or what. Maybe I should sit you down in front of some soap operas for a while. You'll hear all sorts of inflections then."
"I would be grateful, Justin."
Something about his calm manner brought a sense of peace to me. I took a seat on the grass across from him, questions about this strange being bubbling in my mind. My phone chimed with a text message from Elyssa before I had a chance to ask him anything.
Nightliss is awake.
I sprang to my feet.
"Have I offended you in some way?" Cinder asked.
I shook my head. "Nightliss is conscious."
"May I speak with her?" The faintest hint of hope registered in his voice.
"I don't know if she has her strength back yet. Let's see what's going on before we assault her with a ton of questions, okay?"
He stood. Gave a stiff nod. "This is acceptable."
When we reached the cabin, Elyssa waited outside. She spared Cinder a cursory glance and stopped me. "She's still weak, Justin. Meghan didn't want her seeing anyone yet, but she keeps asking for you." Her lip trembled. "I hope she can help."
The fear reawakened in me, burning through my stomach and inciting a cold sweat on my forehead. "Me too, babe."
Cinder walked a short distance to a bench. "I will sit and await your return."
Inside, Meghan spoke with Nightliss in low tones. The angel, reclining on pillows in the bed, looked up at me. Her lips curved up. She squeezed Meghan's hand.
"I must speak with him alone."
Meghan nodded. "Take it easy. You've been through a lot." She looked at me. "Did you talk to Adam?"
"Yeah. Told him I'd talk to Nightliss."
Meghan nodded and left.
Nightliss patted the chair next to the bed. "Come sit."
I dropped into the seat and took the angel's petite hands in mind. "What in the hell happened to you?"
A tear sparkled down her cheek. "I tried to reverse the irreversible."
"I don't understand."
"I tried to convince Daelissa her course of action is rash and dangerous." Her green eyes looked sad. "She took the chance to ambush me. I am still no match for her."
My hands trembled as I considered my next question. "Look, I know you've been through a lot, but I have to know something. How did you get here?"
Her eyes looked up, as though accessing memories. "I only remember bits and pieces."
"Anything you can remember will be helpful."
Her eyes widened. "Justin, you look worried."
"We really needed to find you, and then poof you appeared right outside the door."
She shook her head. "And you think I may be part of some trap."
"I'm sorry—"
"Justin, I would never hurt you." She touched my hand, and the shaking in it stopped.
"I'm sorry." I looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "I don't want to believe it. But it's too convenient."
"I will tell you what I can." She touched a finger to her chin. "I fought Daelissa. Just when I thought I would die, there was a loud boom. A scream." Her eyes flared with fear. "Someone grabbed me, but the world was dark. I clawed at them. Tried to free myself. And then I must have fainted." She gasped and looked at me. "Perhaps Daelissa brought me here. She may have done something terrible to me, Justin."
I gripped her hands. "You're safe now. If she did anything, I promise we'll try to help you."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Perhaps it's best if I go away in case—"
"No!" I said, my voice louder than I'd meant it to be. "No," I repeated in a whisper. "We need you here."
"Why?" She asked in a tremulous voice. "I might be…dangerous."
"A vampling infected Adam's sister, Felicia. She's dying."
Nightliss's eyes widened. "She has the curse?"
"Yes."
"Is she human?"
"She's a vampire."
The angel wiped a tear from her cheek and looked away in thought. "I can help, but I will need the blood of her sire."
"Uh, what's a sire? Her dad?"
"The vampire who turned her."
My heart dropped. I didn't have a clue who her sire was. She'd once told me it was Maximus, but from what I understood, he hadn't been a vampire long enough to change others without the severe risk of killing them and making them vamplings. I hoped Adam knew.
"What are the odds you can heal her?" I asked.
"Very good." Her lip curled into a cute snarl. "I remember when my kind gave the gift of immortality to humans. The Brightlings—those like Daelissa—ever spiteful of beings they considered their lessers, insisted it come with a price. They cursed the gift so the bearer must drink