Truth and Consequences

by Cate Dean

  ~ ~ ~

  Zach and Simon took me to a huge apartment, right over the most delicious smelling take out. I could have kissed him when he stopped and placed an order, arranging for it to be delivered upstairs. Then he grabbed my hand, helped me up the stairs, and practically dragged me to a soft, comfy sofa, pulling me down with him.

  “Talk,” he said.

  So I did. Something about both of them made me feel safe, and I spilled it all—from the day I met Jake-as-monster to reading about them in my guide the night before.

  The food came, and I paused long enough for Zach to distribute the food and sit back down.

  I spent a few minutes worshipping the most amazing roast beef sandwich I have ever tasted. Then Simon cleared his throat, pulling me back to the moment.

  “Right. Sorry—this is the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time.”

  Zach had already started in on his second sandwich. “I swear Lily adds something to them. I’ve been hooked since my first taste.” He glanced over when Simon cleared his throat. “Keep going. I should be able to hear you over the sound of my moaning.”

  I laughed, liking Zach. Liking both of them.

  Setting down the sandwich, I used it as an excuse not to meet their eyes as I told them about Hyattown, and what happened down there.

  Simon leaned against the wall, arms crossed, until I mentioned the guide.

  He pushed off and crouched in front of me, those green eyes so intense I wanted to look anywhere but at him. Remembering my vow back in October not to be a coward, I met his eyes, clutching the edge of the sofa cushion. Zach carefully pried one hand free, twined our fingers together. His touch made me feel safe. Safer than I’d felt in a long time.

  “You read about guardian angels in this guide?”

  “It mentioned the mark on Zach’s wrist. That was how I knew.”

  “Did it mention any other angels?”

  “Fallen angels, and how they can retain some of their former powers. Why?”

  Zach shook his head at Simon, who ignored him and kept going. “And did it mention seekers?”

  “Simon—”

  I nodded, focusing on his quiet, gentle voice. “It said that seekers are rare, really rare, because they had to be, because they were . . .” I looked from Simon to Zach, and the truth hit me like a fist.

  Zach hunched over in pain, vulnerable, a dead friend watching over him . . .

  “You—you are—”

  With a sigh, Zach nodded. “A seeker.”

  “But—you’re a guardian angel. How can you—”

  “I wasn’t always a guardian.”

  “But a seeker—you can only be a seeker if—” My brain refused to function at that point, because I just remembered the final detail from the guide.

  A seeker was an angel who chose to fall to earth, to become human. I was holding hands with an—angel. No wonder he was so beautiful, so inhumanly perfect. He was an—

  “Alex.” Simon’s voice jerked me back. “It just hit you, didn’t it.”

  “Yeah,” I whispered. I was having a pow wow with an angel, and a ghost. That shouldn’t be a big deal, since I’m in love with a boy who is also a Fenris Wolf, but—an angel. Shouldn’t my eyes be burning? Oh—maybe the whole fallen thing erased that nasty part of the angel thing. I turned to Zach, tried not to flinch when I looked in his eyes. “How?”

  “I wanted what I couldn’t have—I wanted to be human. For that I was cast out, made a guardian, without any hope of redemption. Until I met someone willing to help me.”

  “Did you—did it hurt, when you fell?”

  “I don’t remember much about it. Which is probably a good thing.” He flashed a devastating smile at me. Some girl was going to lose her heart to him after one shot of that smile. “Where did you get this guide?”

  “It was written for the haven under my town, by one of the people who—” I cut myself off, wanting to slap my forehead. I couldn’t believe I forgot. “You have one here, too.”

  They both stared at me like I just grew an extra head.

  Zach managed to recover first. “We have a—what did you call it—a haven, here?”

  “Somewhere outside town. There’s a map in my guide, marking them around the world.”

  Zach and Simon exchanged glances. “You would have known, Simon. You would have seen—”

  “Only if he’d been to the haven,” I said. “Unless he has some superhero power that lets him see—”

  “The power of those who have it? Check.” I stared at Simon, wanting to know more. He smiled. “Childhood injury, allows me to see power of pretty much any kind. With an exception or two.” He stood, running one hand through his hair. “Why can’t I see anyone from this haven?”

  “There’s some kind of protection field, at least around ours, and one other that I know of. I figured it would be the same for the others, to hide them in plain sight.” He nodded, waiting for me to continue. “There’s also a pendant the residents can wear. I think it has the same protection—only someone who has been touched by this field can see past the pendant. Otherwise they are almost invisible. I tested it. Accidentally the first time.”

  “That must have been a shock.” Simon flashed his own heart melting smile.

  “You have no idea.”

  “You’re sure?” Zach frowned at me. “About us having one of these havens nearby?”

  I sighed. “You’re on the map. Let me ask you this—does Santa Luna attract more than its usual share of weird?” Zach and Simon looked at each other, then back at me. “Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. There’s an underground network that spreads the word about these safe places to those who might need one. You probably see them before they hit the haven, but you won’t after they’ve been there.”

  “Because of this pendant,” Simon said. I nodded. “That explains a lot. And you’re right, Alex. Santa Luna has more than its share of strange. I thought it was—never mind. I’d like to know more.”

  “I can make copies of the guide. But there’s supposed to be one for each haven, so I’m guessing if you look around, you’ll come across one.” Now it was my turn for a question. I turned to Zach. “What was happening to you in the alley—did that have to do with you being a seeker?”

  Zach flinched, and I wanted to take it back. Simon spoke before I could.

  “Tell her. She already knows more than anyone outside the family.”

  Swallowing, Zach pulled free, stared at his hands while he talked. “As a seeker, I have a huge weakness. I call it the F word syndrome. If someone asks me to—” He cut himself off, grabbed a pad of paper and a pen off the coffee table and wrote on it. “Read it. To yourself.”

  He held up the pad. Scrawled over it was a single word. Find. Oh—the F word.

  “So—they ask you to—F something, and you double over in pain?”

  “Until I recover it. Fun times.”

  “Were you looking for something?”

  “No.” He pushed the rich golden brown hair off his forehead. “And that’s where the weakness comes in. Lately, if I just hear the F word, that’s all it takes. Someone was walking by me and said it.” Zach touched the amethyst again and glanced over at Simon. “It seems like every power associated with the—old me has spiraled out of control.”

  “Like puberty,” I said. I was kidding, but they both stared at me. Then Simon started laughing.

  “I think she nailed it, Zach.”

  “But, how—”

  “You’re human now, and though you may not look it, your body still thinks you’re only about fifteen. And I bet the raging hormones are playing havoc with your power.”

  “Jeez.”

  Simon let out another laugh. “Welcome to the human race, son.” He sat next to me, and I felt the heat/cold radiating from him. Part of me wanted to take his hand again, but I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to risk the possible frostbite. “Now that you’ve pretty much proved that you know there’s more around us than other humans, what
is this solution you mentioned?”

  “Sam—the boy I told you about—he’s having the same problem. Controlling a part of himself that just recently manifested. Namely, the turning-into-a-monster part. For now, I seem to be his calming influence.” The knowledge still made me blush. Simon smiled, and brushed his fingers over my wrist. “Anyway, I think if you had some sort of focus, something you could do yourself, it might help you when you’re unexpectedly slapped with the F word.”

  “It’ll have to be something I can wear, and tap into without much effort. Not my amethyst,” he said, as Simon started to mention it. “There’s still a connection to Mom, and I won’t risk her being hurt by this.”

  Mom? A fallen angel/guardian angel has a mom?

  Zach obviously realized he hit the too much information zone, because he shut up fast, and tried to stand.

  I caught him before he could escape. My arms were still sore from practice, but the new strength sure came in handy. Zach looked at me, surprise and a new respect lighting his intense blue eyes.

  “Sit down,” I said. “Explain.”

  “I can’t—”

  “I just spilled my guts all over this room, so yes, you can. Now talk.”

  With a sigh, he leaned back, aimed a glare at Simon, who was fighting hard not to laugh, and started talking.

  “Her name is Claire Wiche, and she owns the Wicca store down the street.”

  “The Wiche’s Broom?” He nodded. “I’ve driven past it, on my way to class.” Now it was first on my to do list, just to meet her.

  “She—helps people, when someone, or something has invaded their life. I was one of those someones.”

  “She met you when you—before you—”

  “She helped me fall.” He glanced over at Simon, who nodded. “What I’m going to tell you doesn’t leave this room. Ever.” Swallowing, I nodded. This was going to be monumental. Maybe life changing. Zach took a deep breath, touched his amethyst. “My mom is one of the original fallen. Those who stood up with Lucifer, and were thrown out of Heaven. She gave me her grace, and that allowed me to get back into Heaven long enough to fall.”

  Okay—now I definitely had to meet her. “You mom is an—angel.”

  I saw every muscle tense. “Not exactly.”

  What was I missing? Lucifer, the fallen angels tossed out of Heaven . . . oh. My Sunday school lessons floated out of my memory, slapped me as they sharpened, and I remembered. Those angels became—

  Sweet God in Heaven, they became demons. The first demons.

  “I should go.”

  I leaped up before Zach had a chance to grab me. I almost made it to the door—then Simon appeared right in front of me.

  “Sorry, sweetheart. We’re not done yet.”

  “I won’t tell anyone.” This felt like my conversation with Sam—when I found out his family’s dark secret. “I swear—I’m fantastic at keeping secrets. Just ask my—” Simon’s laughter rudely interrupted my plea. “What?”

  “Claire will enjoy meeting you.”

  “How did you—I mean, I wasn’t really planning on—”

  “Alex.” Simon laid his hand on my shoulder, just long enough to make his point. “Don’t ever play poker.”

  “Oh.” Yeah—I don’t do passive face all that well. “I do mean it.” I turned back to face Zach—and jumped when I found him right behind me. It scared me, more than a little, that I didn’t feel him there. At all. “I won’t tell anyone.”

  He studied me, those blue eyes so dark, so focused, I felt like I was being measured. And not really sure I would come out on the good side. The same blue shimmer I saw before surrounded him, less threatening but just as jaw dropping.

  “Okay,” he said. I almost sagged in relief. “Simon—we’ll need to start researching protective stones. ASAP.”

  “You could ask Claire—”

  “I don’t want her to know about this. Ever.” He looked straight at me. Right—I was the only one in the room who could actually tell her. “She’s dealing with enough right now.”

  I bet they had some stories. We could swap—after I wrapped my head around the fact that Zach was an angel, and stopped staring at him with what I knew was straight up, slack jawed awe. Never mind talking to a ghost.

  “Well,” I forced a bright smile. Trapped between two supernatural creatures—no matter how stunning—was starting to break down my connection to reality. “I really should get—” My voice froze in my throat when I caught sight of the clock across the room. “Oh, God—is that the time?”

  I missed my hourly check in with Mom. By, oh, about an hour. I was so screwed.

  “Hey.” Zach touched my wrist. It jerked me out of visions of Mom boarding me in my room. “Everything okay?”

  “I missed a call in deadline. Recent events, paranoid parents.” Zach nodded. I figured he’d understand. “I really do have to go. I don’t want to subject you to all the crying and pleading.”

  They both laughed, and the tension that weighted the air eased off.

  Simon stepped away from the door, and Zach opened it for me. “Let me give you my cell number.” I handed him my phone, watched him tap it in. “Call me, if you need anything. I’ll do the same.” With a shy smile, he returned my phone, and handed over his. I added my number, gave it back to him. “Just don’t use the F word. I’d really appreciate that. And writing a note to remind yourself before you call me would really be appreciated.”

  I smiled. “You got it.” Relief snuck in past the awe as I stepped over the threshold. “Thanks, for an unforgettable afternoon. I’ll get a copy of the guide to you.”

  They crowded in the doorway, watching me limp down the stairs, two of the most unique people I have ever met. And that’s saying a lot, considering the last two months. I wanted to talk to them again, and soon. Their energy, and their obvious love for each other left me feeling—safe, and right now that was a feeling I wanted more often.

  Dreading what I was about to do, I ducked into the same alley where I met Zach and Simon, swiped my phone and tapped in the number for home.

  “Margaret Agnes Alexandrea Finch!” Mom’s voice blasted out of the phone before I could say a word. “Get your grounded butt home right this instant. I don’t want to hear anything but the sound of you nodding.”

  “Mom—”

  “What did I just say?”

  “I want to explain—”

  “And I told you there would be no second chances. Now get yourself—”

  Someone slammed into me from behind. I lost my grip on the phone and watched it bounce on the ground, cracking the front screen.

  “Damn it.” I turned, ready to take my temper out on whoever was dumb enough to pick that second to invade my space. I didn’t get the chance to say another word.

  Strong hands grabbed me, whirled me around and threw me at the nearest wall.

  I managed to catch myself before I hit face first, scraping my palms on the rough brick. The same hands caught my arm, spun me and slammed me into the wall.

  “Why the hell couldn’t you stay out of it?”

  “Mr. Hyatt?” I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The always impeccable, better-than-thou Mr. Hyatt looked like he’d slept in his expensive suit, his hair as wild as his eyes. “What are you doing?”

  “You stupid girl.” He dug his fingers into my arm, slapping me when I tried to pull away. Hard. “Why didn’t you just leave it alone? Now I have to take steps.”

  Blinking tears of pain out of my eyes, I saw the knife—right before he pressed it against my throat. I forgot all about the stinging in my cheek.

  “Mr. Hyatt.” I kept my voice low, calm, even though every nerve was screaming to run. “You don’t need to do this. We can pretend it never happened, go on with life as usual—”

  “It’s too late.” I gasped as the edge of the blade nicked my throat. Blood slid down my skin. “Too late for me, and too late for you.”

  “What would Katie say if she saw you right now?”<
br />
  It was a desperate play—one that could completely backfire. But I felt the hand holding the knife against my throat shaking, like he was trying to control an impulse that would leave me bleeding on the sidewalk.

  He closed his eyes. Just not long enough for me to do anything.

  “She’s too young to understand—”

  “You underestimate her.” That angry gaze bored into me. I swallowed and kept going. Kept talking. Kept him distracted until I could figure out a way to escape. “She’s strong, and brave, and the smartest little girl I’ve met in a long time.”

  “She shouldn’t have to be brave!” He pressed against the blade and I grabbed his wrist, knowing even as I tried to push him away that I was no match for his strength. “And none of this would have been stirred up again if you hadn’t stuck your nose where it didn’t belong.”

  “I didn’t start the fire ten years ago.” He stilled, his ragged breath the only sound. “Did you, Mr. Hyatt?”

  For a terrifying second I thought he was going to hit me. The rage in his face died, leaving behind a despair I found more frightening. “I had nothing to do with what happened ten years ago. But Mary—she cared, far too much, about what lived right under our feet. And when she decided to do something about it, I was too late. Too late to stop her, too late to save them.”

  Mrs. Hyatt set the fire. Which meant—

  “Oh, God,” I whispered.

  She kidnapped her own daughter.

  ~ ~ ~

  Mr. Hyatt’s body pressed me into the wall. I knew what was coming next. And I had no way to stop it.

  “Please,” I whispered. “You don’t have to do this.” He stared through me, like I no longer mattered, like I was a task that needed to be completed before he could go on to the next one. “Mr. Hyatt—”

  “Shut up!” The knife slid down my throat, biting into the skin over my collarbone. “Do you think I want to do this? If you stupid kids just stayed away, just kept your mouth shut—”

  “We won’t tell anyone. We haven’t told—”

  “I saw it.” His fingers vised my arm, so tight I knew I’d find bruises there later. If there was a later. “I saw the Devil walking our streets, again.” What looked like grief darkened his eyes. “The haven was destroyed, so there would be no place for—”