She bites her lip. “What do you have in mind?”
“How about New York City?”
Her jaw drops. “New York? When you said anywhere, I thought you meant somewhere within this realm…”
“Why not broaden your horizons, angel? You could go anywhere, just with a mere thought. What’s stopping you?”
She furrows her brows and shuts her eyes. “I have no desire to visit the land below. Zero. Zilch. I am perfectly content up here in the sky.”
“Fine. Whatever you say.” I roll my eyes and sigh. “I’ll give it to you straight. I’m dying to visit the land below again. What will it take for you to allow me to visit again?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea—”
“Oh, c’mon, it’s the best idea. I’ll make my visit so quick you won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“No. I can’t do it again, Kai.” Her eyes bore into mine. “I’m sorry, but it simply isn’t worth the risk.”
“Oh, itwouldbe worth it if you joined me.” I wink.
“You’re a tireless flirt, you know that?” she mutters.
“Of course. I’ll never tire of flirting with you, Cleo.”
“Ugh,” she groans, pinning me with her gaze. “Final answer is no, Kai.”
My shoulders sag in defeat. I can’t blame her for not wanting to break any other rules. Between my growing feelings for her and my mundane routine, reality is sinking in, and something about it isn’t hitting right.
“I understand,” I whisper, rising from the bench and reaching out my hand. “Here. Let me walk you back to your quarters.”
She glances up at me, nodding. We walk to her quarters hand in hand, talking about the foods we miss the most, our ongoing archives project—nothing important at all.
Well, food is important, I guess.
But notasimportant as finding a way to visit the land below again.
I’m clearly wound up. Wound up like a tightrope on the verge of snapping.
Eighteen
Cleo
Several days have passed since Kai asked me to bend the rules for himagain. His persistence is admirable, I’ll give him that.
I can’t blame him for wanting to escape, but I’m also trying not to enable him.
Quite frankly, I’m shocked the Archangels haven’t reprimanded me for allowing him to visit the land below already. If they genuinely are all-knowing celestial beings, they must have paid no heed to my insolence.
For now.
But why?The Archangels have a reason for everything. It makes me queasy to consider what their reasoning would be if they did indeed know about my insolence.
I’ve grown unexpectedly accustomed to evening walks with him. I can’t pinpoint when I started to find comfort in these little outings of ours. However, we didn’t take an evening stroll together tonight. It’s the third night in a row we haven’t.
I push my arm against my sofa, shifting my weight. Again.
Trying to pull my thoughts back to the words in the book I’m holding, I rub my temple with my free hand.
I assumed that drawing comfort from the night air and starlight itself during our walks was what brought me comfort. I’ve always fancied night.
