flights of angels
She seemed to nod, then she seemed to shrug. It was too dark to really tell. "Wish them luck for me" she said.
So she had meant it last night. Of course, she had meant it. She always did what she said she would. "You're leaving now?" he said as calmly as he could.
She gave him one quick look. Again, he could not read her expression. "In the morning. Early."
"Do you need anything?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Rachel-" he said softly.
She took a step backward. "We made a bargain," she said. The beautiful voice was edged with panic. "I'll be here for the next Gloria."
He had to clench his hands in the silky folds of his black trousers to keep himself from reaching out to her. "Don't make me wait a whole year," he said, his voice very gentle. "Not that long."
"This is too hard," she breathed. "Everything between us is too difficult. We are like noon and midnight, chasing each other from one side of the world to the next. Let it go- let the world spin on between us."
"If you want me, call for me," he whispered. "I will hear you, though you call from the other side of the world. Yours is the only voice I hear. If you leave now, you leave me in silence."
"Listen to the silence," she said. "Ask yourself is this is not peace."
"I don't have to listen," he said. "That silence is empty."
"No silence is empty," she said. "Goodbye, Gabriel. Yovah guard you."
"Jovah keep you in his heart," he replied.
And he watched her walk away.
Within seconds, she was lost in the crowd. Even her gold gown, her bright hair, turned to shadows in the darkness. His hands, unknotted now, half-rose of their own volition. 'Don't leave me,' he wanted to say. 'Stay with me. You love me. You left your heart behind; stay with me as well.'
But he knew better; he had learned. She could not be coerced, persuaded, convinced or changed, and to set his will against hers was to turn her more stubborn than stone. Still, it was all he could do to keep from running after her.
'Stay with me. Don't leave. I love you.'
excerpt from Sharon Shinn's "Archangel" published 1996 copyright Sharon Shinn
So she had meant it last night. Of course, she had meant it. She always did what she said she would. "You're leaving now?" he said as calmly as he could.
She gave him one quick look. Again, he could not read her expression. "In the morning. Early."
"Do you need anything?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Rachel-" he said softly.
She took a step backward. "We made a bargain," she said. The beautiful voice was edged with panic. "I'll be here for the next Gloria."
He had to clench his hands in the silky folds of his black trousers to keep himself from reaching out to her. "Don't make me wait a whole year," he said, his voice very gentle. "Not that long."
"This is too hard," she breathed. "Everything between us is too difficult. We are like noon and midnight, chasing each other from one side of the world to the next. Let it go- let the world spin on between us."
"If you want me, call for me," he whispered. "I will hear you, though you call from the other side of the world. Yours is the only voice I hear. If you leave now, you leave me in silence."
"Listen to the silence," she said. "Ask yourself is this is not peace."
"I don't have to listen," he said. "That silence is empty."
"No silence is empty," she said. "Goodbye, Gabriel. Yovah guard you."
"Jovah keep you in his heart," he replied.
And he watched her walk away.
Within seconds, she was lost in the crowd. Even her gold gown, her bright hair, turned to shadows in the darkness. His hands, unknotted now, half-rose of their own volition. 'Don't leave me,' he wanted to say. 'Stay with me. You love me. You left your heart behind; stay with me as well.'
But he knew better; he had learned. She could not be coerced, persuaded, convinced or changed, and to set his will against hers was to turn her more stubborn than stone. Still, it was all he could do to keep from running after her.
'Stay with me. Don't leave. I love you.'
excerpt from Sharon Shinn's "Archangel" published 1996 copyright Sharon Shinn
posted by Rebecca at 10:38 AM
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