Page 60 of Living Legend

“Your boyfriend, I’m pretty sure. My friend is talking to him right now, just like I’m talking to you. It’s time to go home.” I put my hands on my thighs and pushed to stand.

Meredith hesitated a bit. “You’re taking us to Heaven, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. I know it’s not an ideal end to your night, but you can be together forever now.” I reached my hand down towards her. “You just have to take my hand.”

She rubbed her palms on her knees, looking around as if searching for something, before shakily reaching her hand out and touching mine. She didn’t fully grab my hand immediately; she simply touched it, as if trying to figure out if I was real or not. “Are you dead, too?”

“Um, not quite.” Things like this were hard to explain. Angels to humans were already dead, come to protect them. They didn’t ask them many questions or hesitate when guardians came around. I had to work harder to state my case. “You’re an angel by way of dying. I’m an angel by birth.”

I watched as her eyes grew bigger when I pushed out my wings, extending to their full length. I let some of my power drift to the feathers on my wings, letting angelic light line each one. Her eyes were shining with awe, with disbelief. A tear rolled down her cheek as she pushed herself up and squared her shoulders. She used the back of her hand to wipe away the tear.

“Just breathe,” Meredith said to herself, nodding.

“Exactly.” I reached my hand out towards her again and she took it, wrapping all her fingers around my hand. Her grip was tight; I could feel her nerves as if they were my own. I hoisted her up, letting her wrap her arms around my neck,

“What about my parents? I’ll never see them again, will I?” she asked softly, quietly.

“You won’t,” I answered solemnly. “They’ll have to learn to move on. Eventually, you will see them again, just not in this life.” I pressed my lips together, not knowing what else to say. She didn’t push for anything more.

“Take me home.” She looked up at the sky, her eyes twinkling in the light of my wings.

“Nick, I’m tired as hell and Ollie won our bet. I’m not in the mood,” Reese groaned, walking down the hall towards his room. I followed behind him, wrapping my palm around the back of my neck, pulling at the hair.

“I really do need to talk to you,” I pleaded. We’d returned from the Animus Seeking an hour ago and were just now heading back to our rooms for much needed sleep. Reese was the first one off the lawn and into the building, heading straight for his bed.

Reese whirled around, my sneakers screeching on the ground from my abrupt stop. “Speak. Just know I am too tired for anything heavy right now, sopleasetell me it’s got to do with you getting laid or one of the executives falling down a flight of stairs or something.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, but no to either one.”

“Cool, well, fuck off and I’ll talk to you in a few hours.” He turned away, walking the few feet towards his room. I grabbed his arm before he could reach for the doorknob.

“It can’t wait.” Before he could say anything else, I tightened my hold and started dragging him down the hall to my room. He begrudgingly let me yank him the whole way there with only minor curse words to fill the silence.

I closed the door behind me as he settled into my desk chair. His green eyes looked heavy from lack of sleep, but what I needed to tell him was more important. I touched my fingertips together, thinking of how to begin.

“If I wanted to sit in silence, I would go home, so open your fucking mouth.”

I shuffled over to my desk, Reese watching my every move. I slid open the top drawer and reached inside, wrapping my hand around the hilt of the familiar weapon. I pulled it out slowly, letting him rake his eyes over every inch.

“What the hell is that?” he asked.

“It’s a dagger, clearly.”

“We both know you don’t fuck with daggers, so unless you’ve decided to become a master of yet another pointy silver weapon…”

I raised my eyebrow at his thought process and knew he wasn’t wrong. “It’s Dani’s.”

“Excuse me? Dani’s? Dani has a dagger?” He pushed out question after question.

“I took it from her when she first got here. I’ve had it ever since.”

Reese reached up to take it from my hands, weighing it in his palm. “I mean it’s pretty gnarly she got this past Ariel. What did Jonah have to say about it?”

I swallowed and turned around to face my bed, letting out a sigh. I let his question dangle in the air. Without having to turn around, I knew he was counting to ten before exploding on me.

3…2…1…

“What the fuck, Nick? You haven’t told anyone about this? You’ve just been harboring a demonic weapon in your room this whole fucking time? I don’t understand how people think you’re the smart one. This thing is like a beacon for bad news and we both know it.” I heard the clang of the dagger on my desk. I turned around to see him on his feet, rubbing his hands on the front of his jeans.

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