Gabriel spoke in riddles a little more often than I liked.
“Who wouldn’t grant you mortality?” I asked.
“The Arch Angels. Only they can decide if an Angel will be allowed to fall. Requests of such kind, now at least, are very rare.” Gabriel shifted his weight, seemingly uncomfortable with the question I had asked.
“Are you some sort of healing Angel?” My knowledge of the supernatural was hardly up to speed and my mind was still throbbing.
“No, Lailah. I was an Angel of Death.”
That shut me up.
He raised his eyebrows and smiled nervously, showing off those divine dimples. “Don’t worry. I went rogue a long time ago,” he added lightly. “Healing is just an ability all Angels, no matter what their job title, so to speak, possess on this plane.”
I nodded.
His blond hair fell over his temple delicately and all I wanted to do was reach out and touch it, touch him. “So healing is just one of your gifts. You have others?”
“Yes, all Angels do when we are here on Earth.” He didn’t elaborate.
He shifted his weight nearer to me, and the warmth of his body temptingly radiated toward me. “I should have been able to take it away, but you stopped too soon. I don’t know what happened. You were seeing the memory and I was watching along with you. I saw everything: your confusion, your fear, your helplessness.” His eyes grew larger. He moved his muscular arm behind my back and placed his hand on my scar. His expression was indecisive before he asked, “Did you feel it?”
I shuddered as his words hit me and, as was becoming almost habitual, he pulled me in to his chest, his hand squeezing my waist, comforting me. He was so warm I sank into him, contentment flowing through me.
“No,” I lied, saving him.
The lines in his forehead ironed out a little; he seemed relieved. I had lost the connection to Gabriel. He wouldn’t have been able to sense anything from me, I guessed. I had to choose to let him in. Unconsciously I must have blocked him out in time to spare him that at least. Or maybe transitioning back into my body had automatically cut him out. I didn’t know. How could I have been back in the past? Physically able to feel everything all over again? And if I were there again, did I have the power to change the memory, to do things differently? Or was I just trapped inside myself, unable to do anything but relive what had already happened?
“I was back here, in this room, beside you. Your scar began opening up and…” He stopped himself there.
“I know,” I replied, feeling for the gash on my head that had already healed itself.
“But how can that be? How can something that has already physically happened repeat itself, in the here and now? I don’t understand.…”
That made two of us. Only he was oblivious that when he disconnected, I stopped watching and began reliving it, locked in. He couldn’t know. If he did, then it would be obvious to him that I had felt every inch of that hook.
Silence drifted between us.
“You were all alone, suffering at his hands.” For a moment his face flashed, and as it cooled, sadness hung across his expression.
“I’m not alone now,” I offered softly.
He peered down at me. Skimming my cheek with the back of his fingers, gently he leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheekbone. “Jonah is outside,” he mumbled, breaking the moment too soon.
Jonah didn’t bother to knock, flinging open the door and marching toward us. Then he faltered, seeing me nestled so closely to a shirtless Gabriel.
“Jonah,” Gabriel acknowledged him.
“I smelled blood.”
Rising to his feet, ignoring Jonah, Gabriel directed himself just to me. “It’s time I was leaving, Cessie.” He emphasized my nickname as if reminding me that I had to remain hidden; that no one else in this house should be aware of my supernatural self. I wasn’t about to disagree. For now, at least, I would wear my mask. I would continue to be Cessie.
Gabriel literally had to pry Jonah from my room, and I wondered for a moment why this Vampire, who had seemed so arrogant and disinterested in me at the start, was suddenly so concerned about me. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps he just wanted another taste of my blood.
The door slammed and without Gabriel next to me, a sharp prickle of loathing stabbed my consciousness. I felt invaded again. I had to cleanse my skin. Snatching the silk pajamas and dressing gown from the wardrobe, I tiptoed to the bathroom and ran a deep, boiling-hot bath.
Removing my clothes, I stepped inside, immersing myself in the clean water. Using the rosemary soap, I scrubbed and scrubbed, peeling off what felt like one layer of skin until my knuckles ached with the effort. Flexing my hands in front of me, I was surprised to find dirt embedded underneath my fingernails, where I’d clung to the damp mud in my struggle against Frederic.
I took a deep breath and sank under the water. I opened my eyes and breathed out of my nose, watching the pockets of air bubbles swirling around me. I thought about Frederic once more, careful not to dissolve too deeply into the memory, for fear I would lose control again.
I went straight to the image of the blaze instead—the next thing I could remember after I was blinded by those fierce eyes.
Lighting up the clearing in between the trees, it was Frederic who burned. I could suddenly smell him. I didn’t see it happen, but I didn’t have to; everything inside me told me that it was him. She’d ended him, the girl in shadow. It could only have been her, considering the expression that Frederic had worn, evidently realizing her power just before it happened. I didn’t know who she was; her face was always masked in the darkness. Nor did I know why she had saved me, why she seemed to appear in my times of crisis. Perhaps she followed me? Perhaps it was just some random, weird coincidence? And how had she healed me? The deep laceration had already closed and was scarring by the time the fire had faded out to ashes. I’d felt an odd sense of satisfaction as the flames had flickered against the blackness. I didn’t die; she’d fixed me immediately, somehow.
Pushing my body back out of the water, I sucked in the air, scraping my wet hair behind my back. I had to change my train of thought to happier things. I thought about Gabriel instead. He had come so close to me. If Jonah hadn’t interrupted, would he have kissed me? I couldn’t work out what he felt toward me. I could only wait for him to reveal more of himself to me. I hoped he would soon.