In Between The Stars

Miracles

Hey y'all beautiful people! This chapter is going to be a little bit lengthier than usual but I just had to put everything in.... Sooo sowwie... =) And I won't be updating that often because college started... Ugh, I know! So, anyway, hope you enjoy reading.....!

I let go of Dylan as he unwinds his arms from around me. I take off my wedges and toss them aside and shuffle forward to explore the area. At the back of my mind, I register the scent coming off of Dylan's coat; a pleasant mix of a sweet and musky aura that calms my nerves.

We are at a beach which seems to have descended from the pages of a fairy-tale. I don't think I have ever seen anything like this before and I highly doubt if I ever will again.

The overshadowing cliffs flanking the shore on both sides look like frozen sentinels guarding a mighty secret. The water itself has a bright blue luminescence and this astonishing glow forms a perfect contrast against the black backdrop of the sky which is spotted with an infinite number of brilliant stars and nebulas. The white sand feels like satin beneath me as I sit down cross-legged on the shore.

I watch as the blue radiance of the ocean changes to green. I'm so absorbed by the miracle in front of me that I don't notice the one that is already seated by my side.

"I asked you not to come running to me." Dylan says, breaking into my train of fascinated thoughts.

"I didn't." I remind him. "You showed up at the wrong place at the right time."

"Wrong place?" He asks, frowning at me.

"Yeah, something like that." I say, creating random doodles on the sand with my finger. "What you said earlier...about you being Death. You were kidding, weren't you?"

"And what makes you think so?"

"Because you're human. You talk, you breathe and you look almost normal." I say. What if he really is Death? Shouldn't I be terrified? "You're supposed to turn into something ugly."

"Not everything that looks human is human." He cocks his head to one side and watches me with a hint of enthrallment in his eyes. "I mean, look at you, for example."

I roll my eyes and wait for a rude comment.

"You look human. But you're more like an Angel. I've met some, you know? You remind me of them." He says and I gape at him in surprise. "And I do transform into something ugly."

He rises to his feet and I turn around to get a clear view of him. His hands ball into fists at his sides and he shuts his eyes in utter concentration. I watch as the entire intricate network of veins in his body turns into numerous infinitesimal channels of a fiery liquid the color of ember. When he opens his eyes, I notice that his irises are a flaming shade of red.

I am definitely taken aback but the terror that I'm supposed to be feeling never comes. I stand up and raise my hand warily to brush the cheek of this exotic creature in front of me. Quite contrary to my expectations, his smooth skin is pleasantly warm and not burning hot.

He slowly lifts his hand to rest it on top of mine and I'm momentarily lost in the raging depths of his eyes. And then, all too soon, he returns to his former self and I jerk out of the trance and let my hand drop from his cheek.

"You said you'd become something ugly." I say in a nervous tone.

"That wasn't ugly enough for you?" He asks amusedly.

"You were beautiful. At least, better than how you look right now." I joke and a smile brightens his features. A lopsided one. My favorite kind. Wait, what?! Why would I like his smile?