Ahe'ey - 2 Gravitational Pull by Jamie Le Fay Read Free Book Online

Womanhood

    Present Day - New York

    Debilitating guilt crushed Gabriel every time he interacted with Morgan. The Ange'el's affection for the human was weakening his mandate to control her movements and influence her decisions. His task was, once again, to deceive and manipulate. He seemed destined to betray the confidence of those he held most dear.  
    They entered the Met via a back door. Gabriel led Morgan down a set of stairs and through three access doors that required him to type passcodes and scan his fingerprints. He carried a basket that had been given to him by the Met staff as they walked in the building.
    "Are you taking me to the dungeons?" she said with anticipation.
    "Yes, indeed. I have conspired to lock you in the safest place in New York. At this time, you are a prisoner of the Met, but I hope that soon you will rejoice in your captivity."
    "What's in the basket?" She reached towards it.
    "Curiosity killed the cat, Ma'am," he replied playfully, moving the basket away.
    He opened the last door and led her into a large warehouse. Golden light filled the room, coming through several small windows protected by steel bars.
    "Are these genuine?" Her inquisitive eyes opened wide with surprise.
    "Yes, all genuine." Paintings, dozens of paintings, by Klimt, her favourite artist. Gabriel knew she was deeply passionate about his work. He watched her as she held her breath for a few seconds, processing the burst of colour and beauty that surrounded them.
    "Stunning!"
    She quickly approached Danaë, which was on the floor. The painting was leaning against a wooden box that served as the container for transportation to the Met. She kneeled on the ground and, with teary eyes, sat before the great beauty and traced the fine detail of the masterpiece. A vulnerable, beautiful naked woman lay curled asleep, enveloped by her flaming orange hair and golden rain dust that flowed between her legs. She turned to him, pointing to the painting.
    "My favourite."
    I know, he thought, staying at the door, giving her space to live the moment.
    He allowed her to feel joy without having to contain it or to explain it. His eyes never left her. He watched her face light up and her eyes flicker. He found himself holding his breath, waiting for her approval.
    She looked back at him. "How?" Her smile filled every corner of the room.
    "Ange'el, my organisation, is a sponsor of the Met. When I learned that a Klimt exhibition was opening in a few weeks, I thought you wouldn't like to miss it." She nodded, excited.
    They walked together around the room, pausing to observe each piece of art. For each, there was a quiet moment of wonder followed by animated conversation as they exchanged information about each painting. He noticed the joy flowing through her body; it was reflected in the way she almost danced as she moved and the way she almost sang as she talked. Her voice had a higher pitch, and her accent became more noticeable. Morgan's southern European hands endorsed her words with vibrant and graceful gestures.
    He shared his knowledge about the history and meaning of each piece with her and did his best to connect his commentary with her work and interests. He mentioned how Klimt's paintings display the multifaceted scope of womanhood, introducing the cycle of life, love, sensuality, sexuality, strength, vulnerability, and death.
    He asked why Danaë was her favourite, given her small passive role in the original Greek mythology—seduced by Zeus, who visited her in the form of golden rain. She paused for a second, contemplating his question.
      "Her vulnerability and sensuality, her perfectly imperfect body and sexual awakening, her cheeks touched by passion," she said, and as she looked into his eyes, she lowered her own and blushed. "I also love Water Serpents and Athena; they display very different characteristics of womanhood."
    He was still recovering from her words. She had moved him from the moment he'd seen her speak on TV three