Knight's Curse (21 page)

I looked at the angel, wondering why he was still here. I said to Quin, “We have to go back to Elmo’s. It’s not safe for us here. There’s no telling how many more Vyantara maniacs are still in town, and I don’t like to think what they’d do if they found us.”

“They won’t find us,” Quin said. “Because you’re not going back to Elmo’s. You of all people need to lay low for now. As for me, everyone thinks I’m dead.”

“He’s right,” Geraldine said. “We want the Vyantara to believe Shui managed to kill you before he died. If they think Aydin is the one responsible for Shui’s death, they’ll respect him more. If they catch him, they may even treat him better than they treated Shui.”

“If I don’t go back to Elmo’s, where will I go?”

“You’ll come with me,” Rafael said.

“I don’t even know you.” The idea of hanging out with an angel made me uncomfortable. “And where would you take me?”

“Beyond the silver veil.” He waved a hand at the wall and it shimmered with silver light. “You’ll bring Geraldine with you.”

My mother’s rune divination had predicted I would cross over, and now that the curse was broken, I was free to do just that. Though I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I wanted to. “My sister knights? They’ll be there?”

“Some will be, yes,” the angel said. “We bring them through if their lives are threatened, then relocate them to a safer place.”

Goose bumps rose the hairs on my arms. “What’s on the other side?”

“You’ll find out in a minute,” Quin said. “I’m sorry, Geraldine, but I need to put you back in the bag.”

“No problem. I’m ready.”

And so was I, or at least as ready as I’d ever be. But I would never forget my promise to Aydin. I wondered if the doorway through the veil might be the means to finding Shojin, and then Aydin, wherever he was hiding. If so, I planned to take full advantage.

Quin handed me the bowling bag with Geraldine’s head and hand zipped up inside. Rafael held his hand out to me and I took it. His skin felt warm, not icy like Barachiel’s had been, though the texture was equally soft. The first thing I noticed was that he had no calluses. Aydin used to have thick calluses on his fingers and palms. Now he had paws.

I sucked in a breath, feeling the tears gather behind my eyes again. I had to be brave for Aydin, and for myself. I looked over at Quin. “Tell Elmo I’ll be back.”

I slid my gaze to Rafael’s piercing blue eyes. I’d have to depend on this angel, the same as I had Aydin, to instruct me in my new life. Doing so would feel like a betrayal. Someday soon I’d have Aydin back the way he used to be and we’d pick up where we left off. I wasn’t giving up on him. Not ever.

I nodded at Rafael and he guided me to the silvery curtain that separated the mortal realm from the divine. I knew it was a way station of sorts, but I hadn’t a clue what I’d find there. Holding my guardian angel’s hand, I glanced over my shoulder at Quin, who grinned and flapped a farewell wave. My gaze swept the windowless tomb one last time before I passed through the shimmering veil and into an uncertain future.