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Not wanting to wait another second for either of the the sheets with me and around me, and walk over to the trunk where I have rab a pair of panties, a black tank, and a navy pair of cargo pants "Why did you listen to hi upthe sheets I turn around, back to the boys, and pull on lare at Noah "I have a hard ti you justlistened to hi oes, I step into them and pull them up Only then do I notice the wide-eyed expression on Victorian’s face and the ridiculous, pervy, wolfish grin on Noah’s "God alhty, you two" I shake rab a clean pair of black footie socks froather ?" I ask the two

"Alhs at himself

I shake my head "Jesus," I mutter, then head to the bathroom in the hall Just as I reach the door, with Vic and Noah not far behind, I re That sexual drea Eli?

But the invitation That was real

The erotic dream and the invitation to the Mariut about both I wanted that dreaer What does thatA sick feeling washes over h someone has jammed a knife into my heart

I duck into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth I need to tell Jake about thiswhoever he is

And now

Part Eight

FALLING

The angels are so enae that is spoken in heaven that they will not distort their lips with the hissing and unmusical dialect of men, but speak their ohether there be any who understand it or not

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Riley looks calm, even at most times acts calm, but I can tell what lies just beneath the surface A si fury that will unleash on anyone whom she finds responsible for her , and she will be leading it The Fallen will never knohat hit them

--Darius

I find Jake and Gabriel upstairs in the dojo, working the swords It’s early--seven am Both are bare to the waist, hair pulled back, ferocious as hell They look like they’re trying to kill each other, hacking, swinging Warriors I stand quietly by, watching and ad those weapons as a , aren’t they?" Sydney says, suddenly beside , back to the wall, hands crossed over her chest, she stares at the pair on thein her blue eyes She looks at me "I’m so sorry about Eli," she says, and ad soaze immediately shoots to Gabriel "It must be so painful"

"Yeah," I answer, "it is I miss him every second" Sydney looks atinelse that causes her to I continue "He totally changedhas happened to him, but he’s not dead"

After she holds aze returns to Gabriel

I’ about Eli It ht now To talk to To touch I turn at every corner and think I’ll see hione that long, but it feels like it Just as it feels like he’s been in my life forever What really sucks is that finally, finally I trust someone with my heartand I lose hi to find him Even if it killsto quickly shift the conversation off of ets a faraway look in her eyes before answering "I’, that’s what’s up," she says, and I hear reh can’t be found or destroyed I was born to beco now To save mankind Gabriel protects me" She looks at me "That’s it"

I stare at her for several seconds My brows furrow "Bullshit"

Sydney’s cheeks actually turn pink "Yeah Bullshit it is" She gazes at Gabriel "Unfortunately, it’s a one-sided deal"

"What do youthe tords Jake and Gabriel are pretty equally ht, too Gabriel seeh, to be more at ease, or as one, with his sword As if he’s been wielding it a lot longer He probably has The hten as he arcs his blade, and when it connects with Jake’s, both uttural sound that re Jake’s bicepsridiculous Veins popping everywhere, despite the void of blood

"He’s never faltered with me," Sydney says "Not even once"

"What do you s "He’s never made a move on me Never even showed me once that he, I don’t knoants me Or even cares about me, Sydney Maspeth It’s like he’s all business Protect the Archivist Blah, blah, blah"

"Meanwhile, he sets your skin on fire," I add