Sympathy met her question.
“You did,” her friend replied softly. “Your memory was reset.”
“Not completely,” she muttered. “But how do you know that? It doesn’t seem like something the Creator would care to get out.”
“They keep trying to reset mine, but it won’t take.” Ariel shrugged, looking perplexed. “Could be Luc changed my genetic makeup when he…”
“When he what?”
“Um, yeah, I can’t say.”
“Can’t or won’t?” The games were tiresome, and she constantly felt out of the loop.
“Can’t. There are no secrets in this place, Nadia. Be careful who you speak to.”
Breaking the unwritten rule to keep things superficial, Nadia confessed, “I dream of him. Or the man I’m assuming is him.”
“I figured as much.”
“Is he human?”
“No.”
Dreading the answer, she asked, “An angel?”
“No. Or at least, not as you know them to be.”
Frustrated, she bumped into her. “Want to stop drawing it out and answer me before I lose my freaking shit?”
Ariel laughed and rested her head on Nadia’s shoulder.
“I think you know, my friend. As I said, his name is never spoken here. What does that tell you?”
The connection clicked, and Nadia jerked away, shifting to glimpse her expression. “Please tell me it’s not who I think it is.”
“I’m afraid so.” Leaning in, Ariel whispered, “You loved him. He loved you. The matching scars on Michael and Raphael’s faces were his handiwork. Rumor has it, he was furious with them for hurting you when you were brought here.”
“When I was brought here? You mean I wasn’t born an angel?” Nadia asked, keeping her voice equally low.
Her friend drew back in horrified wonder. “I thought you knew that much at least.”
“All I know is what I was told, which is remarkably little. I’ve been under the assumption I’d wandered down the wrong path and angered the Creator. I figured my training is because I’m relegated to some future shit job.”
“Oh, Nadia. I’m so sorry. It’s worse than I imagined.”
Panic clawed Nadia’s insides, and her hands began to shake. Her mind churned with all the reasons she might’ve required punishment.
“Tell me the truth, Ariel. Please.”
“It is forbidden to speak of him. But I can try to imprint the moments I witnessed during your relationship.” Her friend didn’t sound convinced she should.
“How do we go about it?”
“We don’t. Not now. People are coming. Tonight, when everyone sleeps. Meet me back here.”
Nadia nodded, but Ariel had already hurried away.
“Thank you,” she called after the departing angel.
