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  “Are we okay?” I whisper again.

  His stance loosens, and he turns to me. The pain in his eyes is gone, but with his furrowed brows, I know he’s still worried. “It’s nothing.”

  I glance back at the woods, still not finding anything. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. If it were a mortal, I’d hear his or her heartbeat. If it were an angel, demon, or any other paranormal entity, I’d sense its essence. There is nothing there but animals. We’re okay.”

  I stare at the trees, not trusting my eyes. Nothing is there. I can see that, and after what MJ just said, I believe him. But why am I still afraid?

  I hug myself and find my answer. It’s not the trees, and it’s not from the noise. It’s what isn’t happening—MJ’s not touching me. His essence isn’t coursing through my veins and reducing my fear. Even when I touched him a moment ago, his essence didn’t linger.

  Why?

  Why is he being so different?

  A dark thought sparks in my mind, and even though I know it’s ridiculous and insecure, I can’t shake it. Am I the cause of his strange behavior?

  I reach for his hand again. He pulls away as if I might burn him. Thunder rumbles, shaking the bridge, as a fear worse than even the ones I felt at Justin’s house creeps over me.

  “You’re afraid to touch me.”

  “No, I’m not,” he quickly says.

  “You are. How could you not be? We know I can use this . . . ability only when you’re touching me, and I’m better now at making sure I don’t send us anywhere when we do. But now . . . you have no idea what’s going to happen when we touch.”

  He frowns and his eyes soften. “I’m not afraid to touch you, Maddy. Nor am I afraid of that ability—any of your abilities. You shouldn’t be either.”

  He reaches for me, and this time I step back. “You’re sure?”

  “If I wasn’t sure, would I do this?”

  His strong arms wrap around me. For a moment, our eyes meet. Mine are wide, shocked by his sudden change and unsure of what he’s going to do next. His eyes are alight with a hint of mischief. He smirks. Then he bends to kiss me.

  My insides clench as I hold my breath—hoping I’m not imagining this. But then all the dark pockets of fear and worry that have twisted inside me all morning dissipate as MJ’s essence works to unravel them. And with all my troubles gone, I’m able to focus on what’s right in front of me—MJ.

  I close my eyes, eager to see what wonderfully strange things will happen the moment our lips touch now that I’m fully healed.

  The air around us stills. The sounds from the water and animals disappear. It’s as if nature is curious about the effects an immortal kissing a . . . well, whatever I am . . . will have on its delicate balance.

  Our lips meet.

  The softness and tenderness of his lips cause all thoughts to disappear. His essence pulses from me to him, uniting us again, which only deepens the kiss.

  My heart races as my stomach quivers. Everything is fine now. We’re fine.

  A warm glow fills me. It drives me, making me want more. More of MJ, more of the closeness, more of the heat.

  His essence builds, stretching and filling all of me. It grows until it seeps through my skin, causing it to tingle, and my hairs stand on end. It isn’t painful. It’s . . . exhilarating.

  I take a breath, breathing in MJ’s nature-inspired scent. It’s perfect. Like fresh cut grass with fragrant flowers. The air has that crisp, clean smell to it—the scent that comes after a thunderstorm.

  I reach up, grabbing fistfuls of his hair to hold him closer. The wind picks up, howling in my ears as it swirls around us, caressing my skin with a heated breeze reminding me of the warmest days of summer.

  MJ holds me tighter, gripping me to him as the heat and wind intensify. Beads of sweat drip down my neck, and my hair whips around us. In the back of my mind, I know something is happening around us, but I don’t care. I don’t want to stop kissing him.

  Ever.

  Bright light dances through my closed eyes. It calls to me—begging me to look. I try to resist, but I’m losing the battle. It’s stronger than me. Stronger than MJ.

  I peek, and the sight causes me to end our kiss.

  Flames blend with water and dance in a cyclone that begins in the pond, then reaches up to the sky. MJ and I are centered within it, surrounded by a strange, silver bubble, just as we were last night.

  MJ’s body stills against mine, and I hear him suck in his breath, but I can’t look away from the flames. They’re so close. All I’d have to do is let go of him and reach out in any direction and I’d touch it. We should be burning, but we’re not. Why aren’t we? The air isn’t even choking me as it did last night.

  His essence slows, causing the silver glow around us to shrink until it snaps back through me and into him. We both stumble, but MJ manages to keep us away from the flames.

  The fire suddenly extinguishes, leaving behind only the water that had been caught up in it. The water is suspended in the air for a moment, no longer spinning, then it plummets from the sky, sending waves crashing along the muddy shore and up onto the bridge, soaking our shoes.

  MJ and I break away. Around us are scorch marks on the bridge. They look like parentheses where the flames blazed outside his bubble before extending out over the water.

  “What was that?” I ask in breathless wonder.

  “I-I don’t know.” His voice is tense as he looks between me, the burn marks, and the now-choppy water. Tight lines appear by his mouth and forehead—he’s trying to rein in his emotions.

  If he doesn’t want me to see his reaction, it can’t be good. Is he worried? Nervous? Afraid? That’s it, isn’t it? Whatever just happened, he’s never experienced it before.

  The sounds of nature resume, but at a fraction of the volume prior to our kiss. Nature is giving us a wide berth.

  Giving me a wide berth.

  It’s afraid of me too.

  Dark clouds claim the sky once more, and even though I know how to remove them now, I just . . . can’t.

  A twig snaps again across the pond, in the same area as before. MJ squints at the trees as I move closer to him. My skin tingles, and I get the sensation that someone’s watching us. It’s not the first time I’ve felt that, and with everything that’s been happening lately, I’m sure it won’t be the last.

  “Someone’s over there, right?” I ask.

  He stares a few seconds longer before shaking his head. “No. Come on. It’s time to go home.”

  His fingers lace with mine, and he pulls me out of the blackened markings. As we walk toward my house, I look back at the woods, trying in vain to see someone. Just as before, I see nothing, but the feeling of being watched is still there.

  I had that feeling the day I met MJ, and I was right then. He had been watching me. He was in the Veil of Shadows, though, so I wouldn’t see him. Is that what this person is doing? If so, MJ would know someone is there. Am I wrong, or is MJ lying?

  Chapter Four

  MJ

  Music blares from the bathroom, and the scent of fruit drifts through the air as Maddy showers. She wasn’t keen on the idea at first, but her body needs to relax after testing her abilities. At least that was the excuse I used. I don’t like lying to her, but I need a few minutes of privacy—and after the situation at the park, we’re not separating again. Even being in different rooms has me anxious.

  The powers she wields shouldn’t be possible. I’ve had Charges that had an ability, but never multiple. They were always simple ones like psychic visions or minor telekinesis.

  Maddy’s are powerful and made even more dangerous by her inability to control them and her lack of knowledge of them. Given time, we can control the majority of them.

  However, the one I’m most concerned about is whatever happened when we kissed. I felt it building inside her. My essence fought to tame it—to keep us both from losing control—but I have no control when I’m kissing her. Everythi
ng inside me is heightened. It’s overwhelming. It must be why my Mark—the shield each Protector places around the essence of the Charge—was suddenly visible outside of the Veil of Shadows. But Maddy is not my Charge. How did I Mark her, and why did the Mark come back to me when we stopped kissing? She still needed to be protected from the flames.

  The water the flame tornado scooped up from the pond may have kept the heat down, but it still could have hurt her. I didn’t know how we were going to get out of there. I was relieved when it vanished. But for all the danger we were in, Maddy wasn’t frightened. I couldn’t believe it as she just watched on with a sense of wonder, in awe of what we’d done—she’d done.

  The easiest way to handle it is to not kiss her again. But even thinking it, I know neither of us can resist. So what sparked that reaction in her? And how was she able to manipulate two elements—fire and water—without recognizing she was responsible for it?

  I listen for her heartbeat again, finding solace in the calming rhythm. She’s safe. I clear my mind and reach out for Alexander using Cerebrallink.

  MJ, he says once our minds have connected.

  Did you find anyone at the park? I ask.

  No. The woods were empty. The spirit is gone. Do you think it’s the same one you’ve encountered before?

  The day I met Maddy, a spirit tried to shield her from me in the park. Maybe this same spirit made that sound in the woods at the bridge. The spirit is still unknown, but I believe it’s part of a group of four supernatural beings supposedly working together to protect Maddy. The only confirmed member is Maddy’s Guardian, posing as the substitute math teacher Ms. Morgan. A suspected member is Duane, the Shadowwalker posing as Maddy’s uncle. I have no leads on the fourth member.

  Considering none of them helped save Maddy from the demon last night, they’re done being a part of her life. I will hunt them all down and send them to Hell. I need to keep her safe and hidden.

  Thunder rolls through the air. I check on Maddy again, listening to her elevated, but still normal, heart rate. I move to the bathroom door and peek inside. The shower curtain is closed, though I can hear the water as it hits her skin. No one else is in here. She’s safe.

  I shut the door and link back to Alexander. I’m not sure if it’s the same spirit. I didn’t sense an essence, but I knew someone was there. I don’t understand how that’s possible.

  I have a thought, Alexander says, but you’re not going to like it.

  I don’t like the majority of the situation we’re in. Out with it, I reply.

  He’s silent for a moment, which only increases my anxiety. I don’t think it was the spirit—it had an essence. I think it was one of the Fallen.

  My body stiffens. Hairs stand on my neck. That’s not possible, I say, though I don’t know if the lie is for me or him.

  The Fallen’s essences are guarded so we cannot detect when they are on Mortal Ground. I already know the Acquisitioner is after her, but that doesn’t mean Death, the Gatekeeper, and the Ferryman aren’t too. Maddy could change everything about the afterlife. If the others know about her, I have to assume she makes them nervous.

  Though if that being were a member of the Fallen, it would have either killed her or taken her by now.

  You’re probably right, Alexander says, drawing me from my thoughts. It’s probably not possible. Speaking of the impossible, any ideas on the fire tornado?

  I groan. You saw it?

  I’d wager half the state saw it, not to mention Immortal City.

  I sigh and run my fingers through my hair, desperate for control. I must contain this. I must protect her. Come here. Bring the others too. We need to talk.

  A moment later, Alexander appears near the window in Maddy’s room. His jeans are covered in dirt, and his shirt has several burrs stuck to it. As grateful as I am for his help, I don’t need evidence of his presence sprinkled on Maddy’s floor.

  I wave my hand at him, removing the traces of his search through the woods.

  He looks down at his now-clean clothes and shrugs.

  “Thank you,” says a female voice near Maddy’s bed.

  I turn. Tension builds inside as I gaze at the two women standing before me.

  Tamitha brushes strands of her long brown hair behind her shoulder and then motions to Alexander, smiling. “We were all in the woods, yet he was the only one covered in dirt.”

  “That’s his norm,” Sissy, the redheaded angel beside her, scoffs. Her light brown eyes land on me, taking me all in.

  I trained her—all of them—but now I’m different. Even from here, I can sense their unease. Maddy . . . takes some getting used to. If they’re not ready yet, I’m not letting them come near her. I couldn’t admit it to her last night, mostly because I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but Justin was right. My kind could kill her.

  The first and most important rule is to keep our identity a secret. If mortals knew the truth of the afterlife, their life on earth would lose its value. People would take as many irresponsible risks as they pleased, then they’d die and be reborn as if it were no more than pressing restart on a video game. To protect our existence, we were given the ability to compel mortals. Both angels and demons use it every day. It’s the one rule everyone abides by.

  Maddy can’t be compelled, and she can shield her thoughts from us—both violate rule one. I’ve told my team this, but hearing about her and actually experiencing her are different.

  I called you here, I begin, speaking to their minds so Maddy will not hear, to discuss recent events. We already had the odds stacked against us in regards to protecting Maddy, but things have changed again—and not for the better.

  They stiffen, and Alexander frowns. Is this about the tornado? I was joking—mostly. And anyway, we can—

  No. My head pounds as a headache forms. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to soothe it. After a moment, I give up, dropping my arm to my side. I mean, the tornado is troubling too. But before the flame tornado, I was testing one of Maddy’s abilities. When we touch, sometimes she sends our souls someplace, while our bodies remain in the original location. She’s always sent us to the bridge until today.

  Where did you go? Tamitha asks, stepping closer.

  Emotions sway inside me, rolling like the waves of the ocean, and I am no more than a drifter clinging to a life raft. For a moment, I consider not telling them, but I’m in over my head.

  I asked her to send us to what can best be described as a dream—a nightmare, really. She did, but it wasn’t a recreation or an alternate plane. It was real.

  Alexander places his hand on my shoulder, sending the reassurance I needed. What are you saying, MJ?

  Maddy sent us back in time to the day I died.

  The truth clings to the air, silencing the room. I didn’t want to believe it either. I tried to find another explanation, but there isn’t one.

  They all step back. Then their voices start shouting in my head, blending in a cacophony of shock and disbelief. I rub my temples, trying to drown them out. After this reaction, I’m glad I downplayed the tornado.

  Thunder rips through the air, rocking the house. I check on Maddy again, listening to her quickened heart. If I search the room again, I might catch her in a vulnerable state now that the shower is off. Instead I listen for other sounds in the room—anything to shed a light on what’s upset her. I hear nothing other than music, her racing heart, and ragged breathing. The demons she’s facing are her own. Is she realizing what this morning means too?

  I want to go to her—comfort her. It won’t take away her pain, but it seems to help her. However, I can’t while the other Protectors are here.

  After several moments, the thunder and other angels calm. So do I.

  MJ, Alexander says, have you considered that perhaps this is why the Acquisitioner is after her?

  My shoulders slump, fearing the truth of his words. The Binding Agreement—the contract the Influencer had—was created by the Acquisitioner.
He drafts all contracts in Hell—mainly Binding Agreements, which he uses to collect souls for the Devil. So why did he write that contract for the Influencer to use with Maddy, and what does the Acquisitioner get out of it? More than likely, as Alexander suggested, he’s after Maddy for himself.

  I’ve already lost too much to him. I won’t lose her too.

  He’s right, Sissy says. With access to that kind of ability, the Acquisitioner could travel to any fixed point in time and change it. History could be rewritten. Everything is in jeopardy, including us. He could stop the creation of the Protectors. He could even go back and prevent the Fall. This ability is too dangerous—not to mention the other abilities Maddy seems to have. We cannot allow her to fall into his hands.

  She cannot fall into any of the Fallen’s hands.

  So you’ll help me with her? I ask.

  Hope grows as they agree. Sharing her isn’t ideal—I had hoped to protect her myself. But I can’t do it on my own—not until the situation is resolved with the Influencer and the Acquisitioner. With my team on board, we might protect Maddy. She needs to meet them, though. That way they can help protect her.

  Give me an hour to get her ready. Meet us at the park across the street.

  You’re doing the right thing, MJ, Sissy says.

  We’ll clean out the park, Tamitha adds. Just in case there are any more incidents like at the bridge.

  I nod, and they take their leave. This will work. I have to believe it. The only problem left is getting Maddy to go along with it.

  Chapter Five

  Maddy

  Steaming hot water rains down on me from the shower head while Blake Shelton blares from my iPod. I had cranked up the volume, hoping it would help keep my mind quiet. It’s not working.

  My mind is too full of the park and everything that happened there.

  I touch my lips, thinking back to the kiss. It was wonderful. I could spend the rest of my life kissing him—and I hope to. But what caused the tornado? It didn’t happen last night when we kissed. The difference today is me—I’m healed. So did I do it, then? Is it some unknown, uncontrollable ability?