For a long time, she couldn’t answer. She wanted a new start far from New York and all that had happened here. Teaming up with Jarrod and Sullivan, she knew it could work. She’d find a job. Maybe get her GED and go to college.
Grow up.
“I’m scared,” she said finally, because it was the truth. Because in every plan she made, Az crept in. She pictured mornings and saw breakfast in bed with him. She thought about watching a movie on the couch and she pictured him cuddled up next to her. Saw them growing old together.
Except, now, that wasn’t going to happen. qct
“Eden.” Gabe stroked her hair. “That was never going to happen,” he said gently.
He’d picked up on her thoughts. She hated him for saying it and hated more that he was right. “I wasn’t finished,” she said. “I’m scared, but I want to do this. He would want me to be mortal. He would want me to have a good life.”
“Yes,” Gabe said.
Eden sat up slowly, a smidgen of her stubborn self coming back. Even though the Bound had taken him, she was still alive. Well, at least she would be shortly. I can do this, she thought.
“Are Jarrod and Sullivan ready?” she asked.
“Sullivan is. Jarrod said he won’t change until you’re both mortal.”
A ghost of a smile passed across Eden’s lips. He was going to have a hard adjustment to being normal again. Eden turned to Gabe suddenly. “Kristen,” she said. “Have they made her mortal yet? Is she here?”
“No,” Gabe said, looking pained. “Luke took her.” His face went bitter. “She’s a smart girl, though, and his game’s obvious this time. She’ll come back.”
“What do you mean?” Eden asked, confused.
Gabe waited, as if he wanted her to figure it out herself, but Eden was too tired to try. “Eden, Luke only needs one Sider to start this all over again.”
A knock on the door interrupted before she could respond. Jarrod opened it. “Sorry,” he said, looking from her to Gabe. “Raphael said to tell you it’s time. They won’t wait anymore.”
Against her, Eden felt Gabe tense. “You tell him I said he can wait until she’s—”
She laid a hand on his and gave it a squeeze, cutting him off. “No, it’s okay,” she said, braving a smile. This is it.
This is the start.
She peeled back the blanket and dropped Gabe’s hand as she stood. “I’m ready,” Eden said.
EPILOGUE
Eden snuggled in closer, the blanket around them both holding her to Gabe’s shoulder. His shirt was cool against her cheek, wet with the tears she’d cried for Az. She felt safe here in her room, with Gabe. He hadn’t left her side since last night.
“I guess I should go out. They’re waiting for me,” Eden said. When the Bound insisted Eden be turned mortal immediately, Gabe had refused them. Now, his arm tightened around her.
Gabe stroked her hair. “Let them wait,” he said softly. “How’s your ankle? I don’t want them turning you until you’re at one hundred percent.”
Under the covers, she rotated her foot, expecting pain, surprised when it moved easily. “It’s better,” she said.
She shouldn’t have been surprised. Healing her wounds had been able to burn up some of the Touch she’d taken in from Rachel. Siders had begun showing up just past midnight, and Rachel had started turning them mortal again. Even now, seemingly dead bodies filled Jarrod’s room, laid out on the beds and the floor. It took three hours for them to reanimate, at which point they were told to spread the word and shown the door. Eden wondered what kind of lives they’d have. If they’d just end up starving on the street. She wondered what kind of life she would have.
“When Rachel makes me mortal, she’ll be taking in any extra Touch left in me,” Eden said. “And Sullivan’s. All the other Siders coming here. It’ll be too much for her.”
“We’re working on that,” Gabe said. “Some of those at Kristen’s did escape injured. They’ll be dosed and given time to get well before they’re made mortal. There are two other Siders, Annalise and Donavan, who I trust to spread it safely.”
“And when there are no Siders left? What happens to her then?” Eden asked. Without taking in some Touch, Rachel would die. Slowly. In pain.
“You have my word, I’ll figure out a way to make her mortal before time runs out. The Bound are no threat to her. Not anymore.” Gabe held Eden close.
The blanket enveloped them like a cocoon. Fresh tears stung her eyes. She wanted to stay like this forever, not having to think. Not having to face Az’s death and whatever the future held for her. When she tried to snuggle in closer, though, Gabe lifted her off his shoulder. His eyes were nearly as swollen as hers must have been. “You’re going to be okay. You know that, right?” he said.
For a long time, she couldn’t answer. She wanted a new start far from New York and all that had happened here. Teaming up with Jarrod and Sullivan, she knew it could work. She’d find a job. Maybe get her GED and go to college.
Grow up.
“I’m scared,” she said finally, because it was the truth. Because in every plan she made, Az crept in. She pictured mornings and saw breakfast in bed with him. She thought about watching a movie on the couch and she pictured him cuddled up next to her. Saw them growing old together.
Except, now, that wasn’t going to happen. qct
“Eden.” Gabe stroked her hair. “That was never going to happen,” he said gently.
He’d picked up on her thoughts. She hated him for saying it and hated more that he was right. “I wasn’t finished,” she said. “I’m scared, but I want to do this. He would want me to be mortal. He would want me to have a good life.”
“Yes,” Gabe said.
Eden sat up slowly, a smidgen of her stubborn self coming back. Even though the Bound had taken him, she was still alive. Well, at least she would be shortly. I can do this, she thought.
“Are Jarrod and Sullivan ready?” she asked.
“Sullivan is. Jarrod said he won’t change until you’re both mortal.”
A ghost of a smile passed across Eden’s lips. He was going to have a hard adjustment to being normal again. Eden turned to Gabe suddenly. “Kristen,” she said. “Have they made her mortal yet? Is she here?”
“No,” Gabe said, looking pained. “Luke took her.” His face went bitter. “She’s a smart girl, though, and his game’s obvious this time. She’ll come back.”
“What do you mean?” Eden asked, confused.
Gabe waited, as if he wanted her to figure it out herself, but Eden was too tired to try. “Eden, Luke only needs one Sider to start this all over again.”
A knock on the door interrupted before she could respond. Jarrod opened it. “Sorry,” he said, looking from her to Gabe. “Raphael said to tell you it’s time. They won’t wait anymore.”
Against her, Eden felt Gabe tense. “You tell him I said he can wait until she’s—”
She laid a hand on his and gave it a squeeze, cutting him off. “No, it’s okay,” she said, braving a smile. This is it.
This is the start.
She peeled back the blanket and dropped Gabe’s hand as she stood. “I’m ready,” Eden said.
Acknowledgments
Thanks as always to Scott Tracey, Heather Aslaksen, and Courtney Moulton for dealing with the crazy. To Martha Mihalick and Eloise Flood for helping take this manuscript to the next level. To Ro Stimo for being in my corner. MANY thanks to Paul Zakris and Ali Smith for all three of the beautiful covers in this trilogy. To Princess Weekes for braving NYC alleys for me. And most of all, to you, the person reading this. Thank you for coming along on the journey with Eden and me.
Acknowledgments
Thanks as always to Scott Tracey, Heather Aslaksen, and Courtney Moulton for dealing with the crazy. To Martha Mihalick and Eloise Flood for helping take this manuscript to the next level. To Ro Stimo for being in my corner. MANY thanks to Paul Zakris and Ali Smith for all three of the beautiful covers in this tril
ogy. To Princess Weekes for braving NYC alleys for me. And most of all, to you, the person reading this. Thank you for coming along on the journey with Eden and me.
About the Author
LEAH CLIFFORD is the author of A Touch Mortal and A Touch Morbid. She was also an extreme-cave-tour guide, a pizza delivery girl, a waitress, and a grocery store clerk before becoming a full-time writer. She lives near Cleveland, Ohio.
www.leahclifford.com
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
About the Author
LEAH CLIFFORD is the author of A Touch Mortal and A Touch Morbid. She was also an extreme-cave-tour guide, a pizza delivery girl, a waitress, and a grocery store clerk before becoming a full-time writer. She lives near Cleveland, Ohio.
www.leahclifford.com
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
Credits
Cover art © 2013 by Ali Smith Photography
Cover design by Paul Zakris
Credits
Cover art © 2013 by Ali Smith Photography
Cover design by Paul Zakris
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
A Touch Menacing
Text copyright © 2013 by Leah Clifford
www.epicreads.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Clifford, Leah.
A touch menacing / by Leah Clifford.
“Greenwillow Books.”
Sequel to: A touch morbid.
Summary: “Eden is a Sider, a being caught between life and death, with unspeakable powers. And she’s in love with Az, a tortured soul—a fallen angel. To save each other, to save their friends and life on earth itself, Eden and Az may have to sacrifice themselves”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-06-200505-2 (trade ed.)
EPUB Edition JANUARY 2013 ISBN 9780062203038
[1. Future life—Fiction. 2. Angels—Fiction. 3. Demonology—Fiction.
4. Dead—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.C622148Tm 2013 [Fic]—dc23 2012046047
13 14 15 16 17 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
Greenwillow Books
Clifford, Leah.
p. cm.
Sequel to: A touch morbid.
ISBN 978-0-06-200505-2 (trade ed.)
[1. Future life—Fiction. 2. Angels—Fiction. 3. Demonology—Fiction.
4. Dead—Fiction.] I. Title.
13 14 15 16 17 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
Greenwillow Books
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A Touch Menacing Page 43
