color from the stem spread over them. One by one the mangled flowers followed suit, regaining their vibrant color and opening as if caressed by the sun.
With a small cry, Shayla stumbled away from Amir, who was opening his eyes. The familiar velvet brown was gone, and instead his eyes were as white and bright as the glow around him. Shayla pressed her hand to her mouth and stared, unable to move or speak, but unable to look away. Slowly, the glow subsided and his eyes returned to normal.
“ What are you?” she whispered when all had returned to normal. Well, as normal as they could be given what she’d just seen.
“ I’m an angel, Shayla.”
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him, shocked. She certainly hadn’t been expecting to hear that. She glanced at the flower he had just brought back from the dead, then back at him. He was watching her silently, probably waiting for her to become hysterical.
“ An angel? Aren’t angels supposed to be in heaven?”
“ Different angels serve different purposes. We are given a choice whether we are to fulfill our purposes on earth or in heaven. Many angels choose earth, as I did.”
Shayla suddenly remembered the day she had woken up in the hospital. “You said you were in the business of healing.”
He nodded. “That’s what I do, Shayla. I heal people who need healing. I have the power to breathe life into dead things.”
“ And you chose to give life to me.”
“ No, God decides. I just do what he tells me. He chose you Shayla.”
She shot to her feet, a hand pressed to her temple. This was too much. Everything in her mind told her that this was ridiculous. She had always believed in God and angels and heaven, but to think that there was a heavenly being standing in her living room!
“ I know it’s a lot to take in, but I needed you to know why I had to leave. You have to understand that us getting so close was dangerous for me. Falling to temptation is one of the worst sins an angel can commit.”
“ So what are you saying? You being an angel means we can’t be together? Ever?”
“ Lying with a human man or woman is forbidden to angels. If I had not left that night I know I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from making love with you. I wanted it more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. If I hadn’t stopped it, I would now be one of the Fallen angels.”
“ What happens when you fall?” Amir was silent but his bleak expression said it all. Shayla gasped. “Demons?”
Amir nodded. “That is what Fallen angels become. It is a fate worse than any death or torture I could imagine.”
Shayla sank back onto the couch, her mind whirring like a carousel that was going way too fast. He sank down next to her. “You have no idea how broken my heart had been over this. Thinking of going on through life, eternity, without you…” he trailed off and shook his head.
Shayla reached up and touched his face tenderly. “I do know. I know because I’ve felt the same way.”
“ You’re not angry with me for not telling you?”
“ Now that I think about it, I knew there was something special about you all along. When I first woke up in the hospital I could have sworn you were glowing but I thought it was just the lights and the meds. But this explains everything. The doctor was so shocked over my recovery, but he didn’t know I had my very own angel.”
“ When I saw you lying in that bed, something in you called out to me,” he said, stroking her cheek tenderly. “I have always admired the human capacity for survival, but something about you was different, special. Even after my assignment was completed, I couldn’t stay away. Your soul left an imprint on mine, Shayla. I couldn’t escape it. Even after I tried to push you away, I couldn’t bear the thought of being without you. And so I’ve made a very important decision.”
Shayla frowned. “What decision?”
“ I have one assignment left to complete. Once that is done ,
With a small cry, Shayla stumbled away from Amir, who was opening his eyes. The familiar velvet brown was gone, and instead his eyes were as white and bright as the glow around him. Shayla pressed her hand to her mouth and stared, unable to move or speak, but unable to look away. Slowly, the glow subsided and his eyes returned to normal.
“ What are you?” she whispered when all had returned to normal. Well, as normal as they could be given what she’d just seen.
“ I’m an angel, Shayla.”
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him, shocked. She certainly hadn’t been expecting to hear that. She glanced at the flower he had just brought back from the dead, then back at him. He was watching her silently, probably waiting for her to become hysterical.
“ An angel? Aren’t angels supposed to be in heaven?”
“ Different angels serve different purposes. We are given a choice whether we are to fulfill our purposes on earth or in heaven. Many angels choose earth, as I did.”
Shayla suddenly remembered the day she had woken up in the hospital. “You said you were in the business of healing.”
He nodded. “That’s what I do, Shayla. I heal people who need healing. I have the power to breathe life into dead things.”
“ And you chose to give life to me.”
“ No, God decides. I just do what he tells me. He chose you Shayla.”
She shot to her feet, a hand pressed to her temple. This was too much. Everything in her mind told her that this was ridiculous. She had always believed in God and angels and heaven, but to think that there was a heavenly being standing in her living room!
“ I know it’s a lot to take in, but I needed you to know why I had to leave. You have to understand that us getting so close was dangerous for me. Falling to temptation is one of the worst sins an angel can commit.”
“ So what are you saying? You being an angel means we can’t be together? Ever?”
“ Lying with a human man or woman is forbidden to angels. If I had not left that night I know I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from making love with you. I wanted it more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. If I hadn’t stopped it, I would now be one of the Fallen angels.”
“ What happens when you fall?” Amir was silent but his bleak expression said it all. Shayla gasped. “Demons?”
Amir nodded. “That is what Fallen angels become. It is a fate worse than any death or torture I could imagine.”
Shayla sank back onto the couch, her mind whirring like a carousel that was going way too fast. He sank down next to her. “You have no idea how broken my heart had been over this. Thinking of going on through life, eternity, without you…” he trailed off and shook his head.
Shayla reached up and touched his face tenderly. “I do know. I know because I’ve felt the same way.”
“ You’re not angry with me for not telling you?”
“ Now that I think about it, I knew there was something special about you all along. When I first woke up in the hospital I could have sworn you were glowing but I thought it was just the lights and the meds. But this explains everything. The doctor was so shocked over my recovery, but he didn’t know I had my very own angel.”
“ When I saw you lying in that bed, something in you called out to me,” he said, stroking her cheek tenderly. “I have always admired the human capacity for survival, but something about you was different, special. Even after my assignment was completed, I couldn’t stay away. Your soul left an imprint on mine, Shayla. I couldn’t escape it. Even after I tried to push you away, I couldn’t bear the thought of being without you. And so I’ve made a very important decision.”
Shayla frowned. “What decision?”
“ I have one assignment left to complete. Once that is done ,
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