I clear my throat and try to look serious. "I'm sure."
As he climbs back in his car and pulls away, I feel Luc's arms snake around my waist and pull my body into his. "Are you done beating me up?" Luc says into my hair, and I can hear the smile in his voice.
"Maybe." I spin in his arms and wipe a smudge of dirt off his cheek. "Are you done pissing me off?"
He grins. "Maybe."
He grabs my hand and tows me back to the car. But as we pull away, something he said hits me hard, like a fist to the gut, and I feel suddenly sick.
"Do you think I cheated?"
He loops his arm over my shoulders. "What?"
"You just said I could pretty much have whatever I wanted. Did I make you love me?"
He turns and looks into my eyes, a bemused smile on his perfect lips. "You did."
"No, I mean did I make make you love me. Like, you didn't really want to but my ... influence-this Sway thing or whatever it is that Gabe thinks I can do-like, you love me. Like, you didn't really want to but my ... influence-this Sway thing or whatever it is that Gabe thinks I can do-like, made made you." you."
"That's irrelevant."
"Not to me."
"Frannie, what matters is that what I feel is real and genuine. I wouldn't want to go back to what I was. How I got here doesn't matter, just that I'm here."
"That's just stupid. That's like saying I beat you in poker 'cause I stacked the deck, but you're glad I have all your money."
"If you took my money and bought me paradise with it, I would would be glad you had it. And that's what you've done." He reaches for me and draws me to his shoulder. I shove him away and look out the window as he pulls back out into the road. I feel his eyes on me, but I can't look at him, knowing what I've done. I've given a whole new meaning to the term "mind games." But more, in some selfish little corner of my mind, I hate that he didn't be glad you had it. And that's what you've done." He reaches for me and draws me to his shoulder. I shove him away and look out the window as he pulls back out into the road. I feel his eyes on me, but I can't look at him, knowing what I've done. I've given a whole new meaning to the term "mind games." But more, in some selfish little corner of my mind, I hate that he didn't fall fall in love with me. He was pushed. He doesn't love me for me. He loves me 'cause he had no choice. in love with me. He was pushed. He doesn't love me for me. He loves me 'cause he had no choice.
LUC.
Frannie's sitting on the arm of a chair, staring out the window, and Gabriel is sitting on his couch looking at me like I'm nuts. "The Shield only works for angels and some mortals. Last I looked, dude, you're no angel."
"What do you mean, 'some mortals'?"
"Well, Adam and Lilith were the first we tried it on, and you know how well that that went. But there have been others where it's worked." He shrugs. "Go figure." went. But there have been others where it's worked." He shrugs. "Go figure."
"You mean Eve-Adam and Eve Eve," Frannie says to the window.
Gabriel cocks half a smile. "You're right, it didn't work on Eve either, but Lilith was Adam's first wife."
She turns and looks at him, then at me, as if hoping I'll confirm that Gabriel has lost his mind. I shake my head. "Long story." Then I turn back to Gabriel. "Why didn't the Shield work on Frannie?"
Gabriel glares at me. "It did. Until you showed up."
"Oh."
"What didn't work on me? What's this Shield?"
Gabriel answers. "It's essentially a shield against detection by evil. It hides you from all things infernal."
Hope sparks in her eyes. "Could it hide me from angels too?"
A sad smile flits across Gabriel's lips. "No."
She looks dejected again as she asks, "Why didn't it work on me?"
"I don't know. Sometimes it partially works. It only takes one demon who's particularly sensitive to you, for any reason ..." He shoots a glance at me.
She looks at me, uncertainty in her eyes. "So you're saying, even with this Shield, Luc found me anyway."
"Looks that way," Gabriel says, but her eyes stay locked on mine.
I nod reassuringly at her and smile. She's so afraid she manipulated me into loving her. It hurts that she can't see how much more it is now. How big big it is. It may have been her Sway that started the ball rolling, but the way she makes me feel ... that's not her Sway. It's just her. it is. It may have been her Sway that started the ball rolling, but the way she makes me feel ... that's not her Sway. It's just her.
Her gaze shifts to Gabriel. "Try it on me again."
"You're still under the protection of the Shield. I think that's why Lucifer is the only one who's found you so far."
I frown. "And Belias and Avaira."
Gabriel's eyes shoot to me. "What are you talking about?"
"Your radar sucks. They've been here for a few weeks."
His surprise turns to antipathy. "You should have told me, but I'm sure Belias found you you, loser. You're like an infernal lightning rod. You're still bound to them, and that psychic thread will be hard to sever."
I can think of one way to sever it right now. "Which brings me back to my original request."
Gabriel eyes me warily. "I've never heard of anyone trying it on a demon. I'm thinking this isn't such a great idea."
"But I'm not a demon anymore, remember?"
"In body, you may be becoming mortal, but in essence you're still theirs-a creature of the Underworld."
I know he's right, because I couldn't have done what I did with Frannie earlier otherwise. "If no one's tried it on a demon, how can you be sure it won't work on me? What's the risk?"
"The risk ... well, let's see. There's the risk of death death. Forces of light-especially forces this powerful-tend to kill forces of evil. Even if it didn't kill you, it could alter you in ways I can't even guess at."
Frannie stands and steps toward me, her eyes full of concern. "Is somebody gonna tell me what's going on?"
Gabriel looks at her with a sardonic smile. "Lucifer is asking for a miracle."
She rolls her eyes. "Aren't we all? But, really ..."
I can't help the smile. "He's serious. That's exactly what I'm asking for."
"A miracle," she says, as if waiting for the punch line.
"Yep."
That obviously wasn't the answer she was hoping for. "Great."
Gabriel laces his fingers in hers and stares into her palm. "The Shield of Light makes angels invisible to detection by forces of evil. Angels can protect a mortal under their Shield when it doesn't work directly on the mortal. That's part of the reason I'm here-to shield you." He looks up at her and she holds his eyes with hers.
Chocolate.
Jealousy bubbles up and I choke it back-for her sake. "Your radar sucks and your Shield must be defective too. I smelled you coming a mile away," I smirk.
Gabriel's eyes stay locked on Frannie's. "I let you detect me. Hoping to scare you off."
A bark of a laugh escapes my chest. "As if!"
"So, what is this Shield? What would Luc have to do?" Frannie asks.
Gabriel pulls his eyes away from Frannie and shoots a cynical look at me. "Grow a halo."
She rolls her eyes again. "Be serious."
We both look at her, dead serious.
"Great," she says again.
Gabriel eyes me skeptically. "It will only work on a pure heart with the purest intentions."
Frannie cracks a smile. "I could have told you that wouldn't work on me."
Gabriel is still staring at me. "It would be dangerous to try on a mortal tagged for Hell, and I think you're a few steps beyond that."
"So ... it could kill him?" she says, her smile gone.
"Yes."
"Then he's not doing it."
I look at Frannie, who now is looking at me with wide eyes, a little shell-shocked. My intentions are pure, I know that. My only intention is to save her from a fate she doesn't deserve. But my heart? I'm not so sure. If it's pure, Frannie made it that way. "What do I have to do? How does it work?" I ask, knowing I have to try. If I can't protect Frannie, I'm useless. Worse than useless. I'm a liability-a beacon for the Underworld.
Gabriel eyes Frannie, probably weighing how she would react if something happened to me at his hands. Fury, vengeance ... all sins.
"Gabriel, this is my decision. Not hers," I say, drawing his attention back to me.
His eyes pull away from her and focus on me as he nods.
"Hold up," Frannie says, fiery incredulity all across her face, but fear in her eyes. "You're serious that he could die?"
Concern passes briefly over Gabriel's features. He can't lie ...
"That's a risk, because he's still tethered to Hell."
"What do you mean?"
"He's a creature of the Underworld, no matter what he's becoming. His life force is spawned from Hell, and he'll always be connected."
I feel my insides boil as my disgust for what I am starts to feed on me. I can't look at her. I can't handle seeing that same disgust for me mirrored in her eyes.
But when she doesn't respond, I glance in her direction. She looks me in the eye and her expression turns cold. "I don't think you should do this, Luc. Not for me. Because I don't love you. I don't want you anymore."
And even though I know she's lying, the crushing pain in my chest is almost incapacitating. "You don't mean that."
"I do. I don't want someone who loves me 'cause he has to. I want someone who loves me for me." I feel my heart go dead in my chest as she turns to Gabriel. "What needs to happen for you to tag me?"
"You need to forgive yourself."
For the briefest of instants, pain twists her face, but, just as quickly, she smoothes it away. "Forgive myself ... for Matt, you mean."
"Yes," Gabriel replies with a sad smile.
Everything in me wants her to be safe-wants Gabriel to protect her. But what I'd never tell her is that, once she's tagged for Heaven, I'm certain things between us will change. Gabriel said it: no matter what I'm becoming, I'm a creature of Hell. Frannie's life, and her priorities, will change once she's tagged for Heaven. She won't want me or need me for long. But she'll be safe.
"Do it, Frannie," I say and turn away. Because, despite my best intention, the pain in my words rang clear.
It's silent for a long moment, and when I turn back, Frannie looks unsure. Lost.
Finally, Gabriel speaks. "As much as I hate to say it, this is the wrong reason. You will will forgive yourself eventually, and when that happens, you'll be tagged for Heaven. It's not something you can force, even for him." He spits the last word, and his face twists into something less than angelic. forgive yourself eventually, and when that happens, you'll be tagged for Heaven. It's not something you can force, even for him." He spits the last word, and his face twists into something less than angelic.
She looks at me and a tear slips down her cheek. She flings herself into my arms and nearly squeezes the life out of me. "Luc, don't do this. We'll figure something else out." I can feel her heart thrumming against my chest.
I pull back, kiss her, and look at Gabriel. "Let's do it."
"Stop! No! No!" she yells, squeezing tighter and burying her face in my chest.
"Frannie," Gabriel says in a sweet, soft melody, "Lucifer is right. If you insist on being together we have to try this."
Frannie pulls her face out of my chest and looks up at him. He's glowing again-what a show-off. But it seems to work, because her grip on me loosens. But then I feel her hands on my face, and I can't resist as she pulls me into a kiss.
Gabriel steps in front of me. "Take off your shirt."
I pull it over my head and Frannie takes it from me, hugging it to her face. He lifts his hand to my forehead, and I notice it's wet. Then I'm burning hotter than the Lake of Fire.
Holy water.
Of course this damned Shield of Light would involve holy water. These holier-than-thou types can't seem to accomplish anything without it. I hold my breath-more difficult now than it used to be-and screw my eyes shut against the pain. I feel the skin on my forehead blister and peel where Gabriel marks the circle there. When his hand moves to my chest and leaves a bubbling red handprint over my heart, I hear the groan escape my throat, and it's all I can do to keep from pulling away from his touch and doubling over. I grimace, because I know Gabriel's enjoying this.
Stop being such a goddamn baby and suck it up. This is what you wanted.
I grit my teeth and am acutely aware of Frannie sobbing, piercing my heart, as she holds my hand in a death grip. Gabriel says some words in an ancient language, but I don't hear them. I don't hear anything but Frannie. She's all that matters.
And then she's in my arms, kissing the raw skin on my chest. I open my eyes and she looks up, tears streaming down her face.