Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Chapter 10: Crash

For once in my life, I thought I'd found meaning. A purpose to exist. And then it was all taken away. Was this what happens when fantasy becomes reality? The perfect man beside me held my hand as his eyes filled with tears. He and I were just humans; we both knew we were going to die. But I didn't think that was why he wept. It was my confirmation about the creature before me: the angel. Karen's cheeks were covered with golden tears, her lips moved at an unreadable speed, and her skin glowed like the sun. She radiated power, though her eyes were full of panic.

Through the window I saw buildings take shape as we rocketed toward the Earth. I closed my eyes and begged for help—any kind of help. If there was a god, I didn't think he or she would answer me. The plane continued to plumet to our doom, shook violently as another bolt of electricity slammed into the side of the cabin, as if Zeus himself was angry we were in his sky.

"I wish I could've helped," I cried out to Karen. "I'm sorry."

Her hand came up, and she traced the line of my face, her deep eyes hopeless. The air whistled around the plane as the ground beckoned us below, the outlines of the town threateningly clear. My eyes closed to greet the end.

But it wasn't the end.

Warm arms wrapped around my body as electricity shot through me. It was a feeling I'd never felt before, strangely calming. My seatbelt fell from my waist. Still, I kept my eyes closed. The seatbelt wouldn't save my life anyway. The oxygen mask was pulled from my face. I didn't care. The arms around me felt protective, comfortable, as if the plane was no longer about to crash to the ground. I gripped the only fabric that clung to the warm body, and my arms found their way around a neck. This must be my subconscious giving me something of comfort before my final moments. I'd take it and be grateful.

But those arms, they felt so real. Electricity coursed through my veins. My eyes flew open, and I had hope for the first time since our descent. Four angels were in my view; the one cradling me in his arms had liquid-gold eyes and long, black hair, the same angel I'd first approached in the boxes in the lab. But now he was alive—real—and staring at me.

"Clear the path," he instructed, looking up. The words were English, but his accent was thick Italian.

The blond male angel ripped the emergency door off its hinges, his red eyes staring at us expectantly.

"Out. Now," my angel ordered. I didn't see what happened as I held on for dear life.

Another second passed, and we were out the open door, the humans in the plane staring in wonder as we leapt from the opening. My heart broke. What about the others?

I thought we would tumble toward the Earth, but we floated in the air. The angel's voice was low as Italian spilled from his lips. There was a loud explosion below us, and fire flew up into the air and surrounded us. The heat was overwhelming, but we were protected from it. The angel must have done something to protect us. As smoke curled around us, my heart broke and tears descended as I thought about all those who had just been killed in that one second. Tears were such a rare concept for me, but Joseph's face flashed in my mind. I shook at the thought of his death. Besides Jenna's husband, I'd never lost anyone before. Tears only made sense at this point.

The whole time, the angel never looked down at me, though I couldn't keep my eyes off him. His skin was a rich brown, his jaw a perfect square of beauty, and his black hair was plastered on his cheeks from the rain washing over us. I leaned my head against his chest, trying to control my sobs, giving into all my fears. This was real. No dream, no funny drugs slipped in my coffee. This was true, brutal, and hard.

The angel stared directly into my eyes, and the depths of his were amazingly golden, like treasure. It wasn't like looking at Joseph. This angel was different. We were linked, connected somehow. How I knew this in only a matter of seconds was beyond me. Everything else seemed ordinary compared to him. The electrical current continued to burn through me, though it was painless.