Page 37 of Galen
“Still debating,” I answered, cuddling more into my cardigan as another cool breeze swept around me. “After seeing that angel, I’m convinced you told me the truth about everything. But it’s still hard to wrap my head around. Things like this just don’t exist in my world.”
“They exist. They’ve always existed. Humans rarely see the magic around them though.” Galen came to stand beside me, his gray-eyed gaze fixed on the water. “I like to come here to think. There’s something calming about the sea.”
“My dad used to tell me that when I needed to speak, the sea would listen.” I watched as more shadows washed away the sunlight. “We used to go out on his boat every weekend when the weather was nice and fish. He never had the heart to keep anything we caught though. He’d toss it back into the water, and then we’d sit and watch the sunset.”
My chest ached at the memory. It was one of those things I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. But looking back now, I’d give anything to sit on his boat with him again.
“My mom was a marine biologist and loved the ocean,” I continued. “She died when I was twelve. Car accident. Dad was the kind of man who had trouble expressing his emotions. After she died, he went to the harbor and looked out over the sea. Sometimes for hours. He’d talk to her. So now when I’m struggling or need to sort things out, I come to the sea too.” I weakly smiled at Galen. “Sorry. That was a lot.”
“Water is made up of countless memories,” Galen said. “It travels from place to place, absorbing knowledge and emotions. Your father was right when he said the sea listens. And then it keeps your secrets safe.” A pause. “When did he die?”
“Four years ago. He had a heart attack.” My stomach tightened. “He was so young too and in good health. It just… it took me by surprise. He died, and then I was in charge of the shop. I’ve worked there since I was young, so I knew the ins and outs. But it was a lot to deal with all at once.” Realizing I’d been talking his ear off and getting way too freaking personal, I released a short laugh. “Um. Sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this.”
“Stop apologizing,” he said, looking down at me. “You’re twenty-nine, correct?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“So young.” Galen turned away from the water and faced the mansion. “We’ve lived here for sixty years. Before this, it was Paris. Scotland before that. Also, Japan. There’s not a place on this earth we haven’t visited.”
Was this his way of opening up to me? I didn’t know Galen well, but I got the impression he wasn’t much of a talker. Pretty much the complete opposite of Gray, who only stopped talking when he was asleep.
“That’s hard for me to think about,” I said. “Living so long. Watching the world around you change while you stay the same. It seems so lonely.”
Galen cocked his head at me, a crease forming between his eyes. “Such a strange human.”
My face heated. “How am I strange?”
“Most humans would be seduced by the idea of eternal life. But not you. You see it for the burden it truly is.”
“Probably because I’m a pessimist.” My cheeks got even hotter. His unwavering gaze amped up my self-consciousness. “Seeing the negative in everything is kinda ingrained in me.”
Galen’s hard expression faltered a bit, and I could’ve sworn there was a slight curve to his lips. “We have that in common, then.”
“Can I ask a question?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Go on.”
“Are there others like you? Nephilim.”
“Yes.”
“Are they cursed too?”
“That’s two questions,” Galen said.
I cracked a smile. “Sue me. Now answer it.”
“I don’t take kindly to being bossed around.” His light gray eyes held my gaze for so long that I had to look away. He definitely won that staring contest. “But if you must know… no, they aren’t cursed. Over two hundred angels followed Lucifer when he fell, but only the first seven had the curse placed upon their bloodline.”
“Why only seven?”
“Because they were Lucifer’s generals,” Galen answered. “And the very first ones to follow him to Earth.”
“Did you know your father?”
“Not well,” Galen answered, surprising me. I thought he’d get irritated by another question. “I heard stories of him though. He killed an angel before the Fall. The angel tried to stop him, and my father drove a blade through his heart. He slaughtered many humans after that, letting his rage consume him. I was conceived through violence. He took my mother by force. She could barely even look at me when I was a boy. The day Lazarus took me away, she cried. But not because of sorrow. She was relieved to see me go.”
My heart broke for him, and I stepped closer to his side, wanting to comfort him but not sure if he’d allow me to do so.
