-Aimee, Earth-

When I arrived back on Earth after my little training session with God, I quickly masked any part of the new me that could be traced. I didn’t want them to know I was back. I wanted some time alone. Some time of freedom.

I quickly decided on Antarctica; one of the most desolate places on the planet. The wind whipped my long hair around me and the snow clouded my vision, even though my eyes were quadruple the sharpness they used to be. It was amazing how I could see all the details; the patterns on the snowflakes, the light prisms that bounced off the ice, and the even the sea life hundreds of meters below the surface of the murky ocean. Even though I was in Antarctica, I never felt the cold. I felt like an electrical circuit; power flowed through all my limbs but had no escape so it just kept moving throughout me. It was amazing, invigorating, and I felt invincible -- I was invincible.

I kicked an ice boulder with my toe and it flew miles away. With my powerful wings, I hoisted myself up into the air and plummeted down, impacting the frozen ground so hard I left a crater. I felt no pain, the powerful gusts of wind only felt like a gentle spring breeze, and the negative temperatures only felt slightly chilly. I flew over the ice and dove through it, my strong fingers slicing through the thick ice like butter.

I held my breath under the water. I truly was immortal -- my lungs didn’t beg for oxygen. I dove deeper and deeper, using my Heavenly light to see once I was so far below the surface, any traces of sunlight were gone. Something inside me glowed under my skin, maybe it was the energy I was feeling, but I could adjust how bright it was. I seemed to be swimming north, because the ocean water got increasingly warmer. Saltwater didn’t even sting my eyes anymore.

I came across a gigantic Great White shark, who foolishly mistook me for prey. It was dispatched of quickly and efficiently, using no effort at all. The carcass floated up to the surface slowly, as if to let me admire my handiwork. I smiled to myself in the murky deep.

The ocean floor soon began to rise, welcoming sunlight back, until there was no more water left, and now I stood on a crowded beach. I toned down my light. All attention focused on me, silence turned into excited whispers.  I stepped onto the cool, damp sand as waves lapped against my ankles. Everyone on the beach crowded around me and I smiled.

“An angel!”

“A real angel!”

“She’s beautiful.”

“Which one is she?”

“Why does she have wings? The others don’t have wings…”

Their accents told me I was in Australia. “Hello,” I smiled and squinted, they were like an ocean of light. Were these what the angels saw? Auras? I made them fade away before my eyes.

“Good afternoon!”

“Hello!”

A toddler had wandered out away from its parents and waddled up to me. The little girl wore a diaper and sun hat that matched her sundress. She looked up at me with her wide blue eyes, blonde curls dancing in the wind, and reached her arms up at me. I bent down and picked her up, smiling down at her as I rested her on my hip.

A woman pushed through the crowd. “Abigail,” she scolded and the child threw her arms around my neck. My wings caught her attention and she then tried to tug on the white feathers.

“I assume this is your daughter?”

“Yes,” the mother mumbled, embarrassed.

“You have a beautiful baby girl. She looks just like her mother.”

The mother blushed and muttered a thank you as I handed the child over to her. Abigail began to cry and tried to reach out for me. The mother and I both began to comfort her. I let my glow shine and Abigail, bathed in my rays, calmed instantly. I wrapped one of my wings around me and plucked off a feather, giving it to the child.

“Keep it safe, Abigail.”

Abigail and her mother melted back into the crowd. I realized I was still dripping wet so with just a thought, I was suddenly dry and wearing a new, red bikini.

“How did you do that!?” A teenage girl asked.

I wiggled my fingers. “Magic.”

“That’s so cool.”

I stroked my wings absently. “So, is staring the only thing you guys are going to do? Because I’m in the party mood.”

Less than ten minutes later, drinks were being poured, music was pounding, and I was on some extremely cute guy’s shoulders. More people began to show up as the sun began to set and with a simple thought, I made sure the other angels still wouldn’t hear about my arrival.

Bonfires roared and torches were lit, parents and children went home, music blasted, and my heart thudded in my chest after not beating for so long. I was alive again. Sadly, I was immune to alcohol, but I didn’t let that stop me from having a good time. I picked a lucky guy with a golden tan, sun bleached hair, and a day’s worth of stubble as my dancing partner. I made my wings disappear because dancing with them would be extremely difficult. I found out my partner’s name was Zach.

Zach’s warm hands guided my hips through the music and pulled me as close as possible. I swayed and shimmied, all attention on us. I was exhilarated because for the first time in my life, I was finally praised, and not hated, for being extraordinary. I could feel Zach’s heart pounding in his chest against my back as we moved together. His lips pressed against my neck and I shivered, arching my spine. In response, his body shuddered. He wanted me, badly. I smiled a knowing smile and turned to face him. My arms slid up his and rested on his shoulders. He felt so weak, so frail. I kissed his neck and felt his pulse with my tongue; it was racing. I kissed his jaw and he turned so I would kiss his lips.

“Ah, ah, ah! I’m not that easy and you’re drunk.” I teased, my face so close to his that all I had to do was arch my neck, but I moved away every time he tried.

“So what?”

One of Zach’s buddies came up and smacked him on the back while eyeballing me. “Zach, mate! Share your new friend!”

I laughed. Drunk humans were always amusing. “And you are?”

“Jake.” He bowed, careful not to spill his plastic cup. “And what is your name, Angel?”

“Aimee.”

“Aimee the Angel.” Jake laughed.

I leaned into him and whispered, “I may be an angel, but I am no saint.”

“I’m sure,” He laughed with me, and said to Zach, “I’m putting her in a box, wrapping her up, and taking her home with me.”

“I’m flattered.” I kissed both of his cheeks, a very French thing to do. “What time is it?”

Zach checked his watch. “Half five in the morning. No wonder I’m so bloody tired. Aren’t you?”

“Are you joking? I feel like I never need to sleep again!” I started dancing up to Jake. Zach shot him a jealous glare as Jake grinned.

“You’ve had your turn, mate.”

“How about you boys do something with me that is a once in a lifetime opportunity?”

“Um, we aren’t into threesomes…”

I threw back my head and laughed, making my wings appear again. “Just take my hands.”

They followed my orders and, mindful of the dancers behind me, I stretched my wings and pulled us into the air. Their grips hardened as their feet dangled ten feet above the sand. People stopped dancing to gawk at us and cameras flashed.

“Shit, mate!” Jake yelled.

“Where to?”

“Sydney?”

Using the stars, I determined what direction Sydney was in and flew higher and higher. Once at an altitude I was happy with, I flew faster. Now the wind pushed the guys’ bodies up so they were parallel to the horizon, like I was. They weren’t dead weight anymore, not that I minded. They felt like two feathers.

“You said your name was Aimee?” Zach asked, above the wind.

“Yeah, why?”

“Jake! She’s the girl who made the treaty!”

“Holy Hell! You’re right!”

“They said you had died.”

“I’ve kept an extremely low profile, until now.”

“Where are your angel friends?”

“They don’t know I’m back. Most of them aren’t my friends. They’re kind of assholes.”

“Why do you have wings, but not them? I thought you were only half angel.”

“I was. They sinned against God, but I haven’t.”

“I thought you and some other angel had a romance thing.”

“Ah, yes, Reven… I suppose I should go see how he is.” I mused. “They’ll realize I’m back eventually.”

Zach and Jake looked at each other.

“So… You’re a free agent?”

“Maybe.” I looked at Jake, who was also quite attractive. Sexy men travel in packs. Jake was clean shaven with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Zach had brown eyes. They were human, and nowhere remotely close to how perfect Reven and Lucien were.

We arrived in Sydney in no time at all. We landed in a deserted park.

“That was awesome.” Jake breathed and tried to touch my wings. I jerked away from him.

“I don’t like people touching them.” I smoothed down my feathers protectively.

“Oh, alright. It’s cool.”

Zach and Jake looked increasingly weary. Pathetic humans.

“You need some sleep. Both of you.”

“Yeah. Mate, isn’t your place near here?”

“You’re right, it is!” Zach perked up slightly with the realization.

“Picture it in your head, like every detail possible, and grab my hands.”

They grabbed my hands, as directed, and I asked Zach if he was ready.

“Yeah, ready.”

I slipped into his mind for a brief second to see inside of his home. Using that image, suddenly we were all in his living room.

“Shit!” They both echoed.

“Just go to sleep, boys. I give you permission to dream about me naked.” I winked.

Zach disappeared into his room and Jake hit the couch. A few minutes later, they were both snoring quietly. I sat on the floor and tucked my wings around me, turning on the TV. It’s been awhile since I’ve actually watched television. I absently fishtail braided my hair, which had no more green in it. I noticed my ring, Lucien’s ring, was still on my ring finger. I felt guilty, slightly. When I finished with my hair, I made a hair tie appear and wrapped it around the end of the braid. I channel surfed for a few hours and, out of habit, checked Zach’s kitchen.

He had lots of vegetables and spices, also some raw steak. I pulled out a frying pan and started making a stir fry. There was something therapeutic about chopping carrots and celery; the click, click, click of the knife as it hit the cutting board, the calming pattern of it. I sliced the steak into thin strips and powdered it with spices. I poured oil and a bit on red wine into a wok and threw the steak, vegetables, and a bit of garlic in. It sizzled on impact and I absently stirred it to keep it from burning.

I overheard the anchorman on the news talk about an all night party at North Curl Curl Beach where an angel showed up. I walked into the living room and watched a video of me dancing up to Zach, followed by a few pictures. I must admit, I looked even better than I did before I was full angel. It was hard to describe, but I just looked more alive, more healthy.

Oh, I was still wearing my bikini. It changed into black dress pants and white button down blouse. My nails were painted red instantly.

I went back into the kitchen and stirred my stir fry. It was almost done so I started cooking the instant rice. It smelled heavenly. I guess all the reading paid off.

I found a bathroom and shook four aspirins into my hand. Back in the kitchen, I got two glasses of water ready. I can’t tell the future, but I know they’re going to regret drinking so much.

I stirred the rice and Chinese and turned the burners off. I heard a thump and a moan from the living room. Jake stumbled into the kitchen and I pointed to the glasses of water and aspirins. “Take two.”

He gulped them down. “What did you make?”

“A Chinese stir fry and rice.”

“Yum.” He got a plate and helped himself. “It’s good. Where did you learn to cook?”

“Let’s just say I’ve had some time to learn.”

“Where?”

“Hell,” I said simply.

He started laughing but it died when he saw my expression. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“You must have some stories.”

“Yeah.” I hid my left hand behind me and fiddled with the ring. “How many years since the treaty was signed?”

“Hmm…” He thought for a minute. “I think it’s been about thirty some years.”

No wonder they hadn’t really recognized me. This was all before their time. I laughed. “I don’t even feel like doing the math now. I don’t want to know how old I am.”

“Well, you look great.”

“I know. I haven’t really changed since I was eighteen.”

Zach stumbled into the kitchen and Jake nodded to the other glass of water. “Shut the damn blinds.” He begged after taking the pills.

Jake moved to close them but I beat him to it. He gasped when I reappeared in his vision. “Shit man!”

“Sorry.” I smirked to myself, with my back to them, as I grabbed a plate of my food. I ate some quickly as I leaned against the counter.

“What time is it?” Zach asked, head laying on the table.

Jake squinted at the wall clock. “3:02.”

“Are you fucking with me, mate?”

“No.”

“I am so late for work.”

I laughed. “Sucks for you. I guess you do have a cool excuse though… You partied with an angel.”

“Like my boss will believe that!”

“It was on the news.” A thought dawned on me. “Fuck.”

“What?” Jake asked.

“Nothing.” I was on the news. Probably national. Maybe even international. They would know. He would know.

I cocked my head to the side when I felt something. It was a tear, a disturbance in reality, a power that merely echoed my own, if mine was diluted. A second later, Reven appeared in front of us.

“Aimee?”

“Reven?” He glanced at my hand but I moved it too quickly for him, unsure if he had seen it or not. I made the ring disappear.

He ran at me and hugged me tightly. His kisses rained down on me over and over. He placed his hands on my cheeks and pulled back. “Kiss me.” He was crying as I studied his face. “Why won’t you kiss me?”

“You’re so emotional.” I remarked. We were speaking in Angellican, the language that came naturally to us.

Reven frowned in confusion. That was the first time I had ever called him emotional. Then, he saw my wings. “No… That bastard… He didn’t.”

“He did.” I threw back my head and laughed. “It’s so wonderful. All this power. Even yours is just a fraction of mine. You were stripped of more than just your wings when you fell. I’m not damned, like all of you are. I’m more angel than you.”

“Then why are you here, and not in Heaven?”

“Oh.” A sobering question. “I’m supposed to bring all of you back.”

“Are you joking?”

“Does it look like I’m joking?”

Zach and Jake were watching us.

“Who the hell are these guys?” Reven switched to English and put his arm around my waist possessively.

“Jake and and Zach.”

“How do you know them?”

“I don’t.”

“Ah, yes. The guys you were dancing up to at that party and flew off with.” He barked sarcastically. “Don’t you ever touch her again. I should kill both of you.”

“Aye, mate. Got it.”

“We’re cool.”

Reven ignored them and shifted back into Angellican. “You haven’t even told me you love me.”

“You haven’t either.”

“I love you.” He murmured and waited for me to say it. When I didn’t, he whispered, “Tell me you love me. Please.”

I sighed. “Je t’aime.”

“You don’t even sound like you mean it.” He looked crushed. ‘God, you’ve changed. I never wanted you like this. You’re not my Aimee anymore. You’re cold.”

“I’m cold.” I repeated and laughed harshly, my eyes turning red. “Did you forget, love,” I threw the word at him with heavy sarcasm, “that we’ve had this argument before? Except, if I remember correctly, I was the one who called you cold.”

His voice turned so low, I knew the humans couldn’t hear it, but I could hear his rage. “How could you forget? I am Reven Angelos, a Dominion angel, I belong in the second sphere. I was created. You were made. You have no title and you don’t belong to a sphere. Pathetic!” He spat.

“You aren’t a Dominion anymore. You were ripped from your power. Discarded, like a piece of paper. It’s tragic, really. But God recycles, apparently, because he wants you back.”

“Your humanity is gone.”

“I don’t care. This is amazing!”

“You had feelings!”

“I was weak!” I shouted back.

Reven crushed his lips against mine with such force, I knew he wasn’t holding back from me. And finally, our powers collided and I quit holding back too. Finally, I was in control. My lips made his move to fit mine perfectly. Suddenly, we weren’t in Zach’s house anymore. Reven threw me back onto the bed and ripped open my blouse, tearing away my bra in the process. At some point, I had reached down, not able to take it anymore, using my wings to lift me up, and ripped off his shirt. The cotton had torn like tissue paper between my fingers.

I kissed his body over and over and over again, saying, “Don’t ever… call me… pathetic again.”

“I won’t. I promise.” He murmured.

And let’s just say, the rest of the day flew by way too quick.

* * *

I laid next to him on my stomach because I can’t lay on my wings for very long. They’ll go numb. His soft breathing sounded so much like Lucien’s, who I was so familiar with. I wondered what he was doing right now. Reven’s hand reached out and took mine, which made me look into his eyes.

“You look so much like Lucien.”

He made a disgusted grunt noise. “Don’t start.”

So I didn’t say anything. There was no point in denying it. They looked almost identical. But if Reven wanted to be in denial, I would let him. “Are you tired?” I asked softly.

“Yes.”

“I don’t sleep anymore.”

“I can imagine.” Reven studied my face for awhile, like he was really seeing me for the first time. “You don’t have to say it, but deep down, where a shred of the old Aimee is left, I know you still love me. You loved me with your whole heart, even though I broke it. That can’t just be lost or destroyed by what you’ve turned into. And I know, what ever happened down there with Lucien, changed you too. I don’t want to know what happened.” He paused and drew in a shaky breath. “But maybe someday I’ll need to know.”

“Maybe someday I’ll tell you.” I whispered wistfully, using my thumb to rub my ring finger. The ring was gone, but I could still feel the weight of it there, like it belonged. Maybe it was Lucien’s way of not allowing me to forget him. I wouldn’t, I never could, but I knew Lucien and I knew how badly he didn’t want to be forgotten.

I laid in bed and let my first lover fall asleep next to me, thinking of another. I realized the reason why I didn’t want to be with Reven, the reason I had tried to conceal my return. Reven reminded me of the love I was ripped away from. He was a mirror version of Lucien.

I slipped out of bed, smoothly and silently, not waking Reven. Lucien’s wedding ring reappeared on my finger as I glided through Reven’s house like a ghost, finding a door and stepping outside. Looks like we were in the Caribbean. I shivered, despite the warm air.

I needed to leave. I couldn’t be here. I spread my great white wings and was gone.