Fallen 2. Torment(4)

"The truce begins at midnight tomorrow," Daniel called, kicking back a great

spray of sand on the beach as he lifted off and soared across the sky.

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ONE

EIGHTEEN DAYS

Luce planned on keeping her eyes closed all six hours of the cross-country flight

from Georgia out to California, right up until the moment when the wheels of the plane

touched down in San Francisco. Half asleep, she found it so much easier to pretend she

was already reunited with Daniel.

It felt like a lifetime since she'd seen him, though it had really only been a few

days. Ever since they'd said goodbye at Sword & Cross on Friday morning, Luce's whole

body had felt groggy. The absence of his voice, his warmth, the touch of his wings: it had

sunk into her bones, like a strange illness.

An arm brushed against hers, and Luce opened her eyes. She was face to face

with a wide-eyed, brown-haired guy a few years older than her.

"Sorry," they both said at the same time, each retreating a few inches on either

side of the plane's armrest.

Out the window, the view was startling. The plane was making its descent into

San Francisco, and Luce had never seen anything like it before. As they traced the south

side of the bay, a winding blue tributary seemed to cut through the earth on its way to the

sea. The stream divided a vibrant green field on one side from a swirl of something bright

red and white on the other. She pressed her forehead to the double plastic pane and tried

to get a better view.

"What is that?" she wondered aloud.

"Salt," the guy answered, pointing. He leaned in closer. "They mine it out of the

Pacific."

The answer was so simple, so ... human. Almost a surprise after the time she'd

spent with Daniel and the other--she was still unpracticed at using the terms literally-angels and demons. She looked out across the midnight-blue water, which seemed to

stretch forever west. Sun-over-water had always meant morning to Atlantic coast-raised

Luce. But out here, it was almost night.

"You're not from around here, are you?" her seatmate asked.

Luce shook her head but held her tongue. She kept staring out the window. Before

she'd left Georgia this morning, Mr. Cole had coached her about keeping a low profile.

The other teachers had been told that Luce's parents had requested a transfer. It was a lie.

As far as Luce's parents, Callie, and anyone else knew, she was still enrolled at Sword &

Cross.

A few weeks before, this would have infuriated her. But the things that had

happened in those final days at Sword & Cross had left Luce a person who took the world

more seriously. She had glimpsed a snapshot of another life--one of so many she'd shared

with Daniel before. She'd discovered a love more important to her than anything she'd

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ever thought possible. And then she'd seen all of that threatened by a crazy, daggerwielding old woman whom she'd thought she could trust.

There were more out there like Miss Sophia, that Luce knew. But no one had told

her how to recognize them. Miss Sophia had seemed normal, up until the end. Could the

others look as innocent as ... this brown-haired guy sitting next to her? Luce swallowed,

folded her hands on her lap, and tried to think about Daniel.

Daniel was taking her someplace safe.

Luce pictured him waiting for her in one of those gray plastic airport chairs,

elbows on knees, his blond head tucked between his shoulders. Rocking back and forth in

his black Converse sneakers. Standing up every few minutes to pace around the baggage

carousel.

There was a jolt as the plane touched down. Suddenly she was nervous. Would he

be as happy to see her as she was to see him?

She focused on the brown and beige pattern on the cloth seat in front of her. Her

neck felt stiff from the long flight and her clothes had a stale, stuffy airline smell. The

navy-blue-suited ground crew outside the window seemed to be taking an abnormally

long time to direct the plane to its Jetway. Her knees bobbed with impatience.

"I take it you're staying in California for a while?" The guy next to her offered a

lazy smile that only made Luce more anxious to get up.

"Why would you say that?" she asked quickly. "What would make you think

that?"

He blinked. "With that huge red duffel bag and all."

Luce inched away from him. She hadn't even noticed this guy until two minutes

ago when he'd jarred her awake. How did he know about her luggage?

"Hey, nothing creepy." He shot her a strange look. "I was just standing behind

you in line when you checked in."

Luce smiled awkwardly. "I have a boyfriend" streamed from her mouth. Instantly,

her cheeks reddened.

The guy coughed. "Got it."

Luce grimaced. She didn't know why she'd said that. She didn't want to be rude,