Antiphon

I’m transforming into?” He glowers at Gabe. “Not one of you. Please, for the love of all things unholy, tell me I’m not going to become some goody-two-shoes angel. I couldn’t take it.”

Gabe glowers back. “Don’t know. Anything’s possible. Let me know if you start sprouting wings.”

I look up at Gabe. “Could he become like me? Human?”

Luc looks at me with that same hopeful expression I saw on his face earlier. Gabe answers, resigned. “It’s possible. This is unprecedented as far as I know. I have no clue what’s happening, except it’s clearly happening and it’s just as clearly significant. And you’re the key. You’re going to change the world, Frannie. This is big.”

“Big. ” I say, trying to figure out what that means. “So, are we talking, like, ‘bringing him to Jesus’ big,” I say, waving my hand in Luc’s direction, “or ‘virgin birth’ big?”

Luc scowls and a smile just touches the corners of Gabe’s mouth. “Based on what you’re capable of, I’d be thinking more along the lines of ‘virgin birth’ big. Although, if you could bring him to Jesus, that’d be pretty huge too.”

Luc bolts off the couch and is across the room like a shot, eyes storming. “You can’t be serious.”

“Don’t be such a doofus. If it wasn’t big, would He have sent me? Her name is Mary, after all. Could anyone without Sway convince the masses of a virgin birth? The second coming of Christ?” A grin far too mischievous to ever be considered angelic flits across Gabe’s face. “What’s wrong, Lucifer? You don’t want to be Joseph?”

Luc wheels around and braces his hands on the wall, sending up a growl that curls my hair. “Unholy Hell! This can’t be happening.” Then he spins back and stares at me, eyes wide.

I pull myself out of the couch and stand there, not sure what I’m feeling. I think about Gabe’s kiss. If that was Heaven, I want more. I remember thinking I could just live there, in that peace and love. But that’s not what he’s saying-not what he’s offering. I’m supposed to have some power, to do something with it that’s supposed to save people. And as I think about that, panic takes over, making it a little hard to breathe.

Gabe tucks me into his side and wraps his arms around me. This time I let him, ’cause I need him. I melt into him as his summer snow buries me in calm and my breathing starts to ease.

When I can get enough air, I look up at him. “What’s going to happen to me?”

His eyes are miles deep. I want to dive right into them. “Well, first off, this.” He leans in and kisses my cheek, too close to my mouth, and my heart speeds up despite his calm. “You know I’ll always be here for you. If you ever need anything,” he glares at Luc, “you know where to come.” Distress creeps into his eyes. “But after that, I’m not sure.”

I press deeper into Gabe as Luc glares at us from the window. “You’re playing a little fast and loose with those wings, don’t you think?” he spits at Gabe.

In response, Gabe pulls me tighter into his body and smirks at Luc, but I see the uncertainty in his eyes. I sink into him and let his summer snow bury me so I don’t have to think.

Chapter 18

Angels and Demons

Frannie

It’s almost comical to watch these guys. They’re so busy trying to hate each other that they don’t see how alike they are. Well. alike except for one being all dark and dangerous and the other blinding me with his radiance. But other than that.

I’m starting to get my mind around some of this. In the week since Luc and Gabe filled me in, they’ve both backed off to give me room to think. And Gabe’s backed off in other ways. We’re almost never alone together, and he’s hardly touched me. Which I’m not sure I’m happy about. I haven’t asked him why, but I’m pretty sure Luc’s comment about losing his wings might have something to do with it.

All the white in Gabe’s kitchen creates a glare, and I’m not sure Gabe’s not adding to it. He glowers at Luc, and Luc stares him down, challenging him.

“It’s beyond my comprehension how, after everything you’ve seen, you can still have that attitude. The only reason the Almighty doesn’t send another flood is that the first one was useless.”

Gabe shakes his head. “People do stuff every day to prove you wrong. Completely selfless acts of kindness.”

“I disagree. Nothing is selfless. At the bottom of every good deed, there’s a self-serving motive.”

“Dude, you need to lighten up.”

I roll my eyes. “Give it up, Gabe. He’s hopeless.” I open my calculus book on the kitchen table and push my empty ice cream bowl aside. “I know you guys are geniuses and all, but finals start tomorrow, and I’ve got to study or UCLA is gonna change their mind about me.”

Luc looks at me and smiles. “What’s the deal with UCLA anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just curious why you feel compelled to go three thousand miles away for college.”

“Well. partly ’cause it’s three thousand miles away. But really, they have the top international relations program in the country, and I’m thinking I can double major in political science or maybe Middle Eastern studies.”

Luc raises an eyebrow. “And do what?”

I feel warmth creep into my cheeks. “I think that most of the crap that happens in the world is ’cause people don’t know how to talk to each other. You know, ’cause of differences in culture or religion. Stuff like that. That’s why I started that whole pen pal thing. I wanted to try to understand. So. I guess I’m thinking I’d like to do something bigger. Not quite sure what or how. ”

Gabe smiles. His glow is blinding me again. “Lofty goals.”

“Shut up,” I say, embarrassed. I know how stupid it sounds, what I want to do, but I’ve always wanted it. I’ve always been good at talking to people, helping them find common ground. Like now, with Luc and Gabe- although I think their only common ground might be me, so I guess that doesn’t really count.

“And you think you’re going to make a difference.” Luc’s expression is serious now.

“Probably not. But it can’t hurt to try,” I say, watching my fingers twirl the pencil on my calculus book.

“You will make a difference, Frannie.” Gabe is suddenly as serious as Luc.

“Will I? I’m not sure I’ll get the chance.”

Luc and Gabe share a wary glance. They know I’m right. Then Luc looks hard at Gabe, and, behind his eyes, there’s anguish. “Tag her.”

“You’re even dumber than you look,” Gabe says with a sardonic smile and a shake of his head.

“What’s stopping you?”

Gabe’s expression darkens as his eyes shift to mine. “Frannie’s stopping me.”

My stomach’s in my throat. “Hold up. How am I going to have a life if I’m tagged for Heaven? How is that better than being tagged for Hell?”

I watch as Luc struggles with the answer. “The Almighty. ” He hesitates and glances at Gabe for confirmation. Gabe nods and Luc continues. “He won’t use you as. poorly.”

“But He’ll still use me. It won’t be my life anymore.” Resentment and anger are threatening to take control of me. I stuff them into the black pit. “I don’t want to be Moses or Hitler. I want to be Frannie.”

Gabe finally speaks. “If you’re tagged for Heaven, I can protect you. It would be extraordinarily difficult to reverse your tag, and eventually they’ll stop trying. If you remain untagged, they’ll keep coming for you.”

“And so will you.” My heart sinks. There’s no way out of this. Suddenly I feel claustrophobic-trapped and terrified. I slide my calculus book in front of me with a shaking hand. “So, do you guys get this stuff?” I say, needing to change the subject.

Luc’s worried gaze lingers a moment longer, but he takes my cue. He pulls my book toward him. “Which one are you working on?”

I slip my paper out from under his fingers, and he jerks his hand.

“Ow!”

Gabe cracks a smile. “Ow? You’re kidding, right?”