Falling (The Falling Angels Saga) (27 page)

Guy insisted that Orthon squeeze into the tight backseat. Orthon didn’t complain, so neither did I. It was childish, a punishment of sorts, but I recalled that Harrison had once sat back there, his legs folded up like an accordion, and he was taller than Orthon. Orthon could handle it.

We drove to the Camelback Recreation Area where we’d talked the day Orthon warned us about the conclave. The recreation area would more than likely be deserted on a weekday, a place where we could speak freely.

Guy was sullen during the ride over, his eyes glued to the road. It was as if I weren’t sitting right next to him. I knew his brooding was partly because of his being blindsided this morning, but mostly it was because the demon who’d blindsided him had performed a task he’d once been able to perform in his sleep but was now incapable of. In other words, the demon who loved me could do things for me Guy could no longer do.

To make matters worse, instead of destroying the demon—which I’m certain is what he wanted to do—he was chauffeuring him around. That had to be the biggest insult of all.

When we pulled into the recreation area parking lot, I suggested we sit at the picnic benches. Guy parked the car near the benches without saying a word and got out.

“Trouble in paradise?” whispered Orthon after Guy had exited the car.

“Shut up, demon,” I said, snapping off a kneejerk response. I was sorry the moment I said it. When Guy used the word, it had little effect, yet when I said it I saw a little piece of Orthon shatter. Even though he was wearing the dark glasses, I could tell my harsh words had broken off a piece of his soul. Surprisingly, my cruel response hurt me as well.

We convened on one of the picnic benches, away from two male hikers who were resting nearby. I began by telling them of Nachtmahr’s belief that my soul was of great value to demons. They each sat silently, Guy by my side, Orthon across the table from us. Neither of them commented as I spoke, although they both occasionally cast glances at one another.

When I finished talking, I reached over and squeezed Guy’s hand, hoping he could feel the transfer of love I felt for him. “What do you think?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied. His pinky rubbed gently against the back of my hand. He was finally looking at me. “I’d like to hear what Orthon has to say.”

The surprise registering on Orthon’s face matched the surprise on mine. It was the first time Guy had called him by name.

The hikers that were nearby departed, leaving us alone in the picnic area. Orthon pulled back his hoodie and removed his glasses. I wasn’t sure if it were because he was stifling with the hoodie cinched up or so we could have a clear view of him. “I believe the story of your soul being the key to overthrowing Satan is a lie. I also believe Satan is responsible for the lie,” he said, the sun glistening off his dark, leathery skin.

“Why would Satan say something that would cause demons to undermine him?” I asked.

“Because he knows the demonic nature,” Orthon responded with a shrewd half smile on his twisted lips.

“What does that mean?” said Guy with a hint of annoyance.

“Satan planted the lie so that demons would come after you,” Orthon replied, his eyes firmly on me, never on Guy. “He knows that the angel and I will do everything in our power to protect you. With all hands busily protecting you from demonic attack, you would be vulnerable to other assaults.”

There was a pronounced hitch in Guy’s breathing. “He’s right,” he said. “It makes sense.” He looked at Orthon and gave him a brief nod of respect.

“It’s called fighting a two-front war,” I said. “The Germans used it in World Wars One and Two. The purpose is to split the enemies’ attention, depleting their forces, thereby reducing their odds of success.”

“Exactly,” said Orthon.

“Megan, if this is true, and you’re about to be under constant attack, I need to be with you twenty-four hours a day,” said Guy. While I didn’t agree with him, his words told me everything I needed to know about us. His love for me was still there.

“
Someone
needs to be with Megan twenty-four hours a day,” Orthon responded, his gaze still on me.

Guy’s expression darkened. The truce between them was over. I sensed an argument brewing.

“Don’t you see! That’s exactly what he wants,” I blurted, getting to my feet, hoping to stave off the argument. “All eyes on me.”

“Megan, I can’t just sit back and allow demons to come after you,” said Guy.

“Neither can I,” trumpeted Orthon.

Their eyes were now on each other. Fury raged in them.

“We’re not going to sit back,” I said. “We’re going to attack. It’s time to put phase two of my plan into action.”

Guy looked from me to Orthon and back. “Phase two?” he said. “You didn’t tell me of a phase two.” He looked at Orthon again to see if perhaps he knew more. Orthon shook his head. Guy turned his attention back to me. “What is phase two?”

“We wait,” I replied.

Guy continued staring, until he realized that was my answer. “And
that
is how we attack, by letting them attack us first? Brilliant!” said Guy his voice laced with sarcasm.

“Satan is going to start piling on the disruptions in my life. ‘Make her life a living hell so that she will submit to hell.’ We have to let him think he’s getting to me.”

They both stared at me for several seconds, wide-eyed, as if I’d grown a second head.

“Megan, hundreds of demons are going to come looking for you. If we don’t stop them, we won’t have to worry about Satan,” said Orthon, his gravelly voice ringing with passion. “Do you understand that when your soul is devoured, you’ve died?”

“When I was twelve, I found the coolest piece of trivia,” I said, sitting back down. “It was about a species of fish that lived in Lake Malawi in Africa. The only species of its kind. I can’t remember the official name of the fish, but they were called sleepers.

“These sleeper fish are a large species that can’t move very fast. To attract their prey, they lie down on their sides in the sediment at the bottom of the lake, not moving for long periods of time. To scavengers, they seem dead. When the scavengers come to investigate, the sleeper fish rights himself and eats them.”

I finished what I had to say and looked at them. They were still both staring at me as if I’d grown a second head. “You’re not making any sense at all,” said Guy. I could hear he was trying hard not to be exasperated with me.

“I have to agree,” said Orthon. “You’re not a sleeper fish. You’re a mortal.”

I smiled at my two heroes. “Oh, but I am the sleeper fish, lulling Satan into a false sense of confidence, preying on his greatest weakness, his pride. And like the scavenger he is, when he comes to investigate—bam! I got him.” My smile widened. “So, yes, I’m attacking by doing nothing. He won’t let those demons have my soul. He’s worked too hard for this. He wants me too badly. The demons are a meaningless distraction. Ignore them.”

“I appreciate your plan, Megan, even though I’m not certain of what it is. But what if you’re wrong about Satan and the demons?” asked Guy.

I looked between Guy and Orthon, concern laboring on both their faces. My smile faded. Guy was right to ask the question, but I couldn’t allow myself to dwell on it. If I thought about it too long, I might begin to have my own doubts, and doubt would do me in. “I’m not wrong,” I said, wanting to believe, needing to believe my strategy would work. “I’m not.”

*

It was past sundown when we arrived in front of my house. Since Orthon chose to stay behind, I thought I might sit out front and chat with Guy for a few minutes. The drive back from the Camelback Recreation Area was our first time alone since he’d heard that Orthon was in love with me. The drive had been uncomfortable for both of us, filled with long stretches of awkward silence.

“Did you kiss him?” he’d asked at one point, his voice husky and low.

I thought of Maudrina’s admonition not to tell a boy about another boy. “Yes. But when I kissed him, I thought he was you,” I replied, wondering if I’d ignited another firestorm within him. “Your lips are the only lips I desire,” I added.

He nodded, his eyes furious dots of concentration, again on the road. He didn’t say another word for a long time.
He’s becoming mortal,
I thought. Guy had become my Pinocchio, turning into a real teenage boy, complete with all the emotional baggage that came with the territory.

He eased the car up to the curb in front of my house where he sat silent for a few moments before he spoke again. “How was it?” he asked, turning to me.

“How was what?” I replied, stalling, my heart rate quickening as I again began to wonder if I was losing him.

“The … kiss,” he replied. The word kiss lingered on his lips, lumbering out in a long, wheezy breath.

I tried not remembering Orthon’s kiss. I tried not remembering how much it reminded me of Guy’s earlier bad-boy kisses, filled with desire and ending with a sexy stinging that left my lips tingling while igniting the fires within.

“What difference does it make, Guy? They were kisses from a demon I do not love!” I responded, my voice ringing out. My mouth snapped shut when I realized how insensitive I was sounding.

“I see,” Guy said in a clipped tone. He sat back, gazed out the windshield and sighed. “It seems I’ve touched a sore spot.”

“Please, Guy, don’t do this. Don’t—”

I stopped short when I heard loud voices nearby. I turned toward my house. Tony’s Jetta was in the driveway. Tony was standing just outside the front door. Suze was inside, in the open doorway. They were arguing—not play arguing, arguing!

I turned back to Guy. “Gotta go,” I said softly.

“Yeah,” he replied just as softly. I thought he was going to stare straight ahead and wait for me to get out of the car. “I love you, you know,” he said in a tone I hadn’t heard him use before. It wasn’t sad or hurt. It was empty. It was as if Guy’s words had been drained of all the stuff words were made of—heart, soul, emotion.

“I know,” I said, still keeping my voice low, as if that could keep a lid on my own jangling emotions. “I love you, too.” I didn’t wait for him to reply. I got out of the car and started up the walk.

“How was I to know?” I heard Tony say as I approached.

“All I’m saying is if you didn’t know, you should have told me.”

“Told you what, Suze?”

Suze saw me coming and tapped him on the shoulder. Tony turned. I could tell from his shifting expression, he was embarrassed I’d seen them.

“Trouble in paradise?” I don’t know why I said it. It was a mean comment when I’d heard it earlier and just as mean when I said it. Sometimes when you’re hurting you turn mean.

“Of course not!” said Suze, offended that I would make such a statement.

“Sorry, Mom. I just… I had a rough day.”

“Talk about rough days,” said Tony.

I arrived at the doorstep. “What happened?”

“Nothing much. I’m just being called a scam artist and I’m being sued,” Suze said, glaring at Tony.

“The Kinetoscope?”

They both gaped at me. “Yes. How’d you know?” asked Suze.

“Just a guess.” For the first time since I’d put my plan into action, I was starting to get a sinking feeling, like maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. “Gotta go. Homework,” I said, pushing past them. “I’m sure you’ll work through it, guys.” I moved into the house, past chief Obi, and headed for the stairs.

“She’s right, you know. We’ll get past this,” I heard Tony say. The edge had gone out of his voice.

“I know. It just blindsided me is all,” said Suze.

It was sounding as if they were on the road to making up—for now. Of course, there was no telling what other tricks Satan had up his sleeve waiting to rip my life to shreds. I mounted the stairs two at a time. When I got into my room, I shut my door and threw myself onto the bed.
What a day!

I lay there for several minutes trying not to think. I wanted to just close my eyes, lay there, and allow the stink of the day to drain away. Of course, that didn’t happen. The moment I shut my eyes, I heard soft breathing. Amanda had climbed between the pillows and was napping near my head.

I plucked her from between the pillows and began examining her for injuries.

“Are you okay? That was a nasty, nasty creature you saved me from.”

She began to purr, and I knew she was all right.

“Don’t do that again, Amanda. Don’t ever come to rescue me again unless I call for you. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” She stared at me with her big eyes. “I’m serious,” I said.

I kissed the top of her head and lay back with Amanda nestled in my lap. I again closed my eyes, and my day started playing back on the inside of my eyelids—the horror movie I didn’t want to see. When I got to the part where I gave my speech on the quad, I realized I still hadn’t spoken with Maudrina. So I put the movie on pause and called her.

“Hey,” she said, sounding as tired as I felt.

Our last conversation had ended with her questioning my feelings for Guy and Orthon. I didn’t have time to deal with that now. I launched into the tale of everything that had happened since I’d seen her at lunch.

“Can you believe that Amanda showed up at school? I’m starting to think there’s a lot more to hell cats than we know,” I said, scratching the top of her head.

“Sounds like it’s a good thing she did,” Maudrina replied.

“It was,” I said. “Because now we know there’ll be more demons coming after me.”

I barreled ahead with my tale, finishing with the lawsuit that led to the argument I came home to discover between Tony and Suze.

There was silence for a few moments at the other end. “You knew this was coming,” Maudrina finally said. “We both knew the risk involved,” she said in a sober tone.

“I know,” I whined. “I guess I didn’t realize how bad it would feel when it started happening. I just wish you could have been there with me.” Having Maudrina by my side would have made the day go down a lot more smoothly.

“I didn’t know you were going to stay for the rally after school,” she said.