Read Something Deadly This Way Comes for Free Online Page B

it’s like to fear death, and she thinks that once you’re gone no one will understand her and people will think she’s more of a square peg than they already do.”
    Oh, God. How do I get into these messes?
    Josh jumped when his phone vibrated. Excusing himself, he went to answer it and give us some privacy at the same time. My gaze dropped, and I ran my fingernail along a groove in the table. Looking up, I gathered my determination. “I don’t want to give up being the dark timekeeper,” I said. “But if I can’t make this work—if I can’t convince the seraphs that the early scythings are unnecessary to save a person’s soul before it goes bad, then I’m not going to stay around to send reapers to kill people who are too scared, or frightened, or just plain stupid to find joy in life.”
    Barnabas looked out the window, his hat pulled low over his eyes. “You wanted to know what was bothering her. That’s it.”
    He was being unusually callous, and I frowned. “You don’t think I’d rather stay here with you?” I almost growled, crumpling up Josh’s cookie wrapper. “I’m trying to make this work!”
    â€œSo is she.” Barnabas leaned forward. “She hasn’t been on earth as long as I have. She doesn’t understand about human choice and the fragility of your dreams and the strength that lies in your hopes and faith. Angels see everything in black and white, and the earth was made to be colorful. Think about what you’re asking her to do. She is all about the soul, Madison. Life is secondary to her. Life is transient, and you’re asking her to risk someone’s soul for an extension of something that to her is a blink of an eye.”
    â€œBut all we have is that blink,” I said miserably.
    Barnabas leaned back and glanced at Josh, talking with someone on the phone. “I know. It’s one of the reasons I left heaven. I think that Nakita is starting to understand. She’s come a long way.”
    My throat was tight, and I watched Josh close his phone, looking as depressed as I felt. “So have you, Barnabas,” I said softly.
    Frowning, Barnabas looked away. I knew he wasn’t happy about leaving his light-reaper status. My special talent seemed to be screwing up everyone’s life. Sighing, I watched Nakita standing in the lowering sun looking perfect and worried. She wasn’t a fallen angel like Barnabas, but one in good standing. So far. But I’d scarred her, changed her forever when I had accidentally put two black wings inside her. They had been eating me alive when I’d lost contact with my amulet and had fallen through her like a ghost. The black wings had latched on to her and started to eat her memories, much richer than mine. Eventually the seraphs had gotten them out, but the memories that the black wings had taken from me were forever a part of her. She now knew what it was like to fear, something that most angels have no concept of.
    â€œI don’t want to leave,” I whispered.
    Barnabas made a small noise. “Then we’d better make this work.”
    Josh shuffled up, his eyes darting from me to Barnabas. “I have to go,” he said in disgust. “My mom found out I wasn’t at The Low D with the guys and wants me home.”
    â€œOh, no!” I exclaimed, guilt from making him lie for me rising up fast. “Josh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”
    He shrugged, head down as he zipped his gym bag shut. “I told her I took you to dinner instead, and she’s not mad, but I gotta go put in an appearance. You’d better call your dad. She might have phoned him.”
    I hated this. Lying. It made more trouble than it solved, but what were my choices here? Hey, Dad. I’m on the West Coast tonight, trying to stop a boy from dying in an apartment fire. Back after midnight! Love