""Where am I?" I look around curiously, my eyes locking on every boy in the room.
Everett steps forward, a slight smile on his face. "You're in hell."
I stare at him for a moment before shaking my head, "No, seriously..."
"No, seriously," Everett...
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ABOUT A WEEK passes with everything going amazing. My parents are getting along great with Vanessa and Satan. If I didn't know any better, I would think they were becoming friends. My mom is almost constantly asking Vanessa and Satan to pop over for dinner. I asked mom if she was okay with Vanessa being in our life, and she looked at me before smiling.
"Of course," she told me. "I know you'll always love me. Besides, is it really my place to stop you from seeing her."
I slowly shook my head. She just patted my shoulder like a dog before shoving a basket of folded clothes in my hands.
Not only is everything going great in the parent department, but I'm also doing amazing with harnessing my power. I practice with Vanessa and Ryder almost every day. I've come to be able to heal a sprout after someone steps on it. Which is pretty sweet.
Everett and the other boys are being boys every day by actually attending school and meeting some other friends. I heard that Axel likes this one girl, Suze. I'm happy for them, I really am.
I haven't gone to school yet. It's still all fresh in my mind that I was attacked there. I also haven't been able to look at Ryder without feeling guilt deep in my gut. He keeps telling me it isn't my fault, but sometimes as we look at the stars on our special water tower, I wonder if he is only telling me that to calm my nerves. I swore to myself that I would protect him as he protected me, but I wasn't able to help him when he needed it most.
"Ever," Vanessa's demanding voice is suddenly calling my name. I swivel to look at her, raising an eyebrow in her direction.
"Yeah?"
Suddenly, a pile of leaves is dropped on my head. My head snaps upward to see Ryder hovering above me, his fingers shaking with leaf crumbs. I reach up and touch my head before angrily stomping my foot.
"Ryder!" I growl. As if sensing my anger, Prince and Hansel appear out of nowhere. I laugh as soon as they show up, both of their eyes angrily turning up to glower at Ryder. Ever since I showed up in the woods behind my house, Prince and Hansel have constantly been by my side. They act like watchdogs--one is a dog--but they are always on alert. It's like they think Gabriel will pop his handsome face back up in my life and tear my throat out. So far, my life has been empty of anything Gabriel--which makes sense because his body is a pile of ash back at my school. I shiver thinking about it.
"Hey, when you finally grow your wings out, you'll be able to fly with me. I'm just taking advantage of the situation," Ryder smiles down at me. I glance behind me at my bare shoulders. I was told that I should grow some wings--sometime in the future. That ranges on for about a thousand years since I am immortal. Vanessa said she grew hers when she was around nineteen for human years, so I'm looking forward to my nineteenth birthday. She also told me wings can develop at any time.
Ryder comes down to stand beside me, his wing wrapping around my side to pull me to him. He wraps his arms around me before twisting me around up in the air. I squeal and push against him, my cheeks flushing as I realize Vanessa is watching. Ryder seems to notice my awkwardness, because he puts his wing up as a sort of curtain between Vanessa and the animals, blocking us away from them. We are literally in our own world as he presses his lips against mine gently. Sparks soar through my whole body, the tingling coming to rest at my shoulders.
