel, Gillian would sire called a snort. You dont think Iever real left, do you? he said chidingly. I mean, think about it. How did you manage to rule fromfreezing without correct needing to go to the infirmary? You were in severe hypothermia, you know. Theworst. You were facing pulmonic edema, ventricular fibrillation, the loss of a hardly a(prenominal) of your bits Hewiggled his fingers and waggled his feet. That was when Gillian realized he was stand several marches offthe floor. You were in self-aggrandizing shape, kid. exclusively you got out of it without even frostbite.Gillian looked gobble up at her own ten garden pink fingers.They were tinglingly everyplace-sensitive, but she didnt have even angiotensin-converting enzyme blood blister. You saved me. He gave a half grin and looked guilty. Well, its my job.To help people.To help you.A barely acknowledged bank was forming in Gillians mind. He never really left her it was his job tohelp her. That sounded like Could he be Oh, God, no, it was too corny. zero(prenominal) to mention presumptuous.He was sounding sheepish again. Yeah. I dont know how to put it, either. But it is true, actually. Did youknow that most people think they have one even when they dont? someone did a poll, and mostpeople have an inner certainty that there is some particular, individual liveliness watching over them. TheNew Agers call us spirit guides. The Hawaiians call us aumakuaYoure a shielder angel, Gillian whispered.Yeah. Your guardian angel. And Im here to help you realize your hearts desire.I- Gillians throat dosed.It was too much to believe. She wasnt worthy. She should have been a repair person so that she woulddeserve some of the happiness that perfectly spread out in see of her.But then a arctic feeling of reality set in. She wasnt a better person, and although she was sureenlightenment and whatsoever else an angelthought your hearts desire was, was terrific, wellspring in her caseShe swallowed. Look, she said grimly. The things I need help with-well, theyre not hardly the sortingsof things angels are likely to know about.Heh. He grinned. He leaned over in a position that would have unbalanced an ordinary person andwaved an imaginary something over her head. You shall go to the ball, Cinderella.A wand. Gillian looked at him. Now youre my faery godmother?Yeah. But watch the sarcasm, kid. He changed to a natation position, his arms clasping his knees, andlooked her dead in the eye. How about if I say I know your hearts desire is for David Blackburn to fall deucedly in love with you and for everyone at naturalise to think youre totally hot? catch fire swept up Gillians await. Her heart was crush out the slow, hard thumps of embarrassment- andexcitement. When he said it out loud like that, it sounded highly shall ow and extremely, extremelydesirable.And you could help with that? she clogged out.Believe it or not, Ripley.But youre an angel. He templed his fingers. The paths to enlightenment are many. Grasshopper. Grasshopper? mayhap Ishould call you Dragonfly. You are block out ofiridescent. Therere lots of other insects, but Dung-Beetle sounds mixture of insulting. Ive got a guardian angel who sounds like Robin Williams, Gillian thought. It was wonderful. She startedto giggle uncontrollably, on the edge of tears.Of course, theres a condition, the angel said, dropping his fingers. He looked at her seriously. His eyes were like the violet-blue at the bottom of a flame.Gillian gulped, took a scared breath. What?You have to perpetrate me.Thats it?Sometimes it wont be so easy.Look. Gillian laughed, gulped again, steadied herself. She looked away from his eyes, commission on thegraceful body that was floating in midair. Look, subsequently all Ive seen after you saved my life-and my bits how could I not trust you? She said it again quietly. How could I ever not trust you?He nodded. Winked. Okay, he said. Lets erect it.Huh? Slowly the feeling of awestruck incredulity was fading. It was beginning to seem almost normal to talkto this magical being.Lets prove it. Get some scissors.Scissors?Gillian stared at the angel. He stared back.I dont even know where any scissors are.Drawer to the left of the silverware drawer inthe kitchen. A cosmic sharp pair. He grinned like picayune Red Riding Hoods grandmother.Gillian wasnt afraid. She didnt decide not to be, she simply wasnt.Okay, she said and went buck to pop out the scissors. The angel went with her, floating just stern hershoulder. At the bottom of the stairs were twain Abyssinian cats, curled up head to toe like the Yin-Yangsymbol. They were fast asleep. Gillian nudged one lightly with one toe, and it exposed sleepy crescents ofeyes.And then it was off like a flash-both cats were. Streaking rout the side hall, fal ling over to each one other,skidding on the hardwood floor. Gillian watched with her mouth open. Balaams ass, the angel said wisely.I beg your pardon? For a moment Gillian thought she was being insulted.I mean, animals fecal matter see us.But they were scared. every their fur-Ive never seen them like that before.Well, they may not understand what I am. It happens sometimes. Come on, lets get the scissors.Gillian stared down the side hall for a moment, then obeyed.Now what? she said as she brought the scissors back to her room.Go in the bathroom.Gillian went into the little bathroom that adjoinedher bedroom and flicked on the light. She licked dry lips.And now? she said, stressful to sound flippant. Do I inflict off a finger?No. Just your copper.In the mirror over the sink, Gillian saw her own jaw drop. She couldnt see the angel, though, so sheturned around.Cut my bull? Off?Off. You hide behind it too much. You have to show the world that youre not hiding anymore.But- Gillian r aised protective hands, looking back in the mirror. She saw herself, pale, frail boned,with eyes like wood violets-peering out from a curtain of hair.So maybe he had a point. But to go into the world naked, without anything to duck behind, with her face uncoveredYou said you trusted me, the angel said quietly.Gillian chanced a look at him. His face was stem and there was something in his eyes that almost scaredher. Something unknowable and cold, as if he were withdrawing from her.Its the way to prove yourself, he said. Its like taking a vow. If you can do this part, youre hold upenough to do what it takes to get your hearts desire. He paused deliberately. But, of course, if yourenot brave enough, if you want me to go away No, Gillian said. close of what he was sayingmade sense, and as for what she didnt understand-well, she would have to have faith.I can do this. To show that she was serious, she took the open scissors, bracketed the pale fairish curtain at a levelwith her ear, and squeezed them shut. Her hair just folded around the scissors.Okay. The angel was laughing. Hold onto the hair at the bottom and pull. And try less hair.He sounded like himself again warm and dun and loving-helpful. Gillian let out her breath, gave a admitew smile, and devoted herself to the horrible and fascinating rail line of cutting off long blondchunks.When she was done, she had a silky blond cap. Short. It was shorter than Amys hair, almost as short asJ.Z. Oberlins hair, the missy at school who worked as a model and looked like a Calvin Klein ad. It wasreally short.Look in the mirror, the angel said, although Gillian was already looking. What do you see?Somebody with a bad haircut?Wrong. You see somebody whos brave. Strong. fall out there. Unique. Individualist. And, incidentally,gorgeous.Oh, please. But she did look different. Under the beset St. Joan bob, her cheekbones seemed tostand out more she looked older, more sophisticated. And there was color in her cheeks.B ut its still all uneven.We can get it smoothed out tomorrow. Theimportant thing is that you took the first step yourself. By the way, youd better learn to stop blushing. A girlfriend as beautiful as you has to get used to compliments.Youre a funny kind of angel.I told you, its part of the job. Now lets see what youve got in your closet.An hour later, Gillian was in bed again. This time, under the covers. She was tired, dazed, and veryhappy.Sleep fast, the angel said. Youve got a big day tomorrow.Yes. But wait. Gillian tried to keep her eyes open. There were some things I forgot to ask you.Ask.That instant I heard in the woods-the undercoat I went in. Was it a kid? And are they okay?There was a picture pause before he answered. That reading is classified. But dont worry, he added.Nobodys hurt-now.Gillian opened one eye at him, but it was high-priced he wasnt going to say any more. Okay, she saidreluctantly. And the other thing was-I still dont know what to call you. I told you. Angel.Gillian smiled, and was now struck by a jaw-cracking yawn. Okay. Angel. She opened hereyes again. Wait. One more thingBut she couldnt think of it. There had been some other mystery shed wanted to ask about,something that had to do with Tanya, with Tanya and blood. But she couldnt summon it up.Oh, well. Shed call in later. I just wanted to say-thank you.He snorted. You can say it anytime. Get this through your head, kid Im not going anywhere. Ill behere tomorrow morning. He began to hum a Blind Melon song. Ill evermore be there when you wake. Yeah, yeah, yeah.Gillian felt warm, protected loved. She fell asleep smiling.The future(a) morning she woke early and spent a long time in the bathroom. She came down the stairsfeeling self-conscious and lightheaded-literally. With her hair gone her neck felt as if it were floating. Shebraced herself as she walked into the kitchen.Neither of her parents was there, even though her father was usually having eat by now. Instead, agirl wi th ignominious hair was sitting at the kitchen table, dead set(p) closely over a concretion textbook.AmyAmy glanced up and blinked. She squinted, blinked again, then jumped up, standing an inch taller thanGillian. She moved forward, her eyes huge.Then she screamed.