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When I went back into the living room, Nate and Sophie were sitting on one of the sofas, talking. They looked up, their faces furrowing in concern as they saw me. Nate went over to the kitchenette and got out some mugs. “Coffee?”
I sat on the edge of the armchair. My head was throbbing. “No — thank you. Just water, please. ”
“How about some food?” asked Sophie. She leaned forward with her arms on her knees, watching me. “We’ve got sandwiches, or we could order something else in if you want. ”
“I’m not really hungry. Thanks,” I added faintly, as Nate filled a glass with ice water and brought it to me. It was a hexagonal shape, and felt cool and slightly damp against my fingers. I rubbed it against my aching eyes and forehead.
Nate leaned against the sofa. “You should eat something. You need to keep your strength up. ”
I stared down at the glass in my hands, swirling the water. “Maybe later. ”
Sophie hesitated. “Look, Willow, we’re concerned about you, but we also have to confess to a certain amount of self-interest here. Believe me, I know what you must be going through, but . . . well, to put it bluntly, we need you to be able to function tomorrow. ”
Pain kicked through me. I saw the cabin; felt myself falling asleep in the warmth of Alex’s arms. Felt his lips, kissing me awake in the morning. I closed my eyes, longing to say, Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. You’ll have to figure something else out. But it had to be me — I was the only one. Somehow I had to pull myself together enough to do this, or else leaving Alex and breaking both of our hearts had been for nothing.
With a deep, shaking breath, I opened my eyes. I took a sip of water and placed the glass on the table, carefully lining it up with the edge.
“I know,” I said. “I’ll be able to. ”
We spent the rest of the day going over the plan. “The celebration will be massive,” said Sophie, spreading out a map of the cathedral on the table. “They’ve got a musical program lined up, a special service — the works. None of that really concerns you, though. You won’t be arriving until just before the gate opens. ”
I looked down at the map. There were hundreds of rows of pews and thousands of other seats behind them, stretching up toward the ceiling. At the very front of every- thing, near the pulpit, was a long, wide space. “Is that where the gate’s going to be?” I asked, pointing.
“That’s right,” said Nate, his blue eyes narrowed as he studied the plans. “And there’ll be a Plexiglas barrier between the front row of pews and the gate area, across here. ” He sketched a line with his finger. “They were going to have one anyway for crowd control, but it’s a help to us — if people suspect you and get unruly, it’ll at least slow them down a little. ”
Sophie was holding a pen; she twiddled it in her hands. “The others in the front area with you will be the acolytes from each state — you’re going to pretend to be one, too — and the preacher, of course. The choir will be up on a second-floor balcony, so they shouldn’t be a problem. But unfortunately there will also be two angels there. ”
“At least it’s only two,” said Nate before I could react. He glanced at me. “Raziel is the angel who runs the Church; he’s based in the main cathedral. He’s decided that the celebration will be for humans only and that the angels already in this world will greet the new arrivals later. Really, though, he just wants to be one of the only angels present when the Second Wavers arrive — he’s making a statement about his position here. ”
“Him and his sidekick, an angel named Lailah,” said Sophie. “They’re pretty certain to be in the gate area along with you and the others, but hopefully you’ll be able to move fast enough that no one has time to react. ”
My throat felt like it had turned to dust as I stared at them. “But . . . won’t one of them notice my aura as I go in?” I asked. I knew that angels in their human form could scan things just like Alex if they tried, and with its silver-and-lavender lights, my aura instantly revealed what I was: half angel, half human.
With a sigh, Sophie tucked a strand of her brown hair back. “Unfortunately, that’s a variable we can’t really control,” she said. “We’ve done our best, though — our contact is going to report your death tomorrow, so hopefully neither of them will be scanning for you. ”
I rubbed my hands on my jeans, wondering what Alex would say about all of this. “OK,” I said finally. “What happens next?”
“The gate’s scheduled to open at six o’clock sharp,” Nate continued. “The required energy is all being generated from the other side. At about two minutes to six, a line of acolytes from every state in the country is going to file out, entering from this door here. ” He pointed on the map.
“You’re Wisconsin,” said Sophie. Getting up, she went to a small closet and took out a silvery-blue robe with a hood. “We didn’t know whether we’d be able to find you or not, but we had one made in your size just in case. Would you try it on to check?” She held it out to me.
The thought of the robe already being made, sitting in a closet in Colorado waiting for me, sent goose bumps up my arms. Reluctantly, I went over and took it from Sophie; it swung slightly on its padded hanger. When I tried it on, its material was silky-slippery, whispering its way down my body.
Sophie took a step back, her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me. “Not bad, given that I had to guess at the measurements. A little too long, but I think it’ll be all right once we get some heels on you. ”
I stood gazing down at myself. The robe had long sleeves and a high neck; it covered every inch of me. I smoothed my hands down the front of it. It felt awful, like a costume I wasn’t ever going to be able to take off. A chill swept over me as I realized that was pretty much the case. It was likely that I’d die in it.
“The hood was a last-minute addition, once our Church of Angels person agreed to the plan,” said Nate. “It should help stop people from recognizing you. ”
“We’ll need to pull your hair back, though,” added Sophie. “I’ve got some bobby pins. ”
“All right,” I said. All I wanted to do was get the thing off me. I started to pull it over my head.
“Wait a second — let’s test the angelica,” said Nate. He opened the briefcase, taking out the grayish stone.
“Yes, look,” said Sophie. Reaching inside my left sleeve, she showed me a hidden pouch with an elastic top. Nate came over and handed her the angelica; she tucked it in. I could feel the weight of it, heavy against my arm. “Can you take a few steps, so that we can see what it looks like?” asked Sophie.
I hated this, really hated it. But I’d agreed; I was here of my own free choice — and now I had a job to do. I took a deep breath, then walked across the room and back. The robe billowed about my feet.
“Good,” said Sophie, watching. “The sleeve’s full enough so that you can’t see the outline of the angelica at all. ”
“OK. The plan is that you’ll enter with the other acolytes, right before six o’clock,” said Nate. He sat on the back of the sofa, one foot still resting on the ground. “There’s a dress rehearsal tonight, but you won’t be going to it; we can’t risk someone recognizing you. But what’s going to happen is simple: the acolytes will enter single file, face the wall, and kneel. ”
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