Midnight Cove

Phoenix enclosed us in his ebony wings. I inhaled his earthy scent, I could just barely make out the faint smell of lilies. I squeezed my eyes shut trying not think of what I was choosing to leave behind as I tightened my grip around him. I could feel the soft tingling sensation that would occur with our transporting from one realm to the next. I opened my eyes and we were standing on the beach, Phoenix’s arms wrapped gently around my shoulders.

I saw early morning beachcombers smiling and stealing looks in our direction. Phoenix’s angel wings weren’t visible, we looked like a beautiful young couple enjoying a romantic embrace. I blushed, knowing that the thoughts of the onlookers was at least somewhat well founded. Our attraction to each other was obvious.

I thought it odd that Phoenix had taken me back to the beach instead of taking me home like he had said. I looked up quizzically into his face and he said, “I felt it was best that I didn’t take you to your home. My brother is there waiting. I can sense him not far from here. Besides,” he smiled slightly at me, but it was not without effort. “You never did tell me where you lived.”

I smiled back. He was right again. I hadn’t told him, I don’t know why I would expect him to take me somewhere when he didn’t know where that somewhere was. I guess I was starting to put too much faith in faery magick. There had to be some limitations, right?

“I figured you wanted to talk to him alone, but if you want me, I will go with you.” Phoenix seemed concerned, but he was right again, this was something I had to do alone.

“No,” I shook my head. “I’ll be fine. I’ll think about you later.” I half smiled. The idea that I could call him without a phone was an interesting concept. I liked that.

“Okay.” He smiled back, kissed the top of my forehead and headed off in the opposite direction from the staircase that would lead me back up the cliffs to the street above.

I stood there, lingering for a few minutes longer, watching Phoenix’s sexy form gracefully saunter away. He was so casual and yet, so refined. Not at all stuffy, or stiff. It was amazing I hadn’t guessed he was royalty from the beginning. I took one last deep breath to steady myself in preparation of the storm that was coming and then turned and headed for home. I had no idea how big that storm was going to be. I could never had prepared myself for what was to come.

When I reached the house I saw Terry’s usual SUV parked out front next to the curb. It was odd, it must have been close to eight in the morning. He was never home this late, usually he was up at dawn heading out to surf. He liked being “first in line” at the break to catch his waves. I thought about going to check on him and make sure he wasn’t sick, but then I remembered that I had my own sick feeling I had to come to terms with first. Cove was waiting for me.

I slipped through the side gate and walked up the stairs to my apartment, a heavy dread loomed over me. I could feel my hands start to shake as I turned the knob and opened the door. As soon as I stepped in, there he was standing in my living room, waiting for me. My breath caught in my throat. He was still so gorgeous. His beautiful brown locks fell loosely against his forehead. His golden brown eyes looked almost amber in the morning light. I could already feel the tears threatening to break free. I had to fight to hold them back. My heart ached at the sight of him and I feared my chest was going to cave in on itself.

“Bonnie,” Cove stepped closer. “I was so worried about you.” He sounded so upset. I had to force myself not to run into his arms. I made myself remember 'this was a married man, an adulterer.' The thought helped. I felt a flood of emotions run through me, mainly anger. I was suddenly raving mad. Cove was listening to my heart, he paused and heaved a sigh.

“I’m sorry. I did what I had to do. I didn’t want you to find out like…” He was apologizing. I cut him off mid sentence.

“You didn’t want me to find out!” I yelled at him. I was so angry I couldn’t contain it any longer. “No, of course you wouldn’t want me to find out. You just figured you could drag me along, completely oblivious to the fact that you were using me.”

“No!” Cove refused to admit the truth. He took a step closer to me, but I backed up. I didn’t want him to console me, I didn’t want him to even touch me.

“Yes,” I insisted. I wasn’t going to give him the chance to defend himself. “You knew what you were doing this whole time. When were you going to tell me? Were you ever going to tell me? Or, were you just going to ruin my life and then go on your merry little way?” I was seething and my heart was racing a mile a minute.

“No, I mean yes. I was going to tell you. But when I came back you were gone and you didn’t come home..." he paused reaching his outstretched hand towards me. He saw I had no intention of taking it, and after a moment or two he let it drop to his side empty and rejected. I felt a little satisfied with that. The resignation of emptiness reflected my own. "I waited, but you never showed up.” Cove looked so sad, if I hadn’t known better I would have been sure that he looked as heartbroken as I was. But looks can be deceiving.

“Yeah, well, I was too busy almost dying. I was lucky your brother saved me.” I smiled the most snide wicked smile in my whole life. I wanted to be cruel. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to destroy him as thoroughly as he had destroyed me.

“My brother?” Confusion crossed his face. I continued victimizing him. Using my words like daggers, I was decided to pierce him straight through his heart.

“Yes, Phoenix. He saved me. I almost drowned at the beach.” Cove’s mouth dropped open, but I didn’t pause long enough to let him speak. “Phoenix came to my rescue. He kept me from harm, twice. First he saved me from the water and then he saved me from you!” I glared at him my tone cutting like acid.

The blow I dealt hit home. He looked wounded. I felt a satisfied smile spread across my face. Every part of me that loved Cove now hated him. I was bitter and vindictive and I wanted my vengeance.

“Bonnie, I, I, I don’t know what to say.” He stuttered, faltering for once in his perfect speech. He looked thoroughly crushed.

“How about ‘I’m married!'” I screamed the words at him. I stepped up to Cove and slapped him across his face. It was both for my pain and for his poor abandoned wife who probably knew nothing.

Cove stood there completely stunned into silence. He just looked at me completely dumbfounded. His silence only served to irritate me further. “Well?” I waited for him to say something.

“Bonnie,” he said my name in such a patronizing manner.

“What?” I snapped back at him.

“I’m not going to lie. Yes, I am married. I just didn’t know that’s what you were so upset about. Let’s talk about this.” He was being oddly calm now.

“No,” I pouted. “There isn’t anything to talk about, Cove. You’re married. End of discussion.” I folded my arms over my chest. I wasn’t going to relent. There was no way I was going to be okay with being his other woman.

Then, I thought about what he said and it didn’t sit right. “What do you mean you didn’t know that’s what I’m upset about? What else could it be?” I raised my eyebrows skeptical of what he was about to say. What could a married man be more worried about than being found out and their cover blown?

The look on his face said it all. “We don’t have to worry about that this minute. First, let’s talk about why you’re upset.” Cove was backtracking now.

“Huh uh,” Unfolding my arms from across my chest I dropped them to my sides. The fire alarms in my brain were going off. This had to be pretty bad if a married man would rather talk about his wife than whatever Cove had been thinking I was upset about.

I had turned around and given myself room after assaulting him earlier, now I stepped closer bridging the gap between us. The nearer I got to Cove, the more my breathing tightened. I began to feel afraid. I read the shame in his eyes and knew without a doubt he had done something terrible.

“What did you do, Cove?” My tone was accusatory. I was trying to brace myself for whatever was coming, but I wasn’t prepared.

Instead of shrinking away, Cove straightened up and gave me a hard stare. “What I had to, Bonnie. My job.” He wasn’t proud, but he was entirely unapologetic. I tried to discern what he was saying. I didn’t get it.

His job was to bring people their destinies. He helps make sure that the right cards are dealt. He was the hand of Fate, and yes, sometimes that meant bringing about people’s deaths. Usually though, Cove didn’t have to do that because people often brought their ultimate demise upon themselves. Poor health choices was the number one cause most of the time, but every now and again he would have to intervene and bring the touch of Death into someone’s life.

Cove had told me, during the time we had spent together on my leave of absence from work, about how much he hated to do it because it was often an older person that didn’t have health issues and lived a rich full life. He had said it seemed unfair because Faeries were supposedly immortal. At least that’s what I had thought until Phoenix had told me otherwise. They could become mortal, if they chose to forget that they were Faeries and live in the human realm. Cove hadn’t told me that, he hadn’t wanted me to ask him to sacrifice his immortality for me.

I shrugged and wagged my head, “So? I don’t understand. What are you trying to tell me, Cove?”

Great, he did his job. What does that have to do with anything? I didn’t understand why he couldn’t just tell me without all the guessing games.

For an instant his jaw muscles flexed. He clenched his teeth and I watched him swallow hard. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answer to my question anymore. His eyes softened and he looked at me with pity.

“Terry.” It was all he said. I felt the color drain from my face and I had to grab onto the the T.V. stand next to me to keep from falling over. As much as I wanted to pass out, throw up, crawl into a ball and cry, I wouldn’t. I could only think of reaching Terry as fast as my legs could carry me there.

I spun around and flew down the staircase on a dead run towards the main house. All I could think was, 'Please, God, please, let me make it there in time to save him.'