Ethereal Underground (Ethereal Underground Trilogy) (19 page)

“Your cloth is incredibly odd,” Annalise stated as way of explanation and began to slip out of her dress. She pulled the jumpsuit on and tried to ignore the way it clung to her body, and the way the material seemed to suffocate her skin. Always wearing dresses, she had never been covered up from ankles upwards and it was incredibly uncomfortable to her. Thankfully, the back of the outfit was open, leaving plenty of room for her wings to spread out. She tied the top part of the cloth around her neck and took a look at herself in the mirror. She looked ready for a mission, ready to be out in the darkness creeping around as if a fallen.

“Pretty good fit, considering,” the redhead said as she eyed the blonde and handed her a brush for her hair and a round pieces of stretchy cloth, “Here put your hair up in a
ponytail, it will stay out of your way.”

“I do not know what you speak of.”

Arie let out a frustrated growl and pulled a similar piece of cloth off her wrist and did her hair up in the back.

“It does look like a pony’s tail….of sorts…” Annalise said, running the brush through her hair several times before attempting to mimic the girl’s actions with the hair accessory. Hers did not look as high and
neat as Arie’s did, but it was good enough for her. She was not concerned with her hair at the moment.

“I wouldn’t know seraph girl, we don’t see ponies very often underground.”

Annalise felt ashamed, she forgot how different things were down here. It made her thankful that she had grown up in her own realm, where there was animal and plant life. “That is such a shame. They are such majestic creatures.”

Arie handed her a pair of boots as well and the seraph slipped them on, feeling completely out of sorts with her body covered. She watched Arie go over to the door and peek outside, shake her head and shut the door back, “Looks like they are having a real heart to heart. We should give them a minute before we go out there.”

Annalise just nodded at the girl, having nothing more to say to her, and taking another glance at herself in the mirror. It was so weird to see herself in something other than a sundress, and the fact that it covered so much of her body. She raised her hand to fan herself, hoping it was cold on their journey for her outfit was uncomfortably warm. She also hoped the journey was fast because it was unnaturally itchy. But also, she couldn’t help but wonder what Ash would say about the clothing.

Ash

As Annalise and Arie left the bedroom, Ash turned towards his so-called friend. He thought he had known everything there was to know about Finlay. Last week, Finlay had collected Ash’s winnings and the two of them drank to their hear
t’s content. They had picked up females together and played cards together. The Finlay that stood in front of him now was nothing like the Finlay from last week. That boy was cocky and immature and just like Ash. This seraph that stood in front of him seemed foreign. Ash tried to calm his shaking hands, but the urge to hit something kept creeping up. He had been the one who introduced Arie to Finlay and now he was sneaking around with her behind his back.

“Arie…is like my sister. I told you all about her. How I worried about her- how jerks tried to take advantage of her- how wonderful she is and you are- I find you-” Ash shook his head. He couldn’t even say the words. In fact, the thought of them both together made Ash sick.

“Why do you feel the need to protect and take care of everyone?” Finlay commented as he hopped up on the dresser and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“I don’t feel any need for anyone,” Ash said between gritted teeth.

Nonchalantly looking through a random book on the counter, Finlay shook his head.

“You do. It’s in your keeper nature.  They trained you to want order and peace and all that other stuff that I’ve never seen in
thousands of years.”

Ash just stared at him. He wasn’t sure what to say. The guy always had a way with words and here he was changing the subject away from Arie.

“Don’t change the subject you cowl-eating dirt bag. I protect what is mine, and Arie…she is mine.”

“Oh? But you don’t love her; you certainly played with her heart a bit, but you told me yourself many times- You wished she would find someone new so you didn’t feel so guilty all the time.”

“This is different,” Ash said, willing himself to take a few steps back from Finlay. “You are going to break her heart and leave her helpless just like all the others. You couldn’t possibly have a future with her. She is a hunter and you…you…aren’t even human.”

After he spit out the last words, Finlay didn’t say anything. It was so unlike him not to have something clever to say. Ash was a bit shocked by the silence. Yet, finally after a minute or so Finlay looked Ash’s way.

“You know what, Ash, you’re right. We have no future, and neither do you and Annalise.”

At the mention of Annalise’s name, Ash could no longer hold back; in a swift second his arm shot out and he sprinted across the space between him and Finlay. He couldn’t help himself. He didn’t like what Finlay was saying. He knew that Annalise and him were from different worlds, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be reminded of it.

Completely caught off guard, Finlay took the hit straight to his jaw. His head turned slightly to the right as he hopped off the dresser. The playfulness was gone from his face. He took his hand and moved his jaw around.

“You have had a long day, Ash, so I’m going to let that one slide. Plus you are a mortal, so I’m not allowed to hurt you.”

Finlay took a step closer to Ash and they both locked eyes. A part of him regretted hitting his friend, but Ash was never one to keep his temper under control.

They kept their eyes locked, each daring the other one to look away first. Finlay took a step to pass behind Ash and broke the glare.

Ash shook his right hand as he felt blood running down his knuckles. If he had hit any normal person with that hard of an impact, Ash was sure that they would have a broken jaw. Of course, Finlay walked away with hardly a scratch.

“Not as long a day as you will have when I tell Arie what you really are,” he mumbled under his b
reath. He felt Finlay freeze. Ash slowly turned around. He knew exactly what was coming. It was something he relished. Fighting was the only way he knew to relieve stress. He had been fighting since he could walk. He braced himself for the impact.

“On second thought,” Finlay held one finger up in the air. “I really don’t follow the rules all that often.”

Finlay put his hands up against Ash’s chest and slammed him against the wall. Ash flinched when he felt his breath leave his body. He heard the metal behind him start to give way. Ash smirked as Finlay pushed him harder against the wall.

“Oh really?” he forced out with the remaining air in his lungs. “Because neither do I.” Ash took his left knee and swiftly jammed it right between Finlay’s legs. Ash was promptly released from the hold as his opponent fell to the floor holding his crotch in pain.
Luckily, male seraphs had the same weakness as humans.

“Try using it on Arie now, Fin.” He smirked at his victory as he stepped around him to go sit down in the main room.

As he looked up, he noticed both girls watching from the bedroom doorway.

“Ash- what are you doing?” Arie demanded walking up to him and punching him in the shoulder. Ash glared at her, he couldn’t believe how hard she had hit him.

“Finlay doesn’t fight as much as you do. That was uncalled for and unfair.”

Annalise peeked out from behind Arie’s tall form.

“Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?” Annalise grabbed his arm and started to check his body for signs of injury.  It was then that Ash noticed what Arie had dressed her in. Ash had to look away. If she wore that the entire trip, the fallen might as well kill him now.

“Seriously Anna? I am not helpless. I can handle myself,” he bragged.

Arie started in on her usual lecture. “Look where that boasting got you, Ash. You almost died once already.”

Ash shook Annalise off of him; he certainly didn’t trust himself to be that close to her while she wore something that tight. And her hair was pulled up off her face; it kind of made her look a bit dangerous. This was something he could definitely get used to. Arie scoffed at Ash’s gawking and stomped off towards Finlay.

“Anna you look so...” He couldn’t think of the words to use. She didn’t look so innocent and child-like anymore. 

“You look great.” He settled on the only thing that came to mind. It was a lame compliment, but he was sure she wouldn’t notice the difference. She tugged at the fabric a bit with her hands.

“Thank you Ash. It is a bit uncomfortable, but I think it will do.” She started to frown as the sounds of yelling filled the air. She peered around him, and Ash turned around toward the sounds.

Finlay, who looked uninjured now, stood with Arie whose face was almost as red as her hair. Ash and Annalise both stood uncomfortably as the other couple’s voices got louder.

“I fight people all day long. Dangerous people. I am coming along. I know all about the fallen. I’ve been tracking Loki plus I have killed a few fallen along the way.” Arie demanded. Ash knew she was not being honest.

“That’s a load of cowl and you know it.” Ash muttered. Arie shot him a look that told him to shut up, that he wasn’t helping her case against Finlay.

Finlay shook his head firmly and put his hand on her shoulders. “I am sorry Arie, but you can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

Arie put her hand inside her slim knee length boots and pulled out an odd shaped gun.

“I still have that weapon you gave me. I can still take Loki down.”

Finlay grabbed the gun from her hands. “Don’t fight with me, you are not going and that is the final word.”

Ash grabbed Annalise’s hand and started to drag her to the chair.

“We better sit down. We may be here a while.” Annalise followed quietly, but he could still tell she was quite engrossed in the fight. Finlay was fighting a lost cause; Arie never backed down. She didn’t get to be a sought after bounty hunter on her looks, though they helped.  It was because she was smart, cunning and brave.
Thanks to their weekly spars, she was getting to be a better fighter as well. She could think on her feet, she could speak thirty different languages, she knew the entire planet like the back of her hand, and she could change everything about herself to blend in. The list could go on and on, but the truth was, Ash wanted Arie by his side in this. In the past, they had worked together for the keepers. Usually it was to find some criminal or a crazy rebel threat, but right now he knew they needed all the help they could get. Innocent Annalise, here beside him, had never hurt a fly and Finlay would be preoccupied by Loki.  Endarial had looked pretty tough, but he couldn’t take on her minions and her at the same time. Ash wasn’t stupid enough to go it alone.

“This is an interesting quarrel,” Annalise whispered in his ear.

Ash noticed how fascinated Anna was with the emotions in the room. He looked at Annalise. “What do you mean?”

She still continued to stare at them.

“He wants her to be safe, but she wants to keep him safe. They really seem to care for each other, but this is forbidden. A union like that is not allowed.”

Ash cringed at the word “union” and shrugged. “Well you know Fin- He never plays by the rules.” He
repeated Finlay’s words to him from earlier.

“I wonder if it could work.” She cocked her head to the side slightly. Ash
groaned in frustration and yanked on her ponytail gently. She made a slight squeaking sound before grabbing her hair and turning to face him.

“You pulled my hair,” she said, confused.

“Sure did, only because I like you.”  Ash tried to reach out to her hair and give it another playful tug but she dodged him.

“You mortal men are so confusing.”  Her face was turning a slight shade of pink. Ash put his hand to her cheek and stroked it.

“You look so cute when you’re all embarrassed,” he said, catching her gaze.

Anna froze, even her wings didn’t move.

“I am not,” she said quietly.

“Not what? Embarrassed or cute?” he teased.

She let a small smile reach her face and her bright blue eyes lit up. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by a shriek.

“You are like her? Like that winged mutant over there?” Arie yelled pointing at Annalise.

Ash sighed and ran his hands down his face. He didn’t have time to wait all day for the two of them to catch Arie up on the comings and goings of the situation.

“Oh moons, Arie!” Ash stood up and turned in her direction. He felt Annalise move behind his body, and he instinctively grabbed her hand as he felt the fear roll off her body. There was no reason for her to be afraid.

“First off, she is not a winged mutant. She saved my life. Second, Jedzia is dead and that’s why I need to do this. I need to make things right. Someone trusted you to hunt their leader, Loki- so obviously you can take down some lowlife minion right?”