Angel Eclipsed (The Louisiangel Series Book 2) by C. L. Coffey Page B

stone towers, was creating a more Disney-esque backdrop than the scene for a murder. As we rounded the monument of President Jackson and grew closer, I could see a crowd of officers and the CSU busy near the fountain. It wasn’t until we reached the edge of the fountain that the collection of police personnel parted leaving me with a view of the victim.
    I let out a small gasp at the sight of the woman lying on the bottom of the shallow fountain, her glassy eyes staring unseeingly up at the blue skies above her through the red water. The pump was shut off just as I took a step back; cutting off what looked like a fountain of blood. As the water started to settle, I could see that she was wearing a wedding dress. Beside me, I heard Joshua swear.
    The words caught the attention of one of the detectives who was coordinating the scene. The tall black man turned back and spotted Joshua, nodding grimly at him. When Leon’s eyes swept over to me, his expression changed to one of confusion. He gave the officer next to him a set of orders then hurried over to us. “Josh, why is Ms. Connors here and not in class?” he asked, directing his question at Joshua though keeping his attention on me.
    My eyes widened in surprise. Class? The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. I was supposed to be battling my way through my third year of college now, worrying about what I was going to do with my life once I had graduated. Well, technically I hadn’t attended any of my sophomore year finals, so I was more likely to be repeating a year. Either way, I was instead wondering what I could do to right the wrongs I had done when I had killed someone, protecting a guy I liked, but could never be with. Suddenly, I had a pang for a pop quiz.
    “She’s here to help,” Joshua told him.
    Leon finally gave his attention to Joshua, frowning. “Excuse me,” he said to me, before leading Joshua away from me. Not far enough. I could make out what he was saying. “Joshua, you’re already skating on thin ice in the department after that incident last month. Bringing your crush to a crime scene is not a smart move.”
    “She’s not a crush,” Joshua objected, sending a glance in my direction. I tried to keep my expression neutral, even though my insides twisted for a different reason. “And she can help. She has Asmodeus’ permission to help, remember?”
    Leon rolled his eyes and I couldn’t fault him for it. In order to explain my presence in the precinct, Joshua had gone to his lieutenant claiming I was a psychic. Somehow he had believed it. Leon, on the other hand, was one of the many people – myself included – who thought it was a load of garbage. However, seeing as it was easier than trying to explain that I was an angel (which also went against Michael’s rules) I went along with it. “We don’t need a psychic to solve this case,” Leon told him. “We already arrested the suspect.”
    “You did?” Joshua asked in surprise.
    Leon nodded. “The husband. Officer Holiday found him while on patrol this morning. He was standing over the victim, covered in blood, the weapon still in his hands.”
    While Leon continued to fill Joshua in, I was distracted by the coroner appearing. There was something familiar about the man who hurried up the path, pushing a gurney. As I stared at him, trying to figure it out, a golden hue appeared around his outline. I blinked, and then looked at the crowd of officers. It was like looking at a rainbow. I turned to Joshua, seeing the silver glow outlining him, finally recognizing the lights for what they were. Auras.
    According to Michael all archangels have the ability to see a person’s aura. I hadn’t earned my archangel status yet, and although I could see auras, it tended to be an intermittent ability. I focused back on the glowing coroner. Gold was the color of angels. I made my way over to him, meeting him as he neared the fountain. He looked up and spotted me, a look of recognition washing over