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 these things. If you want me on your side, you have to stop treating me like some sort of weird, stinky thing that you don’t want anywhere near you.”
His lips curved to the side. “Trust me, you definitely don’t stink. You smell very good to me.”
Again, he managed to render me speechless for a split second. I nearly walked into a lamppost, but I managed to swerve just in time. “Well, okay. Then I’m just a weird thing.”
“If you say so.” Amusement fading, he scanned the black, star-studded skies. “Anything yet?”
I looked up. “Not yet. Believe me, I’ll let you know if a bright beam of light suddenly appears. That is, if you stop being so secretive with me about everything.”
He raked a hand through his dark hair, his jaw tight. “Fine. I’ll tell you a few things to do with my mission.”
“I’m listening.”
“Angels and demons have been asked to work together in the past, but only a handful of times. Even though Heaven and Hell are both necessary to keep the balance, we’re not friends. We work together only when there’s a threat that affects both Heaven and Hell and the balance we need to maintain. And there’s a threat like that right now.”
Another chill cut through me. “Grays.”
“Yes.”
“They’re—” I really didn’t want to say we’re; despite the ever-present hunger, my stomach felt queasy just at the thought of it “—really a threat to Heaven and Hell? Enough to send a team of angels and demons to stop them?”
When he met my eyes this time, he looked pensive. “There was a similar situation once before, caused by a demon who had the ability to devour human souls. This ability marked the demon as a dangerous anomaly.”
“Funny,” I said shakily. “I’d think that’s exactly what a demon should be able to do.”
He shrugged. “Maybe in horror movies, but not in reality. Souls are too important to the universal balance. The original demon who could do this was defeated. But now, with the current rise of this particular problem…” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “The question is, is this a new demon with the same ability? One who can now spread this affliction like a disease through the kiss? Or is it the same demon as last time? But that would be impossible.”
“Why impossible?”
“Like I said, she was sent somewhere she shouldn’t have been able to return from—somewhere no one returns from.” His jaw tensed. “But if she found a way, then that’s a sign that something very bad is on the rise—possibly worse than what we’re already dealing with.”
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 these things. If you want me on your side, you have to stop treating me like some sort of weird, stinky thing that you don’t want anywhere near you.”
His lips curved to the side. “Trust me, you definitely don’t stink. You smell very good to me.”
Again, he managed to render me speechless for a split second. I nearly walked into a lamppost, but I managed to swerve just in time. “Well, okay. Then I’m just a weird thing.”
“If you say so.” Amusement fading, he scanned the black, star-studded skies. “Anything yet?”
I looked up. “Not yet. Believe me, I’ll let you know if a bright beam of light suddenly appears. That is, if you stop being so secretive with me about everything.”
He raked a hand through his dark hair, his jaw tight. “Fine. I’ll tell you a few things to do with my mission.”
“I’m listening.”
“Angels and demons have been asked to work together in the past, but only a handful of times. Even though Heaven and Hell are both necessary to keep the balance, we’re not friends. We work together only when there’s a threat that affects both Heaven and Hell and the balance we need to maintain. And there’s a threat like that right now.”
Another chill cut through me. “Grays.”
“Yes.”
“They’re—” I really didn’t want to say we’re; despite the ever-present hunger, my stomach felt queasy just at the thought of it “—really a threat to Heaven and Hell? Enough to send a team of angels and demons to stop them?”
When he met my eyes this time, he looked pensive. “There was a similar situation once before, caused by a demon who had the ability to devour human souls. This ability marked the demon as a dangerous anomaly.”
“Funny,” I said shakily. “I’d think that’s exactly what a demon should be able to do.”
He shrugged. “Maybe in horror movies, but not in reality. Souls are too important to the universal balance. The original demon who could do this was defeated. But now, with the current rise of this particular problem…” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “The question is, is this a new demon with the same ability? One who can now spread this affliction like a disease through the kiss? Or is it the same demon as last time? But that would be impossible.”
“Why impossible?”
“Like I said, she was sent somewhere she shouldn’t have been able to return from—somewhere no one returns from.” His jaw tensed. “But if she found a way, then that’s a sign that something very bad is on the rise—possibly worse than what we’re already dealing with.”
