Angel Fire (43 page)

“Why don’t you start fixing the bike, and we can talk about it?” he said. “You stay too,” he added tersely to Seb. As much as he wished he could drop-kick the guy into another country, he had a job to do; this concerned both Seb and Willow.

While Willow got to work on the bike, Alex explained, occasionally handing her tools when she asked. Seb sat against the wall, his legs crossed at the ankles. Soon Willow had disconnected a pair of leads and taken off two small, grimy units he presumed were the spark plugs; she inspected them briefly. Even through his distraction, Alex was impressed. He’d never seen her work on an engine before; he himself would have been totally clueless.

“So...that’s what’s up,” he finished.

Willow rested the spark plugs to one side. “Are you asking me to go there with Seb? And see what I can get psychically?”

“Yeah,” he said after a pause. “I guess I am.”

He could see she knew exactly what this was costing him. “Of course I’ll help,” she said. “And Alex, it’ll be okay.”

“I know it will,” he said. Picking up a wrench, he rapped it hard against the floor. “Because I’m going to have the whole damn team in there, covering both of you.”
Especially you,
he thought, and was grimly grateful she couldn’t read his thoughts as easily as she seemed to read Seb’s.

Choosing a screwdriver, Willow removed the air cleaner cover, ducking her head down to take a look. “Ah-ha,” she muttered as she extracted a plastic bag that had somehow gotten caught in the filter. Then, as if to prove what Alex had just been thinking she looked over at Seb, who hadn’t even moved as far as Alex could tell. Her mouth moved in a faint smile. “Hey – I won’t be in any more danger than you are, you know.”

Seb didn’t deny whatever he’d been thinking. With a sigh, he shoved back the brown curls from his brow; Alex saw again the scar on his forearm. “Yes, that’s probably true – but you see, I don’t care if
I’m
in danger,” he said. “When?” he added to Alex.

Sometime next decade,
Alex wanted to say. “Day after tomorrow,” he said instead. “That’s when the special service is. We couldn’t wait any longer anyway, in case we need to use the security code after all. At least it gives you a little more time to practise,” he added to Willow.

She nodded. “I will, but I really think I have it now.” She darted him an impish look, her green eyes dancing suddenly. “What’s your favourite colour?”

He couldn’t help smiling. “Blue.”

“Okay, check it out.”

He concentrated, and Willow’s aura came into view – a clear, sky blue, with lavender lights floating through it. Alex stared. He’d been expecting it, but wasn’t prepared for his own reaction. Seeing Willow’s aura looking so different, as if she was just an ordinary girl, not the girl he loved...it was as if she’d somehow moved far away from him, to someplace where he couldn’t get her back. As he took in her life force’s gentle blue glow, he felt ridiculously close to tears.

“Alex?” She rested her hand on his thigh, then winced and pulled away, glancing down at her smudged fingers. She wiped her hands off on a rag, giving him an anxious look. “Are you okay?”

“It’s great,” he got out. He was uncomfortably aware of Seb, who sat watching with an expression that seemed to understand far too much. He cleared his throat. “Seriously...it’s great. How about one that the angels wouldn’t want to touch?” He’d barely gotten the words out before her aura turned a sickly greyish-brown. It shrank in front of his eyes, hanging listlessly near her body.

Alex blinked. “Wow,” he said. “That’s – pretty amazing.” The realization rushed through him: no matter what else this meant, he’d never have to worry about Willow’s aura again. For the rest of her life, she could walk down the street and be safe from the angels.

“Thank you,” he said to Seb, and he could hear the relief in his own voice. “That’s going to save her life someday.”

“You’re welcome,” said Seb. “I didn’t teach her how to do it because of you, though.”

“Yeah, I know you didn’t,” said Alex. There was a beat while they regarded each other – then they both seemed to remember at the same time that Willow was there. Alex saw her watching them with a faintly exasperated look. She shook her head and scrambled to her feet, grabbing up the spark plugs.

“I have to go find a wire brush and clean these off; they’re way too dirty,” she said. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

She left the room, her short cherry-gold hair gleaming in the light. Alex watched her, taking in her narrow shoulders; the green straps resting on her smooth skin. Then, turning, he saw that Seb’s eyes were following her too. He’d known they would be, but suddenly it felt like the last straw.

As Willow’s footsteps faded away up the stairs, he said in Spanish, “You could give it a rest sometimes. I mean, you don’t
have
to watch her every move, do you?”

Seb’s voice was mild. “I don’t know. Maybe I do.” He closed his eyes and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alex picked up a screwdriver, tapped it against the floor. “So how’s that whole unrequited love thing working out for you, anyway? Hasn’t she figured out you two are meant to be yet?”

Seb lifted his head and gave him a long look. “Please tell me that you don’t seriously want to have this conversation. Because, personally, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do less.”

“Yeah, I do want to have it, actually.” Alex tossed the screwdriver aside. “Does Willow know you’re just biding your time, pretending to be her friend?”

Seb’s gaze was cold. “I’m not just biding my time. I
am
her friend.”

“Oh, sorry. No, I guess it’s never even occurred to you that if you hang around long enough, being the perfect
friend
, she’ll come to her senses and fall for you. Right?”

Shaking his head in disgust, Seb closed his eyes again and settled back against the wall. “You are so far off base,
hombre
.”

Remembering his conversation with Willow on the balcony – her pink cheeks as she tried to explain away Seb’s feelings for her – Alex had an insane urge to ask Seb if Willow felt the same way about him. Just having the thought made him feel like an idiot. God, he was glad Willow wasn’t listening to any of this.

“What’s the scar from?” he asked after a pause, nodding at Seb’s arm.

“
Dios mío
.” Seb gave a soft, snorting laugh. “Have I told you how much I enjoy these conversations of ours? It’s from a sword fight. Or a knife fight, take your pick. The other guy won, if you’re interested.”

“Not really. Can you shoot a gun?”

Genuine amusement flashed in Seb’s hazel eyes as he lifted his head to look at Alex. “Are you challenging me to a duel? Pistols at dawn, best man gets the girl?”

“Dream on,” said Alex. “No, I’m thinking about when you and Willow go into the cathedral – if I should give you a gun or not. I’ll be right there on the other side of her when you both ask to be blessed, but if anything happens to me, you’ll be the best-placed person to defend her. Because she’s not bad when it comes to shooting at targets, but if she had to take a shot at another person—”

“She wouldn’t,” said Seb immediately. “Not unless someone was threatening you. Or maybe me. But it’s so totally against her nature – I can’t see her doing it to protect herself; I think she’d hesitate.”

It made Alex’s jaw tighten to realize how well Seb knew Willow – not to mention that he’d included himself in that list. Though Alex had an uncomfortable feeling he was right. “I know; that’s what I’m afraid of,” he said. “So – can you?”

“I’ve shot one a few times,” said Seb. “Tin cans in fields, that kind of thing. I couldn’t do what you do, but I could probably peg someone who was coming at me. Or Willow,” he added.

Alex made a face. Why was he not feeling reassured? “Are you any better with a knife? You’ve got one, I’m assuming.”

“Yes, and yes.” Seb pulled a leg up and rested his forearm across his knee; his expression as he regarded Alex wasn’t friendly, exactly, but it held understanding. “Look – you really don’t have to worry about this,” he said. “If Willow’s with me, I’ll keep her safe. No one will hurt her while I draw breath.”

“Yeah, I know that,” confessed Alex. And he did – it was one good thing about knowing that Seb loved Willow as much as he himself did. The
only
good thing, in fact.

Willow came back downstairs then. She gave them an arched-eyebrow look, as if she knew they’d been talking about her, but didn’t comment. “That should do it; they were completely
black
,” she said as she started reconnecting the spark plugs. “Between them and that bag choking the flow to the carburettor, it’s no wonder the poor Shadow was acting draggy...it could hardly breathe.”

Alex smiled, but was uncomfortably aware of what he and Seb had just been talking about, and what Willow would think if she knew. Meanwhile, smells of dinner were starting to drift out of the kitchen – he could hear Liz moving around in there.

Seb stood up, stretching silently. His T-shirt lifted, and Alex glimpsed another scar on his flat stomach – a raised, ugly one this time, like a twisted worm on his skin.

As Seb dropped his arms again, Willow gave him a teasing look. “Aren’t you glad you quit smoking?” she asked, her eyes innocent.

Seb shook his head slightly. “You can always tell,” he said.

Willow began putting the air cleaner cover back on, twirling the screwdriver deftly. “Well, it’s not difficult. You are practically
oozing
with nicotine cravings, dude.” There was a smudge of grime from the spark plugs on her cheek. With her short hair, it gave her an urchin-look that made Alex want to pull her into his arms.

He saw the same warm look in Seb’s eyes; then Seb gave a sigh, mock-resigned. “Thank you for the sympathy, it’s very comforting. I’m going to go take a shower before dinner. If we’re finished?” he added to Alex.

Alex nodded. And as Seb headed off, all he could think was: Willow could sense Seb’s nicotine cravings, but not the fact Seb was in love with her? When it was completely evident even to
him
, who wasn’t psychic at all?
No way,
he thought, gazing at her.
She just doesn’t want to face it for some reason
.

Why not? Was it to protect herself somehow? Maybe if she let herself see the depth of Seb’s feelings, she’d have to acknowledge her own. The thought came from nowhere, slithering coldly into his stomach. No way; he
knew
that wasn’t true.

But Willow’s pink cheeks on the balcony. Her hand on Seb’s arm.
You’re blocking me out, I can feel it
.

Willow peered up at him from the bike. “So, what were you and Seb talking about just now?”

The words came out with no thought. “Couldn’t you sense it from him?”

She briefly closed her eyes, and then gave him a level look. “I didn’t try. We don’t get
everything
from each other psychically, you know. It’s just flashes when we’re talking sometimes.”

“Okay,” he said. It felt like there was something hard and icy lodged inside him. He picked up one of the screws from the floor; rolled it between his fingers. “It sort of seemed like more than a flash, though. The way you were looking into each other’s eyes, before.”

She touched his hand. “Alex...he’s just my friend, that’s all. You
know
that.”

In what universe does that guy only want friendship from you?
Alex didn’t say it. “Yeah, I know that,” he said. “It’s just that it’s a pretty intense friendship, isn’t it?”

She went still. “Is it?”

He shrugged, putting the screw down. “In each other’s heads. Talking together all the time.”

“We don’t talk
all
the time. But yes, I guess we do talk a lot.” Willow drew her hand away from his. “Look, it’s just being with another half-angel, and both of us being psychic. I suppose there’s a sort of bond between us, without us even thinking about it.”

“You really care about him.”

Her green eyes were steady. “Of course I do.”

“I mean, not just because he’s half-angel. Because he’s him.” Jesus, why was he
doing
this? Why couldn’t he just shut the hell up?

“Alex, will you—” Willow broke off, looking frustrated. “Yes. Okay? I care about Seb a lot. I’d care about him a lot even if he wasn’t half-angel. The fact that he
is
just makes it an even stronger connection. But I don’t—” She worked the screwdriver against the panel again, turning it almost angrily. “I don’t want that to make you feel pushed out, or ignored. I love you. My friendship with Seb has nothing to do with our relationship.”

“No, except that it feels like there’s three of us in it sometimes.” He’d been thinking that for weeks; it was a relief to finally say it.

“
Alex
.”

“Well, sorry, but it does. I hardly have
any
time with you now, do you realize that? We hardly had any time together before, and now we have even less. And even when we’re alone together—”

Her eyes had gone very large. “Even when we’re alone together, what?”

“You’re always thinking about him.”

“I—” She stopped abruptly, cheeks reddening. Flustered, she glanced down; he saw her swallow.

Alex stared at her. It was something he’d wondered, but hadn’t really believed. He’d expected her to tell him he was being ridiculous. “You do, don’t you?” he said slowly. “When we’re alone together, you’re still thinking about
him
. Do you think about him even when we’re—”

“No!” she burst out. “God, of course not! How can you even say that?”

“Well, I don’t know what to think! Help me out here, okay? How exactly are you thinking about Seb when we’re alone together?”

“I don’t! It’s – there’s this sort of link between us, that’s all. Like, I can see what he’s doing, or where he is in the house...” She trailed off at the look on his face.

“Say that again,” he said, the world ringing in his ears. “You have a
link
with him? You can psychically see whatever he’s doing?”