He smirks. “Yeah. I got that when you let me burn you alive with holy water.”
“Does this mean the Shield didn’t work on me?”
“Hard to say. If Belias and Avaira have been hanging around for a few weeks, like you say, I’m sure they’re following you.”
I look back at Frannie, asleep on the couch. There has to be some way I can protect her.
“So maybe if we just disappeared-went somewhere else-she’d be safe?”
“Maybe. We won’t know unless you try. But you know as well as I do the real solution.”
“Tagging her soul for Heaven,” I say, resigned. “Why is it so important that she forgives herself?”
His face suddenly goes all angelic. “Forgiveness is the key to everything, Lucifer.”
“You celestials make everything so hard.” I shift in my chair, sitting upright. “What would happen if Belias just. killed her?” I feel something black and heavy tighten around my heart thinking about how close he’s already come.
“She’d go to Limbo with all the other untagged souls, and you know Michael would fast-track her to Heaven. Frannie’s essence-her soul-is the key. As far as we’re concerned, she’s no less valuable in Heaven as on Earth.”
“That’s pretty much what I figured.” I’ve seen that essence, and I know he’s right. Dancing with it, blending it in mine. it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“I know. That’s what I’m counting on.” The threat is clear in his voice.
I look at her, asleep on the couch. “I won’t let them have her,” I say, knowing them is me. But just for now, I slide onto the couch and lie next to her, wrapping my arms around her and holding on as if my life depends on it- because I’m pretty sure it does.
Chapter 21
Frannie
“You know I was just yanking Lucifer’s chain about that whole virgin birth thing, right?”
I pull my head off the car door and look up at Gabe through the haze of my hangover. “What?”
“You know. that night you came over. After he told you about. what he is. ”
“Oh, yeah. So, I’m not Mary?”
“No.”
“Thank God. I’d make a shitty mother,” I say, rubbing my forehead. “Plus, I’m hoping not to be a virgin too much longer.” I drop my forehead back onto the car window with a thump that sends a shock wave through my head, turning my brains to tapioca. “Awww. ” I groan.
Gabe laughs. “Serves you right.”
“Shut up.”
We pull up to my house, and Mom comes out onto the porch. Gabe opens my door and props me on my feet. I try to keep my legs under me as we move up the walk, but Gabe has to mostly drag me along. When we get to the stairs, he gives up and scoops me into his arms.
“Did you kids have a nice time?” Mom chirps.
What I want to know is, how many seventeen-year-old girls could show up hungover at nine o’clock in the morning draped in some guy’s arms (even if that guy is a real honest-to-God angel, which my parents couldn’t possibly know) and get a “did you have a nice time?” It’s disgusting. Course, if I were lying here in Luc’s arms, things would be different.
“Did we, Frannie?” Gabe is trying not to laugh and, if I had the strength, I’d punch him in the face.
But instead, I mumble, “Shut up,” into his shoulder.
Mom follows us as he carries me up the stairs, and they tuck me into bed. I can hear sisters giggling, but I don’t open my eyes to see which ones.
Gabe sits on the edge of my bed. He runs a finger along the line of my jaw and even though I feel like death, I shudder. “You gonna be okay?”
“I will if you shoot me,” I beg.
He leans down and his lips glide across my cheek to my ear, where he whispers, “No can do.” He chuckles and I’m wondering if I can shoot
“Then get the hell out,” I say, rolling on my side and pulling the covers over my head.
I hear Mom shuffle out of the room chattering about chicken soup. But Gabe’s still here-I can feel him.
“What do you want?” I mumble into the sheets.
“The same thing I’ve always wanted. I want to tag your soul. You need to forgive yourself.”
“No.”
“Why? Why do you need to hold on to this?”
I’m not going to let myself cry. “Because.” I breathe against the tears. “I need to.”
“Need to what?”
He’s making my head throb. “Can we do this some other time?”
“Let’s do it now. What did you mean, ‘I need to’?”
I groan as a sharp pain shoots through my brain. I pull the sheets off my head for some air. “I can’t do this. You know everything I’m thinking anyway. Can’t you just pick what you’re looking for out of my head and leave me alone?”
“If you were thinking it, I could. That’s where I’m trying to get you-to where you know why you can’t let it go.”
“Because I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Oh, God! Just go away.”
The bed creaks as he slides closer and I feel his cool breath in my ear. “I’m not going anywhere, Frannie. I’ll always be here for you-no matter what.” His lips slide over my cheek and my headache’s suddenly gone, replaced with a deep ache somewhere else. Somewhere I definitely shouldn’t be aching. I roll and twist my hand into his hair. His lips brush mine-just as Mom pops back into the room with two steaming mugs in her hands.
“Oh! Oh dear. ” she says.
Gabe’s eyes smile into mine for a second longer before he shifts off the bed and stands. “I’ve really got to get going.”
“Oh, don’t go,” Mom says with an awkward smile, holding out a mug. “Have some soup.”
He smiles at her. “Thank you, Mrs. Cavanaugh, but Frannie’s in good hands.” He turns back to me. “I’ll check on you later,” he says, backing toward the door.
“ ’Kay.” It’s all I can manage.
He leaves and I roll on my side toward the wall, ignoring Mom and her soup and trying to figure out what just happened. And I think about Luc. He’s supposed to come over tonight, and I’m gonna try out this Sway thing with my parents, if I can figure out what it is-maybe change their minds about him.
But maybe my mind needs some work first.
I think of his Shelby parked across the street right now and feel my heart pound. I love him. I know that now. So why the hell do I still want to kiss Gabe?
Luc
I follow Gabriel and Frannie back to her house and sit out front most of the day. I watch her window, wondering what to say to impress her parents, or at least convince them I’m not the devil incarnate anymore. But as I sit here, staring at her window, I feel a sharp pain in my gut, and there are noises coming from down there. As time passes, the pain gets sharper and the noises get louder until it’s impossible to ignore.
