Fallen 2. Torment(7)

Her eyes darted around to keep up with all the sights. And even though she had

spent most of the past few days sleeping, she suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion.

Daniel stretched his arm around her and guided her head toward his shoulder.

"Little-known fact about angels: We make excellent pillows."

Luce laughed, lifting her head to kiss his cheek. "I couldn't possibly sleep," she

said, nuzzling his neck.

On the Golden Gate Bridge, throngs of pedestrians, spandexed bicyclers, and

joggers flanked the cars. Far below was the brilliant bay, dotted with white sailboats and

the beginning notes of a violet sunset. "It's been days since we've seen each other. I want

to catch up," she said. "Tell me what you've been doing. Tell me everything."

For an instant, she thought she saw Daniel's hands tighten around the steering

wheel. "If your goal is not to go to sleep," he said, cracking a smile, "then I really

shouldn't delve into the minutiae of the eight-hour-long Council of the Angels meeting I

was stuck in all day yesterday. See, the board met to discuss an amendment to

proposition 362B, which details the sanctioned format for cherubic participation in the

third circuit of--"

"Okay, I get it." She swatted him. Daniel was joking, but it was a strange new

kind of joke. He was actually being open about being an angel, which she loved--or at

least she would love it, once she'd had a little more time to process it. Luce still felt like

her heart and brain were both struggling to catch up to the changes in her life.

But they were back together for good now, so everything was infinitely easier.

18





There was nothing to hold back from one another anymore. She pulled on his arm. "At

least tell me where we're going."

Daniel flinched, and Luce felt a knot of cold unfold inside her chest. She moved

to put her hand on his, but he pulled away to downshift.

"A school in Fort Bragg called Shoreline. Classes start tomorrow."

"We're enrolling at another school?" she asked. "Why?" It sounded so permanent.

This was supposed to be a provisional trip. Her parents didn't even know she'd left the

state of Georgia.

"You'll like Shoreline. It's very progressive, and a lot better than Sword and

Cross. I think you'll be able to ... develop there. And no harm will come to you. The

school has a special, protective quality. A camouflage-like shield."

"I don't get it. Why do I need a protective shield? I thought coming out here, away

from Miss Sophia, was enough."

"It's not just Miss Sophia," Daniel said quietly. "There are others."

"Who? You can protect me from Cam, or Molly, or whoever." Luce laughed, but

the cold feeling in her chest was spreading to her gut.

"It's not Cam or Molly, either. Luce, I can't talk about it."

"Will we know anyone else there? Any other angels?"

"There are some angels there. No one you know, but I'm sure you'll get along.

There's one more thing." His voice was flat as he stared straight ahead. "I won't be

enrolling." His eyes didn't once veer off the road. "Just you. It's only for a little while."

"How little?"

"A few ... weeks."

Had Luce been the one behind the wheel, this was when she would have slammed

on the brakes.

"A few weeks? "

"If I could be with you, I would." Daniel's voice was so flat, so steady, that it

made Luce even more upset. "You saw what just happened with your duffel bag and the

trunk. That was like my shooting up a flare into the sky to let everyone know where we

are. To alert anyone who is looking for me--and by me, I mean you. I am too easy to find,

too easy for others to track down. And that bit with your bag? That is nothing compared

to the things I do every day that would draw the attention of ..." He shook his head

sharply. "I won't put you in danger, Luce, I won't."

"Then don't. "

Daniel's face looked pained. "It's complicated."

"And let me guess: You can't explain."

"I wish I could."

Luce drew her knees to her chest, leaned away from him and against the

passenger-side door, feeling somehow claustrophobic under the big blue California sky.

For half an hour, the two of them rode in silence. In and out of patches of fog, up

and down the rocky, arid terrain. They passed signs for Sonoma, and as the car cruised

through lush green vineyards, Daniel spoke. "It's three more hours to Fort Bragg. You

going to stay mad at me the whole time?"

19

Luce ignored him. She thought of and refused to give voice to hundreds of

questions, frustrations, accusations, and--ultimately--apologies for acting like such a