Color of Angels' Souls (47 page)

There was still one last thing that Jeremy couldn't figure out. While they were relaxing one evening after a long day making the world of the living more harmonious, and after giving Allison yet another kiss on the nape of the neck, Jeremy suddenly remembered something he had been wanting to ask her.

“In the arena, just when I was about to die, I heard your voice. In my head. You saved me. How did you do it, and even more importantly, how did you know what to say to me? You wouldn't be an Archangel in disguise by any chance, would you?” he teased.

Allison rolled her eyes.

“Thanks, but no thanks! I wouldn't want to be an Archangel for anything in the world! No, it wasn't me. It was Lili.”

Jeremy suddenly perked up.

“Lili?”

“That's right,” Allison smiled. “Remember when I told you I still hadn't forgiven you for sleeping with her?”

Jeremy swallowed nervously. He could tell that he hadn't heard the last of it.

“Well, now I forgive you. No, even better: I offer you my congratulations. Because you had such an incredible influence on our
femme fatale
that, when she saw Khan killing you, she ran over to me in a panic. She told me that two Angels who truly love each other are ‘connected,' and that I had to warn you that your fight with Khan wasn't a physical combat, and that you had to beat him mentally. I did what she said, and it worked! You owe your life to her.”

Jeremy blew on his fingernails, then rubbed them against his chest, quite full of himself.

“What can I say, my dear, except that your husband is a love machine!”

Allison groaned.

“Well, I'll let you have that one. But I'm warning you, little Blue: You ever think about doing anything like that again and I'll skin you alive, Archangel or no Archangel, you got that?!”

Jeremy toppled her over backward and looked deep into her magnificent blue eyes, filled with love.

“There's no one but you, Allison. Now and forever. I love you.”

A few days later, Michael, who suddenly realized that Allison and Jeremy were working their fingers to the bone trying to spread happiness on Earth, ordered them to take a few days vacation. They tried to protest but he wouldn't hear a word of it. Although the two young Angels thought it was weird to go on a “vacation” in the afterlife, they still liked the idea. He sent them to a beautiful, half-empty hotel on the ocean. The place was perfect: They had any of a number of empty rooms to choose from, and could feed off the mellow Mist of the vacationers. The two lovers took long walks in the surrounding countryside, and soon realized that it was nearly impossible for them to spend even more than a few minutes separated from each other. Their perfect harmony was so obvious and wonderful that it amazed them a little more each day.

One morning, they were surprised to see Einstein at their door, just as grumpy as ever. He finally admitted that he missed the two of them, and Allison and Jeremy were only too happy to let him share their happy getaway.

One day while they were taking a long walk through a sweet-smelling prairie, and Albert, who was in pure rapture as he contemplated the beautiful flowers, was explaining to them how he had proven the existence of molecules and Brownian motion by observing pollen floating on the surface of water, and Allison had just begun to crack up with laughter because the boy physicist hadn't watched where he was walking and tripped over a clod of earth, and everything seemed absolutely right in the world, Jeremy gazed up at the sky.

What he saw almost made his brain short circuit, and his heart began beating wildly in his chest.

To his left was an immense and breathtakingly beautiful red, androgynous face, staring down at him as if he were nothing more than a little insect waiting to be squashed.

To his right, above the clouds, was a blue face just as tremendous and sublime, who contemplated him with infinite kindness …

… and gave him a wink.

To my nearest and dearest, my loving husband, Philippe, and my two wonderful daughters, Diane and Marine, who wouldn't give me a moment's rest while they read
The Color …
because I wasn't writing this strange story fast enough for them; with a special acknowledgement for Philippe's comment: “Oh my God, you actually wrote sex scenes!” which I thought was hilarious. So perfect!

To my mother, France, who continues to fight so courageously, and my little sister, Cécile, who is just as courageous and is the epitome of bravery; to her husband, Didier; Paul and Anna; to the Audouin family; Grandpa Gérard; Jean-Luc; Corinne; Lou; Thierry; Marylène; and Léo.

To Thomas and Ann-Marie, Jacques and Martine, my best and most faithful friends through it all. Sorry to have been so absent lately; I know I've been out of it and I promise that in … oh, around 2015 or so, things should calm down a bit.

To Christophe, who, in addition to being a colleague for the production and creation of music albums for Clara Chocolate (it's been so much fun writing songs!), has also become a friend.

To Essaï, who shared a few thoughts with me about “boys” to make Jeremy more realistic, many thanks. You're a great singer, author, composer, actor, dancer … and I've heard you also make great coffee!

To my two amazing editors, Leonello Brandolini who, for four years, never gave up trying to convince me to write this book one day, and Glenn Tavennec, whose impeccable perfectionism and great talent are a source of never-ending joy.

To everyone at Robert Laffont who worked tirelessly right up to the very end to make this book something astonishing and also a magnificent object. I only have one thing to say: Bravo for the nose!

To Laurent Bonelli, an Angel who left us much too early, this book is also dedicated to you.

And to my Taraddicts, of course, and above all Noémie, who also insisted year after year that I write this book, and also Guillaume and Nina. You are nothing short of extraordinary.

I am so lucky to have all of you as friends, husband, children, and readers: It can appear that this world of ours is falling apart because people don't share enough love with one another … You're living proof of the contrary. I love you all.

With her Tara Duncan series, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian has become the most widely read teen fantasy author in France. Her second teen series, Indiana Teller, explores the myths of werewolves and time travel. She has also published a series for children, Clara Chocolate, and a thriller for adults,
La Danse des obèses
.

The Color of Angels' Souls
, the first of a two-book series, is her first novel for teens and young adults.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Originally published in France as
La Couleur de l'âme des Anges
Translated from French by Jeffrey Probst

Copyright © 2012 by Éditions Robert Laffont, S.A., Paris

English translation © 2012 by Éditions Robert Laffont

978-1-4804-4263-4

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