by J. E. Taylor
“Math in all forms is easy for me.”
Alex rolled the white ball to the end of the table and collected the rest in a wooden triangle on the opposite side, setting them. He picked up a yellow ball. “Solids.” He replaced the ball at the head of the triangle and picked up a white ball with a blue stripe. “Stripes.” He put the striped ball back and set the balls before he removed the wood.
I smiled. When he was in teaching mode, he was so cute and focused. That fluttery sensation filled me again.
He picked up his stick and came to the side where the white ball was. “We’ll start with an easy game of eight ball.” He held up the white ball. “This is the cue ball. It’s the one you hit your stick with to get whatever balls are yours into the pockets.”
“So which ones are mine?” I looked at the tightly clustered balls.
“We don’t know yet. We won’t know until after I break.” He placed the ball a little left of center on the side he stood on. “There are a few ways to hold the cue stick. I curl my index finger loosely around it, but Uncle Tom just rests it on the V of his thumb and uses his index finger as a guide.” He demonstrated both holds. “Use whatever you are most comfortable with.
“When I break, if one solid or one stripe goes in the pocket, then that’s my color. If one of each goes in, then I get the choice.” He leaned over the table, lining his cue stick with the ball. Then he looked at me and delivered the smile that turned the warmth in my soul to liquid heat. “You ready for an ass kicking?”
That was a challenge if I ever heard one. I shifted my stance. “Let’s see what you can do,” I said and clutched my stick, focusing on the table and all the possible geometric patterns and probabilities.
The crack of the cue ball against the rack made me jump, and the balls rolled in all different directions. Nothing fell in.
I glanced at him.
“The table is open. You can pick any color you want.”
After studying the table, I lined my stick up with a solid ball.
“Faith?” he asked.
I looked up at him.
“You need to hit the white ball with your cue stick.”
“But you just said I could pick any color.” I straightened and scanned the table again, blinking. “Oh. I get it. It’s not simple geometry. It’s more complex with two balls in the equation.”
Alex smiled. “Precisely. And the white ball is always the lead. The one you are using to get the angle just right.”
“Gotcha.” I positioned myself behind the white ball and lined up the cue stick.
“One more thing.”
I lifted my gaze.
“If you sink the eight ball before the rest of the balls have been pocketed, you lose.”
I stared at my shot and adjusted away from the black ball still near the center of where the neat rack had been.
Geometric patterns overlaid the table, and I chose the solids because those seemed to have the most unobstructed sites. I pulled the stick back like he had and slammed the tip into the white ball. It hit the yellow ball with such force that the cue ball shot up off the table, sailed towards the picture window, and smashed right through the glass.
I gasped and covered my mouth.
Alex burst into laughter.
Tom and Bridget skidded to a stop in the entry.
Alex walked over and plucked the stick out of my hand. “Maybe pool isn’t your thing,” he said, still laughing.
“I guess not.” Tom cracked a smile, too. “Go get the ball, Alex.” He pointed to the front door and then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A crease appeared between his eyebrows, and his lips pressed together.
The scraping of glass pulled my gaze away, and I stared as the window pieced back together and fused as if nothing had happened. My gaze snapped to Tom.
“You could catch flies with that,” Alex said when he stepped back in the room and put the cue ball back on the table. He crossed to me, and his smile faded.
Out of everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, the repairing of a glass window was the thing that finally pushed me over the edge.
I walked over and fell into the couch, clutching my hands into tight fists. Tremors started in my hands and then encompassed my whole body. Alex sat next to me and gently rubbed my back. My breath wheezed.
Bridget took a seat on the coffee table in front of me. “I know.”
I looked up at her.
“To them, it’s normal. To us, it’s the stuff nightmares are made of.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just... I guess...” I couldn’t articulate all that was flying through my mind. “I have too many questions, and the only thing that seems real is Alex.” I looked at him, and he took my fisted hand in his. “Everything else...” I shrugged. “It’s all just too much.” My gaze landed on Tom and clouded over in a wave of tears. I swiped at my face and met Bridget’s gaze. “Before last night, I was the only monster out there.” I opened my right palm, and a small flame danced in the center.
Alex stared at the flame, and so did I. I expected it to flare, but it remained in control. I closed my fist, and the flame snuffed out. I opened my palm again. The flame had indeed gone out.
I huffed a small laugh and glanced at the hand that Alex held. A certainty bloomed in my stomach, and I stared at him as I peeled my hand out of his grip. With my gaze locked on his, I opened my right hand again, letting the flame rise.
His gaze jumped away from mine, and his eyes widened. I didn’t need to look. I felt the heat.
Bridget moved back.
I closed my fist, and the fire still licked at my skin. When I took his hand, it was the equivalent of submerging my hands in icy water.
I looked at Tom. He didn’t look surprised at all. He retreated to the office across the hall. I glanced back at Bridget, still shaken by things, but not as bad as when I’d first sat down. I took a deep breath.
“What monsters are real?” I asked. If I knew what was out there, I might be more prepared for surprises like putting broken things back together.
Bridget bit her lip. “Well, you saw a soul eater last night. And ghosts are real. Tom has had run-ins with vampires. Sirens are real. You’ve apparently met a shapeshifter...” She sighed.
“No werewolves?” I asked, thinking of all the books I’d read over the years.
“Not that we have run into, but I’m sure Kylee can fill you in on the things she’s seen whenever she and Michael return.”
“Michael?” I pointed to the ceiling because having archangels mingling on earth didn’t seem that far-fetched anymore.
“No. Grace’s brother. He took off last summer with Kylee, who is a supernatural bounty hunter,” Alex said.
“Fate’s real. Death is real. Demons are real. What about witches?” My brain swirled already.
“We actually have a friend who is a witch. Her husband is another with angel blood in them, and they live here in York, too.”
“What is this, some supernatural mecca?” I asked.
Bridget laughed. “No, not really. But this is the only town that has anyone left of angel descent, but that’s only because of CJ and Tom’s efforts before the bottom dropped out.”
“How many of us are there?”
“Thirteen including you,” Alex answered.
“How many were there before?”
Bridget looked down at her hands. “Thousands worldwide.”
Her answer sent a shockwave through me. I had seen enough in the visions Tom had fed me to understand what happened. “My father killed them all?” My voice cracked.
She met my gaze and nodded.
I shivered. “So basically, all the things that terrified me in childhood nightmares are real.” I swallowed with a tight throat. And that list didn’t cover any of Alex’s family’s powers. “Including Lucifer.”
“He’s dead,” Alex said.
An uncomfortable itch started at the base of my spine. “Don’t the dead either go to heaven or hell?”
I glanced at Alex. “Even angels?”
“What’s your point?” Tom said from the hall.
“If he still exists...”
“Every last portal on this earth was closed,” Tom said and crossed his arms. “That is something I am certain of because I closed them. All of them. Including the only one to heaven that existed.” He studied me. “Lucifer is dead.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Isn’t dead relative where archangels are concerned? Or do they truly cease to exist in any manner, anywhere?” I knew I was digging, but something deep inside me told me to pursue this line of questions.
Tom’s arms dropped to his sides and he licked his lips. He glanced out the window he had just fixed. “I suppose he still exists in hell the way Michael and Gabriel exist in heaven.”
“So. Not dead.” I unclasped my hand from Alex’s and wrapped my arms around me, holding my elbows to stop the quake forming inside.
“He can’t get here. Just like the archangels in heaven can’t. And even if he did, I doubt he’d be anything more than human this time.” His hand pressed to his chest almost like a reflex.
I bit my lip. The squeal of brakes and the exhale of exhaust outside closed the conversation. I wiped my face and shook off the dread clinging to every cell so April wouldn’t walk into a roomful of tension.
She bounded inside, and her grin widened at the sight of her cousin. Alex smiled back and gave her a big warm hug.
“Are you coming shopping with us?” April asked him. The hopeful lilt in her voice broadcasted her wishes.
He turned and glanced at me. “Did you want me to come?”
I glanced at my ungloved hands and shrugged. I wasn’t so sure about going out in public without the warded leather, and having Alex along would probably make it safer for everyone. “Only if you want to.”
“Come with us!” April said, giving him wide puppy eyes that brought a smile to my face.
“Fine.” He rolled his eyes and grinned at me.
“I can take your bike home for you,” Tom said to Alex.
“Thanks, Uncle Tom.”
Bridget disappeared and came back with her pocketbook. “Do you need anything?” she asked Tom.
“No. I’m good, but I’d imagine Faith and Alex are hungry. We never had lunch at CJ’s.”
My stomach growled, and it wasn’t the only one making noise at the mention of food.
Alex shrugged. “I could eat a burger or two.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Bridget said and gave Tom a kiss before corralling the three of us out to the car.
In the back seat, I clutched Alex’s hand as another uncomfortable people-filled adventure awaited.
Chapter 8
Going shopping with Bridget, April, and Alex ended up being much more fun than I’d anticipated. Bridget took us to a diner in Portsmouth before we headed over to the mall. There were so many choices on the menu that made my mouth water that I couldn’t decide.
“I don’t know what to get.” I glanced up at Bridget and April.
Alex took the menu from me and smiled at the waitress. “We will both have the barbeque cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake.” He waved his finger between us.
“How would you like that cooked?” she asked.
“Medium rare,” we both said at the same time.
Bridget and April ordered, and the waitress stepped away.
“I hope that didn’t bother you,” Alex said.
I shook my head. “I’m not sure I could have decided with all the choices. So, thank you.”
He squeezed my hand under the table. “You looked like you were getting a little stressed.”
April studied the two of us. “You like each other.” Her eyes sparked with glee and she beamed. Then it faded almost into a warning. “Grace isn’t going to like that.”
“F...” Alex started and clamped his lips together at the glare Bridget sent. “Forget Grace,” he said. “She doesn’t have claim to my heart.”
Bridget’s dimples appeared, and she tried to suppress her smile. “Shouldn’t you be more worried about school than your heart?”
Alex shrugged and leaned back in the seat. “I’m not worried about school. I’m not sure I’ll have a choice anyway. It seems my mom has her heart set on me going to Harvard like she did.”
“For?” I asked.
“She wants me to be a doctor.” He met my gaze. “What about you?”
“I don’t know what I want to do. I thought about being a veterinarian, because I love animals. But animals aren’t fireproof.” I shrugged. “I’ll probably do something with computers, so I don’t have to be around people.”
“Why wouldn’t you pursue what you love?” Bridget asked.
I glanced at Bridget and raised my hands before folding them back in my lap.
“You totally should go for it,” April said, but she didn’t understand, and I wasn’t about to enlighten her about my curse.
“We’ll see.” I smiled.
The waitress came and set our drinks down.
The chocolate shake was delicious, and when the food came, I took my first bite and had to agree. This was the best choice on the menu.
I swallowed the bite. “Thank you.”
“It’s my favorite,” Alex said and took a sip of his milkshake.
I cataloged that to memory and wondered if Bridget would teach me to make it if I asked her.
The rest of the lunch flew by, and before I knew it, we were standing in front of racks of clothing. My gaze didn’t know where to go. We only had the country store, and they had very little variety. Even the online shops didn’t overwhelm me the way standing in front of so many choices did.
April was like a winter flurry running from rack to rack and grabbing whatever struck her fancy.
Bridget took my hand and crossed from the junior department where April was gathering a monster pile to the women’s section.
“Just start with something simple like jeans.” She brought me to a rack of pants. “And then look through the shirts for something you like. And please, do not worry about how much things cost. Money is not an issue at all,” Bridget added and squeezed my hand. “Now, I need to go rein April in.” She smiled and took off.
Alex stood next to me, his hands deep in his pockets, looking as uncomfortable as I felt.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
The moment his gaze landed on mine, he smiled. “Not exactly the most exciting afternoon.”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered and stared at the clothes.
“What size are you?” he asked.
“Six.”
“Did you want help finding stuff?”
I shrugged, but inside my head, I screamed yes. I didn’t know where to start, even though Bridget had given me a road map.
As if he could read my mind, he took my hand and led me to the other side of the rack. He shuffled through the jeans and handed me three different pairs. I draped them over my arm.
He led me to the shirts and picked out a pretty green sweater and an equally pretty blue one. He also grabbed a black button-up shirt as well. We walked by a mannequin dressed in black leather, and he stopped, raising an eyebrow.
“You would look awesome in that,” he said.
He rummaged on the shelf, found the top and pants, and put it over the growing collection in my arms. He even grabbed the open-toed, lace-up boots that went with the outfit.
He added a couple of dresses to the pile and then led me to the dressing rooms where Bridget stood outside the entrance. She raised an eyebrow at the pile in my arms and then glanced at Alex.
“Try them on,” Alex prompted when I stopped at the doorway.
April came bounding out in a colorful outfit consisting of a bright pink skirt and a turquoise shirt. She beamed at me and grabbed my arm, pulling me into her dressing room. It was big enough for the two of us and she took the clothes from my arms and deposited them on the bench.
She pointed to a hook on the wall. �
�That’s the keeper hook, and the one on the door is the pass one.”
I glanced between the two and when April put the current outfit on the empty hook on the wall, I smiled. The one on the door already held three outfits.
I slipped my sneakers off and put them right next to hers.
“Try on that leather outfit first,” she said, spying the last outfit that Alex had picked out for me. She pulled on a red dress that drained her of color.
I must have had a less than pleasant look on my face because she turned towards the mirror and scrunched her nose.
“Yuk.” She peeled it off and it went on the hook on the door. She didn’t seem to have a problem changing in front of me. “Go ahead.” She nodded at the pile of clothes as she grabbed another dress off her try-on stack.
I took off my skirt and stuck it behind the massive pile. The leather pants slid on easily and hugged my form comfortably. I pushed the pile back and put the boots on, then tightened the laces. When I took off my shirt, April’s eyes widened.
“What happened?” she asked with a gasp.
“The tiger bit me.” I tucked the shirt where I’d put the skirt.
“Grace bit you? Why?”
“She doesn’t like me,” I said, and then pulled the leather and silk shirt over my head. It felt so decadent and I turned, looking at the mirror.
April’s eyes widened. “You have to show Mom and Alex.” She grabbed my hand, and I nearly tripped on the boots’ heels as she dragged me out the changing room door.
Alex’s eyes widened, and his pupils grew. His cheeks flared pink just before he licked his lips. “Wow.” He slowly looked down to my feet and up again.
The scrutiny of his stare made me shift.
“Hot,” he whispered.
“Um, no,” Bridget said.
“Why not?” April argued. “She looks fantastic.”
“She does, but it looks too... risqué,” she said and crossed her arms.
“Okay,” I turned back towards the dressing room. Bridget was right. It was too sexy, but the fabric felt as good as having Alex look at me the way he just had.