Page 26 of Ruled By Fate

She studied him a moment longer, then was left with a surprising conclusion. I wonder if he’s lonely.

“Is it very different?” she asked tentatively. “The place where you come from?”

His hands paused above a throw pillow, but he kept all emotion safely from his face. “It’s a heavenly gateway powered by the life force of human souls. It’s a little different.”

She nodded but took a step closer. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just… are there others there? People like you?”

Considering they’d driven across state lines, it was probably strange she hadn’t asked him sooner. But in the short time since their paths had collided again, her life had been strung together in a series of traumas and miracles. Some of the little things had slipped through the cracks.

“People like me?” he repeated, stalling for time.

She stared at him curiously, picking up one end of a large rug.

“Yeah, you know. Angels of mercy. Or whatever you call yourselves. There have to be others, right? The world’s a big place. You’ve been away for some time but haven’t mentioned anyone, so I was just wondering… is there anyone else like you?”

For a fraction of a second, his face stilled. So far, she had the impression that he’d been completely honest with her, even when disclosing difficult truths. But now, he seemed to be teetering dangerously close to the edge of a lie.

He ended up somewhere in the middle. “There used to be.”

He flashed her a tight, wistful look, then picked up the other side of the rug. They gave it a hard shake together and let out a series of choking gasps as an explosion of dust escaped.

“Oh, sorry!” She batted uselessly at the air between them, then pointed to a stack of appliances in the corner. “Would you mind vacuuming that before we move the coffee table over? I’m going to grab some more stuff from the car.”

His eyes drifted to the same corner, hoping the items were clearly labeled. “Of course.”

She slipped out the door a second later, leaning against it with a silent breath.

Sometimes, she didn’t know what threw her more: the flashes of superhuman powers or the tiny cracks that lay unattended beneath. Her mighty angel, slayer of demons and speeding tickets alike, seemed more real to her in these quiet moments between supernatural feats. When he thought no one was looking. When his eyes would sadden and drift to the sky.

After taking another moment for balance, she rummaged around in the car for good measure, then headed back inside, only to be met with a most peculiar sight.

It was a standoff. That much was clear. The angel versus the vacuum cleaner.

“Infernal creature,” he muttered under his breath, holding the power cord like he was considering fashioning it into a noose. “You will not defeat me.”

She snapped a photo with her phone and struck a casual pose. “Cameron?”

He jumped where he stood, whirling around to face her. The man had been alive for centuries, but suddenly looked like a little boy.

“Yes?” he asked just as casually. Either by intention or subconscious prompting, he angled his leg to block her view of the machine.

“How’s it coming in here?”

“Good, great, very well,” he said quickly. “We’re nearly there.”

She nodded and headed into the kitchen, then doubled back immediately to spy around the corner. He knelt once more in front of the machine, Heaven’s fire blazing in his eyes. For a split second, it looked as though he might smite the thing down. Although she needed a vacuum, she hoped with all her heart that he would do it. She was thrilled that words like “smite” were now a valid part of her vocabulary. But after a brief stalemate, he abandoned the idea.

After casting a glance toward the distant sky, he laid his hand on the ground, closed his eyes, and muttered something under his breath.

There was the faintest of shimmers. The carpet was abruptly clean.

She stared in amazement as he threw a smug glance at the vacuum cleaner and pushed to his feet. She had yet to collect herself when he almost walked right past her, pacing out of the room.

She lifted an eyebrow, eyes twinkling in delight. “God’s divine will, huh?”

He opened his mouth to deny it, then let out a quiet sigh. “I’ll go fix the hot water, shall I?”

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