As we walked through the village, it seemed as if we had walked back in time. Every building was crafted entirely of stone, with open rectangles for windows and thatched, grass roofs. Gavin said they were crofts, small Highland houses. He explained that unlike demons, angels preferred to live as simply as possible.
My mother would love this, I thought. She was such a history buff. Although maybe with her secret job, she’d already seen things like this . . .
The whole village exuded an undeniable peacefulness. I hadn’t been there five minutes, and already I felt a heavy contentment. Even though I didn’t see any halos or wings, the people we passed were literally glowing with happiness.
Everyone in the village appeared human and was dressed in rustic kilts like Gavin and Rielly. They looked like men, women, and children of all ages, even little babies gnawing on their fists, but there was something ethereal about them, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“Is everyone here an angel?” I whispered to Gavin.
“Almost everyone,” he whispered back.
An enormous tree trunk stripped of its branches and bark rose from the center square. It was decorated with long, twisted, blooming vines. Dozens of colored ribbons fluttered in the breeze from the top of the pole, and what looked like little girls danced with them, weaving in and out around each other. I was relieved to see that they had exquisite flower garlands in their hair too. I didn’t mind wearing it as long as I wasn’t the only one. A group of musicians began playing homemade instruments: skin-covered drums, wooden reed pipes, and handheld harps. The music was so cheerful, I found myself bouncing the tiniest bit as I walked.
Any doubts I had that Gavin was really an angel were disappearing quickly, especially when we met a positively cherubic little girl with a cereal bowl face, light blonde curls, and perfect pink lips. She was unpacking a picnic onto a large woolen cloth. Rielly and Gavin sat down, so I did the same. The blanket held a feast: loaves of bread, cheeses, berries, and even a little crock of butter.
“Angels eat regular food?” I was shocked.
“Of course,” the girl replied. She was busy buttering what looked like a scone. “We eat and drink and dance and belch just like you humans do, at least when we’re on earth . . .”
“Cassidy!” Rielly scolded.
“Sorry,” Cassidy mumbled through a mouthful of pastry, “but it’s true!”
“True or not, the Chief wouldn’t think very much of your manners,” Rielly said.
“The Chief?” I asked.
“Aye, the clan chieftain, Hector,” Rielly answered. “He’s the most senior angel, sort of like the father of this outpost.”
“Father, bother, aunties, panties . . .” Cassidy sang.
I glanced at Gavin and found he was staring at me. Intensely. I stared back. His gaze was so penetrating, I felt vulnerable, but somehow strengthened. I couldn’t hear Cassidy anymore, couldn’t hear the band. All I could hear was my own thumping heartbeat.
“Right, young lady!” Rielly stood up, and helped Cassidy to her feet. “That’s enough out of you. Let’s go find you a drink. That mouth could use a fresh rinsing.”
The interruption caused Gavin and me to break our gaze. When Rielly and Cassidy were gone, he spoke to the ground. “I apologize for staring at you. I just didn’t expect to . . .” He stopped, looked back up, and I felt the same piercing gaze again. “You’re not the first girl I’ve had to play Guardian to.” His voice slithered into my ears like a hypnotizing tongue. “I’ve done this a dozen times, and nothing like this has ever happened to me. I have to keep reminding myself you’re only a human.”
“I’m not sure I’m following you,” I said, my entire body warming up the more he talked, “except that last part sort of sounded like an insult.”
He shrugged and looked away. I was not going to let him start brooding. There were too many things I wanted to know about him, and when he was paying attention to me, it was like basking in a warm ray of sunshine. I didn’t want the feeling to go away. Ever.
“So, there are other angel villages like this one?” I asked.
“Aye,” he said, avoiding my gaze.
“Where?” I pressed.
“There are angel clans spread out around the world: Italy, Russia, Japan, New Zealand . . .” He trailed off, as if he were too bored to continue. I was determined to break him down.
“How long have you been in Scotland?” I asked.
“A long time, but I was just stationed to Aviemore a month ago,” he said. He ran his fingertips across blades of grass near his knee.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Two hundred eighty-three.”
“Be serious,” I chided.
“I am. Dead serious,” he answered, glancing back at me with a look that said he was.
“But you don’t look that old. You look like you’re my age.”
“I’ve chosen to look this age because it helps with my job,” he answered.
“Your job? You mean, rescuing all those damsels in distress?” I said lightly, trying not to reveal how jealous I was at the thought of him spending time with other girls. Even if he was just protecting them.
“No,” he said, irritated. “I told you my job is to be a Warrior, not a babysitter.” He examined the sky, possibly searching for the returning party. It was obvious he wanted to be anywhere else but next to me. But why would he talk about me to Rielly? I was sick of his mixed messages. Why did he like me one minute and detest me the next?
“Right, right,” I sulked. “You hate being stuck with me. I get it. Go. Find a sword or something.”
A strange look—regret, maybe?—crossed his face. “No, I can’t leave you alone,” he said.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. We’re in a village full of angels, right? What could possibly happen?”
“It’s rude,” he protested.
“Since when do you care about being rude?”
“I do care,” he said, his face reddening. “I’m just not very good at sitting still. Please don’t take my restlessness as a sign I don’t want to be with you. That’s what you’re doing, isn’t it?”
I bit back a smile, amazed that he’d pinpointed exactly how I was feeling.
“I’m sorry.” He lowered his voice to a tender level. “I’ve been terrible to you. Can you forgive me?” He flashed me a grin that about broke my heart in two.
“Maybe,” I said, tucking my legs up under me, hoping he didn’t notice I was moving just to distract myself from his perfect lips. “What are you going to do to make it up to me?” I said in what I hoped was a flirty way.
“How about a tour?”
“That could work,” I said. Before I could even uncross my legs, he was on his feet, reaching down to help me up. I let him, and thought I might really faint for the pleasure of touching his hand again. Miraculously, once I was standing, he didn’t let me go.
“Great!” he said, tugging gently on my hand as he entwined his fingers in mine. “This way.”