a.m.,’ he mumbled. ‘And already you want to talk?’
‘Yeah, and you promised.’ After feeling scared and majorly sorry for myself, I’d got my head together and started to run through all the dark angel possibilities. ‘So I’m obsessed,’ I admitted. ‘Fixated even. But you did say we could discuss this.’
‘I guess this is later,’ Orlando agreed reluctantly, perching on the stool by the breakfast counter, looking about as hot as it’s possible for any guy to look in a white T and blue jeans, with Timberland boots and a black fleece jacket slung over one shoulder as he sipped his coffee. ‘Shoot.’
‘I was by the carousel, and it came to me as clear as any of the other times. Something scary was in the air and I picked it up in a flash. I got the cold sensation that makes my flesh creep. My head started to spin. That’s when the carved horses came to life.’
Orlando thought it through with me then tried out a theory based on the evidence I was giving him. ‘So it’s the mugger – he’s the dark angel? We’re not looking for the leader of a cult or anyone with power and charisma. This time, he’s totally anonymous.’
‘It’s possible.’ I was so deep in thought that I didn’t even see our landlady walk down the hall with today’s New York Times .
‘They closed JFK and LaGuardia,’ she commented as she passed by. ‘Fresh snow on the runways. All flights cancelled.’
Practically ignoring Mrs Waterman, I hurried on with my train of thought. ‘Then there was something else I didn’t tell you about. It happened during yesterday’s workshop.’
‘Really?’ Orlando’s one-word question came across as a rebuke.
‘I didn’t mention it because when we met up at lunchtime Macy was with us,’ I reminded him. ‘I wasn’t going to say in front of her, “By the way, evil shadows slipped off the movie screen and crept right into the lecture room where I was sitting. They surrounded me and make me shake with terror.”’
‘Ssh!’ he warned as the landlady crossed the hall again.
‘So now I’m telling you,’ I hissed. ‘The film projector broke down and the shadows came off the screen. It was so scary I almost passed out. Macy asked me if I was OK.’
‘So this has nothing to do with the guy who attacked you in the park?’ Orlando checked. ‘There’s no connection.’
‘No, totally separate. And then there was a third time when we were walking across the film set, right by the reservoir, just before we met Natalia. I got a vision of the ice cracking and these horrible creatures rising out of it…’
‘Are you done?’ Orlando cut right across me. With a meaningful glance towards the landlady he finished with his coffee cup, put on his jacket and led the way out on to the street.
‘Actually, I’m not,’ I protested. ‘There was also the time on the subway when I couldn’t breathe …’
‘I hear you.’ Stopping at the bottom of the brownstone steps, he took my hand and spoke more gently. ‘And so, as it happens, did Mrs W.’
I shook my head. ‘How could she hear me? I was whispering.’
‘Maybe she can lip-read.’
‘Seriously?’
‘No. Yes. I don’t know. Anyway, she was tuned into our conversation,’ he insisted. ‘And she was giving us a weird look when we left – like we were aliens or something. Didn’t you see?’
‘So now you’re saying we’ll be thrown out of our room, we’ll have to spend our last nights in New York on the street and it’s all my fault.’ I marched angrily down Hubert Street, slipping and sliding as I went.
Orlando soon caught up with me. ‘Jeez, Tania, what’s eating you today?’
‘You know what’s eating me.’ I was seeing dark angels in every shadow, round every corner. I shook when we entered the subway; they were on the train with me, lurking in the tunnels – creatures you only see in nightmares and which wake you up with a scream.
‘So?’ Macy stood at the classroom door and greeted me
‘Yeah, and you promised.’ After feeling scared and majorly sorry for myself, I’d got my head together and started to run through all the dark angel possibilities. ‘So I’m obsessed,’ I admitted. ‘Fixated even. But you did say we could discuss this.’
‘I guess this is later,’ Orlando agreed reluctantly, perching on the stool by the breakfast counter, looking about as hot as it’s possible for any guy to look in a white T and blue jeans, with Timberland boots and a black fleece jacket slung over one shoulder as he sipped his coffee. ‘Shoot.’
‘I was by the carousel, and it came to me as clear as any of the other times. Something scary was in the air and I picked it up in a flash. I got the cold sensation that makes my flesh creep. My head started to spin. That’s when the carved horses came to life.’
Orlando thought it through with me then tried out a theory based on the evidence I was giving him. ‘So it’s the mugger – he’s the dark angel? We’re not looking for the leader of a cult or anyone with power and charisma. This time, he’s totally anonymous.’
‘It’s possible.’ I was so deep in thought that I didn’t even see our landlady walk down the hall with today’s New York Times .
‘They closed JFK and LaGuardia,’ she commented as she passed by. ‘Fresh snow on the runways. All flights cancelled.’
Practically ignoring Mrs Waterman, I hurried on with my train of thought. ‘Then there was something else I didn’t tell you about. It happened during yesterday’s workshop.’
‘Really?’ Orlando’s one-word question came across as a rebuke.
‘I didn’t mention it because when we met up at lunchtime Macy was with us,’ I reminded him. ‘I wasn’t going to say in front of her, “By the way, evil shadows slipped off the movie screen and crept right into the lecture room where I was sitting. They surrounded me and make me shake with terror.”’
‘Ssh!’ he warned as the landlady crossed the hall again.
‘So now I’m telling you,’ I hissed. ‘The film projector broke down and the shadows came off the screen. It was so scary I almost passed out. Macy asked me if I was OK.’
‘So this has nothing to do with the guy who attacked you in the park?’ Orlando checked. ‘There’s no connection.’
‘No, totally separate. And then there was a third time when we were walking across the film set, right by the reservoir, just before we met Natalia. I got a vision of the ice cracking and these horrible creatures rising out of it…’
‘Are you done?’ Orlando cut right across me. With a meaningful glance towards the landlady he finished with his coffee cup, put on his jacket and led the way out on to the street.
‘Actually, I’m not,’ I protested. ‘There was also the time on the subway when I couldn’t breathe …’
‘I hear you.’ Stopping at the bottom of the brownstone steps, he took my hand and spoke more gently. ‘And so, as it happens, did Mrs W.’
I shook my head. ‘How could she hear me? I was whispering.’
‘Maybe she can lip-read.’
‘Seriously?’
‘No. Yes. I don’t know. Anyway, she was tuned into our conversation,’ he insisted. ‘And she was giving us a weird look when we left – like we were aliens or something. Didn’t you see?’
‘So now you’re saying we’ll be thrown out of our room, we’ll have to spend our last nights in New York on the street and it’s all my fault.’ I marched angrily down Hubert Street, slipping and sliding as I went.
Orlando soon caught up with me. ‘Jeez, Tania, what’s eating you today?’
‘You know what’s eating me.’ I was seeing dark angels in every shadow, round every corner. I shook when we entered the subway; they were on the train with me, lurking in the tunnels – creatures you only see in nightmares and which wake you up with a scream.
‘So?’ Macy stood at the classroom door and greeted me
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