World After

“Thank you, by the way.”

He rakes his fingers through his hair, looking agitated. “Look, I’m sure I could find you a nice little bomb shelter somewhere with two years worth of supplies.”

“I’m guessing those are all taken.”

“And I’m guessing someone would happily give one up for you, especially if I asked nicely.” He gives me a dry smile. “You could take a little vacation from all this and come out after things settle down. Hole up, wait it out, be safe.”

“You’d better be careful. You might be mistaken for someone who’s worried about me.”

He shakes his head. “I’m just worried someone might recognize my sword in your hands. If I squirrel you away for a couple of years, then maybe I can save myself the embarrassment.”

I bite my lip to keep from asking but it comes out anyway. “And what would you do while I was hidden away?”

“Get my wings back. Find out what’s happening with my people and set things right.” He takes a deep breath. “And once I get my business settled, I’d return home with them.”

I nod, digging my nails into my palm to help me focus. “I can’t say I’m not tempted, Raffe. Being safe sounds wonderful.” I give him a sad smile. “Maybe I can take you up on your offer just as soon as I get my family back together. I mean, if you’re still around and are willing to help.”

He sighs. “I miss the days when females could be ordered around and they’d have no choice.”

“Sure that wasn’t just a myth? I’m pretty sure nobody ever ordered my mom around—ever.”

“You’re probably right. The unruliness of the women in your family must go back for generations. You’re like a plague upon the land.”

“So long as we’re also a plague upon angels, I’m sure everyone else will forgive us.”

“Oh, you’re definitely a plague upon at least one angel. Is there anything I can say that will stop you from going to the aerie?”

I pause to think about that. “I wish there was. My life would be a whole lot easier.”

“What if I refuse to help you get there?”

“Then I’ll walk or drive.”

“What if I drag you into a prison and lock you up?”

“Then I’ll use my nifty little sword to cut my way out.”

“What if I leave my sword outside the prison?”

“You won’t. If you can’t have it, you want me to have it, right? We’re better off together than apart.”

Our eyes meet.

“Besides, who’d let me out if something happens to you?”

He throws me a sideways glance, like the thought of something happening to him is ridiculous.

“Beliel is probably still at the aerie,” I say.

“And why would you think that?”

“The doctor who operated on Paige thinks that she’s drawn to Beliel. Who knows what strange animal sense they put into her? She might have a sense of where he is.” I lift Mom’s tracker. “I’m tracking Paige. She’s tracking Beliel. You can’t stop me from following Paige so why not take advantage of the situation and just fly me there?”

He glares at me. “I’ve had to watch you die once, isn’t that enough?”

“All you have to do is make sure it doesn’t happen again.” I give him a su

“The only thing simple is you. Stubborn little…” His grumbles fade to the point where I can’t hear them, but I suspect they’re not compliments.

Eventually, he puts out his arms.

It’s u

WE SKIM so close to the water that we might as well be swimming. I keep expecting us to fly right through a large swell. As it is, the spray feels like an icy shower. I bury my face in Raffe’s neck, seeking his endless warmth.

It’s so cold that my arms want to crack and fall off in protest. It’s no consolation that this is the only way we can get near the aerie without being seen. If we had flown over land, they would have spotted us.

Raffe is stoic and calm this close to the water despite having swum probably only once in his entire existence. I’m a little less calm. I can’t help but think that this might be the last thing I do. I can’t get the images of the crazed warriors sprayed in blood out of my head.

Raffe holds me tighter. “It’s about time you showed some sense. You should be afraid.”

“I’m shivering because I’m freezing.”

“You’re cute when you’re afraid.”

I give him a dirty look. “Yeah, you’re cute when you’re afraid too.”

He actually bursts out laughing. “You mean I’m devastatingly handsome when I’m not afraid. Because you’ve never seen me afraid.”

“I said you were cute, not ‘devastatingly handsome.’ ”

We’re nearing the shore. So far, the sound of waves crashing onto the sand and rocks should have disguised our banter. But we’re getting close enough that we both instinctively shut up.

We, of course, don’t have a plan. We’ll simply have to see what’s going on and take it from there. We drift a little to the side of the new aerie so that we can go on shore u

Hiding behind rocks, fences, and bushes, we sneak up as close as we dare near the circle of light by the edge of the hotel’s lawn. New torches have been set up to replace the old ones that got knocked down during the brawl. But they’re placed randomly and at drunken angles as if whoever put them up couldn’t be bothered with them.

I try to match Raffe’s stealth and smooth coordination, but my frozen limbs are clumsy, and I have to grab him several times to keep myself from tipping over. He throws me a look with a clear message that I should deal with my issues.

We dart to a row of low bushes and follow them closer to the lawn. The edges of the grounds are crammed with the remains of the party like debris washed up on shore. Fallen party tables, upside-down lounge chairs, torn costumes, and other broken things.

The lawn also has a motley carpet of trampled wing coverings, masks, and shattered things that are now hard to identify. There are dark patches on the grass that probably look red in daylight. If there are any servants left, they’re not inclined to come out and clean up.

The angels scattered on the lawn seem too hung over to notice much. One group is singing in the middle of the grass, still wearing their masks. Their voices blend beautifully but with all their swaying and kicking of debris, they look more like drunken pirates after a raid.

Another group is putting something together near the mansion-like hotel. They’re setting up a table with wooden boxes. Beside it are poles of different heights.

An angel hovers at the top of the poles, tying triangular flags that wave colorfully in the ocean breeze like castle flags. Two angels fly up with a ba

Raffe’s eyes become cold and hostile as he looks at the ba

I give him a questioning look, asking him what it says.

He leans over, his words barely slipping into my ear. “Vote for Uriel today, start the apocalypse by tomorrow.”

I don’t understand all the implications of angel politics but I know this isn’t good. They’re setting up an election booth for the Messenger.

Another ba