Angel: A City of Lost Angels Story

Chapter 7: The Tour



Angel’s POV

Angel found the donation box just inside the front door. She sorted through the mostly clean clothing and pulled a few pieces that looked her size. Ducking behind a trashed confessional she stripped the red dress and strapless bra off and shimmied into the new pieces, deciding she’d keep her old black underwear for now. Do they even wear underwear in this city? The super low-rise jeans were too loose but pulled up just under her tail. She slid on a grey long sleeve crop top, made of a tightly knitted sweater material that was warm to touch. It ended just beneath her bare breasts with her midsection exposed, but she’d seen nearly all women in town wearing skimpier things. She’d literally never had any clothing cover her shoulders, arms or legs before, and she felt spoiled as it was.

Angel had a lot of ground to cover without a tour guide, and stood outside staring at the Church for a long time. It was dilapidated and imposingly large, but it had been safe. Despite the locked door of the choir room, they had given her bread daily and a jug of clean water. Plus a bathroom off one side allowed her the best sponge bath of her life, even if the water left a metallic smell on her skin. She would find a way to show her thanks to the angels for not dispatching of her like they did those wolves.

To the right of the Church were sounds and smells of water and fish, just not visible over a cliff edge. The sea Gabe had said. She’d never seen an ocean, but a trip to the beach would have to wait.

She started following the only street that led from the Church and thought about the Church leader. Where Gabe and that chaperone angel were cute, Castiel was handsome. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed, broad. The kind of clients that Master’s place had attracted were never attractive to Angel. She chewed her bottom lip as her bare feet padded along. Come to think of it, nearly everyone she had seen in this new city had pleasing features, albeit most scared the bejeezus out of her.

She screwed her nose up at herself. What was wrong with her?! She was thinking like a cat in heat. She watched her feet, but saw Castiel’s big eyed stare in her mind. He had the look of want that she’d seen a hundred times, but his rigid stance and lifted eyebrows had hinted that they were surprising feelings for him. The way he had called her ‘love’ made her legs wobble, surprising herself too, but she told herself it was a language dialect thing instead of a term of endearment.

She looked up at an intersection and saw a spray painted sign reading ‘Syndicate Supplies’ over a warehouse-style building. No windows, but the buzzing of cameras overhead let her know that someone was probably watching. Brushing strands of hair up and over one ear, she quickly jogged on.

A block later was another storefront, but this one sported full glass walls on 3 sides. They were one-way, but figures right against the glass inside had soft outlines. She saw two forms sitting together with spikes rising from their heads. Demons. Gabe had called their headquarters a strip joint, but it gave no obvious indications outside of the activities inside. During her day at the bar she had only seen one demon, and Taala had been frightening enough to make her keep her distance.

The streets were empty, and uneasiness ate away at her. Why was no one outside? Was it really that dangerous, even in daylight? As if in answer, Angel heard a shrill scream from somewhere to her left, but then nothing more. Hugging the wall, she padded part way down that street until she could make out a huge ‘H’ on the side of a tall building. Squinting to see further, there was a lopsided white sign out front that read ‘City of Lost Angels Hospital’. She froze at the mouth of an alley and pinned ears back as she stared. That would be home to Damien and his Coven. It made sense that they would take up refuge where they may have blood bag storage.

Backtracking to the intersection and continuing on she recognized the ‘BAR’ sign ahead. She wondered who would man the bar until Gabe was healed. “The Tribe is north and the Pack is east.” She said out loud trying to remember the directions. Angel started down the road leading behind the bar. Eventually she began following various sounds of music and shouts until she was in view of a huge fence gate, the full width of the road. Teddy bears, bras, shovels and various sorts of objects were tied to the chain link. Angel wondered if the items had meaning or if they were just part of the eclectic decoration. The arched sign spanning the gate read ‘City Yard’, with a crudely spray painted cat head overlapping the C.

Taking a deep breath, she walked to the gate.


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