The Boy Who Played With Stars

  “Yet here we are all the same,” Hayley said. “The question is what are we going to do about it?”

  Michael regarded her for a long minute. “I am still thinking on that. This time, sadly, we do not know where Gabriel has gone.”

  “That was something else I was meaning to ask,” Hayley said, looking between the two angels. “How did Christopher know where John was? Alex couldn’t pick him up when Gabriel was ripping the town a new one.” Michael’s gaze fell to Alexander and Hayley looked his way.

  Alex sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Oh come on.”

  “I really don’t, Hayley,” Alex said, raising his voice. “My brother has not said how he did it and given the gravity of the situation, I was more concerned that he was found safe and well than anything else.”

  “I get that, Alex, but you must have your suspicions. It’s pretty obvious John is like me.” Alex looked away. “What, I’m right?” she asked, surprised.

  “John does not know,” said Alex, turning hard eyes on her. “He can’t know. Not right now, he’s been through enough as it is,” he warned her.

  Hayley threw her hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

  “You better not.”

  “Ok, don’t get your knickers in a twist!”

  That brought a smile to Michael’s face. “Excluding John and Christopher, the thing you should be more concerned about is your shared dreams.”

  “What dreams?” Hayley asked. Her eyes snapped to Alex. “What dreams, Alex?”

  The angel lowered his gaze.

  “Alex.”

  “The ones about angels, about exploding stars and about me,” he blurted, his gaze returning to her. He ran a hand over his face and sighed. Pulling it away he said, “You only dream of those things because I’ve been dreaming of them. My memories of the war have been haunting me lately, I don’t know why.”

  “You are old enough and wise enough to know the answer to that, Alexander,” Michael said.

  Tears filled Alex’s eyes. “It can’t be her time.”

  Michael did not reply. Instead his gaze traced the stars in the heavens.

  “Answer him! Am I going to die?” Hayley shouted.

  Michael’s gaze fell on her, a threatening stare that held her in place. “Trust your guardian and trust your maker, Hayley Foster, and that is all you need to know.”

  Rising, Michael spread his long wings. Walking to the edge of the roof, he leapt, disappearing behind the shadow of the tower.

  Chapter Ten

  Hayley and John were in the market place when the dark clouds appeared across the face of the sun. A rumble of thunder drew their attention away from their pewter tankards and to the sky. “Where did that come from?” John asked, as the carpet of cloud swept in. Shaking his head, he lifted his lemon water from the table and took another gulp.

  Hayley kept staring at the sky. It had been blue all day and now, from nowhere, a black cloud stretching from horizon to horizon was moving in from the east. “We better get back,” she said, just as her right hand began to itch furiously. “I think it’s going to rain.”

  “Hmm,” John mumbled in agreement. Guzzling the last of his drink, the two of them set off. They had made it less than fifty yards when they heard Alex calling from the far end of the square. The angel had to dodge left and right around street vendors who were hastily packing and moving their goods away before the arrival of the looming storm.

  “We have to get back, right now,” Alex said as soon as he reached them. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

  “It’s just rain,” John said indifferently, casting a knowing look at the clouds.

  “It isn’t,” Alex stressed, his hard expression telling John he was not messing around. Placing a hand on either of their shoulders, Alex teleported them from the square. They alighted in the study at the top of Michael’s tower.

  The archangel sat behind his desk, fastening a steel gauntlet to his left hand. A plain helmet - polished to the same brilliance - sat on a stack of parchments before him. Whatever was going on, it was clear feathered quills and calligraphy could not solve it this time.

  John ducked as the white raven shrieked and raced overhead, loosing feathers as it circled the small library interior in a frenzied panic. Christopher was trying - and failing, to catch the fitful bird.

  “What’s going on?” Hayley shouted over the din to Alex, clawing at her hand. She dug sharp nails into her skin. It felt as if it was on fire.

  Michael was the one who answered. “Lucifer is coming,” the archangel shouted, rising from behind his desk. His magnificent armour and mail glinted in the flickering amber glow of the candles that lined the walls of the room, substituting the missing natural light robbed by the shuttered window and night beyond.

  Hayley stared at him, unsure of what to make of what he had said.

  Michael must have heard her thoughts as he said, “This is not a joke.” He looked disappointed. “Although I wish it were.” Flexing his right hand to test its mobility, he said, “I do not know why he is here but I have no doubt it has to do with Gabriel.” He picked up his helmet.

  “Are they working together?” Hayley asked, finding her voice once more.

  “No,” was the archangel’s answer, as he slid his helm on. “Lucifer hates Gabriel more than any of us. In the past Gabriel put a stop to a lot of his plans.” He pulled his sword free from its scabbard. The blade slipped silently free of the brown leather.

  “Then why is he here if Gabriel is gone?” Christopher asked, abandoning his attempts to catch the raven, which shrieked just as he finished his question.

  “I do not know,” Michael admitted. He looked around the assembled party. “But no matter what happens you must stay here. Keep the door barred until I return.” He turned to the window and then glanced back to Alex and Christopher. “And most certainly make sure the children are not tempted to open the window and look, you know what humans are like with peeping at things when you explicitly warn them against doing so.”

  “Oi!” John shouted but Michael ignored him. “Alexander, you are in charge. You know what to do if I do not return.”

  Alex gave a graceful nod. “Godspeed, Michael.” The two old warriors shook hands, Alex clapping his other over the top of Michael’s. Parting, the armoured angel turned towards the door and vanished.

  The archangel appeared at the city gate in a flash, spirited there by a bolt of white lightning. The wind whistled through the gaps in his armour, its tearing cold claws causing it to rattle. The wide, paved road was dark, despite the late morning hour. Michael approached the open gates in slow, cautious steps. He held his sword at his left hip, the edge pointed away as he moved. The gateway was built from cut granite stones, forming a fifteen foot tall archway that was eight narrow. It was built in to the eastern wall of the town, its arch poking just above the top of the ten foot barrier that wrapped Longtown on three sides in a hard, protective cocoon - save the harbour.

  Michael did not reach the gate before the shadow came rolling in below the raised portcullis. The archangel stopped his advance. The shadow - a large, sprawling thing - travelled a short distance beyond the gate then halted. It hovered there, rippling in the air like some ghostly apparition. It never took form, instead allowing its shape to be twisted and warped by the fickle, howling winds, yet never to be blown away.

  “Why have you come?” Michael shouted over the high voice of the wind, cutting to the chase. “You know you are not allowed to tread here.”

  The shadow rippled and there was no answer, save for the racing howls of the wind.

  “Answer me,” Michael demanded, tightening his fingers on the hilt of his sword.

  I felt the tears to this plain. I felt the fury and the fire when this town was destroyed. As I was not forewarned my curiosity was piqued.

  “I have rebuilt the town and the fissures in the sky have been closed. The situation has been dealt with and is non
e of your concern,” Michael said coolly. The wind roared in reply but the archangel stood firm.

  I recognise the power that was here like I know the faces of all my soldiers. Gabriel was here.

  Michael inclined his head. “And what is that to you?”

  You have lost your prisoner and control of him. Your Creator had his chance to pass judgement but failed to do so and now he has escaped. He endangers the order and the pact. Thunder rumbled in the distance, in some unknown, dark corner of the land. Your right to recapture him is therefore forfeit.

  “You should return to your realm and stay out of matters that do not concern you, Lucifer.”

  The wind howled again. This does concern me, like all things concern me. As your kind cannot sort this mess I will sort it myself. Stay out of my way, the voice hissed. The shadow darted back through the gate and down the road at a terrifying speed. At the same moment the wind died into silence and the clouds began to break. Michael heaved a sigh of relief and lifted his gaze to the sky.

  ******

  Everyone leapt from their seats when Michael burst through the door to his study. He leant his sword against the wall and reached for his helmet.

  “What happened?” Alex asked, reaching him first.

  Michael pulled off his helmet, revealing a grim expression. “We must find Gabriel and find him fast, before Lucifer does.”

  ******

  A light snow was falling over Glasgow as the city slept. In the hospital, Stacy Hughes also slept, but it was a sleep none of the doctors knew if she would ever wake from. A physician was in her room, checking over her vitals. Andrew watched the tall man from the corner of the room, hidden from sight. The angel stood quietly as the doctor made a few notes on his clipboard before leaving.

  Andrew sighed and looked out of the window, his wings flexing behind him. Growing weary he sheathed his blade and crossed the distance to Stacy’s bedside. Half way there the lights began to flicker and he froze. Turning slowly on his heels, he carefully slid his blade free once again. Gabriel was standing in the doorway.

  Chapter Eleven

  Alex pulled the blanket further over Hayley as she turned against him in the low lying hammock. Michael had turned over one of the tower’s lower rooms to the humans as quarters. It had taken Christopher a long time to find any bedding at the market and in the end he had to settle for two hammocks and two scruffy, old grey wool blankets.

  Chris approached where his brother lay on silent feet, the ancient floorboards not once protesting beneath his weight. “How is she?” Christopher whispered, his gaze drifting to the slumbering girl.

  “She’s not slept this well in a while,” Alex said, gently brushing back some loose strands of hair from her face. He sighed. “Michael thinks her time is almost here.”

  Christopher’s eyes widened. “How can he be sure?” he asked, sitting on an old wooden stool. “Has he had a vision?”

  “No,” Alex said, swallowing hard. The light of a lone candle in the lantern hanging by the only window in the room caught his eye. Its light was poor, dimmer than most candles due to the poor quality of wax it had been made from. It offered little illumination in these old walls, so little in fact that Alex had to guide Hayley to her hammock an hour before, despite its closeness to the lantern. “It was what he said though,” Alex began, mesmerised by the pale light, “he thinks Hayley channelling my dreams is a sign.”

  Christopher looked uneasily at Hayley for a moment. “I was always led to believe the War Children lived a full life before returning to us,” he said, lowering his voice even further.

  “That is what I was told as well but with everything that has happened, all the things that were never meant to happen…” he shook his head, glancing at Hayley, “would it be any wonder if the plans for them have been changed?”

  Christopher’s wings twitched and he slowly shook his head. “I do not know.” His gaze drifted off to something in the darkness only he could see.

  “Brother,” Alex said after a minute, getting his attention. “I’m sorry to ask, but how do you know so much about them?” His gaze moved across the room to John, who lay asleep with one of his arms dangling from the hammock.

  The blond-haired angel looked over and then looked away. He shut his eyes and slowly nodded.

  Why did you never say anything? Alex asked inside his brother’s mind. Christopher looked at him again, his look sad.

  It is a very long story, brother, and complicated. I do not wish to speak about it.

  Alex nodded and said no more. Instead he returned his attention to Hayley. Leaning forward he delicately kissed her above the ear. A smile crept across her face and she rolled over, snaking arms around his waist. She pulled herself closer and Alex smiled.

  Alex’s head snapped round to the right as a large, dark silhouette appeared at the edge of his vision. It was Michael.

  “We have found Gabriel,” he said.

  “Where?”

  ******

  The hospital was overrun with police officers and flashing blue lights. They moved with haste and purpose, unperturbed by the cold, thin drizzle that had started falling. John tried to bolt for the door but Alex grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back behind the bushes at the edge of the car park. The teenager turned on him. “What do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.

  “You want to draw attention to us?”

  John glared at him, his chest heaving heavily. “But my mum…”

  “Your mum is fine, I’ve told you that already,” Alex impressed on him, saying each word quietly through gritted teeth.

  “But I want to see her!” John shouted, lurching to his feet again. Alex grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him down again.

  “And my Father is in there as well,” Alex said flatly. “Christopher and I want to see him too but we can’t. The police think they’ve found an injured old man. If we go in there now we will only draw the wrong kind of attention.”

  John glared at him for a minute, before cursing and stomping off, disappearing into the darkness. Christopher looked to his older brother. Alex nodded and the younger angel hurried after the angry youth.

  Hayley shuffled closer to Alex on wet, cramped knees and soggy feet. “I don’t think it was a good idea bringing him here.”

  Alex sighed. “I know.” He looked at the hospital entrance. “But we’re safer sticking together.”

  “What about your dad? Is he ok?”

  “He’s fine. I’m talking to him just now. He’s just pretending to be unconscious.”

  “Did they see his wings?” Hayley asked, touching Alex’s elbow.

  He looked at her and shook his head. “No, he managed to see off Gabriel and hide them before the first nurses came running.” The corner of Alex’s mouth twitched. “But he’s lucky he wasn’t killed.”

  Hayley looked back to the hospital. “We can’t leave him in there.”

  “I know,” Alex agreed. “But it’s like I said, there’s too many people around just now to even teleport in. Someone will see us. We’ll have to wait until it’s quieter.”

  ******

  It was not until the early hours that the hospital was fully reopened. Most of the officers had departed by four but a handful remained at the entrance and outside Stacy Hughes’ room to reassure staff and patients.

  A lone officer stood outside the door to Andrew’s room as well. The middle-aged man with greying hair heaved a heavy breath and wiped at tired eyes. He then shifted about on stiff legs.

  “Hello, Gordon.”

  “Jesus!” he shouted, stumbling back into the wall. Alex and Hayley had appeared three feet from him in an empty corridor without hint or warning. Gordon clutched at his chest and sighed, trying to calm his racing heart. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

  “I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  “It’s fine,” he said, waving away the apology. Although his red face and laboured breathing told a different story. “What are you
doing here?”

  Alex’s gaze flicked to the door then to the constable. “My Father.”

  Confusion contorted Gordon’s face. He looked round to the door and hiked a thumb its way. “The man who was stabbed?”

  “Yes.”

  “For Christ’s sake,” Gordon huffed, shaking his head. Looking frantically up and down the corridor he opened the door and flapped them inside. “I can never get away from you lot, can I?”

  Alex hurried to his father’s bedside. Andrew sat up before his son reached him. He looked as fresh as someone who had taken a long nap.

  “Hey! Lie back down! You’re hurt!” Gordon said, rushing over. But he stopped and stared when he realised that the man’s wounds had completely healed.

  “He’s an angel, he heals fast,” Hayley explained, coming to the officer’s side.

  Gordon shook his head, staring in disbelief. “You lot are mad, just mad.”

  “Where is Christopher?” Andrew asked, ignoring the man’s remark.

  “He’s with John, seeing his mum. I’m sure John will be grateful for what you did.”

  “I promised I would protect her, there is nothing to be thanked for.” He looked over to a wardrobe in the corner of the room and then to Alex. “Can you please pass me a gown? I am afraid I am not dressed,” he said, shifting about uneasily.

  Alex fetched and handed him a flimsy blue gown. He and the others turned away while his father pulled the useless bandages from his flesh before donning the ill-fitting garment. “I managed to outsmart Gabriel this time,” Andrew said as he finished dressing. “I pushed him through a rift to Purgatory and sealed it but I fear it will not be long before he returns here.”

  “I know but we can’t risk moving Stacy, she is not fit to go anywhere,” Alex said.

  Andrew thought on it for a long minute. “Ask Michael to come, he can heal her.”