Black Angel

Chapter 17

Later that night, I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning. I kept having a nightmare that Ava didn't survive and that she wasn't sleeping next to me. When I rolled over, I couldn't feel her. I pushed myself up and blinked in the darkness to see that she wasn't beside me.

I jumped out of bed and ran down to the living room, sliding past the kitchen.

'Hugh,' Ava said quietly from the kitchen. I rushed back and saw her sitting at the table with a glass of water, 'what are you doing?'

'I-I couldn't sleep and then I woke up and saw you weren't... What are you doing?'

'I couldn't sleep either so I got myself a drink.' She gestured to her glass. 'It's alright, Hugh,' Ava held out her left hand with her engagement ring sparkling in the moonlight, 'I'm not going anywhere.'

I took her hand and moved towards her. 'Good,' I kissed her forehead, 'did you have a bad dream?'

'Yeah...it was about me dying...and I woke up, I was fine. But then I went back to sleep and then I had another nightmare. I dreamt that I had killed Harriet and then...I was screaming in a hospital bed being sedated but...it wasn't me.'

'Who was it?' I asked gently.

'I think it was my mother.' Ava whispered, 'I think she may still be alive, Hugh. I think I can help her.'

I smiled sympathetically at my lovely twin-soul. 'I'll help you find her, I promise. But the whole Harriet thing...you didn't kill her. And you had to defend yourself by attacking her. It's not like if she stopped attacking you, you would go ahead and kill her. That's the difference between self-defence and murder.'

Ava swallowed and met my gaze. 'Thank you, Hugh. I really mean it.'

'Come on,' I hugged her, 'let's get some sleep.'

Just as I began to lead the way, the kitchen light flicked on. Ashling stood in the doorway.

'Oh, sorry,' he looked tired and stressed, 'I just came...to clear my head.'

'Why, what's up?' Ava asked.

'I think you've been through enough for one day,' Ashling smiled at my fiancée, 'I'm just getting a drink.'

'No, seriously,' Ava said firmly, 'you can tell me.'

Sighing, Ashling said, 'I haven't been able to get in contact with Electra or Sam. No one has. Mum,' that was a first. Normally when Ashling talks to us about his parents he tends to use their names to simplify things, 'mum hasn't been able to use her powers to see them either.'

'So maybe they've decided to not be in contact with anyone because it's their honeymoon?' I suggested.

'Its not-' Ashling caught himself. 'It's not just that....'

'You saw something, didn't you?'

'Yeah,' he rubbed the back of his neck, 'you know that I don't tell anyone what I see incase that changes things or makes it the reason it becomes true.' I nodded, 'so I wouldn't tell you unless it was very, very important.'

'Yes, Ash, just tell us.' I hurried him up.

'Well, I saw Sam and Electra sleeping in their hotel room...then some men in black clothing rushed into the room – they didn't force entry... They took Electra. They kidnapped her.'

'What?' Ava gasped.

'What about Sam? Why hasn't he been in contact with us?' I demanded the answer.

'It may not have happened yet, it may be happening right now; I have no idea!' Ashling shouted at me, clearly feeling very stressed about his vision. 'I don't know what happened to Sam, he woke up but these were professionals...He wouldn't have been able to touch her.'

'Oh, God,' Ava whispered.

'You need to tell everyone else, Ash.' I advised him, 'we all better pray that it hasn't happened yet and that we'll be crashing their honeymoon.'

'I'll get everyone up and packing,' Ava sorted out the tasks, 'Hugh, book the next flight out of here to Bermuda for all of us, along with a hotel.'

Within the next hour, everyone was packed and ready to leave. We had phoned Rosita and Ryan who insisted coming and staying at the hotel just incase. Ryvre had phoned Georgia, who then offered to come to Bermuda to babysit Robin when we needed Ryan and Rosita. I didn't want Georgia or Robin to be in the way of harm, but at least this way they were close by.

Checked in and sorted at the airport, we met up with Robin, Ryan and Rosita who had picked up Georgia on their way, and we boarded our plane just in time.

Ryvre, Ace and Georgia sat behind us; Taran, Aura and dad sat on the seats opposite us; Rosita, Robin and Ryan sat behind them; Arella, Sonny and mum sat behind them. They decided that Ava and I needed some privacy.

'I am going to marry you,' I blurted out to Ava.

'I know you are,' Ava laughed lightly.

'I mean it; once we find my sister then we'll get married. If I have a wedding without Electra and she finds out, she will flip out – she loves playing bridesmaid.' I made Ava laugh again. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

'I just can't wait to meet her,' she smiled at me.

'Ava, I was thinking that after we find my sister...' I took a deep breath, 'I'm going to leave the agency.'

'What?'

'Just listen. I want a life with you; I want to be able to have kids with you and grow old with you. How can I do that when I'm always risking my life? So once this is all over...I'm all yours. I've got enough money behind me to support us and to let you do whatever you want to do.' It was another silent promise but I'd be selfish to give up the chance at life with Ava I've been given.

'If I'm going to be honest...I told the agency that I would help solve the kidnapping case and then I'm handing in my notice.' Ava chewed her lip.

'You are?'

She nodded. 'I told them the same night as Mrs Jenson's bakery. They agreed to let me out of my contract.'

'That's great,' I smiled at her.

Just as the plane was flying higher into the clouds, I looked out my window, praying that we'll find my sister and my brother-in-law.

Ava leant over and kissed me on my cheek. Her breath on my ear, she whispered, 'we'll find them...together.'