I stop smiling when Reed says, “Evie, we really do have to leave Crestwood now. This place is going to be crawling with curious angels.”

“No,” I reply, folding my arms in front of me, adopting my severest frown. “I’ll stay here, at your house, if you want me to and wait them out, but I’m staying in Crestwood.”

Zephyr sits back in his seat again and asks, “I am missing something, unless it is your strategy to be unorthodox?” Reed fills him in on my premonition at the 7-Eleven and the necklace falling from the light. Zephyr grunts when Reed finishes telling him everything that has been going on. “But, this is very, very dangerous for you. You do realize that, don’t you?”

“I can handle it. I can’t run, not from this. If I run now, Russell loses. I can’t have that. So, come up with a plan that involves us staying until Russell is safe, and I’ll follow it to the letter. I promise,” I say, reading the expression on Reed’s face. I turn to Zephyr and continue, “Zephyr, this seems to be your forte, how can we win this?” I ask, trying to motivate them to change tack to my way of thinking.

“Evie…” Reed says in a gentle tone, moving toward me slowly, and I know that look on his face; it is his this-is-for-your-own-good face.

“No, Reed,” I say furiously, gasping again as my wings shoot out of my back of their own volition. At least my shirt stayed on this time, I think instantly as I try to breathe evenly after having all the air punched out of my lungs again. When I regain my wits, I scowl, “Perfect! You see? I can’t even travel now. Not with these things coming out of my back when I get upset and I’ll be really, really, upset if you make me leave. You can count on that.”

“Zephyr, you didn’t stand a chance, did you?” Reed asks softly over his shoulder as he comes to sit next to me on the couch.

“Not really. You?” Zephyr asks, watching me as if I am an aquarium of rare tropical fish.

“Well, she didn’t have the wings then, but no, not really,” Reed replies humorlessly. Taking my hand in his, he says to me, “You are correct, Evie, we cannot travel now. We will have to stay until you adjust to your wings. So, you will be staying here, at my house, from now on.”

“Thank you!” I say, throwing my arms around him and hugging him enthusiastically. “You won’t regret this. I’ll be really, really low key. I’ll follow all of the rules.”

“Oh, there will be plenty of rules. Think of this house as a compound. From now on, you will need to be escorted to and from here,” he replies grudgingly. “Zephyr, are you staying?”

“You have to ask?” Zephyr replies. “There are two targets to defend. It will take skill to coordinate, and this will give me the perfect opportunity to teach Evie tactical strategy while we do it.”

“Thank you, Zephyr. If you’ll help me save Russell, I’ll completely forgive you for scaring the wings out of me,” I say, grinning at him now.

“And I am sure I will completely regret doing so, but if you will forgive me, then I must help,” he grins back.

As Reed and Zephyr discuss strategy, my very long day catches up to me. Resting my head against Reed’s shoulder, my eyes droop and I must’ve fallen asleep on the couch because the next thing I know I am being lowered into the bed I had slept in the last time I was here.

“Reed…what time is it,” I ask, trying to sit up in the bed.

“Shhh, it’s late. Get some sleep, Evie, you are exhausted,” he says softly.

“Where are you going? You have to stay. I haven’t had much time with you today, well, much time when we weren’t arguing about something. You didn’t tell me about Chicago.” I say, trying to keep my eyes open and only managing to do it for brief intervals.

“I can tell you tomorrow,” he says, smiling at my stubborn determination to stay awake.

“I’ll fall asleep faster if you stay with me,” I say, scooting over so that he can lie next to me.

When he relents and gets into the bed beside me, I hug him to me. “If I could save a moment of time, this would definitely be one. I never seem to get enough time with you,” I whisper dreamily, feeling his arms around me.

“Come away with me and you can have eternity with me,” he says, but his tone is strained with worry.

Smoothing my fingertips over his cheek, I say, “If I leave now, Russell will always be the regret that will lie between us, like a disease. I never want there to be anything between us. I want it to be just you and just me.”

Reed’s face inches closer to mine on the pillow as he says, “Let me try to explain something to you, Evie. All of these years that I have been here, it is as if I have been sleeping. I have to always pretend to be something that I am not—pretend to be human. When I am not pretending to be human, then I am hunting evil, vicious angels who want nothing more than to…” his voice trails off and there is hollowness in his tone that reflects the loneliness of his existence. “But now, I am awake, for the first time in my existence, and not only am I awake, but I feel flames when you are near me. You have changed things for me. There is no reason to pretend around you. If I had to live without you now…now that I know what I have been missing…” The need in his voice makes me want to promise him anything, give him anything, just to fill that void in him. “I cannot go back to sleep, Evie. You are the only thing that makes me want to live. If you leave here, if you ascend to Paradise, or even if you are cast into the abyss, or taken there by the Fallen…I will have to follow you, no matter where you go. Even if I have to pursue you into the dark…if you cease to be, then so will I. You are my sin and my redemption.”

“Reed, don’t talk like that—I would never want that for you, never.” I say, hugging him tight.

“Then it’s your job to survive. Promise me that you’ll do everything in your power to live,” he says.

“Shhh, Reed,” I say immediately, trying to soothe him.

“I mean it, Evie. I spoke to Zephyr, and he told me what you did—what you said—trading your life for mine. I can’t have that,” Reed whispers.

“Reed, I’ve never been in love before, and as far as being loved in return…never like this. There is no limit to what I would do for you,” I whisper to him, trying to make him see how much he means to me. “You make me want more—more time, more of your love, more of you—and I promise you, I’ll make sure you’re never, never bored again.”

“Evie, if I have you, I know I will never be bored again,” he smiles, and holds me until I fall asleep in his arms.

CHAPTER 19

Art Exhibition