by Sofia Grey
Kitten pushed her hands deep into her pockets and dropped her head, setting a brisk pace toward the underpass. I wheeled Bonnie alongside, realizing belatedly that I couldn’t see her VW parked here.
“Where’s your car?”
“Huh?” She glanced at me, then away again. “I got a lift here. My, uh, friend is coming back for me later.”
Yeah, her boyfriend. I aimed a savage kick at a beer can abandoned in the gutter. Why was I getting stressed about this? It wasn’t as though I could ever consider a relationship. Caring for anyone was a swift way to get a fat target painted on their back. And after what happened to Gran? Not going there again.
We walked through another underpass, had a brief respite from the rain and then emerged onto a scruffy road. Council houses. They were largely uncared for with huge swathes of colorful graffiti on every flat surface. Potholes in the road, a vandalized bus shelter, and a melted plastic rubbish bin all added to the ambience. I inched closer to Kitten, thinking she must be anxious walking through this wasteland.
She stopped at a junction, a grubby intersection of two ugly streets with no visible redeeming features. Turning to me, she cleared her throat. “This is it. Right here.”
There’d been a steady flow of spirits in the short walk here, and I’d never encountered so many before. Neither Simeon nor Ingrid had made an appearance, and I cursed them silently. The rain appeared to be easing off a little, and I looked around, trying to decide where to position us. “Tell me how it happened, where she was.”
Kitten’s face looked the color of skimmed milk with a handful of freckles standing out in sharp relief. She swayed a little and I moved to her side, to slip my arm around her. “Steady, I’ve got you. We don’t need to link hands while there’s only two of us. Just lean against me.”
“She was driving.” Her whisper was muffled, her face pressed into my chest. “She came round the corner too quickly. She was…shouting at me in the passenger seat. She didn’t see the little boy on the bike until it was too late.”
I hugged her close feeling her pulse racing, her breath uneven.
“She swerved and ran into a van coming the other way.”
My heart lurched at the pain in her voice.
She finished in a rush of whispered speech. “I had to be cut out of the car, and Mum died in the ambulance right here. The little boy died too.”
With Kitten securely in my arms, I closed my eyes and began putting out psychic feelers, calling for Antonia Fitzwarren in my head.
A little boy appeared immediately. “I’m Dwight,” he announced in a broad Manchester accent, cocky and resilient. “I come off me bike ‘ere. It was ‘er mam driving.” He gestured towards Kitten. “Stupid bint. It were a new bike, an all.” He gave me a gap-toothed snarl and scratched at a scab on his bare knee.
Other spirits clustered round. Three sullen teenagers and two old women all stared while muttering behind translucent hands. Kitten remained silent as I spoke with them and asked each if they could find Antonia Fitzwarren. One of the women gave me a gummy smile and extended a wispy hand to stroke Kitten’s back. She shivered as though she felt the touch.
“It’s grand to see Katie again, all grown up now.” The woman had a surprisingly strong voice. “She was always a nice kid.” I didn’t have time to ponder how they knew her, as the boy, Dwight, now hopped from one foot to the other, desperate for my attention.
“I’m looking fer me bruvver. Will you ‘elp me find ‘im?”
* * * *
An hour later, with the rain getting heavier by the minute, I had to give up. I tugged the giant A&F hood further over Kitten’s hair, squeezed her tight against me, and apologized. “I’m so sorry, I just can’t find her.” There was another flash in my peripheral vision, another spirit trailing me but refusing to show itself yet. I caught a glimpse of short dark hair. This might be Antonia. “What did she look like, baby?”
“Like me. Same reddish brown hair. She was beautiful though.”
I stared in disbelief. “What are you talking about?” Lack of food, combined with all the mental exertion had left me weak, and I trembled with exhaustion. I raised one hand to gently trace the curve of her cheek and run my knuckles against her chin. “Kitten, you are beautiful.”
“You don’t understand. She was so full of life, everything was an adventure. Even when she made bad decisions, she’d just laugh and say she’d do it differently tomorrow.” She gulped, her eyes far away. “She didn’t realize she would run out of tomorrows.”
She shivered, and I guessed how wet and cold she must be. I gritted my teeth and held her close. “Let’s go back, you need to get dry. I’ll come here later, now that I know where it happened.”
We emerged from the second underpass and she paused, squeezing her fingers into my sleeve. “I’m sorry about this. Especially after…well, after today.”
What was she babbling about? She wrapped her arms around my neck, her lips pressing warm against my cheek. “Thank you, Dante. I know you tried.”
The flash of spirit in the corner of my eye caught my attention—and so did the man stepping into our path.
“Fuck me,” I breathed. “It’s you again.”
5.3 Josh
I wanted—needed—to know if Dante had a Talisman. And if he did, what it meant. In daylight, the more I looked at his motorcycle and piercings, the less I trusted him. Katherine was right; this scabby excuse for a housing estate suited him perfectly. His eyes, a startling, pale silver, glinted back at me from underneath the long, wet hair plastered to his skull. Katherine was soaked too, and I stepped toward her.
“You’re saturated, honey. Why don’t you go and sit in the car?”
Dante’s eyes screwed up. He squinted to the side and then rubbed his temple. Meanwhile, Katherine clung to him. “I’m staying.” Her tone invited no argument, and I shrugged in response.
“How do you know each other?” Dante’s eyes flicked from Katherine to myself and back again. “He’s your boyfriend?” He sounded puzzled rather than angry, and I hastened to put him straight, but Katherine beat me to it.
“No. I only met Josh yesterday.”
He stared at me, the unusual silver eyes hard and uncompromising. “What the fuck’s going on?”
Katherine shivered and then wiped at her face with the sleeve of my hoodie. “He just wants to talk to you, Dante. Nothing else, I promise.” She glanced at me. “You know, I’m really thirsty, can we go somewhere and get coffee?”
* * * *
We ended up at a roadside cafe on the way into the city. I struggled to hold onto my patience as we ordered drinks, and then settled into a quiet booth at the back. Dante took care to sit near the door. He kept glancing out to the street, and I wondered if was he thinking of doing a runner again? One finger rubbed at his forehead, and I caught a glimpse of his wrist. The breath caught in my chest. It was a Talisman. Without speaking, I pushed back my sleeve and lay my forearm on the table.
His eyes met mine.
“Mine says Raphael.” I touched the leather. “What does yours say?”
He looked stunned beyond belief.
Blinking, he spoke slowly. “I thought it was just symbols. Is it a language?”
I nodded. “Ancient Hebrew. Where did you get yours?”
He swallowed and rubbed his temple, wincing slightly. “I’ve always had it, long as I can remember. I’m told it came from my mother.”
“Same for me. Did you know her? Your mother?”
The waitress chose this moment to serve our drinks, depositing them onto the table in four noisy thumps.
I waited until she’d left. “Your mother,” I repeated, my voice firm.
“No. She died when I was a baby.” He sat back and scrubbed both hands over his face. “I don’t get this. It sounds weird, but someone told me it was one of a kind, and before you ask, I can’t remember who. It’s like I’ve always known that.” He shrugged. “You know, maybe they’re not so rare after all.”
“No. Me neither.”
Katherine leaned forward; I’d forgotten she was there. “Forgive my ignorance, but what’s the significance of them? They’re just ornate leather bracelets. Why do you call it your—what was it—Talisman?”
I looked to Dante to speak first. His fingers scratched along the thick stubble covering his jaw. “Dunno. It’s always been my Talisman.”
“Same for me.” I sat back, frustrated. “I can’t explain it, but we definitely have something in common. Let’s see what else there is.” We swapped the names we knew for our mothers—different. Our birth dates—Dante was seven years younger. On the surface, the Talismans were the only things we shared.
I glanced up to see the waitress lurking at the table again, her gaze fixed on Suki.
“Hey,” she gushed, “aren’t you Suki Bridgewater? Could I please have your autograph?” She held out a menu card and a pen, a hopeful expression on her face. “I can’t wait for your new show. Do you know what you’re featuring yet in the first one?”
Suki responded with a professional smile. “Thank you. And we’re talking about angels.” She signed the card with a flourish and handed it back to the beaming woman. “We’re talking to people that claim to have seen angels. I’ve got some amazing guests lined up.”
The waitress eventually left, and Suki looked at me, a hint of a frown on her face, “You know, that’s one of those weird coincidences. Raphael was an archangel. He specialized in healing.”
Her soft words rang in my head. Weird coincidence was right.
“What?” Dante stiffened, his gaze narrowing as it fell on Suki.
“That’s spooky.” Katherine’s words echoed my thoughts. “I’ll Google it.” Her iPhone appeared on the table, and she tapped away with rapid movements.
Suki’s hand wriggled to mesh with mine.
Without thinking, I raised it to my lips and pressed a kiss onto her knuckles. Dante sucked in a tight breath as though in pain. As I opened my mouth to say something, Katherine gave a low whistle.
“Get a load of this. Raphael is considered the healing angel. He is a powerful healer and assists with all forms of healing: humans and animals, body, mind, and spirit if called upon.”
“Let me guess,” said Dante, his voice stilted. “You do some kind of freaky healing, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He stood up, shoving his chair back. The scraping noise jarred my shattered nerves. Folding his arms, he glared at me. “I don’t know who you are, but you can fuck off and go play your mind games somewhere else, okay?”
“Dante,” Katherine cajoled.
He ignored her. He bristled with nervous energy as he stood there, and I realized in a flash—he was scared. It was a strange coincidence, but his reaction was extreme.
“I’m outta here.” Jerking to life, he grabbed his jacket and shrugged into it as he turned on his heel. Katherine scrambled after him, her phone abandoned.
“Dante—don’t you dare run off again. We haven’t finished.” I yelled at his retreating back, but it was too late.
5.4 Katherine
I grabbed for his arm as Dante charged out of the coffee shop, but he slipped through my fingers. Chasing after him I shouted, “Wait!”
He stopped when he reached his bike and finally turned to look me in the eyes. “What do you want from me now?”
Wrapping my fingers tight around his leather sleeve, I wondered how it would feel if I placed my hand on his cheek, the stubble rasping against my palm. I dragged myself back to the present. “Where are you going?” I asked.
“You set me up.” His eyes flashed fury. “You told your friend about my Talisman, didn’t you?”
“He said he wanted to talk to you. He helped me, Dante. They’re good people.”
“Better than me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” The rain continued around us, a steady drizzle that made me shiver. I’d only just started to dry out, and now I was soaked again, but I had to understand what was wrong.
He shrugged out of my grasp, twisting his face away and avoiding my eyes. “I’m trouble, Kitten. If they’re your friends, that’s great. You don’t need me hanging around as well.”
“You’re scared.”
This time his eyes locked onto mine, narrow and flinty. “What did you say?”
I lifted my chin. “Scared.”
A muscle jumped in his cheek. “Yeah? And just what am I supposed to be scared of, Kitten?” He took a step toward me. “You?” The toes of his heavy boots touched mine. I could smell coffee on his breath, hear his uneven breathing.
“I told you, Dante. I’m not afraid of you.” I kept my arms by my sides, my hands loose and relaxed. He took a quick breath and I leapt in. “The idea that someone else has a Talisman. It’s rattled you.”
The flicker of fear in his eyes told me everything. Squashing down my own inadequacies, I moved forward and closed the gap. Before he could demur, I draped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his. It was meant to be a peck, a light touch of comfort. I didn’t expect it to ignite.
I could feel everything—the softness of his cool lips, damp with rain; his prickly stubble against my chin; tight arms that wrapped around me; one hand on the small of my back, the other closing around the nape of my neck. He growled deep in his throat and kissed me back, hard. Then his mouth slanted, the kiss went deeper in a scorching blast I felt down to my knees. My hands moved of their own accord, burrowing into his hair, pulling his head further down. He tasted of coffee and something dark and exotic. Dante was delicious.
He broke away first, easing back and staring deep into my eyes. I didn’t want him to leave. “Can I come with you? I don’t want to go home.”
I’d said the wrong thing—utterly and completely wrong. The moment the words fell out of my mouth I regretted them, wanted to scoop them up and shove them back, but it was too late. His face assumed an apologetic look as he stepped back and created a painful space between us.
“That’s not possible. Sorry, Kitten.” His hands disengaged and disappeared into his pockets. Seconds earlier he’d been kissing the bejesus out of me, yet now I could be a beggar on the street. Somewhere deep inside me remained a crumb of pride, and I scrabbled to find it.
“You’re with Nanette.”
One of his boots scuffed gently against the curb, drawing patterns in the water trickling toward the drain. I couldn’t bear to look at his face.
“I can’t lie to you, Kitten.” I wanted to slap my hands over my ears and chant La La La! at the top of my voice. Instead I stared at the little, orange leaf that had stuck to the buckles. “Kitten.” His fingers touched my chin, tilted it up to meet his gaze. “I’m not with Nan. I’m not with anybody. But I still can’t be with you.”
My dignity finally surged forward. “I can’t be with you either. I shouldn’t have kissed you.” Why had I? He was everything I wanted to avoid, but he felt like everything I’d ever needed.
He blinked and looked away. It seemed like an eternity later before he finally returned to me. I felt one of his hands mesh with mine, his fingers strong and firm. Finally his eyes raked over me. “I’m not sorry you did.” Before I could move away he dropped his head and swept a featherlight kiss across my mouth. He sighed. “I’m sorry you don’t want to go home. You’re lucky to have one to go to.” His eyes opened again, the silver like molten mercury, enticing and mesmerizing. I felt myself melting under his gaze.
“Will you give me a lift there?”
I’d surprised him. I saw his eyes widen, one eyebrow arching. “You’ll come on my bike?”
I’d never been on a motorcycle in my life. My stepfather had one, and I associated them with everything bad, but it was a way to prolong this moment of madness. I nodded, and curled my fingers tighter around his. “My phone, I left it on the table.” Would he drive away without me if I went back inside? “Come with me for a minute?” He
let me lead him back to Josh and Suki, they still sat at the table, whispering as we approached. I reached for my phone. Dante stood silently beside me, one hand fingering his temple again.
“Do you want a lift with us, or are you going with Dante?” Josh sounded concerned.
“Dante.” I swallowed, unsure how to proceed. “Thank you for the hotel last night, and bringing me here today.”
“Here’s my number.” He slid a plain business card over the table to me, and I pushed it into my back pocket. “I’d really like to talk to you both again.” His eyes rested on Dante. “I know you’re freaked out, I am too.”
Suki stood up and gave me a hug. “We’re going to be in London for a couple of days, and then heading up to Anglesey for a week. Do ring us, Katherine. Please.”
5.5 Josh
Suki nudged me gently, and then drained her mug. “How did Katherine describe him? Distinctive, wasn’t it?”
I grunted in reply. Was this going to be the pattern of my interactions with Dante? A few words before he buggered off, yet again? I tuned back in to Suki’s chatter, realizing with a start, I’d not been listening at all.
She quirked her eyebrows at me. “Do you think he might be worth considering? If he’s even interested.” I stared blankly, and she grinned. “Earth calling Josh?”
Behind her, I could see the waitress approaching with one of her colleagues in tow. I groaned softly. “Let’s get out of here, before you get mobbed. Tell me in the car.”
After another round of autographs and posing for photos, Suki escaped her fans, and we headed out of town to do some shopping. Her hand lay on my thigh, fingers tapping lightly to the music on the radio. “So. My idea about Dante. What do you think?”
“I think he’s trouble looking for somewhere to happen.”