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“I’m sorry. It doesn’t work that way, Maddy,” he murmured.
The words cut like a knife.
“It’s just not allowed,” Jacks said, carefully. “As Angels our duty is to our Protections.”
Maddy blinked back the first threat of tears.
“Protections? You mean rich people,” she muttered.
“This isn’t even up to me. It’s just the way things are,” Jacks said.
“That’s ridiculous!” she shrieked. “It’s your choice!”
“It’s not! Look, if we just went around saving random people . . .” He paused, his eyes burning. “I mean, my family has to eat too, you know!”
“Your family eats all too well,” Maddy snapped.
“Do you think this is a game?” he said, his tone low and intense. The frustration and bitterness welled up quickly. “Tomorrow I’m being Commissioned, and I’m no longer just Jackson Godspeed. Or even just an Angel. I’m a Guardian. I have people’s lives in my hands. Do you have any idea of the responsibility that comes with that? Or the pressure?”
“What I know,” Maddy said curtly, “is that if I could do what you do, I would use my power to help as many people as I could. I wouldn’t use it to get rich.” A few traitorous tears spilled over her cheeks, and she wiped them quickly away. “I would save people because it’s the right thing to do.” Her smile was bittersweet. “I guess that’s what makes me human.”
“Maddy,” Jacks said, his voice like stone, “you don’t know what they would do to me.”
“I don’t care,” she said hatefully. She could feel the rage welling up inside her, an uncontrollable anger, and if she didn’t get out of there quickly, who knew what might happen. With fury coursing through her veins, she made up her mind and glared at him. “I’m sorry, Jacks, I shouldn’t have come tonight. The truth is I don’t want anything to do with any of this, and that has to include you. If you were ever my friend at all, you’ll stay away from me and just leave me alone.”
“You don’t—” Jacks began to speak, his eyes in pain as he looked at the girl across from him, but then he stopped himself. He was quiet for a moment, then nodded. His face was bleak and unreadable. “You’re right,” he said. “I guess it’s for the best. To tell you the truth, I really don’t know why I bothered anyway.” His words twisted in her gut. Maddy turned without saying anything else and ran.
She ra
n through the party and then out to the front of the hotel. The glamorous arrival had long since closed, and workers were now unceremoniously unstapling the red carpet and rolling it up. Maddy spotted a lone taxi sitting along the curb and ran to it.
She waited until they had pulled away from the hotel to let the real tears flow.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jacks walked through his darkened house, not stopping until he had reached his room and gone inside. He closed the door silently so as to not wake anyone and flipped on the light.
Mark was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting. He still wore his suit from earlier in the day, but it was unkempt now, his jacket laid next to him on the bed, his shirt collar unbuttoned, the tie drooping in a loose knot around his neck. He had rolled his sleeves up and sat with his hands on his knees.
“Late night?” he said in a subdued tone.
Jacks came in and looked at him evenly.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he said as normally as he could manage. “I was going to head to bed.”
Mark nodded but didn’t move. The silence hung heavy between them. After a moment Jacks went around the bed to the closet and pulled off his jacket.
“I have, of course, seen the pictures from tonight,” Mark said. “Chloe showed me, but it would be impossible to miss them, really. They’re all over the Internet, and TV too.” He laughed a little. “I’m sure the magazines will be having a field day.”
Jacks slipped off his tie. The tie made a zip sound as it cleared his collar. Jacks hung it over the rack and turned around to face his stepfather.
“You don’t have to worry, Mark,” Jacks said. “It was nothing. And besides, it’s over now.”
Mark nodded again, thoughtfully, and moved over on the bed.
“Sit down, Jackson.” He patted the mattress next to him. Jacks came over wordlessly and sat.
Mark regarded his stepson.
