Page 50 of Heal Me

Sam appears and scoops her up. “Put me down, you big oaf,” Gabby cries.

“Why are you not in bed?” Sam demands. “You need to rest.”

“Because I have things to do around here.” My sister and I share our human mother, but Rumel’s not her father. She’s one hundred percent human, and her presence at the Watcher compound used to be a sore subject between us. Gabby sweet-talked Rumel into bringing her on board as the property manager. Rumel being Rumel weighed the pros and cons and decided to test out a human. Demons use human servitude to their advantage, so why not tap into the human resource pool? I was completely against the idea, but when Gabby turned eighteen, I had no say in it.

Neither did I have a say in it when Sam knocked up my sister a few months ago. Sam was always a player, but he’s changed his ways for Gabby. He’d better, or I’d kick his ass. Not really, but I’d still try.

“I’m taking you to bed,” Sam says, veering off toward the opposite end of the compound.

“Help,” Gabby squeals.

“You made your bed with the big oaf, now lie in it,” I call after them.

“What was that, Cupid?” Sam calls back.

“Nothing,” I say, picking up the pace. Amer laughs. Using my power, I send the box to the outside of Sam and Gabby’s bungalow.

Amer and I reach the outdoor archery range. Calling my bow and arrows to me that Sam commissioned for me when I was ten years old, I’m ready. Human academics, supernatural warfare and magic, angelic and demonic history—while all of that is great, this is by far my favorite part of my tutelage.

Shifting into my angelic form, I fire arrow after arrow, until I’ve made a smiley face.

“Nice,” Amer says. Using his power, the arrows are back in my quiver. “Now try that with me chasing you with a knife.”

He charges, and I teleport away from him, reappearing about seventy yards away from my target. I’m only able to fire off one arrow before Amer has the knife at my throat. I missed the target completely.

Lowering his knife, Amer says, “We need to work on that. You won’t always be stationary when you’re trying to get off a shot.”

“How likely will it be that a knife-crazed angel is after me though?”

“Unlikely, unless you piss me off.”

Amer puts me through several more drills before he announces the final challenge. Walking over and standing in front of the target, a beer can now appears on the top of his head.

Turek appears beside him. “Ready to paint the town red?”

“As soon as Cupid helps me shotgun this beer,” Amer says.

“Just don’t paint Amer red, Cupid,” Turek warns.

“No pressure or anything,” I grumble.

I don’t even get my arrow nocked before the compound alarm blares.

Teleporting to the front of the gym, all the Watchers have already beaten me there. Sam stands in the front in tactical gear. “Emergency call received from Kabel. Botched extraction in Mexico City.”

“Not Mexico City.” Turek shudders.

“Too many human witnesses with cellphone evidence,” Sam continues. “He needs a cleanup team. All hands on deck. Cupid, gear up. Rumel’s out of pocket, so you’re filling in.”

Gearing up’s unnecessary, as Sam already has me in tactical gear. He rattles off the coordinates, and all the remaining angels at the compound disappear, save for me and Sam.

“You ready for this?” he asks me.

“I’m ready,” I answer with confidence.

“I’m going with you,” Gabby says, now standing beside me. “I’ll help wrangle the witnesses so Gabe can sweep their minds.”

Before Gabby can sweet-talk Sam into anything, I channel my full mind-bending powers. “Gabby, you’ll stay at the compound.” The command’s so strong, it makes my head pound.

---