A Touch Mortal

Chapter 34





No, Gabe thought, watching the pink clips bobbing in and out of sight through the crowd. He covered the distance quickly, slamming past shoulders, and grabbed Eden’s arm.

Whipping her away from the Goth kid at her ear, he yelled, “What are you doing here?” into a face as shocked as his own must have been. The guy who lived at her apartment tried to claw his hand away, but Gabe ignored it.

Eden raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say that if I needed anything…?” She was trying to give off an air of amusement, but her blue eyes were strained, the teasing smile a mask.

“You’re not in trouble, are you?” he asked. Gabe maneuvered her by her elbow, turning her so that her back was to the stage. “How did you find me here?”

“I have my ways,” she laughed, twiddling her fingers in his face, but her laugh was false. Gabe cringed.

“What do you need, Eden?” he prodded, unsmiling, tensing as the music stopped. He eased when the band dove full throttle into the next song. Eden’s face grew serious.

“I need you to tell Adam what you are,” she said, seeming like she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to ask at all. “I tried to, but he didn’t believe me. I need you to prove it.”

“Eden…” Damn it, he thought. They’d risked showing up to corner Luke. Try to find out if he knew anything about the dead Sider. But he couldn’t let him see Eden.

She threw a hand on her hip. “You owe me, Gabe. He’s my second in command. He deserves…”

“Second in command? Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

Eden blushed.

“Sorry, bad form.” You’re sure about this? he mouthed. She nodded. He would have done anything to get her out of the club.

He turned to Adam. “You must be the nonbeliever.” The guy glanced to Eden. Gabe followed his lead.

She nodded in time to the music. Though the stage was no more than forty feet away, her eyes were concentrated much further and glassy. Gabe snapped his fingers. “That’s your cue, sweets. We need introductions or something. It’s getting awkward.”

“Gabe, Adam. Adam, Gabe…” she said, turning away from the stage with a series of long blinks.

“Goth rule number one. No pastels,” Gabe said, grimacing at Adam’s light blue sweater. “Please tell me she at least hassled you a bit. If not, I’d seriously rethink the whole friendship.” Gabe offered his hand. When Adam hesitated, he reached forward and pumped it once. “Doesn’t affect me,” he said. Adam watched as his fingers pulled away, waiting for the glow.

“So Eden wants you let in on a few secrets,” he said, leaning in as if passing along a juicy piece of gossip.

“Gabriel!” The shriek came from their left, cutting off the conversation. A petite girl, hair done up in curled twists of pigtails, threw herself into Gabe’s arms. When she pulled away, a trace of excess glitter from her cheek sparkled against his black shirt.

“Valerie!” he lilted, kissing the air on either side of her wide grin.

“Can you even stand to look at him?” she asked, pulling away. “That voice! I’m putty!”

Gabe looked to the stage, where Dawn’s Supernova had just launched into the next song.

“He’s so not my type. You know the bad boy thing just doesn’t do it for me.”

Gabe caught the wrinkling of Adam’s brow at his words, but the look was there and gone.

“Oh! I’m sorry. You’re here with someone!” Valerie gasped, turning to Adam. She raised her arms, leaning in to throw them around him in a hug. Adam’s eyes went wide. Gabe stepped between them before she could complete the move and twirled her away from Adam.

“Not quite.” Valerie stared up at him, confused. “Friend of a friend,” he explained.

She winked at Gabe, no doubt thinking it was some sort of blind date. “Well then, I’ll let you two get to know each other.”

Gabe watched her wander into the crowd. From the corner of his eye he saw Adam leaning down to Eden’s ear.

“Eden. Seriously?”

Gabe caught the remark, raising an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

“An angel…who’s gay,” Adam said, as if the contradiction should have been obvious.

“You seem like a smart guy, Adam.” Gabe threw a hand on his hip. “God creates a race of beings, whose sole purpose is to love. Think He would do that and not expect them to love each other? That’s just daft, especially when you mortals are off-limits.”

“But her and…”

Gabe tsked, cutting him off and turned to Eden. “Someone has been a bit chatty, hasn’t she?”

“He needed some backstory. It’s important that he knows what he’s up against.” She balked. “Believe me, I don’t talk about Az unless I have to,” she added quickly.

“Nice of you to clarify.” Gabe turned back to Adam.

“What do I need to know?” Adam asked. “She apparently thinks you have all the answers, being as you’re all knowing and whatnot.” At his side, Eden was tense.

“What’s he been told?” Gabe asked as he scanned the room looking for the space thickest with people, where she would be least likely to be spotted.

“Not much.”

He palmed a bill to Eden, but never took his eyes off Adam.

“Your boy will have a Coke, with a shot of cherry juice. His mom used to make it for him that way. One of his favorite childhood memories. Three cherries, right?” he asked Adam. The question was rhetorical.

Adam swiveled between him and Eden, his face unsure. “I haven’t told anyone that. Not since I became a Sider.”

“I did some checking,” Gabe said, waving it away. “You’ll forgive my intrusion; I’m a little…protective of my friends,” Gabe said, turning back to him. “This one especially,” he added, sliding an arm around Eden’s shoulder. He looked pointedly into her eyes. “I only do what’s best for her.”

“But, there’s nothing to check on with me,” Adam said. “No one remembers me.” He shook his head. “No, it was just a lucky guess.”

Gabe checked the stage, annoyed. On it, Luke pranced across it like an idiot, winking at girls in the audience. If he didn’t get Eden out soon, there would be a whole new set of problems. Of course, Eden was too stubborn to leave without Adam being convinced. Time to turn things up a notch, he thought. “Not checking on you, my friend, but your little brother. Barrett was easy enough to look up. I took a chance that you had the same taste. You should know he’s doing really well, Adam. So is your sister.”

There was an awkward pause as Adam choked back a shocked breath. Gabe turned to the stage, his head bobbing to the music as he gave Adam a moment to compose himself.

“So you tracked down my family? That doesn’t prove anything.”

Gabe sighed hard as he spun toward Eden. “You always go for the hardheads.” Pecking her on the forehead, he added, “How about those drinks? Grab me a bottle of water. I need a few minutes with Adam here.”