Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers) - By Michelle Rowen Page 0,15
everybody knew everyone else, but there were those you saw every day, some you made friends with, some you...didn’t.
I got the strange feeling that these two weren’t exactly best friends.
“Will you be staying with us here at the church?” Zach asked.
Cassandra swept her gaze around the sanctuary, ending with Roth. Her expression soured. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, come on,” Roth said, grinning darkly. “We can be bunkmates.”
“Definitely not.” She looked at me. “I’ll stay with Samantha.”
I stared at her. “I...uh, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Of course it is.”
I cast a look at Bishop, hoping for backup.
There was amusement in his gaze at her suggestion, which didn’t bode well. “I think it’s a good idea. Cassandra can watch over you at night when I’m not around. You’ll be safe from any more...potential problems.”
Kraven snorted again. Honestly, I’d think the demon had a head cold if I didn’t know better. “Right. Wouldn’t want you to have problems, sweetness. That story doesn’t have a happily ever after.”
Bishop shot him a look. “That’s not what I meant.”
The demon waved a dismissive hand. “I wouldn’t know. I barely listen to anything you ever say.”
Don’t fight this, I told myself. Go with the flow. Don’t raise any alarms, not after what happened at Crave.
“Fine,” I said through clenched teeth. “Wouldn’t want to be a problem.”
“Way too late for that,” Roth mumbled.
“Before you go, Cassandra...” Bishop beckoned for her to join him on the other side of the sanctuary. I watched them with a tight feeling in my chest, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying anymore.
Zach moved to stand next to me and he scrubbed a hand through his short, red hair as he also watched the two beautiful angels in their tête-à-tête.
I glanced at him. “So you and Cassandra know each other, huh?”
“Yeah.”
I twisted my index finger into my hair, pulling tight enough to squeeze off my circulation. “I bet when she was human she was, like, a cheerleader. One who stole other girls’ boyfriends. I mean...not that this observation is relevant right now or anything. I’m just saying.”
He grinned at my babblings before the expression faded. “She wasn’t human. She’s one of the hosts.”
I blinked. “One of the what?”
“She was created as an angel.”
I stared at him with shock. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really.”
“Is...is that how it normally is? Or are angels usually human first?”
“They try to keep it balanced.”
“Right. Balance. Can’t forget that.” I worked it over in my head. “How does it happen? Like, do you do enough good deeds in real life and you’re given the job when you die?”
“Pretty much. For me, I saved a kid from drowning. Saved him, but managed to drown myself in the process. I was only a week from graduating from Harvard top of my class. My father always wanted that more than anything—for me to be a lawyer just like him. He was so obsessed with my grades and my...my future. Sometimes I wonder if he’d approve of what I did become.” He glanced at me guiltily. “Sorry, sometimes I still dwell on my past.”
“Dwell away. Believe me, I totally get the parent angst. I’ve lived it all my life.” It was crazy hearing someone talk about their own death, but he said it so matter-of-factly that I found I was able to take it in stride. “When was that? When did you, uh...die?”
“Fifty years ago, give or take. And, yes, I was given the chance when I died to choose between eternal rest or eternal...work.” He shrugged. “I guess I like to keep busy. Never enjoyed taking vacations, anyway. Such a waste of time.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that, but I quickly sobered. Fifty years ago. And he still looked so young. Wow. “So what happens to your body?”
“We get to keep our human bodies, which are resurrected and healed so they’re even better and stronger than before.” He frowned. “It’s hard to explain if you haven’t experienced it personally. Anyway, our mortal bodies then go through a very intense transition to become celestial and immortal. That part isn’t fun.”
That was when they’d give up their human souls and gain any special abilities as they were transformed into their angelic selves.
In two minutes I’d gotten more information about life as an angel from Zach than I’d gotten from Bishop in two weeks. I was both stunned and grateful for anything I could learn. Now I knew Zach was the go-to guy for stuff like this.