Chapter 22
After my little fright, it wasn't hard for Nick to convince me to hang out at his place. My one holdout was losing my job, but he promised Luke would take care of it. That didn't mean I got to spend a lot of time with my guy. Nick was in and out for a good portion of the afternoon, often locking himself in his study for a while before he came to socialize, but someone was always there. Unfortunately, that was part of the problem. Being alone with Sam? Even the idea made me nervous.
I couldn't forget how easily I'd given in. The moment his mouth had touched my neck, I'd forgotten all about Nick – the man I'd been chasing for four years. Nope, at the first hint of affection from a guy, my brain completely clicked off, sending my hormones into overdrive. Mostly, I was ashamed of myself. That Nick didn't seem to mind only made it worse. It made me feel guilty.
Not guilty enough to be stupid. I understood why Sam had done it. The angels wanted me, the demons would protect me, and I had to trust them to make this all work. I did. I honestly did. I just didn't trust myself. That's why I avoided being alone with the guy I'd started to realize was a little too tempting. It was fine when Luke was around, but the two of us unsupervised? We'd already proven that was a bad idea. Twice.
And that kiss? My mind kept jumping back to it. He'd held me there and taken what he wanted, knowing exactly which buttons to push to get it. Something about that was so hot, and I couldn't stop replaying the memory over and over. Each time, I recalled some new little detail, like the feel of his tongue piercings or the way his fingers had pressed just behind my jaw. Nick could take my breath away with his mere presence. Sam? He'd go straight for my panties.
Should I tell Nick I'd liked it too much? No. That would only strain their friendship, and Sam had only kissed me because of the angel in the room. It wouldn't do anyone any good and might screw everything up. If Nick had to choose between his close friend and me, I wasn't sure I'd be the winner. My life was just too short for something like that.
So I had to make sure I got over my stupid infatuation before anyone noticed. It was a completely normal reaction. I mean, it wasn't like I was used to having a bunch of hot guys pay so much attention to me. Who wouldn't feel a little overwhelmed?
Sam made it easy. The only time we were alone was when we passed in the hall. He gently touched my arm and smiled, but never stopped walking. A part of me hoped the look on his face was longing, but I wasn't quite that full of myself. Then, when Nick said he needed an assistant, Sam immediately volunteered. Luke wasn't as much fun to hang out with, but at least he was nice and safe. For now, that was the best thing I could ask for.
Granted, cooking with Luke was much more entertaining than I'd expected. He danced between three different pans, stirring, sampling, and adjusting as if it was a highly choreographed ballet. Across his chest, a very frilly, flower patterned apron – too small for his well-muscled frame – completely ruined any chance of him looking evil. It made me laugh, which I was pretty sure was the point, and together, we managed to make one hell of a meal. It was ready just as the guys got back.
The four of us ate together, and there wasn't a hint of awkwardness. What they didn't do was talk about where they'd been. I kinda got the impression that was top secret demon information, so I didn't pry. Whatever it was, it had to do with me, and I was more than thankful for everything they were doing.
After dinner, Nick and I retreated to his room. His excuse was homework. I had some too, but the truth was I spent a lot more time with my mouth locked to his than with my nose in a book. Somehow, I still managed to get caught up. Since I didn't remember doing half the Calculus problems, I was pretty sure I had a little help, but I pretended not to notice.
Let's be honest, spending time with Nick was a lot more interesting than math of any kind, and it wasn't like I'd use calculus a lot as a medical illustrator. Unfortunately, spending time with him didn't include the naked kind. I was reading the required chapter for Art History when I heard his breathing even out. Rolling over, I found the most beautiful sight I could imagine.
One arm was curled under his head, acting as a pillow. His eyes had closed, letting those long, dark lashes rest on his cheeks, and his mouth was relaxed. Blue-black hair spilled across his shoulder haphazardly, and his shirt had ridden up at his waist, revealing one of those strange rune-shaped wards. For a long moment, I just watched him sleep, unable to believe that the guy I was dating wasn't just the sexiest man I'd ever met, but also the sweetest – and notorious for his power in more than one world. I, the crazy little orphan girl, had somehow ended up as something special, and it honestly felt really damned good.
I didn't bother to wake him. Whatever Nick was doing had taken a toll, so the least I could do was let him rest. After I finished my chapter, I got his boots off and eased him under the covers. Halfway through, he mumbled something I swore was in another language and smiled. I finished tucking him in, changed, then slid in beside him. When I wrapped my arms around his waist, he caught my wrist and pulled it closer, hugging my arm in his dreams.
The next morning, Nick was fully dressed when he woke me. Struggling to steal a little more sleep, I rolled over and found his side had already gotten cold. That meant he'd been up for a while. With a groan, I gave in and sat up.
"Stick close to Luke today," he said as he sat beside me on the bed. "Staying here would be even better."
"Can't get my degree here," I mumbled. "Nick, I know you don't understand, but without an education, what will I do when you disappear again?"
He bit his lips together and nodded. "I understand. I don't agree, but I understand what you're saying. That's why I'm not trying to keep you here. Just be careful, Sia? You have no idea what angels are capable of, and I don't want to lose you."
"Mm." I scrubbed at my face, trying to wake the rest of the way up. "I'll have the Devil with me. Pretty sure there's not much that can fuck with him, and there will be people everywhere."
He leaned closer and kissed my cheek. "I'm still the Devil. He's just the fallen angel who gets all the credit. Tonight, I want to try something with you. I've been gathering aether and should have enough today. Now get up, little dove. You only have half an hour before your class starts."
"Why can't school start at noon?" I grumbled as I flung back the blankets and padded over to my clothes. "I mean, we invented artificial lighting for a reason. It deserves a lot more use."
He laughed, watching as I got dressed. Then, once I was completely covered, he stepped in to steal a kiss. I didn't even try to resist, just melted into him, letting his powerful body hold me up. Nick made a pleased noise but still pulled back, slowly, pausing to look in my eyes.
"Coffee should be done. I hate to do this, but I have to go if I want to make it back before Calculus." He pulled me a little closer. "Sia, if anything seems off, come back here. We can convince your professors that you never left, so don't worry about that. Just be safe, ok?"
"Promise." I pressed a sweet peck onto his lips and stepped back to cross my heart.
For Nick, that was his cue. He gave me one last smile and stepped back, slipping under the surface of absolutely nothing to vanish right before my eyes. I'd never gotten the chance to see someone step into the corridor before. It was a little disturbing, in all honesty.
It also left me alone, smelling the scent of a nice dark roast wafting up the stairs. Grumbling about needing to be awake at this ungodly hour, I gave in and headed for the kitchen. I wasn't alone. The first thing I saw when I walked through the open archway was Sam wearing a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a very thin, very tight white shirt.
He heard me and turned with a smile. "Morning."
"Hey." I smiled, mostly to hide the stupid rush of guilt welling up.
Sam's lips curled to match, then he reached into the closest cabinet, pulling down one of those fancy travel mugs the guys used. Without asking, he filled it with coffee and began mixing in my preferred blend of cream and sugar. He passed it to me before leaning back against the counter.
"You still ok with this?" he asked.
I knew what he meant. He wasn't talking about angels. He was talking about me being weird every time he was around. Slowly, I nodded.
"I will be. I just feel like I've done something wrong."
"Promise, you didn't." Ducking his head, he chuckled dryly. "Pretty sure the stupid was all on me. Raphael wouldn't've believed anything else, so I just went with it, hoping you'd understand."
"No, I get that," I assured him. "I really do."
"But?" he asked.
A heavy sigh slipped out. "That moan?" I paused, convinced that admitting this was the dumbest thing I'd done in my life. "It wasn't fake."
His head snapped up, and his eyes met mine. "Oh," he whispered. Damn, I loved that almost-purple color.
Before I could say anything even more stupid, Luke walked in. "Good, you're up," he said, moving to the counter for a cup of his own, completely oblivious to the tension between Sam and I. "That means we won't be late to class."
I laughed, pushing my guilt to the back of my mind. "Like you're worried."
"I am when Nick tells me to keep an eye on you or he'll make me regret it." Luke shrugged. "That, and he's got enough to worry about."
"Why do you make that sound bad?" I sucked back another gulp of my coffee, nearly choking when Sam offered me my backpack. The last time I'd seen this one, it had been at my place. Demons were going to take a bit of getting used to.
Luke tilted his head to the door, suggesting we head out. "Um, he's pretty sure you won't approve of what he's about to do."
I turned that way, looking back to ask, "And what is that?"
Luke fell in beside me. "I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you. Seems you already have enough to feel guilty about."
Which meant he'd noticed the tension in the kitchen after all. I groaned and rolled my eyes. Thankfully, this was a topic I was a whole lot more comfortable with.
"Ok, Lucifer. Enough with the mysterious. Is he headed off to perform some kind of evil mystical ritual or something?"
"No, probably more like a hospital. Possibly a nursing home."
"Oh." Death was off to collect his souls. That was how Nick got the resources to protect me. "So, he's going to find some people on their deathbed and ease the aether from them so the angels can't get me?"
"Pretty much."
I walked for a bit in silence, mulling that over. It didn't really bother me that much, oddly enough. I'd seen Nick work. He'd killed the gas station robber and made him feel at peace. Was it wrong if he was easing someone with a terminal illness? Did it make it bad simply because we needed what they could no longer use?
"How does he pick?"
Luke pursed his lips, trying to choose his words carefully. "Pain and suffering color the aether. Outworlders can see that as an aura on humans, so he tries to find those where the pain is stronger than the urge to live and releases them from the misery."
"Sounds kinda noble."
Luke looked at me, his eyebrows nearly to his hairline. "Noble? He's killing people, Sienna."
"So?" I shrugged that off. "When I was a kid, one of my foster families had a dog that got hit by a car. They had the vet put her down because her back was broken. I've always wondered why we call it a kindness when we do it for our pets but cruel when someone thinks about the same thing for a person." I lifted my hands slightly. "I mean, we say we don't want a dog to suffer, but we want Grandma to? Maybe it's because I never had a real family, but it doesn't make much sense."
He latched on to the tidbit of my history. "You know anything about your parents at all?"
"Nope. I know I was left at a fire station on Parker Street. That's how I got my last name. I was five and supposedly a handful, even at that age."
"Foster homes, huh?"
I nodded. "A few of them. I kept hoping one would want to adopt me, but it never happened." I paused. "Um. Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"My first foster parents were devout Christians. I don't really remember them, but I stayed there for just over a year. They sent me back because I refused to go to church."
"Good call," he teased.
"No, you don't understand." I tugged at his arm. "Luke, when I went into the church, I lost it. I don't remember it, but my CPS advocate showed me the note in my file. All my life, I assumed it was like how some kids are scared of clowns. I mean, I never had to go to church because of that little note. I was also never one of those people who collected angels or anything like that. They just seem…" I paused, realizing what I was about to say. "They seem creepy. A shrink tried to convince me it was a phobia, but I'm not really scared of them. I just don't like them." I licked my suddenly dry lips, my mind whirling. "Luke, I didn't really like you that much when we first met and I had no idea what you were."
"I wasn't exactly being nice."
"Even before that. Like that night at Mac's." I took a deep breath. "I don't like angels, and it seems I never have. When did I start warping the veils?"
He turned to watch me. "The veil has been slowly bending for just over twenty-four years. The peak started four years ago. It's still changing."
"Pulling toward me?"
He nodded. "The veil is a bubble, like a membrane around the dimension. It should be a perfect circle but, all your life, it's been distorted to something more like an oval, and not just on Earth. Whatever you're doing crosses the planes of existence."
"Oh shit."
He nodded. "Exactly. I assume Nick showed you the map?" When I nodded, he continued. "So the spike that points at you? Yeah. It started the night of the robbery. It was little back then, but we can't stop the inertia. It's growing, Sia."
We'd reached the Language building and Luke grabbed the door. As I stepped through I asked, "So why have the angels only taken an interest in it now?"
He steered me to the stairs. "We don't really look at the shape of the veils that often. Four years ago, one did, but we chased him off and made sure it would be a while before he could tell anyone else. Back then, they assumed the change was because of something we were doing, and it worked for a while because you liked to move around."
"And now I'm not." We were almost to our classroom.
He looked at the open door and shook his head, holding me back. "Sienna, I'm pretty sure they're worried about a lot more than just the peaks. They're up to something, and not all of it has to do with you. Mike's got angels watching Nick."
"But Nick's not here," I whispered.
Luke nodded. "I know, so don't worry about our problems today. You're just a student, like everyone else. You have no idea that the three guys trying to seduce you are anything but normal."
I nodded, and he turned me to the door. Even though we walked into class together, four different girls still looked up at Luke with smiles. He pretended to ignore it, but I could tell he'd noticed. Finding a pair of computers at the back of the room, we made ourselves comfortable, saying nothing. Just as the professor was moving to the front of the class, Gabe walked in, smiling sheepishly for being late.
I tried not to stare, but couldn't help it. His hair was swept back to reveal those freakish green eyes, and his shirt was just a bit too tight. From the late entrance to the outfit he was wearing, everything was designed to make people look. Like every other woman in the class, I did – but unlike them, I wanted nothing to do with him. When he flashed a sneer at me, my heart stalled out in my chest. I should've taken the chair beside the wall – not the one by the aisle.
Gabe made his way toward us, but the only empty computer was on the other side of the room. Trying not to stare, I watched the other students instead, hoping to mimic their reactions. A girl in the row ahead of me wasn't even trying to hide her interest. A pair of women in the front had their heads together, their giggles hard to miss. A very nicely dressed guy next to the windows was smiling a little too much, his eyes shifting toward Luke instead of Gabe. No wonder they thought we were livestock, I thought, trying to force my attention back to the professor. We didn't try to hide that we worried more about sex than anything else.
While Gabe found his seat, the professor paced back and forth across the front of the class. Her heels clicked softly on the rubber tile floor while she explained how our midterm projects would be graded. That got everyone's attention. For the next two weeks, it was all we'd be working on, and it counted for a quarter of our grade. The irony was that she wanted us to produce a work of fiction. I'd tell her mine was, but I planned to write a very vivid story based on nothing but fact. It wasn't my fault no one else would believe it.