He leans back to give me an appraising look. “I wonder which will get you killed faster—your loyalty or your stubbornness?”
“Neither, if you’ll help me.”
“And why would I do that?”
“I saved your life. Twice. You owe me. In some cultures, you’d be my slave for life.”
It’s hard to see his expression in the dark, but his voice sounds both skeptical and wry. “Granted, you did drag me out of the street while I was injured. And normally, that may qualify as saving my life, but since your intent was to kidnap me for interrogation, I don’t think that qualifies. And if you’re referring to your botched ‘rescue’ attempt during my fight with those men, I’d have to remind you that if you hadn’t slammed my back into giant nails sticking out of the wall, then chained me to a cart, I’d never have been in that position in the first place.” He chuckles. “I can’t believe those idiots almost bought that you were an angel.”
“They didn’t.”
“Only because you screwed up. I almost burst out laughing when I saw you.”
“It would have been pretty funny if our lives hadn’t been at stake.”
His voice gets sober. “So you know you could have been killed?”
“So could you.”
The wind whispers outside, rustling the leaves. I open the door and retrieve the cup of noodles. I might as well believe that he’ll hear my mother if she comes around. It’s better if we don’t risk someone else seeing the food and coming into the cabin.
I pull out a sweatshirt from my pack and put it on over the one I’m wearing. The temperature is dropping fast. Then I finally ask the question to which I dread the answer. “What do they want with the kids?”
“There’s been more than one taken?”
“I’ve seen the street gangs take them. I figured they wouldn’t want Paige because of her legs. But now, I wonder if they’re selling them to the angels.”
“I don’t know what they’re doing with the kids. Your sister is the first one I’ve heard of.” His quiet voice chills me.
The rain pounds on the windows and the wind scrapes a branch on the glass.
“Why were the other angels attacking you?”
“It’s impolite to ask the victim of violence what they did to be attacked.”
“You know what I mean.”
He shrugs in the dim light. “Angels are violent creatures.”
“So I noticed. I used to think they were all sweet and kind.”
“Why would you think that? Even in your Bible, we’re harbingers of doom, willing and able to destroy entire cities. Just because we sometimes warned one or two of you beforehand doesn’t make us altruistic.”
I have more questions, but I need to settle one thing first. “You need me.”
He barks a laugh. “How so?”
“You need to get back to your buddies to see if you can get your wings sewn back on. I saw it in your face when I mentioned it back at the office. You think it might be possible. But to get there, you have to walk. You’ve never traveled on the ground before, have you? You need a guide; someone who can find food and water, safe shelter.”
“You call this food?” The moonlight shows him tossing the empty styrofoam cup into a trash can. It’s too dark to see it land in the can across the room, but by the sound of things, it’s a three-pointer.
“See? You would have passed that by. We have all kinds of stuff that you’d never guess was food. Besides, you need someone who’ll take the suspicion off you. No one would suspect you as an angel if you’re traveling with a human. Take me with you. I’ll help you get home if you’ll help me find my sister.”
“So you want me to lead a Trojan Horse to the aerie?”
“Hardly. I’m not out to save the world, just my sister. That’s more than enough responsibility for me. Besides, what are you worried about? Little ol’ me being a threat to angelkind?”
“What if she’s not there?”
I have to swallow the dry lump in my throat before I can answer. “Then I’ll no longer be your problem.”
The darker shadow of his form curls up on the couch. “Let’s get some sleep while it’s still dark out.”
“That’s not a no, right?”
“It’s not a yes, either. Now let me sleep.”
“And that’s another thing, it’s easier to keep a watch at night when there are two of us.”
“But it’s easier to sleep when there’s just one.” He grabs a sofa pillow and puts it over his ear. He shifts once more, then settles in, his breathing turning heavy and regular as though already asleep.
I sigh and walk back to the bedroom. The air gets colder as I near the room, and I have second thoughts about sleeping in there.
As soon as I open the door, I see why it’s so cold in the cottage. The window is broken and sheets of rain blow onto the bed. I’m so tired I could just sleep on the floor. I grab a folded blanket off the dresser. It’s cold but dry. I close the bedroom door to keep the wind out and pad back into the living room. I lie down on the sofa across from the angel, wrapping myself in the blanket.
He seems to be comfortably asleep. He’s still shirtless, as he has been since the first time I saw him. The bandages must provide a little warmth but not much. I wonder if he gets cold? It must be freezing when flying high up in the sky. Maybe angels are adapted to cold temperatures, just as they’re light for flight.
But this is all a guess, and probably just a justification to make me feel better about taking the only blanket in the cottage. The power is out tonight, which means the heat is out. It rarely freezes in the bay area, but it does get pretty cold at night sometimes. This seems to be one of those times.
I fall asleep listening to the rhythm of his steady breathing and the drumming of the rain on the windows.
~
I dream that I am swimming in the Antarctic, surrounded by broken icebergs. The glacial towers are majestic and deadly beautiful.
I hear Paige calling for me. She’s floundering in the water, coughing, barely keeping herself afloat. Having only her arms to paddle with, I know she can’t tread water for long. I swim toward her, desperate to reach her, but the gut-freezing cold slows my motions, and I waste almost all my energy shivering. Paige calls to me. She’s too far for me to see her face, but I can hear tears in her voice.