Once Dead, Twice Shy (Madison Avery Trilogy #1)(12)
Author: Kim Harrison

"That’s awful." Feeling better, I dropped my eyes. "I didn’t expect to get a flat tire. I mean, it’s only five miles to my house…you know." Puffing beside Josh with the bike between us, I glanced at him, wishing I hadn’t yelled at the guardian angel. Josh was silent as we reached the top, and as soon as we were both on level ground, I reached for the handlebars, nervously trying not to touch his fingers. "Thanks," I said as I looked at his truck parked on the side of the road. He was going north, and I was going south, into town. "I think I can get it from here."

Josh’s hands slipped from the chrome. "Is everything okay? You’re kind of jittery."

I jerked the bike from him. "I’m fine. Why?"

He shoved his glasses up. "Your hair is wet, and I know you weren’t on the track. Did someone give you a swirly or something? You’re acting like my sister when she’s in trouble and the world is out to get her."

I felt cornered, and my pace quickened. "No more trouble than usual," I said with false cheerfulness. A car whizzed by. It was the last of the track team. Cripes, I missed my car.

Josh was silent, his steps slowing as we got farther from his truck. "Look, I know how dads can be. Mine keeps such a tight leash on me I can’t take a leak without him checking to see that I washed my hands."

Halting, I looked up. "It’s not my dad. He’s cool."

"What is your problem?" Josh said. "I’m just trying to help."

My eyebrows rose when the ball of light made a kissing sound. "He’s trying to he-e-e-elp," it crooned, and Josh shivered when it landed on his shoulder. Great, the thing belonged to the cupid union. This was not what I needed.

"I’m fine. Really. Thanks," I said shortly, shoving my bike through the loose gravel.

"Well, I’m not," he said darkly, and I kept going. "Listen, I’m not trying to hit on you, but I’ve been having these dreams about you for the last three weeks and it’s freaking me out."

I stopped, unable to turn around. He’s dreaming about me?

"There once was a poet from Plunket – "

I swung at the angel as if going for a fly, and with a little ping of sensation, I hit it. It arced across the road with a faint yelp, and I stared at Josh. He’s dreaming about me?

"Never mind," he said, turning away. "I gotta go."

"Josh."

He waved his hand at me, but he didn’t look back as he trudged over to his truck.

"Josh?" I called again, then stiffened at the shadow that raced over the ground between us. My eyes went up as fear sliced through me. A black wing. Here? What the devil?

"Josh!" I shouted. Son of a dead puppy. Somewhere in my town, a reaper walked. Hunting. Hunting me? But Ron had changed my resonance!

The sour tinkling of bells told me my angel had returned. "How long is a cubit?" I asked the angel breathlessly as Josh neared his truck.

"About a foot and a half," it said tightly. "You got grass stains on my dress. You’re a nasty person, you know that?"

Dress? It’s a girl, then.

"Why?" she asked, and then she tinkled in understanding. "Oh, nice. Black wings. Don’t worry. They can’t sense you if I’m nearby. I’ve got a field of immunity. It’s like you’re not even there."

"Yeah, I’ve got it too," I said. "But if they can’t sense me, then why are they here?"

"Him, I think. Yes. Him. Someone’s hunting him."

My eyes widened. Him? She means Josh? Why? And then I got it. My amulet resonance had been changed too late. Nakita had followed me back, at least as far as Three Rivers, but lost me when Ron shifted things. And since neither she nor Kairos would stand on a street corner and wait for me to walk by, they were trying to find me by hunting someone I might be with. Kairos had met Josh at the prom. Talked to him. Saw him and his aura. They were tracking me down through Josh – the only person both Kairos and I knew.

"Call Barnabas," I said to the angel, frightened.

"Can’t do that," she said lightly. "I’m not experienced enough to touch thoughts with anyone. I’m a first-sphere guardian angel."

"Then go get Ron," I said to her, seeing the black wing start to circle.

"Can’t do that, either." Whirling about my head, she sent flashes of light into my eyes. "I’m instructed to keep you safe and report reapers. You’re safe."

"What about Josh?" I asked, and she hummed as if she didn’t care.

Josh’s truck’s door creaked open, and I panicked.

"Josh!" Shoving my bike along, I awkwardly ran down the center of the empty road. "Josh, I’m sorry," I gushed as I reached the driver’s door and grabbed the open window. "Wait." My heart pounded as I looked up, but the black wing had started to veer off already. My tension eased, then shifted to worry. The angel wouldn’t protect him, but if I stayed with Josh, he’d be under my immunity. If the black wings couldn’t sense him, then neither could Kairos or Nakita. Why hadn’t I worked harder on thought-touching? It sure would be handy about now.

Josh sat with his hands on his wheel, staring at me as a car drove slowly around us. "Madison, you are one weird dudette."

"Yeah, I know," I rushed. "Give me a ride to the bike shop? I need a new tire."

Cocking his head, Josh looked at me. I’d do just about anything right now not to have to explain, but I’d also do anything to keep him safe. It was my fault he was in danger. I might be dead, but I still had to live with myself, and if I walked away, Josh would suffer. Maybe die.

"I’m at the bottom of a ravine, aren’t I?" I blurted desperately, my eyes pleading for him to listen. "In a black convertible. In your dream."

Josh’s mouth dropped open. "How do you know that?"

I licked my lips, feeling the heat come up off the road like the fires of hell. I knew better than to break the false memory Ron had given Josh. But he wasn’t here, and I didn’t know how to reach him. "Because it wasn’t a dream," I said.

CHAPTER 4

Seeing as how it was about twenty years old, Josh’s truck was spare in the amenities. It had manual locks, manual windows, a long bench seat, and no air conditioner. It had a monster of a stereo, though, and he had to move a crate of CDs to the middle before I could get in. Hard rock, mostly, and some classic rockers my dad listened to. Wendy would have liked the harder stuff. He hadn’t turned the music on, and I was getting nervous from the ongoing silence.

A Harley bell hung from the radio knob, and my guardian angel had parked herself on it with a satisfied hum the moment she followed me in. I swear I’d heard her singing when Josh did a three-point turn and headed us into town, the bell swinging softly.