Roland's wings unfurled with a sound like a great flock of birds taking flight. The
lamplight in the kitchen highlighted their dark gold and black marbling as he squeezed
out the door after Cam. Molly and Arriane were right behind him, butting into each other,
Arriane pressing her glowing iridescent wings ahead of Molly's cloudy bronze ones,
sending off what looked like little electric sparks as they hustled out the door. Next was
Gabbe, whose fluffy white wings spread open as gracefully as a butterfly's, but with such
speed they sent a rush of floral-scented wind through the kitchen.
Daniel took Luce's hands in his. He closed his eyes, inhaled, and let his massive
white wings unfurl. Fully extended, they would have filled the entire kitchen, but Daniel
reined them in, close to his body. They shimmered and glowed and looked altogether too
beautiful. Luce reached out and touched them with both hands. Warm and satin smooth
on the outside, but inside, full of power. She could feel it coursing through Daniel, into
her. She felt so close to him, understood him completely. As if they'd become one.
Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. I'll always take care of you.
But what he said aloud was "Stay safe. Stay here."
"No," she pleaded. " Daniel. "
"I'll be right back." Then he arched his wings backward and flew out the door.
Left alone inside, the unangelic gathered together. Miles was pressed against the
back door, gaping out the window. Shelby had her head in her hands. Callie's face looked
as white as the refrigerator.
Luce slipped a hand into Callie's. "I guess I have a few things to explain."
"Who is that boy with the bow and arrow?" Callie whispered, flinching but still
holding tight to Luce's hand. "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just ... me." Luce shrugged, feeling a chill spread through her. "I don't
know."
"Luce," Shelby said, clearly trying not to cry. "I feel like such a chump. I swear I
had no idea. The stuff I told him, I was just venting. He was always asking about you,
and he was a good listener, so I ... I mean, I had no idea what he really was ... I would
never, never--"
"I believe you," Luce said. She moved to the window, next to Miles, looking out
onto the small wooden deck her dad had built a few years ago. "What do you think he
wants?"
In the yard, fallen oak leaves had been raked into neat piles. The air smelled like a
bonfire. Somewhere in the distance, a siren was going off. At the foot of the deck's three
steps, Daniel, Cam, Arriane, Roland, and Gabbe stood side by side, facing the fence.
No, not the fence, Luce realized. They faced a dark crowd of Outcasts, standing at
attention with their silver arrows aimed at the row of angels. The Outcast boy was not
alone. He'd amassed an army.
Luce had to steady herself against the counter. Aside from Cam, the angels were
186
unarmed. And she'd already seen what those arrows could do.
"Luce, stop!" Miles called after her, but she was already rushing out the door.
Even in the darkness, Luce could see that all the Outcasts had similar
expressionless good looks. There were just as many girls as boys, all of them pale and
dressed in the same brown trench coats, with closely cropped bleached-blond hair for the
boys and tight, almost white ponytails for the girls. The Outcasts' wings arched out from
their backs. They were in very, very bad shape--tattered and frayed and revoltingly filthy,
practically caked with dirt. Nothing at all like the glorious wings of Daniel or Cam, or
any of the angels and demons Luce knew. Standing in solidarity, with their strange empty
eyes staring out, their heads tilted in different directions, the Outcasts made a horrible
nightmare of an army. Only, Luce could not wake up.
When Daniel noticed her standing with the others on the deck, he doubled back
and seized her hands. His perfect face looked wild with fear. " I told you to stay inside. "
"No," she whispered. "I won't stay locked up while the rest of you fight. I can't
just keep watching people around me die for no reason."
"No reason? Let's have this fight another time, Luce." His eyes kept darting
toward the dark line of Outcasts near the fence.
She balled up her fists at her sides. " Daniel--"
"Your life is too precious to squander in a temper tantrum. Get inside. Now. "
A loud shriek rang out in the middle of the yard. The front line of ten Outcasts
raised their weapons toward the angels and loosed their arrows. Luce's head shot up just
in time to catch the sight of something--some one-- catapulting off the roof.
Molly.
She flew down from it, a dark clot wielding two garden rakes, twirling them like