Lose Those Chains

Aren't You The Sweetest Thing on This Side of Hell

Charlie regretted the question almost immediately. She should've known any answer she would get would just have Adam playing the victim. As usual. 

But to her surprise, Adam didn't react like she expected. His green eyes widened and shifted downwards. "Never mind. I don't know what I was saying. I was just angry." He crossed his arms and huffed. 

"Wait, what?" Charlie glared at him. "Are you serious? You were just lying again?"

"No!" Adam returned her glare. "I–I wasn't lying... I just don't want to talk about it anymore." 

"No, you can't do that! You don't get to bring up something about my parents and then suddenly drop it!" Charlie knew she should have left ages ago. This was clearly a ploy just to buy him some time or get her guard down. 

But damn it, Charlie hated when people would bring up a topic and then suddenly say never mind. And his strange reaction was only making her more curious. 

"Adam." Charlie's use of his name made him freeze. "You're in a really bad situation right now. You're a fallen angel who used to kill sinners. Everyone out there is your enemy, and the only reason they haven't come over here is probably because of this smoke. I think it wards them off like those foggers humans use for mosquitoes. I'm the only one who can potentially help you. But I need to know everything."

"Yeah, well, who even says I want your help?" he sneered. "Your 'help' will probably just end up fucking me over anyway!"

Charlie had the patience of a saint, but even she was starting to see this was going nowhere. It was hard to believe she was even dealing with the oldest human to ever exist. It felt more akin to parenting a spoiled child. But with someone like Adam, Mr. I've Never Made a Mistake in My Entire Life, she knew she couldn't beg and plead with him to reveal what he meant. 

So it was time to use a little reverse psychology. 

"Just my fucking luck that the daughter of the two people who are the reason I'm here in the first place would be the only one wanting to help me!" Adam kicked a pile of rocks and shook his head. "What a sick joke."

"Well, you can't say I didn't try now." Charlie shrugged. "It seems like you've got this all figured out, so there's no need to stay. I'm leaving for real this time. Byeeeee!" 

"Yeah! Bye! And good riddance!" He waved his hand to her. "I don't need your help!"

"That's great to hear!" Charlie shot him a thumbs-up as she turned on her heel for what felt like the millionth time. She was giving him thirty paces before he realized his mistake and came running after her. 

It turned out to be more like ten paces and he didn't come running after her. He flew. And crashed right in front of her feet, his hands clasped together and a desperate look on his face. 

"Wait! No! You can't leave me!" There were practically tears in his eyes. "I know I won't survive five minutes out there! I might have some invincibility left in me and I might not die die. I don't know. The Council really didn't make it clear. But that doesn't mean those fuckers aren't going to try! And in the most painful ways possible!"

Charlie had to suppress a grin. Yes, she was satisfied to know she had been right. But the sinister side of her couldn't help but enjoy the sight of him begging at her feet. 

Guess she really was her father's daughter. 

"Okay." Charlie cleared her throat and put on her best, I Mean Business face. "But before I help you, I want to know everything. And I do mean everything. The pretty parts and the not-so-pretty parts. So don't try to lie to me!" 

Adam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll just show you instead. That way, you can't try to say I'm lying to you."

He rose to his full height and reached for her hand. On instinct, Charlie flinched and took a step back. They might not want to rip each other's throats out anymore, but that didn't mean Charlie wanted to have any physical contact with him. A shudder went down her spine at the memory of how often he used to touch her face and invade her personal space.

"Chillax, princess. You think I want to hold your hand like we're boyfriend and girlfriend?" Adam made a gagging sound. "If there was another way to do this, trust me, I'd do it."

"Fine." Charlie reluctantly took his hand. It was strange seeing how white hers was against the tan skin of his own. But then again, what wasn't strange about this whole situation? 

Only Charlie would find herself holding hands with her mother's ex-husband, who just a few hours ago was trying to hurt her and her friends. Not to mention, said ex-husband who used to look like complete nightmare fuel. 

Which begged the question that had been lingering in her mind since she first met him. What had happened to change him so drastically? 

"Oh, I guess I should warn you that me and your mom boned. You know that, right?" Adam's crude comment tore Charlie from her thoughts. 

"Ughhhh." It was Charlie's turn to gag. She figured that went without saying, but she wouldn't deny the thought of Adam and her mom together made her skin crawl. 

"Hey, you said you wanted to see everything!" Adam snickered. 

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder. But I don't need to see that. I know how the birds and the bees work." 

Adam only laughed at her again. "You're so innocent. It would be cute if it wasn't so funny." 

Charlie cringed again, burying her face in her free hand. "Just show me what you need to show me and get this over with."

The grip around her hand tightened. For a second, Charlie wondered if she had somehow screwed up by trusting this man. He might not have his holy powers anymore, but she didn't know what exact powers he still had. And there was the fact he was still a stranger and everything he had done and said so far proved to be the opposite of being trustworthy. 

But before she could even think about retracting her hand, her entire vision went black. 

The chasm of darkness only lasted a few seconds when a blinding bright light surrounded her from all around. Charlie felt herself free-falling backward into the vast space of white, but it wasn't long before images upon images whirled past her. Too fast and too many of them to make out what was what. 

She thought she caught a glimpse of an old man. And then another of an old woman. But because of the breakneck speed at which she was falling, she couldn't be sure. As she got closer and closer towards the inevitable end, she felt herself speeding up. 

The images had grown scarcer and now Charlie could make out some of the details more clearly. Two human children. A boy who closely resembled Adam and an older one with dark auburn hair. 

Another image came into view of a beautiful woman with long, curly red locks. 

Then, finally, the people she had eagerly been waiting for. Her mother and father. Like a child, she stretched out her hand towards their image, knowing she wouldn't be able to grasp them. 

In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared just as all the images had. Charlie's rapid descent had also slowed. Instead of hitting the ground with a thud, Charlie landed softly on her feet. 

She blinked and shielded her eyes as a new sight appeared in front of her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was so beautiful, so perfect, it almost made her cry. A lush forest filled with all types of flowers and fruit went on as far as she could see. She didn't realize how vivid Adam's memories would be, but she swore she could smell the fresh grass and spring air. 

From somewhere off in the distance, the calming coo of a dove rang out. 

This truly was paradise.