“Why does she think I’m useless?” My chest was tight as I struggled to stay calm.
“She doesn’t think you’re useless.”
“Isn’t that what you just said, though?”
His smile was gentle and reassuring. “She’s been fighting demonic reapers for a very long time without your help. She doesn’t understand how much stronger you are than any of us or what your angelfire can do.”
I didn’t respond, and my eyes fell as my mind wandered far away from our conversation.
“Ellie.” His voice was firm but kind.
Whenever he said my name like that, I knew he was serious.
He watched me with a calm gaze. “Ava underestimates you, and I don’t blame you for being defensive. But don’t worry. She doesn’t know you like I know you.”
I smiled then. No matter what happened, Will was on my side. I was as sure of that as I was that Ava was wrong about me. A dark part of me wanted five minutes alone with her. I’d wasted way scarier reapers than Ava. What did she have that Ragnuk didn’t have? Killer crazy cat-lady nails?
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
Will directed me to an old factory in a crumbling district of Detroit, much like our old warehouse. As I pulled Marshmallow II into a concealed spot behind the building, a flood of old memories came back to me. Memories of our old warehouse, where I realized I was in love with Will, where he had kissed me for the first time in the middle of its wreckage.
Inside, Marcus and Ava were waiting. They were certainly dressed better for training than I was. Both wore black bodysuits in a material that looked soft and supple, and combat boots that looked like they would hurt if they connected with my face. I felt like a cream puff next to them.
Marcus gave me an easy grin. “Ellie. How are you tonight?”
I pulled the collar of my coat tighter. “Less sore than earlier.”
“All right, Will,” Ava said, her expression stone hard. “Show me what she’s got. Did you even change your clothes after you got out of … school?”
It took me a moment to realize she’d directed that question at me. I didn’t like the way she said “school.” She made it sound like a silly word, like I was a little kid. “I did change. It’s cold out there.”
She watched me with such disdain that I felt very self-conscious. I took off my coat and laid it by the exit, along with my purse. It was bad enough that she said rude things about me and tried to get Will to abandon me. Why did she have to go knocking my outfit? My coat was really cute.
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Ava said. “I just thought that you’d prefer to wear something more durable when you fight.”
“Whatever,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Let’s do this.” I called my swords into my hands, and the blades erupted into angelfire. The flames were bright, swallowing the silver Khopesh blades. Ava studied the swords carefully, the flames shining off her eyes. Angelfire affected only the demonic and burned nothing else. “So what do you want to see?”
She studied my face for a moment, as if I were a science experiment. She gestured to Will. “Fight him.”
Before I could respond, a power surged behind me. I spun on my heel and threw my sword over my head, catching Will’s blade midair. Anticipating a kick as his next move, my second blade swept through the air just as his foot rose to strike my stomach. I drew my power into my center and let it explode in his face, the force of it sending him rocketing across the factory. He righted himself and landed with one knee on the floor. I was there in an instant, slicing with both swords. His blade clinked off mine, over and over, our strikes fast as lightning, our power rushing all around, colliding with the floor and walls in waves each time his sword struck mine. I swung both swords high and cut down, forcing a blast of my power with the blades, and Will ripped his own up with both hands to meet my strike. Our blades collided and power detonated, crunching the concrete at our feet until Will sat in a crater. His expression was hardened with concentration, but when our eyes met, I caught the faintest glimmer of a smile. I bounced away, and my feet slid across the floor as I landed. Just as I was about to launch forward again, Ava’s hard voice made me stop.
“Enough.”
Will and I rose, sweeping our energy back into ourselves, and my angelfire died.
Marcus stepped forward, clapping. “Nice job. She was kicking your ass.”
I grinned brightly as I caught my breath, happy to have impressed.
“You know each other too well,” Ava said. “You’re each too predictable to the other.”
Will shrugged. “I’ve been her Guardian for five hundred years. We know each other inside and out.”
“Fight me, Preliator,” she said.
Nerves bit at my gut. I could beat her. No one was tougher than Will, and I got good hits in on him regularly. Angelfire burst from my blades once more.
“Relinquish the swords,” she ordered.
“What?”
“You heard me. Lose them. I want to see what you can do without weapons.”
I looked back at Will, who gave me a nod, and I did as she asked. Ava stepped toward me, her power pulsing around her darkly, as if it came from the deadest corner of the universe. If Will hadn’t insisted that she was angelic, I would’ve put my money on her being demonic. She had asked me to put away my swords. Was it possible that—?
She shot for me, cutting off my thoughts, and my eyes widened when her talons jutted out from her fingers, outstretched and slashing. I gasped and swung my body to the side, letting her fly past me. I didn’t like fighting unarmed. If I didn’t have my swords, I usually got tossed around like a rag doll.
Ava came to a sliding stop and spun to slash her talons at me again. I jerked back, but her nails snagged my sweater and slit through the fabric like butter. I swore and wheeled away as she came at me a third time.
“Ellie, fight!” Will’s voice was in my ears, giving me strength and courage to face the reaper trying to rip my throat out.
Ava lunged for me again, and I summoned my power. Blinding white light swarmed about me, swirling like a raging blizzard, whipping my hair around, and I slammed it into Ava. She flew high through the air, smashing into the far wall and leaving an Ava-shaped dent in the concrete. Just as she began to fall, her dark silver wings sprang from her back and she landed gracefully. Her gaze snapped up to meet mine, blazing bright blue-violet with anger, and she snarled. She launched, her wings spreading wide, drowning my body in her shadow, but I shot forward to meet her midway. She swiped her talons, and I grabbed both her wrists, shoved my shoe into her chest, and kicked full force, smashing her back into the wall. She crumpled forward, dazed, and the second dent she left in the wall made me pause in awe as the debris settled. The dent was Ava shaped, but her wings had also shattered the concrete this time, and their imprint took my breath away. The impression in the wall was shaped like an angel.
Ava stood straight and shook her head dizzily. She vanished for a moment and reappeared, her hand clamping around my throat as her form materialized. She squeezed until I nearly passed out from pain and suffocation, and she lifted me off the floor.
“I shouldn’t have been able to overpower you so easily,” she said, her hard gaze dissecting my fear. “I didn’t want to be right about you.”
I didn’t want her to be right about me, either. Power shivered across my skin, making my hands red-hot. I grabbed Ava’s wrist and burned her skin. She hissed and swore but didn’t let go. I kicked into her stomach and ran up her chest until I flipped all the way over and broke free. She staggered back, and I dropped to the ground and kicked out at her ankles, knocking her off her feet. She hit the ground on her back, and I leaped on top of her, fist raised to punch her in the nose.
She threw up her hands. “Enough! Enough. Get off me.”
I hesitated, staring into her eyes as their color dulled, until I felt satisfied. I stood and met Will’s gaze. He smiled at me, full of pride.
&
nbsp; Ava climbed to her feet. “How did you burn me like that?”
The accusing tone in her voice caught me off guard. “I—it’s the angelfire. I can use it to make my power burn. I’ve done it before on an ursid reaper. He was demonic, though.” I remembered that last fight against Ragnuk. I’d used my power to burn up half of his face when he’d been about to bite my head off. It seemed I’d just done it again. Was the mysterious energy really my angelfire, or something else?
“You shouldn’t be able to do that,” Ava said, fear lacing her words.
I was about to open my mouth when Will spoke. “She is an archangel. Angelfire is hers to control.”
Ava scowled. “But it’s only in the swords. How is she able to transfer angelfire to her power and make herself stronger? Not that I’m complaining. I’m sure it’s very useful against her enemies.”
“This is a new ability,” Will admitted. “We don’t quite know what it is. Her most recent reincarnation took forty years to occur, and we have no idea what has changed in her in that time. At least you know now that you can’t underestimate her.” The tone in his voice and the look in his eyes made it clear that his last words were a warning to Ava.
I couldn’t help wondering why it had even worked. If she was angelic, then the angelfire shouldn’t have harmed her. I’d used it as a last-ditch effort. I studied Ava’s dark beauty. What if she was truly demonic? A double agent of sorts? Will trusted her. Marcus trusted her. But I didn’t. Not a Popsicle’s chance in Hell of that ever happening.
Marcus beamed at me. “Well done, Ellie.”
“You want a turn?” I teased, desperate to get my mind off Ava’s possible betrayal.
“No thanks.” He laughed. “You scare me plenty. No need for you to make it worse by beating me to a pulp the way you just beat Ava.”
Other than the minuscule frown in one corner of her mouth, Ava’s expression remained stone cold.
“I think we’re done here,” Will said. “Ava, Marcus. Patrolling tomorrow night?”
“I can’t,” I interrupted. “Movie Night. Remember? I’m off being grounded, so I get to be social now.”
He sighed. “Saturday then.”
I thought a moment. “Is Sunday okay? Kate was planning a party Saturday, so we’ll see if that falls through. I haven’t done anything lately but go to school and kill reapers. I need a break.”
Ava stared at me then Will. “Movie Night? Party? Is that wise?”
“It’s important that Ellie have a somewhat normal life,” Will explained. “It keeps her happy.”
“And sane,” I said with a laugh. “It’s fine. Just two nights this week.”
“You’re being hunted,” Marcus said. “Ava has a point.”
I shrugged. “We don’t know that for sure yet. And it’s not like I’ll be alone. Will is always with me when I go to these things. I’ll be fine.”
“I could join you,” Marcus suggested with an edge to his voice. “Maybe you’d like backup. You know, in case the demonic drop in.”
“Oh, no.” I laughed. “I’m not sure how my friends will take to your … everything. They’d be dangerously curious about you.”
“Would you kill me if I crashed?” he asked, grinning. Something told me he wasn’t kidding with that question.
“Please don’t do that,” I begged. “You wouldn’t even enjoy yourself around all those human teenagers. Will always sulks when he goes to these things with me.”
Marcus’s grin widened even more. “He sulks anyway.”
“You should see the way he broods, too. It’s very sad,” I said with a faux frown.
“I don’t brood,” Will cut in. “Or sulk.”
“I’d love to see this,” Marcus insisted. “It sounds very entertaining.”
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “Bringing two reapers would be pushing it.” But then again, my friends would love it. Marcus could have an alias similar to Will’s. In truth, I didn’t think I’d be able to babysit two reapers at one party, and I remembered from my past lives just how rowdy Marcus could get.
“You’re certainly no fun,” Marcus mused.
“You must have me and Will mixed up.”
He laughed, but I wasn’t kidding.
6
ON THE DRIVE HOME, WILL WAS IN A GOOD MOOD. He was proud of me. But there were things I needed to know, and I was pretty sure asking him would upset him.
I broke the silence between us with an easy question. “Marcus was born in the eighteenth century, right? I remember he was about two hundred years old when I knew him last.”
“Right,” Will confirmed. “He’s not that old for our kind. It doesn’t mean he’s weak, though.”
“How old is Ava?”
“A few decades older than I am.”
I chewed my lip. “Is she demonic?”
“Ellie …” At least he didn’t laugh.
“No, I’m dead serious.”
He glanced at me and frowned. “I’m very sure she’s not.”
“How sure?”
“Positive.”
“Could you be wrong?”
“No,” he said firmly. “She’s not demonic. Why would you ask?”
I shrugged. “Well, she’s not very nice and she didn’t want me to use my swords with her. And the way my power burned her? I know I’ve only ever tried that on Ragnuk, but it made me wonder. Angelfire only burns the demonic, right?”
“Yeah, but it’s not completely the same,” he said. “You’re an angel, an archangel. Your power is virtually limitless, and we don’t completely understand it. Whatever it is about your power that is able to burn, it may not even be angelfire at all. You spent decades of mortal years in Heaven, training, before you were reincarnated this time. Maybe this is one of the results of that training. Once your memory returns fully, then perhaps more of your new powers will as well.”
I let his words sink in, wanting so much—so, so much—to remember everything that I’d forgotten, and not just bits and pieces. Most of it had come back to me, my past lives and such, but the deeper, darker things still eluded me. It felt like something evil pulsed at the very root of my strength, feeding on it, even though I was supposed to be divine. Human emotion was supposed to make me stronger, but it seemed to just make me crazier. Maybe it was the humanity getting to me, the evil of humanity contaminating my power the way the frailty of humanity made my body weaker than my enemies’. My power may have been greater than theirs, but this body was mortal, and mortality was synonymous with death. Will had never died, because however much he resembled a normal guy, his body was not human. He was a reaper, and they happened to be difficult to kill, for many good reasons.
My lips grew tight as I thought hard. “But how do you know the difference between a demonic reaper and an angelic reaper? Like, really know without testing with angelfire. It’s not like it’s tattooed on their foreheads or anything. Do they feel different to you? A vir reaper is just a vir reaper until it tries to kill me, and then I know it’s demonic.”
“It’s the darkness,” he explained. “The evil that fuels them. The brutality they’ve known since birth and that runs through their veins. Violence is the only thing that makes sense to them. When their power and emotion grow, they begin to feel very different from my own kind. The wickedness of the demonic has a powerful effect on the angelic.”
“So you can’t tell just by looking at them?”
“Evil is deeper than just what’s on the surface. Something can look frightening and be pure and innocent.” Then he grinned. “Unlike shoes, evil doesn’t have designer labels.”
I scowled at the metaphor, completely aware that he was making fun of me. However, I did remember the strange things that’d happened to me since my powers were awakened. The feeling of darkness in my power, the black spidery lines that I’d seen on my own skin—a vision I still to this day didn’t understand the meaning of. Was I mistaken in thinking it was evil in me that made me experience those things? How distinct wa
s the line between good and evil, and how much of it all blended together? “I still don’t get how a reaper is inherently either good or evil, depending on their genetics.”
“That’s just the way things are. Ava is an angelic reaper.”
“So she won’t turn bad?”
“Of course not. She can’t become demonic. Or vice versa.”
“So she isn’t a demonic reaper that turned good?”
“No.” The stern finality in his voice signaled to me that this was the end of the conversation.
“All right,” I conceded. I needed to trust Will’s judgment, no matter how confused I was over Ava … and Cadan. He was even more confusing. I wanted to see the best in Cadan—and perhaps the worst in Ava, for stupid reasons—but Will would know, right? He was one of them, after all. And despite who and what I was, I was still an outsider.
But at least I could kick all their asses.
There was one more day of school before the weekend, and this would be my first fun weekend in a few months. My grades were up and I was no longer grounded. Along with my friends, my parents believed Will and I had broken up from our imaginary relationship. If he was my boyfriend, they would expect me to bring him around the house and to do family things together—and by they, I meant just my mom, since my dad preferred to be MIA unless he was yelling at me for something or another.
“So, Movie Night tomorrow?” I asked as we got close to my neighborhood.
“If you wish.”
I smiled slyly. “If I wanted to go shopping and asked you to hold my bags, you’d do it, huh?”
He frowned and glanced at me. “I’d dislike that.”
“But you’d still do it.”
“You wouldn’t ask me to.”
He was right. I didn’t think I had it in me to abuse our relationship. “No, I wouldn’t. But don’t press me. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”
That made him laugh a little. “I know exactly what you’re capable of. I’ve see you at your best and at your worst. Nothing you could do would shock me in the least.”
“Is that so?” I gave him a challenging look. “That better not be a bet, either.”