Angelfire (11 page)

“Why not?”

“They know that I can sense if you're distressed, and I'll be with you whether I'm close by or not.”

“You always have to disprove my logic, don't you?”

“And you always ask too many questions.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And
you
never answer enough of them. You're obnoxious. I'll see you later. You're still coming to the party, right?”

“Yes,” he said. “Because you wish me to, I will.”

“Great. I'm counting on you.”

“You always can.”

BY SEVEN O'CLOCK, MY MOM, KATE, AND I HAD MOST of the decorations up. Landon and Chris had taped streamers and dangly stars to the ceiling and columns in the living room. I tried not to let things get awkward with Landon, but he seemed to be over what had happened the night before. He helped reach the higher places for decorations and strung up paper lanterns outside on the patio.

I jogged upstairs to the bathroom to shower and put on my dress. My winged necklace was the perfect accessory. Kate and I did each other's hair, and when we were ready, we met the boys out on the patio to show off our outfits. Landon and Chris seemed very pleased with the dresses.

“You look great, Ellie,” Landon said.

“Thank you!” I replied, beaming.

“Kate, don't you think that is a little revealing?” my
mom asked, shooting her an odd look.

Kate shrugged. “My boobs aren't showing.”

“That is such a shame,” Chris said as he passed her, and she promptly smacked him on the shoulder.

Night had fallen, the paper lanterns were lit, and my backyard was a glittering stage. The lantern light gleamed and sparkled off the surface of the pool. Beyond the backyard was a stretch of woods that led to a small lake behind our neighborhood, and moonlight streaked in between the trees, making the lawn glow. I couldn't be happier. Burning with excitement, I hugged and thanked everyone. When my dad got home, I dragged him outside to see everything, but his expression made me clam up.

“Do we really need all of this?” he said, scowling.

“It's my birthday,” I insisted. “Doesn't the yard look nice?”

“This is absurd.”

“We just put up paper lanterns.”

Something in his gaze flickered, dark and deeper than anger, like shadows passing behind his eyes. I blinked in surprise.

He gave his head a shake and the look vanished. “I have no idea why you'd make such a big deal out of this.”

I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of his statement if I hadn't been so close to tears. “It's my birthday.”

“Aren't you getting a little old for birthday parties?”

He held my gaze for another agonizing few moments, his upper lip twitching. Then he made an unintelligible noise
and eased across the patio to inspect the burgers Mom had cooking on the grill. He inhaled the grilling meat deeply, acting as if he hadn't just practically broken my heart. Why would he say something so dismissive and hurtful? Didn't he understand how important my birthday party was to me? Wasn't I important to him?

I bit hard on my tongue to keep myself from crying and making my mascara run, and I stomped inside the house. Mom had set a beautiful two-tiered cake on the bar in the kitchen and moved the stools out into the dining room so people wouldn't have to scramble around them to get to the cake. Chris had brought some speakers; he plugged in his laptop, and soon the house was filled with thumping music. Everything was almost enough for me to forget how cruel my dad had just been to me. Almost.

At eight the guests began arriving. Kate enjoyed playing hostess, letting everyone in the front door and leading them through the foyer into the living room. My friends told me how great I looked and, one by one, hugged me before going off to enjoy the cake and music. Evan and Rachel had arrived just as the house was beginning to get crowded. I was happy to see that Josie Newport showed up—with her entourage trailing behind her. She wore a sunny yellow cocktail dress and her walnut-colored hair hung in loose curls around her tanned shoulders. She smiled at me and gave me a hug that felt authentic and wished me happy birthday.

My house and backyard were filled with high school students by nine thirty. Mom and Dad had retreated upstairs when the place started to get too busy for them, and I was glad. No one wants their parents hanging around their party. I moved from group to group, chatting and dancing, and when I spotted Will, I stopped dead in my tracks.

He had
actually
come. I was even more shocked to see him wearing a nice pair of black slacks and a well-fitted garnet-colored silk shirt with the top few buttons left undone and no tie. Only a small portion of his tattoos was visible above his shirt collar. Before I could get his attention, one of Josie's friends, Harper—or Harpy, as we all liked to call her behind her back—was there in front of him introducing herself. I stifled a laugh when I saw the apathy on his face. Harper wrapped an arm around his and proceeded to guide him farther into the party. Behind them, Kate made a comical face and an equally appropriate hand gesture that made me laugh. When Will's gaze caught mine, he pulled free of Harper's grip without a word to her and walked up to me. She deflated and gaped in disbelief, while I couldn't stifle the victorious smirk on my face. That would teach Harpy to think she owned the place—
and
Will! Not that I was territorial or anything. Okay, maybe a
smidge
.

Kate brushed by me and stopped to make a gagging noise into my ear. “I can't believe Josie brought Harpy Knight,” she said in a low, annoyed voice. “She's such a termagant.”

I laughed and nodded even though I had no idea what that meant. Kate grinned, flashing her bright white teeth, and moved on.

Will stepped close to me and bent his head down to speak into my ear. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” I said, biting my lip when I felt myself blushing. “You look very sharp yourself. Where'd you get the shirt?”

“A friend.”

“
You
have friends?”

“Don't be so shocked. I've lived a long time. I was bound to find someone who likes me. It was just Nathaniel, anyway.”

“Oh, that's so cute,” I said, pinching his cheek. “He shopped for you. You're, like, biffles.”

He brushed me off and looked around the living room. “That's enough of that.”

I grinned at him, resting my hands on my hips. “You look so tense.”

“It felt weird coming in the front door.”

“Oh, yes,” I replied with a small laugh. “You should have just climbed in through the window, since you're so good at that.”

He smiled crookedly and turned to face me. “I thought about it.”

“Or you could have just hopped off the roof and dropped in on the patio.”

“I'm not really one for an entrance that dramatic. I don't
like drawing attention to myself.”

I laughed. “You fail miserably at that, in case you haven't noticed.”

He seemed to ignore the observation and lifted my pendant with his hand. He turned it over in his palm, looking at it fondly. “I'm glad you're wearing this.”

“It matches my dress.”

He smiled softly. “That it does.”

I glanced behind him and spotted Harper staring at us with a look of derision on her face as she talked to another girl. I looked back to Will. “Do you want some cake?”

“No, thanks.”

“Come and eat some cake. It's really, really good.” Ignoring his response, I grabbed his arm and led him into the kitchen. I smiled at a couple of girls grabbing their slices as they stared at Will. He seemed unfazed, as if he truly didn't care about the attention and was not just oblivious.

“I really don't want any cake,” he said, eyeballing the sugary masterpiece laid out on the bar counter.

“Are you sure?” I asked, disappointed. “Well, I'm having a piece.” I cut myself a slice and started eating it. “You're really boring, you know that?”

“I'm anything but boring. You're the one prancing around in your little dress pretending to be a normal human girl.
That
is boring.”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “I
am
a normal human girl, despite what you'd like to believe, and I'm going to enjoy my
birthday. You only turn seventeen once.”

“
I
might have turned seventeen only once,” he said. “But
you
are a pro at it.”

My heart sank. “Well, this is the only time I remember, so don't ruin it for me.”

“Forgive me,” he said, surprising me. “I don't mean to upset you.” He studied my face for a moment before taking my hand. “Let's go enjoy your party.”

“Wait, wait,” I said, pulling away from him to finish my cake before dumping the plastic plate and fork in the trash. I wiped at a little bit of frosting on my lip and allowed him to lead me from the kitchen, but in the archway opening up into the living room, we came face-to-face with Landon. He looked from my face to Will's, to Will's hand holding mine, and back again to my face, his expression quickly filling with contempt. He said nothing and pushed past us into the kitchen.

Back out in the living room, Will turned to me. “Your friend was right.”

“About what?” I asked dreamily as he leaned into me and I took in his scent.

“He is very jealous.”

“Oh.” Landon. “How do you know what Kate said?”

“I have very good ears.”

“So you were eavesdropping?” I asked playfully.

“I might have been,” he said with a wide smile.

I rolled my eyes. “You should meet Kate officially. Then
she might not think you're so weird.”

“I'm afraid that might have the opposite effect,” he said dejectedly.

I rolled my eyes and led him out onto the patio.

Kate was standing in a group of other guests, laughing in a high and gracious voice. When she spotted Will and me, she waved us over. Everyone wished me happy birthday for the billionth time and Kate held out a hand for Will to shake.

“I don't think we've formally met yet,” she said. “I'm Kate.”

“Will,” he replied. “Nice to meet you.”

The others introduced themselves, and we engaged in tedious small talk I knew I'd forget in five minutes. Will continued to surprise me, as he seemed to slip comfortably into the role of attentive guest. He cracked jokes, chatted amiably, all the while keeping a close eye on me. I didn't think anyone thought he was too weird, much to my joy.

Josie appeared with Harper on her heels, and she placed a hand around my arm and kissed me on the cheek. “Hi, Ellie, how are you?”

“I'm really good, Josie,” I replied happily. “I'm so glad you could make it. Are you having a good time?”

“Yes,” she said. “The party is great and the decorations are so pretty. I love your dress!”

“Thank you so much! We got the boys to do most of the work.”

Josie laughed. “Well, that's what they're for, right?” She
smiled at Will, tilting her head and bouncing her circus-shiny curls. “Who's your friend?”

“This is Will,” I said. “Will, this is Josie.”

“Are you new at our school? I've never seen you before.” She examined him much too thoroughly, her eyes moving up and down, her lips curving delicately. “Are you on the football team?”

“No,” he said. “I graduated. I'm actually at Michigan.”

Her eyes perked. “Oh, really? What's your major?”

“Economics.”

“Well, that's interesting,” she said, lighting up a bit more, toying flirtatiously with her curls. “So you're going to be, like, a top CEO someday?”

“Probably not,” he said honestly.

Josie frowned.

“I have your birthday present,” Kate said suddenly and excitedly, grabbing my arm. She pulled out bottles of Goldschläger and Dr Pepper and waggled them both enthusiastically—much to my delight, as I was sick of watching Josie flirt with Will. “Time for this party to get started.”

BY ONE IN THE MORNING THE PARTY HAD CLEARED out, leaving only my closest friends and Josie's group. Chris and Landon had made an excellent DJ team all night, and I was still feeling the shots a little bit. After another dance with Kate, I bounced up to Will, who was leaning against the wall in the archway to the kitchen.

I grabbed his hand, smiling. “Dance with me!”

Will laughed and shook his head. “No, I don't think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because you're drunk,” he said carefully.

I glared at him. “Am not. I just feel good.” Which was true. I might have been tipsy, but I wouldn't have called myself drunk. My body didn't feel warm anymore, but I was still a little giddy and I wanted to have a little more fun before I stopped feeling it altogether. “Come on, it's
just for fun. Please dance with me?”

“Go ask Landon,” he said, nodding behind me.

As I turned around, Landon walked up to me, right on cue. He looked dejected. “Ellie, can I talk to you?”

Buzz kill. “Yeah.” This couldn't be good.

“Can we go outside?”

“Yeah.” I caught Will's eye as I followed Landon.

Out on the patio there were only two other people, who when they saw the unhappy expressions on our faces went back inside the house. We walked across the long lawn toward the trees and the stone bench surrounded by my mom's lilies. When I realized that he'd brought me all the way out here for privacy, my jaw set tightly and my breathing became shallow and nervous. I sat heavily and lost my balance. He caught my shoulder.

He peered into my face and laughed. “No way! Ellie, are you drunk?”

“Not anymore,” I grumbled.

“What? If you want more, I've got a few beers left.”

“No, whatever. So, what's up?” I knew what this was about and I dreaded every word that was going to come out of his mouth.

His expression washed blank. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Obviously. Get on with it. “Okay.”

“Something has been bugging me lately,” he said.
“We've been friends for a pretty long time, and you know I care about you.”

“Of course,” I said honestly. “I care about you too. You're one of my best friends.”

“Yeah, but I feel a little bit differently than
that
.” He leaned a little bit closer. “I really like you, Ell. You're funny and smart—”

“Oh, I'm not that funny and especially not that smart….”

“—and beautiful, and I want to be more than friends with you.” He brushed my hair behind my shoulder. The gesture was meant to be affectionate, but Landon was practically my brother and the touch just felt invasive.

I sat there, looking down at my knees and pulling at the hem of my dress. I had been expecting this, yet I had never planned my reply. “Oh, Landon, I—”

“Please say you feel the same way,” he breathed, getting even closer. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

I struggled to keep a grimace off my face. “Landon, I—”

His hand cupped my cheek and pulled my face toward his; then he tried to kiss me. The idea of kissing Landon was awkward, and frankly kind of gross. I twisted away and felt horrible instantly. When I stood up, he sprang to his feet with me, holding my arm.

“Landon, I just don't feel that way about you—”

He turned angry very suddenly, startling me. “Why? Is it because of that Will guy? You've know him for what,
two
days
, and you're already going out with him?”

I blinked at him and pulled away. “No, that's not it, I—”

“Ellie, it's
me
! You've known me since—”

I withdrew my arm from his grasp gently, cutting his words short. “Yes, that's it. It
is
you. You're my
friend
, Landon, one of my best friends. You're like a
brother
to me. I love you like a brother. I—”

Something ominous tugged at my core, stopping me mid-sentence. I knew that feeling.

“Look out!” I shrieked, grabbing Landon's shoulders and throwing him to the ground. I slipped into the Grim just as the biggest reaper I'd ever seen charged out from the darkness. Landon cracked his head on the edge of the bench and lay still on the grass. I spun around and darted toward my house. I screamed Will's name as the footfalls pounded the ground behind me. I turned back to defend myself.

The reaper roared and head butted me square in the chest, knocking me right out of the Grim and rocketing through the air, clear over my pool, and sending me smashing through the picture windows that covered the back of my house. I landed on a sea of broken glass in my living room, surrounded by screams. For the longest two seconds of my life I couldn't breathe or move. My back hurt like hell, and I groaned painfully as I picked myself up, brushing the glass off me. My gashes healed almost instantly and left a few bloody streaks behind on my face and arms.

And my party was ruined. I was so pissed.

“Ellie!”
Kate screamed, and rushed toward me. “Are you okay?”

I glanced back at her as she stood with Josie and a couple others gaping at me in shock. I said nothing and jumped back out through the broken window as Kate shrieked my name again.

Back within the Grim and out of my friends' sight, the reaper was standing at the back of my lawn, waiting for me only a few feet away from where Landon lay unconscious. He was the size of a Chevrolet Tahoe, with coal-black eyes set in a face that was short and bulky like a bear's. His wide snout was packed with jagged, serrated teeth, and his nostrils flared as he took in my scent. He dug his claws into the grass, his shoulders rolling luxuriously, like a giant Hellcat kneading a blanket of earth.

“You get away from him,” I growled as I called my swords into my hands. The blades exploded in flames of angelfire, and I braced myself.

Will entered the Grim behind me, his heavy blade already drawn. The reaper flashed his giant canines and hissed like a crocodile in response.

“We meet again, Preliator!” the reaper said in a voice that shook the earth beneath me.

“Ellie!” Kate called from across the lawn. “Where are you? Are you hurt?”

“We've got to get out of here,” I said to Will as I saw my friends stepping carefully through the broken window.
They couldn't see either of us, or the reaper, while we were in the Grim, but I couldn't risk losing my concentration and slipping back into the mortal dimension where we'd be seen.

Will nodded and I sprang off, running through my neighbors' backyards to the woods at the end of my street. The reaper bounded after us, the thudding footfalls of his massive paws thundering through my skull. As we reached the trees, I could feel the reaper gaining on us. I ducked and spun, swiping a blade low. The reaper leaped into the air and over my head, landing twenty feet deeper in the woods.

I stood with Will right beside me and stared the reaper down.

“He's an ursid, Ellie,” Will warned. “Be careful. He's stronger than the lupines.”

The reaper laughed, his voice bellowing deep, shaking the branches around him. “Don't you recognize me, Preliator?”

I looked at him carefully. “I've never fought you before. If I had, you'd be dead.”

He laughed again, this time even louder. “I'm shocked you are so bold. We battled long ago. You see, I am the one who tasted your blood last.”

He smiled a mouthful of saber fangs, his black eyes glistening in the moonlight.

A terrible memory came rushing back to me—memories of a basement, of eyes in the dark, of pain,
excruciating
pain.
I remembered my vision fading to black, and I remembered dying. The reaper's black form lit with angelfire flashed like a movie on an old silver screen in my head and I cried out, staggering back into Will.

“You!”
I yelled, pointing the tip of my blade at the reaper.

“Oh, yes,” he growled. “You tasted so sweet then, like sugar and blood and child flesh. I wonder if you still taste just as good.”

Fear grabbed me by the throat. “Will—”

“I'm here.” His voice was firm and kind.

The reaper stepped toward me. “I am Ragnuk, and I am going to eat you now.” A glob of yellowed saliva fell from his mouth to the ground.

“You have to fight him, Ellie,” Will said.

I was breathless with fright. “I don't—I can't—”

Ragnuk's jaw dropped and he roared, the mountain of muscle on his shoulders shuddering, and he charged forward. I screamed and threw my hands over my face, losing my swords. I looked up and found Will above me, both his hands gripping the reaper's jaws, preventing him from crunching his teeth down on my head. Will turned his face to me, and his eyes were bright as twin beacons.

“Ellie,
move
!”

I obeyed and scrambled back through the dirt until I hit a tree. Releasing the reaper's face, Will let his power explode, spiraling, twisting wisps of shadows. Ragnuk roared as he was sent flying, smashing into trees and ripping them, roots
and all, out of the ground. Ragnuk landed on all fours, his talons ripping through the earth to stop his sliding, and then he thundered toward where I lay. He opened his mouth, his hot breath blasting me, and then Will smashed the top of the reaper's head into the ground. The reaper twisted and raked his talons across Will's belly. He cried out as his knees hit the ground.

“Will!” I screamed, watching him fall.

Ragnuk turned his attention back to me. “I don't know why Bastian is so scared of your power,” he rumbled. “You're just a trembling little mouse of a thing.”

I shrieked, detonating my power, and the light and wind consumed me. The force of it blasted point-blank into the reaper, swallowing him in white smoky light, and sent him soaring away from me and slamming into trees like a pinball until he dropped to the ground. He snarled in rage at having taken a second hit that hard.

I dived for my swords, but he was already in front of me. I looked up and gasped. He swiped, slashing my dress wide open at my belly. I jumped back, lighting my blades, and swung, one blade slicing through his flesh. The reaper ignored the angelfire torching his wound, roared in rage, and smashed his skull into my body. I slammed into the tree next to me and both swords were knocked from my grip. I slid to the ground dizzily as Ragnuk pressed a paw hard into my chest, shoving my back into the tree behind me until I couldn't breathe.

“Bastian wants me to kill you before you stop us from getting the Enshi,” the reaper hissed, blasting me with his hot, rancid breath. “With you out of the way for a few years, we won't have to worry about you spoiling our plans. And when you come back, Preliator, the Enshi will be here waiting for you and you'll no longer be a threat. You won't even be a concern. Your destruction will be your homecoming gift.”

I gagged and wriggled so I could get enough air to speak. “What is the Enshi?”

“Death,” Ragnuk sneered. “The death of everything. The harbinger of the End of Days.”

I punched Ragnuk in the face, and his head snapped to the side as he grunted. My fist crunched into his snout again with all my strength, and something cracked. He staggered and lifted his paw from my chest. I cried out and smashed my power into Ragnuk's leg. The thick bone snapped in half and he screamed, reeling back and releasing me. I collapsed, coughing and gasping for breath.

I climbed to my feet and rushed to Will. The front of his shirt was drenched black with blood. I ripped his shirt open to stop the bleeding, but instead I stared at flawless skin.

“I'm okay,” he said, looking up at me. “Where is he?”

I spotted Ragnuk struggling to his feet, favoring his broken leg. The reaper spat up a gobbet of blood and hissed at me. “I'll be back for you,” he growled, out of breath. His form
blurred for a moment, and then he was gone.

I blinked. “He vanished!”

Will sat forward, rubbing his abdomen. “Reapers have the ability to move at ultrahigh speeds through the Grim when they need to make a quick getaway, or when they're in pursuit. He needs some time to heal his leg. Broken bones of that size don't heal instantly, like breaks in smaller bones and cuts.”

“I'm so sorry, Will,” I cried. “I froze.”

He looked up at me, his eyes warm and forgiving. “My job is to protect you, no matter what happens.”

“You got hurt because of me,” I said sadly.

“Hey, I'm fine,” he assured me, pulling the shredded pieces of his shirt apart to show me his healed wounds. “I can take a lot of damage. That's what I'm here for.”

I looked down at my dress and at the damage Ragnuk had done to it. “Oh, my dress…”

Will laughed. “You are such a girl.”

I scowled. “And you're a jerk.”

“It's just that—” He cut himself off.

“What?”

“Every time you come back, you're a little more human.” The laughter in his voice had faded.

“I don't understand.”

“I don't know,” he confessed. “It's strange. You act very human sometimes, much more so than you did when we first
met. You aren't as dark, I guess, and you consider yourself one of them.”

I almost laughed. “I
am
one of them. Just with weird powers now.”

There was no amusement on his face. “You didn't always think that.”

What did that mean? Had I once thought I was better than humans, been as dark as the reapers? Had I once been as cruel?

Nausea crept over me. “Will, Ragnuk scared the hell out of me. He's killed me before. I remembered it as soon as he said it.”

“You can defeat him,” he said earnestly. “We'll destroy him and you can move past it.”

“Will, I
died
!” I cried, more angry than scared. “I remember
dying
! I remember him tearing me apart!”