*
Furious, and unable to walk it off, Annie clutched the bedspread. Blue sparks shot across her sapphire.
“What the hell, Claire. You can’t help him—how do you know he’s not lying about this, too? He could—”
“I felt him, Annie.” Claire’s quiet voice cut right through her anger. “I know that power—how could I not? It has been so long I almost forgot I—” She cut herself off, obviously remembering she had an audience—one that didn’t know everything about her. “He is hurting, in ways you could never understand. To be caught Between, forever—it is like being shown the one thing you can never have, then forced to exist with the desire, always just out of reach.”
“Claire.” Annie recognized the anguish, and understood why Claire felt the need to help the lying little bastard. “You can’t trust—”
“Why not? He’s desperate, Annie. And for him, this is the only way to have that chance to be free. I can show him a different way, give him another option.”
Panic clawed at her. “What?”
“I can help him fall.”
*
The first floor was deserted. Here, Simon felt the hum of that power, but it was distant, muffled. As if the source were blocked, by the physical, or the metaphysical. He guessed Claire and Annie did everything they could to protect the innocents caught up in this.
Sliding along the wall, he tested every step before he took it, aware of the noise potential with the old floor, and a basement beneath him. He followed the glow of Annie’s power, strong and blue as it edged the closed door at the end of the hall.
It took longer than he liked to get to that door. Shotgun pointed down at the floor, he reached out for the knob. And swung the shotgun up when the door flew open.
“Simon.” Claire laid one hand on the barrel of the shotgun, stepped aside. “What took you so long?”
“How—”
“Theresa. Dead giveaway. Come in, we don’t have much time.” He lowered the shotgun, keeping it against his side as he saw the woman and girl on the small sofa, the girl’s eyes wide. “Regina, Hillary—this is Simon.”
“Father,” Regina said, standing. “Thank you. I know what a risk you’re taking—”
“You are a member of my church.”
She smiled. “A recent member. Your sermons are always inspiring.”
“I—thank you.” He turned to Claire. “Where is—”
“Preoccupied. I gave him quite a bit to think about. Can you do what I asked?”
“Yeah. Where do you—”
“I don’t want you to.”
He ran one hand over his hair. “What changed, Claire?”
“Everything. He is not what I thought, Simon. But what he wants—I can do that for him. I am sorry I couldn’t get word to you sooner, before you had to risk yourself, but I was—unavailable.”
He stalked to the far side of the room, felt her right behind him. He wanted the freedom to curse—or talk about his ability to see power if he needed to. “What the hell does that mean? What’s going on, Claire? I expected you to be happy to see me. Instead I get the feeling you’re annoyed that I’m here.”
“No, Simon—and I am sorry if I made you feel that way.” She pushed hair off her face, looking exhausted and fragile. “Recent information has—damn it. I hope you’re ready for this. He’s an angel.”
“You already told me, in the note—a guardian—”
“Not one of the guardians—who are human souls working toward redemption. He is an angel, Simon. Banished and sent Between.”
“Purgatory.”
“I thought the Church didn’t—”
“That’s the civilian talking.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting for patience. “You expect me to believe this.”
“Honestly? No. But I had to tell you—because the banishing spell you brought with you will not work on him.”
“How do you—”
“I know.” She sighed. “And I think you should leave, before he discovers you’re here. I’ve managed to subdue him for the moment, but your presence breaks the promise I made to him.”
“Claire—”
“Please, Simon.” She touched his arm—and he saw it. The new edge to her power, raw, almost blinding. He never had been able to see hers without contact. “You trusted me before. Trust me now, and let me get you out of here. Zach won’t be as accommodating a second time.”
“I don’t want to leave you here with—whatever it is.”