Don't Forget

11. The Darkest of Demons

The fallen angel had dropped off my radar. Either I wasn't paying as much attention to him anymore, or he purposefully avoided being seen. It had been a week since our shopping trip, and he had been nowhere in sight.

            I had more questions for the creature. Why did he say "flock" instead of "family"? What sort of childhood had he had to turn him into such a dark and cruel creature?

            However, I knew I couldn't exercise my inquisitive spirit with the angel. Even if I asked my questions, the odds that he would answer them were slim to none. He didn't seem patient enough to deal with the ponderings of a human girl.

            Heaving in a hard breath, I dropped my bags of groceries to take a break. My muscles had begun to quiver under the strain of carrying all five bags at once.

            I may have taken a training class, but the focus of it was hardly muscle strength.

            I bent to pick them up again, but was shocked to find I only had two bags left to carry. I knew I had more than that, so I turned to look for them. I locked eyes with a pair of gentle blue ones—Cassiel Aareno.

            Chuckling, I assumed, "Helping me carry my bags?"

            He nodded and held up the ones he had scooped from the ground. "Figured you could use some help. That is, if you're willing to have me help you." He quirked a brow at me, playful.

            "Of course! I appreciate it."

            We started towards the school, walking side by side. Cassiel had grabbed the heaviest bags and was swinging them around as if they were filled with feathers. For a moment, I was envious of his superhuman strength; I wondered what it would be like to carry such weight without struggle.

            Because Cassiel was a talkative fellow, he started a conversation. "May I ask something personal? You're allowed to say no."

            I shook my head. "I don't mind. Ask away."

            "You know," he began, "when I was growing up, my parents filled my head with stories about Vietate High. How it was a city once upon a time, but still remains a safe haven for creatures. They promised me I would fit in, because there wouldn't be a single human around. I would be free to be myself without the judgment and curiosity of the human race." He peeked at me from the corner of his eye. "You can imagine how surprised I was when I learned a human freely roamed campus."

            A blush heated my face. I kept my eyes glued on the ground, feeling guilty for having practically ruined the reputation of Vietate High. It was, indeed, a safe haven for these creatures. It meant humans weren't allowed on the premise, and yet here I was, attending the school.

            "Everyone was," Cassiel went on. "Hundreds of years without a human in our midst, and suddenly, a human. It upset a lot of creatures."

            I hung my head in shame.

            He turned to face me. "But I don't think anyone has bothered to ask you how you feel about it. I know the other students here find it strange or upsetting or intriguing to have a human around. But what's it like to be surrounded by these creatures? Aren't you scared?"

            Adjusting the bags in my hands, I stalled. I knew my answer, I just didn't know how to say it out loud. So I settled on honesty being the best policy: "Well, actually, yes. I am scared. Not all the time. Sometimes I forget that we aren't the same. But other times, I realize you're all so much stronger than me. You're faster, smarter, prettier, deadlier. It scares me knowing that a single hit from a creature could end my life." I pulled in a deep breath. "And yet, despite knowing that, I still trust you."