“Do you sense anything? Any of the pain or misery that you felt from the other lost soul?” Kushiel asked, reminding Cass that they did indeed have a job to do.
“No, I don’t,” Cass answered. “Tell me about them. The souls.”
Kushiel talked to him for the entire walk back, giving details about a few of the lost souls they were looking for. He talked not just about their grief and pain, but about their personalities. Cass had a hard time thinking of someone with no memory of who they were as having a personality, but obviously they did. Kushiel described them, including which ones were snarky and which were soft spoken and which were imaginative and creative.
It made Cass think of all the facets that made up someone’s personality, all those little foibles and traits that made each person who they were outside of their memories and experiences. It was an interesting thought.
Before he knew it they were back at his house.
Cass sighed at the door. “I’m not sure what this scarf is supposed to do, but I don’t think it means you harm. It wasn’t meant for me, either. Lilith meant it for you, although I’m not sure why or what it will do,” Cass admitted, unwinding it from around his neck and wrapping it around Kushiel’s carefully.
He watched the angel closely to make sure he was alright, but aside from a slight shiver when Cass wrapped it around his neck, Kushiel didn’t react to the scarf.
“Does it feel ok?” Cass checked.
“Yes. It feels like a scarf, I suppose. I don’t notice anything. Did you really think it might do me harm? And yet you put it on yourself?” Kushiel asked.
“Better safe than sorry,” Cass mumbled, and then he opened the door and motioned Kushiel inside, hoping to avoid worrying Kushiel about what he had done. He didn’treallythink Lilith would hurt them, after all.
Only when Kushiel stepped into the house, he stopped short ahead of Cass, gasping.
Chapter 14
Kushiel
Kushiel barely had time to worry over the fact that Cassius had put himself in danger for him, which was simplynotacceptable.
He was mulling over how to let Cass know that he shouldn’teverput himself in danger, real or imagined, for Kushiel, when he walked into the house.
Only it wasn’t empty. There was a curvy woman with curly brown hair and an old-fashioned dress standing in the hallway. He gasped, and Cass came charging in, gently taking Kushiel’s shoulder and spinning him so they faced each other. Kushiel couldn’t help the little shudder that went through him; the hallway wasn’t that wide, and their bodies were so close to each other. Cass was looking at Kushiel carefully, and he reached a hand up to cup his face.
“Are you alright? Is something wrong?” Cass demanded.
“He looks perfectly fine, Cass. Really, must you grope him in the hallway while I’m here?” the woman huffed.
Cass just ignored her though, staring at Kushiel and waiting for an answer. Kushiel couldn’t help turning to look at her, though, even though it very sadly made Cass’s hand fall away from his face.
He watched her carefully as he leaned closer to Cass, whispering, “There’s a strange woman in your hallway, Cassius.”
“Hmph. Strange woman. I am certainlynota strange woman. I’m quite normal, thank you very much,” she huffed. “He’s the one who’s strange.”
Cass finally turned to look over at her, hissing, “Aunt Ro.”
“This is Aunt Ro?” Kushiel asked, mystified.
Both Cass and Aunt Ro looked at him in shock then. “He can see me?” she exclaimed. “He shouldn’t be able to see me! He’s an angel!”
“You can see her?” Cass asked. “She isn’t sure why that’s possible, so I’m guessing she didn’t do anything to make it happen.”
“Well, I should certainly think I wouldn’t do anything to be seen by an angel!” she sputtered, putting her hands on her hips. “They’re the stuck up ones, after all. If I was gonna be seen by anyone it would at least be demons!”
Kushiel chuckled a little at that, because he didn’t disagree with her. Also, he was kind of in shock that he could even see her, and a little nervous laughter eased the tension in him a bit.
Only Cass and Aunt Ro werereallystaring at him, both of them slightly open mouthed.
“Oh my goodness, can he hear me too?” Aunt Ro whispered dramatically.
Cass placed a hand on his arm, and Kushiel turned to look at him, answering the unspoken question that was in Cass’s face.
