Yesterday, Raphael returned carrying a demon who could telecommunicate. He’d dropped the infuriated demon in front of Corson from fifty feet above. The demon fell on his ass before shooting back to his feet, but he was wise enough not to go after the angel when Raphael landedbesidehim.
“Kobal says if you must communicate with him in the future, to use this demon, but only if it is necessary,” Raphaelstated.
“Kobal hates telecommunicating with anyone,” Corsontoldme.
“He also said he would understand if you decided to return to the wall with your Chosen after what occurred with Greed.” Raphael hadn’t waited for a reply before taking tothesky.
“Guess he doesn’t like being the messenger,” I said as I’d watched Raphael flyhigher.
“But he’s so damn good at it,” Corson replied with a smile and looked at the demon before him. “Welcome.”
“Humph,” the demon grunted, straightened his shirt, andwalkedaway.
Corson grinned after him before looking up to Raphael. “I almost kind of like Raphael more for dropping him. It’s so veryun-golden boyofhim.”
“Maybe Earth is alreadychanginghim.”
“Let’s hope it’s for thebetter.”
I’d chuckled as Corson slid his arm through mine and led me into the cave. I’d considered asking Corson again what River was, but decided against it. Because of our relationship now, he would tell me, but I knew it was something he’d prefer to come from Kobal or River. I resolved to speak with one of them the next time I got the chance, and hopefully, they would come to like and trust me enough to tell me themselves. Even if they didn’t, I wouldn’t put Corson in the position of feeling like he had to reveal ittome.
My attention was drawn back to the day when Raphael landed next to my rock, nodded at me, tucked his wings against his back, and strode into the cave to join the others. I turned away from him and drew my backpack closer to me. Reaching in, I pulled out a piece of venison and bit into it. The chewiness of the meat made me cringe. I swallowed more from habit than any real hunger before returning it to my bag. I’d give it to Jolielater.
Digging through the bag, I removed the meager supply of food I’d stored inside and slid it into the front pocket. I’d give it over to be divided between the others later. My lack of hunger for human food meant I would probably have to start feeding from wraiths soon, but I was surprisingly okay with that, given how much they’d unnerved me before. If Corson was there to show me what to do, I knew I would be able to get through it, and like every other change in my life, I would adapttoit.
I stuck my hand in the backpack to push aside two shirts, an extra pair of pants, and a bra well on its way to falling apart. At the bottom of the bag, I felt something that caused me to pull my hand back. Peering into the bag, I gazed in disbelief at the small box I’d removed from the locker. I’d stuffed it inside my backpack after that night with Corson and forgotten about it. Pulling the box free, I wiped the dust off to reveal a yellow cover with chipped and fading redflowers.
When I opened the lid, the hinges creaked, and a wave of musty air wafted out to tickle my nose. I pushed aside the multicolored plastic bracelets within before uncovering a small ring. I removed the ring and cleaned it on my shirt to reveal the large, dark blue stone set on a thinsilverband.
Slipping the ring on, I wiggled my fingers and frowned when the gem shifted from deep blue to a sky color before turning purple and staying there. A distant memory tugged at me and words drifted throughmymind.
Here, put this on! It will tell you your mood!A young girl gushedexcitedly.
I struggled to recall who had belonged to the excited voice. Some friend of mine from school most likely. Some friend who probably hadn’t survived the gateway opening, and if she had, I hadn’t run into her again. Perhaps she’d been taken to the wall when the evacuation started; maybe she still lived with her family, and maybe she’d outgrown those buckteeth.
Kristi!I recalled as a face burst into my memory. Despite those teeth and her knobby knees, Kristi had been a pretty girl with a brown ponytail, broad smile, and blue eyes. She’d been my best friend. We’d run and played and giggled over boys who were mostly still gross to us at the time, but some had started to become cute instead ofcringeworthy.
Once, we’d each bought one of these rings from a machine at the grocery store.A mood ring, I remembered as I brought my hand closer to study the stone moreintently.
Now it seemed silly; I knew my mood was normal, not excited, not bored, just here and still kicking. However, the first time I’d slipped one of these rings on, it had been a magical adventure, and I’d believed it could somehow tell me something I didn’talreadyknow.
Kristi and I had eagerly consulted the color chart to learn how we were feeling. I couldn’t recall what each of the colors represented anymore, but I remembered our heads close together as we giggled and examined our rings like they were the most precious ofdiamonds.
“What do you have there?” Corson asked as he strolled out of the woods where he’d been on watch with Hawk, Vargas, and Lix. Their shift must have ended, I realized as he walked over to sitbesideme.
Lifting my head, my heart swelled with love when my gaze landed on him. I’d loved him when I was a human, deeply, but my love had become more intense, and the possessive feeling I felt for him grew stronger with every passing day. He wasmydemon. Nothing would ever change that, and I’d kill anyone who tried to comebetweenus.
I scratched absently at the back of my hand as the idea of someone knowing him as intimately as I did caused my teeth to grind. I knew there were other women out there that he’d also been with, I accepted that, but he would never be with another andsurviveit.
“It’s a mood ring.” I told him about what it did, Kristi, and the rings we’d once purchased together. Slipping the ring off, I slid it onto his finger and watched as it turned black. “I don’t know what that means anymore,” Iadmitted.
“Only humans would need something to tell them how they feel,” he muttered as he wiggled his fingers. “I do like it though, and if it works, then this ring detects filthyminds.”
The suggestive smile he gave me made my mouthwater.
“You do like your jewelry,” I replied. Jealousy speared like a hot poker through my chest at the reminder of him and his earrings from other women. I turned my head away from him as I struggled to get the volatile sway of my emotions under control. “I thought these rings were great when I was a kid,” I forced out. Hoping to keep my unraveling control hidden from him. He worried about me enough without me adding to it by revealing that I was becoming a complete basket case. “But that was adifferentgirl.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Corson said and removed the ring to slide it back onto my finger. “I know you feel that way, but Bonnie and Wren are the same girl. They’re just divided by a horrificevent.”
