Angel Fire

by L. A. Weatherly

Page 84

 

  As he left, Kara came in and shut the door. She lounged against it, crossing her ankles. “Well,” she said. “That looked interesting. ”

  “Yeah, I’ll bet,” I said shortly. I unfolded myself from my bed and slid open my dresser drawer, taking out my pyjamas.

  “So. . . are you with Seb now?”

  I stiffened, and turned to face her. She met my gaze blandly, her exotic face impossible to read. She had on black jeans; a pink top that showed every line of her sleek body. I could see her AK tattoo peeking out from under her shirtsleeve, and suddenly hated it fiercely. It was Alex’s – it didn’t belong to her.

  “No,” I said. “Seb is just my friend. ” Just my friend – when, except for Alex, he was the most important person in my life. Language is so stupid sometimes.

  “Okay,” said Kara, glancing down at her nails. “I was just wondering. ’Cause Alex seems to think so. And, you know. . . Seb was just up here in the room with you for over an hour, the two of you alone together. Kind of easy to get the wrong impression. ”

  I tried to ignore what she’d said about Alex, even though it made my heart fall off a cliff. “You may find this difficult to believe, but it’s actually possible for friends to be in the same room and not do anything,” I said.

  She gave an elaborate shrug. “Look, I don’t care what you do. But I’ll tell you one thing – Alex doesn’t need this kind of stress right now. So if you wouldn’t mind figuring out which one of them you want, that would be a good thing. ”

  “I have figured it out,” I snapped. Angrily, I yanked off my top, childishly glad that I’d been working out for the last few weeks and was looking more toned myself now. “Look, do you think I don’t know you’ve got a thing for Alex? I noticed it the very first day. ”

  She nodded slowly, watching me. “And do you know he’s got a thing for me?”

  For a split second, ice froze my veins, and then I caught myself and laughed out loud. “That is a total lie. I’m psychic, remember?”

  “Okay. So what do your psychic powers tell you about his first crush? Or his first kiss, actually?”

  I just stood there in my bra and jeans, staring stupidly at her.

  “Alex had a crush on me for years,” she said, speaking slowly like I needed it explained in small words. “I used to catch him looking at me sometimes, and he’d blush – it was cute. And now that he’s older. . . well, I think there could definitely be something there. ” She peeled herself away from the door. Long and lithe, like a jungle cat. “You know, I would never try to make trouble in his relationship if I thought he was happy. But this? Right here, now, with you? Nuh-uh. ” She shook her close-cropped head. “You are not making him happy, Willow. You’re playing mind games with him – you and that other half-angel. God, just flap off out of here together, why don’t you, and leave Alex alone? It’s not like he hasn’t got enough on his mind. ”

  My mind was reeling, caught in a storm. “I am not playing mind games,” I said in a low voice that somehow didn’t shake. “I’m in love with Alex, not Seb. Is that really so hard to understand?”

  Kara snorted and turned away. “Yeah, seems to be,” she said coldly. “’Cause I don’t think you’ve got a handle on it. ”

  Alex was gone when I got up the next morning.

  I’d been planning to get him on his own so that we could talk about all this again, calmly this time. But I could tell he wasn’t there the second I went downstairs; there was an empty feel to the house, even though it was full of people. I made a mug of foul-tasting instant coffee and drank it slowly in the kitchen, trying to take in the fact that he’d actually gone somewhere without telling me. It seemed even more final than his parting shot the day before – enjoy your friendship with Seb.

  Trish came in, her hair damp from her morning shower; she stiffened when she saw me. “Um – where’s Alex?” I asked. Heat crept over me, that I even had to ask the question.

  “He went to check out the cathedral again. ” She moved past me to the loaf of bread that sat on the counter. Putting a couple of slices in the toaster, she gave me a tense, sideways look. “So. . . have you two broken up, or what?”

  “No,” I said shortly, and walked out of the kitchen.

  I wanted to find Seb, but was so aware of what everyone would think now, if they saw us together. Correction: what they’d been thinking all along, from the sound of it. Finally I went into the TV room. Everyone else was there already, apart from Seb. Then, with a sinking heart, I saw that everyone else wasn’t there – Kara was missing. Of course; she’d gone to the cathedral with Alex. My muscles tightened at the thought of the two of them alone together; what she must be saying to him.

  The room had gone silent as I entered. Sam glared; the others didn’t look much friendlier. I tried to ignore them all and perched on the footstool, still sipping my coffee. The TV was on. I couldn’t tell what was being said, but it was obviously about the Crusaders and the Faithful again. There were crowds of hundreds on the screen; signs bobbing in the air; people shouting in frenzied Spanish.

  “Shouldn’t you be with Seb?” said Liz. I looked up. She was watching me, her sharp-featured face hard. “I thought you were supposed to be practising your aura stuff. ”

  “We’re practising outside today,” said Seb, appearing in the doorway. He had on faded jeans, and his blue sweater with a white T-shirt peeking out from under the collar. He nodded at me. “Are you ready?”

  Relief. We hadn’t discussed going outside, but it sounded like heaven; the atmosphere in the house would choke me if I had to stay here all day. I put my coffee down and scrambled to my feet. “Yeah, I’ll just get my sweatshirt. ”

  He held it up, and I felt like hugging him. “When’s Alex back?” he asked the others as I moved to join him.

  For a change, Brendan was sitting almost without moving, staring stonily at the screen. “He said around three. ”

  “Yeah, so that gives you two lots and lots of time to be alone together,” drawled Sam. His muscular body was sprawled on the sofa; he flicked a glance over us. “Don’t go runnin’ off again. ”

  I stiffened; decided not to answer. “I can see all your secrets, you know,” Seb said to him mildly as we turned to leave. And nothing was funny just then, absolutely nothing. . . but even so, the look of guilty alarm on Sam’s face was priceless.

  Outside it was a gorgeous sunny day, with a cool breeze. I shifted my aura to dull, lifeless grey and pulled on my hooded sweatshirt. As Seb and I started to walk, I took my phone out and sent Alex a quick text before I could think about it: I’m sorry we fought. We really need to talk. I love you.

  No reply came.

  Seb and I walked for blocks. The shabby businesses around us turned into department stores made of sedate old stone, with bright signs and large windows. The sidewalk grew busier, bustling with people. Satin angel wings, briefcases, morning bags of shopping. I clutched the phone in my hand, glancing down at it every few seconds while my heart slowly died in my chest.

  Finally Seb gently pulled the phone away from me and tucked it into his jeans pocket. “I’ll tell you if it goes off,” he said. “Come on, are you hungry? Let’s get some breakfast. ”