Fallen 2. Torment(103)

how to talk herself out of this situation. She looked to Arriane for help. Arriane was still

tossing Luce's sneakers into the suitcase. Didn't she know the kind of major trouble they

were about to be in?

When Francesca stepped forward, Luce braced herself. But then the wide bell

sleeves of Francesca's crimson turtleneck engulfed Luce in an unexpected hug. "We came

to wish you well."

"Of course, we'll miss you tomorrow at what we with tongue in cheek refer to as

the Dinner for the Displaced," Steven said, taking Francesca's hand and prying her away

from Luce. "But it's always best for a student to be with family."

"I don't understand," Luce said. "You knew about this? I thought I was grounded

until further notice."

"We spoke with Mr. Cole this morning," Francesca said.

"And you weren't grounded as punishment, Luce," Steven explained. "It was the

only way we could ensure you'd be safe under our charge. But you're in good hands with

Arriane."

Never one to overstay her welcome, Francesca was already steering Steven

toward the door. "We hear your parents are anxious to see you. Something about your

mother filling up a freezer with pies." She winked at Luce, and both she and Steven

waved, and then they were gone.

Luce's heart swelled at the prospect of getting home to her family.

But not before it went out to Miles and Shelby. They'd be crestfallen if she went

home to Thunderbolt and abandoned them here. She didn't even know where Shelby was.

She couldn't leave without--Roland stuck his head through Luce's open door. He looked professional in his

pinstriped blazer and crisp white collared shirt. His black-and-gold dreads were shorter,

spikier, making his dark, deep-set eyes even more striking.

"Is the coast clear?" he asked, shooting Luce his familiar devilish grin. "We've got

a hanger-on." He nodded at someone behind him--who appeared a moment later with

duffel bag in hand.

Miles.

He flashed Luce a wonderfully unembarrassed grin and took a seat on the edge of

her bed. An image of introducing him to her parents ran though Luce's mind. He'd take

off his baseball cap, shake both of their hands, compliment her mom's half-finished

needlepoint ...

"Roland, what part of 'top-secret mission' don't you understand?" Arriane asked.

170

"It's my fault," Miles admitted. "I saw Roland heading over here ... and I forced it

out of him. That's why he's late."

"As soon as this guy heard the words Luce and Georgia"--Roland jerked his

thumb at Miles--"it took him about a nanosecond to pack."

"We kind of had a Thanksgiving deal," Miles said, looking only at Luce. "I

couldn't let her break it."

"No." Luce bit back a smile. "He couldn't."

"Mmm-hmm." Arriane raised an eyebrow. "I just wonder what Francesca would

have to say about this. Whether someone should run it by your parents first, Miles--"

"Aw, come on, Arriane." Roland waved his hand dismissively. "Since when do

you check in with authority? I'll look out for the kid. He won't get into any trouble."

"Get into any trouble where?" Shelby barged into the room, her yoga mat

swinging from a string across her back. "Where are we going?"

"Luce's house in Georgia for Thanksgiving," Miles said.

In the hallway behind Shelby, a bleached-blond head hovered. Shelby's exboyfriend. His skin was ghost-white, and Shelby was right: There was something odd

about his eyes. How pale they were.

"For the last time, I said goodbye, Phil." Shelby quickly shut the door in his face.

"Who was that?" Roland asked.

"My skeeze-and-a-half ex-boyfriend."

"Seems like an interesting guy," Roland said, staring at the door, distracted.

"Interesting?" Shelby snorted. "A restraining order would be interesting." She

took one look at Luce's suitcase, then at Miles's duffel, then haphazardly started throwing

her belongings into a squat black trunk.

Arriane threw up her hands. "Can't you do anything without an entourage?" she

asked Luce. Then, turning to Roland, "I assume you want to take responsibility for this

one, too?"

"That's the holiday spirit!" Roland laughed. "We're going to the Prices' for

Thanksgiving," he told Shelby, whose face lit up. "The more the merrier."

Luce couldn't believe how perfectly everything was working out. Thanksgiving

with her family and Callie and Arriane and Roland and Shelby and Miles. She couldn't

have scripted this any better.

Only one thing nagged at her. And it seriously nagged.

"What about Daniel?"

She meant: Does he know about this trip already? and What's the real story