Page 49 of Hunted by the Fallen
“Think it meansanything?”
“With sorceresses, everything means something,” he tells me. “But I’m not sure what shemeant.”
My shoulders dip, disappointed. An idea occurs to me. “Maybe my blessing is the ability to healFallen?”
“Perhaps,” he allows, still staring off in the distance. Peri runs a lap across the yard, and Adrian’s lips lift into a smallsmile.
As if sensing his gaze, Peri turns and stares at the patio. In the next second, she bolts toward us. I think she’s running to me. I push off the post, about to kneel down to greet her, when she pivots and arrives at Adrian’s feet. My jaw drops. He bends down and scratches her head. Peri’s tail whips back and forth, and her back left leg thumpsexcitedly.
“Since when does Peri like you?” I ask incredulously. I thought my dog was only fond of the LightFallen.
“Don’t you know, Angel?” Adrian gives me a wink, still petting Peri. “I’m veryloveable.”
I snort to hide how my heart flutters. “Yeah,right.”
My teasing makes his smile grow. I feel like I’m walking on dangerous ground. Dangerously flirtatiousground.
Before Adrian can reply, I ask about the other half of Odette’s unusual words, “Do you have any idea why I might be cursed? Is it because of myparents?”
Adrian stands. His face is grave, but he continues to keep his emotions out of my reach. “Perhaps.”
I know him well enough to know he is thinking something he’s not saying. “Can youexplain?”
Adrian runs a hand through his blond hair. It’s his anxious tick. I see indecision warring in his eyes. I cross my fingers, hoping he will choose to tell me the truth. My relationship with the Fallen is fragile, but I know it is healing. Already, Adrian and Joseph are not as angry with me. And they are willing to compromise on me working with Lukas and his army. I hope Adrian wants to continue the goodwill between us. I wait in silence, allowing him to make his decision without any interference fromme.
My patience isrewarded.
“Angel, I admire your desire to help others,” Adrian begins softly, “and I want you to be able to continue doing what you’d like. Despite what you believe, none of us take any joy in preventing you from going places and doing things youdesire.”
The bratty teenager in me wants to disagree. Part of me thinks the Fallen enjoy keeping tabs on me for more than just my safety. They think I’m their destined soulmate. It wouldn’t be off base to want to keep an eye on someone you care about that much. A little controlling? Sure. But not completely unreasonable. Especially after my trouble with the yancordemons.
Adrian continues, “But you don’t know what danger the Darkness poses, Angel. All Fallen have felt it growing for years, but it spiked these past two weeks.” He pauses, and levels me with his gaze. “Do you have any idea why that mightbe?”
My heart stops. How we got from speaking about my curse to discussing the Darkness stuns me. I hadn’t expected it. I swallow the lump in my throat. “Mybirthday?”
He nods. “The others deny it, but I am not so optimistic. We don’t know who your parents are, and that mystery makes me fear your existence has something to do with the rise in Darkness’efforts.”
I’m horrified, but another emotion closes my throat. This is the most honest Adrian’s ever been with me. A surge of gratitude wells in my chest. “You think my curse has something to do with the Darkness,” I reiterate hiswords.
“There’s a chance,” he says. “I do not know for sure, but I thought telling you would help you understand why all of us are so hesitant to let you resume your work with Lukas. At least rightnow.”
It does. And it makes the compromise of one week even morebearable.
“Thank you. And I agree. If Lukas shows up, I promise not to go withhim.”
Tension I hadn’t noticed is freed from his neck. “Thank you, Angel.” His voice is soft. It caresses my nickname. He frees the hold on his emotion, letting me feel his gratitude and affection. He cares about me so much. Every snarky remark or instigating grin is a mask. A mask to hide just how afraid he is that something bad might happen to me. Adrian’s never cared about anyone but Zeke before, and he wants to do everything in his power to keep me fromharm.
I suck in a breath, overwhelmed by the intensity of his feelings. My stomach flutters, and I long to close the distance betweenus.
Afraid I am going to give in to my desires and throw myself at him, I turn on my heel and walk to the back door. My fingers barely touch the doorknob when he says, “One more thing,Angel.”
Slowly, I look over my shoulder. Adrian still leans against the post, his smoldering eyes contrasting with his teasing smirk. “I don’t mind waiting my turn for a kiss, but I’d appreciate if you tried not to make it toolong.”
Twenty-One
Once again,I find myself at Freddy Hutchin’s lakeside home. If I hadn’t already told Annie and Preston I’d go, I wouldn’t be here. But I can’t avoid seeing either of them any longer. Preston will revert back to thinking I don’t like him, and Annie is sure to killme.
As expected, the Fallen disapproved of the idea. None of them wanted me to go to the populated party. Fortunately, now that we’ve agreed on how to proceed after recent events, they did not fight me on going. This time, instead of the Fallen keeping watch outside, Adrian and Zeke are in the house, pretending to be party guests. Annie had leapt at the chance to see Adrian again. He must’ve made quite the impression during their hike. I try not to let it bother me. I remember his comment about waiting for my kiss, and Iblush.
