Page 6 of Calling All Angels
He shook his head, restraining a laugh.
Eyeing his clothes, she ventured, “Time traveler?”
He frowned with a look down at his apparel.
“Angel?”
He gave her a pistol-point with his index finger. “Guardian, more accurately.”
Again, she narrowed a look at him, apparently gauging his veracity. “Myguardian, I suppose you’re going to tell me?”
“Technicality,” he said, gritting his teeth. “It’s a temporary assignment.”
“Oh. I see. Well. To be perfectly honest, I…don’t really believe in any of that stuff. Angels—sorry,guardians. Crop circles and all that.”
“Is that right?”
“Uh-huh. Or ghosts even. My gran did, but she was a little…you know.” She whirled a finger around her temple. “I believe that nonsense is just people trying to justify—”
“Their complicated existence?”
“Yes.No.Trying to…I don’t know…hope. That’s all.”
“Hope, is it?” he said. “And ye don’t? Hope?”
Glancing about the room, she replied, “Is that a trick question?”
“The Scots say:Were it not for hope the heart would break.”
“My heart,” she pointed out, “is none of your business.”
“And you not believin’ what’s happenin’ does make this whole situation a bit of a dilemma for ye now, does it not?”
“Maybe.” She moved around the room, trailing a finger along the surfaces of the machines, though, again, not exactly touching them. “Anyway, I can’t quite recall how it all—the accident… How it—”
“Happened? That’s irrelevant, isn’t it, at this point?”
“Irrelevant?”
“Aye. ’Tis of no matter now how but where ye go from here.”
“Maybe to you it’s irrelevant. But it’s not to me. I mean, look at me. I’m…I’minvisible. How did that accident happen? Why, for heaven’s sake? I’m a good driver. The best driver.”
“I meant irrelevant in the sense that the crash happened. Now you’re here. With me. In the in-between. See how that works?” He didn’t mean to mock her exactly. But speaking to Violet brought out the worst in him.
She considered him. “You’re a bit cranky as guardian angels go, aren’t you? I mean, in the traditional sense.”
He cocked his jaw. “I’m only here to facilitate.”
“Okay, I’ll play along. Facilitate what, exactly? My…death?”
“Most likely.”
“Wait…” She stopped with a puzzled look. “Wait. In my dream, I saw you before, didn’t I? Back on the road? In the dark. You called me by some other name.”
Slowly, he unfolded his arms, scowling at her.
“What was it again? Velvet? Veronica?”
