Darkness retreated from the encroaching rays of sunlight on the horizon as Angel pulled into a dimly lit motel by the two-lane highway. Removing the key from the ignition, he pushed the door open, stepped out, and stretched, feeling his muscles snap and crack. Sighing in relief, he moved to the back of the van and opened both doors. Charlotte shot up like a jack-in-the-box, her eyes faintly red until she recognized Angel.
"Sorry," Angel apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Her eyes cleared, and she looked past him to the motel. "We're sleeping here?"
"Yeah. It's not the best, but I tend to hole up in cheap rooms to keep out of sight." Angel shrugged regretfully. "Though I look forward to the day I never have to sleep in a hotel ever again." He held out his hand to her. "Come on, it'll be more comfortable than the back of the van."
Relieved to escape the vehicle's confines, Charlotte gripped his hand gently and stepped into the sun's warmth, her shoes crunching on the gravel parking lot. When she stepped into the light, Angel stared, realizing it was his first time seeing her so clearly. She was stunning.
Every detail he remembered about her from the night before was illuminated by the sun, but what caught his eye this morning was her unusually pale skin. If it hadn't been for her piercing black eyes, he might have thought she was an albino.
Clearing his throat quietly, Angel released her hand before lingering too long. To distract himself, he stepped onto the wooden pathway outside their room, took out the key, and unlocked the door. He stepped aside and motioned for her to enter. Following close behind, Angel flicked on the light as he shut the door.
Then he noticed a problem and cursed under his breath. "Shit."
"What's wrong?" She scanned the room, unsure of his concern.
He was scrutinizing the far end of the room, where a lone bed stood. "I didn't even think about it, but I booked the room before I found you."
"So?" Confused, she followed his gaze and immediately understood. "Oh."
Though she'd lost her memories, she understood the implications of sharing a bed with someone, and her cheeks flushed in response.
"Go ahead and take the bed," Angel offered as he drew back one of the two chairs from the round table by the window and sat down. "I've slept on worse."
He'd saved her, trusted her, and now offered her comfort while taking the chairs. Charlotte hesitated, remembering when he'd taken the girls into the hospital. When the van's door closed, leaving her behind, it was the first time she had been alone, and she felt incredibly lonely and vulnerable. His presence made her feel safe, and part of her wanted him to hold her. Biting her lip, she decided it would be inappropriate to ask. At least he'd be in the room, close by.
Moving to the bed, she pulled the covers down and slipped in and lay her head on the pillow. "Thank you, Angel."
Pulling the two chairs closer to face one another, Angel sat in the first and rested his feet on the second. "You're welcome, Charlotte. Good night."
Charlotte responded with a loud yawn, squeaking out a cute 'Good night' before rolling over toward the wall.
Angel smiled softly at the sound. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift, listening as her breathing soon settled into a steady rhythm, indicating that she had fallen asleep. For the next twenty minutes, he tried to get comfortable but eventually gave up, moving to the cold floor. Using his vest as a makeshift pillow, he relaxed, closed his eyes, and finally, sleep mercifully claimed him.
The midday sun filtered through the gaps in the front window's blinds, casting warmth on Charlotte's face and pulling her from her dreams. Groaning, she turned to face the wall, rubbing her eyes to shake off sleep. The groan morphed into a moan as she felt the snap of her muscles as she stretched languidly.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep, but she felt refreshed. Although she couldn't remember any dreams, Charlotte was sure she hadn't had nightmares. Knowing Angel was there when she closed her eyes brought her comfort and a sense of security. The thought of him made her smile softly as she turned to see if he was awake. He was nowhere in sight.
Suddenly alert, Charlotte sat up in bed, her smile dropping to a worried frown. It took a few seconds for her sharp ears to detect the sound of rushing water, and she realized he was in the bathroom, taking a shower. An intimate image flickered through her mind, and she blushed profusely. Charlotte shook her head, sighing in self-reproach.
She threw the sheets back, swung her legs onto the floor, and stretched, arms reaching high above her head. She felt cheerful, especially after rescuing the two girls the night before. Quietly, Charlotte sat there, savoring the moment, until something else drew her attention: an urgent need. She glanced at the bathroom door and bit her lip.
She needed to pee.
Now that she was aware of the pressure, the discomfort caused her to clench her legs. How long would Angel be? Pacing for a few minutes, she tried to distract herself by observing the room's details—the bed, the two chairs Angel had slept in, a round table with his keys and ranger vest scattered across it, a desk, and an old CRT television resting on a cheap brown dresser. The effort to wait seemed like a losing battle, and she finally gave up. Approaching the bathroom door, she gently rapped on it several times. She heard the water shut off.
"Angel?"
His voice carried through the door. "Yes?"
"I, uh…" She bit her lip, feeling embarrassed. "I need to use the bathroom."
She heard movement behind the door. Moments later, it swung open, revealing Angel wrapped in two towels. One was around his waist, and the other was draped over his shoulder, giving her a clear view of his upper body. Her eyes widened slightly at the display of his muscular build and defined physique, marked by scars—some from knives, others from bullets, and a few she couldn't identify.
She could feel her cheeks burn and stammered, "S-sorry."
Angel shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I should have checked with you before going in, just in case. I haven't shared a bathroom with a woman in a long time." His voice was pleasant and calm. "Please, go ahead."
"Thanks." She slipped past him as he moved aside, feeling the heat radiating from his glistening, wet body. Sensations coursed through her, tickling nerve endings in sensitive areas, causing goosebumps to rise along her arms and prompting those same images from before to return. But now, the urge to pee was more pressing than delicacy, so she turned and quickly shut the door.
From outside the bathroom, Angel spoke through the door. "I'm going to change, so don't come out until I say so. Okay?"
"'Kay!" That was all Charlotte could manage as she rushed to the toilet, lifted the lid, dropped her jeans, and plopped down hard on the seat. She closed her eyes with a long, drawn-out sigh as the pressure quickly ebbed. So, she chuckled silently: demons urinate. I wonder if that happens in any of Angel's stories?
As she relaxed, she looked at the shower. Again, it struck her that the things she knew or that felt natural to her conflicted with everything she could not recall. Charlotte reminded herself that basic needs, such as sleep, using the bathroom, and hygiene, were things she recognized. But the knowledge of who she was and where she came from? That remained somewhere in the dark and beyond her reach.
After cleaning herself, Charlotte stood up, closed the seat cover, and flushed. Twisting the sink knob, she washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair was tangled, cascading down to her lower back, and she wondered if tying it up would help reduce the mess. Her large, black eyes gazed at her with unanswered questions as she moistened her unusually dark lips.
As she gazed at herself, she allowed her power to flow forward, becoming a witness to her transformation. Her black eyes darkened to a deep crimson, and her irises shifted into snake-like slits. At the same time, her normally rounded eyes became more exaggerated and monolid, giving her an eerie, menacing glare. Her horns erupted through the skin on her forehead without any pain—just pressure as her skin stretched around their bases, wrinkled yet firmly attached to the bone.
The canines then sharpened, larger than her other teeth, but each one almost magically transformed into cruel, flesh-rending tips. Her tongue flicked through her parted lips as she clicked her long, clawed fingers against the porcelain sink. She felt something shift at the base of her spine, and her gaze followed a tail with a spade-like tip that rose and swayed like a spellbound cobra.
She grinned, curling her lips into a silent snarl to show more teeth. She imagined the fear the two men must have experienced when they saw her, and although she felt guilty for frightening Amy and Jamie, she also felt pride for her role in saving their lives.
"I'm dressed," Angel called out.
Startled, Charlotte quickly turned toward the bathroom door and hissed softly, her skin rippling like water disturbed by a stone in a pond. Focusing her will, she subdued her powers, erasing her demonic traits as fast as they had appeared. After regaining control, she felt safe enough to speak. "Do you mind if I take a shower?"
"Not at all," he assured her, adding, "I'll get you some clean clothes from the van and leave them by the door. Do you feel safe here alone for a few minutes? I want to go get us some food."
She could almost feel his body pressed against the door on the other side, as if he were drawn in by the power she had just unleashed. Unconsciously, she pressed her hand against the wood as if touching his chest. Biting her lip, Charlotte felt something stir deep inside her when his words registered. Food! Another thing she hadn't thought about. Suddenly, her stomach started to rumble, as if it woke up with the same realization.
She dropped her hand and moved back. Even though he couldn't see her, she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please!"
"Anything you want?"
What do I like? What is my diet, anyway? What do demons eat in Hell? She had no idea. Considering her situation, she didn't want to dwell on it. "I don't know. You choose."
"Okay, I'll be back soon."
Charlotte heard his footsteps fade and the front door open and close. Turning back to look in the mirror, her human features greeted her. With a surge of her power, she smiled as her eyes turned crimson once again. She was gaining confidence in using her abilities and looked forward to saving as many lives as she could.
With a sigh, she scolded her rumbling tummy for its impatience and shifted her focus to getting cleaned up. Pulling her black T-shirt over her head, she dropped it in a corner and slipped off her jeans and underwear. Reaching for the shower, she turned on the hot water, ignoring the cold entirely. As she saw steam rise from the cascading water, she stepped in and drew the curtain shut.