AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Liam drove to the starting point when Magnus’s phone rang.
Pulling it from his pocket, Magnus made a deep hum and answered in a voice like smooth malt whiskey. “Sheena. Of course I haven’t forgotten. Yeah, baby, you know I’m easy like that. Whatever you want. Listen, I’m working right now, but I’ll see you at seven and you can tell me all about it.” He talked for a few moments longer, then hung up with a satisfied smile.
“Girlfriend?” Liam asked with forced nonchalance.
“Yeah, Sheena and I go way back,” Magnus said. “She’s a good woman.”
A cool rush of relief swept over Liam. When Cora had made the comment about Magnus getting her phone number the other night, Liam had been deeply bothered at the idea of them dating. It wasn’t only because she was supposed to be with Finn; it was because Magnus was... Well, he wasMagnus. He was like a tiger on the prowl, and Liam would be damned if he’d let Cora fall prey. The man seemed to seize whatever he wanted out of life, no matter the cost. And that wasn’t a bad thing, on the surface. Liam even admired him for it and felt a kinship with him, but when it came to Cora, Liam was fiercely protective. But he needn’t waste his energy worrying over it. Magnus was in a relationship with another woman, and Cora had already made it clear she was too busy to date. Besides, Liam had more important, pressing matters to focus on. Like saving his immortal soul, for example. But first...
He gripped the gearshift and concentrated on the driving course with the single-minded attention of a rooftop sniper. First, he was going to focus on masteringthis.
“Ready, man?” Magnus asked, scrolling through his phone messages.
Liam nodded once.
Magnus set his phone in the center console. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Not a lot, apparently. To Liam’s utter annoyance, he couldn’t seem to master the high-speed turn. Again and again, he spun the wheel, skidded out and hit the wall. With every failed attempt to get it right, Liam’s expression grew darker. On the final try he managed to just sideswipe the wall instead of crashing directly into it.
“Progress!” Magnus slapped Liam on the back as they walked off the course at the end of the day. “Don’t beat yourself up, man. This is one of the hardest tricks to master. Everything else makes logical sense, but in this one, you have to override your instincts. Just practice, and you’ll get there. You can pay to use the track by the hour during the weekdays, if you want. There aren’t any classes going on, so feel free to schedule something.”
Grumpy and hungry, Liam stopped at a drive-through for a double cheeseburger and an extra-large order of French fries on the way home. Even in his mood, he couldn’t help but appreciate the glorious brilliance of fast food. It was one of his favorite things about the modern world—a person could have a hot meal at their fingertips within a matter of minutes. He could never have foreseen something so decadent. Cora called it “garbage food,” which boggled the mind. Beef and cheese, as much as anyone could want? The only place he could fathom tossing something so mouthwateringly delicious was straight into his belly.
Savoring a mouthful of fries, he drove home mulling over the day’s lessons and making plans to practice later in the week. He didn’t like failing at anything, and he was determined to get it right. Maybe next weekend he’d take the add-on course to hone his newly acquired skills.
Something soft tickled his nose, and he absently brushed it away. A few seconds later another bit of white fluff floated near his face. Then another. He sneezed and rolled down the windows.
It wasn’t until he shoved his hand into the fast food bag for more fries that he realized something was amiss. Instead of warm, perfectly salted potato wedges, he brought up a handful of...feathers? Frowning, Liam tossed them out the window, but it was no use. Soon, the interior of the car was swirling with downy fluff.
“Rogue,” a cool voice said in his ear.
Liam yelped in surprise and slammed on the brakes. The car swerved dangerously. A driver behind him laid his hand on the horn, yelling obscenities as he passed, but Liam barely noticed. His gaze was locked on the sudden appearance of the two passengers visible in his rearview mirror.
The angels sat in the backseat as calmly as if they were carpooling to work. Samael, the blond, had his usual stoic expression completely at odds with his sweet, choirboy face. Agon, the tall, dark-haired angel, should have been imposing due to his immense size, but his kind smile helped soften the blow. Mist swirled around their neatly tucked wings, and their bodies were lined in a soft, glowing light. Against the backdrop of the shabby upholstery, they looked like they’d been plucked out of a dream. But it wasn’t a good dream, as far as Liam was concerned. He’d always thought of angels as ethereal, divine beings of light who bestowed glad tidings and lit the way for wayward travelers, but not these two. Since day one, they’d been content to sit back and let Liam run headlong into all kinds of trouble, and they never even came when he called. Of all the heavenly guides, Liam cursed his infernal luck that he got stuck with them.
“By all that’s sacred,” Liam said through clenched teeth. “Can you not warn a man before you materialize like this?”
“We sent notice.” Samael looked bored as he brushed a bit of fluff off his shoulder. “You should be grateful we’re so accommodating.”
“The feathers were my idea,” Agon said cheerfully. “To announce our impending arrival and to symbolize hope. Was it adequate?”
“No,” Liam grumbled. “I didn’t have a chance to make the connection before you snuck up on me like a holy heart attack.”
“I see,” Samael said blandly. “You need something more obvious. A plague of locusts, perhaps?”
“Samael did suggest blaring celestial trumpets in your ears, but I thought it lacked subtlety,” Agon said. “Don’t worry. We will endeavor to do better next time.”
Liam pulled the car to the side of the road, then twisted to face them. It had been an exhausting day, and his patience was wearing thin. “Look, if you’ve come to impart some of your doom-and-gloom wisdom, can we please get on with it? It’s been a long week, and I’ve just finished an intensive driving class.”
“Yes, two days wasted on selfish pursuits that have nothing to do with the task we’ve given you,” Samael pointed out. “Time is not your friend, thief. You have precious little of it, and you’d do well to use it to your advantage. In this era meaningful social gatherings often happen on weekends, and now you’ve gone and squandered what could have been a valuable opportunity to get Cora and Finn together.”
“I can’t just force her to love him,” Liam snapped. “I’m not bloody Cupid with a bow and arrow.”
“Enough,” Samael said. The temperature inside the car turned downright chilly. As annoyed as Liam was, he needed to remember they were powerful beings who held the fate of his soul in their hands. He ought to be respectful, but they didn’t make it easy. Every time they appeared, he walked away feeling like a naughty schoolboy who’d been slapped on the hand with a ruler.
“You’re supposed to find ways to bring them closer together, yet you seem utterly incapable of making the right choices when it matters.” Samael’s cherubic face was pinched with disapproval. “Last week you allowed Cora to skip the Fourth of July party. Instead, she spent it cozying up with you, watching fireworks on the roof. That party would’ve been an excellent opportunity for her to interact with Finn. They could’ve talked and perhaps made weekend plans, but now that avenue is lost to you.”
“How was I to know the party was crucial?” Liam asked, throwing his hands up. “You’re not exactly forthcoming with information. Cora and I were both exhausted from a grueling day on the job. A young woman was murdered—in case you haven’t been following—a college girl who just last week was alive and well with her whole life ahead of her.” The loss of Lindsey Albright had been a shock to everyone, and even in his own bleak circumstances, Liam couldn’t help the wave of sadness he felt over the senseless death of such a youthful, vibrant soul. Cora had taken it especially hard. She’d been so quiet after viewing the body in the woods, and Liam knew she was still struggling with it.
