Read Online Conduit by Maria Rachel Hooley - Free Book Online

now.”  He kept walking
and slammed the door after.
                Once again, Celia started
to follow, a desperate sadness in her eyes, but Evan stopped her, giving her a
stern look.  “I know you want to help him, but right now his human nature is
taking over.  You won’t be able to reason with him.”
                “But what about all the dybbuks out there?”
                He finally nodded.  “All
right.  Follow him, but you can’t untangle his heart.  You can’t fix this.  No
one can.”
                She gave a subtle nod. 
“I understand.”  Then she slipped out.
                Griffin found himself
alone with Evan. “You know he’s skirting along a dangerous precipice, right? 
He’s not doing well as a human.”
                Evan gave a slow nod. 
“Yes.  I’m not sure what to do about it.  What can be done? When he became
human, it was supposed to be permanent.  We could never have known it would end
up like this.”
                Griffin took a deep
breath, trying to calm down.  “Look, I’m sorry about earlier.  I’m just crazy
worried about Lizzie, and I know if these creatures are somehow getting past
you, things are going to get a lot more serious—and soon.”
                “Yes,” Evan agreed, “they
are.”
                Even though Griffin knew
he wouldn’t be able to see anything out the window, he still sauntered over to
it, more to give himself something to do than anything else.
                “How long do you think we
have to get her back?”  He leaned on the window sill, feeling the muscles in
his back tense.  He hung his head, wishing he could stop the fear from clawing at
his insides.
                “I don’t know.” 
                Griffin shifted and saw
that the angel wore an expression of uncertainty, his gaze seeming to drift
past the ceiling.
                “Evan?” Griffin whispered
his name, shaken to the core.
                “I have to go now,
Griffin.  There are things to be done and answers to be sought.”
                Then Evan was gone. At
one time, Griffin would’ve believed angels could handle anything.  Now he knew
better. 
    * * *
    Lev must’ve walked for hours, always
watching the sky, thinking he might catch sight of something to help him find
Elizabeth.  Perhaps he was a fool, putting himself out here like bait.
    It didn’t matter, though.  The dybbuks didn’t want him, so he’d had no choice but to go back to the house and try to
help Evan accomplish whatever plan he finally came up with.
    He was only a few yards away when he
sensed that someone followed. He whirled.
    “Who’s there?” he called, an edge to
his voice.  He wanted it to be a dybbuk , to be something he could
destroy as he was being destroyed because doing so would be the only thing that
would make him feel better, like he was in control.  He saw no one but was sure
he could feel someone—something. He didn’t have to be an angel for that.
    A dybbuk ? No, not this time.
He stiffened.
    Celia.
    “You might as well face me.  I know
you’re there.”
    Slowly, Celia appeared before him,
starting out as a bright shimmer that transformed itself into her full form.
    “How did I know it’d be you?”
    “Some things are transcendent, as is
the bond between us.”  She stepped toward him.
    “How long have you been there?”  He looked
away.
    “The whole time.”
    Lev laughed, but it was hard and
brittle, unlike him—or what used to be him.  Whether it was like him now he
couldn’t say. “Of course.  You figured I’d do something unforgivably stupid,
right?” It wasn’t a question.
    “You aren’t safe, Lev.  You know
that.” She touched his arm, but he pulled away. The dybbuks didn’t want
him, and he was certain they both knew it, so what was her game?
    “It doesn’t matter, Celia.