AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He straightens to his full height. “Things aren’t always what they seem, little angel.”
“You gotta give me more than that,” I say as tears threaten. “Tell me.”
“Like I told you in the car,” he says. “You’re not the only one who is being forced to do things.”
“They’re alive?” I whisper, too afraid that the flicker of hope I’m feeling is going to be crushed.
“Just because I’m a demon, doesn’t mean I’m a monster,” he says. “You need to remember that. Monsters lurk in every shadow here. But they’re never the ones you think.”
My throat tightens and I fight back tears. My friends are alive. They have to be. Why else would he say that?
“Now, let’s find out how much magic you can access.” His lifts his chin and looks at me with an impassive expression that makes me feel small. It’s such a shift from the moment of compassion - the moment of what I think might be his real self - he just showed. It’s enough to give me whiplash. But right now, I can’t call him on it. I’m too relieved to care.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He clears his throat and gives me a tiny nod.
Something had prevented me from vilifying him even after everything I saw with my own eyes. It didn’t make sense but now I am starting to wonder if my intuition is better than I give myself credit for. Maybe he isn’t as bad as I thought.
“Let’s start with some basics,” he says. “Most angels get their magic from those around them. They’re perceptive and able to channel the magic of other supernaturals.”
“You mean they take it from others?” I ask.
“Yes, in a way. It’s not like you remove it, but angels are a conduit. They can mirror powers of others and use it to create magic of their own.”
“Wow,” I say.
“The down side is that if you aren’t good at doing that, or there’s no other supernaturals around, you’re very limited on what you can do,” he says. “It’s why so many angels prefer to live in the human realm where there are a variety of supernaturals living. Gives them more options.”
“What about their realm?” I ask.
“They don’t allow non-angels in so I guess they don’t need the magic there,” he says.
“What about half angels?” I don’t like that I’m thinking about my mom. It still hurts. Sometimes I’m so mad at her I want to punch something. Other times I miss her so much I cry for hours. The wild temperament of my emotions is frustrating.
“I’m not sure,” he says. “But I don’t think they’d let you in. They’re not fond of half angels.”
“Angels don’t seem very nice,” I say. “Nothing like the stories we’re told.”
“I’d never cross an angel,” he says. “At least demons are usually clear on their alliances and their intentions. Angels hide everything.”
“Great,” I deadpan.
His lips curl up in the smallest smile and I can tell he’s amused by me. He’s even more handsome when he smiles. I quickly push the thought away, hoping he wasn’t reading my mind.
“So how do I do this?” I ask, taking us back to the task at hand.
He stretches out his hand, palm up. “Set your hand in mine.”
Carefully, I set my palm on his. His hands are rough but warm and the contact sends a shiver down my spine. I want to slide my hand up his arm, under the sleeve of his tee shirt and around to his back. I want to feel all of him.
“Now what?” I ask. The sooner we finish this the better. I’m going to get myself in serious trouble the longer I’m touching him.
“Close your eyes and focus on our touch. See if you can pull in any of the magic from me, into you.”
“How do I know what it feels like?” I ask.
“You’ll know,” he says.
