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  I’d never said that out loud before. I’d never said it out loud to any of them. Even just thinking the words felt like a lie for some reason. They’ve been my family for almost seventeen years, and I love them. But I still can’t bring myself to say those words again.

  Deep down, I think a part of me has always suspected I’m different from my family. And now I realize I’m not just different from them. I’m different from everyone. It’s not just about being adopted anymore. All sorts of normal people are adopted. But me, I’m . . . some sort of an emotionally unstable supernatural time bomb. I’m different. I’m not normal.

  I shake my head. It doesn’t matter.

  I won’t let it matter.

  “Oh, there you two are,” Mom says as she enters the living room. “Did you kids have a nice—”

  Mom stops midsentence, eyes wide. Coming in right behind her, Dad takes one look, then sucks in a breath so fast, he breaks into a fit of coughing. Mom slaps his back while her eyes stay glued to my face.

  I stare back at them in complete confusion—until it finally dawns on me.

  I’m still sitting in MJ’s lap, his arms still wrapped around me.

  If I hadn’t almost died several times recently, I would wish for death now.

  MJ quickly lifts me and sets me on the couch, then jumps up to help Dad—not understanding that his lap and the fact that I was in it is what spurred my dad to choke.

  I was never serious with Ben. We didn’t hold hands. We rarely kissed. And I never sat in his lap—even when we were alone. MJ might as well have rented a billboard that said “WE’RE DATING—IT’S SERIOUS!” in big neon letters and placed it in the front yard.

  Dad recovers. His face is blank, but the brow above his green eye is arched. It’s a look I know well. He’s too polite to voice his opinion in front of MJ, but he has something to say about this. I’m sure we’ll have a family meeting later. I hope I can convince MJ and the other angels to give me some actual privacy for it and not just be watching from the Veil of Shadows.

  But then I realize the masked demon and her master will be watching too. Nothing is private anymore . . .

  My worlds collide. The lines between reality and fantasy have crossed over so many times lately that I can barely distinguish between the two. Here they are—my family—unknowingly interacting with an angel. And he’s pretending to be mortal while he interacts with the people he believes are my birth parents because I haven’t—and now can’t—tell him the truth.

  The only thing I know for sure at this moment is that I love them all, regardless of who or what they are.

  Incredibly, my knees don’t wobble as I stand and join the three of them. They’re all silent, unsure of what to say. Mom and Dad look at me expectantly.

  I can’t tell them he’s an angel. And I can’t tell them that snuggling up with him on the couch made me feel better after I’ve been through Hell—literally. Not unless I want them to think I’m on drugs. But I have to say something.

  I open my mouth and hope words will spill out on their own. “Umm . . . MJ’s from Norway,” I say, then shrug.

  “I see,” Dad says.

  “Oh,” Mom adds. “So you’re a foreign exchange student?”

  They both turn to MJ, and I nod my head, hoping he’ll play along.

  “Yes,” MJ says.

  I release my breath.

  “Oh, well . . . isn’t that neat,” Mom says.

  Awkwardness drips off the walls, oozing over me as I shift from foot to foot.

  “It’s a wonderful opportunity,” MJ says. “And although I’ve heard it can be difficult to adjust to a new culture, Maddy has been a wonderful help while I acclimate. You’ve raised a remarkable daughter. You should be very proud.”

  Dad and Mom smile.

  “That she is,” Dad says, relaxing a bit. “Have you eaten yet, kiddo?” he asks me, wrapping an arm around Mom.

  “Not since lunch.”

  “Good,” Dad says. “How’s dinner out sound? MJ, you’re welcome to join us too.”

  “That’d be great,” MJ says. He squeezes my hand. “I’ve never been on a double date before.”

  I stand there, gaping at MJ, hoping he didn’t just call eating with me and my parents a double date. Maybe I just imagined it. But I glance at my parents, and they’re gaping at him too. He really said it.

  I rub my neck, trying to ease the tension in me and the room. “When did you want to eat?” I finally ask, smiling as if this weren’t the most mortifying moment ever.

  For a moment, my parents don’t reply. Then Dad says, “We’ll leave in twenty minutes.”

  Thankfully they leave the room, but not before casting one last glance back at MJ and me.

  I take a deep breath, turn to MJ, and say, “Yeah. Next time your ‘angel sense’ is tingling about my parents coming, make sure we’re not doing anything more than holding hands. And please don’t say stuff about dating and whatnot in front of them either. Okay? I don’t want to get ‘the Talk.’”

  He tilts his head.

  I rub my brow and sigh. “There’s this whole speech parents give when they think their kid is in a serious relationship, and I don’t need to deal with that. And for the record, no one goes on a double date with their parents. Ew. Double dates are with friends.”

  His own brows furrow as he nods. “What’s this speech about? Parents are very wise, and yours love you a great deal. You should listen to them.”

  I can’t even look at him. The only thing more embarrassing than having the Talk with my parents would be talking about the Talk with MJ.

  Thanks to my half semester of health class last year, I already know what I need to do to stay off the latest “teen mom” show—not that I considered doing any of that, then or now. But MJ hasn’t had health class. Depending on how long it’s been since he dated, relationships and . . . intimacy . . . could be way different.

  “If you really want to know, use my computer to look up the phrase ‘the birds and the bees’ while I get ready for dinner. But just know that I’m not ready to have that sort of relationship with you. Okay?”

  MJ’s eyes widen, and he takes a step back. His cheeks flush. “I’m familiar with that reference. I came across it while doing research into you last weekend.”

  “What sort of research would have led you to that topic?”

  “Well . . .” He pauses, running a hand behind his neck. “I was brushing up on my knowledge of a particular skill set I hadn’t utilized as a Protector before. That phrase was in several books I read.”

  A laugh sounds, and Alexander suddenly reappears. He clamps a hand down on MJ’s shoulder. “What this bumbling fool is trying to say is that he’s a dummy when it comes to dating you. In fact—”

  “Shouldn’t you be in the Veil of Shadows?” MJ interrupts. A red hue flows up his neck and face.

  Alexander just laughs some more. “You and I both know Maddy’s parents are in their bedroom and can’t hear me.” He gives MJ a playful shove. “As I was saying, he’s a dummy, and I have proof: Dating for Dummies was the book he was reading when I found him in the Immortal City library.”

  MJ looks away as his head and shoulders slump. Alexander chuckles, then disappears with a wink.

  MJ’s embarrassed. That’s incredibly sweet. Not wanting him to suffer any longer, I change the subject. “Heaven has a library?”

  “Yes,” he admits, though he doesn’t look up.

  “When were you there?”

  “Sunday,” he mutters.

  Now it makes sense. He truly didn’t know what he was doing on our date that day, but he tried for me. He didn’t even know my name then.

  I throw my arms around him and kiss his cheek. He gasps and stumbles backward.

  “Thank you,” I say.

  Before he can say anything back, I leave the room to get ready for dinner.

  Chapter Fourteen

  MJ

  Sex.

  That’s what Maddy’s parents want to
discuss with her, thanks to her being in my lap when they walked in. Part of me wants to compel them to forget it. But if I went around erasing every embarrassing moment just to make things easier for us, then I’d be no better than a demon.

  Her parents are thinking about it now upstairs, trying to decide how involved Maddy and I are and how detailed they need to be when they talk with her. They figured they would be having the Talk—as everyone keeps calling it—with Hannah before Maddy. Hannah has always been more aware of boys.

  Unknown to Maddy, her father had words with Ben about their relationship. He wanted to know why a twenty-one-year-old in his last year of college would be so interested in a sixteen-year-old girl in high school. (It’s fortunate he doesn’t know how old I am.)

  Ben told him there are people in the world destined for greatness, and he could tell the minute he saw Maddy that she’s one of them. He said he didn’t know where their relationship would go; that was up to her. She was in control, and he was okay with it.

  Ben had no idea how right he was. I like him a little bit more for that—which makes me feel even worse for what happened to him. I should have done more to protect him from the demon. But I was so focused on saving Maddy, I neglected to consider what would happen to him or the emotional toll it would have on Maddy.

  His death and her pain are on me.

  . . .

  In the driveway, Maddy and I hold hands as we head to my truck so I can drive us to the restaurant.

  Maddy stops and stares at her family heading for their car. My essence inside her is suddenly pulled apart: half of her is eager to spend more time with me, the other half wishes to be with her family. As much as I want to be alone with her, I will not make her chose between me and her family. Especially considering that if things get worse, I’ll have no choice but to take her from them to protect her.

  I hope if that day comes, she’ll forgive me.

  “Actually,” I say and nod toward their car, “I don’t know where we’re going, so why don’t we ride with your family instead?”

  She looks up at me, eyes beaming with joy. It nearly breaks my heart seeing the happiness such a small act can bring to her.

  We squeeze into the backseat with Hannah. Maddy intentionally bumps into her sister. They both grin.

  “Mom!” Hannah whines. “Maddy’s touching me!”

  Both Hannah and Maddy giggle as their mother turns around to roll her eyes and shake her head at them. From the car’s side mirror, I can see her crack a smile as she turns forward again.

  Maddy’s dad pulls the car out of the driveway. His mind and her mom’s are filled with happy memories of Maddy and Hannah in their youth. I squeeze Maddy’s hand, sending more essence into her to keep this lighthearted moment going.

  She smiles at me so brightly, her eyes shine with a light I’ve only seen a few times before.

  That familiar thump echoes inside me as my heart beats again. I count eight beats before Maddy turns back to talk with her sister.

  I can see the love she has for them. But I can also see the pain it causes her—and I’m at a loss about why. I don’t understand how she can be this full of life, love, and compassion yet have said only a few days ago that she was never going to fall in love.

  Maddy’s father looks back at us in the rearview mirror.

  To her parents, I’m trouble. I’m the reason for her disappearance and disobedience on Sunday. But they also realize Maddy has formed a deep attachment to me and that she’s changing in good ways. It reminds them of who she used to be, before that camping trip with the Shadowwalker.

  Unlike everyone else, they aren’t curious about what took place during that trip, when everything changed for Maddy. I can tell they know the truth behind it all, but I can’t access it. The Shadowwalker put a block in their minds to keep it secret. It’s a strong block—stronger than it should be. Like the demon who took her on Tuesday, the Shadowwalker must have heightened powers too.

  Her father sighs then returns his eyes to the road. As happy as her parents are to have her returning to her old self, they fear our relationship will burn bright and fast, then rapidly extinguish. They worry about the effect that would have on her.

  They’re wrong, though. I would never hurt her. I plan on spending eternity with her. Even with the threat of demons, I’m not going to rush this.

  Maddy rests her head on my shoulder, spurring such foreign reactions in me. It’s impossible to breathe without inhaling the fruit scent of her shampoo and conditioner, laced with her own scents of sunshine, summer air, and spring rain.

  But there’s a new scent I hadn’t smelled on her before today. Now she smells of fire. Just a hint of it, but it’s exotic, and it makes me want to kiss her to see if I taste it on her lips.

  In comfortable silence, I allow my mind to rest and listen to whatever her parents have on the radio. It’s a news station, and the announcer is talking about the upcoming election and predictions of who will win their districts. We seldom pay attention to mortal politics, but I hear a name I know—James Atwood.

  Instantly, Maddy’s stomach tightens, and an overwhelming heat fills her. I cringe against the pain and send more of my essence to reduce it. Just as quickly, though, the heat vanishes.

  I stare at her. Her eyes are wide, and she’s panting. She tries her best to not draw the others’ attention. Luckily, Hannah’s texting a friend and their parents are talking about their plans for the weekend.

  “What happened?” I whisper.

  “I don’t know,” she whispers back. “Something just feels weird—I’m not sure what it is.”

  I hold my breath as my essence searches every inch of her. How could Maddy have a reaction like that when she heard Atwood’s name? This has to be a coincidence. In the back of my mind, though, I can hear Alexander’s “there are no coincidences” speech. I clench my jaw and search her harder, willing myself to find any other explanation, no matter how implausible, that proves Alexander wrong.

  My essence returns and dread fills me. There’s no physical or emotional reason for her reaction. It wasn’t a coincidence. It was triggered by something that has me more worried than any other demon or angel. It was triggered by Maddy herself.

  James Atwood, the politician the radio mentioned, has a daughter, and she’s the next target for the demon serial killer.

  Her eyes search mine, full of questions. From her expression, I can tell she has no idea who Atwood is or why she reacted to his name. Very few psychics understand how their ability works and even fewer can control it. Whether this happened via psychic power or some other ability, all Maddy knows is the panic that suddenly flooded her.

  Needing answers and fearing the worst, I reach out to Gary, the Protector assigned to the Atwood case.

  Sir, he says once we’re connected.

  Not wanting to mention Maddy in any way, I use a cover story. I’ve been in contact with a psychic who believes your Charge may be in imminent danger.

  Even though Gary doesn’t have emotions yet, I feel his senses sharpen. I am watching her from the Veil of Shadows now.

  She’s safe? I ask.

  For now, though it would help if I had more information about the psychic’s premonition.

  The psychic is new to her abilities, I reply. If I hear more, I’ll contact you. Until then, stay close to her.

  We disconnect.

  Knowing the Atwood girl is alive, I decide not to burden Maddy with the details and possible explanations. After everything she’s been through, she needs a night of peace and normalcy—even if it means I have to keep the truth from her. Tomorrow, I’ll tell her what happened, and we can discuss her reaction at length.

  But tonight, I’m going to do everything in my power to keep her happy.

  “Relax,” I whisper, smiling and squeezing her hand. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

  She glances at her family, still engrossed in their own conversations. Then her eyes narrow in disbelief at me. “You’re sure?”<
br />
  I nod.

  “But what just happened? You didn’t feel anything—another essence or whatever?”

  I pull her into me, hugging her as best I can in the backseat. “No. You’re probably just nervous for dinner. I’m nervous too. But I’m glad I get to spend the evening with you.”

  Inside, I can feel her struggling to let go of her fears and trust my words. As difficult as it is to sit by and feel her go through this, I know it would be so much worse if I hadn’t lied to Maddy. Protecting her from the truth has spared her unnecessary stress. I push her remaining fears down, letting her find the peace she needs. After a moment, her inner conflict settles, and she rests her head on my shoulder.

  Her father pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant.

  Maddy sits up and gives me a small smile. Through my essence, I feel her stomach clinch. I know she isn’t sick. I believe this is what the dating books refer to as “butterflies.” She’s had them many times around me, and it’s supposed to be a good thing.

  I never dated in my mortal life—not that we “dated” much back then. Most marriages were arranged. I should have been married; I was at the age when most men already were. But I was fighting in the war, as was my father.

  I’m glad that I can experience it all now for the first time with Maddy. Even though we’re from different times, she’s my soulmate.

  Times like this, when she’s so humanly vulnerable, I find my love for her growing even stronger. Normally she’s sealed off, but every now and then she lowers the drawbridge and I see a glimpse of what I feel inside her.

  I raise our joined hands and place a kiss on the soft skin of her knuckles.

  Her father clears his throat, and I look to see him raising a brow at her hand in mine. His expression might show only mild annoyance, but his mind is screaming at me. She means the world to me, but it’s clear she means the world to him too.

  With the extra flutter Maddy’s heart does whenever she’s near her father, I have a feeling his approval is a big deal to her. Somehow, I will impress this man. I could compel him, of course, but I don’t want to. This is something most mortal men must face, and I want to experience this as they would.