found it difficult to breathe for a moment. “Is that a compliment or an observation?”
He grinned. “Both.”
Focus, Samantha, I told myself. I couldn’t let myself be distracted by this beautiful, dangerous angel on his mission from Heaven. He was a means to get my soul back; that was the only reason I was here right now. I already had enough painful bee stings racked up this year, I didn’t need another one .
I wished I knew what he was thinking. He kept saying things that made me believe he thought of me as more than just a friendly neighborhood soulless monster. He watched me out of the corner of his eye as if he wasn’t sure how to deal with me being near him.
But he didn’t try to put distance between us. In fact, he was a little too close right now—so close I could feel the warmth from his body. My head felt cloudy again.
I inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. “So if I’m helping you, then I’m sort of on your team, right?”
He did look at me this time, his eyes an intense shade of indigo in the moonlight. “I don’t have much longer to find the others, or the searchlights showing their locations will go out. Then I won’t be able to find them at all. They’ll wander the streets not knowing who they really are or why they’re here. There’s not enough time for us to play around.”
Again, he was sidestepping my questions. “I’m not feeling very playful at the moment.”
“You’re helping me find the others, that’s all. You’re not really a part of this.”
The frustration inside me bubbled over. “If I’m not a part of this, why do you need my help? Maybe I should call it a night. I forgot I have some homework to do. Even grays like me need to get good grades if they want to go to college.”
It was a pathetic attempt to get him to say he needed me, that I was in this now whether I liked it or not. A small, scared part of me did want to help him, despite everything. I knew this was important.
“You won’t be going to college if you don’t help me. You’re trapped in this city with the others for as long as you’re missing your soul.”
“Because of this barrier you told Stephen is around the whole city right now keeping grays from leaving.”
He nodded. “If it’s any consolation it contains angels and demons, too. Anything supernatural. Anything nonhuman.”
I gritted my teeth. I didn’t want him to see that this possibility had completely floored me. “Fine. Then I’ll go to a local college.” I glared at him. “I guess it’s different where you come from, but here if you want somebody to do something for you, you’re supposed to be nice to them. Letting me carry your shiny weapon isn’t nearly good enough.”
He glared back at me. “I’m nice.”
I laughed out loud. “Try again. Look, I know you’re having issues with relying on me to do these bizarre errands for you. But you do need me, right?”
He pressed his lips together, his gaze sinking so deeply into me that I again found it hard to walk straight. I took that as a yes. That made things simple, really, whether he agreed or not.
We passed a bookstore with several people standing outside smoking. I tucked the heavy dagger under my jacket until we were out of view again. It wasn’t the most natural thing to be carrying around.
“So you need me,” I said. “And you’re telling me I need you if I want my soul back. And I definitely do. I’m still reeling from what all of this means, but when there’s a problem, I try to fix it. Seeing as this is the biggest problem I’ve ever faced in my entire life, I will fix it, no matter what it takes.”
He nodded. “Then we understand each other.”
Bishop was the most infuriating person—angel, whatever—ever. Despite the chill in my body, my cheeks grew hotter the longer this conversation went in circles. “No, I don’t understand. That’s the whole reason I’m asking you questions—or trying to, if you’d stop trying to avoid them. I need to know
He grinned. “Both.”
Focus, Samantha, I told myself. I couldn’t let myself be distracted by this beautiful, dangerous angel on his mission from Heaven. He was a means to get my soul back; that was the only reason I was here right now. I already had enough painful bee stings racked up this year, I didn’t need another one .
I wished I knew what he was thinking. He kept saying things that made me believe he thought of me as more than just a friendly neighborhood soulless monster. He watched me out of the corner of his eye as if he wasn’t sure how to deal with me being near him.
But he didn’t try to put distance between us. In fact, he was a little too close right now—so close I could feel the warmth from his body. My head felt cloudy again.
I inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. “So if I’m helping you, then I’m sort of on your team, right?”
He did look at me this time, his eyes an intense shade of indigo in the moonlight. “I don’t have much longer to find the others, or the searchlights showing their locations will go out. Then I won’t be able to find them at all. They’ll wander the streets not knowing who they really are or why they’re here. There’s not enough time for us to play around.”
Again, he was sidestepping my questions. “I’m not feeling very playful at the moment.”
“You’re helping me find the others, that’s all. You’re not really a part of this.”
The frustration inside me bubbled over. “If I’m not a part of this, why do you need my help? Maybe I should call it a night. I forgot I have some homework to do. Even grays like me need to get good grades if they want to go to college.”
It was a pathetic attempt to get him to say he needed me, that I was in this now whether I liked it or not. A small, scared part of me did want to help him, despite everything. I knew this was important.
“You won’t be going to college if you don’t help me. You’re trapped in this city with the others for as long as you’re missing your soul.”
“Because of this barrier you told Stephen is around the whole city right now keeping grays from leaving.”
He nodded. “If it’s any consolation it contains angels and demons, too. Anything supernatural. Anything nonhuman.”
I gritted my teeth. I didn’t want him to see that this possibility had completely floored me. “Fine. Then I’ll go to a local college.” I glared at him. “I guess it’s different where you come from, but here if you want somebody to do something for you, you’re supposed to be nice to them. Letting me carry your shiny weapon isn’t nearly good enough.”
He glared back at me. “I’m nice.”
I laughed out loud. “Try again. Look, I know you’re having issues with relying on me to do these bizarre errands for you. But you do need me, right?”
He pressed his lips together, his gaze sinking so deeply into me that I again found it hard to walk straight. I took that as a yes. That made things simple, really, whether he agreed or not.
We passed a bookstore with several people standing outside smoking. I tucked the heavy dagger under my jacket until we were out of view again. It wasn’t the most natural thing to be carrying around.
“So you need me,” I said. “And you’re telling me I need you if I want my soul back. And I definitely do. I’m still reeling from what all of this means, but when there’s a problem, I try to fix it. Seeing as this is the biggest problem I’ve ever faced in my entire life, I will fix it, no matter what it takes.”
He nodded. “Then we understand each other.”
Bishop was the most infuriating person—angel, whatever—ever. Despite the chill in my body, my cheeks grew hotter the longer this conversation went in circles. “No, I don’t understand. That’s the whole reason I’m asking you questions—or trying to, if you’d stop trying to avoid them. I need to know
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