Archanghel: Tale of the Universe

Chapter 23

“You look good, Cleo!” I half joked, half amazed, said.

He really does look good. He was just wearing a simple shirt and jeans but he looked like a model straight out of a magazine. He waved the handkerchief I was looking for in front of me. I grabbed it and pulled it and threw him a joke.

“Come on. We are going to be late. Your girl must’ve been waiting for you.”

I walked past him and I heard him chuckle a little bit. Lola Isma was already waiting for us outside and Manag Lileth and Liza were also standing there. We eventually reached where they were and I can already see the look Liza was throwing at my husband. Not that she was doing anything to mask it. She was open as a book with it.

“Hi, Cleo. We haven’t seen each other this morning.” Liza said intimately, as if seeing each other every morning was a routine.

“Ah, yeah. I was busy this morning.” I jerked my head towards Janus when he answered Liza.

I stared at him intently. Not really minding what I am looking at right now and how I am reacting. I have a right to do this, right? I'm the wife. I was shocked at how casual Janus sounded when he talked to Liza. Maybe that is it. He was just acting like that before because of our mission. After this, he will eventually go on with his life and find someone he will love forever. Probably someone who is not me.

“Liza, stop that. Aren’t you embarrassed? Rachele was just standing there.” Manang Lileth scolded her daughter. Liza looked at me with a winning smile that irritated me even more.

“Mom, it was just a joke. I know how much Cleo loves his wife. He was always there when Rachele was having some kind of seizure.”

I really don’t like this Liza woman. I don’t like the way she looked at Janus, the way she talked to him and, most importantly, I don’t like it when he was starting to get nosy, especially if it’s about Janus and me.

After she had witnessed me making a fuss because of my nightmare, she had spread a rumor around the town that I was not sane. That I had some kind of illness and Janus was just being courteous to me because I was his wife. Of course, no one believed her, since Lola Isma told them that he didn’t have any illness and Janus also told everyone that they were not having any problem with our marriage.

I curtly nodded at her as an answer and didn’t say anything. I started to walk and Lola Isma followed behind as Janus tried to catch up with me. He was insisting that we should walk side by side for him to be able to watch me carefully if anything happened. As if something would happen.

+++

“Hey, that’s enough. You should let Cleo go. You're making Rachele uncomfortable.” Manag Lida called out to the guys’ table as we heard them tease Janus to take a shot.

I was watching him from time to time and I thought he had already drunk enough. Even though he looked sober, he should have stopped already because we would be walking home together and I didn’t want to carry him. Lola Isma had already gone home saying that she was already tired and we should enjoy the festival a little more. Janus and I stayed and were enjoying our time, and Janus looked like he was enjoying it a little too much.

“Are you drunk, Cleo?” Manang Lida asked.

“Not yet, Manang,” Janus answered, but his body was saying otherwise.

His head was already falling down, his eyes were slitted and his face was flushed. All signs point to him being drunk. What also made me in a sour mood was the woman sitting beside him. It was Liza and her friends.

“Manang Lida, I’ll be going home now. It's getting late and Lola Isma and I have something to do early in the morning.” I stood up from my seat and politely excused myself.

“Right, you and Isma will be traveling tomorrow morning. Don’t worry about us and just go on, take a good rest. What about your husband? You should take him with you. It's already dark on the road.” Manang Lileth said to me.

I looked at where Janus was sitting but he was not there. Even Liza was nowhere to be found. I walked up to their table to ask for my husband.

“Excuse me, where is Cleo?” I politely asked the girl that was seated beside Janus’ chair.

“Oh, he and Liza went to the toilet together. Cleo was feeling nauseous and Liza was kind enough to accompany her. Who are you?” She eyed me from head to toe.

I furrowed my eyebrows at her question. They'd been talking with Janus for a while now and Manang Lida was shouting at the guys earlier and still, she didn’t know me? I quickly turned around, not minding being rude, as I did not answer her. I also heard her comments but I did not bother to listen to them at all. After a few walks, I found myself in front of the toilet. What I saw made me stop dead in my tracks. Janus was leaning on the wall looking all drunk and Liza was standing in front of him. Her arms were snaked around Janus’ neck and their faces were only a breath away. Janus was struggling to keep himself upright.

“What did you even see in your crazy wife, Cleo? She's not that pretty, not that sexy. Unlike me, I'm the dream girl of all the boys and guys here and the next town. I can make you happy.” Liza’s tone also sounded drunk.

“Never mind that, I can be your mistress. I would agree to anything as long as you take me in.” She continued.

Liza moved her head closer to Janus and was about to kiss him. I quickly turned around. I can hear my heart breaking and my body trembling. I don’t want to witness what will happen next. I just can’t. Why didn’t Janus push her aside? Does he want this? Why did he not answer her? I'm asking myself those silly questions but the answers were clear as the day.

I walked away from that place, before I crumbled down even more. Before nothing left of me, a pain burned my whole body. Before I even heard confirmation from Janus, I walked away. Saving myself.

The road in front of me was dark, just like the hollow in my heart. I walked through it. Even though it reminded me of hell, I still pushed through. No one was going to save me. I was alone now and I needed to face everything head on. There were no light posts on the road and most of the houses that I passed were turned off. It was a good thing that Lola Isma let me borrow one of her flashlights but Janus had nothing on him. He might be staying with Liza tonight.

The air was cold and it became more chilling as it touched my wet face. Why am I crying? Why am I so weak? It's just a guy, Xandriel. Look how weak you are crying for a guy.

I was in my own world crying and didn’t put too much attention to walking alone at night. I was already at a good distance from the festival when I heard something. This time it was a chirp. Not of a bird, but something else. I stopped and looked around me.

What was that? It doesn’t sound like a deer this time.

I heard it once again. No. No, it’s not a deer. I quickened my pace, determined to go home. Going back was not an option now because, either way, each destination was at a great distance. Plus, the chirp sounded like it was behind me, so I could only walk towards the direction of the house.

I was walking briskly, the light in my flashlight shook almost violently. I tried to hold it firmly to see where I was going, but the trembling of my hands made it more difficult.

“Found you.”

A cold voice whispered in my ears. It was so familiar that it broke me into a full run. Goosebumps traveled on my body as I identified who the owner of the voice was. Oh God, help me. Save me from him. Save me from Asmodeus.

+++

“Never mind that, I can be your mistress. I would agree to anything as long as you take me in.” Janus heard Liza’s voice.

He was still dizzy and his mind felt like mud. His vision was still blurry so he slitted it to see clearly. He did not know that alcohol could affect him this much. He just knew that alcohol can get you drunk, but being this kind of drunk in just a few shots made prove that Cleo’s body was not that tolerant to it. He needed to go home.

“I’m sorry, Liza. But you’re not my type and... my wife, I need to go home with my wife.” He managed to say that in a slur.

He tried to right his body and go back to where their table was. He looked for Xandriel and found her seat empty. He approached Lileth to ask for his wife.

“Have you seen Rachele?” The older woman looked at him in confusion.

“Cleo, what are you doing here? I thought you and Rachele had gone home? Didn’t she go looking for you?”

Upon hearing that, dread fell over Janus’ body. Suddenly, he was all sobered now. His body went still as his mind processed what had just happened.

Shit!

For the first time, Janus cussed internally. Xandriel just went home without him. Xandriel might run into some danger. Janus almost beat himself up for being distracted and failed to look for Xandriel.

He didn’t know if he had said thanks to the older women or if he had just bolted out of the place. All his focus was on Xandriel and catching up with her. There was something that didn’t settle well with Janus. He hated the feeling and he wanted it to vanish. He just needed to see Xandriel well and safe.