but her desire was useless. Every attempt at communication had failed; her hand slipped right through the phone. As hopeless as she was helpless, she paced in front of the windows.
Lucifer watched her, elbows resting on the kitchen counter. The pads of his fingers tapped together under his chin. “Do you miss it, Abigail, being part of a team? You could have been where Auriel is today.”
She stopped and turned to face him, anger warming her ghostly body. What did she have to lose? “I do miss being part of a team, but not yours, Lucifer. I miss being a Soulkeeper. And as for taking Auriel’s place, no one deserves what you have to give more than she does.”
His face reddened, and his grin morphed into a scowl. Stomping toward the exit, he didn’t bother to look in her direction as he crossed the threshold. “No meal tonight,” he said, slamming the door behind him.
Utterly and truly alone, Abigail watched Cord and Auriel emerge from the building, two tiny dots on the street below. Cord raised his arm, and Affliction took flight.
Chapter 7
Sick and Tired
Two weeks later …
W ithin the circle of Jacob’s arms, Malini swayed to the ballad the DJ played from the corner of the gym. At times like this, with her head rested on his chest, it was easy to forget their house of cards could tumble at any moment. She expected Lucifer’s first temptation to come sooner rather than later. All of the Soulkeepers practiced daily, ready to defend against an onslaught. This waiting promised a more sinister enemy, silent, invisible, deadly. Perhaps already among them. She pressed her eyes closed. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t ruin homecoming worrying about the inevitable.
“What’s wrong?” Jacob asked. He kissed the top of her head. How did he know ?
“Thinking about what I promised I wouldn’t think about.”
“Well, don’t think about it.”
“I’m trying but now you are talking about it, thereby making me think about it even more.”
Jacob pushed her to arms length and met her eyes. “Okay. Let’s talk about something else. How do you like the homecoming decorations?”
Malini raised her chin to take in the gossamer curtains, the flat wooden cutout of a horse-drawn carriage, and the stage-set balcony reused from the schools earlier production of Romeo and Juliet . The theme was Wishes Do Come True, complete with a shooting star that sparkled from the ceiling. “I love them. Dane did an incredible job, as always. It’s too bad so many people missed it because of the bird flu.”
“Yeah, Katrina has it too. The symptoms are so bad she came home from college. I guess the entire student health service is overrun. She’s spent the week tossing her cookies, and I mean that figuratively because she can’t eat anything.”
Malini stopped dancing and looked Jacob in the eye. “Is she going to be all right?”
“I think so. Dr. Howard has some new drug to treat it, Elysium. Said she should be fine in a couple days.”
“Hey, I thought we weren’t going to talk about anything serious,” Malini teased.
“You brought it up.” Jacob pulled her back into his chest and started to sway. “So, the decorations. Technically, Samantha came up with the idea while she was acting as Dane, but Dane did most of the work. I wish he could enjoy it a bit more.”
“Maybe I should ask him to dance.” Malini glanced over at the round table where they’d had dinner. Dane, dateless again, was folding origami cranes out of a stack of cocktail napkins.
“Yeah. I need a break anyway.” Jacob threaded his fingers into hers and led her to the table. “Hey, Dane, uh, I’m beat. Do you want to take over for a while?” Jacob pointed a finger at Malini.
“Do you want to dance, Dane?” Malini asked.
Dane scowled. “You guys are sweet but unconvincing. I think I’ll pass on the pity dance, thank you.”
“Dane—”
“It’s cool, Mal. I’m fine right where I am.”
She sat down on the chair
Lucifer watched her, elbows resting on the kitchen counter. The pads of his fingers tapped together under his chin. “Do you miss it, Abigail, being part of a team? You could have been where Auriel is today.”
She stopped and turned to face him, anger warming her ghostly body. What did she have to lose? “I do miss being part of a team, but not yours, Lucifer. I miss being a Soulkeeper. And as for taking Auriel’s place, no one deserves what you have to give more than she does.”
His face reddened, and his grin morphed into a scowl. Stomping toward the exit, he didn’t bother to look in her direction as he crossed the threshold. “No meal tonight,” he said, slamming the door behind him.
Utterly and truly alone, Abigail watched Cord and Auriel emerge from the building, two tiny dots on the street below. Cord raised his arm, and Affliction took flight.
Chapter 7
Sick and Tired
Two weeks later …
W ithin the circle of Jacob’s arms, Malini swayed to the ballad the DJ played from the corner of the gym. At times like this, with her head rested on his chest, it was easy to forget their house of cards could tumble at any moment. She expected Lucifer’s first temptation to come sooner rather than later. All of the Soulkeepers practiced daily, ready to defend against an onslaught. This waiting promised a more sinister enemy, silent, invisible, deadly. Perhaps already among them. She pressed her eyes closed. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t ruin homecoming worrying about the inevitable.
“What’s wrong?” Jacob asked. He kissed the top of her head. How did he know ?
“Thinking about what I promised I wouldn’t think about.”
“Well, don’t think about it.”
“I’m trying but now you are talking about it, thereby making me think about it even more.”
Jacob pushed her to arms length and met her eyes. “Okay. Let’s talk about something else. How do you like the homecoming decorations?”
Malini raised her chin to take in the gossamer curtains, the flat wooden cutout of a horse-drawn carriage, and the stage-set balcony reused from the schools earlier production of Romeo and Juliet . The theme was Wishes Do Come True, complete with a shooting star that sparkled from the ceiling. “I love them. Dane did an incredible job, as always. It’s too bad so many people missed it because of the bird flu.”
“Yeah, Katrina has it too. The symptoms are so bad she came home from college. I guess the entire student health service is overrun. She’s spent the week tossing her cookies, and I mean that figuratively because she can’t eat anything.”
Malini stopped dancing and looked Jacob in the eye. “Is she going to be all right?”
“I think so. Dr. Howard has some new drug to treat it, Elysium. Said she should be fine in a couple days.”
“Hey, I thought we weren’t going to talk about anything serious,” Malini teased.
“You brought it up.” Jacob pulled her back into his chest and started to sway. “So, the decorations. Technically, Samantha came up with the idea while she was acting as Dane, but Dane did most of the work. I wish he could enjoy it a bit more.”
“Maybe I should ask him to dance.” Malini glanced over at the round table where they’d had dinner. Dane, dateless again, was folding origami cranes out of a stack of cocktail napkins.
“Yeah. I need a break anyway.” Jacob threaded his fingers into hers and led her to the table. “Hey, Dane, uh, I’m beat. Do you want to take over for a while?” Jacob pointed a finger at Malini.
“Do you want to dance, Dane?” Malini asked.
Dane scowled. “You guys are sweet but unconvincing. I think I’ll pass on the pity dance, thank you.”
“Dane—”
“It’s cool, Mal. I’m fine right where I am.”
She sat down on the chair
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