Chapter 21
Twenty-One
Cleo
“Excuse me?” Kai gawks and gapes while squinting at me. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”
“Oh, stop.” I roll my eyes and scoff. “You’re joking.”
He takes a step back and shakes his head slowly, actual confusion lacing his features.
The color must be draining from my face. I glance at the ground, and my mind begins racing.
What happened to him while he was down here? Is this why he didn’t return? Did a demon get hold of him and wipe his memory—
Suddenly, his rich laugh interrupts my spiraling. I drag my eyes up from the stained pavement to meet his gaze, not missing the mischievous glint in his eyes.
Then, his eyes soften. “Angel. C’mon. How could I ever forget you?”
He reaches out to stroke my arm, to which I don’t move a muscle.
So, he did leave me.
Knowingly.
I gulp, then he knits his brows—he’s confused. Of course, he’s confused. I’d have to let down my shields to let him in to read me, and I won’t be doing that ever again.
The Archangels gave me a specific mission to accomplish while down here, but they didn’t give me a timeline to adhere to. They did punish me, though. I close my eyes for a second longer than I should, thinking about what’s at stake if I don’t fulfill their request.
Because I don’t have a deadline for this assignment, I have time. I have time and a plan.
“Great to see you, too.”
“Aw, that might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He grins, moving in closer, wrapping his arm around my neck, and kissing my forehead.
Embarrassingly, I have to fight my body not to melt into him. I didn’t realize how much I missed his tender touch and relentless flirting. Maybe acting won’t be as complicated as I thought it would be.
We’re facing an old-fashioned bookshop now.
I peek through the wide glass window, noting warm-toned brown bookshelves lining the walls.
Several rectangular tables featuring what I imagine are bestsellers take up the middle space of the shop.
Behind the tables, I see a narrow wooden staircase leading up to a small second story, complete with a banister on either side.
Peeling my eyes away from the beautiful shop in front of me, I gaze at him.
When entering the realm, I wasn’t sure where to find him.
The Archangels were practically useless.
They said I 'deserve the challenge for allowing him to venture down here.
' So, I’ve been playing the role of bounty hunter for the past several hours—quite well, I might add.
I mean, I pinpointed where he was within a day.
Of course, I teleported to Chrysocolla Cove first, and after having a good mind-to-mind chat with a particularly sassy fluffy feline, I learned he had visited the Cove.
I barely missed him, but I was on the right track.
Ultimately, I have my very own memory to thank for helping me find him.
I recalled one of our last conversations before he abandoned the realm.
“How about we get out of here?” he asked nonchalantly.
“And go where?”
“Anywhere.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“How about New York City?”
Brilliant place to hide. He’s essentially hiding in plain sight, given the number of Guardians in this city. Because I was his Watcher at one point, I tried tapping into our old thread bond. My intuition told me to start with Manhattan of all places.
I eye his outfit—a brown coat, a cream sweater, navy jeans, and a pair of brown hiking boots. His style is timeless, so he’s certainly blending in well. Almost a little too well. I may have missed him if I wasn’t searching for him so avidly.
Unfortunately, though, when I claimed it was good to see him, I meant it.
It is good to see him. Despite how terribly frustrated I am with him, I’m relieved he’s okay.
“What happened to your wings? I know you can tuck them away, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen your back looking quite as bare as it does now.”
“That’s not important,” I quickly quip.
I’d rather not talk about that. He hesitates before nodding slowly.
“Well, what brings you down here? You said you don’t like to visit this realm. Did they put you up to this?” He cocks an eyebrow.
Quick on my feet, I shake my head. “I’ve chosen to run away with you.”
My stomach drops in discomfort.
There it is—my first lie to Kai Greene.
He glances down at me, his eyes widening, before breaking out in the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. “Get outta town, are you serious?”
I nod. “I can hardly believe it myself.”
His cheeks flush, and he begins to blush.
This doesn’t feel as satisfying as I anticipated.
“I’ve had a lot of questions recently. I think you coming down here answered a big one for me. Let’s have fun, shall we?” He grabs my shoulders with both of his hands and navigates me toward the bookshop’s entrance, opening the door for us. The lighting is dim but warm and inviting.
My stomach is twisting in knots. I push the sensation aside and remember how much his departure hurt me. Now that I’m here, I can only assume he had no plans to return to Eloras.
We became friends, and he abandoned me up there anyway.
I was beginning to believe our friendship meant something to him. Now I’m wondering if all this is part of an elaborate lie on his part to take advantage of me. Without my ability to unlock his ring, we’d be working in the Library of the Sky as we speak.
He promised me he’d come back. Instead, I was his one-way ticket to the land below.
Reminding myself of the betrayal, I raise my chin.
I’d be lying if I said the line between pretending and reality isn’t hard to decipher at this point. But I can do this. I can pretend for a little longer.
It’s still relatively early in the day, so there aren’t other customers in the shop.
In fact, it seems like the booksellers have stepped out or aren’t here yet, because they’re nowhere to be seen.
While browsing the inventory, we go our separate ways.
He sifts through the fiction books, whereas I sort through the romance section.
Eventually, I grab two different books I haven’t heard of—one about a land of fairies and political intrigue, and another about childhood lovers who find their way back to each other.
I lift my heels off the ground to see if I can spot him over the worn wooden shelves.
He’s so tall that he’s hard to miss, and yet, I can’t seem to find him—
“Cleo.” His voice startles me from behind, and I nearly drop the books in my hand. “I have a big problem.”
“I’m listening,” I whisper coyly, turning toward him and lifting an eyebrow in curiosity.
“I’m stuck between a fantasy about wizards or one about dragons. How do I choose?”
“Dragons. The answer is always dragons.”
“This is exactly why I need you in my life,” he says casually, as if those mere words don’t mean anything. “You fill in all my gaps.”
You fill in all my gaps.
My heart skips a beat upon hearing these words.
“Well, as cool as it is to be unseen and all, I’m not a thief, so I don’t feel comfortable walking out with these. What do you say we walk upstairs to the second floor and find a cozy couch to lounge on?”
“Uh, sure. Let’s do it. But wait,” I say, holding up my options. “Help me pick. Fairies and grumpy princes or childhood lovers with a second chance?”
“Grumpy princes. Duh.”
I smile unabashedly and lead him up the stairs, selecting a small, vacant, forest-green velvet sofa in the corner, which sits underneath a string of multicolored Christmas lights. Some large Monstera plants rest on either side of the love seat, and the wall behind is a moody shade of black.
Before sitting, I can’t help but notice how small this spot is.
I bite my lip and glance around in search of an alternative reading nook.
Suddenly, his strong arms wrap around me and bring me down to the seat with him.
I land sideways in his lap, both of my legs draping over one side, while my back leans against the sofa’s soft armrest. His back rests on the cushioned backrest.
“Are you sure this is comfortable?” I wiggle around, settling in his lap.
“‘Comfortable’ would be an understatement,” he murmurs, sinking deeper into the sofa, pushing himself against the couch’s backrest. The curve of my body is aligned with his, my hips sinking against the firmness beneath me.
I blush—ugh—and nod. I open my book at the same time as he opens his with his free hand.
“I thought you said you weren’t a reader.”
“Oh, I’m not. But you are.”
“Well, I don’t want to waste your time if you’re not—”
“I want to see what all the hype is about.” His eyes land on the open book in his hand, while he pulls me in tighter with his arm beneath me. “Let’s read together, angel.”
Hours pass. The area downstairs has been busy with traffic for the past few hours, but no one has really ventured upstairs, giving us an extra level of privacy—not that anyone can see us anyway.
We’ve repositioned a few times throughout our reading session, but we’re back in the same position we started in.
He shuts his book and fixes his gaze on the ceiling, his lips slightly parted.
Noticing he’s closed his book, I shut mine, too, and set it on my chest. I just entered the epilogue anyway, so I’ve completed the main storyline.
I like to save epilogues for a rainy day.
Epilogues give me something to look forward to beyond the story’s ending. Often, I’ll read epilogues months or even years after completing a book, when I find myself missing the story and wanting closure.
This book was spicier than I anticipated. He wasn’t lying earlier—this story left very little to the imagination.
And I didn’t mind one bit.
“Well?” I ask, tilting my head. “Was it everything you hoped for?”