I couldn’t read that flush to your cheeks or the breaks in your voice, why would you defend someone you barely know? I mean, c’mon. We both know you’re not that good a person.”
“There’s nothing else.”
“You want her,” Cordinox said.
“He loves her?” Isis asked, her hands balled together. “That’s really sweet. Have you asked her out yet?” She sounded like a girl from middle school.
“He’s certainly infatuated with her.”
“Well I’m sure he’ll win her. It always has to go like that, right?” Isis asked of no one in particular.
“So Timothy, I have your first real assignment. I’ll recall Morgon, but keep an eye on your angel. And make sure she doesn’t burn you. Angel fire can be exceptionally toxic, especially now that you’ve become one of us.”
Timothy got back to The Verge. He turned off the engine to his compact car, a gift from his parents when he left for college. He stared out the window, waiting for some idea of what he should do. When nothing popped into his brain, he banged his head against the steering wheel. It wouldn’t bruise, but it hurt enough to be satisfying. A week ago he was just a guy trying to get a girl. Now he was a demon following a girl who was really an angel but somehow didn’t know it. He felt like he’d be sick, a twisted stomach that didn’t have anything to do with Cordinox’s translation across distance.
“Okay,” he said. He got out and trudged out toward the tower of steps which would take him to his apartment.
He got half way up the stairs before he noticed someone leaning against the banister on the floor beneath his. Jenny looked sad as she stared out at nothing. Even now, without concentrating, Timothy could see some of the glow, the angel’s energy that would make her a target for Cordinox’s enemy. Someone cynical would say that’s what attracted him. That glow, the shape of her soul, made him wake up thinking about her. But Timothy wouldn’t have cared either way. He cared about her. He’d protect her.
Timothy took the steps, two at a time, before he walked down the hall. He was one landing too early. Twenty feet ahead he saw her. Jenny’s shoulders were scrunched around her neck, her wavy brown hair ending at her collar, her powder blue shirt tight around her waist. Be a man, he told himself. You can do this.
He swallowed. He did something that took a lot of courage. “Hi,” he said, proud of how he didn’t stutter and that his voice didn’t crack.
“Oh, hi,” Jenny turned and stood straight. She forced a smile, but it glowed small and fragile. He’d never seen her smile that way. Warm adrenaline flowed in his veins and prickled up through his skin.
Thinking hard, he wanted to find the best words for this. He pressed forward with one question and hoped he wouldn’t hurt her. “Are you okay?” Being this close made his chest feel lighter. He felt the urge to slide closer.
“Thinking.”
“About what?” Timothy rested his forearms against the railing. It might be easier for her to talk to him if she didn’t have to look at him. That’s something Jeremiah would have come up with. And Timothy could barely believe he had the brain cells to come up with it himself. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“Just boyfriend stuff.” Jenny’s eyes shined as Timothy tried not to flinch, “Nothing you want to hear about.”
“Try me,” Timothy said. “Sometimes I can come up with good advice.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am. And I promise I’ll just jump off if you say something really bad. Deal?” He smiled at her, thinking he would do whatever he could to help her. It didn’t even matter that he’d be helping her with her boyfriend.
“Deal,” she laughed. There was an incredible high of knowing he could get her to laugh. “I’m kind of thinking about Terrance, my boyfriend.” Lips tight, she breathed out, “I’m wondering if we’re really compatible.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be kind
“There’s nothing else.”
“You want her,” Cordinox said.
“He loves her?” Isis asked, her hands balled together. “That’s really sweet. Have you asked her out yet?” She sounded like a girl from middle school.
“He’s certainly infatuated with her.”
“Well I’m sure he’ll win her. It always has to go like that, right?” Isis asked of no one in particular.
“So Timothy, I have your first real assignment. I’ll recall Morgon, but keep an eye on your angel. And make sure she doesn’t burn you. Angel fire can be exceptionally toxic, especially now that you’ve become one of us.”
Timothy got back to The Verge. He turned off the engine to his compact car, a gift from his parents when he left for college. He stared out the window, waiting for some idea of what he should do. When nothing popped into his brain, he banged his head against the steering wheel. It wouldn’t bruise, but it hurt enough to be satisfying. A week ago he was just a guy trying to get a girl. Now he was a demon following a girl who was really an angel but somehow didn’t know it. He felt like he’d be sick, a twisted stomach that didn’t have anything to do with Cordinox’s translation across distance.
“Okay,” he said. He got out and trudged out toward the tower of steps which would take him to his apartment.
He got half way up the stairs before he noticed someone leaning against the banister on the floor beneath his. Jenny looked sad as she stared out at nothing. Even now, without concentrating, Timothy could see some of the glow, the angel’s energy that would make her a target for Cordinox’s enemy. Someone cynical would say that’s what attracted him. That glow, the shape of her soul, made him wake up thinking about her. But Timothy wouldn’t have cared either way. He cared about her. He’d protect her.
Timothy took the steps, two at a time, before he walked down the hall. He was one landing too early. Twenty feet ahead he saw her. Jenny’s shoulders were scrunched around her neck, her wavy brown hair ending at her collar, her powder blue shirt tight around her waist. Be a man, he told himself. You can do this.
He swallowed. He did something that took a lot of courage. “Hi,” he said, proud of how he didn’t stutter and that his voice didn’t crack.
“Oh, hi,” Jenny turned and stood straight. She forced a smile, but it glowed small and fragile. He’d never seen her smile that way. Warm adrenaline flowed in his veins and prickled up through his skin.
Thinking hard, he wanted to find the best words for this. He pressed forward with one question and hoped he wouldn’t hurt her. “Are you okay?” Being this close made his chest feel lighter. He felt the urge to slide closer.
“Thinking.”
“About what?” Timothy rested his forearms against the railing. It might be easier for her to talk to him if she didn’t have to look at him. That’s something Jeremiah would have come up with. And Timothy could barely believe he had the brain cells to come up with it himself. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“Just boyfriend stuff.” Jenny’s eyes shined as Timothy tried not to flinch, “Nothing you want to hear about.”
“Try me,” Timothy said. “Sometimes I can come up with good advice.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am. And I promise I’ll just jump off if you say something really bad. Deal?” He smiled at her, thinking he would do whatever he could to help her. It didn’t even matter that he’d be helping her with her boyfriend.
“Deal,” she laughed. There was an incredible high of knowing he could get her to laugh. “I’m kind of thinking about Terrance, my boyfriend.” Lips tight, she breathed out, “I’m wondering if we’re really compatible.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be kind
Similar Books
