In Love With An Angel (a. butler)

Thirty-Three.

Luca was slowly waking up from his unconsciousness when we finally arrived back at the abandoned church. I remember Austin mentioning it as the institute. I hadn't spoken since we left, he stared at me closely trying to pick my brain. It was tearing down bit by bit. Marina slammed the truck door closed, not that it needed to be shut that hard. 

She seemed tense, annoyed with the situation at hand. I kept picturing the white quills, I watched her as she stomped across the rocky pavement up to the building. Austin grabbed Luca from the backseat and pulled him over his shoulder like a rag doll. I didn't realize how small in size he was compared to Austin.

Or maybe..Austin had gotten stronger? I wasn't sure what to think right now. I followed slowly behind them. The sky had darkened since earlier and it seemed like a new storm was raging out in the distance. I stared at Austin as we entered the building, his hair had lost it swag after being ruffed up during the fight. The black liquid from Analise stained his shirt and jacket. I felt my heart speed up when my eyes lowered to his backside. Is it possible?

He and Marina are so in sync, of course he knows more than he puts off. Were the signs there all along? If she can transform, can he? I've already been eye to eye with death twice now. And each time they've prevailed. Glowing eyes, strength, knowledge of the higher and lower planes, mental connections, stealthiness. But why pose as students? Why am I here too?

Luca groaned as Austin layed him across a bench inside the main room. The others seemed to take closer notice at the roughed up individuals that were walking past their work tables. The monitor above the third table showed a map of the city with six red ping dots around in different areas. I began to wonder what each of those locations consisted of and why they were being singled out.

 My eyes wondered to an empty corner in the hall, the floor had small dust bunnies but I didn't care. I slouched against the wall, sliding until my butt hit firmly on the floor crushing the dust. Austin glanced at me and then to Marina as she stood with her arms crossed next to Luca. He hesitated for a moment shifting between the two of us. I looked away finding fascination with the design of the wooden floors below me.

Each conversation I had with Austin up until this moment now seemed ancient. I analyzed every sentence, every detail and I didn't see this one coming. I heard footsteps nearing towards me but my eyes were still glued to the floor. He crouched beside me and extended his hand out, I could see the symbol on his wrist clearly after he'd removed his jacket some point when I wasn't looking. 

The dark black ink shimmered in the light, I blinked twice wondering if it was actually doing so or if I was imagining. It was because of the little bits of glitter that rubbed off from Analise's shirt onto him. I remembered now, she was wearing a retro navy t-shirt with the words "rock and roll girl" layered as if they were three dimensional, covered in silver glitter.

A typical girly shirt yet for someone who didn't have the physicality of a typical girl. I couldn't recognize any part of her before. She was gone. Austin took my hand noticing that I didn't return the gesture.

"Rosalina.." He began.

"Austin! We need you, now." another voice said further down the hall. He paused and sighed softly. I felt my hand raise up with his as he brought it to touch his lips. "I'm sorry, I'll be back."

My fingers dropped to my lap and he stood upright again, I watched his boots stomp hard on the floor. An older guy with red dye streaked through his hair, waited for him to enter the room of Hawkins' office. My hand felt cold without his grasp, it was like I needed the heat, his heat. Even though my head was swirling.

 If I could pinpoint one thing that was stable within me. It would be my growing fondness of Austin's presence around me. The constant up and down emotions I went through seemed to always settle and soothe with him. I thought about his face as Analise gripped tighter around his throat. The way his eyes gazed into my soul when he looked at me. The way I felt my chest caving in the longer she held on. The cries and screams that escaped my mouth as I begged.