After my shower, I descended the stairs still feeling a bit woozy. I felt even worse for Jared, who didn’t even enjoy the debauchery before feeling the consequences of it.
Jared kept the accelerator to the floor, making the buildings of Providence blur by. I fidgeted with the temperature until finally resorting to the air conditioner. The stream of air blew against my face, and I closed my eyes.
Jared touched my knee.
“It’s helping with the nausea,” I said, knowing he would be just as relieved to have a small fraction of my symptoms alleviated.
The Escalade slowed to a stop beside the fence of an abandoned warehouse. We were just outside of town, no more than ten miles from Jared’s loft. I immediately felt a bit skittish, but the fear disappeared with Jared’s warm touch. He took my hand and didn’t let go as we hiked along an aging, gravel walkway and stopped at a gate harnessed with rusting chains. He pulled a key from his pocket and twisted it in the large vintage lock.
Jared pressed open the heavy gates and led me around to a side entrance, where he pressed a button on a small grey box. No one answered, but we were buzzed in.
Jared led me by the hand across the vast concrete. Pane after pane of glass lined the walls, shooting beams of sunshine to the floor through the decades of dust. He stopped in the center and smiled at me before calling out into the huge, empty space.
“Eli?”
We waited for almost half an hour. I wanted to ask Jared if he was sure his friend was there, but as long as he was being patient, I would play along.
“Oh, c’mon. She knows,” Jared said suddenly, rolling his eyes.
I watched him, the corners of my mouth turning up. It was amusing to see him talking to himself.
“Eli, we need to talk. You know she’s important.” He looked at me and then impatiently peered up to the extensive ceiling. “You’re being ridiculous!” he shouted into the air.
I stifled a giggle.
Jared turned to me. “What?”
“Nothing,” I said, forcing the corners of my mouth straight.
“Great. Now she thinks I’m nuts,” Jared called out to the massive room.
A tiny giggle escaped my throat, and Jared angled his neck to face me, attempting an insulted expression. He failed miserably when a wide grin stretched across his face.
“Admit it. It was funny,” a voice came from behind us.
I flipped around, instinctively hiding behind Jared.
A platinum-haired man stood in front of us with an amused smile. He was taller than Jared, though not by more than a few inches. I was surprised at the way he was dressed. I was expecting the crisp, white, buttoned-down dress shirt, but I hadn’t anticipated it un-tucked and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, or the holes in his jeans, or the light brown leather sandals. I was certainly not expecting the faux hawk.
He surpassed attractive, and his physique was as incredible as Jared’s, noticeable even under his clothes. Even though he was fair, warmth emanated from his skin, almost a muted, dewy glow. His ice blue eyes appraised me, and then looked to Jared, who pulled me to his side.
“Eli,” Jared said, nodding.
“Yeah. There will be none of that nodding crap, Jared,” Eli said, pulling us both in for a hug. “How have you been? I assume the moping has ceased since you’ve found a way to finally introduce yourself?”
Jared nervously laughed, looking at me from the corner of his eye. “I’ve been fine, and you?”
“Heavenly,” Eli said, with a wide, dramatic gesturing of his arms.
Jared rolled his eyes. “Quit it.”
“Hello, Nina. I’ve heard…,” his eyes widened for a moment, “lots about you. It’s nice to finally meet you…formally.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
I extended my hand and Eli took it, appearing pleased with my bravery. His hand felt normal, a little on the cool side. Not at all like Jared’s feverish temperature.
“We don’t have to run a fever to keep up with what we can do,” Eli smiled.
“Oh,” I said, nodding.
I looked to Jared, who watched me with an expression as amused as Eli’s.
“You were expecting a toga and a harp?” Eli asked, winking at me.
“Leave her alone, Eli,” Jared warned.
“I’m just having a little fun, Jay. You know I don’t get to do this often,” the angel said, letting go of my hand.
Jared turned to me. “Eli isn’t an Arch. He is the Angel of the Divine Plan. He watches over spiritual evolution, and when called upon by humans, he assists Him in helping humans to find the correct path.”
“Him? As in…your boss is…?”
Eli seemed bored with Jared’s explanation. “I am a traffic cop for the Archs and a glorified guidance counselor, Nina. Don’t let the title intimidate you.”
I tried to stifle a laugh, but the best I could do was to cover my mouth when I giggled. I had expected somewhat of a formal meeting, and Eli had gone from an ominous being to a pleasant surprise.
“I’ve started experiencing some changes in my senses, Eli. Do you know what that’s about?” Jared asked, impatient with the pleasantries.