Angelfire

  He smiled. "You're enjoying al these questions, aren't you?"

  "I'm just trying to figure you out."

  His eyes met mine chal engingly, but I was too tired to keep interrogating him.

  I sighed. "I real y need to get home. I'm so exhausted."

  He nodded. "I wil see you tomorrow after your movie."

  "Yeah," I said, not particularly ecstatic about it. I understood what was happening to my life, but I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to accept it. At this point, there could be no denying that my life would never be normal again. UNCORRECTED E-PROOF--NOT FOR SALE

  HarperCollins Children's Books

  ..................................................................... 7

  SCHOOL FLEW BY LIKE A BREEZE. FRIDAYS WERE often that way. Everyone, including teachers and staff, just wanted to get the hel out of there and enjoy the weekend. The night before, I had fal en asleep almost upon impact with the pil ow, and obviously I hadn't gotten any work done on my paper. Luckily, neither of my parents had looked closely enough at my car that morning to notice the giant claw marks in the paint. I knew it was only a matter of time and bad luck before they did, however. Kate, on the other hand, had noticed them right away. I went with Wil 's story and explained that someone had hit my car in a parking lot, but I wasn't sure Kate was convinced. I would stil need to figure out how to fix those the cheapest way possible and without getting caught by my parents. I drove home right after school to squeeze out three of the five pages needed for my lit paper.

  That night I wore the winged necklace Wil had given me. It felt right wearing it, like reattaching a lost fifth limb. The feeling was comforting, and the necklace was beautiful. I loved it.

  I met Kate and Landon at the theater, and we were soon joined by Rachel and Chris. As soon as I arrived, Kate noticed my necklace.

  "Where did you get that?" she asked, gaping at the pendant and examining it closely. "It looks antique. So gorgeous."

  "Yeah, it's pretty old." I didn't want to tel her Wil had given it to me, or that it was mine to begin with.

  "I'm going to steal it," Kate said, and walked away. I smiled and fol owed her inside. It was chil y outside, so I was glad I was wearing a hoodie over my tank top. We wouldn't have many more seventy-degree days in September.

  The movie was al right, with some pretty good special effects, but I couldn't focus enough to enjoy it as much as my friends seemed to. I had already forgotten most of the plot by the time we al left the theater, with my friends chattering about how sweetly some random henchman had taken a knife to the head and how the hero had escaped the burning train. The boys were pretty stuck on recal ing how hot the love interest was. Al I could think about was meeting Wil afterward and about how God only knew what other horrors I'd have to witness. I found myself looking in the darkest places around me, fearful of what might leap out from the shadows. I wondered if I would pass someone on the sidewalk who might be kil ed by a reaper that very night and lose his soul to Hel , no matter what kind of good life he had lived. If I was to be some kind of hero, how many people would I be unable to save? I couldn't even eat fries without dripping ketchup on myself. How could I be responsible for someone else's life when I couldn't even be responsible for my own shirt?

  "You okay, El ?" Kate asked, lowering her head to whisper into my ear. "You seem so distant and quiet."

  I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just got to get going."

  "Huh?" Kate asked, surprised. "Are you ditching us early again?"

  Landon overheard and jogged up beside me, throwing an arm over my shoulder. "You'd better not be thinking about bailing. It's only ten and your party is tomorrow. There's got to be a preparty and then an after party. And a day- after party. Stay out later. Your paper can wait. I haven't even started mine."

  "No, it's not my paper." I didn't want to lie, but I couldn't exactly tel the truth, either. A partial truth would do. "I'm meeting Wil in a little bit." Landon's arm became stiff around my shoulder.

  Kate's eyes bulged. "You mean that weird guy from Cold Stone? You're going on a date with him?"

  I put my hands up defensively, not wanting them to get the wrong idea. "No, no, no. It's not a date, we're just hanging out."

  "Honey, it's Friday night, and when it's just you and him hanging out, that's a date. He's hot as hel , so have fun, okay?" Kate winked.

  Rachel nodded. "Yeah, he is. Let me know if you don't want him! I wil gladly take him off your hands." She laughed and playful y pinched me in the side. I twisted away uncomfortably.

  Landon's expression turned dark and he withdrew his arm. "Are you serious? You're going somewhere with that guy? You don't even know him!"

  "Yeah, do you think that's such a good idea?" Chris asked. "He's got to be, like, twenty."

  "He's just fine," I said, scowling. "Yeah, he's a little strange, but he's actual y a real y nice guy. And so what if he's a little older than me?" On second thought, neither of us was sure how old I actual y was.

  Kate shrugged. "Okay, wel , let me know how it goes."

  "I can't believe this!" Landon said, the volume of his voice causing heads to turn and stare. He stomped off toward the parking lot.

  I ran a hand through my hair. "Seriously! What is wrong with him?"

  Kate laughed. "El ie, are you real y that blind? He likes you."

  I gaped at her. "Excuse me?"

  "Yeah," Chris said, the look on his face tel ing me that he found this far too amusing. "We thought you knew."

  Just what I needed. I had thought his newfound extreme interest in my wel -being was something more benign--I must have been mistaken. I remembered my birthday roses and the kiss on the cheek. Was I really that stupid? Landon was cute and a nice guy and al , but this was Landon. Just . . . no way. I put a hand to my forehead. "I have to go. Now."

  "See you later, El ," Rachel said.

  "Be safe," Kate said. "Just cal me if you want me to bail you out."

  I nodded. "See you bright and early? Somerset at eleven?

  Maybe lunch while we're there?"

  "Sounds great!" She smiled, and then her expression wiped clean.

  "El ie," said Wil 's voice behind me.

  I turned around and was shocked to see him. "Wil ! What are you doing here?"

  His eyes flickered to the necklace around my neck and a warm smile shaped his lips. "We were going to meet, remember?"

  "Right," I said, glancing back at my friends. I waved goodbye and headed to where I had parked. "I didn't know you were going to surprise me right outside the theater."

  "Wel , you said we could meet right after, so here I am."

  "Where's your car?" I asked, as we climbed in and buckled up.

  "I didn't drive."

  Taxi, I guessed. "Where are we going?"

  "I've found a good location in Pontiac," he said.

  "Pontiac? Al the way there? Why?" That wasn't exactly the safest area around here to hang out in at night. I panicked a little inside.

  "Would you like me to drive?"

  "No, it's my car," I said possessively.

  "Then don't complain about where we're going."

  It took longer than usual to travel the thirty-five miles to Pontiac because of heavy traffic. Wil didn't say much during the drive, and the awkward silence was beginning to take its tol on my psyche.

  "So where are you living?" I asked him, trying to make conversation during the back-up.

  "You're tense," Wil observed, staring out the wind-shield.

  "I have a ninja sitting shotgun. Of course, I'm tense."

  The smal est smile in the corner of his mouth.

  "Don't worry about it."

  I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. "Don't you have an apartment or something? How do you pay for it? Do you have a job?"

  "Don't worry about it."

  "Why al the secrets?"

  "You haven't asked the right questions." He glanced at me and smiled.

  I huffed, annoyed. "You have a plac
e to live, right?"

  "Yes, but I'm only there for essentials."

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "I need to sleep, shower, and eat, of course. I'm not a robot."

  I sat there seething for a moment. He obviously wasn't going to give me a straight answer, so I changed my question. "Why are you my Guardian?"

  "I am very proficient at fighting. We made a good team."

  I glanced at him. "Are we stil ?"

  "I hope so. You ask a lot of questions. I am not what's important right now. We need to focus on your waking up and becoming strong again."

  "Wel , it would be nice if I could remember it al , since I'm supposed to know this already." It al sounded so covert. I was having a difficult time believing that I could be part of something so much bigger than myself. I stared out the windshield at the cars zooming by on the opposite side of the highway.

  "Do you mind?" Wil asked.

  "What?" I blinked at him. He had his hand on the stereo knob.

  "It's a bit of a drive," he said. "I don't like sitting in silence."

  "Yeah, I guess."

  He turned the radio on and flipped over to the classic rock station. Satisfied, he leaned back against the seat.

  "Pink Floyd?" I probed, unable to keep the smile from creeping to the corners of my lips.

  "I've had a lot of time to myself, waiting for your rebirth,"

  he confessed. "You were gone for so long. I had to think of something to do, and I found rock music." He grinned. "I've gotten pretty good at the guitar. I'l play some Rol ing Stones tabs for you someday, if you're lucky."

  I laughed. "If I'm lucky, huh?"

  His grin widened bril iantly. "Oh, yeah. Only if you're lucky."

  When we final y got to Pontiac, Wil gave me specific directions and we drove into an area that looked pretty rough. We turned onto a very dark street with no streetlights, and the only buildings I could see were a boarded-up gas station and a warehouse that looked as if it hadn't been in business in twenty years.

  "Are we seriously parking my car out here?" I asked nervously, my eyes flitting everywhere.

  "No one's around," he said. "Pul up into the al ey. It's secluded. If anyone comes by, I'l hear them. No worries. I found this building last week, so it should be a great place to train."

  "Whatever you say, chief." I drove into the al ey he'd pointed out, barely squeezing my chubby little sedan through. The tires rol ed over rocks, garbage, and massive weeds that were beginning to look like trees. I reached the end and shut off the engine. "What now?"

  He smiled. "We go inside."

  "I'm going to get tetanus in there," I grumbled.

  "Don't go rol ing in piles of dirt and rusty nails and you'l be fine."

  "You're an ass."

  UNCORRECTED E-PROOF--NOT FOR SALE

  HarperCollins Children's Books

  ..................................................................... 8

  WILL SHOWED ME TO THE DOOR, BUT IT WAS BOARDED up. He plucked the sheets of plywood off with no effort at al and tossed them aside. Inside, the warehouse was surprisingly clean. Junk had been moved off to the side, and there wasn't any broken glass lying around. Tires were stacked in a corner by a pile of rusting hubcaps and wooden crates. Moonlight streamed in through high, mostly intact windows. Steel columns stretched from the concrete floor to the ceiling.

  "I've even cleaned it up for you," Wil said, obviously trying to suppress laughter. Laughter that, I was sure, was directed at me.

  I glared at him. "Why was it boarded up if you've gotten in already? Did you nail the boards over the door when you left?"

  "I didn't come in through the door," he said, and pointed up.

  My gaze lifted to the windows. "Nuh-uh."

  "Once you figure out what you can real y do, you won't be surprised at how I got in. That's why we're here."

  "So you can murder me and steal Marshmal ow?" I mumbled absently as I picked at the peeling paint on the door.

  He blinked. "Steal what?"

  "Never mind."

  "You are a very strange girl," he said, stepping very close to me.

  His closeness alarmed me for a moment, and then I felt my unease melt away. It was real y odd, my reaction to his presence. Perhaps it was because he was the only one I knew in the world who had the power to protect me. That should have made anyone feel pretty safe, right? Perhaps it was the "bond" he said we shared.

  "What are you doing?" I asked, my eyes wide.

  His fingers traced the curve of my shoulder softly, as his gaze fel . I gasped sharply. If he tried to kiss me, I'd slap the crap out of him. Bond or no bond.

  He slipped my purse off my shoulder and tossed it. "You won't need this." He turned and stepped away.

  I let out a long breath. "You're weird, you know that? Way weirder than you think I am."

  He laughed. "I believe you've told me that a few times."

  "Do I need to be in the Grim in order to fight or do those crazy acrobatics?"

  "No," he said. "The only time you need to enter the Grim is when a reaper is hiding there. When they're hiding, that's the only way we can see them."

  "So what can I real y do? If you can jump through a twostory window, then what can I do?"

  "You can do that too. You don't even need wings to do it, either."

  I ignored his smartass remark, which made no sense at al anyway. I unzipped my hoodie, shrugged it off, and tossed it over by my purse. Wearing just my tank top, I folded my arms across my chest. "Yeah, right. Show me something, then."

  "You can bring this whole building down."

  I huffed in disbelief. "Show me."

  "I'm not going to destroy the warehouse with us in it," he said. "We'l need this place for a while, so I'l give you a taste."

  He stepped farther away from me, his eyes locked on mine, and stood next to one of the steel columns. For a moment--I had to blink several times--it looked as if the air around him moved, like heat waves swaying just above the pavement on a hot day, only they radiated off his body. His green of his eyes seemed to intensify until they almost glowed, even though I knew that wasn't possible. Then a blast hit me like a truck, knocking me flat on my back. I struggled back to my feet, gaping at Wil in awe. I could see the energy rol ing from him. I could feel it on my skin and lapping up my legs.

  With a quick swing of his torso, Wil smashed his forearm into the column, and the steel gave with a piercing whine until it bent at an angle, ripping almost ful y free from the beam high above it. Dust blasted free and settled to the floor. I staggered back, tripping and nearly fal ing. I stared at him, fearful, confused, and completely stunned. "H--how?"

  "I could take it down if I wanted to," he said, relaxing his power, letting it wash away like the tide. "You're stronger than me, El ie. I need to prove it to you."

  "Oh God" was al I could say.

  "You try it," he said. "I know you remember how. I've seen you do it since you awakened. By summoning your power, you wil have the strength to kil a reaper. They can do the same thing, though, so you have to be cautious, and that is why you have the angelfire. If you come across a vir, you may not know what he is until it's too late. The weaker ones seem the most human. The powerful ones don't bother to hide what they are. They don't usual y like to be compared to humans, but they'l shape-shift to take the form of a particular human in order to infiltrate."

  "Do you have to touch my face again, to trigger me, in order to bring my power out?" I asked.

  "No, I don't think I'l have to do that again." He held out his arm and conjured his sword. The enormous silver blade glinted into being. "Cal your swords now."

  "Why?" I asked, uncertain of his motives.

  "We're going to bring out your power so you wil learn to do it on your own. I am your soldier, but I am not your crutch."

  "But I--"

  In a flash he sliced his sword at my throat, but I instinctively ducked, shocked by my own quickness. Without my consciously cal ing th
em, my swords appeared in my hands. Wil swiped his blade down again, but I swung my swords up, catching Wil 's blow with a shing! of metal against metal. He pushed down, hard, but I held my position, refusing to let him overpower me, and angelfire ignited on my blades. Wil 's foot suddenly connected with my chest and slammed me into one of the columns behind me, my back crunching against the steel. The wind rushed from my lungs, but Wil was coming at me too fast for me to catch my breath. He swiped again and I rol ed away. His blade clanged off the column, and I looked back, eyes wide.

  "Stop running!" Wil shouted. "Fight me!"

  "You're going to kill me!" I shrieked.

  "Only if you let me!" He leaped into the air and came down at me, his sword held high. He slashed, but the Khopesh caught his blade and deflected it away from my face. I swung my other sword and slashed--Wil recoiled as the blade cut neatly down his cheek. His face snapped to the side and he groaned in pain. He looked back at me, his green eyes brighter than I had ever seen, and the gash on his cheek melted together again, leaving only a thin line of blood. The angelfire didn't harm him.

  "Keep fighting and don't stop!" he thundered. "If you stop, you're dead!"

  He vanished suddenly and reappeared behind me. I reeled around to face him, swinging one sword up, and it col ided with his. I slashed the other sword at his bel y, but he jumped back, spun around, and kicked my wrist. The Khopesh went flying. I gaped at it in fright, and when I looked back at Wil , he had already lowered his sword and was reaching for me. He clamped his hand around my throat, threw my back against a column, and grabbed the wrist that held my remaining Khopesh. He had me pinned. I struggled against his grip, but he was just so, so strong.

  "Let me go!" My free hand clawed at his hand around my neck.

  "I'm not releasing you," he said. "You've lost. You stopped fighting and took your eye off me."

  "Please, please, Wil ." I gasped, my windpipe closing. Panic grabbed at me and my eyes wel ed with tears. "You're going to kil me."

  "Then do something about it!" he roared into my face.

  "You have that strength! If you want me to let you go, then force me to!"

  I screamed, fil ed half with fear and half with fury, and my power exploded, my hair whipping around my face so wildly I couldn't see. The column behind me crunched, and the floor rol ed and sank beneath my strength. Wil was blown away from me and landed sliding across the concrete floor. I bolted forward and my sword burst into flames as I swung it at Wil 's throat where he lay. I poised the tip at his jugular, my lungs heaving, my heart pounding, and my power swirling like a hurricane al around me, swal owing me in diamond light. My eyes darkened as I stared Wil down. He put his hands up slowly.