Screaming out, Lisa stumbles back and finds herself in a green pasture. Looking around, she finds a mirror. She looks upon it and sees her reflection, but she immediately realizes that it’s not her. She knows what’s coming, she can feel it. Lilith pulls out of the mirror, walking towards Lisa, and their bodies explode.
With a sudden gasp, Lisa pulls back from Alex. Her chest heaving, she looks at him and, for the first time, truly sees him for what he is. Her hands move to her temples, pressing against them. Feeling the pressure letting up and her mind clearing, she shakes her head, the images still fresh.
“What did you do to me?” She backs away from him. “You’re an angel?” Gasping, almost screaming, she looks at him with alarm and uncertainty. Swallowing, she replays the images over and over in her mind, her hands moving to her stomach. “I think I might be sick.”
Alex watches her, giving her a moment to come to terms with everything she just learned. He hesitantly reaches over to her, then pulls his hand back. “Lisa, just breathe, okay? Breathe.”
Slowly, her gaze turns to Alex. She stares at him for a few moments. “Are…are you an angel? Or a demon?” Panic setting in her chest, she turns away from him. “This can’t be real. This cannot be fucking real!” Her hands move up into her hair and her elbows rest on her knees. The images running over and over in her mind force her to close her eyes. Counting to five, she inhales deeply, then lets it out.
Alex clears his throat to speak, but she holds up her hand. “I need a few minutes to really let this sink in. Don’t talk yet.” Opening her eyes, her hands drop from her head and she looks across the room. Sighing, she turns her gaze towards Alex. Her eyes trail over him and he appears to be the same Alex she’s known all the time, the same man who she took to the Statue of Liberty, who she danced with, who she’s kissed.
Alex slowly moves closer to her on the couch. “To answer your question, I’m a little of both…now.” He folds his hands on his lap and looks at Lisa. “Everything you saw in your mind was intended to take place. They are your memories, but your fate has changed.”
With her heart still beating hard, she says, “I don’t understand what you mean. What do you mean by ‘intended to take place’? What changed?”
Alex inhales deeply, then lets it out. “Samuel was a demon, Lisa. He was an incubus. He targeted your soul a long time ago. Strategically, he set plans in motion to put you at the right place and the right time. When you agreed to work for him, you agreed to sign away your soul. It was only recently that he decided to collect.
“You never knew me previously, but when your soul came up for collection, that is when I manifested into my human form. It was my duty to protect you. I’ve always been with you Lisa, you just never knew I was there.” Alex smiles softly, hoping Lisa believes what he’s telling her.
“Oh, god, this is a lot to take in.” She looks down, feeling like her world is falling apart around her. “None of this sounds real.” She looks at him and shakes her head. Leaning forward, she challenges him, needing more. “Can you prove to me that what you say you are is real? The memories, or whatever it is you did, that's…hell, I don't know what that was. Please, just humor me. Prove it.”
“Okay, as you wish."
Sighing, he stands up and untucks his t-shirt. Pulling it over his head, he tosses it to the couch. Lisa’s eyes widen as he stands bare chested in her living room. For a moment, she's distracted by his naked torso. As Alex lowers his arms to his sides, she watches his chest expand, then contact with his breaths. Her imagination paled in comparison to what she's seeing in front of her. “What are you doing?”
“Proving that I’m not lying.”
Alex walks into the center of her room and faces her. Lowering his head, he closes his eyes. Nothing could prepare her for what was coming next. The air surrounding Alex's body begins to shift and wave, similar to a heat wave over a desert. As the air settles, Alex lets out a breath, then black-feathered wings immediately push out from his back, expanding behind him. Opening his eyes, he lifts his gaze to Lisa. The pupils begin to expand outwards, covering the blue of his iris until it bleeds through the white of his eyes.
Stretching the length of the wings out, Lisa's eyes widen. She covers her mouth to hold in a scream. Standing up quickly, she yells out, “Holy shit!”
Slowly, she steps towards him. He turns his eyes to her, watching her. She looks into his searing black eyes then, tentatively, reaches her fingers towards his wings. Just before she touches them, he brushes them against her. She screams and jumps backwards, tripping and landing on her ass.
“Oh, damn, I’m sorry. I promise, I’m not going to hurt you. Let me help you up.” Alex extends his hand out for Lisa’s, while his wings pull into his back before knocking anything over.