Page 64 of When the Angel Falls First

“Nope.” I covered his view with my body. “I’ve got it. Why don’t you grab my bag from the back, and we can find a park bench to discuss that last, um,bookshelfyou want to arrange.”

He cocked his head. “Bookshelf?”

Couldn’t he just play along? Barb was standingright there.

“Yeah, you know how I helped you with your other two bookshelves, and there’s only one left now.”

“Oh,oh…yes, the bookshelf. I’ll grab your bag.” He disappeared into the back room.

Barb cleared her throat and mumbled in my ear, “So,bookshelfis what kids are calling it these days, huh?”

TWENTY-SIX

Caleb

I don’t knowwhat possessed me to take Josie to Rocksmith Café, only that it felt as natural as breathing. It was like my feet just led us there of their own accord, and it didn’t click where we were until we were settling down at my favorite table. And maybe, deep down, I wanted to see her here, in my favorite haunt, to see how she fit.

I wasn’t the least bit surprised that she fit beautifully, warmly greeting Victory and settling into the second chair at my table like she’d been there with me all along. Victory took our drink orders with a smile, shooting me a knowing eyebrow waggle over Josie’s head before hurrying off to get the drinks.

“So, do you come here a lot?” Josie asked, looking curiously over the patio, the strange assortment of patrons, and the people flowing by in a constant stream. Everything felt fresh and bright, as if I were seeing it through her eyes.

“Yes, I do. This is the only place in Seattle where I’m a regular.”

The corner of her mouth quirked up at that. “Is that so? What’s so special about this place?”

“Well, they have the best lemonade in Seattle, for one. The service is always good, for another. But the truth is…” I leaned forward, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper, even as I was careful not to touch her, “this is a café for supernaturals.”

Her eyes widened, her lips dropping into a shocked “O.”

“Are you saying thateveryonehere is something… like you?”

“Sort of. They aren’t angels, but all supernatural beings are welcome here. The owner is dwarven, and he’s very set that everyone is safe under his roof. It’s a hospitality thing with dwarves.”

I allowed my senses to scan the room, a cupid habit, to see if there were any unmated supes awaiting their fate. Nothing unusual came to me—a happy witch with a fae, a dwarf not yet ready for his match, and then… a hum. I turned to see where it was coming from. The sound blocked me from sensing the supe’s status, and thatneverhappened. I found a man, broad shouldered with nothing but muscle on him. He was dehydrated and dark circles were under his eyes as the hum emanated from the place where he sat.

A lone wolf.

The hair rose on the back of my neck as I inspected his condition more closely. He must have sensed it, because he looked up from his hands to meet my gaze.

The pain in his heart struck me like a knife.

He looked back down, and I allowed the hum to roll back through me, assessing it again with my powers. Something was horribly wrong with his aura, but I couldn’t address it with Josie sitting across from me.

Her eyes were wide as she looked closer at the other occupied tables on the patio. “So… they don’t care that I’m here? And why have I never noticed this place before now?”

“It’s glamoured. You wouldn’t see it unless you already knew it was here or you were a supernatural being.”

“So, you guys can just… hide wholebuildingsfrom humans?”

“Supernatural species can do a lot more than you’d think.”

“Clearly.” Josie stared wide-eyed at Victory as she set the drinks down in front of us and handed us each a menu.

As Josie studied the menu, I turned to look at the wolf shifter again. I had never experienced this sensation before—like his future had been veiled from me. His head was back in his hands, the hum ever present, but after a moment or two of concentrating, I realized that the hum wasn’t coming from him, it had been castuponhim. A curse.

He caught me looking at him again and was out of the café like a shot. My heart was heavy as I watched him go. He had a very complicated fate. A fate even I couldn’t begin to disentangle, because whatever curse he’d found himself under was not the purview of cupids.

I turned my attention back to Josie who was stuck on the menu as if that decision was going to make or break her.

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