“What happened?” Brenda asked. She sounded like she was ready to sop up a juicy bit of gossip.
I kept my back to them as I remembered the incident. “Raphael’s intense. He pushed his way into my head and looked for anything I might be holding back or not using to my full potential. It was incredibly invasive. Nick doesn’t even have his full powers. He has no idea what’s coming.”
“No,” Vicky said. “This isn’t going to be one of those tests.”
I turned to face her. “What do you know that we don’t?”
“Nothing specific, but this isn’t a test of someone with their full powers,” Vicky rubbed her temples. “Raphael can’t burrow into Nick’s head without revealing the truth. Uriel would destroy Raphael if he upended his careful plans. This isn’t a test, it’s a reconnaissance. Dad and the others want to learn as much as they can, and since Uriel won’t tell them spit, this is the next best thing.”
Hearing her talk about my father and uncles, I realized I might have caused Raphael’s visit. “I talked to Dad on Monday and asked for his help. I’m not sure sending Uncle Raphael is going to help. If anything, it’s making Nick more anxious.”
“You’re over thinking this,” Vicky said. “This is exactly what I said. Reconnaissance. Think of it this way. If Uriel thought this was going to be harmful to Nick, he’d intervene. It’s going to be fine.”
“Your father should’ve come,” Brenda said. “He’s got a much gentler touch.”
“Again, you’re both not seeing things clearly,” Vicky said. “First, Gabriel’s too close to Henry. He might miss things if he starts looking for ways Nick might harm his son. Second, and more importantly, this is Raphael’s strength. No one knows more about angel powers and functioning than him. Uncle Raphael is the right choice for this task.”
She was right. Overall, Uncle Raphael was a kind, compassionate angel and I truly loved him, but my test still made me shiver. Just because he wasn’t easy on me, didn’t mean he’d be bad for Nick. “I agree. We need to make sure Nick stays calm until he meets Ralph.”
“That’s your job,” Vicky said with a soft smile. “But we’re here to help.”
Brenda cleared her throat, drawing our attention. “Speaking of Nick, there’s something you should know. When I tried to calm him down earlier, I felt his power building up. The lights even flickered. It was unsettling.”
I nodded, unsurprised but concerned. “I sensed his distress. That’s why I called him.”
“Your timing was perfect,” Brenda said. “But how did you know? Were you spying on him or something?”
Another joke that didn’t land so well with me. I took a moment to lose my indignation. “Yes. I’ve hidden cameras and microphones all around your office. I even know the unmentionable things you do in your office when the door is shut.” I wiggled my eyebrows for emphasis. “We’re connected. I can feel when he’s upset, even from a distance. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like a tug on my heart.”
Brenda pretended to sneer at me, but before she could snark back, I turned to Vicky. “Any luck finding Uriel? These episodes with Nick’s powers are becoming more frequent. We need guidance.”
“Two instances in a week hardly counts as frequent,” she said. I knew she saw my point, but this was her frustration speaking. “And no, I’ve had no break throughs. Trevor was right. Uriel isn’t going to be found until he’s ready.”
“It’s not just the lights,” Brenda said. “Nick’s work performance has improved dramatically. He’s producing results faster than ever before. It’s like he’s evolving before our eyes.”
I nodded, remembering my conversation with Nick. “He told me his brain feels hyper-stimulated. It’s another sign his powers are manifesting much sooner than we anticipated. I’m worried about how he’ll handle it all.”
“Sooner than who anticipated?” Victoria raised an eyebrow. “He’s unprecedented—an angel born to human parents. For all we know, this could be normal for his unique situation.”
I ran a hand through my hair. This wasn’t some clinical study we were discussing. This was Nick. “True, but that’s why we need to be prepared for anything. Vicky, can you bring Trevor up to speed on the situation? He couldn’t get away for this meeting, but we need him to know what’s happening.”
“Of course.” She made a note on her tablet. “I’ll brief him tonight.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Brenda said, drawing dirty looks from me and Vicky. “My parents are coming to the party on Saturday. Mom and Dad are especially good at calming angels as they come into their powers. I thought they might be helpful if things escalate.”
I hadn’t thought to enlist members of the older generation, but Ares and Ruth were two of Mom and Dad’s favorite angels. “That’s great. Thank you. Hopefully we won’t need their help, but better to be safe.”
We wrapped up the meeting, and I escorted them out of the building. On the way back to my office, I stopped by the research department and gave the director a rush assignment. She didn’tseem happy, but thankfully she didn’t argue. The information I requested would be helpful in keeping Nick calm before and during his meeting. I planned to use all my resources to keep him safe.
The smell of sautéing garlic and herbs filled my condo as I heard the front door open. Nick called out as he entered and a smile spread across my face. My earlier worries still lingered, but that didn’t stop me from being happy to see him.
“Wow, it smells amazing in here,” Nick said, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. He kissed the back of my neck and the warmth of his body against mine was comforting.
I leaned back into his embrace, enjoying something I could get used to happening all the time. “It’s just one of those meal kits. They make it pretty hard to mess up,” I said, keeping my tone light despite the worries swirling in my mind.
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Nick chuckled, his breath warm against my neck. “I’ve seen people mess up boiling water.” He released me and moved to my side. “How was your day? It felt like you were in meetings non-stop.”
Admitting I’d been busy wasn’t a lie, but it felt wrong not telling him he’d been the topic of those meetings. “Yeah, it was back-to-back most of the day. Sounds like you had some excitement.”
