Free Into Death's Arms by Mary Milligan Page B

tattoo AoD.” H is eyes glowed with pride . I felt tears start to run down m y face. AoD, like my father, I was an An gel of Death. I had kind of known I wouldn’t be an AoLi , an Angel of Life. I wasn’t nice enough to be a healer, but it would have been my luck to find my self in a role I was unsuited for . Father Mike was tattooing the ancient symbo l for the AoD into my stomach. With a ngel wings and a sword all in sharp angles, it was almost tribal looking . Human’s now days nev er looked twice at the symbol, e xcept maybe to exclaim , “ Nice tat.” B eing tattooed was so commonplace now.
        Laurna was still sobbing softly . I couldn’t see her , but I could hear her. She was such a softy. She’d make a hell of an AoLi if she had the blood. “Tell Laurna it’s not so bad.” My voice rough like I’d swallowed an entire quarry of gravel. Everything still hurt, and as I slid back into unconsciousness, I felt like I could fly. I was an AoD.
             I woke later in my own bed and only had one thought : ow, ow, ow, I hurt.  “You look like shit , ” I heard a soft voice nearby and smelled Laurna’s honeysuckle perfume . It was funny . I knew she was upse t . She was swearing at me, again.
           “Yeah,” I said. “How about we throw you on the barbeque grill and see how you look after?” I asked , but I was smiling.
            Laurna took my hand very gently. S he was afraid to hurt me . She really didn’t need to worry everything hurt anyway.   “Nah, my dad worries enough about the tanning service I use,” she said sarcastically. We both laughed. That hurt too. “I like the new ink by the way.” She ran her hand over my abdomen. I ground my teeth together and mana ged not to scream bloody murder, but it was a challenge.
          “That hurts, ” I growled at her.
           She snatched her hand back but laughed even harder. “You sounded like your dad.”  I still couldn’t see , but she quit touchi ng me , so I was okay. “Father Micheal says you’ll be kind of grumpy for a couple days. I told him that was normal.” She giggled at me. It was normal . I was a grumpy person. “ Of course, if I got my insides fried , I’d feel grumpy for a couple of days , so I forgive you in advance. But, I ’ve got to go home. ” She looked at her watch. “ It’s past ten , and I have class tomorrow. I’ll stop by your classes and pick up your stuff. I am all prepared to cry at your professors and tell them how you were in this terrible accident involving a Mac truck , and I don’ t know I didn’t know when I would recover. ” I heard her move toward the door. She was so great.
          I sighed, I hadn’t even th ought about my classes. “Thanks. I really apprec iate it , and I really like my present. ” I meant it , I did.  She was the best.
          She nodded and left. I heard her phone ring before she left the house.  I heard her out front. Go super hearing! “No . I’m on my way home. Yes, okay. ” The car door slammed. Well darn . A pparently, I couldn’t hear through car doors but hey no wonder my dad had always known what I was up to when I was little.   
        Speaking of the devil, he came in with a smoothie. Have I mentioned I love my dad? “Hey AoD,” he whispered , but I could hear the wealth of emotion behind those simple words. He handed over the smoothie. Strawberry mmm, I love strawberries , and right now smoothies sounded fantastic. “Hard food isn’t possible tonight , but tomorrow night you’ll be right as rain.” He sat in the chair Laurna had vacated. It creaked under his weight. The smoothie slid down my throat , icing all those hot hurting places.
          We sa t together for a bit in silence. I was working on my nerve. I didn’t really know what he was thinking. Finally, curiosity won out…
          “I have some questions, ” I said evenly. I was sounding much better and my throat didn’t feel like