Kieran had never outright lied to me. He’d just strategically withheld some rather important details.
When we arrived at the coffee shop, I ordered my usual chai latte, except I asked for an extra-large since Shay was with me. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him.
“So what’s good here?” he asked the barista as he stepped to the counter.
She turned on a megawatt smile as she leaned forward, showing ample cleavage. I realized I wasn’t the only one affected by Shay’s looks. Jealousy roared through me, and I stalked off with my order, finding an empty couch nestled up to the fireplace. After a few minutes, Shay sat next to me and sipped his steaming drink.
My face must have given away my emotions. He picked up my free hand and gave it a small squeeze, instantly calming me. He gave me his trademark smirk, and I returned it. I couldn’t rationally be mad at him, and I didn’t understand where these intense emotions were coming from. It wasn’t like we were dating or anything. We sat in comfortable silence, enjoying our drinks.
“Hey, Zoe!” One of my school friends, Rena, yelled from across the room. I sunk into my seat and groaned as she walked toward us. “I thought that was you, but I had to do a double take because—” Her mouth hung open. “That’s not Kieran.” She stared at Shay with wide eyes. “Who is this?”
I didn’t have time to respond before she stuck out her hand. “Hi. I’m Rena.”
Shay didn’t extend his hand. In fact, just then, he needed both hands to hold his drink.
I smiled.
After a moment, Rena turned her head toward me. She still looked shocked, and I had to fight the giggles. “Okay.” She blinked quickly. “So anyway, you going to Cali’s tonight? I, of course, am going, and I guess there’ll be some cute seniors there.” She looked directly at Shay, wearing a bright smile. “You can come, too, if you want. Even if Zoe can’t.”
This time I couldn’t help my grin. That was Rena: one-track mind. All she ever talked about were boys.
“Thanks,” he said. “Maybe we’ll be there, and maybe we won’t.”
She glanced between us. “Okay, I get it. I’ll leave you guys alone.”
As Rena walked away, she was already texting on her cell. I could only imagine what rumors would be spread today.
Shay seemed totally unfazed by her flirting. He went right back to sipping his drink. “Do you want to go tonight?” he asked.
“I’d like to, but I don’t think my parents will let me. They don’t let me go to parties unless Kieran is going, and since he and I aren’t speaking at the moment—”
He grinned. “If you want to go, I can meet your parents. Maybe they’ll trust me as much as they trust Kieran. Parents love me!”
I bet they do, you charmer. “Shay, can I ask you something about Kieran?”
“Of course.”
“How long have you known him?”
“Well, I’ve known of him since he and I were assigned to you, seventeen years ago. We worked separately. We provide updates to the Council, and if they thought one of us needed to know something the other told them, they would inform us.”
“So you never had any direct contact with him?”
“Not until Thursday.”
I nodded, digesting what he’d said. “Okay. Another question. The other night you said that you were never far away. What does that mean exactly?”
“I was assigned to guard you from afar, but I was always within a short running distance in case you ever found yourself alone, or if Kieran wasn’t able to get to you in time.” He ran his finger along the edge of his cup. “They instructed Kieran to become your friend so there would be a legitimate reason for him to hang around you all the time.”
I wonder if he knows about Kieran’s feelings for me.
He picked up my free hand. “Sometimes, when you guard someone every day for years, you can develop feelings toward them. I suspected as much with Kieran. He’s with you most of the time, so I observed him interacting with you. Over the years, he started doing little gestures for you he hadn’t done before.”
I thought of his opening doors for me. “When was that?”
“I think it started when you were thirteen or fourteen. He saw you as a young woman and not a little girl anymore.” He paused. “And if you’re wondering if I started to like you because I’ve been watching you, too, well ... I’ll let you figure that out.” He bumped my shoulder. “But I’m still not sure why the shock thing happens when we touch.” He rubbed his arm.
I gulped the last bit of my chai and Shay carried the empty cup to the trash. I stood, but didn’t want my time with Shay to end yet. He came back and took my hand again as we walked out together.
As I passed Rena, she mouthed, “We need to talk.”
Shay and I strolled along the sidewalk, talking about random, stupid topics. His favorite flower: guys don’t have a favorite. Mine: orchid. His favorite food: pizza. Of course it is. Mine: Chicken Parmesan. Every time I looked at him I was reminded of how truly gorgeous he was. My memory from the night before had not done him justice.
“I’m going to ask my parents if I can go to Cali’s,” I decided. “Maybe they’ll let me go. After all, I’ll be eighteen in a few months.”
He smirked. “Yes, I know.”
“If I can go, do you want to come with me?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
“Does this mean you don’t have to watch me from afar anymore?”
He frowned. “Since Blane and Devin showed up, my orders have changed. I’m to stick to you like cheese does to mac.”
That was good news.
We were so engrossed in conversation, I didn’t notice we’d already passed Kieran’s and were almost to mine. Already, I felt a connection with Shay I couldn’t put into words, and I had to wonder if everyone felt this way with their first major crush.
“I’ll call you later,” he said when we arrived at my house, “and you can let me know if I should come by and pick you up. If you can’t go, we could always just hang out, if you want.” He handed me his cell phone.
I punched in my numbers, hit the send button, and returned it as I put a hand on his arm. “Before you leave, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” He sat on the curb and extended his hand toward me, so I sank to the grass beside him and shut off my phone’s ringer.
“Those guys from the warehouse. Tell me again about them. I mean, I know you and Kieran explained, but it’s still kind of overwhelming. And now I’m nervous and questioning things that used to be second nature to me. Devin said more would come for me.”
“Those were demon knights, sent by Sammael. They want to kill you so you can’t fulfill the prophecy. Sam wants to rule the world, and since we believe you were sent to stop him, obviously that would ruin his plans. The Knights are replaceable to him since they regenerate after being ‘killed,’ and they recover, so to speak, in Hell.”
“Who’s this ‘Sam’ I keep hearing about?”
“Sammael, the King of the Underworld,” Kieran said as he came toward us. I hadn’t heard him approach. He had been waiting for me—us, to return. “You know him by his other names,” he continued. “The Devil, the Angel of Death, Lucifer ... he’s after you because he thinks you’re the Redeemer the prophecy foretold, too.” He glared at Shay. “Shay,” he said curtly.
“Kieran.” He stood and nodded once, sounding just as short. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Is it safe for us to be here near the street?”
“It’s safe,” Kieran said. “We have wards around the lawn, too.”
“Did you tell her about the wards?”
“No. But if she wants to know, I’ll tell her.”
This sounded interesting. “What are wards?” I asked as I stood next to Shay.
Shay shook his head, looking skeptical. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“Probably not, but it’s time,” Kieran said, staring intently at
him. “She has a right to know.”
This was getting ridiculous. “Hello? She is right here,” I said.
Shay’s voice rose. “Why tell her if it doesn’t affect her?”
“Tell me what?”
“Because I know her!” Kieran snapped. “She’d want to know everything. It’s how she is.”
Shay was on his feet in an instant, nose to nose with Kieran. It was like I was standing between two dogs, and I was the pork chop. Except maybe not, because neither of them had noticed me. I waved my arms, trying to get their attention.
“Hello? I’m pretty sure I have a right to know what you babbling fools are yelling about.”
“Stay out of this, Zoe,” Kieran said, not looking at me. “This is between Shay and me.”
“And you don’t think I know her?” Shay snapped. “We’ve both been protecting her since she was born! You were the lucky one. You were able to befriend her and be in her life where she was able to see you. I had to protect her from a distance, watch her grow up, but not impede.” His fists clenched at his sides. “Some protector you are. What the hell happened yesterday? She almost died because of your carelessness! She’s obviously not safe with you anymore.”
“Safer with me than you!” Kieran roared back.
“Stop fighting!” I wailed. “Please. I need you both to get along. Don’t we all have to work together to—”
Shay’s eyes were almost slits. “I see the way you look at her,” he hissed. “Even if she did love you, you can’t be with her. It’s against the rules to be with someone outside your Order. At least I’m human and could give her a human life if—”
“Half,” Kieran said.
“Half is more than what you have.”
Kieran slumped just a little, apparently having lost that round. “For now,” he said tersely.
They stopped yelling for a few seconds, just stood glaring at each other, breathing hard while the air around them cleared. I decided to stay out of it.
Finally Shay asked, “What if we’re wrong about her?”
“I guess we’ll find out in a few months, won’t we? When she turns eighteen.” Kieran crossed his arms. “But I’m not wrong.”
“See you later, guys,” I muttered. “I’ll call you about tonight, Shay.”
Neither of them noticed as I walked up my driveway and into my house, tired of them both. I had a lot to think about.
Mom and Stella were snuggled up on the couch watching one of the Harry Potter movies, just in time to watch the scene when Harry finally realized that either he or Voldemort would have to die.
“Can I go to Cali’s tonight?” I asked.
“Will Kieran be going with you?” Mom asked. “Anyone else I know going?
I shook my head. “We’re still not talking. Actually, it’s more like he’s sort of not talking to me.” I closed my eyes. “He said he has to work out some issues on his own.”
Stella’s eyes twinkled with the news. “So you two are fighting? I heard something about it at soccer practice yesterday, but I didn’t believe it.”
The whole town knew.
“We aren’t fighting, Stella. We’re, well, I’m not sure what we’re doing, but I know we aren’t fighting.” I turned back to Mom with pleading eyes.
She got the message. “Okay, you can go,” she said, shocking me. “Don’t be out too late. What time are you planning to go over there?”
“I guess around seven,” I managed, still dazed when I left the room. I grabbed my cell phone and texted Shay my exciting news.
Me: I can go tonight!
I waited for Shay to respond, but didn’t have to wait long.
Shay: Great. Time?
My heart sped up as I replied to his text.
Me: 7?
Shay: Do you want me to pick you up or should I meet you there?
Me: Is this like a date?
Shay: Do you want it to be?
Me: Maybe
Shay: OK, it’s a date. I’ll pick you up at 7. Cyal8r
Even though I knew I would have to learn about and deal with angels and demons, I was determined to have a fun night without lessons or doomsday talk. I stared at the phone, uneasy. I couldn’t just leave it like that. The last time I’d seen Kieran and Shay, they’d been about to tear each other to shreds.
Me: Everything good with you and K?
Shay: No. Don’t worry about it, tho
Me: No battle wounds, I hope!
Shay: No
Me: Behave. CU@7
Shay: OK
I stared into my closet, having no idea what I should wear. It’s not that I didn’t ever go out, but when I did it was either with Kieran or with a group of friends, including Kieran. It was generally assumed by everyone, but us, we were dating, so no one had even tried to set me up with another guy. And I’d never dressed to impress Kieran.
This was different. This was a “real” date. I wanted Shay to be blown away. After picking out over a dozen different potential outfits, I narrowed it down to three. I just needed to try them on to see which fit the best.
A soft knock came on my door. “Zoe?” It was my sister, Stella.
“Yeah?”
“Can I come in?”
“Busy. Go away.”
The door opened, and she walked in.
“Hey! You can’t just come in my room like that.”
She jumped onto my bed and pouted, looking five years younger than she was. I sighed. Big sister time.
“Sorry to snap. I’m pretty stressed,” I explained. “Are you done with the movie already?” I doubted it. The scene they’d been watching was only halfway in.
“Are you and Kieran still friends?” She ignored my question.
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. You guys are good together.” She frowned, and I saw a flicker of concern in her eyes. “He’s like our brother. Will he still come by and hang out?” She noticed a blue, sparkling top on the bed and her focus shifted. “You’re so lucky you get to go out to parties.”
“You’ll get your turn. I’m just paving the way for you.” I hesitated, then asked, “Hey, Stella, can you keep a secret?”
Her eyes gleamed. “Yes, oh yes, I totally can! You can trust me!”
“I’m going out on a date tonight.”
She squealed then slammed her hands over her mouth, remembering it was supposed to be a secret. “With Kieran?”
I shook my head.
Her hands dropped, as did her lower jaw. She seemed to process that information for a few seconds. “Who are you going out with?”
“You don’t know him.”
“What are you going to wear?”
I held up each outfit for her to see.
“The last one,” she decided.
“I agree. Be right back. I’m going to shower.”
I dried and styled my hair in a semi up-do while Stella sat on the bathroom ottoman. She watched as I brushed on bronzer, eyeliner, and shadow, then applied baby-pink gloss on my lips.
“Oh, Zoe. You look so awesome!”
I stepped back from the mirror and grinned.
Chapter Ten
Zoe
I waited on my front steps for Shay. I didn’t want to introduce him to my parents. That was just too complicated. After checking my clothes again, I felt for my necklace, a silver chain with an inlaid teardrop tanzanite stone, surrounded by diamond-studded wings. My grandma had given it to me on my sixteenth birthday, and I’d thought it was appropriate for tonight. I re-checked the front of my baby-pink cashmere sweater. It matched my black—in honor of Shay—Miss Me jeans. I’d had to dig around my closet to find shoes, since my Converses just weren’t going to cut it, and settled on a pair of sparkly black kitten heels.
At seven, Shay turned onto the cul-de-sac in a shiny black car: a 1957 Chevy Bel Air with those unmistakable fins. I knew it well, due to Dad’s fascination with classic vehicles. He pulled into the driveway, hopped out, and strode up to the porch.
I waved, suddenly shy, and looked away.
He was decked out in all black, from his combat boots and jeans, to a shirt which he’d left unbuttoned to reveal a black concert T-shirt underneath. It reminded me when Kieran took me to the Nickelback performance at the state fair last summer. And then to how many times I’d checked my phone today. There’d been nothing from him.
Shay held out his hand and presented me with a white orchid in a terracotta pot. I stared at it, grinning, then touched a petal as if I had to make sure it was real. No one had ever given me flowers before. So many firsts with Shay. I took the pot and gave him a quick hug, then I stepped back to admire him.
I didn’t have much time to ponder over my thoughts. Shay’s eyes ran the length of my body, and he reached out to touch my necklace.
“You look wonderful,” he said. “Shall we go?”
“Let’s do it.” My body warmed and I didn’t think it had anything to do with the electrical current humming between us.
He looped his arm around my elbow and escorted me to his car, then opened the passenger door for me. Since I didn’t want to go back inside the house, I set my orchid on the floor between my feet.
The interior of the car gleamed. It was definitely not a typical guy’s car, but then, Shay was not a typical guy. I breathed in his scent: a musky lavender, tinged by a hint of something sweet like a strawberry.
“You have a very nice car,” I told him after he’d climbed in his side. “You’ll get along great with my dad. He’s into classic cars, too.” I ran my hand along the luxurious black upholstery bench. “This car must have cost you a fortune.”
I blushed, embarrassed for having said that. I turned toward my house and saw Mom and Stella waving as we drove off.
He didn’t seem bothered by my comment, which was a relief. “They can be expensive,” he agreed, “especially since they’re collectible. She was actually my first major purchase as an adult. Back in the ‘50s, I didn’t make much money so it did cost me a fortune.” He tapped the dash. “I call her Angel.”
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