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First Estate

By: blackrandl1958



"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." Jude 6 The Bible.

Chapter One

I've always been very careful. I had an idea when I was a child that I was different; I just didn't know how different. I came to realize quickly that I was taller, stronger, faster and smarter than the kids I went to school with, but some people are. Others here and there seemed physically similar, so I just thought I was like them. It stood me in good stead throughout school. I could play sports better than most and that alone made life easier.

I never liked football. I injured a kid in the sixth grade and that made me sort of queasy about unleashing my full strength. Basketball and track were a different story. I dominated teams at basketball. Basketball is a bit of a political game in many schools. Mom moved me to a new school when I was a junior. I was all state my sophomore year for my old team but the new coach cared more about making sure the principal's kid started than he did about winning. He kept me on the bench unless the principal's kid got in foul trouble. Everyone knew it was a douche move, but what could I do? After the second game, Mom cornered him and words flew. He stuck his finger in her chest and she nearly broke it off. He tried to file charges but there were too many witnesses and he wound up being charged with assault. She paid tuition for me to go across town to another school. We played his team in the finals of the Christmas tournament and I got 63 points against them. We played them twice more and I never got less than 50. I was all state and all American that year. I was interviewed a dozen times and when they asked me what gave me motivation I always told the reporters I remembered I wasn't good enough to play for Cleo Elbert. My old school fired him at the end of the year and he never got a job coaching again. They tried to get me to come back after he was gone, but that bridge was burnt as far as I was concerned. Very few could compete with my speed or strength in track. I quit running in high school and concentrated on the shot put.

My mother was always very proud of me. I never knew my father and Mom didn't talk about him. I gathered that it was a one-night stand in her indiscrete youth and I never questioned her about it. She was a really relaxed and cool Mom and I thought she was probably a hippie type when she was younger. I really didn't want to know. Mommy issues were complicated enough and I had no time for Daddy issues. She was a very complex person and I loved her with all my heart.

Brawn was natural to me and I reveled in it. Brain was another story. I could read when I started kindergarten. I knew some other kids couldn't but it didn't seem like a big deal until Mrs. Vincent told my mom she wanted to test me to see if I was gifted. Mom wasn't happy about that at all. She got out a toy and showed it to me. I remembered it from when I was very young. It had four wooden pegs that you hammered on with a wooden mallet until they went through the holes and stuck out on the other side. Then you turned it over and drove them back through to the other side. She hammered three of the pegs down about an inch and handed me the hammer. One was still sticking up.

"Now, Parker; which one of the pegs will you hammer?"

I chose the one that was sticking up and drove it down to the level of the others.

"Why did you choose that one?" she asked.

"It was different and I made it like the others."

"That's right. I'm teaching you a lesson here about life. The lesson is that you don't want to stick up. You don't want to be the peg that's different. If you do and someone has a hammer, which one of you will they use it on?"

"I guess on me. Mom, how can I help sticking up? I'm taller than everyone else in my class."

"I know, baby," she told me. "But you don't want to be sticking up everywhere. I know how smart you are. I want you to do well at school, but not so well that you make everyone else look dumb. People don't like feeling dumb. They'll resent you for making them feel little, but that's ok. They can live with you being bigger. If you make them feel dumb too, that's just piling on resentment. Do your work; get it right, but don't do so well that you're so much ahead of everyone else that you look like a mental giant too. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

I got it. I did well on the test, but I could have done a lot better. I stayed at the top of my class, but not so far beyond what everyone else was doing that they thought something odd was going on. I learned early that you don't have to tell everything you know. It just makes you look arrogant.

It was the same thing in track. I could easily throw the shot 30 feet farther than anyone else. I never did. I won every meet in high school and set the state record, but not nearly by as much as I could have.

I did well enough at both athletics and academics to get into Harvard. They used a little under the table deal to get Mom a good job in Boston so I could afford to go there. I made all the right connections and impressed my professors and coaches enough that I never had a minute of difficulty. By the time I graduated from the school of international business I was six feet eight inches and 320 pounds. None of it was fat belly either.

I was heavily recruited by several large corporations and drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Ravens. Finally, I took a sweet deal at Apple. They signed me to a long-term contract and I had no trouble moving up through the ranks. I wound up in sales and I was good at it. Being an NCAA shot put champion and a Harvard graduate opened doors.

When I was 26, I discovered I could do things nobody else could. I was walking across the street in Austin, Texas, and a man ran a red light and came blasting through the crosswalk. A little girl and a young woman were walking ahead of me and I somehow sensed that they, and I, were in danger. The next thing I knew, we were standing on the sidewalk and I was holding one of them in each arm. The car hit the man walking behind me and splattered him across the street. Tires screeched and there was a sickening sound as his body flew through the air.

I had no idea what had happened, but we were safe and we should have been dead. I set the two girls down and they began to collapse. I picked them up, carried them to a nearby bench and sat them down on it. I knelt down in front of them and held them up.

"You ladies ok?" I asked.

The little one looked up at me. She seemed to be recovering quicker than the other one.

"You saved our lives," she said. "How did you do that? Are you Superman?"

"Sorry, I didn't see a handy phone booth or I'd be in uniform." We both laughed. "I saw the guy coming and I just scooped you up and ran," I told her.

I knew it was a lie. I had no recollection of running and there was no way I could have gotten away from that car in time. I had moved, somehow, without moving. I looked the two girls over.

The little one was cute as a button. She looked like she was in the second or third grade. She had a medium length pageboy haircut and her hair was as black as night. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were gray. She was the poster child for cute little girls.

The other one was obviously related to her. This was what the little one would look like when she grew up. She didn't have the haircut though. She had the same hair color, but it was very long, hanging down to mid-thigh and it was a mess. The trip to the bench had it all wrapped around her and I wanted to reach out and straighten it up. She had very fair, creamy skin and her eyes were spectacular. They seemed gray one moment and then green or blue the next, depending on how the light struck them. There was a little sprinkle of freckles across her nose. I spoke to the little one again.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," she said. "I think you bruised me a little when you grabbed me, but I'm fine."

She turned to the other one. "Are you ok, Sagan?"

She collected herself a little and combed her hair out of her face with her fingers.

"Yes, I'm ok too. I'm like you; a little bruised maybe and a lot shaken up, but considering that you saved our lives I'm glad to just be here."

She reached out her hand and patted my shoulder. She smiled and her teeth flashed, sending a flash through me too.

"Thank you, kind stranger. I don't know how we'll ever be able to thank you enough. That poor man, though; God, what happened?"

Emergency vehicles and personnel had arrived and I could hear a paramedic talking to a police officer. The driver had apparently had a heart attack and he was dead too.

"The driver of that car had a heart attack and ran through the red light." I told them.

"How did you know that?" the little one asked.

"I heard that paramedic tell that policeman," I told her.

"You must have very good hearing," she said. "There you go with the Superman thing again."

I realized that they were too far away for the girls to hear them. I had slipped a little. I had to cover my mistake.

"I'm Parker Stephens," I told them. "I'm sorry I shook you up like that, but there wasn't time to do anything else."

"I'm Boston McDonald, and this is my sister Sagan," the little one told me.

"We're very happy to meet you," Sagan told me. "Especially considering we'd both be dead if you hadn't saved us. I don't know how we'll ever thank you."

"I do," Boston said.

She stood up, threw her arms around me, hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

"You're huge Parker," she said. "No wonder you could just pick us up like that. I'm going to love you forever."

Her sister held out her hand.

"Sagan," Boston objected, "Parker just saved our lives and you're going to shake his hand?"

She laughed. "I guess that doesn't seem like much of a thank you. Is it ok if I hug you too?"

"That would be very ok, but I'll tell you what; where were you girls going?"

"We're Christmas shopping," Boston told me. "We were going to Buckle over there."

"Have you had lunch yet?" I asked.

"No, Sagan said she would take me out in a little bit."

"Let me buy you girls lunch, you tell me everything about yourselves and we'll call it square."

"Oh, no, we should buy your lunch," Sagan said. "You saved our lives, it's the least we could do."

"Well, since I did, the Native Americans say I'm responsible for you now. That means I'm responsible for feeding you, so lunch is on me. Really, I'm on an expense account and I know a place that has a great pizza. They have a wood-fired oven and they know me there. What do you say?"

"We'd love to go," Boston hopped up and down. "Can we go, Sagan?"

"I suppose," she said. "You aren't a serial killer or anything, are you Parker."

"Yes," I told them, "I just didn't want that poor guy to get you. I was saving you for myself. But, I thought we already established that I'm Superman."

They both laughed and it was enchanting to watch them. 

"The police are going to come over here any time and ask us if we saw anything. It's up to you girls, but I don't want to be a witness. I don't have time to be tied up in court. Is it ok if I tell him we don't know anything?"

They agreed to the plan and, sure enough, the police officer came over and I quickly assured him that we didn't see anything. We walked down a block and crossed back over. I had my car parked two blocks away and Boston's eyes lit up when she saw it.

"No, that isn't your car, is it, Parker?"

"Yep, that's my baby," I told her.

"It's beautiful. What is it?"

"It's a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi Convertible," I told her. "It's a little chilly, but would you like to put the top down?"

"Sagan's hair will blow, but I want to. Can we Sagan?"

"Sure, I'll just look like a witch when we get there, but don't mind me," she laughed.

"It isn't far," I told her. "It's about a mile and I'll drive slowly. You want to sit in the back or front, Boston?"

"I'll sit in the back. I'm little. Sagan can sit by you."

We climbed in and I put the top down. I fired it up and the big Hemi rumbled to life. The cam lope made the whole car shake and I could see the girl's eyes shine with excitement.

I eased into the traffic and we drove along about 30. Sagan held her hair in her hands to keep it from blowing. We stopped at a light and I asked Boston if she wanted me to punch it. She did, very much, so when the light changed I eased up to about ten miles an hour and put the accelerator down. The Hemi roared and the tires broke loose for a bit and pressed them back into their seats. I backed off and shifted into second and we cruised.

"I love this car," Boston shouted. "I want one. How much do they cost?"

"They only made nine," I told her. "There are only three left in the world. The rest were wrecked. I don't think you'll find one for sale."

We pulled up at Anthony's and I went around and opened their door.

"Sagan, he's a gentleman too," Boston pointed out. "Parker, do you think you might want to marry me?"

"I'd love to, but I think I'm a little long in the tooth," I told her.

She laughed. "I wish I was older. It's a pain being little. Maybe you could marry Sagan."

"Boston," her sister was half-amused and half-embarrassed. "I think Parker can choose who he wants to marry. Are you married, Parker?"

"Not yet," I told her. "Sounds like I haven't got long though.

The girls laughed again and Boston held my hand as we went in. We got a pizza and sodas and talked over lunch. I found out that Sagan was a junior at the University of Texas, she wasn't married and didn't have a steady boyfriend. Boston was in the fourth grade and she did have a boyfriend. They had a brother in high school and they were Austin natives. They asked about me and I gave them the biography. They were very impressed that I had gone to Harvard and that I worked for Apple. I told them about Mom and Boston got sort of quiet for a while.

"Parker," she finally said. "I'm very grateful to you for saving us, but it was kind of strange. One second we were in the middle of the street and the next second we were 30 feet away on the sidewalk. Maybe I was disoriented, but it seemed like you just teleported us there."

I hesitated for a minute. I liked these girls and I didn't want to lie to them, but how could I explain that?

"I don't know what happened, girls. It was so fast and so desperate I just reacted. I know what you mean. Maybe I was disoriented too. I don't know how it happened either. I can't explain it. I've always been faster and stronger than anyone I know. Maybe it's genetic or something. I just saw that we were going to be killed and the next thing I knew I was holding you on the sidewalk."

Sagan's eyes ran over me. "You are very big, Parker. How strong are you?"

I decided to be honest. "I don't know. I've never exerted my full strength."

"Do you lift weights?" Boston asked.

"Yes, but I never really push it. Sometimes when I'm at the gym with really strong guys, I lift a lot, but I always feel like I could lift more. I can't teleport, though. Sorry Boston."

"Well, I'd like to see how strong you are," Sagan said. "You're a very interesting person, Parker."

"I like you too," I told them. "Do you girls think we could do this again sometime?"

"I'd love to," Boston said. "Will you ask Sagan out on a date?"

"Boston, stop that. I'm sorry, Parker. She's always trying to set me up with someone."

"I'd love to go on a date with Sagan," I told Boston. "Sagan, will you go out with me?"

She blushed, but she looked me in the eye. "Yes, I will go on a date with you, but don't think you have to ask me because Boston thinks it's a good idea."

"I don't. Boston's a smart girl. Are you busy Friday evening?"

"Yes, I'm doing something with Boston, but I can go Saturday."

"I'll pick you up at 6," I told her. "But I want Boston to go with us. Is that possible?"

"Oh, my God," Boston exclaimed. "Sagan, you're crazy if you let this guy get away. I'd love to go with you guys, but maybe next time. I think you should be alone on your first date."

We went back to the car and I drove them back to Buckle. I let them out and Boston ran and jumped on me. I caught her and gave her a squeeze and a kiss on the top of the head.

When I set her down Sagan came up and hugged me too. I realized how tall she was. She must have been six feet or a little more. She held the hug a long time and I felt her shudder a little. I looked down and she was crying.

"Hey, it's ok," I told her. "There's nothing to cry about."

"Yes there is," she told me. "I almost died today. So did Boston and the only reason we're here is that you rescued us. I don't want to let you go."

"I know, I don't want to let you go either. Maybe it was fate. I wouldn't have met the two most beautiful girls in Austin if this hadn't happened. I feel bad about the guy driving that car and the guy that got hit, but everything else has been the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. It isn't over. You're going out with me Saturday, remember?"

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. Her lips were as soft as a feather against my skin and then she stepped back. I gave her my card and my cell phone number; got her number and they went in the store. I stood there for a minute thinking. I shook my head and got in the car.

I sent Mom a text. "Mom, I've met the girl of my dreams, but we need to talk. I'm going to buy you an open ticket to Austin. Come as soon as you can."

Chapter Two

Mom flew in on Thursday and I picked her up at the airport. I took her out for dinner at a nice Mexican place and we caught up while we ate. I really didn't know where to start and I beat around the bush for a while. Finally, she had enough and she set her glass down and took my hand in hers.

"I know you want to ask me something, Parker. What is it, baby?"

"Something weird happened to me Monday, Mom; something really weird. We don't talk about this stuff, but it's creeping me out and I've got to talk to someone."

"What is it? Tell Mama, Parker."

I explained what had happened with Sagan and Boston and how I had teleported to the sidewalk, to use Boston's word. I told her about holding back all these years so I wouldn't stand out and how it was driving me crazy.

"We can't talk about this here," she told me. "Take me to my hotel and we'll talk there. This is going to be a shock to you, so gather up your wits."

I drove her to the Hilton, she checked in and we went up to her room. She never wanted to stay with me for some reason. She got me a beer and opened one for herself. We sat on the sofa and she snuggled up against me and laid her head on my chest.

"You know I love you, right baby?"

"Yes, Mom, you've been there for me all my life. I know that."

"Then keep that in mind while I tell you some things."

She gathered her thoughts for a minute.

"In need to tell you about your father," she told me. "You've never asked me about him and I really didn't know what to tell you, so we just ignored it. Have you ever heard the word Nephilim?"

"No, I haven't. What does it mean?"

"Well, it's a Semitic word and in the King James Version of the Bible, it's translated 'giant.' It's really a name and it can't be translated."

"What's it the name of?" I asked her. "And what does this have to do with me?"

"I'm getting there. It's the name of a race of people. They were the result of the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. Do you know what that means?"

"No, I could make a guess. Is it male angels and human women?"

"You've got it."

"This is starting to sound pretty much like myths and legends to me," I told her. "What are you trying to say?"


First Estate



"I can't just tell you. I want to show you something. Come down to your car with me."

I followed her downstairs and we walked out to the car. She took me around to the front of it. She looked around and we were alone in the parking lot.

"Pick it up," she told me.

"Pick what up, the car?"

"Yes, the car," she said.

"Are you crazy? What's going on, Mom? I can't lift this car."

"How do you know?" she asked. "Humor me and try."

She went around to the back. I decided to play along. I took hold of the bumper and gave it a pull. It weighed a ton.

"I can't do it," I called.

"Come on, pussy," she said. "Put a little effort into it. Show Mom how strong you are."

I flexed a little and pulled again. I really tried this time. I felt it rise on its springs and the full weight came down on my arms. It weighed ten tons. I kept lifting and to my amazement, the car kept rising. It was heavy, damned heavy, but I could do it. I was very surprised when I felt the back end rise from the ground. I looked back over the roof and saw that Mom was holding up the back end. I nearly dropped it.

"Carry it over to the next parking place," she said.

We carried it over there and it felt like my arms were going to fall off. We sat it down and I felt two feet shorter.

Mom straightened up with a sigh. Suddenly she was standing next to me. My jaw dropped. I couldn't speak.

"What the hell?" I finally got out.

"There are three of us left on earth," she told me, "me, you and your father. He's evil, Parker. I thought he had changed. I was wrong. He betrayed me and I tried to kill him. He got away and I haven't heard from him since. I hope I never see him again because when I do, he's either going to kill me or I'm going to kill him. I hope you never see him. If you do you'll meet the most dangerous thing you've ever met."

"Jesus, Mom. Why don't you just tell me I'm from the Planet Freak and you have a spaceship?"

"Because that would be a lie. I've never lied to you, Parker. I never will. We can do things other people can't. Haven't you ever wondered why I looked so much younger than all the mothers of the kids you grew up with? It's because I don't age."

It was true. She looked about 25 and she had looked like that all my life. I had never thought about it; she was just Mom.

"Somewhere back down the line, we've got angel blood in us. It was fallen angel blood, but it gives us abilities. God was so afraid of us that he destroyed the earth to get rid of us. Some of us didn't die. Some are in prison and there's just the three of us left. You're a good man, Parker. As long as you stay good, you're safe. If you start doing evil stuff, angels will hunt you down and kill you. You're stronger than some of them, but there are millions of them and they'll get you eventually. They may have gotten your father. I hope they have. If you have kids with a human, they'll be like you. That's why you can do what you call 'teleport.'"

"Stop, please Mom. I need that beer. Let's go back up to your room. Can you just fly there?"

"I could, but I'm not suicidal today. Never do that to somewhere you can't see. You'll miscalculate and wind up in a wall. Angels can do that but you can't. Wind up in a wall and you're toast."

"Ok, we'll go the old fashioned way. You've got to teach me how to do that when I want to. I didn't even know I could until Monday."

We went back upstairs and polished off a six-pack. I don't drink much and I was feeling no pain. I felt a little better about what she was telling me. Her little demonstration was convincing, but I had trouble wrapping my head around it. I asked her about exactly what I could do. It turned out that I could teleport across the room, lift small objects without touching them, reduce my mass nearly to zero or become incredibly heavy. I couldn't think of a use for the heavy thing. I could also sense what the people in the next room were doing and thinking. It was embarrassing and I quickly shut that down. We fell asleep on the sofa and when I woke up Mom was in the shower.

I ordered breakfast and when she came in, I showered too. We hung out Friday and she told me about our history. She flew back home in the evening. I didn't know what to do with myself. Everything seemed weird. It was like I had this whole new body. Things that had bothered me all my life became clear and I had a new perspective. Saturday I worried about my date with Sagan. This seemed like quite a bomb to drop on a girl on the first date. I really was attracted to her and I didn't want to scare her away. I didn't want to base our relationship on lying about who I was either. I didn't know what to do. I went to church and sat in a pew for an hour, just running things over in my mind. I decided honesty was the best policy. I was fine before I met her and I would be fine if she thought I was a nut. I told myself that, but I didn't believe it.

I picked her up at six and Boston came out to the car with her. She leaned in and kissed me. "Take good care of her, Parker. I love Sagan and I don't want her to be hurt."

"I'll do my best," I told her. "Listen, Boston. I found out how I was able to save you girls. If you ask Sagan about it tomorrow, she'll know too. I hope you still like me. You said you would love me forever and I hope that won't change."

"It won't, Parker. I know you're really Superman. Have fun. I can't wait to hear about it."

Sagan climbed in and she was stunning. She had on one of those little black dresses and red heels that made her legs look very long and gorgeous. Her hair was twisted up in a messy knot and I felt like the luckiest guy on the planet.

We went to a restaurant down on the river. We ate and talked and laughed. She was utterly charming and when we finished I took her to a club and we danced for an hour or so. I saw all the guys in the club checking her out. She was easily the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I have a houseboat down on the lake and I took her down and gave her the tour. We sat on a sofa on top of the cabin and drank a glass of wine. I put my arm around her and she snuggled in.

"Sagan, I have to tell you that I really, really like you. You're unbelievably gorgeous and sweet and charming. Why is it that you aren't married, or at least have some guy crazy about you?"

"I've had boyfriends, but none of them really did it for me. It has something to do with Boston, but I'm not going to tell you about that right now. Maybe someday she'll tell you."

"I have something to tell you." I said.

"What is it?"

"Well, Mom flew into town and we had a long talk. I told her what happened when I met you and what Boston said about teleporting."

"What did she say?" 

"Well, this is really weird and I don't want to tell you. I really like you, Sagan. I've never met a girl like you before and I don't want to mess it up."

"Are you a criminal or something?" she laughed.

"No, but if I wanted to be I would be awesome at it."

"Why do you say that? Just tell me, Parker. I won't freak out."

"I can't tell you, I'll have to show you."

I figured it would be easier to just show her like Mom did me so I pulled her up and walked her down to the car.

"Watch this," I told her.

I bent down and picked it up. It was parked on the grass and I got a surprise when my feet sunk down in the soft dirt to the ankles. I held it for a minute then set it down.

Sagan gasped when I picked it up and she just stared at me when I straightened up and shook the dirt off my shoes.

"Jesus, Parker. I've never heard of anyone that could do that. Boston was right; you are Superman. I guess you're finding out how strong you really are."

"Wait there for a minute," I told her.

I walked about 50 feet away from her. I concentrated and suddenly I was standing in front of her. She was obviously very frightened and began to back away, her hands warding me off.

"Parker, please! Please don't hurt me. I won't tell anyone."

That broke my heart. I sat down on the hood of the car and cried like a baby. I couldn't help myself. All those years of hiding and concealing myself from people washed over me like a flood. Here was the girl I had finally found that I really liked and showed myself to and she was scared to death of me. She thought I was going to hurt her. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed.

I felt a hand on my hands. I looked up and she was standing in front of me. I could tell she was still scared, but she tangled her hands in my hair and kissed my forehead. There were tears in her eyes as well.

"I'm sorry, Parker. You scared me. You didn't deserve that. You saved my life and I don't think you'd hurt me. You saved Boston too. I was just scared. Please forgive me and stop crying. I won't do it anymore. I told you I wouldn't freak out and I did. I'm truly sorry. I trust you. Let's go back to the boat and sit down."

She took my hand and pulled on it. She led me back to the sofa and we sat down like before with her cheek on my chest.

She looked up at me and patted my cheek. "What are you, Parker? Are you a witch or a vampire or something?"

I laughed. "No, no; nothing like that. I'm not evil, Sagan. I'm the same guy I've always been, I just found out some stuff from Mom. I couldn't just tell you; you would have thought I was crazy or something. I had to show you so you would believe me."

"What did your Mom tell you?"

"She told me that I'm something called a Nephilim."

"What's a Nephilim?"

"That's what I asked her. She said it's a Bible word for a race of people that are the children of male angels and female humans. She's one too. She lifted up the back of my car and we carried it over to the next parking place. She can teleport like that too, only a lot better than I can."

"Jesus Christ, Parker, you're an angel?"

"No; just like half or something. I don't know how it all works but Mom says if you have angel blood you can pass it down to your kids too. They'll be Nephilim too. She says that there are only three of us left on earth."

"Who's the other one?"

"It's my father. I never knew who he was. She never told me and I didn't want to ask. She says he's evil and I guess I believe her. She's never lied to me and she's a very good person so I guess he must be. She said he might be dead. If someone like me turns evil the real angels hunt them down and kill them or put them in some kind of angel prison."

She sat up and looked at me. She felt my hair and ran her fingers over my face.

"You don't feel any different than anyone else. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would think you were crazy. Can you pick me up?"

I held out one arm and she wrapped her arms around it. I lifted her easily off the sofa and when I sat her back down, I put her in my lap. She wiggled around and got comfortable.

"I'm going to trust you, Parker. I really like you too. Do you think you might be interested in a human girl?"

"Apparently, my ancestors have shown we have a weakness there. 'The sons of God looked upon the daughters of men and saw that they were fair.' I think you're a whole lot better than fair, Sagan. You're gorgeous. Would you mind if I kissed you?"

She lifted her face to me and I tasted her lips. She tasted like wine and a little salt from her tears earlier. We made out for five minutes. She finally pulled away and nuzzled her cheek back into my chest and we watched the play of the lights on the lake while I held her. It was one thirty and I thought I should take her home.

"Sagan, will you go out with me again? I promise I won't have any surprises next time."

She looked up at me. "Yes, I will. How many girls have the chance to go out with an angel?"

"You can't tell anyone about this, please. Well, I promised Boston you would tell her, but I don't want to people looking at me as if I'm a freak. Do you think she'll think I'm creepy?"

"No, she'll think we should get married next week." She giggled. "Take me home, Parker. I'll go out with you next Saturday. Can we bring Boston here and take the boat out? Then we'll take her home and do something romantic, ok?"

"That sounds great so long as the weather is good. If not, we'll do something else."

I stood up and picked her up in my arms. I carried her to the rail then concentrated and we were standing by the car. She gasped and stiffened up a little in my arms.

"Jesus, Parker; warn me before you do that. You're going to make me have a heart attack."

I laughed and put her down. I opened the door and she slid in. I couldn't help myself, I just had to run my hand up one of those impossibly long legs. She gasped again when it reached her thigh and caught it in her hands.

"You feel amazing," I told her.

She pulled it up a little higher, pushing up the hem of her dress a little, pressing my hand into the silky thigh then slapped it gently.

"Take me home, Parker. You can feel more next time."

Chapter Three

I started doing little experiments. I was testing my abilities. I had to fly to Hong Kong on Tuesday and I discovered that the ability to sense what people were thinking and doing was a tremendous asset. I found out that one of my managers was mishandling funds, taking bribes and promoting people like it was his own little kingdom. I even found out where he kept the dirt and fired him. My boss was very pleased and I closed a big deal with an electronics giant to carry our phones. I could see just what they wanted and it was a sweet deal for both of us.

I started moving things with my mind and I walked the streets at night and practiced teleporting. I tried lifting things and discovered I could lift more than five tons but less than eight.

Sagan and Boston texted me every day and I talked to Sagan three times that week. She was off school on Christmas break and she invited me to her house for Christmas. I was a little nervous about meeting her parents but she assured me that they would love me so I agreed.

I shopped some in Hong Kong, picked up some things for the girls, and bought Mom some jade jewelry. She loves jade and I was happy to add to her collection. I got Boston a new iPad and one of the new iPods for their brother. I didn't know what to get their mom and dad, so I called Sagan. She didn't want me to get them anything, but I insisted and she told me what to get. I knew what I wanted to get her. I made an appointment for her at a spa and sent a fashion designer from one of the high-end shops in town to her house to measure her. I told him he had an unlimited budget and I wanted her to be the best-dressed woman in Austin. I had to caution him against anything too risqué or outlandish as he went on and on over the phone.

"She's a college junior," I told him. "She's already smoking hot; just give her a look that doesn't change that. Whatever you do, if you suggest that she cut her hair I'm going to burn down your house, you got it?"

"Yes sir, you won't be disappointed," he told me.

She texted me and told me that he had made an appointment with her and the spa had called to confirm. She didn't know what was going on and I told her to just play along, I was getting her something for Christmas. She protested, but I didn't answer and she didn't mention it again.

I flew back to Austin on Friday and slept most of the day. I arranged to pick her and Boston up at ten on Saturday. The weather was nice, nearly seventy degrees, and I got the boat ready to go.

Boston came running out when she heard the Challenger rumble up and I got out to let her in. She gave me a big hug and I put her bag in the trunk. She climbed in and Sagan came out. She was wearing black slacks and a cream-colored sweater and she looked amazing. There was a rosy blush to her cheeks and she positively glowed. She kissed me, I put her bag in, and we drove down to the dock.

Boston chattered the whole way and when we got there, we got our stuff and she demanded that I carry her. I was happy to oblige and she whispered in my ear. "Parker, will you teleport us onto the boat please?"

I warned Sagan and popped us across. She squealed with delight and wanted to do it again. I promised I'd take her back to shore like that when we got back and she was happy. I let her drive as soon as we were clear of the dock and she sat on my lap and held the big wheel in her little hands. We ran up the lake for a ways to get away from the traffic, went up a long creek arm, and tied up.

It was even warmer than the day before and sunny, and the girls went down to the cabin, changed into swimsuits and lay in the sun. They were both very pale, but at this time of year, there wasn't much danger of sunburn. They had the most perfect skin. It was nearly translucent; the color of coffee with lots of cream. I suspected they could tan, but it couldn't improve the way they looked.

I'm kind of a deep tan color year round anyway, so I took off my shirt and joined them. I thought I would have a little fun and I reached out with my mind and pulled on the string holding Sagan's bikini top up. She was lying face down on a big fluffy towel. It began to slip untied and she sat up and quickly grabbed it. She tied it more firmly back as I chuckled to myself. She lay back down and I pulled it again. She shot back up and looked over at me. I pretended to have my eyes closed. She pulled it firm again and lay back down. The next time she didn't move and the string came untied, the strings on both sides fell down and the sides of her breasts were exposed as she lay face down on her towel.

She turned her face toward me and stuck out her tongue. I laughed and she closed her eyes and relaxed. In an hour, it was lunchtime and I got up and set the table. When the girls came in Sagan had on a t-shirt and I could tell right away that the bikini top was missing. I had fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, beer for Sagan and me and juice for Boston. They were quite satisfied with the food and after lunch we fished around the standing trees and the girls were delighted to catch several pan fish.

"If it was summer, I would take you water skiing," I told them. "Did you see the boat tied up next to this one? That's mine too, and it's perfect for taking pretty girls skiing."

They had never been and I promised to teach them as soon as the water was warm enough. Boston drove back to the dock and her brother was there to pick her up. She was disappointed that I couldn't teleport her back to the dock, but I promised to pick her up Sunday afternoon and zip her around as much as she wanted.

Sagan and I sat on the benches on the front deck with my arm around her and relaxed for a while. It was still warm and we talked about work, school and family for a while. She stood up after she finished her beer and walked to the trash bin to throw the bottle away. When she came back, she straddled me with her knees on the cushion and flattened herself against my chest.

"This has been a great day, Parker."

"It's not over yet," I told her.

"I know. I just wanted to tell you how much I love the way you are with Boston. I love her more than anything, you know."

"I can tell. She's an incredible girl. I love her too. I would want to be around her even if it weren't for you. She makes everyone around her happy."

She raised her head up to kiss me. Her lips molded to mine and I felt the tip of her tongue exploring. I let mine wrestle with it and her lips were full and puffy. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. She rubbed herself against me and I ran my hands up under her t-shirt and up the silky skin of her back. She was very slender, but I was fascinated with the way her narrow waist flared into her hips. I stroked that curve repeatedly. She shivered as I stroked her and her hands were busy exploring my chest. I moved my arms apart; forcing her shirt upward and she sat up and pulled it over her head.




First Estate



I froze for a minute. She was even more exquisite than I imagined. Her breasts were full and large, not a hint of sag in spite of their weight. Her areolas were large and formed a pink cone on the end of each beautiful mound, capped by a rock hard, tiny pink nipple. I palmed then and she moaned and shook when I rolled the nubs between my thumb and forefinger. She pressed them firmly into my hands and wrapped her arms around my neck. She pulled one hand away and sought my lips with one rubbery tip. I closed them over it and pulled at the little nipple, stretching it and letting it snap back. She groaned and pushed it back inside.

I felt her hand slide down between us and she found how excited she made me.

"Damn, Parker; you're big all over," she whispered.

She stroked me for a minute and I pulled her hand back up.

"No, let me," she whispered.

"I will, but not today," I told her. "Too fast, baby. I think you're special and I want to chase you a while till we've got it all just right. Then I'm going to make love to you until you can't walk. Wait and see what I've got planned for you."

She lay down flat on me again and rubbed those big breasts across my chest.

"That sounds perfect, Parker, but I don't know if I can wait. I want you. I've never felt like this before. I'm just so hot for you. I can't believe I'm acting like this. I'm really not a slut; you just make me so hot."

"I know, I feel the same way. God you're sexy, Sagan. Put your shirt back on, baby, or today is the day."

She kissed me fiercely and ground herself against me and then she sat up and was gone. I cupped her breasts until she pulled the shirt back on and pushed my hands away.

"Let's go grab a bite and then go dancing. I want to rub all over you," she told me.

We changed into casual stuff and I zapped her out to the car.

"I'll never get used to that. I have my own personal angel," she laughed.

We danced until two and I took her home.

Chapter Four

Sunday morning, I got up and got dressed. I texted Boston and asked her if she would go to church with me. She said she would love to go and I picked her up at nine. She told me that Sagan was still asleep. I put her in and we drove down Caesar Chavez to a church near the University where I usually go. To my surprise, and Boston's delight, the pastor preached a sermon on angels. He seemed to know a lot about them and he described what they did, showing us stories from the bible about them.

Boston sat very close to me and held my hand during the whole service. The feel of that little hand made me warm all over. She seemed a little wan. There were dark circles around her eyes. I asked her if she was ok, and she told me she didn't sleep very well last night. I took her to lunch at an Italian place I knew about and she loved the pasta. We walked down the street after lunch and she held my hand and skipped along. I was utterly enchanted with this little gypsy. She had all kinds of questions to ask me, but I didn't know most of the answers. When the sidewalk was empty, I would hold her and zip us up and down the street. I showed her how I could move things without touching them. She was delighted.

"Parker, do angels have souls like people? Have you ever seen an angel? Do you think they really have wings? How come you don't have any wings?"

"Slow down there, tiger. I don't know any of those things. I'm kind of new at this whole angel thing. Remember, I only found out a couple of weeks ago myself. You know nearly as much about it as I do. If Mom was here, we could ask her. She's coming here New Year's eve. Would you like to meet her?"

"I'd love to, Parker. How old is she? Do you think she'll like me?"

"I really don't know how old she is. She hasn't ever told me and I think she'll love you. How could she not. You're the most lovable girl I know."

She squeezed my hand. "You're sweet, Parker. Are you sure you don't want to wait till I grow up and marry me?"

"Ask me again when you're 21," I told her.

"I will," she promised. "I broke up with my boyfriend this week. Do you think we could talk to Pastor Davis about angels? He seems to know a lot about them. Maybe he could answer a lot of our questions."

"We could, but I think my Mom would know more. Let's wait and talk to her. If she doesn't know, I'll make an appointment for us to talk to the pastor."

"Ok, I'm sorry, Parker, but I need to go home now. I'm feeling very tired."

We walked back to the car and I drove her home. When I opened her door, she stood up on the floor of the car so she could be taller. She threw her arms around me and kissed me on the lips.

"Thanks for taking me with you, Parker. This is one of the best days of my life. I love you."

That choked me up a little. I petted her head and squeezed her. "I love you too, kitten. We'll do it again soon. I'm coming over here for dinner tomorrow. Don't leave me alone with your parents. I'm kind of scared about meeting them."

"I'll protect you," she promised. She jumped down and skipped up the sidewalk to the door. Sagan came out and kissed me when Boston went inside.

"Hey, baby, thanks for taking Boston to church. I can't believe you let her hang out with you like this."

"Well, she's one of my three favorite people in the world," I told her. "If I could, I would take both of you away to live with me so I could hang out with you all the time."

She melted against me. "We'll see," she whispered against my lips.

I hugged her again and went home.

Christmas day was much cooler. It was raining a little, and I gathered my packages and drove to Sagan's house. I rang the doorbell and after a minute, a stunning woman opened the door. It was easy to see where Sagan got her looks. She took my hand in her long, cool fingers.

"Hello, Parker. We're so glad to meet you." Her voice was low and husky. She was nearly as tall as Sagan with that same, big breasted, slender build.

"The girls have told us so much about you. I want you to know how grateful we are to you for saving their lives." She stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek. "I'm Mona. Come in and meet the others."

She introduced me to her son, Thomas, and her husband, Jackson. They seemed like nice guys and they invited me to watch a football game with them.

I told them I had packages to carry in and they went to the car and helped me carry them. They both loved the Challenger and I promised to take them for a spin later. By the time we got the packages arranged under the tree, Sagan and Boston came downstairs and I was buried under girls, hugging and kissing me.

The doorbell rang and Mona's sister and her husband arrived with their two children. While they were getting settled the bell rang again and it was a delivery. The delivery guy carried in about twenty packages and we stacked them under the tree. I knew they were the clothes for Sagan, but no one else knew where they had come from.

Mona was quite the chef, and dinner was delicious. I had never been a part of a family gathering like this and it made me a little wistful. Growing up, it had been just Mom and me, and this was a completely new experience.

The McDonalds were obviously not a wealthy family, but they just as obviously loved each other. We sat in the living room and with Sagan next to me on the sofa and Boston sitting on my lap I couldn't ever remember being so happy. We played games and then it was time to open presents.

Boston gave me a beautiful, soft scarf and Sagan gave me a beautiful Art book about angels. I wrapped the scarf around my neck and Sagan snuggled into my side.

"I thought you might be interested in that book," she said. "It has the names of every known angel in it and a description of what they are known to do."

The pictures were beautiful and I kissed them both.

Boston squealed with delight when she opened her new iPad, and Thomas was very pleased with his iPod.

"Parker, thank you, but you shouldn't have spent so much," Mona told me.

"Well, I don't know if the girls told you, but I work for Apple," I told her. "I get a discount, and I have a very good job. What's the use of money if you can't make people happy with it?"

She smiled and watching Boston play on her iPad was enough to overcome any reluctance. Boston and Thomas began carrying the packages with Sagan's name on them over and she was soon surrounded by quite a stack.

"Can I help you open them?" Boston asked her.

"No, Boston; those are Sagan's gifts and she wants to open them," her mother said.

"It's ok, Mom. She can help me. If she doesn't we'll be here all night."

The wrapping paper was soon flying and the girls all squeaked with delight as they made Sagan stand up and held things up to her to see how they looked. I had been a little worried that they would be garish and weird. I've seen what some of those fashion gurus do, but my guy had made me proud. This beautiful, but sensible stuff would just enhance Sagan's natural beauty.

She was a little overwhelmed, I could tell. She sat beside me and looked up at me seriously.

"I love all this stuff, Parker, and I'm thankful, but how much did you spend on this?"

"What difference does it make? If I was poor and spending my last dime, it might be different. I'm not. I have more money than I'll ever be able to spend. I closed a 6 billion dollar deal for my company last week. They're very grateful and I got a big bonus I didn't need. I have a girl I want to make very happy and you can't make me feel guilty about that. It's my money and if I want to spend it on you that's what I'm going to do."

There were tears in her eyes as she kissed me. "I am very happy. It doesn't have anything to do with presents, either. It's you, Parker. You make me happy because you're the kind of person you are. Merry Christmas, baby."

Boston came over and reclaimed her spot on my lap. "Hey, stop kissing," she complained. "There's no mistletoe over here." We laughed together and I squeezed my girls up tight.

I took Thomas and Jackson for a ride in the Challenger and we got to know each other a little better. I invited them to a Texas football game and they accepted. I took them back home and Sagan, Boston and I went for a drive to look at the lights. There was a walking park and we strolled along with a girl under each of my arms. Boston quickly grew tired and I carried her piggyback. It was the perfect ending of a perfect Christmas.

Texas was playing in the Cotton Bowl and the girls went with us to the game. Boston wasn't really a football fan but she was a stadium food fan. She looked like she had perked up a bit and the blush was back on her cheeks. We rode up to Dallas in the McDonalds minivan and I sat in the back with a girl on either side of me. It was a little claustrophobic but Boston was as charming and witty as always and Sagan was beauty incarnate. She was wearing some of her new clothes and they were spot on.

Mom flew down for New Year's and I cooked. The girls came over and got acquainted with Mom. She loved them and they couldn't get over how young and beautiful she was. Boston had a million questions and Mom tried to answer them all.

"How old are you, Mrs. Stephens," was the first thing Boston asked her after dinner.

Mom laughed. "Not old enough to be called Mrs. Stephens. My name is Lilith. My driver's license says I'm 32. Do you want to look at it?"

"No, I know you're not 32," Boston told her. "Parker is 26, so unless you had him when you were six, your license is a fake."

"No, honey, it's real, but I have to keep changing it. I'm old enough to remember when the first driver's license was issued. Mine said I was 25 then and I've kept changing it. I don't age, sweetheart. Parker will have to start doing that too when he gets older. But to answer your question, I was born in the third year of the reign of king Asshur in the city of Nineveh. My father's name was Mahawi and he was the second son of the angel Shemihazah. He was a Nephilim."

"I've never heard of any of those names," Boston told her. "Who were they and where is that city?"

"Well, if you read the tenth chapter of Genesis in the Bible you'll find out. Nineveh was a city on the east bank of the Tigris River. It was destroyed in 812 BC, but I was long gone by then."

"Lilith, are you telling us that you're thousands of years old?" Sagan asked.

"Please, don't remind me," Mom begged. "I don't want to remember."

The girls laughed. "Will Parker live thousands of years?" Boston asked her.

"If he doesn't die in an accident or someone doesn't kill him. He will never change much from what he is now. He doesn't get sick. Once we mature we stop aging."

Sagan burst into tears. She sobbed uncontrollably and I couldn't get her to stop. Mom came over and sat beside her. She put her arms around her and held her.

"What's wrong, Sagan? Why are you crying?"

"Because I think I'm in love with him. I want to be with him and I'm going to get old and ugly and he will still be young and beautiful and he won't want to be with an old hag."

"I know that's the way it seems, but that's not the way it has to be," Mom patted her. "If you love him and someday you have children, his blood passes on to that child. That child will be just like Parker."

"How does that help me?" Sagan wailed.

"That baby is you as long as it's inside you. Do you think you just give it life and it doesn't give anything to you? You share a blood system. If you have his baby, you'll never get old. You will become something different."

"What will she become," Boston asked.

"She will become something called a Siren."

"You mean like the seductresses of Greek mythology?" I asked.

"No, that's a corruption of the texts," Mom said. "They become women of great power, singers and weavers of power, but peaceful. The ancient word means something like 'mourners.' But they don't die."

That calmed her somewhat. "If you or Parker gave someone a blood transfusion, would it work the same way?" Boston asked.

"I don't know, sweetheart. That's a very good question. I know a way to find out."

"Tell us," Boston said.

"The next time you're sick, if it works like that, you could get a transfusion from Parker. If it heals you, you'll become immune to the disease and you'll never be sick again. We don't get sick."

"I'm sick now," Boston said. "I have lymphoma. I'm waiting for a bone marrow transplant."

"My poor baby; I'm so sorry," Mom said.

"Sweet Jesus, Boston," I said. "Why didn't you tell me? Sagan, you never mentioned a word about this."

"Boston made me promise not to. She doesn't like to talk about it."

Boston climbed onto my lap. "I didn't want you to worry about me, Parker. I'm just sick. When people find out they don't treat me the same. I get blood transfusions every couple of weeks while I'm waiting for a donor and it makes me feel better. Do you still love me?"

"How could you even ask that? Of course I still love you. Why would you being sick make me not love you?"

"Well, some people don't like being around sick kids. Will you give me a transfusion, Parker?"

"I want to, but I don't know if I can. What blood type are you?"

"I'm B positive. What are you?"

"I don't know. Mom, do you know?"

"Yes, you're something that doesn't fit on human charts. Don't worry though; you can give blood to anyone. You can't take blood from humans but you can give it to them."

"Then yes, I will give you a transfusion, Boston. How will we do it, though? I don't want anyone finding out about this."

"I know people," Mom said. "You don't live as long as I have without knowing people. We can't do it here. I don't know anyone in Texas. I do know people in Boston that we could get to do it."

"How would we get Boston to Boston?" I asked. We all laughed at the expression. "We need a plan."

"I'm good at planning," Sagan said. "Let me think a minute."

She was silent for a few minutes. "I've got it," she said. "I'll tell Mom and Dad that Lilith has invited us to Boston next weekend and we'll all fly up there. Parker; I hate to ask you, but can you buy us tickets? I can't afford that and neither can Mom and Dad. They owe hospital bills they'll never be able to pay the way it is."

"Of course I will," I told her. "I'll make the arrangements today. No, tomorrow; they probably aren't open today. Will you do it Boston?"

"Yes, this is the best hope I've had since I was five. I've been in remission three times, Parker and it always comes back. The bone marrow transplant is kind of a last ditch effort. I don't want to die. Thank you Parker."

"Don't get your hopes up too high, sweetheart," Mom told her. "We don't know if this is going to work."

"Even if it doesn't, we'll find something, Boston. We'll scour the earth for a solution. I'm not about to let you die. You're too precious to me." I told her.

"Can angels heal people?" she asked Mom.

"Yes, but they're dangerous to people like me and Parker."

"Can you heal people?"

"I don't know, honey. I don't know how. I think I could if I knew how to do it. If it comes to that, I'll capture an angel and find out. That's maybe one of those last ditch efforts. It might get me killed."

"No, I don't want you to do that," Boston said. "I would rather die myself than for you or Parker to get hurt. Let's try the transfusion first. It's too bad I'm little or I could just have Parker's baby."

"Boston! You're impossible," her sister told her. "I can't believe you said that."

"I love Parker. If I were big, I would love to have his baby. You love him too, Sagan. Don't pretend like you don't."

"See what I deal with every day?" she told me. "It's like living with Alice and her world is Wonderland. I never know when she's going to pop down the rabbit hole."

"You're delightful, child," Mom told her. "Don't ever change."

I squeezed her until she couldn't breathe. "Well, dinner won't eat itself. Let's eat and we'll let next week take care of itself."

We ate and I drove us to San Antonio and we did the River Walk. It was great to have Mom along. I hadn't spent much time with her since I moved to Texas. I carried Boston most of the time. She got tired easily and some things I had noticed about her began to add up. I wasn't going to let this little pixie out of my life.

When we took them home, Mom and I had a long talk.

"Mom, how could you capture an angel?"

"I know when they're around. There are millions of them and I see them pretty often. I'm warded and they can't see me unless I let them. I don't. There are sigils and weapons I can use. You can do it too, but you don't want to mess around with them. I've done it before. They're deadly, Parker. I mean, not to humans, but to us. They've nearly wiped us off the earth four different times. I think God hates us. We're something that wasn't supposed to happen. I think he was worried that we would take over the earth and there wouldn't be any pure humans left. That interfered with his plan for Jesus and he wouldn't let that happen."

"I just can't believe all this stuff is real," I told her. "I mean, God, Jesus, angels; I thought that was all just myths. I guess I always thought there must be a God, but I didn't think much in the Bible was true."

"Well, the history is true. I've lived through most of it. I don't know about some of it, but I know angels and demons are real. I've met them. I've seen what they do. I've tried to make things normal for you, Parker. I can't do that anymore. I'm going to teach you things. This is stuff you need to know to survive. You've been a great kid. You're the best kid I've ever had."

"Mom, what are you saying? Do I have brothers and sisters?"

"No; not for a long time. I haven't had a child for more than 500 years. Your brothers and sisters are all dead except for two. They're in prison and I never want to see them again. They're evil. It's a great temptation, Parker. If you weren't you, I would be very worried. When you start manifesting power it's like it goes to our heads and we lose control. You won't do that, will you?"




First Estate



"No, Mom. Of course not. I don't want power. I just want to be a normal guy. Well, I want to save Boston, but I don't want like political power or power to control people. It's disgusting to me when I see politicians doing that. That's not the way you raised me."

"No, it's not. I never wanted that either. I think that's why God left me alone."

"Do we have souls, Mom? Boston asked me that and I'd like to know."

"I have no idea what a soul is. I suppose we do, but how do you test for that? Ask me if we have feelings, emotions, thoughts or the ability to make moral choices. Yes we do. That's what humans do and they have souls, I suppose. So maybe we do too. What does it matter?"

"Well, I just like the idea of redemption at the end," I said.

"Me too, baby. I think you're my redemption. I finally got it right with you. I love these girls you've found, Parker. I think they're good for you. They're making you more human than I ever could."

tt was very late and I was yawning. "I want to talk about this with you forever, but I'm crashing, Mom. Let's get some sleep."

She stood up and pulled me to my feet, her strength surprising me again. She squeezed me tight. "I love you, baby. You make me proud. Happy New Year; I think it's going to be interesting."

Chapter Five

I chartered a private plane to fly Boston to Boston. I still giggled every time I thought about that. Mona had given us her permission to take Boston with us and I noticed she had a little cough when I picked them up.

"Are you ok, Boston?" I asked her.

"Yes, I have a little cold. My immune system is shot, but when you give me your blood, it will help. Getting blood always makes me feel better for a while, even normal human blood. I get hemoglobin that helps me absorb oxygen and white blood cells that help me fight infections. It doesn't help as much as it used to and it's just going to get worse until it doesn't help at all. That's why I'm hoping you can help me so I don't have to get a bone marrow transplant."

"Can't Sagan or your family be a donor for you?" I asked her.

"No, for some reason, we don't match up very well. I really don't understand it. Because science, you know." She smiled at her little joke."

I got her some juice to drink and when she was done with it she curled up in her chair and went to sleep. Sagan and I talked quietly.

"Sagan, I want you to be honest with me. I don't care if Boston doesn't want you to tell me. How sick is she and how long do we have to help her?"

"She's not that bad right now. She'll be fine for probably about six more months. It's deadly, though, Parker. She'll die if we don't do something. She's taking methotrexate and she could start chemotherapy again, and she will have to if she gets a bone marrow transplant. She'll be put in isolation in a hospital and they'll completely kill off her immune system and bone marrow. Then they'll give her some healthy donor marrow. Her biggest danger right now is infections. She really has very little ability to fight them off."

"I don't know how hard this must be on you, Sagan. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Tears began to slip down her cheeks. "No, I'm ok. Just having you around makes everything better. That's why I've been so impressed with you, Parker. You loved her and paid attention to her even before you knew she was sick. She loves you, Parker. You're all she talks about. You asked me why I wasn't married or didn't have a boyfriend. Now you know. Boston needs me and I just didn't have time for that."

"Well, I'm going to try to help her. I love her too, but I'm very concerned about you. You know I'll help you any way I can."

She leaned over, put her head on my shoulder and held my hand. "You are helping. God, I hope this works, Parker."

When we landed in Boston, Mom was waiting for us. She took us home with her and told us that she had talked to a pediatric oncologist who had agreed to give Boston her transfusion. I didn't ask what kind of a deal she had with him. I just told her that if she needed money I would pay for it.

She informed us that it wouldn't cost anything. We spent the night with her and I heard Boston coughing all during the night. Mom drove us to the Doctor's office Saturday evening. The Doctor's name was Rosenberg and he was a quiet little man. He didn't ask any questions, just took my blood and began to transfuse Boston. She complained a little about being stuck, but after the needle was in, she played on her iPad and waited patiently. I gave another pint and when the first one was finished, he gave her that as well.

I noticed a little rosy blush creeping into her cheeks and she became decidedly more animated. It took a couple of hours and I played trivia crack with her while Mom and Sagan talked and read magazines. When she was through we thanked the doctor and I carried her out to the car. When we got back to Mom's house, I started to carry her in but she demanded to be put down.

"I feel very good, Parker. I want to walk."

I set her down and she held my hand while we walked into the house. Mom got her a Coke and she sat on the sofa. Her cheeks were flushed and she talked non-stop.

"Is she always like this after a transfusion?" I asked Sagan.

"Sort of, but I haven't seen a change like this for a long time. You have good blood, Parker."

"I feel a little strange," Boston told us. "I feel all warm inside. It's like waking up from a long nap. You know how you feel kind of weak? That's the way I've been feeling but now it's as if my blood has been heated up or something. I feel warm all over. I'm not coughing anymore. Did you notice that, Sagan?"

"Yes, baby, I did. Either Parker gave you some really good white blood cells or this is working. How long will it be until we know, Lilith?"

"I have no idea. I've never heard of anything like this before. It could have already worked, or it could be working and we won't know for a while or it might just be the effects of the transfusion. We'll just have to wait. How long is it until your next blood test, sweetheart?"

"It's Tuesday. I would normally get a transfusion if my counts are low."

"I don't think you should do that, honey. Let's wait and see what this does," Mom told her.

"How can I keep from it? They don't ask me."

"Just make a fuss, about it," Sagan said. "You're good at that. I'll help you. I'll tell them that since you're making such a fuss we could wait a day or two."

"What does that mean; 'I'm good at that?' I don't make fusses, Sagan, you know that."

"Ha," her sister scoffed. "What about when Mom wanted to cut your hair after it grew back in?"

"I didn't want to cut it. I want it to be like yours. A person should have the right to decide their own hairstyle."

"That's right, honey," Mom told her. "Just do that; only don't let them talk you into it."

"Boston, your hair was all raggedy," Sagan told her. "Now you can let it grow out if you want to and it will look good. It didn't then. I wasn't on your side then because you were wrong. I will be now."

Boston was very active on the plane home. She went up and pestered the pilot into letting her sit with him for a while. She drank all the juice we had and watched a movie on her iPad.

When we got to the airport, she ran ahead down the concourse and rode the escalators up and down a dozen times. She chattered incessantly and bounced up and down in the back seat of the car. We were so glad to see her feeling like doing that we let her do anything she wanted. I stopped at Red Robin on the way home and she ate two big burgers and drank a strawberry malt.

I dropped them off and they promised to come over after the blood tests Tuesday and let me know what happened. I flew to Chicago on Monday and stayed overnight. When I got back Tuesday afternoon, Boston Snap Chatted me and told me they were coming over. She was making a funny face and that looked hopeful. I waited at the front door and when I saw her skipping up the sidewalk, I knew it was good news. I threw the door open just as she was getting ready to knock and grabbed her. She let out a little shriek and I whirled her around, wrapped in my arms.

"How's my girl?" I asked her, kissing her firmly on both cheeks.

"Put me down, you big lug," she demanded. "I have good news if you haven't scared me into a relapse."

I kissed Sagan and sat them down at the bar while I got a beer for Sagan and juice for Boston.

"So, what's the word?" I asked her.

"It's great. My counts are higher than they've been since I went into remission the first time and the bad white cells are down more than 50 percent. The doctor didn't understand what was going on and we didn't tell him. He said it was almost like my blood type had changed. He asked me about the needle mark on my arm but Sagan told him it was a scratch. We think it's working, Parker."

"That's great, kiddo. Can we go out and celebrate?"

"Maybe for a little while," she said. "I have a lot of homework to catch up on."

"I'm really good at homework. How about if you go home and I come over and help you and we finish it quick. Then I'll take the whole family out to Incredible Pizza?"

"Yay," she jumped up. "Let's go, Sagan. We need to stop Mom from fixing supper."

They kissed me and went home. I changed out of my business clothes and drove over to their house. We finished her homework in 45 minutes and we were ready to go. Boston was very impressed when I knew the answers to all her school questions without having to look them up in the books. Sagan, Thomas and Boston rode with me, and their parents drove their van.

We had a blast playing all the games and driving the go-carts. The pizza was inferior, but you can't get everything in one package. It wasn't bad, just not up to Anthony's.

Mona called a halt to the festivities at nine. "These kids have school tomorrow," she told me. "Would you give me a ride home? I want to talk to you."

"Mom, you aren't going to give Parker the inquisition," Sagan told her.

"No, No, nothing like that," she laughed. "I just want to get to know him better."

"I know you, Mom. I'm going with you."

"It's ok," I told her. "I'm sure she isn't planning to eat me."

I opened her door and she slid in. She reminded me very much of Sagan. She talked on the way home for a minute and then she became serious.

"Parker, I don't want you to feel defensive, but I know you did something to Boston. I don't know what it was, but it has helped her a lot. Will you tell me what you did?"

"I want to, Mona. I can't right now. Ask Boston and Sagan. If they want me to tell you, I will. It's their secret too, and I won't tell it without their permission. I would never do anything to harm Boston. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. My girls have just blossomed since they met you. I've never seen them like this. Thank you, Parker. I never forget that neither of them would be alive if it weren't for you. I think they're both in love with you. Take care of my girls, Parker."

"That's my plan, Mona. I want to help take care of you too. Sagan told me that you guys have a lot of medical bills. How are you dealing with that?"

"We're not. It's horrible. Bill collectors call every day and our credit is a mess. We can't get a loan for a new van, our credit cards are maxed out and even with me working and Jackson working two jobs, we're getting further and further behind. That's not your problem, Parker. You've got your own life to live. Don't get tangled up in the McDonald's problems. Just look out for my girls and I'll love you for it. It makes all the other stuff seem trivial when Boston is doing so well."

"I'm sorry, Mona; but that's bullshit. I can spot it a mile away. Sagan and Boston worry about that stuff too. Let me help you. I'm kind of a big deal, and people listen to me. I'm not trying to brag. If you let me talk to the financial people at the hospital, I'll bet I can get them to write off a lot of your bills. They'll settle a lot of them for a lot less than you owe if we make them a cash offer."

She broke down and began to sob. I pulled up at a park we were passing and pulled her out. I put my arm around her and we walked together down the path to a fountain. We sat on a bench and she continued to cry.

"Mona, there's nothing here that can't be fixed." I reached down, tilted her chin up and made her look at me. "Let me help you."

"I know why the girls love you. If I were 20 years younger, I'd give them a run for their money. I'm just so lonely and frightened all the time about where our lives are going. I love Jackson. He's a good man, but we got married and had kids very young. That kind of limited our options in life. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I just feel very close to you. Yes, Parker, I will let you help us and I'll worship you the rest of my life if you do."

"I'm not looking for worship, Mona. I just want to help, and I can. You don't need to be 20 years younger. You can give any woman in the world a run for their money now. The first time I saw you in the door I was amazed at how beautiful you are. It's easy to see where your daughters got their looks. Never think you aren't beautiful to everyone that sees you. Let's go before the others think we're being held hostage."

We stood up, I pulled her close and we walked back to the car with my arm around her.

When I dropped her off, she squeezed my hand. "You're a dream come true, Parker. I won't mention any of this to anyone except Jackson. I owe you and I'll find a way to thank you."

"Mona, there isn't any need to thank me. I love your girls and you're no different. You've had a lot of bad breaks and you didn't deserve them. I'm just setting them right."

She squeezed my hand again and got out. I waited until she got to the door and she turned around and looked at me. She waved and went inside.

Chapter Six

Boston continued to improve over the next three weeks and by the time a month had passed, she was in what the doctors called "spontaneous remission." That's what they call something they have no explanation for. There was no sign of her cancer anywhere and she was a little female dynamo. She skipped and ran everywhere she went and she talked and laughed constantly.

Mona and Jackson made me their fiduciary and I got the hospital to write off over one hundred thousand of their bill by showing the CFO the situation and making sure that he knew they would never be able to pay it. I made a cash offer on the rest and they accepted. I set Jackson up on a payment plan and he paid me a hundred dollars a month. I paid off their credit cards and made them promise not to charge anything they couldn't pay off that month. I gave Mona five thousand dollars. She put it in a savings account and took out a five thousand dollar loan with the money as collateral. She paid it off in a month and we did this over and over at six different banks. By the time we finished their credit was in good shape and I loaned them the money to get a new van. I didn't charge them any interest and they were able to make the payments with no problems.

Sagan told me that her Mom had confessed to asking me about Boston. She didn't want to tell her about me, but there was always an undercurrent with Mona about it. I didn't know what to do about it so I just forgot it. Boston and I went to church every Sunday, and we had several talks with Pastor Davis about angels. I showed him the book Sagan gave me and he told me that most of it was legendary. He was quick to point out that didn't mean it wasn't true, but it couldn't be confirmed. We learned a lot from him but he told us that if we really wanted to do the research, we should go to the Catholic Church. They had much more information than he did, though mostly of the legendary type.

We got acquainted with Father Zelinsky, and he turned us loose on his church's library. I don't know what he thought about a giant and a little girl doing research into angels, but he never said anything. Boston typed up all our information and kept in on her iPad. It was getting a little crowded in memory and I got her a new iBook for her birthday. She loved it and soon had all the information transferred over. We were building quite a library and when Mom came down at the end of January, we ran it all by her. She had no idea about some of it, was able to debunk some of it and confirmed a lot of it. She stayed with me for a week and taught me an immense number of things about supernatural stuff. Boston wanted to know about it too and Sagan was interested as well.

"Lilith, do you think I'll get strong like you and Parker and be able to zoom around like you?" she asked Mom.

"I have no idea, honey. I don't know much about Sirens. Have you tried picking up heavy stuff?"

"Not really, do you think I should?"

"Not when anyone is watching. Little girls don't usually go around picking up cars. We don't want to attract attention. That would be dangerous for Parker and I."

"No, I won't let anyone know. Can I tell Sagan?"

"Of course, sweetheart. We trust Sagan. We can tell her anything."

Mom went back home the week before Valentine's Day and I set up a little trip with Sagan. Boston was a little upset that she couldn't go, but I explained that she had school and we were going to do "adult stuff."

"Are you going to seduce her?" she whispered at lunch after church.

"Boston, I wouldn't tell you if I was. What is wrong with you, girl?"

She was instantly contrite. "I'm sorry Parker, I'm just nosy. I know that isn't any of my business, but, it's so exciting if you are. You know she's never been seduced before. Oh, I hope you do. That would make her so happy."

"You're definitely R rated," I told her. "What do you know about seduction anyway? You're nine-years-old. How do you know she's never been seduced?"

"I'm ten now and I know a lot about it," she said. "I do get the internet, you know. I looked at things a time or two. It was kind of embarrassing so I quit looking once I found out how things work. If she had been seduced, she would have told me. We don't keep secrets from each other."

"I'm going to put a content block on your internet," I told her.

"Don't you dare," she warned me. "I don't do anything bad on there. I just need to know stuff sometimes. I'm not a pervert. I just like to know."

"I know, kitten. I was just teasing. I've noticed your family isn't into the keeping secrets thing. I'm glad I didn't try to keep what I am a secret from you. I thought about it. I didn't want to freak you out."

"I'm glad you didn't too. You can trust me, you know, Parker. I would never tell your secrets. You saved my life; twice. I'll always love you."

"I know, Boston. You tell me all the time. I'll always love you too."

"I can't wait till I'm 21," she said.

"Why, what happens when you're 21?"

"I'm going to ask you to marry me again, remember?"

I laughed. "How could I forget? You're going to find someone else long before then, though. You'll probably fall in love with some knight in shining armor and he'll sweep you away on his horse to his castle."

"That sounds like just the kind of thing I'd hate," she frowned up at me. "I don't like horses, and Castles sound all cold and damp. Besides, I've already met my knight and he doesn't have to use a stupid horse. He can teleport."

That knocked me out and tears ran down my cheeks from laughing. She joined me and we laughed until people were staring at us.

"How can you be a Texan and not like horses?" I asked her when I could talk again.

"I'm not a red-neck kind of Texan," she said. "I'm from Austin, for pity's sake. You see any horses in Austin? We have cars here. Where are you and Sagan going, anyway?"

"We're going to Petit Martinique. It's a tropical island. We'll sail and swim and dive and lay on the beach. Next time, I'll take you, ok?"




First Estate



She was happy with that. I took her home and flew out to Sydney on Monday. I was there all week and again my abilities stood me in good stead. I closed two big deals and the iPhone was set to dominate Australia for the next decade. It took me until Thursday. I flew back to Austin in time to pick Sagan up and we went back to the airport and got on a plane for Georgetown on Grenada.

We boarded a commuter in Georgetown and flew across blue water to Petit Martinique. It was 85 degrees and sunny when got off the plane. There was a van waiting for us and it took us to the Hotel. I didn't know how Sagan would feel about us having one room, but she didn't act like she expected anything else. We changed into swimwear and t-shirts and walked down the beach carrying a small cooler full of beer and water and Sagan carried a bag full of towels and stuff.

We found a secluded inlet with a reef visible off the shore about 100 feet. We swam out and snorkeled for a couple of hours. It's impossible to get tired in the ocean but we finally swam back to the beach.

We spread a blanket out and lay in the sun, drinking beer and talking. She felt like she was burning and she let me put sun block on her. She had on a little black bikini that didn't cover much and I spent a lot of time rubbing the sun block into that beautiful skin. By the time I finished she was visibly aroused, but I didn't push it and we just relaxed in the sun. Sand seemed like a problem to me for romance at the beach. We had a perfectly good, air-conditioned room for that.

We played in the water and soaked up the sun and as it began to set we walked back to the Hotel with our arms around each other. She unpacked her stuff while I showered and I put on khakis and a polo shirt and went to the bar while she showered and changed. She came and found me when she was finished and she was as beautiful as I'd ever seen her. She had on an olive drab, semi-transparent wrap around skirt with bright red flowers and a bright red crepe top with the tails tied up. She had sandals on and she padded up and stood by me at the bar.

"You expecting someone?" I asked her.

"Yes, my boyfriend is supposed to meet me here."

"Looks like he stood you up, beautiful. How about you and me go grab a bite to eat?"

I offered her my arm and she slipped her hand through it. I led her off to the hotel restaurant. We had fresh fish and lots of different kinds of fruit.

We danced a couple of dances at the bar and went for a walk on the beach. I was dying in anticipation and evidently, she was feeling the same way because she turned us around and steered us back toward our hotel.

She was shedding clothes when we stepped into the room. I went into the bathroom and turned the water on in the red, heart shaped tub. I took off my shirt and shoes and all she had on was a white, lacy pair of panties and a matching bra. I dumped some bubbles in the tub, stripped and climbed in. She came and stood in the doorway, hipshot and leaning against the door.

"You look comfortable," she said.

"I'll be more comfortable with you in here with me."

She took off her bra and hung it over the door. Her breasts were as beautiful as I remembered. It had been pretty dark the last time and in the light, they were even more beautiful. She sauntered over and stripped the panties down those impossibly long legs. Her butt was amazing. It was small and firm, perfectly rounded into a near shelf on top. She turned to face me and the little patch of dark curls between her thighs was entrancing. She turned on the jets and stepped in, lying back against me with her head on my shoulder. I crossed my arms over her and pulled her back against me. We played until the water grew cool and I stood up and helped her out. I dried her with a big, fluffy towel and ran it over me as well. I picked her up and took her to bed. 

She was very inexperienced but she had good instincts and she wanted to try everything. She came easily. I found that out the first time I took those coral colored nipples inside my lips. She gasped and pulled on my head, burying me in that luscious mound. She moaned out my name again and again as I took the other breast and loved all over it. She was shuddering and she came for a long time. 

When I slid my hand down that sleek body she shivered and jumped when my hand cupped her sweet little pussy. It was very wet and when I stroked her clit her hips bucked up, seeking more of that touch. I stroked her to an orgasm, my lips locked to hers and she was moaning into my mouth. I kissed my way south and she shivered and clutched my hair. She was reluctant to let me taste her at first. She had never had oral sex, but once she got over that initial shyness she went off like a bomb. She shuddered and gasped through two orgasms before pulling me back up.

"My God, Parker, I can't believe you did that. That felt so good. I'm going to want to do it again a lot. I hope you like it."

"I liked it better than anything I've ever done," I told her. "I like making you cum, Sagan. You're always beautiful, but when you cum it's transcendent. The look on your face was nearly enough to make me cum without touching my cock."

She smiled. "I want you to touch me with it now. I need you inside me, Parker."

I eased up over her and slid inside the hottest woman on earth. She was very wet and I slid in easily for a ways. After that it was slow going. By the time I was fully inside she was groaning.

"Dear Jesus, Parker. I thought you would never get all the way in! God, it feels good. Fuck me now, but go slow for a while."

It was slow and sweet and it lasted a long time. I came in about five minutes, but I was so in love with her and she was so hot I never went soft. I just kept moving and it got faster and she just kept cuming until she was wrung out like a rag. I lost track of her orgasms when it seemed like she was just cuming constantly and when I emptied myself into her she went limp.

"Fuck, Parker," she said. "I thought you were going to kill me! I need to rest, baby. That was so amazing! I love you, I love you, I love you!"

I kissed her and we whispered and petted until we napped for a while. When I woke up I looked at that incredible girl in bed with me and I was instantly erect again. I raised her leg gently and slipped into her from behind. She woke up with a gasp and I rolled her over onto her stomach and mounted her again. I put my lips close to her ear.

"Sagan, I'm going to fuck you until you lose your voice from screaming," I told her.

She laughed. "You better get started then."

After the fourth time she went limp and I held her in my arms with those big, beautiful breasts on my chest and we drifted off.

We went sailing the next day and the next night was even better. I was well and truly in love with this girl. I couldn't keep my eyes and hands off her and just thinking about her made me weak in the knees. She was witty and funny; kind and interested in everything about me. I didn't know anyone like her existed and I knew this was the girl for me.

Our last day on the island we never left our room. We ordered in room service and fed each other. Twice in the night, she woke me up with her lips moving over me. After the second time, we were resting and she moved up to look in my eyes.

"What are you thinking, my dusky angel," she asked me.

"I was thinking how much I love you," I told her.

"Me too. Parker, I don't know if I can go back to life like it was before after this. I don't think I can stand only seeing you only on weekends. I think I'm addicted to you. What am I going to do? I want to make love with you every day."

"Well, I told you I wanted to take you away and keep you with me all the time. You told me 'We'll see.' Maybe the time has come to see?"

"Would you like it if I moved in with you?"

"Yes, if that's what you want. I don't know what your parents will think about that."

"Mom would be fine with it. Dad, not so much. I don't even want to think about Boston. I don't think I can leave her, Parker."

"I know what you mean. I remember the deal being for both of you. Do you think your parents would let her stay with us part of the time?"

"I don't know. That would be pushing it. She can get them to do nearly anything she wants. Do you think you could, I don't know, use the force on them somehow so they would be ok with it?"

"What am I, Darth Vader? I don't know how to do that and I wouldn't do it if I could. Let's try persuasion first. Your mom likes me; you know that. Let's just talk to her. If she agrees, so will your Dad. He's a pretty agreeable guy. But I want you to know that I'm going to keep you with me anyway."

"I love it when you talk dirty like that. Will it be durance vile?"

"Not for me. It's going to be passion unleashed. Sagan, I also want you to know that I intend to marry you when you get out of school and see what you want to do with your life. Make plans that include me, ok?"

"You haven't asked me to marry you."

"No, and I'm not going to as long as you're in school. You may decide by then you don't want to be with me. We're both young, baby. We've got lots of time. I just want you to know that I will ask you when I think everything is right."

She sighed and lay there with her cheek on my chest. We drifted off and slept until time to leave the next day.

On the flight home, I began to notice a kind of humming sound. I thought it was my ears not adjusted right to the pressure and I yawned a couple of times to equalize the pressure. It didn't go away and I told Sagan what was going on.

"What do you think it is?" she asked.

"I have no idea. It's a little unsettling though."

I looked around the cabin and noticed a woman sitting in the back staring at me. I began to feel a pressure in my head like my blood pressure was getting high or something. It felt like someone was trying to open my mind with a crowbar. I pushed against it, trying to imagine it going away. It receded a little and I heard a voice in my mind.

"Who are you? I don't recognize you."

I pushed it away harder and felt it give a little. The movie Sagan was watching on her laptop fuzzed and sputtered. The crowbar jabbed me again and I threw all my effort into sending it back where it came from.

I felt it move away and suddenly I became aware that the woman staring at me was an angel named Mariha. She thought of herself, not as an angel, but a "Watcher." I glanced back at her just in time to see her collapse forward in her seat. The stewardess ran back and pulled her upright. Her nose was bleeding. Her blood looked more blue than red. Two more came running and they helped her forward. They strapped her in and one of them went into the cabin.

The captain announced that we had a medical emergency on board and we would be landing in Miami to take care of it.

I told Sagan what had happened and she was horrified.

"Parker, you hurt her. Why did you do that?"

"I didn't mean to. She was trying to do the same thing to me and I just turned it back on her. What should we do?"

"I think we should try to explain to her. What if she reports you to God or something?"

"If God is really like what the Bible says, he already knows. Can you miss a day of school? If you can, we'll get off in Miami and try to talk to her."

"Yes, there's nothing I can't miss. I'll tell Mom we'll be a day late."

When the plane landed, they took Mariha off and then we all disembarked. We followed the ambulance in a cab and found out the hospital they took her to. As soon as they checked her out and the doctors left, we went into her room.

She was lying in bed with her eyes closed but she sat up when we came in and started making some motions with her hands.

"Wait," Sagan told her. "There's been a misunderstanding. Please, we aren't going to hurt you and we just want to talk."

She relaxed a little. "Who are you? Are you a demon or a Watcher? Why did you attack me like that?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to attack you," I told her. "I thought you were attacking me. I'm not a demon. I don't even know what a demon is."

"What are you then? You can't be an angel and not know what a demon is."

I didn't want to tell her. "I'm something else. If you don't know, you're not supposed to know. I mean you no harm and I'm not evil. Sagan is a human girl. I'm something else but I wanted to reassure you that I didn't mean to hurt you."

She smiled. "I'm not really hurt. I just wasn't prepared for you to push back like that. Let's get out of here and we'll talk."

She pulled the IV's out of her arm and I got her clothes out of the closet. I waited outside and Sagan helped her dress. When they came out, we left and caught a cab to a Hotel. I checked in and we went to the room.

"Listen, I know your name is Mariha and you're an angel. That's really all I know. I don't want to interfere with your business. How did you know I was on that plane?"

"I felt you. You were causing quite a disturbance in fields we can sense. It was as if an archangel was on the plane. Are you an archangel? I thought I knew enough about all of them to recognize them."

"No, I'm not. Listen, Mariha, I'm not sure I can trust you. What are you going to do? What are your intentions toward me?"

"I don't have any. You aren't part of my mission. I was just curious. I was Watching over someone on that plane. I didn't know you would be there."

"Who were you watching?" Sagan asked.

She didn't say anything for a long time. "I was watching you, Sagan," she finally said. "There were some unusual disturbances around you lately and I was sent to check on it. I'm supposed to check on your little sister too."

"That won't be necessary," I told her. "I caused the disturbances and I'm taking care of them."

"What am I supposed to tell my superior? That an unnamed I don't know what, of tremendous power and the ability to knock a Watcher out, has it under control?"

"Can you lie?" I asked her.

"Yes, but why would I?"

"You do me a favor and I'll do you a favor."

"What kind of favor do you want?" she asked.

"I want you to tell your superior that you checked it out and all that happened is that a little girl recovered from cancer unexpectedly."

"Did you heal her?"

"Yes I did. She's fine now and she's going to stay that way."

"What kind of favor will you do for me?"

"What do you want? I'll do anything you want that won't hurt anyone or cause any harm to anyone I love."

"Let me think about it for a minute."

She sat without moving for at least five minutes. Sagan used the restroom and came back. She sat on my lap and I held her close. Finally, Mariha seemed to make up her mind.

"Ok, I'll do it. The favor I want from you is for you to trust me."

"I don't understand. Trust you to do what?"

"Tell me who you are. I won't tell anyone."

"Do you swear not to try to harm me or anyone I love? Do you swear not to tell anyone?"

"By the name of God, the eternal Yahweh, I swear."

"Can you lie about that?"

"I could, but it would destroy me."

"What do you think, Sagan? Should I tell her?"

"Yes you should. She's going to cover up Boston being healed for us. We need information, Mariha. Will you answer some questions?

"Yes, I'll tell you anything I know."

"I'm a Nephilim," I told her. "I'm very young and ignorant. I don't know what I can do."

She gasped and made some gestures in the air.

"What was that?" I asked her.

"It was a warding. I've cut off all possibility of us being overheard or detected. How can you be a Nephilim? I thought they were all dead or in prison. We destroyed the last one 21 years ago. I should have known what you were. I did a tour in that prison and I used to know a Nephilim. No one knows about you."

"What would they do if they knew," Sagan asked.

"Nothing, so far as I know. We don't have any orders about you. I would know. It's possible that someone might try to destroy you. I don't think they would without orders, but it's possible. God knows about you, but he hasn't done anything about it. That tells me that you aren't evil. If you were, I would have orders. I'm afraid I'm going back on my promise to answer questions. I'll answer some, but not about what you can do. There's a big problem with that. I don't want you doing anything. I will tell you this, if you start using your power, you're the most dangerous thing on earth. You've got the horsepower of an archangel and your ancestors killed thousands of us before we overcame them by sheer weight of numbers."

"Does that include healing little girls with cancer?" I asked her.

"No, that's a righteous act. That would get you credit, not blame. But if you do things like that you're going to attract attention you don't want. You need to be warded if you expect to escape the kind of notice you don't want. Do you know how to ward yourself?"

"I don't know anything. I only found out I was a Nephilim a few months ago."

"How did you find out?" she asked me.

"I can't tell you that. Someone told me that knows. I can teleport and lift heavy things. I can do minor telekinesis and read minds a little. That's all I know."

"I can teach you how to do wards, but that's all I'm going to do right now," she said. "You need to ward Sagan and her sister too. If you plan to heal anyone else, they need to be warded. Don't do anything unusual where anyone can see you."

"I don't want to do anything but be a normal guy," I told her. "I want to work at my job, love my family, marry my girlfriend and live a normal life. I have no desire to take over the world or fight angels. I healed a little girl I love that had cancer by giving her a transfusion. I wish I knew how to heal people without bleeding. I don't want to be the world's doctor, but I do want to be able to protect people I love. Will you teach me how to heal, and answer a couple of questions about the transfusion?"

"Yes, I'll do that. You know that some of us always wanted to teach the hidden knowledge to humans. Two hundred Watchers are in prison now for doing that. I narrowly escaped myself. What do you want to know?"

"I want to know if she'll get sick again. I want to know if she's like me now because I gave her my blood. I want to know if the same thing would happen if I gave Sagan my blood."

"Ok, I'll tell you. The sister is a Siren. Anyone you give blood to will become a Siren. They won't be your size or have your intellect because that's genetic, but they'll be stronger, smarter, and faster and they won't ever age or get sick. That's how your ancestors tried to rule the world. They transfused tens of thousands of humans. They mind-controlled millions and bred humans as if they were cattle. I don't like to think about those days coming back. Don't do it. If you want a family, keep it among them. If I find out you're doing something like that, I'll report it and be destroyed by my oath. I don't care. I'd rather die than see the bad old days come back. We nearly destroyed humanity to get rid of your ancestors. Don't let that happen again."

"I won't, I swear it to you."

Mariha flew back to Austin with us and she taught me how to do wards and heal people. She was really a very lovely and kind person. I told her she was a real angel and she got a kick out of that. I introduced her to Boston and she was in awe of Mariha. She promised to visit often and answer a lot of our questions about angels and history. She wouldn't really talk theology. She wouldn't tell us anything about heaven or hell, whether or not I had a soul, what angels did other than watch over people or anything about God. She told us that a lot of the information we had was wrong, but a good bit of it was right as well.

"Most of the things you're asking me about are matters that impact faith," she said. "You aren't supposed to know. It wouldn't require faith if you know."




First Estate



After three days, she told us goodbye. She gave us a prayer that would reach her and promised to answer. She could teleport anywhere and not worry about winding up inside a wall. She told me that if I reduced my mass to zero I didn't have to worry about that either. That was something Mom didn't know and I decided to let her know as soon as I could. I really needed to talk to her, but she didn't answer texts or phone calls so I had to wait.

The last thing Mariha told me was that I was lucky with her. She had once known a Nephilim named Lilith and they had been good friends for hundreds of years. She thought Lilith was dead, but for her sake, she was going to take a chance on me. I didn't tell her that her friend was my mother.

Chapter Seven

It took me a couple of days to get everything sorted out in my mind. The whole situation with Mariha was very unsettling and we sort of put Sagan moving in with me on the back burner. I was just carrying too much baggage right now. It got even more complicated when Mariha showed back up.

She was waiting for me on the sidewalk outside my office on a Tuesday about a week after she left. I took her to Starbucks to talk. It didn't seem right to take an angel to a bar.

"Parker, you have to do some things quickly," she told me. "I made my report and it seemed like everything was fine. Unfortunately, there's a high level supervisor in my department named Arian that's a suspicious and kind of nasty individual. I know that sounds weird for an angel, but that's his function. He's a professional cynic. He pokes into everything and he told me people don't just have their cancer disappear. He assigned another angel to check into Boston. Since you warded her, they can't just peep. She's disappeared off the angel radar and that has him really suspicious."

"What do you think I should do?" I asked her.

"She needs to disappear. The whole family needs to be warded and they need to be gone the next time someone looks."

"What about you? Are you in trouble?"

"I would be if I hung around. I'm going to disappear too. If they don't find anything, it will all die down after a while. Maybe we'll get some orders about you. I've done it before. After a couple hundred years, things change and I go back to work. You need to get busy and I need to be far away from here. Call me if you need me."

She kissed my cheek and she was gone.

A couple at the next table had a shocked look on their faces and I got out of there. I texted Sagan but she was in class and didn't answer. I called Mona and asked her to meet me at Boston's school.

"Is there something wrong with Boston?" she sounded very worried.

"No, nothing like that, I just need to talk to her very badly. I need you to check her out of school for me."

"I don't know what this is about, but if you really need her, I'll meet you there," she told me.

She was waiting when I got there. She had already signed Boston out and in five minutes, she came out and looked around for us. She saw my car and came running down the sidewalk. She hugged her mother and ran to me. I knelt down and held her for a minute.

"Mona, I'm sorry but I need Boston for the rest of the day. I promise I'll tell you all about it tonight. There is kind of a crisis in my life. It's going to be ok, but it's complicated. Will you trust Boston with me the rest of the day?"

"Of course, but you're scaring me, Parker."

"Don't be scared. We'll figure this out. We just need to talk it out. We'll be fine."

I took Boston's hand and we went to the car. She had a million questions and I told her to just be patient. We needed to get Sagan and I would tell them both.

"Why don't you just tell me?" she complained.

"It's complicated and I just want to say it once," I told her. "Be patient, kitten."

We found out where Sagan's class was and waited outside the building on a bench. My phone buzzed and I saw that she had texted me. She came out the door a few seconds later and Boston saw her. She jumped up and ran to hug her.

"Boston, what are you doing here? Why aren't you in school?"

"Parker brought me. He's being mysterious. He says he needs to talk to us."

Sagan kissed me when they walked up, I held their hands and we walked back to the car. I took them to a sandwich shop around the corner and we talked over lunch. I explained what Mariha had told me and we talked about what we were going to do.

"I don't see any way we're not going to have to tell your parents what's going on," I told them. "They're going to have to move. You all need to disappear. Mariha says they know where you live, but they don't know anything else. You just haven't been important enough to gather that information. She says that if they can't find you they'll just give up. It isn't a big deal because they don't know what's going on."

"I have an idea," Sagan told me. "We need to talk to Lilith. Maybe she can help."

We went to my house and I set up a Skype call. Mom came on the screen. "There's my babies," she said when she saw us. "Hi, girls, you're looking as beautiful as ever."

"Mom, we need your help." I explained the situation to her.

"So, you met Mariha," she chuckled. "Did she tell you that we were lovers for a hundred years?"

"Jesus, Mom, no she didn't. I don't want to know about that. Listen, I have a plan. Can you erase people's memory?"

"Yes, and I can make them remember things that didn't happen. Why do you ask?"

"I want the girl's family to remember something that didn't happen."

"What do you want them to remember?"

"I want them to remember Boston going to Mexico to get cancer treatment. I want them to remember that Boston and Sagan are in Mexico now getting treatment and that they don't know when to expect them back."

"I can do that," she said. "When do you want me to do it?"

"I'll call you and tell you, probably this evening. I need to talk to Mona first."

"Ok, baby. Kisses, girls," she was gone.

We talked until we had all the details settled in our minds. Boston was ecstatic when we told her she was moving in with us. "We were planning to do this anyway," Sagan told her. "This just gives us a good reason to give Mom."

"I'm going to miss them," Boston confessed. "Sagan's always been sort of my Mom anyway. It's not that Mom doesn't love me or anything; I've just always been closest to Sagan."

Sagan hugged her close. "It won't be forever, Boston. When things settle down we can get back to normal, but we want you to always live with us."

"I'd like that more than anything," she scooted over against me. "Parker will be my big brother till we get married."

That set us all off laughing and we felt better about the situation. The interview with Mona wasn't going to be fun, but it had to be done. I called her and she agreed to meet us at the houseboat.

We were closer and we waited for her for about 10 minutes. I told her we had something to tell her that she wouldn't like. She would think it was very weird and she needed to prepare for a shock. As we were talking, I slowly raised her up off the deck until her feet were six inches off the floor without her noticing. She was about the limit for the weight I could lift by telekinesis and I had to focus. She didn't notice and I told her my story.

"Parker, is this some kind of a joke?" she asked, "if so, it isn't very funny. I don't get it."

"Mom, look down," Sagan told her.

She shrieked and waved her arms in the air like she was falling. I set her down and her knees sagged. I lifted her again and she sort of groaned. I was afraid she was going to pass out so I moved her over a chair and sat her down in it."

"Oh, my God," she exclaimed. "You weren't joking. You really are an angel. That's how you healed Boston, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid there's some bad news about that." I explained the situation to her.

"You're in trouble because you helped my children, aren't you?" she asked.

"Well, yes I am. I don't care about that but we need to cover our tracks."

"What do you need me to do?"

"You aren't going to like it, but I want Sagan and Boston to come and live with me." I explained our plan to her. I told her that we were going to give her some memories of things that didn't really happen, but that they would be enough to fool any angels that came looking.

"You won't be able to see them for a while," I told her. "You're going to think they're in Mexico."

She wept and sobbed. She clung to them and petted them. I continued to explain why it had to be this way and finally she cut me off.

"I understand, Parker. I even agree. That doesn't make it any better. It doesn't make it any easier. I wish we'd never met you," she continued to sob uncontrollably.

"Mom, that's the meanest thing you've ever said," Boston told her. "If we hadn't met Parker neither one of us would even be alive. I would have died twice without Parker. How could you say that?"

Mona wept even harder. "I'm so sorry, Parker. I didn't mean it. You don't deserve that from anyone in our family. I'm just so miserable. My baby is just ten. She's too little to be without me. I expected you and Sagan would get together, but not Boston."

"It's not forever, Mona," I told her. "Pretty soon we'll check in with Mariha and see what kind of progress we're making. As soon as it's clear, I'll get in touch with you and you can come and see us. You won't even realize it's going on. Mom is going to give you memories of Boston going to Mexico with Sagan and you'll get good reports that will make you happy."

"That scares me to death," she said. "We're just humans, Parker. We weren't meant to interact with angels and whatever you said you are."

"That's not true," Boston told her. "People have had dealings with angels all down through history. Parker's ancestors ruled the world and interacted with humans all the time. We can get through this. I know how strong you are, Mom. Just think how grateful you are that I'm alive and not dying from lymphoma or squished by a car."

She thought about that and smiled through her tears. "I am grateful. I know you got in trouble helping my girls and I'll never forget how you helped Jackson and me. Do you forgive me for saying that mean thing, Parker?"

"Of course I do. I would probably feel the same way in your shoes. I would fight you tooth and nail if you told me I couldn't see Sagan and Boston. But, it's only for a while."

She eventually calmed down and became reconciled. "I guess this is the price we pay for Boston being healthy. It's really a small price. Thank you for doing this, Parker."

"It's what I would have wanted anyway," I told her. "We were going to ask you if Boston could stay with us a lot when Sagan moved in anyway."

"When were you going to talk to me about this?" Boston demanded.

"We intended to right after we came back from Petit Martinique," Sagan told her. "We met Mariha on the plane home and it didn't seem like the right time."

"I don't like you making plans without me," Boston was indignant. 

"Boston, do you love me?" I asked her.

"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you love Sagan?"

"Yes."

"Then quit making a fuss. Have a little faith. Neither of us would ever do anything without talking to you. You know that."

She was instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, Parker. This whole thing just makes me upset. I hate doing things because I have to. I want to live with you and Sagan, but not because I have to. I love you, Mom, but I want to stay with them anyway."

"It's ok, baby. I know Sagan has been more of a mother to you than I ever had time to be. I love you too."

We needed to pack Sagan and Boston up quickly before the angels got wind of what we were doing. I got Jackson and Thomas out of the house for a couple of hours, the girls got their things, and Mona drove them to my house. She went home and I called Mom. She did her thing and we were set.

It was wonderful having my girls around the house all the time. We figured out schedules and when I was in town, I took Boston to school every morning. Sagan picked her up in the afternoon. I rented a car for her temporarily. She drove the Challenger when I was out of town and the rental when we were both home. She took Boston to school when I couldn't.

She needed a car and I asked her what she wanted. She had no idea so we went shopping.

"Do you think you want a classic like the Challenger or something new?" I asked her.

"I love the Challenger, but it's too much car for me. I want something less flashy but with more bells and whistles."

I thought I knew just the thing. I took them downtown and we drove a new Bentley Continental GT. They both fell in love with one in an Onyx Metallic paint job and a gray interior. Sagan was appalled at the price, but I told her we could easily afford it.

"No, Parker; it's too much," she said. "This costs more than my parent's house."

"I know, but this will be our family car. The Challenger isn't practical for a family. I'll drive it too and we can afford it. Let's get it. What do you say, Boston?"

She voted yes and I paid cash. Sagan drove it home and Boston rode with her. Sagan was afraid to drive it to school.

"What if someone opens their door and hits me or I have an accident?"

"That's why we have insurance," I told her. "What if someone steals it out of the garage? It's just like a pair of shoes. You wear them and you don't worry about stepping in a puddle. You drive this and don't worry about it. It's just a car."

I had to go to London for a few days and I worried about them while I was gone. They were warded, and I had done everything I could think of to make sure they were safe but I still worried.

They had a break from school over Easter and we went up to Boston to visit Mom. She was glad to see us and she spent most of the week teaching me how to be a Nephilim. Most of the things we did seemed to involve making gestures in the air. There were words too, and they weren't in any language spoken today. I learned a new alphabet. It was mostly symbols that looked like pictures. There were birds and animals and squiggly lines all mixed up together. Boston recorded them all and kept them on her computer. We could do many things with them but they had to be kept hidden.

We learned how to write them on the walls so that angels and demons couldn't enter the rooms. Sagan was very interested in demons for some reason and Mom told her all about them.

"Lilith, are there things that humans can do?" Boston asked.

"What kinds of things, sweetheart?"

"I don't know, like spells or something? If I draw these symbols, will they work?"

"You're a very smart little girl, Boston, You're also a Siren." Mom told her. "Yes there are things you can do. You can handle the power directly because you're a Siren. Sagan can do things too, even though she's human. The symbols are universal. They work no matter who draws them. If you learn the language of Shinar, you can do things that will seem like magic. I'm trying to think of a way to explain it to you."

"I'll try to learn it."

"Good, baby. Parker and I, because of what we are, can just do things. You can do most of the same things because you have his blood, but humans have to use the words and symbols. It's just raw power when we do it. For humans it's more like art. Take a ward, for example. Parker just manipulated the raw force and that's very powerful. You could do it too, but humans would use words from the old language and they could do the same thing."

"Maybe it would be like the difference between a lightning bolt and an outlet in the wall." Sagan mused. "You can use the lightning and I can use the electricity by plugging something in."

"That's a very good analogy. You've got two very smart girls here, Parker."

"I know, but I love them because they're so sexy," I laughed.

They both punched me and I cowered away. Boston chased me around the couch and jumped on me. I collapsed to the floor and she tickled me mercilessly. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her until she couldn't breathe. She gave up and I sat on the couch and held her on my lap.

She snuggled in, Sagan came and sat beside me on one side and Mom sat on the other.

"I always wondered what it would be like to have a family like this," she told us a little wistfully. In many ways, she seemed like a young girl.

"What was your family like when you were little?" Boston asked her. She moved over on Mom's lap and played with her hair.

"Things were different then," Mom said. "Society was different. My father was a ruthless bastard. Being part of that family was like walking around in a nest of poisonous snakes. Everything I did had to be carefully calculated so that you didn't step accidently on someone's pride. I left when I was sixteen. I couldn't stand it anymore. My father murdered two of my brothers because he thought they were a threat to his power. My mother died mysteriously when I was ten. My father had dozens of wives that were all part of his political scheme. I think he murdered my mother. I was a pawn he intended to play as soon as I got old enough. I had dozens of brothers and cousins and they were all disgusting and brutal people. My father was going to marry me to one of my cousins when I was seventeen. Sexual mores were different then too. Two of my brothers tried to rape me and I killed them."

"Jesus Christ, Lilith," Sagan exclaimed. "I had no idea. I mean, I know about Rome and Greece and Egypt, but you never really think about it happening to real people."

"Well, it's more civilized now, that's for sure. I've been married 14 times and I've had 26 children. They all became something horrible and ugly to me. They used their power to bend other people to their wills and I had to kill some of them to keep them from killing me. I decided I would never have another child."

"What about Parker?" Boston asked. "How did you have him?"

"His father was one of the old ones. He was around before God destroyed the earth to get rid of us. I don't know how he survived, but I thought he must be one of the good ones because the angels hadn't killed him. He seemed like a decent sort and he was very beautiful. Parker looks like him. When Parker was two, I found out that he was the leader of a cannibal cult that worshipped him and made human sacrifices to him. They practiced sexual perversions and when I found out I attacked them and killed most of them. Parker's father was horribly wounded but he got away from me."

"Mom, Mariha told me they killed one of us twenty years ago. Do you think it was him?"

"I hope so. I didn't know. It must have been. I haven't heard of any of us except me and him for 500 years."

"What was the cult called?" Sagan asked.

"The Thule society. They modeled themselves after an older group. I think the old ones were just nutcases and frauds. These were the real deal."

"Mom, what was Dad's name?" I asked her.

"I don't want to speak it, but you deserve to know. His name was Ohiyah and he was the second son of Enoch's oldest daughter."

"You mean the Enoch that didn't die; the grandfather of Noah?"

"Yes; that's part of the reason I thought he was one of the good ones. I heard stories about Enoch when I was a little girl and even the Nephilim respected him. I thought that if Noah and Lamech were good, then your father could be too. Enoch plead their case before Michael after they were imprisoned. The Nephilim that were imprisoned became the first demons. Michael made thousands of them into demons and set them free. They don't come close to matching us in power but they're dangerous in numbers."

"Was there really a flood?" Sagan asked.

"I think that was an allegory," Mom explained. "I wasn't born yet. I know there were tidal waves, earthquakes and volcanoes. Parker's father talked about the earth being changed in the war. The angels came down by the millions and destroyed us. Humans were almost wiped out too and I know that only eight of them survived. I think God protected them from the devastation. It may have seemed like a flood. It was certainly a flood of destruction. Maybe there was a real flood. I never heard of one like the bible describes, but it could have happened. Maybe the tidal waves covered the earth."




First Estate



"What did he mean, 'the earth was changed?'" Boston asked.

"I think he said 'divided.' I think there used to be direct access to other dimensions."

"You mean like heaven?" Sagan asked.

"Yes, I don't know what heaven is. There may be other places left. I know it's there. Hell is real too. That's where the prison is. I think there are thousands or tens of thousands of us still there. They're bound and warded to keep them there because they're so dangerous to humans they can't be allowed to be free. Some rivaled the archangels in power. They couldn't be made into demons. I don't think the angels know how to kill them. The old ones are too powerful. Maybe God knows how but he hasn't told the angels. Mariha kind of let that slip."

"Were you really lovers?" Boston asked her.

"Yes. She got in a lot of trouble over me and she disappeared. I never knew what happened to her. I hid too and we lost each other."

"Well, that's interesting," Sagan said. "How did you decide you wanted a female angel for a lover after all the men you had?"

"She was beautiful and kind. She was everything those men weren't. I saved a little boy's life that she had been sent to watch over. That's how we met."

"Would you like to see her again?" I asked.

"Not right now. It's complicated. I only have time in my life for you, Parker. I've been waiting for a child like you for nearly 6000 years. Now, just when you're getting interesting you move to Austin and I don't see you for months at a time."

"Why don't you move to Austin?" Boston asked.

"I may. I really miss you, Parker. I've never had anyone like you in my life."

I squeezed her. "I miss you too, Mom."

"Well, now that I've waited all this time it seems like I've got three kids to love," she said. "Humans are changing and getting better if these two are any example."

"Thanks, Lilith," Sagan said. "We love you too. You deserve to be loved. You've had an awful life but you just kept on going and now you have us. We'll be your kids if you let us; won't we Boston."

"Yes, I love Lilith." She rested her head on Mom's breasts.

I petted her. "You love everyone, kitten."

"No, I hate Tommy Benson," she said.

I laughed. "Why do you hate him?"

"He mocked my central line when I was getting chemo and made fun of my bald head."

"Do you want me to punish him?" Mom asked.

"No, I'm going to learn the language of Shinar and make his hair fall out," she said.

That broke us up. Boston was the only one that didn't think that was hilarious. 

"Would you punish him, Lilith?"

"Yes, if you wanted me to. You see, I've fallen in love with you, Boston. I don't permit anyone to hurt people I love."

"Thanks, Lilith, but I've got this," she said.

"Do you know that most humans that know anything about me think I'm a demon?" Mom asked her.

"No, they're stupid," Boston told her. "I think you're wonderful.

We stayed with Mom until Monday and she promised to think about moving to Austin. On Tuesday, things got complicated.

Chapter Eight

Mariha was knocking at our door as six thirty in the morning. I put on a robe and let her in. The girls were still asleep. I made coffee and we ate cinnamon rolls while she filled me in.

Arian's errand boy had showed up at the McDonald's and pulled the information we had planted out of Mona. They seemed satisfied with the idea that Boston's "spontaneous remission" was the result of getting treated in Mexico. We were off the hook on the angel thing as long as the girls stayed in "Mexico" for six months.

We had another problem. Apparently, Boston's oncologist had been doing some tests on the blood samples he had and discovered some unusual properties. He had notified the Centers for Disease Control and the CDC's report had disappeared. There wasn't a trace of the information left in their databases and the doctor had mysteriously disappeared.

"That spells government spooks to me," she told me. "I think someone like the NSA or the CIA got involved and took that information."

"What will they do with it?" I asked her.

"I have no idea."

I pondered that for a while. "Do they know anything about angels or demons or Nephilim?"

"They don't know anything official. They periodically try to capture an angel or a demon. They try to track us. It's all concealed under UFO type stuff. I don't suppose they know anything at all about Nephilim. We make sure they don't find anything out that we don't want them to. I've even busted a demon out of their detention centers a time or two. The way you covered your tracks makes it possible for me to stay in place. I'll hear about anything going on from our end. The problem is, they are looking for Boston. She can't go to school and you need to get her out of Austin. They don't know about you and they aren't looking for Sagan yet. When they find out you're in Mexico from the McDonalds, that's where they'll look for you."

"Can't you just erase everything?" I asked her. "Do whatever it is you do when they get information about you."

"I can't do that without going through the right channels. I would need an official operation. For the obvious reasons, you don't want me to do that. If I just use brute force, someone, likely Arian, will notice. Boston's awake," she told me.

I heard the sound of the shower in her room and in twenty minutes, she came out, dressed for school with her backpack. When she saw Mariha, she set it down and came running to hug her.

"Hello, Boston," Mariha stroked her hair. "You look as beautiful as ever this morning."

"I smell cinnamon rolls. Can I have one for breakfast, Parker?"

"Yes, kitten; I'll heat one up for you. Boston, you aren't going to school today," I told her.

"Why not? I have a big test today in English. I don't want to miss it."

"We need to talk to you. Something's come up and I'm afraid I have some bad news for you about school."

"What is it? Did our plan about the angels not work?"

"No, nothing like that. They aren't looking for you anymore. This is something else. Let's wait till Sagan gets up and then I'll tell you both, ok?"

She agreed and her cinnamon roll was ready. She ate it and chattered with Mariha for an hour. I heard Sagan stirring around in our bedroom and in half an hour, she came out. She was ready for school too.

"Do I smell cinnamon rolls?" she asked. "Hi, Mariha; what are you doing here?"

She filled the girls in on what was happening while I made a few phone calls. I stepped outside, called Mom and told her what was happening. She was very worried and I told her I'd get back with her when I figured out what to do.

The girls were up to speed when I got done and Boston was crying a little. I picked her up, sat down on the sofa and held her.

"Sagan, you're good at planning, what do you think we ought to do?"

She didn't answer for five minutes. She wrote on a piece of paper for a while, chewing on her pen occasionally while she thought. She wrote some more and finally she was done.

"Ok, I think I've got it figured out. We need to leave Austin, but I need some information, Mariha. Where do you think we should go?"

"Somewhere American Intelligence spooks won't be welcome," she said.

"That's what I thought. That means somewhere that is sort of our enemies. I don't want to go somewhere like Russia, Boston doesn't like cold weather. What do you think about Cuba?"

Boston clapped her hands. "I would love that. Can we go there, Parker?"

"That's complicated, baby. The government won't let us go there directly. We'll have to go somewhere else first, like Canada or Mexico. Can you forge papers, Mariha?"

"What do you want them to say?"

"I want passports and drivers licenses that say we're Canadian citizens. Can we use our real names?"

"You can, they aren't looking for you. Once you get to Cuba you can use your real names. I would suspect that the girls are on the no fly list. They'd be picked up at the airport or at the border. I'll fix that. Look in your wallet."

My license was Canadian. I went and got my passport. It was Canadian. The girls got theirs and the names had changed. They had also become Canadians, Sagan and I were married and Boston was our daughter.

"Well, that's settled. Thanks Mariha," Sagan said. "The next thing is your job, Parker. What are you going to do about that?"

"I've already done it," I told them. "You know I only have an office here because it's convenient. I don't have any work that can't be done anywhere I'm at. I told them I'm relocating. It's not a problem."

"Ok, then we need to fix things at school. I need the University to know I'm going to be in Mexico with Boston. I need them to think I've been there for a while. At the same time, I want them to give me an international study permit to go to the University of Santiago de Cuba and then forget about it. Can we do that?"

"It's already done," Mariha said.

"You're good," Sagan admired her.

"Yes, I'm an angel," she laughed.

"Next, we need Boston's school to know she's been in Mexico getting treatments."

"I took care of that last week," Mariha told us. "That was part of the cover-up. I think I need to go with you until you are settled in Cuba. It's too bad Parker is just a baby. He could do all of this."

"Well, excuse me, but I know what I know. You won't teach me anything so what am I supposed to do?"

"No, I'm not blaming you. Parker, you really don't have any idea how powerful you are, do you?"

"Look, I've been totally honest with you. I haven't told you one thing, but I'm an open book. I really don't know anything beyond what I've told you. Did you think I was hiding some agenda and keeping you guessing?" I was a little offended.

"Teaching you things is forbidden and I barely escaped prison the last time I taught one of you things. How should I know what you know? You're warded so I can't see, you're stronger than me so I can't force you and your kind haven't exactly inspired a lot of confidence."

"That's just mean," Boston told her. "What do you mean, 'your kind?' What kind is Parker? You can't just go around judging people based on 'their kind.' You might as well suppose Sagan is an alcoholic because we're Irish, or I only eat potatoes. I know that's how things work in general, and most stereotypes contain some truth, but you know us personally. When you know people personally, it's just racist to use stereotypes on them."

"What she said," Sagan quipped.

"Well, I'm sorry; you're right. I apologize, Parker. Do you forgive me?"

"If you do a good act of contrition and hug me, I will."

She laughed and suddenly I was wrapped in an amazing warmth and light. Huge wings, dripping fire and orange light were wrapped around me and the most gloriously beautiful thing I ever imagined was holding me like a baby.

"Oh my God," Boston exclaimed, "You do have wings. She has wings, Parker. Look at her. Is this what you really look like, Mariha?"

"Yes, this is the real me. Parker has wings too; he just doesn't know how to manifest his true form."

"Show us," Boston begged. "Can you show us his wings, Mariha?"

She shifted back to human looking Mariha and stepped back from me. She spoke a few words in the language of Shinar and I was surrounded by a glow. She was a thing of golden glows and fire in her beauty. Mine was different. The aura was a little sinister, even to me. The flames were there, but they were orange and blue, almost like a gas flame burning with too little oxygen. It was beautiful, but somewhat ominous at the same time.

The girls rushed to me and I enfolded them. Mariha spoke a word and it all went away. I was holding them in my arms.

"My God, you're amazing," Sagan told me. "You didn't change like Mariha did, but that was awesome, Parker. Why didn't his body change, Mariha?"

"He has a physical human body. That's part of his genetics. It's basically indestructible, but he can't become totally incorporeal. You know when you met him, and that car was about to hit him? It wouldn't have hurt him. He would have been bruised, scraped and thrown through the air, but he would have been fine. He has the angelic aura and that manifests as wings, but you saw what they looked like. He's the offspring of angels that left their first estate. That changed them and the result is what you see. They're all in prison. God banished them. What they did almost caused the destruction of the human race. Do you understand why I'm suspicious?"

"Yes," Boston said, "but Parker's not like that."

"I know. I shouldn't have said that. You love him and that should have been enough to tell me he wasn't. Do you forgive me now?"

I nodded and the girls both hugged her. "Just don't say mean things to him and I'll love you," Boston said. "We're going to be married when I'm 21, you know."

Mariha looked at Sagan. She just shrugged. "It's a long story. It's just Boston being Boston."

Mariha laughed. "I'm not so sure. I think she means it. Anyway, let's get started. We have a lot of work to do."

I called Mom and she agreed to meet us in Detroit. I told her Mariha would be with us and she was ok with it. She told me she wanted to go to Cuba with us. "I don't want to miss out on anymore of your life, baby. I made a mistake when I let you go to Austin without me. I'm not going to make it again."

I was cool with that. I wondered what kind of fireworks we would see when angel met Nephilim. I didn't warn Mariha, I was too curious.

We packed our stuff and I sent most of it ahead to meet us in Montreal. I had a lot of arrangements to make in Santiago and it took me a couple of hours to get that done. It was very difficult to arrange a place to stay. I eventually just got a hotel and decided to find a better place when we got there. Mariha greased the wheels and got Sagan into the University. I decided to make her teach me how to do that. I could only get us Visas for 30 days and I would have to work on that when we got there too. 

We changed planes in Detroit and the meeting between Mom and Mariha was everything I hoped it would be. Mom sneaked up on her and covered her eyes. "Guess who?" she whispered in her ear.

I think she dropped her wards because Mariha nearly exploded. I saw her leaking flames and she had to make a lot of gestures in the air to get people to stop staring and forget. I thought they were going to crush each other when they hugged.

"Father of all, it's you," Mariha gasped. "My sweet Lilith, my little Shinarian princess. How I've missed you. Where have you been? How did you survive? Is Parker your son? Who's his father? Oh, I could set the world on fire. I'm so glad to see you." 

She put quite a lip lock on Mom. It was very disturbing on so many levels. It was erotic and weird at the same time.

"Hello, Mariah. What are you doing traveling with this riff-raff?" She smiled and embraced us all, kissing the girls and me. She picked Boston up and squeezed her. "How are my babies doing?"

"We're fine," Boston told her. "Is Mariha an old friend of yours?"

Mom looked at her. "I guess you could say that. We were lovers for many years, Boston. Circumstances drove us apart hundreds of years ago. Neither one of us wanted that, but we had to do it. Is that ok with you, baby?"

"Of course, it's none of my business, but I'm glad. I love both of you and I'm glad you aren't enemies or anything. I wouldn't like that."

"No baby, I could never be the enemy of anyone you love," Mom told her.

We spent the night in Montreal and left for Santiago the next morning. I don't think Mom or Mariha slept. I woke up twice during the night and heard them talking. I guess 500 years is a lot to catch up on. We all sat together on the flight over to Cuba and the girls and I watched movies on Boston's iPad. It seemed to take forever to get there, we spent a long time in customs until Mom got tired of it and Jedi'd them. They became very cooperative and in 10 minutes, we were on the way to our hotel. We checked in and went to bed. I was dead on my feet and the two girls weren't any better. Mariha didn't sleep and Mom seemed to match her. Boston asked Mariha if she could sleep.

"I do something like that, but no, not sleep. It's more like hibernation. I can shut down, but I don't need to. I might do it if I were bored or waiting for something to happen. I'm not either one now, so I won't sleep. It would be a waste of time. I have a lot to do. Lilith sleeps, but she doesn't really need to. She's just lazy."

"I'm not lazy, I'm decadent," Mom objected. "I like sleeping. It's a luxury."

"Well, the rest of us need to, so hold the noise to a soft roar," Sagan told them.

We went to bed laughing. Boston slept with Sagan and I and she was one of those people that have to be up against you when they sleep. Every time I moved, she did too. She slept between Sagan and I and she followed me across the king sized bed until I got out and went to the other side and scooted Sagan over. I was safe but Sagan got snuggled the rest of the night and when I woke up, she was draped across me and Boston across her. I showered and took Mariha with me to get some business done.

We visited the office of the Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation and I got a permanent work visa for my two "associates," namely Mom and Mariha and myself. We went to the Ministry of Higher Education and got my "wife," Sagan a student visa and my "daughter," Boston enrolled in school.

I got office space to set up an Apple branch office and we got some of our funds transferred to Canadian dollars and then into Cuban peso's to avoid the penalty. I rented two cars, both mini-vans, and we started looking for a place to live. Mom went with me on this trip and we started at a nightclub. We hit two or three before Mom got a line on someone that was the right type. She used the force on him somehow and he told us about a place we could get under the table. We couldn't buy property and most of the stuff for rent was tiny and short term for tourists. I didn't know how long we would be here, but a couple of well-placed bribes and a couple of Jedi mind tricks and we had a place. It cost 10,000 dollars to get a six-month deal, but it was quite a place.

We got our stuff shipped there and collected Mariha and the girls. When we pulled up, a guy in a dark suit came out and met us. It turned out that the place came with a staff and they seemed to think we were criminal types. We didn't try to set them straight. Boston and Sagan were very impressed.

"Jesus, are we really going to live here?" Boston was enchanted. "This is like a castle. You remember you promised me a castle, Parker."

I laughed. "I don't quite remember it like that, but this is your chance, kitten. Enjoy it."

There were a dozen bedrooms and we let her pick the one she wanted. "I want to be next door to you and Parker," she told Sagan. "That way, if I get scared in the night I can come and get in bed with you guys."

"Oh no, you can stay in your own bed," I told her. "You're a pain to sleep with. You keep stealing all the room."

She pouted for a while but I think she decided she would do whatever she wanted anyway, so she ran around the house and pestered the staff. They spoke broken English and I realized that was going to be a problem for the girls.

I went and found Mom and Mariha and asked them if they could Jedi the girls so they could speak Spanish. Mom didn't know how, but Mariha did. I was already fluent, I speak dozens of languages, and we soon adopted Spanish as the official language of the house. Mom could speak Spanish too, though I hadn't known.

I had to go to Seattle on business for a week. When I got back, they were all settled in. Mariha didn't show any signs of wanting to leave. I asked her about it and she said she was having too much fun. I started looking into the American government thing and she helped. She was the supreme computer hacker. She would just tell me what to type. Passwords and encryption didn't bother her at all. She could have been a master criminal.