I nodded and tried to ignore my rapidly pounding heart.
“How much farther?” There was strain in the angel’s expression and unless it was my imagination, his eyes had become more unfocused. I didn’t need him to tell me that he was starting to feel a bit unhinged. I guessed he hadn’t touched me long enough to totally clear his head.
“We’re nearly there.” I started walking again. The light was just around the corner, in a small park flanked by office buildings. It was like a tiny oasis in the middle of the concrete city, with trees, grass, a walking trail and several park benches. The leaves had mostly fallen off the trees by now and blanketed the ground. It would be very pretty in daylight.
By moonlight, it was eerie.
There was another boy, around the same age as Kraven and Bishop, sitting on a park bench. As soon as I spotted him, the searchlight that led us there went out.
“That’s him?” Bishop asked.
Mouth too dry to speak, I nodded.
“I wish I knew how many we’re looking for.”
“There’s supposed to be four of us,” replied Kraven.
Bishop looked at him. “Four?”
“Yeah. Two demons, two angels. That’s what I was told.”
Bishop rubbed his forehead. “I don’t remember—maybe I was told that. It’s kind of jumbled up. So much to figure out.” He pressed his hands to his temples. “Spinning and spinning like a top. Never stopping.”
Kraven frowned. “Dude, you okay?”
No, he wasn’t okay. Far from it, and he wasn’t getting better. He’d said this wasn’t how it was supposed to be—that he was more disoriented than he’d expected.
Without thinking about it, I reached for Bishop’s hand and felt that breathtaking crackle of electricity between us. Slowly, the confusion lifted from his expression and his eyes cleared of the growing madness.
“Will you be okay?” I asked him.
He squeezed my hand and I saw the frustration in his blue eyes. “Hopefully long enough to do what I’m here to do. When I go back to Heaven it’ll be better. I’ll be healed immediately.”
“When will that happen?”
“After we’ve found and dealt with the Source. After we’ve made sure the city is safe. I think I can be extracted a week from now at the most.” He looked down at my hand in his and shook his head. His lips curved into a small but devastating smile. “Amazing. One touch and you’re able to clear my thoughts. What would I have done if you hadn’t found me?”I didn’t even try to answer that. If nothing else, I had a time frame to work with. Roughly a week was how long he thought he’d be here. Then I could have my soul restored, get back to my normal life and try to forget about all this.
Kraven made a snoring sound. “Can we get on with it?”
I cast a glance toward the boy sitting on the bench. I think he’d been sleeping before we arrived, but his eyes were bright and aware as I moved closer to him.
If he was one of the four, then he was a demon or an angel, unaware of where he was or why he was here. He looked totally human to me. Reddish-brown hair with a slight curl to it. Green eyes. A few light freckles on his nose.
He stared at me. “I know you, don’t I?”
I pointed at myself. “Me?”
“Yeah. I think I had a dream about you.”
I looked at him with alarm. “You had a dream about me?”
I exchanged a look with Bishop, whose dark brows were drawn together as he considered this. Maybe this was a sign that I was meant to be a part of this after all, as crazy as that sounded. Maybe Bishop was right—I thought I’d just randomly found him the other night, but if an angel or demon was dreaming about me…then maybe this was meant to help.
I wished I knew for sure.
“Samantha’s everybody’s dream girl this week,” Kraven said. “Except mine, of course. I have much better taste than that.”
I wondered if they’d be okay with the team being reduced to only three? I was fine with Kraven being the expendable one. Maybe they could send a replacement.
“What was the dream about?” Bishop sat down next to the kid, but made no immediate move for that nasty golden dagger of his. It was a relief, but I already knew where this conversation was leading. The ritual. The one that still haunted me even though I now knew why it was so necessary.
The boy looked confused but calm. “She was like…guiding me. I was lost and she helped me find my way.”
It was shocking to me that he would have dreamed about me. Or maybe it wasn’t a sign of anything and he just had me confused with some other short, skinny brunette. “Do you know who you are?”
He glanced around the park. “I don’t know who I am or how I got here. I’ve been sitting here waiting. Hoping somebody would come by who can tell me how to get home.”
“Can we just get on with it?” Kraven asked, his arms crossed. “Nobody’s here. Tick tock, Bishop. You know? I could be back out patrolling right now. The Source could be doing a song and dance in the middle of Main Street and we’re missing it.”
Bishop looked at me. “Samantha, maybe you should go now.”
“No, please,” the boy said. “Don’t go. Stay here. Help me.”
He reached out a hand to me. There was something in his eyes, something that made me want to stay with him even knowing what was about to happen. I felt a sudden and overwhelming sense of compassion toward him. If I could help him through this, I wanted to do just that.