we negotiated the most equitable division of sleeping arrangements possible: A coin toss determined that I got the loft. We both nestled in and turned off our bedside lamps.
“Next project,” she said, yawning in the darkness. “I think we’ve gotta decorate somehow, you know? Maybe hit those antique stores nearby, find something fun?”
“Did you see the one with the giant, like, stone camel in the front window?” I asked, laughing.
“Perfect,” she said, though I knew she was only kidding. “Night.”
“G’night.” I lay on my back, my eyes wide open. This was the least tired I’d felt all day. If I hadn’t had a roommate, I likely would’ve flipped the light back on and tried to read, but that didn’t seem like a nice thing to do on our first night here. Much as I’d tried to push it aside all night, now all I could see when I closed my eyes was the image of the Prince. Or Lucian becoming the Prince.
Through the sheer, gauzy curtain shrouding the front of the lofted space, I was at just the right height and angle to see the full moon shimmering outside the window. I locked on to it, glad for any bit of light to illuminate those dark places now in my mind, and I hoped its peacefulness would cocoon around me.
Then I saw it and bolted straight up in bed.
A low glow flickered in the top corner window of the mansion next door and a light sparked on. It hadn’t been there before—I would have noticed it while I was outside. It had only just gone on. I crawled forward on my bed and slid open the curtain in a quick whoosh. Below, I heard Sabine roll over, then deep breaths of sleep followed. Leaning forward now, I could make out a shadow. Someone stood in the window next door. But before I could see anything more clearly, the light went out again. I stared at that darkened window, waiting, unable to move. Finally, after many minutes, I slipped back under the covers, pulling them tight around me.
5. Everything Okay in Here?
I managed to doze off at some point, but my sleep couldn’t be called restful. It was more a series of nightmares, except they all happened in real life: my mind replayed a loop of every horrific event I’d encountered during my first test of angelhood. Every moment—and there were a lot of them—when I had narrowly cheated death. Every poisoning, every fire bolt launched my way, every one of those beautiful, evil creatures I’d had to battle. My skin could still feel their hot claws on me. My heart remembered the ferocity of its beating when a pack of them had stolen into my bedroom to attack me. That’s when my eyes finally sprang open.
I peeked at my alarm clock: almost five o’clock. Outside the sky was still inky black, just the slightest ribbon of midnight blue creeping up from the horizon. Sabine was sleeping peacefully. It was still too dark to read, so I grabbed the book from my night table, crept down the ladder, and, not bothering to change out of my scrubs, quietly let myself out of the room.
The stark emptiness and pure silence of the hallway did nothing to settle my frayed nerves. But as I turned the corner, I caught the clang of silverware and the vacuum swoosh of the refrigerator being opened. I smoothed my hair and poked my head into the kitchen just as Connor turned around.
“Whoa!” he said, startled, almost losing the two-liter bottle of diet soda tucked under one arm, and the steaming cup of ramen noodles and the apple in his hands.
“Sorry. Hi,” I said, also sorry that I hadn’t bothered to get dressed. He looked sufficiently messy himself, but wore it well, from his fresh-from-bed hair sticking up every which way and heavy-lidded eyes to his mesh soccer shorts and a fraternity T-shirt with a ripped sleeve.
“Haven. Hey, didn’t expect to see anyone up this early. I’ve got a paper due. What’s your excuse?” He crunched into his apple.
“Just, you know, in the middle of a good book.” I held it up. It could’ve been the truth.
“I
“Next project,” she said, yawning in the darkness. “I think we’ve gotta decorate somehow, you know? Maybe hit those antique stores nearby, find something fun?”
“Did you see the one with the giant, like, stone camel in the front window?” I asked, laughing.
“Perfect,” she said, though I knew she was only kidding. “Night.”
“G’night.” I lay on my back, my eyes wide open. This was the least tired I’d felt all day. If I hadn’t had a roommate, I likely would’ve flipped the light back on and tried to read, but that didn’t seem like a nice thing to do on our first night here. Much as I’d tried to push it aside all night, now all I could see when I closed my eyes was the image of the Prince. Or Lucian becoming the Prince.
Through the sheer, gauzy curtain shrouding the front of the lofted space, I was at just the right height and angle to see the full moon shimmering outside the window. I locked on to it, glad for any bit of light to illuminate those dark places now in my mind, and I hoped its peacefulness would cocoon around me.
Then I saw it and bolted straight up in bed.
A low glow flickered in the top corner window of the mansion next door and a light sparked on. It hadn’t been there before—I would have noticed it while I was outside. It had only just gone on. I crawled forward on my bed and slid open the curtain in a quick whoosh. Below, I heard Sabine roll over, then deep breaths of sleep followed. Leaning forward now, I could make out a shadow. Someone stood in the window next door. But before I could see anything more clearly, the light went out again. I stared at that darkened window, waiting, unable to move. Finally, after many minutes, I slipped back under the covers, pulling them tight around me.
5. Everything Okay in Here?
I managed to doze off at some point, but my sleep couldn’t be called restful. It was more a series of nightmares, except they all happened in real life: my mind replayed a loop of every horrific event I’d encountered during my first test of angelhood. Every moment—and there were a lot of them—when I had narrowly cheated death. Every poisoning, every fire bolt launched my way, every one of those beautiful, evil creatures I’d had to battle. My skin could still feel their hot claws on me. My heart remembered the ferocity of its beating when a pack of them had stolen into my bedroom to attack me. That’s when my eyes finally sprang open.
I peeked at my alarm clock: almost five o’clock. Outside the sky was still inky black, just the slightest ribbon of midnight blue creeping up from the horizon. Sabine was sleeping peacefully. It was still too dark to read, so I grabbed the book from my night table, crept down the ladder, and, not bothering to change out of my scrubs, quietly let myself out of the room.
The stark emptiness and pure silence of the hallway did nothing to settle my frayed nerves. But as I turned the corner, I caught the clang of silverware and the vacuum swoosh of the refrigerator being opened. I smoothed my hair and poked my head into the kitchen just as Connor turned around.
“Whoa!” he said, startled, almost losing the two-liter bottle of diet soda tucked under one arm, and the steaming cup of ramen noodles and the apple in his hands.
“Sorry. Hi,” I said, also sorry that I hadn’t bothered to get dressed. He looked sufficiently messy himself, but wore it well, from his fresh-from-bed hair sticking up every which way and heavy-lidded eyes to his mesh soccer shorts and a fraternity T-shirt with a ripped sleeve.
“Haven. Hey, didn’t expect to see anyone up this early. I’ve got a paper due. What’s your excuse?” He crunched into his apple.
“Just, you know, in the middle of a good book.” I held it up. It could’ve been the truth.
“I
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