penryn

My mother hasn__ asked the questions that a normal person would ask, and I__ grateful for it. It__ like the world has become so crazy that it makes sense to her now. I turn on the engine and drive us out. __hanks, Mom. For coming to rescue me._ My voice comes out reedy and a little wobbly. I clear my throat. __ot every mom would do that in a world like this.

I look up to say something but he puts his finger to my lips and whispers, __on__ talk. You__l just spoil my fantasy of rescuing an innocent damsel in distress as soon as you open your mouth.

If the only one who can kill an angel can__ do it, then who can?_ It__ a good question, one that takes me a minute to come up with an answer. __badiah West can. Him and his freedom fighters. I__ just a teenager.___istory is filled with teenagers who lead the fight. Joan of Arc. Okita Soji, the samurai. Alexander the Great. They were all teenagers when they began leading their armies. I think we__e back to those times again, kid.

Of course she__ right. How bad are things when your clinically insane mother is more rational than you are?

Raffe arches his brow at me. __ou should be with a nice human boy. One who takes your orders and puts up with your demands. Someone who dedicates his life to keeping you safe and well fed. Someone who can make you happy. Someone you can be proud of._ He waves his hand at the Watchers. __here__ nobody like that in this lot._ I glare at him. ____l be sure to pass him by you first before I___ settle for__ __hoose him._ __ou do that. I__l let him know what__ expected of him._ __ssuming he survives your interrogation,_ says Howler. __ig assumption,_ says Cyclone. ____ like to be there to watch,_ says Hawk. __hould be interesting.

You__e smarter than you look,_ I say to Raffe.__ut not as smart as he thinks,_ says Howler.__ can see discipline has broken down during your vacation,_ says Raffe.__eah, it__ all that lounging on the beach with nothing to do but drink and watch women.

...there__ no such thing as a dirty fight.

Here and there, plumes of dark smoke reach into the sky like the fingers of a drowning man reaching up for the last time.

Who knew?_ he says. __ had no idea that someone could be such a thorn in your foot during a death march and still be irresistibly attractive in some magical, undeniable way.___o is that what people call sweet nothings? Because somehow, I expected it to be a little more . . . complimentary.___on__ you know a heartfelt declaration of love when you hear one?__ blink dumbly at him with my heart pounding.He caresses a lock of my hair out of my face. __ook, I know that we__e from different worlds and different people. But I__e realized that it doesn__ matter.___ou don__ care about the angelic rules anymore?___y Watchers have helped me realize that angelic rules are for angels. Without our wings, we can never be fully accepted back into the fold. There will always be talk of taking a newly Fallen__ wings and transplanting them onto us. Angels are perfect. Even with transplanted wings, we__l never again be perfect. You accept me just the way I am, regardless of whether or not I even have wings. Even when I had my demon wings, you__e never looked at me with pity. You__e never wavered in your loyalty. That__ who you are _ my brave, loyal, lovable Daughter of Man.

He leans down, and his lips hover a hair__ breadth from mine. I close my eyes, feeling the tingle of anticipation.Then he presses his lips to mine. His warmth spreads out from my lips down into my chest and stomach. Time stops, and I forget about everything else__ the apocalypse, my enemies, watching eyes, monsters in the night.All I feel is the kiss.All I am is Raffe__ girl.

Just this once,_ he says almost more to himself than to me. __ust one moment._ Then he leans down and kisses me.

My head seems to be rumbling. Then I realize it__ the sky. It__ thunder. Suddenly, warm raindrops fall on us, spraying us until we__e completely wet. Raffe ignores it and continues to kiss me. We hold each other, pressing tighter and harder together. We fly in each other__ arms in the rain over a smoldering hell.

If I__ super lucky, I might be able to fight him off and maybe even the warrior after him, but it__ not a long-term survival strategy. By long-term, I mean the next ten minutes.We__e screwed.

I watch the beautiful performance with an ache in my chest.Then, just when I can__ stand the sadness anymore, a dancer floats out from the side of the stage. A dancer in ragged clothes, filthy and half starved. He__ not even in ballet shoes. He__ just barefoot as he glides out to take his place in the dance.The other dancers turn to him, and it__ clear that he is one of them. One of the lost ones. By the look on their faces, they weren__ expecting him. This is not part of the practiced show. He must have seen them onstage and joined in.Amazingly, the dance continues without a missed beat. The newcomer simply glides into place, and the final dancer who should have danced solo with her missing partner dances with the newcomer.It is full of joy, and the ballerina actually laughs. Her voice is clear and high, and it lifts us all.

One second, we are surrounded by angels holding their swords. The next second, one of their arms drops and his sword thunks to the grass like a lead weight. The angel stares at his blade uncomprehendingly.Another sword drops.Then another.Then a whole bunch, until all the other unsheathed swords fall, thudding on the grass like subjects bowing down to their queen.The angels stare at the swords at their feet in utter shock.Then everyone looks at me. Actually, it__ probably more accurate to say they__e looking at my sword.__hoa._ That__ about the most intelligent thing I can say right now. Did Raffe say something about an archangel sword intimidating other angel swords if she could gain their respect?I swivel my eyes to look at the blade in my hands. Was that you, Pooky Bear?