Lucian Divine(14)

“Lucian!” I got on my knees.

“I’m okay, Evey,” he mumbled. “I drank too much and had a little collision with the side of your building.”

He sat up slowly, holding a hand to his head. When he tried to stand, he swayed to one side. I hitched an arm around his waist and led him back up the stoop.

“Come up to my apartment, and I’ll clean your face,” I said, and then something occurred to me. I looked at him pointedly. “Did you drug me last night?”

“Of course not. I made you tea… so ungrateful.” He huffed, shaking his head, and then grimaced and held his free hand to his neck.

“You’re a mess. I’m trying to understand how a celestial being with magical

powers, assigned to protect me, is a drunk who runs into the sides of buildings. This doesn’t bode well for my future.”

“Such a smartass, Evey, really. I technically flew into the side of your building, but that’s neither here nor there. Zack wanted me to show him a trick. You were sound asleep and safe. I threw caution to the wind.”

“Who is Zack? And I have a feeling you were throwing back a hell of a lot more than just caution.”

“You’re right, a bottle of whiskey—single malt Scotch to be exact—and Zack is my best friend. He’s an angel too.”

“So you guys got trashed and decided to fly into walls?”

Lucian sighed the way a person does when they’re just too tired to explain themselves. I helped him up the stairs then led him to my bedroom, hoping Brooklyn wouldn’t notice.

He sat on the edge of my bed and held his hands to his stomach. “I know I broke some ribs, but I heal fast, so don’t worry about me, okay?”

He must have seen the concern on my face. He looked messed up. His hair was going in every direction, there was dried blood on his face, and his lip was split and bleeding. I touched my thumb to his lip and wiped the blood away. He looked up at me, squinting. We were frozen for a moment, staring at each other. There was reverence in his eyes, the same as what I felt for him.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

I looked down at my thumb and watched the blood fade, like it was being absorbed into my skin.

“I’ll get a warm washcloth,” I said before scurrying off to the bathroom. In the bathroom, I stared into the mirror. Is this really happening? I shook my head, took a deep breath, and then busied myself getting a washcloth and a cup of water before returning to the room.

He took the water and smelled it. “Do you have anything stronger?”

“Really? Can’t you just zap that and turn it into wine like you did before?”

“Only wine. You-know-who stole that idea from me, by the way. But it’s complicated. I can only do it for other people.”

“Maybe you should just drink the water. It looks like you could use it.” I wiped the blood from his forehead and cheek with the cloth.

He closed his eyes. “Mmm, that feels good. Thank you.” He swallowed, looking hesitant. “I have another injury, but I don’t want to scare you.”

“What is it?”

He looked into his lap at his trembling hands, and then suddenly, swoosh… behind him, the most beautiful set of large black wings extended from the sides of his back. He squeezed his eyes closed.

“Oh my God, they’re beautiful.” I stumbled back in awe, holding my hand to my chest.

They weren’t what I expected. The wings were large, thick, shiny, and black. On his left side, a drop of blood fell from a cluster of feathers at the base of the wing. Lucian inched the wing back in toward his body as he winced, his face scrunching up in pain.

“Wait, let me clean it,” I said.

His head drooped, and his shoulders slouched in such a defeated way that it made me cry. Seeing his shame saddened me, and my tears fell onto his feathers as I brushed them with the cloth. Lucian sagged even further into himself.

“When you feel pain, Evey, so do I.” I thought it must work exactly the same way for me. “Please don’t hurt for me,” he said softly.

I swallowed hard, trying to regain control. When I was through cleaning the blood, he closed the wings and they were gone. I felt around his back, but he shook his head.

“You won’t be able to feel them unless I want you to, and right now, I just want to lie down and rest.”

“I thought you didn’t sleep?”

“I don’t, but if I rest, I’ll heal quicker. Will you do that with me? Rest with me?”

“Yes, of course.” I would have done anything he asked. I had the distinct sense that he wasn’t able to rest unless I did. I kicked off my running shoes, climbed up to the head of the bed, and propped myself on the pillows. I patted my chest. “I’ll hold you.”

He looked tortured, but he climbed up the bed with me anyway, laid his head on my chest, and closed his eyes. “I’m supposed to do this for you,” he said quietly.

“We can do it for each other.”

“You don’t understand.” He sighed.

He was right—I didn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t know if I was crazy, dreaming, or dead, but something about Lucian, about the way he smelled and spoke, put me at ease. I should have felt scared, but I wasn’t. I wanted to ask Brooklyn to come into my room to see if he was real, but I was afraid he’d leave and I didn’t want him to leave… ever. I fell asleep almost instantly to the rhythm of his breaths.