can’t...”
“He is not the angel.”
“Well then, who is he?” Todd asked.
Devante brought his foot down upon the sketch. The sketch burst into flames. “The son of God.”
Seville, Ohio
With a heavy clank, the sword flew from Marcus’ hold and fell to the ground. He shook his hand. “Geez, Reg.”
“Come on Marcus,” Reggie spoke, aggravated. “Keep a grip.”
“Why don’t you get a grip, Reg?”
Reggie huffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re fighting like you have something to prove.”
“Pick up your sword.”
“Is that it?” Marcus asked. “Are you mad because you didn’t pull a heavenly sword today?”
Reggie glared at him. “Pick up your sword.”
Marcus bent down apprehensively. “I’m not the one to be practicing with.”
“Nonsense.” Reggie lifted her sword high. “Everyone’s paired off.”
“But it’s not productive if you kick my ass. You’re not supposed to be practicing with me.”
“Marcus,” Reggie said. “Who am I supposed to practice with?”
“Me.” Michael appeared behind her.
Reggie closed her eyes and turned around. “No thank you. I’d rather not. Not right now.”
“Then later, perhaps,” Michael suggested.
“I don’t think so.”
“Reg,” Marcus intervened. “Enough with the attitude.”
“Oh, fuck you, Marcus. OK?”
“Whoa.” Marcus raised his hands. “Don’t jump down my throat. You don’t get in bad moods, Reg. What’s up with that?”
“If you don’t know, then I’m not telling you.”
Marcus snickered. “What are you talking about?”
Grunting, Reggie shook her head. “Forget it. I’m out of here.” She turned to go.
“Reggie.” Michael stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “You and I should train. If you don’t feel like it now, perhaps before the sun sets we will make time.”
Reggie swatted at his hand. “Don’t you get it? God, Michael. Leave me alone, all right? I don’t want you touching me. I told you that this morning. I mean it. You make my skin crawl.” Reggie tossed her sword into the ground and stormed off.
Marcus saw the hurt in Michael’s face. “I’ll... I’ll go talk to her. Excuse me.”
He tilted his head as he watched Marcus pursue Reggie.
“She doesn’t mean it,” said a voice from behind Michael.
Michael’s eyes lifted. Turning around, his mouth opened to speak.
“Don’t,” said the man. “The people in this place, they call me James.” He walked to Michael, one hand in the front pocket of his jeans. “She doesn’t mean it.”
“The plan. I thought my instructions were clear. I thought we were following them,” Michael said.
“You are.”
“She said I make her skin crawl. She said she wants to be with Marcus.”
“She’s lying.”
“She has lied to me?” Michael was aghast. “Why?”
James chuckled. “She’s scared. She’s afraid that if you touch her, she will be damned.”
Michael looked over his shoulder. “Is that true? Will she be damned?”
“No,” he answered, with a grin.
“I make no attempt to cover the fact that I am lost and confused on what I should do now.”
James softened his voice. “It’s a process, you have to take it. You are gaining very necessary feelings. You are searching and you don’t know it. Searching for what you need.” He stepped closer. “The true reason to fight this battle.”
“You are speaking in riddles.”
“It’s more fun that way.”
“Everything has turned into a riddle. She turns from me now when yesterday she welcomed me.”
“Yesterday was different, Michael. When you kissed her…” James winked. “She walked away and found the blood of a dervan demon on her lips. You know how that smells.”
“How… how is that possible?” Michael asked. “She was in the protected compound.”
“But her mind is not safe. Not when you aren’t around her. Devante may not slip into these gates, but he can slip into her mind. And her mind will produce the
“He is not the angel.”
“Well then, who is he?” Todd asked.
Devante brought his foot down upon the sketch. The sketch burst into flames. “The son of God.”
Seville, Ohio
With a heavy clank, the sword flew from Marcus’ hold and fell to the ground. He shook his hand. “Geez, Reg.”
“Come on Marcus,” Reggie spoke, aggravated. “Keep a grip.”
“Why don’t you get a grip, Reg?”
Reggie huffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re fighting like you have something to prove.”
“Pick up your sword.”
“Is that it?” Marcus asked. “Are you mad because you didn’t pull a heavenly sword today?”
Reggie glared at him. “Pick up your sword.”
Marcus bent down apprehensively. “I’m not the one to be practicing with.”
“Nonsense.” Reggie lifted her sword high. “Everyone’s paired off.”
“But it’s not productive if you kick my ass. You’re not supposed to be practicing with me.”
“Marcus,” Reggie said. “Who am I supposed to practice with?”
“Me.” Michael appeared behind her.
Reggie closed her eyes and turned around. “No thank you. I’d rather not. Not right now.”
“Then later, perhaps,” Michael suggested.
“I don’t think so.”
“Reg,” Marcus intervened. “Enough with the attitude.”
“Oh, fuck you, Marcus. OK?”
“Whoa.” Marcus raised his hands. “Don’t jump down my throat. You don’t get in bad moods, Reg. What’s up with that?”
“If you don’t know, then I’m not telling you.”
Marcus snickered. “What are you talking about?”
Grunting, Reggie shook her head. “Forget it. I’m out of here.” She turned to go.
“Reggie.” Michael stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “You and I should train. If you don’t feel like it now, perhaps before the sun sets we will make time.”
Reggie swatted at his hand. “Don’t you get it? God, Michael. Leave me alone, all right? I don’t want you touching me. I told you that this morning. I mean it. You make my skin crawl.” Reggie tossed her sword into the ground and stormed off.
Marcus saw the hurt in Michael’s face. “I’ll... I’ll go talk to her. Excuse me.”
He tilted his head as he watched Marcus pursue Reggie.
“She doesn’t mean it,” said a voice from behind Michael.
Michael’s eyes lifted. Turning around, his mouth opened to speak.
“Don’t,” said the man. “The people in this place, they call me James.” He walked to Michael, one hand in the front pocket of his jeans. “She doesn’t mean it.”
“The plan. I thought my instructions were clear. I thought we were following them,” Michael said.
“You are.”
“She said I make her skin crawl. She said she wants to be with Marcus.”
“She’s lying.”
“She has lied to me?” Michael was aghast. “Why?”
James chuckled. “She’s scared. She’s afraid that if you touch her, she will be damned.”
Michael looked over his shoulder. “Is that true? Will she be damned?”
“No,” he answered, with a grin.
“I make no attempt to cover the fact that I am lost and confused on what I should do now.”
James softened his voice. “It’s a process, you have to take it. You are gaining very necessary feelings. You are searching and you don’t know it. Searching for what you need.” He stepped closer. “The true reason to fight this battle.”
“You are speaking in riddles.”
“It’s more fun that way.”
“Everything has turned into a riddle. She turns from me now when yesterday she welcomed me.”
“Yesterday was different, Michael. When you kissed her…” James winked. “She walked away and found the blood of a dervan demon on her lips. You know how that smells.”
“How… how is that possible?” Michael asked. “She was in the protected compound.”
“But her mind is not safe. Not when you aren’t around her. Devante may not slip into these gates, but he can slip into her mind. And her mind will produce the
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