by Kim Harrison
Nakita nodded, her own smile eager as her hand gripped her amulet and her sword ghosted into existence in the other one. “With pleasure,” she said, striding away, sidestepping a fireman oblivious to everything but his job. The stink of ash rose up, and I squinted through it, glad I didn’t have to breathe.
I’d never seen so many black wings before, and the foul, mindless things swirled through the smoke to make it look like a living thing. Barnabas was still standing beside me like this was a lost cause. It would be only if we let it. “Will you go find Tammy!” I exclaimed, and he looked at me, a sick expression on his face.
“It’s too late,” he said, and my heart gave a thump. “Look.”
I followed his pointing arm to see Tammy standing at the top of one of the rows of the storage building, her mouth open and her dog in her arms, staring at the fire eating through the roof of her home. Demus was right behind her in the shadows, looking as if he was comparing her aura to something as his eyes went silver. In a blink between one flash of light and the next, his sword was made anew.
The memory of my heart pounded. “Demus!” I shouted, breaking into a run, dodging around crying people. “No!”
I could almost feel the whispers of feathers through my soul as I recalled being scythed, and the fear of waking up in the morgue with no way to change things, no way to hit the reset button and make a better choice. Tammy didn’t deserve that.
“Madison!” Barnabas shouted, but I dodged around an angry man arguing with a cop and kept going.
Demus raised his sword, planning on taking her from behind, oblivious to me barreling down on him. “Wait!” I shouted, but he was swinging, and I plowed into Tammy, sending us and her dog sprawling into the shadows between the storage buildings.
She shrieked, and her dog barked furiously, but no one outside the alley heard. Still on the ground, I looked up. Demus’s shock was turning into an ugly expression. His eyes dropped to my amulet, and he raised his sword again.
“You’ll have to do better than that, light reaper,” he said, mistaking me for an angel.
Well, that was one good thing, but then his arm descended in a smooth arc of motion. I pressed back into Tammy, wincing as I prepared to take the blow for her. I’d survive it. She wouldn’t.
But the pure ting of the divine shocked through me, seeming to cut through the noisy confusion for a brief instant. My eyes cracked open. It was Barnabas, his sword inches from me and holding back Demus’s blow.
“Barnabas?” the dark reaper stammered, still holding his position. “I thought you went grim.” “Grim” was what they called reapers who didn’t work for the light or the dark, mistrusted by both sides. They killed at random, or at least for a reason no one else could see.
With a grunt, Barnabas pushed him back. “I did.”
His voice was flat, and again, I was taken by his image standing protectively over me, his duster mixing with the smoke, and his eyes dark and intent. Avenging angel, beautiful and unshakable. Sarah, her name had been, I thought, wondering how she had instilled in him the best of all of us.
I fell backward as Tammy scrambled out from under me and deeper into the alley. Her dog was gone, running into the crowd with his tail tucked. “Tammy!” I exclaimed, spinning onto my stomach and snatching her ankle. She fell, shrieking again, but at least Demus’s blade went hissing harmlessly over her head as he swung at her. “Stay down!” I shouted at her, and this time she listened, eyes wide as she slid backward on her butt until she found a bright orange garage door.
“You talked to Shoe?” I asked. “You believe me now?”
Her eyes were fixed on Barnabas and Demus, and she jumped as their swords met and that sound rang out again. “You’re crazy!” she exclaimed. “Freaking crazy! What the hell is wrong with you people?!”
Demus kicked at Barnabas, sending him backward. Tammy gasped as Demus turned to her, smiling wickedly. The eagerness in his expression was a dire warning. This was who I was supposed to convince to spare a mark’s life? “And now you die!” he shouted, lunging.
“Demus, knock it off!” I exclaimed as I scrambled up.
I shot my hand out as he swung, his blade cutting right through me. Sparkles scintillated through me as heaven’s might mingled within, then ebbed to nothing as it recognized me as one of its own and threw the divine strike back. My head snapped up, and I took a breath, feeling it go all the way to the bottom of my lungs.
Demus yelped, and when I looked, he was wringing his hand, his sword at his feet as he blinked in shock. “Who, by Gabriel’s pearly toes, are you?”
“I’m your boss!” I said, still tingling from the blow, and ticked—even though it had felt good.
Demus bent to grasp his sword, and Barnabas shoved him. Arms and legs flailing, the dark reaper smacked ungracefully into the wall.
“Barnabas, don’t,” I said, but the reaper had yanked him up, dazed and confused as he put him in a choke hold and spun him to face me. Using his foot, Barnabas kicked Demus’s sword to me. I bent to pick it up, feeling the heavy weapon hum in my grip. It was responding to my amulet, I suppose.
“Your boss wants to talk to you,” Barnabas said, his eyes pinched in anger. “Or didn’t you get the memo?”
Demus focused on me, his snarl fading as his gaze flicked from the sword in my hand to Tammy crying behind me somewhere. “The dark timekeeper? Her?” His gaze dropped to my amulet, and then his eyes widened as he began to swear in Latin. At least I think it was Latin.
Looking vindicated, Barnabas let go of him, giving him a parting shove.
“You’re the new dark timekeeper?” Demus said, the lights from the emergency vehicles flashing on him. “You’re just a girl! Sweet seraph toes, no wonder the angels are still organizing the reaps.”
My brow furrowed, and I came forward a step. “It kind of surprised me, too,” I said, glad we were the same height and I didn’t have to look up at him. “Listen, carrottop,” I said as I handed his sword back to him, and Barnabas cringed. “I don’t care what the seraphs said. You are not killing Tammy. She’s off-limits. A test case, if you want.”
Behind me, Tammy’s sniffling stopped.
“But the seraphs . . .” Demus started, his glance going behind me to Tammy again. She shouldn’t be hearing this, but it could only help her understand.
“The seraphs aren’t playing fair,” I said. “I bet they didn’t even tell you what I’m trying to do, did they? This is my scythe, and they butted in by sending you, then Ron sent Arariel, is it? And now it’s all messed up. But since you’re here, you’re going to do what I say, and I say Tammy is going to wake up tomorrow! We’re trying to change her life, not end it.”
It had been a mouthful, and I dropped back a step to catch my breath. Well, I really didn’t need to, but still.
Demus was staring quizzically at me, then he glanced at Barnabas to see if I was joking. “You can’t change a mark’s path.”
Barnabas was shrugging, and I said, “Not when you just kill them, sure.”
Tammy started to edge for the opening of the alley. Barnabas moved to stop her, and she whimpered, standing with her arms crossed over her chest.
“We managed to change one person’s life,” Barnabas said. “We can do it again.”
Demus fidgeted, his bared sword pointing downward. “The seraphs said—”
“I say she’s off-limits!” I exclaimed. “Put your sword away and listen to me.”
“Hell and damnation,” Demus muttered, wincing as his sword vanished. “I can’t just let Ron put a guardian angel on her. Do you know what happens to people who die who have lost their souls and fail to regain them?”
I didn’t, but Barnabas seemed to relax, and after a quick look behind him, he put his own sword away. Hands now in his deep pockets, he eyed the burning apartment. “She’ll regain her soul,” he said softly.
Tammy made a dart for the opening past Barnabas, and the angel reached out, snagging her. “Let me go!” she shouted, sma
cking him, and he took the abuse, angling her so no one outside the alley could see her.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Demus said, and I moved closer, hoping the nearby news van didn’t look this way. “The mark either dies or gets a guardian angel. There’s no other choice.”
I smiled, hearing the word. “Demus, we are going to get along just fine. Choice is exactly what I’m going for here.”
“I said let me go!” Tammy insisted, wiggling. “I have to get Johnny. I left him by the lamppost.”
Looking almost cocky, Demus fluffed out his hair to get the sifting ash out of it. “Chill, babe, she just saved your life.”
I exhaled. One reaper down, one more to go. The light reaper, though, wasn’t going to listen to me. I should probably at least try to change Tammy’s resonance, now that I had a moment to think.
“I said let me go!” Tammy screamed, and kicked Barnabas in the shin.
Howling, he dropped his grip on her. In an instant, she was gone. Barnabas took three running steps after her, then skidded to a halt. “You’ll be okay?”
“Go!” I said, and Barnabas gave himself a quick shake. Turning, he vanished into the noisy mass of fire trucks and crying people. Damn, he looked good with his duster flowing and his eyes alight like that.
My attention turned to Demus. He was fiddling with his amulet, his eyes going silver for an instant before turning back to their original green. He was like a bright copper penny, beautiful and gold like Barnabas was beautiful and dark. “You’re not like Nakita at all,” I said, and he looked up at me, his white teeth startling.
“Well, you’re not like Kairos.”
I couldn’t help my snort. “Thank God.”
I came forward to stand at the opening between the two rows of storage buildings, my arms crossed. I was reluctant to step out of the somewhat peaceful spot. Beyond it was noise, lights, ash, billowing smoke, and spraying water.
“We’re going to scythe her later, right?” Demus said. “This is just a way to make Ron crazy and put Barnabas off his guard?”
My head dropped, and I took a deep breath. Two steps back. Linking my arm in his, I started to lead him back into the mess. “Demus, we have to talk.”
“There!” shrilled out a high voice, and we both turned, recognizing Tammy’s voice. “There she is! She’s the one that set the fire!”
My mouth dropped open, and I froze as Demus pulled away. Tammy was in a clear spot with a cop and a fireman. Johnny was with her, pressed into a scared-looking woman holding their dog. Their mom, maybe? Behind them trying to stay out of sight was Barnabas. There was a ting of divinity, and I saw Nakita, facing down the light reaper.
A strong thump came from my heart, then stopped. She’s blaming me for the fire? I’m the one that warned her to get out!
“Puppy presents,” I whispered, feeling Demus drop back and vanish into the crowd. I turned to make my own escape, but the cops were faster, and I found myself yanked around and staring up at a stern, smoke-marked face. God, he was big, and he had a gun.
“She broke into my house this afternoon!” Tammy was yelling, currently being held back by a second cop. “I called and it took you three hours to help me! I told you! I told you and you laughed at me!”
“I did not break into your house!” I said indignantly. “Your brother let us in.”
It looked like the fire was almost out, but they weren’t allowing anyone in yet. The parking lot was full of angry people, and they were all starting to look at me.
“She was talking about a fire,” Tammy said, and the cop holding me tightened his grip. “She told me not to be here tonight. Mom!” she exclaimed. “It’s her! I’m telling you it’s her fault! She said there was going to be a fire. How would she know unless she set it!”
“You . . .” the woman said, her fear finding an easy outlet. The dog in her arms squirmed, and she held him tighter. “You burned down my apartment? Why?”
Her shrill voice carried over the roar of the fire trucks, and I backed up to bump into a third cop. Crap, I was surrounded. Barnabas couldn’t help. The cop looming over me grew even more grim. “What’s your name, miss?”
“I want her in jail!” Tammy’s mother yelled, attracting even more attention. “She set fire to my apartment! I lost everything. Everything!”
I touched the bump of my cell phone in my pocket, thinking of my dad. Oh, God, I didn’t want him to get a call about me being two time zones away. “Uh, I have to go,” I whispered, scared out of my mind.
I jumped when the cop gripping my arm pulled me to him. “I’m sorry, miss. Will you come with me?”
“She burned my apartment!” Tammy’s mother said, starting to cry. “I’ve got nothing!”
You still have your children, I thought, but I couldn’t say it. They wouldn’t understand that Tammy’s and Johnny’s lives had nearly been lost.
“Hey!” I yelped when the cop pinched my arm and started leading me away. “I didn’t set the fire! I just had a feeling.”
“Yeah, well you and your feeling are in deep trouble,” the cop said. “How old are you?” he asked. They couldn’t question me without an adult present if I was a minor.
“Seventeen,” I whispered, thinking of the disappointment in my dad’s eyes. “Look, I shouldn’t even be here.”
The cop opened the door of one of the cop cars. It was quieter at the curb, the entire six lanes of traffic diverted somewhere else. People were everywhere. “What’s your name? How can we reach your folks?” he asked.
I looked at the inside of the car and got in. My mouth was shut, and it was going to stay that way. I was so scared, but I was almost laughing. I was the dark timekeeper, able to stop time, stand down dark reapers, and fly with angels, and I was scared. Better to just go along with it until Barnabas showed up and changed their memories, but the less there was to change, the better. So I said nothing, looking up at him and knowing there would be no mercy.
He made a soft grunt. “Wrong answer,” he said, then shut the door. It made a firm thump, cutting through the noise and confusion. Warm silence took me, comforting almost, though the seat was hard and the space tiny. Outside, the fire trucks thundered and people cried, but inside here, it was quiet.
The cop tapped the glass, and I jerked back. “You’d better remember your phone number by the time I get back, missy,” he said, his voice muffled. Turning, he walked away with a swagger.
“Big strong man put the little girl in her place,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest and slumping back in the seat. I had a bad feeling I was going to miss my curfew. I could see Tammy talking to both the fireman and another cop, pointing at me. Her mother was in tears, and Johnny looked lost, patting his mom’s knee as she sat on the ground and rocked their dog. Barnabas was lurking at the edge of the crowd, and Nakita. I didn’t see Demus or the light reaper Barnabas had called Arariel. Maybe they were gone. Maybe all of this had changed Tammy’s future.
Yeah, and maybe I’ve got ice-cream cones coming out of my ears. If the seraphs had sent a dark reaper, then Tammy’s soul was still fated to be lost, and I’d accomplished nothing.
Chapter Six
I watched the wall clock as I sat in the swivel chair, tapping my foot in time with its ticks to irritate the cop sitting behind the desk. But mostly I just sulked. Either luck or Grace had landed me here instead of the juvenile detention area, which was apparently full up at the moment. It could have been the fire, but I think it was Grace. My guardian-angel-turned-messenger had shown up halfway to the station, almost getting me into the psych ward when I started talking to her. Luck had stayed with me, so instead of a cell, I was stuck in some cop’s office while they figured out what to do with me. It stank like stale cigarette smoke, and he had dried Diet Coke rings on his scratched desk. Nasty.
The somewhat overweight, stocky man looked up at me, and I gave him an insincere smile. Irritated, he set his pen down on his steel-and-laminate desk and crossed his arms over his chest, staring ba
ck at me. My cell phone was next to his oversize, ugly monitor. Grace had drained the batteries. She drained every single thing they tried to plug into it. They hadn’t been able to contact my parents yet, and I hoped I’d be out of here before they managed it. Grace was good, but these guys were determined.
“You ready to tell me who that redheaded kid was with you?” he asked, and I shook my head. “How about how to call your folks?” he tried, and I looked at the ceiling.
“Punk-ass kids,” he muttered, standing up and pocketing my cell phone. “We used to be able to put you gangbangers behind bars where you belonged and be done with it. You’re only making it harder on yourself. We’ll find out who you are. And that redhead, too.”
“I didn’t set the fire,” I said, and he pressed his lips together, which made his mustache stick out.
“Stay there,” he demanded, pointing a stubby, fat finger at me. “Don’t touch anything.”
I stuck my tongue out at him as he left, but he missed it, more intent on getting a sugar-induced coffee high. The frosted-glass door shut with a bang, and I jumped.
Exhaling a breath I’d taken who knew how long ago, I slumped back in my chair and swung my foot, looking over the cluttered shelves, the high, narrow window with the metal netting on it, and finally the scuffed green and white tiles. I didn’t think my treatment was standard procedure, but I wasn’t making things easy on them, either.
Head thrown back, I looked at the stained ceiling. I’d totally missed my curfew, and I was going to be so-o-o-o grounded when I got home, even if my dad never found out about this. But what really had me worried was Tammy. I didn’t like that the seraphs had sent a reaper out to take her early. They knew I was handling this. Grace had told me that Barnabas was watching Tammy and that both Arariel and Demus were gone, so maybe my actions tonight in stopping Demus had caused them to reconsider. I just didn’t know.
I’d feel a lot better if I could change Tammy’s resonance to help hide her while I cooled my heels in juvie. Ron had changed mine several times, but he had done it by modifying my amulet, seeing as it was the source of my aura now that I was dead. Tammy didn’t have an amulet to give her the illusion of an aura, so I’d have to change it some other way. Logic said I’d have to be with her to do it, but maybe all I needed to do was find her in the time line and just sort of . . . tweak it. It was worth trying.