World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)

by Susan Ee

I’m awed by how much iron will it would take to override his instinctive needs. And how much trust.

I don’t know what would happen in a fight between a gang of angels and a school of great white sharks but I’m glad I won’t be close enough to see it. Since the angels are squarely in the sharks’ territory, my bet is with the sharks.

I look over to make sure he’s all right. He’s panting for air and staring right at me with a look so intense it makes me squirm.

He sprawls on the sand, quietly laughing. His laugh is weak and in need of air but it may still be the greatest sound I’ve ever heard. It’s full of warmth and genuine mirth, as only a living, breathing—um—person can have.

He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. He is the one pocket of warmth in a sea of ice. Being in his arms feels like the home I never had. He’s still panting his laugh that rumbles through his chest. My chest moves with his, making me smile.

He holds me so tight that if an army of scorpions came and tried to drag me out of his arms, they wouldn’t be able to.

I stroke his hair and repeat the words of comfort he whispered to me the last time we were together. “Shhh,” I say. “I’m here. I’m right here.”

I answer through chattering teeth. “As well as can be expected after a swim in angel-infested waters.”

I want to say more. I crack open the vault in my head to see if I can peek in and maybe see something worth saying, but it all pushes against the door, wanting to flood out. I slam the door shut, leaning against it to keep it from bursting open. Still, my tongue gets tangled in all the things I want to say.

“You are so great at creative solutions,” he says still chuckling. “They usually involve ripping, tearing, kicking, or stabbing, but they’re creative.”

“I thought for sure I’d lost you.” Lost me? I stare into the fire without seeing it. “I thought I’d lost you too.” The words barely come out.

“Thank you for returning me to my family. That was a crazy, dangerous thing to do.” “I was feeling a little crazy and dangerous then.”

I’ll never get rid of the image of him smashing the giant scorpion tubes in rage and killing all the monsters after seeing me die.

“That must have been entertaining.” “No, it really wasn’t. It was kind of…” heartbreaking. “Heartbreaking.” I blink when I realize what just slipped out of my mouth. “I mean…” Nothing comes to mind that I can substitute for what I just said. “Heart.” He looks deeply into the flames. “Breaking.” The sounds flow out between his lips like they’re new to...

“Why is it that everyone else can look like they’re part of a zombie hunting party, but I still have to worry about fashion?”

“You look like a leopard-spotted Shar-Pei.”

“You left her?” I nod. “I had no choice.” “She wasn’t made to be alone.” “I guess none of us are.” Our eyes meet and an electric tingle runs through me. “She missed you,” I say in a whisper.

“I hated losing her.” His voice is a low growl. “I hadn’t realized just how attached I’d gotten.” He reaches and moves a strand of wet hair out of my face. “How dangerously addictive she could be.”

“Maybe a girl needs to hear that. Maybe she wants to be with you, too.” The words come out in a rushed whisper.

“There’s no way around it, is there?” I ask. “We’re mortal enemies and I should be trying to kill you and everyone like you.” He leans over, touches the tip of his forehead to mine, and closes his eyes. “Yes.” His gentle breath caresses my lips as he says the word.

But he’s watching me instead. I walk over to him, feeling self-conscious. Flying in his arms earlier was the business of war, and we didn’t have much time to think about anything other than escape. This time it’s by choice, and I can’t help but think about his strong arms holding me and his warm skin brushing against mine.

He lifts me in his arms, cradling me while I wrap my arms around his neck. My cheek brushes against his as he picks me up. Warmth flows from the touch and I resist the impulse to nuzzle.

But for now, for just for this moment, I let myself be a seventeen-year-old girl in a strong guy’s arms. I even let some of the what-ifs seep in, the kind of possibilities that might have blossomed between us in the World Before. Just for a little while.

My mother is alive and apparently uninjured.

they’re probably Tattoo and Alpha. If so, Mom must have impressed the hell out of them during the escape or they wouldn’t be protecting her as she draws on a scorpion.

Raffe holds me a second longer than necessary before he puts me down. And then it takes me a second longer than necessary to slide my arms away from his neck and step back from his warmth.

“I’m revoking your warrior status,” he says as he watches Clara and her family. “I had warrior status?” “For about thirty seconds.” “What heinous crime did I commit to lose my exalted status?” “A true warrior would have retrieved her sword first before doing personal business.” “I’m all about personal business. Every battle I have is personal.”

“Paige is at the aerie.” Raffe gives me a don’t-you-dare look. “You mean the place where I barely got you out alive because they were killing every human they could get their hands on?” “Thank you, by the way.”

“You’d better be careful. You might be mistaken for someone who’s worried about me.”

“I miss the days when females could be ordered around and they’d have no choice.” “Sure that wasn’t just a myth? I’m pretty sure nobody ever ordered my mom around—ever.”

“You’re probably right. The unruliness of the women in your family must go back for generations. You’re like a plague upon the land.” “So long as we’re also a plague upon angels, I’m sure everyone else will forgive us.” “Oh, you’re definitely a plague upon at least one angel.

He glares at me. “I’ve had to watch you die once, isn’t that enough?” “All you have to do is make sure it doesn’t happen again.” I give him a sunny smile. “Simple.”

Raffe holds me tighter. “It’s about time you showed some sense. You should be afraid.” “I’m shivering because I’m freezing.” “You’re cute when you’re afraid.” I give him a dirty look. “Yeah, you’re cute when you’re afraid too.” He actually bursts out laughing. “You mean I’m devastatingly handsome when I’m not afraid. Because you’ve never seen me afraid.” “I said you were cute, not ‘devastatingly handsome.’

One group is singing in the middle of the grass, still wearing their masks. Their voices blend beautifully but with all their swaying and kicking of debris, they look more like drunken pirates after a raid.

“It’s all right, baby girl,” I whisper into her hair as I hug her. “I’m here. I came for you.” Her face crumples and her eyes shine. “You came for me.”

I’m almost glad that I get a chance to fight him. I have a special hatred for Burnt, the Kidnapper of Helpless Little Girls.

When the two swords crash, the impact neither rattles my bones nor has me tasting blood. It’s as if all the force stopped at the blade before it vibrated down to me. As if all that tremendous killing power got redirected. Burnt’s blade shatters.

I look up. Raffe and the others are frozen in the middle of their fight. Everyone is staring at us. A human girl. Killing a warrior angel. In a sword fight. Impossible.

We must be quite the sight. Raffe in his red mask with his demon wings spread out in all their scythe-edged glory. A scrawny teenage Daughter of Man brandishing an archangel sword. And a little girl stitched-up to look and behave like a nightmare who is clutching a pair of angel wings.

My dad once told me life would get complicated when I grew up. I’m guessing this isn’t what he meant. My mom, on the other hand, agreed with him, and I’m guessing this kind of thing is exactly what she meant.

Raffe is warm and strong and he feels like home. Our faces inch closer as the swarm shifts. For a moment, I can feel his breath feathering my cheek.

I have no doubt that I’ll have to be fully alert and ready for anything. Until then, I can bask in the knowledge that my family is safe for the moment and I’m with Raffe again.