Page 3 of Saints & Sinners

Normal.

There would never be anything normal about that.

“Joe has told me a lot about you.” Eden’s change in subject snapped me from my thoughts, and I smiled, thinking about him.

“You know, Joe?”

She chuckled and resumed walking. “Many do.”

I stumbled along behind her, struggling to catch my breath as she moved briskly ahead, her heels clicking confidently on the gravel pathway.

“He is one of the very few Ascendants to have become an angel within a short period,” she continued as we passed a stone archway, and an old building came into view. “Most Ascendants spend years and years learning until the Council believes they are ready. But I still remember the day he was chosen to ascend.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, he did once mention how when he ascended, a whole ceremony was performed with an archangel appearing to grant him his official title.”

Eden didn’t laugh along with me, and I quickly found myself shying away at how embarrassing I must have sounded. I glanced away, focusing on the acres of trees sprawling across the land before my eyes widened as a gothic house stood sentinel up ahead, its silhouette etched against the evening sky. All I could mumble to Eden as I forced myself to stay upright was, “So, are—” I cleared my throat and shook my head as I finally tore my eyes off the engraved emblem of a flaming sword outside the doorway. “Are you an angel too or...?”

She nodded, grinning as if she loved others asking her thatquestion. “I’m a Healer.”

We entered through the doorway into the grand entrance, where footsteps echoed, and distant conversations bounced off the vaulted ceilings and brick walls.

“Oh,” I said, my eyes wandering all over the bookshelves and the large stone fireplace. “I haven’t met any Healers before.” Glancing at Eden, I chuckled nervously. “Only Messengers or Guardians.” Joe happened to be a Messenger. A great one at that.

Eden offered me a kind smile, doing a poor job of hiding the strange emotion that crossed her eyes just then. She cleared her throat, clapped her hands as she spun, and decided it was best to show me my dormitory instead of delving into another awkward conversation that she seemed to want to avoid. It had to do with Joe, I was certain. If they knew each other, then they had history, and whatever it was, I doubt Joe would ever tell me. He was a closed book, no matter how hard I tried to get any answer out of him.

“What did I say about lingering in the hallways?” Eden said as we passed a few others littering the corridors. One of them straightened off the wall as he spotted me. A copper-haired boy with a petite brunette at his side.

“Sorry, Eden,” he shot back, still staring at me as we walked past. He saluted me. “Won’t happen again.”

Eden shook her head before we bounded up another set of stairs to the second floor and stopped by the first door, numbered 104. “Here we are.” She smiled, handing me a set of brass keys. “I’ll let you get accommodated before bombarding you with everything there is to know about—”

“I know enough.” I grimaced at how rude I sounded just then. “Joe taught me a few things here and there,” I amended, but it wasn’t any better.

She nodded slowly. “Right. Well, regardless, you will needsomeone to guide you around Celestia for the first few days. I already did the duty of assigning Marnie Lewis—one of our best—to help you.”

Despite not wanting to shadow someone for the next few days, I smiled.

“This is an outstanding place to be in, Grace. You don’t know how lucky you are,” Eden said, seeing right through my skepticism. “I know it is not a unique academy experience that humans are accustomed to, but it is still a grand opportunity that not many get,includingsomeone who is mortal.”

I nodded because what else could I do?

“If you need anything, I will be downstairs, ensuring no one is messing around. Ascendant or not, they’re still a nightmare to deal with.” She chuckled, shot me a conspiratorial wink, and walked away.

As soon as I was alone, I stared at the key in my hand, feeling at a loss. I wasn’t unfamiliar with new places—Joe and I had moved plenty—but it was always us moving into a hometogether.

I sucked in a deep breath before unlocking the dorm door.

What I hadn’t expected was to walk in and have someone else in here, much less come face-to-face with a guy, naked as the day he was born.

Chapter Two

“Oh my god!” I shrieked in horror and dropped my suitcase as my gaze landed on the person in front of me. He didn’t seem fazed as he rolled his head to the side and smirked at me while holding a coke can in his hand.

“Oi, Tucker, Cain!” he shouted over his shoulder. “We got company!”

I panicked; I didn’t know what to do. Should I run? Should I cover my eyes? Scrap that; what I needed was for the ground to open and just swallow me whole.

The light streamed through the tall, narrow windows, creating long shadows that deceived my eyes as I focused on the naked guy. He was attractive; at least there was that with his muscled and firm calves. His skin was a warm brown, similar to the color of his eyes, except they looked lighter, as if they had a hint of green and blue.

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