yourself in just because you're bored?"
"Look, the cat's out of the bag," she said. "Cam already knew I was here."
"Of course Cam knows you're here," Daniel said, exasperated. "How many times
do I have to tell you Cam is not the threat right now? He won't try to sway you."
"Why not?"
"Because he knows better. And you should know better too than to sneak off like
that. There are dangers you can't possibly fathom."
She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. If she told Daniel she'd
spoken with Cam that day, that he had killed several of Miss Sophia's entourage, it would
only prove his point. Anger flared up in Luce, at Daniel, at his mysterious rules, at his
treating her like a child. She would have given anything to stay with him, but his eyes
had hardened into flat gray sheets and their time in the sky felt like a distant dream.
"Do you understand what kind of Hell I go through to keep you safe?"
"How am I supposed to understand when you don't tell me anything?"
Daniel's beautiful features distorted into a scary expression. "Is this her fault?" He
jerked his thumb toward her dorm room. "What kind of sinister ideas has she been
putting in your head?"
"I can think for myself, thank you." Luce narrowed her eyes. "But how do you
know Shelby?"
Daniel ignored the question. Luce couldn't believe the way he was talking to her,
like she was some kind of badly behaved pet. All the warmth that had filled her a moment
ago when Daniel had kissed her, held her, looked at her--it wasn't enough when she felt
this cold every time he spoke to her.
"Maybe Shelby is right," she said. She hadn't seen Daniel in so long--but the
Daniel she wanted to see, the one who loved her more than anything, the one who'd
followed her for millennia because he couldn't live without her--was still up there in the
clouds, not down here, bossing her around. Perhaps, even after all these lifetimes, she
didn't really know him. "Maybe angels and humans shouldn't ..."
But she couldn't say it.
"Luce." His fingers wrapped around her wrist, but she shook him off. His eyes
were open and dark, and his cheeks were white from the cold. Her heart was urging her to
grab him and keep him close, to feel his body pressed against hers, but she knew deep
down that this wasn't the kind of fight that could be cured with a kiss.
She pushed past him to a narrower part of the ledge and slid open her window,
surprised to find that the room was already dark. She climbed inside, and when she
97
turned back to Daniel, she noticed that his wings were trembling. Almost like he was
about to cry. She wanted to go back to him, to hold and soothe and love him.
But she couldn't.
She closed the shutters and stood in her dark room alone.
98
NINE
TEN DAYS
When Luce woke up on Tuesday morning, Shelby was already gone. Her bed was
made, the handmade patchwork quilt folded at its foot, and her puffy red vest and tote
bag had been plucked from their peg by the door.
Still in her pajamas, Luce stuck a mug of water in the microwave to make tea,
then sat down to check her email.
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
Sent: Monday, 11/16 at 1:34 am
Subject: Trying Not to Take It Personally
Dear L,
Got your text, and first things first, I miss you too. But I've got a really out-of-leftfield suggestion: it's called you-and-I-catch-up. Crazy Callie and her wild ideas. I know
you're busy. I know you're under heavy surveillance and it's hard to sneak away. What I
don't know is a single detail about your life. Who do you eat lunch with? Which class do
you like the most? What ever happened with that guy? See, I don't even know his name. I
hate that.
I'm glad you got a phone, but don't text me to say you're going to call. Just call. I
haven't heard your voice in ages. I ain't mad at ya. Yet.
xoC
Luce closed the email. It was next to impossible to piss Callie off. She'd never
actually done it before. The fact that Callie didn't suspect that Luce was lying was only
further proof of how distant they'd become. The shame Luce felt was heavy, settling right
between her shoulders.
On to the next email:
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
Sent: Monday, 11/16 at 8:30 pm
Subject: Well, honey, we love you too
Luce Baby,
Your emails always brighten our days. How's the swim team going? Are you
drying your hair now that it's cold outside? I know, I'm nagging, but I miss you.
Do you think Sword & Cross will grant you permission to leave campus for
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Thanksgiving next week? Dad could call the dean? We won't count our chickens yet, but
your father did go out and buy a Tofurky just in case. I've been filling up the extra freezer