by G. P. Ching
“Mom, I’m not actually dating Jacob anymore. I’m not actually dating anyone.”
Her mother’s eyebrows knit together. “How did I not know this? When did this happen?”
“We broke up a couple of weeks ago.” Malini pressed her lips together.
“Who are you going to prom with then?”
Malini had to think of what to say. “His name is Henry. He’s just a friend.”
Her mother stood and reached for the hanger of the dress draped across Malini’s arm. She looked disturbed, almost angry, as she held it up and pinched the fabric. “I will tell you this, Malini; Jacob Lau will rue the day he broke up with you when he sees you in this. You will make him cry.”
She was going to say that she didn’t want to make Jacob cry but her mother had already jetted toward the cashier. Deep within her heart, some part of Malini hoped her mother was right.
* * * * *
Malini spent the week staring out windows. What were the Watchers waiting for? She knew it was just a matter of time before an army of fallen angels came for her. She’d expected it would be sooner rather than later. She almost wished it would happen now. That would save her from prom.
She pulled on the red dress and strapped on her black heels. Her hair was curled and piled atop her head. Her makeup was more natural than what she’d worn to dance with Death the first time, but more her style. As a final touch, she reached for the red stone necklace on her bureau.
“Here, let me get that for you.” Her mother walked into her room and accepted the gold chain from Malini’s hand. “You look smashing. I might have to hold your date up when he sees you. And that Jacob—”
“Mom, it’s okay. I don’t want Jacob to suffer for what happened.”
Her mother pursed her lips and clipped the stone around her neck. “This necklace is quite lovely.” She took the stone in her hand and rubbed her thumb over it. Malini placed her own hand over the jewel on her chest, worried her mother would get pulled across to the other side.
“It’s nothing. Cheap costume jewelry I picked up at Macy’s the last time we were there.”
“I don’t remember.”
“You were looking at something with dad.”
“Oh. Lucky, it matches the dress so well. I think it is a sign you will have the time of your life tonight.”
“I hope so.” Malini smiled at her mother’s enthusiasm just as the sound of the doorbell ringing turned their heads.
“Showtime,” her mother said, jogging down the stairs. Malini followed but at a much slower pace; she wasn’t used to walking in high heels.
The door was already open by the time she clopped across the marble foyer. Her mother and father turned to her with astonished faces. She shuffled faster to get a view of what was on the other side.
When Death went to prom, he did it up right. Henry stood on her porch looking even more dapper than before. The tuxedo he wore maintained its otherworldly quality, draping majestically over his obviously athletic physique. Despite his dark sunglasses, she knew he was checking her out. Besides the flare of red she caught behind the shades, the corner of his mouth lifted.
It was what she saw behind him in her driveway that had left her parents speechless. There was a carriage, black and intricately carved like something out of Victorian England, being pulled by two sleek black horses that were neighing and hoofing the pavement. The sun was setting behind this scene, painting the sky red and purple. All she could think of was how the picture outside her door belonged in a movie scene, not in her life, not in anyone’s real life.
“It has been a sincere pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Gupta,” Henry said in a soft voice that commanded more attention than its volume let on. He extended his hand toward her. “Shall we go? Your awesome beauty will have me standing in the doorway for hours if I’m not careful.” The compliment made the bones of her right hand vibrate, as if he’d plucked a cord that thrummed through her body.
She placed the tingling hand in his and that part of her went home. She allowed Henry to lead her out the door. Her father scurried to find his camera. He snapped a half-dozen pictures of them in the yard and then another dozen getting into the carriage.
When the door was finally closed and her father had lowered the camera, the driver turned back and tipped his hat in her direction. Malini saw a flash of bones through the illusion of his flesh. With a crack of the reins, the horses broke into an even trot and Malini waved goodbye to her parents.
“This is amazing, Henry,” she said.
“It is not every day I get to have a truly human experience. It’s been decades since I’ve been invited here and normally my visits are on the heels of tragedy.”
“You said you used to be human?”
“Oh, yes. I was your age when I was chosen,” he said sadly. Malini got the sense that it was a distressing memory and didn’t press him with questions.
“I think you’ll enjoy yourself tonight. Our friend, Dane, has helped plan the entire event. There’s a dinner and dancing. It should be fun.”
He turned toward her, orangey flames licking up around her reflection in his pupils. “I enjoy dancing with you, Malini. You are the first in over a century to make me think about beginnings. My world is usually about endings.”
“Do you think it’s because of the hand? It vibrates a little when I’m near you.”
“It is highly possible. Your hand is a piece of me. I’ve never given a gift of that magnitude before.”
Malini leaned back in the seat and tossed the comment around in her head. It was odd to think of having a piece of someone attached to your body. Frankenstein-ish. If she hadn’t been a freak before, this certainly pushed her over the edge. She couldn’t meet his eyes, so she looked out toward the driver and the horses. A ray of light from the sunset broke through the clouds and she could see his bones x-ray style.
“The driver is dead.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes. As are the horses. Besides you and the immortals, all of my friends are dead.”
Malini smoothed her dress as they pulled into the parking lot of Paris High School. “Maybe it would be best if the other students didn’t know who you were. Can we just say you’re from a school up north?”
“Agreed. And don’t worry, the only reason you can tell about the driver and the horses is your hand. To humans they appear quite alive.”
“That’s a relief.”
The carriage came to a halt. The driver jumped down from his bench and swung open the door, reaching for her hand to help her down. At first she offered her left, but the man snatched his away before she could touch him.
“Not your healing hand, Malini. Sam is perfectly happy with remaining dead.”
She offered her right and gingerly stepped down to the pavement. There were hoards of students arriving and they were all staring. A couple of the wealthier students had rented limos but no one had procured a horse-drawn carriage. As far as Malini knew, this was a first for Paris. But the carriage wasn’t the only reason the other students were snapping pictures, some more candidly than others.
“Henry, has anyone ever told you, you look remarkably like a certain pop star?”
“What’s a pop star?”
“Pop is a type of music. Popular stuff. You look like a certain popular musician.”
“Like Mozart? I look like a modern-day Mozart?”
“I was actually thinking more like a modern-day Bieber.”
“Bieber? Never heard of him.”
“You could be brothers.” A bigger, darker, and more sophisticated brother.
“I hope he’s a respectable musician then. I would hate our resemblance to sully your friends’ first impression of me.”
“Oh, he’s respectable. There will be no sullying,” Malini said. If anything there might be jealousy, and she was hoping that one boy in particular would suffer from the green monster.
He took her elbow and led her toward the double doors in a straight-backed gesture
that belonged somewhere in the past or in a fairy tale but not in Paris, Illinois. There were people attending in jeans and sport jackets. Malini was certain that no one would suspect that Henry was Death, but the way he looked, everyone would know he wasn’t from Paris.
Henry held the door for her and she walked to a welcome table surrounded by students. When the crowd broke, she saw Dane handing out favors.
“Malini! Happy prom. Here’s your table card. Would you like halo or wings?”
“What?”
“The theme … Haven’t you noticed? It’s heaven on Earth.”
Malini took a good look around. Cut-out clouds hung from the ceiling, puffy cotton mounds filled the corners and the signs were decorated in sparkly gold. The doors to the gym were painted to look like the pearly gates.
“Wow …this is…”
“Heavenly?” He held up a headband with a tinsel halo and a set of feathery white wings with elastic straps. “They hook on your shoulders. I have them in black, too.”
“I’ll take a halo,” Malini said. Henry reached for a pair of black wings.
“What happened to your zombie idea?”
Malini turned at the sound of Jacob’s voice behind her. He was dressed in a black tux with a gray cummerbund that matched the color of Mara’s filmy spaghetti-strap dress. She realized she was staring but couldn’t stop herself.
“If either of you would have attended any of the prom planning meetings, you would know that the zombie idea was shot down. Not romantic enough. This little stroke of genius was also my idea however. I feel vindicated.” Dane handed Jacob and Mara wings, pausing once he noticed the stare-fest between Malini and Jacob.
“You look beautiful, Malini,” Jacob said. His eyes washed over her, then settled on Henry. His lids lowered to a more menacing glare. “I don’t believe we’ve officially met. I’m Jacob.” He extended his hand in Henry’s direction.
Henry shook the hand offered to him and bowed slightly at the waist. “I’m Henry,” he said. “Malini’s date.” Malini knew when Jacob noticed Henry’s inhuman gaze. He jumped backward a little, dropping Henry’s hand like it was hot.
Mara scowled, embarrassed by the rude gesture, and took up Henry’s hand. “I’m Mara. It’s nice to meet you, Henry.”
Henry met her eyes as he had Jacob’s but she didn’t jerk when she noticed what he was. Instead, she sank into his stare with a sort of open-mouthed enthrallment that Malini found slightly unsettling.
“You all should go inside,” Dane interrupted, clearing his throat. “They’re going to serve dinner soon. It’s chicken. Everyone loves chicken.”
All four of them turned to look at Dane. After an awkward pause, Malini remembered her manners. “Will you be joining us at our table, Dane?”
“You bet. I’ll see ya in there.” Dane turned to greet Phillip Westcott, who was attending with Amy Barger. Malini’s stomach dropped. She thought of how hard this must be for Dane. She made a silent promise to try to help him have a good time tonight and gave him a reassuring nod.
Taking Henry’s hand, she led him through the pearly gates. Inside the gym, Malini wove her way to table eight, taking in the dance floor and the D.J., who was looking bored in the corner. The walls were decorated with black material and peppered with stars. A shiny moon crescent dangled from the ceiling along with more clouds and stars.
“This doesn’t look anything like Heaven, Malini,” Henry said. He scowled at the celestial decorations.
Mara, who’d followed them to the table, grabbed his elbow. “You’ve been to Heaven?”
“Not exactly. I’ve seen what it looks like through the door—”
“Henry!” Malini snapped. She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “Remember what we talked about. You’re a normal teenage boy from a different school.”
“Is she not a Soulkeeper?” he whispered back.
“Yes, but there are ears everywhere. This is not the time.”
Mara crossed her arms across the front of her dress and glowered at Malini. “Oh, please.” She waved her hand around the room. “Look at these people. They’re so into themselves. No one gives a damn what we’re talking about.”
Henry raised his eyebrows in her direction and smiled. He crossed to Mara and pulled out a chair at the table for her. “As I was saying…” he began again, taking a seat next to her.
Furious, Malini turned her back on the conversation, which left her staring out at an empty dance floor.
“You look amazing, Malini,” Jacob said from behind her right shoulder. “Breathtaking actually. No one here can hold a candle.”
She turned toward him. “What about Mara?”
“What about her? I said no one.” Jacob’s face was gravely serious. “I just wanted you to know.” He backed away toward the table and took a seat next to Mara, who was deep in conversation with Henry.
Malini watched him go, a warm melty feeling creeping through her chest. She sat down next to Henry, which at the round table left her facing Jacob. For a moment, there was no one else in the room. Their eyes met across the bursting silver centerpiece, and it was all there in his face, a mutual agreement that they’d come with the wrong people. There was still something between them.
“Ranch, Italian, or French?” A waitress leaned over Malini’s shoulder with a tray full of salad dressing options.
“French,” Malini said. Henry was quick to mimic her response although he didn’t seem to recognize any of the flavors. The waitress ladled the dressing onto the salad that had magically appeared in front of them. When had that happened? Maybe at the same time as Dane had taken his seat next to her.
“So what do you guys think?” Dane waved his hand at the decorations.
“It’s perfect!” Jacob said, a little too quickly. Malini nodded enthusiastically.
Dane beamed. “I thought you would like it!” He wore a white tux with a lavender cummerbund, an odd choice considering he didn’t have a date. A pair of white wings were strapped to his shoulders. “Too bad Gideon isn’t here, right?”
Malini laughed. Gideon would stand out like a beacon anywhere he went in his angel form. The comment reminded her how much she missed him. Gideon had been such a great help to her, the only help she’d received before her initiation. She hoped watching over Katrina wasn’t too much of a burden for him.
Although she went through the motions of forking it in, chewing, and swallowing, she barely tasted her food. It felt like a string or a very strong magnet was implanted in her chest, and every five minutes or so she would find her attention drifting back toward Jacob. It didn’t help that Henry and Mara were deep in conversation, which left her ample opportunity. Thank goodness for Dane. He was chattering on about how they found a company to donate the wings and halos.
“Would you like to dance?” Jacob asked. When had he made his way around the table? Malini glanced at the dance floor, filling fast as couples finished dinner. She was going to say that she should have the first dance with Henry, to be polite, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw him rise and take Mara’s hand. They scurried toward the dance floor as if they were afraid she might say something if given the chance. She gave up on propriety and reached for Jacob’s hand.
“I’d love to.” She rose from her chair and allowed him to lead her to the floor. The music was slow and he pulled her into his chest. She ached to close that wretched inch between them, to grab his face and dig her fingers into his hair. She reminded herself that he was here with someone else. He’d kissed Mara. The act itself was bad enough but when she considered the timing it was so much worse. She could’ve died during the initiation and he was passing the time making out with someone else.
“Don’t do that. Don’t leave me again,” he whispered into her ear.
“What do you mean? I’m right here.”
“Your body is, but your mind is somewhere else. You’re thinking about it, about what I did.”
“How can I not think about it?” Her eyes stung but s
he refused to cry.
“I told you before, I didn’t initiate it. I should’ve done more to stop it and sooner. I admit that and I’m sorry. But do you want to go on like this? Staring at each other across the table like we’re twelve?”
She rolled her eyes and put some space between them as they swayed to the music.
“Don’t deny it. I saw the way you looked at me. You know as well as I do that we’re supposed to be together.”
“I told you, Jacob. We’re not destined for each other like I thought. We don’t have to be together. If you want Mara, you can have her.”
“I don’t want Mara.”
“Then why did you bring her?”
“For the same reason you brought Henry.”
“I like Henry.”
“You also like cheese, and by the chemistry or lack of it between you two, I’m guessing Henry is a close second.”
She was about to protest and say with certainty that she liked Henry better than cheese when a scream rose up from the center of the crowd. Malini pivoted toward the sound, the smell of Watcher scorching her nose.
“Jacob, they’re here!” she yelled.
The crowd parted. People ran for the exits. Malini saw him then, the man in the light-gray suit. He could have been one of the other students’ parents if it weren’t for two things: he had an obsidian blade held against the neck of Amy Barger, and he reeked of Watcher.
“Come here, Healer, or the girl dies.” The man’s voice hissed like fire doused with water.
“Who are you?” Malini asked, remaining exactly where she was.
“You Soulkeepers never recognize me as you should. You’d do well to remember my face. I can do things for you that He never would.” His hair was blonde and meticulously groomed, and like all Watchers he was tall and muscular, as attractive as a movie star. Watchers could change their appearance at will, which meant they chose to be forever beautiful. But Malini knew what lingered beneath the false exterior.
“You’re a Watcher. Are you some kind of leader?”
He jerked back in offense, pressing the blade into the girl’s neck. Amy screamed and a drop of blood trailed down her throat.
