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Fifteen age in tow A different driver arrived in a Range Rover, as Shannon had told hi around to have the conversation aboutas possible That said, I owed him to hear him out, especially after he’d half killed himself for Booke at my behest

I helped Booke into the back, Kel cliot in front with the driver, as peering at the ghost cottage with a puzzled expression "It looks different," he said "Less oular house"

"It’s just old," Shan told hied, clearly uninterested in further debate as heyou?"

It was an excellent question I hadn’t thought e where he had been trapped for so long But before I could reply, the phone rang Eva’s number showed in the ID box, and I answered

"Got so forthe situation with Booke "Yeah The guy I knoorking in London I’ you his address"

That was the answer to the driver’s question I thanked her, disconnected, then said, "Take us to the train station, please"

"Very well" The driver turned to Shannon, who responded to his overture with a tired yawn

Booke reached for Butch, ithout protest I watched as he petted ht tre I mean, he’d been in cars before, but it had been half a century I couldn’t even i the scenery with a fierce focus, even when it got too dark to see

I turned to Kel with a questioning glance "Do you want to have the discussion I deferred now or later? Are you on a schedule?"

"Don’t worry about it I’ve withstood many punishments over the years"

Guilt flared in a hard, awful twinge "I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt, Kel"

He shook his head, his sht "Don’t concern yourself with e, however much I wish it"

That sounded o it clear he was uninterested in pursuing the conversation right then It was hard to credit that we’d been close--he’d confided in o

The ride went in silence until the driver stopped at the train station I paid him in cash, then we unloaded I had losthad it been exactly since Shan and I got off the train? Noere heading back to London to look for Eva’s contact I checked the address in ht us all tickets It was late by the ti? I asked myself Maybe it would’ve been better to let hi That he should pass on without ever seeing anything of the , but there weren’t sufficient moments left for that So I had to pick and choose

I helped Booke get settled Then Shannon sat beside him, which left me to take a seat behind them with Kel It was full dark by this time, no scenery to admire But I needed to talk to hi atbeyond the reflection at the night sky

"Go on, then I’ aboutI have a destiny Now, you’ve said you’re to recruit ive the pitch," he said tiredly "The archangel to whoe a war against deot to do with me?" I asked, puzzled

"The duality of your nature You’ve tasted white ick and demon power Ultimately, you rejected the deel believes you’ve chosen a side"

"That seemsfar-fetched Just because I didn’t want to stay in Sheol, it doesn’tasked to do

"Fight?" he supplied

"Would it come to that?" It didn’t sound like a viable option for me I wasn’t exactly the warrior princess type

"If Barachiel has his way, it will He wants to conquer de toward this confrontation for centuries"

"Why does he want ?" Already, the rejection treue I had learned the hard way that if powerful creatures sought you out, it was alree, he’ll explain everything to you personally," he answered

I stared "Isn’t that like askingthe contract first?"

"He’s not accusto he wants To his mind, you should be honored to be chosen"

"Like in the old days when an angel appeared in a halo of golden light and the peasant scra?"

A reluctant half smile curved Kel’s mouth "Precisely He has not adapted well to the Infore"

"ThenI have to decline I’ like this without more details"

"Nobody ever said life was fair," heme won’t work," I whispered

He shifted, so he was gazing at ain "What is it, Corine?"

"What aren’t you tellingyou about all this"

Surprise flickered across his impassive features Doubtless it was my assertion that I knew him He tried to be remote and untouchable as a hts, breached his imperturbable silence And now I kne to interpret his minuscule expressions

Kel clenched both hands into fists, balanced them upon his knees "I’m trapped, Corine"