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"Penryn?" My ht?"

I look to make sure the door is locked

When I look back at the couch, the angel is gone, with only shreds of duct tape where he should be

I feel a breath on my neck as the scissors are snatched out ofdegree of cal her to run will probablyis that her response will be unpredictable

A well-ins to squeeze

Grabbing his ar to transfer the pressure of his arm onto my chin rather than et out of this before either my brain shuts off or my windpipe collapses

I crouch as low as I can Then I spring backward, sla us both into the wall The ihed as much as a nor of photo fra froes

"What’s that noise?" my mother demands

The arm squeezes viciously around el ofthe choke, I gather all y for another slam into the wall The least I can do is cause a lot of pain while he takes roan of pain is sharper I would get a lot of satisfaction out of that, except that ht and spotty

One more slam and dark spots bloom all overout, he loosens his grip I fall to h my raw throat My head feels too heavy on my neck, and it’s all I can do to not fall flat on the floor

"Penryn Young, you open this door right now!" The doorknob jiggles Myout all this tiroans like he’s in real pain He crawls past es in spots that look like puncture wounds I glance behind me at the wall Two oversized nails that used to hold up the framed Yose with blood

The angel is not the only one in bad shape I can’t see fit

"Penryn? Are you okay?" Myin here, I can’t begin to guess

"Yeah," I croak "It’s okay"

The angel crawls onto the couch and lies on his storin

"You," he says, with a dirty look, "don’t deserve salvation"

"As if you could give it to o to Heaven anyhen it’s crammed full of murderers and kidnappers like you and your buddies?"

"Who says I belong in Heaven?" It’s true that the nasty snarl he’s givingHe e with a wince of pain

"Penryn? Who are you talking to?" My mother sounds almost frantic now

"Just my own personal de"

Weak or not, we both know he could have killed ive hih

"Oh" She sounds cal "Okay Don’t underestimate them And don’tvoice as she says this that she’s reassured and walking away

The baffled look the angel shoots at the doorme a you’re-weirder-than-your-es from my stash "You probably want to put pressure on that"

He catches it neatly even as he closes his eyes "How am I supposed to reach my back?"

"Not h, and the bandage rolls onto the floor, leaving a ribbon on the carpet as it rolls

"You’re not sleeping again, are you?"

His only response is a ular like a man in deep sleep