Мишель Роуэн - Angel with Attitude

Only the ones that travel a lot.”

“Travel where?”

“Wherever they’re needed. Heaven’s a big place. Bigger than you could ever imagine.”

“Cool.”

“So do you think you can help me?”

“What?” Seraphina looked distracted. And a bit bored.

“You know, I’m an angel and I want to go back to Heaven,” Val was feeling a bit frustrated talking to the little girl. “Can you help me?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

She shrugged. “Don’t wanna.”

Val stood up. “You don’t wanna?”

“Nope.”

She glanced over at the door. “Well, that’s not very nice, is it? Maybe I can get Becky to say something to you to make you behave a little more politely. How long does it take to get a can of 7Up, anyhow?”

“It’s not over.”

“Darn right it’s not.” Val continued to stare at the closed door.

Seraphina suddenly grabbed her wrist and she turned back around. “The time has come. The change must be made.”

The girl’s eyes were fully white again and she stared at Val with a blank expression on her face. Her iron grip was strong enough to bruise.

“Garry?” Val grimaced from the pain. “Is that you again?”

“There is one like you to help ease your way. And another who is not like you, though you may believe differently.”

“Garry? What are you talking about?”

“Fragments of light once fell to the ground like snow. You must watch and protect it. Beware of those who prefer the darkness, though one is drawn to the light. The balance must be made right.”

“Garry? Why are you rhyming?”

Seraphina blinked, her eyes remaining entirely white, then sighed heavily. “No. I’m not

Garry. Are you listening, or what?”

“Sorry. Please continue. What were you saying about snowflakes?”

“Fragments of light as snow. It’s a metaphor. Maybe you should be writing this down.”

“Good idea.” Val produced a pen and turned to a blank page in her notebook. “Please continue.”

Whomever Seraphina was now channeling nodded. “Follow what is stolen to find the answers you seek. Trust your heart, Valerie Grace.”

“Who are you?”

“That isn’t important right now. What is important is that you trust your heart.”

Val blinked and stopped writing for a moment to look up at the girl. “If I trust my heart can I come back to Heaven?”

Seraphina sighed again but didn’t answer the question. “To recap: making changes, another like you, darkness drawn to the light, follow what is stolen, maintain the balance, yada yada.

Got it?”

“I think so.” Valerie’s wrist really hurt now from being clutched by the incredibly strong possessed child. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s about it. I can’t tell you everything, you know. Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

She blinked and finally let go of Val’s arm, just as the door opened behind them.

“Sorry it took me so long.” Becky had a rosy flush to her cheeks and was breathing heavily. “I had to go all the way to the downstairs fridge to get this.”

Seraphina, her eyes back to normal, clapped her hands happily and took the new can of pop, this time the bendy straw was blue. Val frowned at her. The little girl didn’t seem to remember what just happened. Very strange.

What had just happened? Who had she just spoken to? And what on earth were they babbling about?

She wasn’t exactly sure. But all of this dealing with psychics and angels was making her thirsty.

Val sat, shivering like a nervous Chihuahua, on a park bench by the edge of the Falls and stared at the lightly falling snow as if it would start talking to her any minute.

She was supposed to guard snow?

Metaphor. Pieces of light as snow.

What was that supposed to mean, anyhow? It was just snow.

And what had Seraphina said about darkness drawn to the light? Stupid.

Everything is stupid, she thought. Including myself. Especially for thinking she could find an easy answer to all of her problems. Served her right for watching so much television in the last two months. On TV, everyone’s problems got wrapped up in the course of an episode, and if it was going to take two episodes, there’d be a “to be continued” tag, letting the audience know to hang in there.

Her “to be continued” had been put on indefinate hiatus. No happy ending in sight. No promises. Not even a comforting maybe.

And Garry was supposed to be her friend? Some friend.

Even as she thought it, she knew she couldn’t blame him for her troubles. She’d been kicked out for the reason he’d given her. Pride. Okay. Didn’t make sense to her, but at least she had a reason.

That still didn’t mean she was giving up.

It didn’t mean she was making peace with being a human. No way.

But for the time being she was going to sit on her bench, slowly turning into a blond Popsicle, and feel very sorry for her sad self. Maybe she could be decorated like a Christmas tree. She could become another one of Niagara’s tourist attractions. Sounded like a plan.

A couple walked past her with bright shiny smiles on their faces, colorful scarves at their necks. They gave off a “we’re totally in love” vibe. If Val had any extra money she would have bet all of it that underneath their clasped together gloved hands were wedding rings bright and shiny enough to match their smiles. Newlyweds, probably. Isn’t that just the most adorable thing? she thought.

Blah.

“Hey gorgeous,” a familiar voice said to her left.

She forced herself to look up. “Hi, Reggie.”

He crossed his arms. “Yeah, you look really happy.”

“That’s funny, because I don’t feel really happy.”

“Well, then it’s good that I was being sarcastic.” He studied her for a moment, then shook his head. “You’re lucky you’re naturally hot, because you look like hell today.”

“Gee, thanks a lot.”

“Why are you sitting here all alone?”

She nodded at the Falls. “I’m considering throwing myself over.”

He laughed. “I think there’s a law that says you can only do that once a month. You already had your chance.”

She scowled at him. “That was to help somebody.”

“You mean the guy you pushed into the water and almost killed? The one we had to convince not to press charges against you?”

“He was trying to kill himself.”

“He was a tourist taking a picture. Or didn’t you notice the camera? And the wife? And the kids?”

“I was just trying to help.”

He smiled. “I know, and that’s what I adore about you. You’re always helping people. But you got to realize that some people just don’t want any help. Even if it’s from a hot blonde.

Realize that and you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.”

She frowned. A change of subject would be a good idea.

“Where’s Claire?” she asked. “Aren’t you two joined at the hip?”

Reggie seemed to back away a bit at the mention of his girlfriend’s name. “Oh, Claire? My

Claire? She’s . . . she’s around.”

“I’m sure she is.”

His eyes got big. “You’ve seen her? Where?” He looked around nervously.

Val stared at him. “Oh no. What did you do this week to get her mad?”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly so she could see a puff of frozen air appear as if he were smoking a cigarette. For a second it reminded her of Nathaniel.

“It was a total misunderstanding,” Reggie said.

“What was?”

“She thinks I cheated on her.”

“Oh?” She raised her eyebrows. “Why would she think something like that?”

He rubbed the side of his face, a nervous gesture, and looked away.