A Touch Mortal

Chapter 47





“Are you out of your f*cking minds?” Kristen gripped the dark walnut railing, her face twisted by shadows the roaring fireplace cast. Eden tensed, sure Kristen would go over. Instead she yanked back and came down the stairs like a wash of fluid, the red taffeta of her dress blooming around her.

She pointed to Sebastian, who had ushered Eden and Gabe into the foyer. “You. Go!”

“Kristen,” he started, his eyes venturing among the three of them.

“Now!” she demanded. He hesitated, backing away slowly as if waiting for her to suddenly change her mind, decide she wanted him there. Finally, he retreated through the door to the kitchen.

“Hey, Kristen.” Gabe smiled apologetically. “Sorry to just drop by unannounced, but I know how much you’ve missed all your girl time with Eden.”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you want. You asked for an alliance and I specifically told you no. Did. I. Not.” She drilled her finger closer to Eden with each sentence. Each word twisted into a hook, barbed to yank Eden out of any hope she had of Kristen making this easy.

“We need you. We need your help,” Eden said. “We need your…”

“You need my numbers. You need an army and you can’t have mine! Did she tell you the Fallen are able to kill Siders?” she spat, her eyes once again on Gabe. “Or was it the Bound, Gabriel? You knew she needed to be prepared for this. You knew her abilities would bring them out and yet you did nothing! You said we were immortal!”

“Kristen,” he said, his voice calm, as if there was some chance of talking lucidity into her. “You don’t know what’s…”

“Oh, go to Hell, Gabriel,” she hissed. “You think I’m so cut off that I don’t hear? The Fallen want her and now you just expect me to jump in and protect her? I did my part. She’s going to get us exterminated.”

“It wasn’t an angel!” he yelled. “It was a Sider. She has the same talents as Eden. But this one is loyal to the Fallen.”

Kristen scoffed, trying to cover her alarm. “Another one? Wonderful. You gonna send this one my way too? Though if she’s with the Fallen, maybe you can pass her on to Madeline.”

“Kristen.” His voice was calm, demanding her attention. “‘Darest thou now O soul,/Walk out with me toward the unknown region/Where neither ground is for the feet, nor any path to follow?’”

“Whitman? Honestly, Bukowski says it so much better.” Kristen took half a dozen steps back, the eyelets of her antique leather boots squeaking against the laces. “‘Beware of them; for one of their key words is “love” and beware those who only take instructions from their God.’”

Gabe moved toward her, almost too quick to see. Kristen didn’t flinch at the hand he laid gently on her cheek. “They have Az, Kristen,” he said softly. “They’ve taken Az.”

A look of surprise washed over her face; Eden actually watched her pale as the anger streamed off, her lips falling closed. She opened them again as if she was going to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, the finger that had jabbed angrily at them now dropped in a slow arc.

“He Fell,” she said. Eden watched as Gabe ran a hand across Kristen’s forehead, smoothing away her brown hair. She’d never seen anyone touch Kristen. Not like that.

“Not yet. But there were complications.” He didn’t look at Eden, but she felt shame redden her cheeks. “We need to get him back as quickly as possible, Kristen. We need your help.”

“Lucifer?” she asked hesitantly. Gabe nodded, and she dropped her head against his shoulder for a second. “Damn him.”

Gabe pulled her away from his shoulder. “Kristen. Please.” She winced. “Please,” he said again.

She closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath. “I won’t tolerate your losing Az to the Fallen. Not while I have the chance to steal away that little joy from Luke.” She turned away from Gabe to Eden.

“We have to find him.” Eden barely recognized her own voice, laced with the dark end that would come to anyone who kept her from Az. She dropped her eyes, couldn’t let Kristen see the telltale shine that would reflect the candlelight.

“Anything, Gabriel,” Kristen said, finally giving them the answer they’d hoped for. “What do you need to stop Luke?”