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“I...” She blinked, and I realized there were tears in her eyes.
“Enough of this mushy stuff,” Remiel declared, striding forward. “I’m starved. She might mean a lot to you, but this wench has had me surviving on broth for nearly a week. Give me some damn food!”
We all laughed, and it broke the tension. We fell on the food like starved animals, and even Dylan filled the paper plate she was handed.
“Where did you guys get the food from?” she asked between bites of bread and cheese.
“Eleth and I headed to town this afternoon while you guys were working,” Ade replied. “We found the deli and thought we’d just get a selection. We didn’t know what you’d like, and there were lots we wanted to try ourselves.” I nodded to myself as I surveyed the vast array of breads, cheeses, meats, preserves, and fruits spread out between us.
“How did you pay for it?” Dylan inquired. “Do angels have money, or do they just give you stuff?”
Ade laughed. “No, we have contacts on Earth who have a fund for any of our kind working here. Not long before we met you, I’d drawn our allotted amount for the month for the four of us, so we had plenty left.” He suddenly became serious. “I should give you what’s left for looking after us.”
Dylan waved at him. “Don’t be silly, you’ve done more than enough on the farm to pay your way, even if you needed to, which you didn’t. It’s going to make life so much easier when you’re...” She trailed off, looking down at the bottle of beer she held.
I set my plate down and pulled her into my lap, then I brushed her hair away from her face. “What do you mean? When we leave, Dylan?”
“Well, I mean, you’re going to, aren’t you? Isn’t that the plan? In a couple of days or so?”
I looked over at Ade. I hadn’t had time to mention the conversation with Dylan’s father about having twenty-four hours to clear out. It hadn’t occurred to me that Dylan wouldn’t want to come with us, and the thought tore at my heart.
He nodded. “That’s the plan. We can’t stay in one place for too long. Gabriel’s lieutenant is damn good at her job, and it won’t be long before she tracks us down.”
“Is she that bad?” Dylan asked, her eyes widening.
“She’s got a good heart and good intentions, and she’s a damn good fighter, but she’s completely loyal to Gabriel. She practically worships the ground he walks on. If it was allowed, I’d say she was in love with him, but yes, she’s utterly devoted to any command he gives,” Eleth answered.
“We’re not scared of her, Dylan, but we don’t want to have to fight her or those who serve under her. We don’t want to have to hurt our own kind,” Ade added.
Dylan nodded. “I get that. So you need to leave and soon.”
I ran my fingers through her thick, soft hair. “But we want you to come with us, Dylan. You know that, right?”
“You did say that,” she murmured, looking away from me. I slid my hand into her hair, gently pulling her head around to face me.
“We said that because it’s true. We want you with us. All of us do. Say you’ll come with us when we leave.”
Her wide, dark eyes fixed on mine, but instead of appearing happy, she just looked sad. She shook her head, and my heart dropped. “I don’t think I can. I can’t leave.”
“Why not, Dylan?” Eleth asked, kneeling down next to us.
“I just... How can I leave him? He can’t look after himself, and there’ll be no one to run the farm.” I could feel her tensing in my arms, so I pulled her against my chest, as though my body heat would thaw her decision.
“He can look after himself and his farm, Dylan,” Ade argued. “You can’t stay here just for him. You’ve already given up so much for him. Don’t give up the rest of your life.”
“It’s not just that, it’s… You’ll think I’m stupid.”
“What, Dylan? Tell us, because right now, I’m considering just kidnapping you to get you away from here,” Eleth replied.
She looked at him with half a smile on her face from his joke. I didn’t actually think he was joking, but I figured she did. I was considering the same thing. Would she forgive us if we just bundled her off in the middle of the night?
Her smile faded. “If I left, she wouldn’t be able to find me.”
“Who?” Remiel asked.
“My mother,” Dylan answered. “She left when I was young, went off with some guy, and I never saw her again. But she loved me, and I always thought she’d come back for me one day. If I leave, she might come back, and I won’t be here.”
“Oh, sweet girl,” I murmured, kissing her forehead. “Wouldn’t she have come back by now if she was going to? You’re a grown woman, my love.”
