Joshua Graham - Terminus

“I’ve got an astronomic credit limit.” More like cosmic. “ She’ll stay here until we can find her something more permanent. Anything she needs, just charge it to the card.”

The clerk ran the card while Nick’s construct caused it to interface in a way that ensured the hotel would be paid. Then he signed.

“Welcome to the Broadmore.” The clerk gave him the room’s key card, which Nick handed to Hope.

“Suite 310.” She took the key and walked toward the elevator. “You really shouldn’t have done this, but I guess there’s no point in saying it.”

“None whatsoever. Go and get some rest. I’ll have some fresh clothes and toiletries sent up later.” Which meant they’d materialize in her room. “What are you, a size five?”

“Ha! Try eight.”

“Just guessing.”

“Thank you, really.” She smiled. “For everything.”

“Come and meet me here in the lobby in the morning—you’ll be famished, no doubt. We’ll have breakfast.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she said, stepping into the light.

“How about, ‘See you later?’” Just as he leaned forward to get a good look at her face, she turned around and went into the elevator.

“Later.”

No doubt it was the physical form that hung on Nick like armor, but he actually felt tired. He went over to a sofa, sank into it, and found that he could actually smell the wonderful scent of leather and feel its buttery soft surface. Unfortunately, he also felt the tightening in his chest and shortness of breath. That all too familiar manifestation of stress had returned.

He’d intervened without authorization.

Revealed himself to a human.

Touched her meaningfully while perceptible.

Surely he had failed again. How would he explain it to Lena? Through the ages, his rashness and indiscretions had…

Did he really care?

His smartphone chimed.

A text message from Lena:

Meet me in five or ten. Construct of your choice.

FOR ONCE, NICK WAS GRATEFUL that despite their supernatural abilities, angels were neither omniscient nor omnipresent. Lena had no idea where he was, much less what he’d done. But where best to meet his alluring yet intimidating new supervisor?

He thought about it for all of two seconds, then appeared on a level rock that rose from the waves pounding the La Jolla shores. Upon arrival he wove a thin construct of invisibility to human perception. About half a dozen seals barked loudly and dove into the water. That was the thing about animals, they often perceived the presence of angels. Dogs always did, and they caused the most trouble.

Nevertheless, he loved this part of the planet around sunrise. Any minute now the first sun rays would strike the rolling waves.

He sat on the rock surface.

“Crikey!” A cold wet sensation in the seat of his pants jolted him to his feet. He nearly slipped.

“Aw, you’re wet.” Lena said from behind him. He turned to face her.

“It’s nothing.”

“How did it go with your last subject?”

“The crazy suicidal woman?”

“Did she do it?”

“Not exactly. Bit of a complication—nothing major.” Best not to expound further. “In any case, it’s only a matter of time before she tries again.”

“What happened?”

“Right, well…she was there at the bridge…. ”

“But she didn’t jump?”

“You know, I don’t understand what the hurry is.”

Just then a huge wave crashed against the rock, sending frigid water over them both. Nick gasped for breath and wiped water from his face. Still drenched, he looked at Lena. She was staring at him—completely dry.

“Why are you still in your mortal form?”

“I thought I’d switched out of it,” he said.

“Apparently not.”

She touched his shoulder, and all the water from his hair and clothes lifted to become a myriad of drops and rivulets that sparkled like gems in the early morning light. She smiled, twirled them around Nick’s face, then sent them back into the ocean.

“There. Better?”

“Thank you.” Nick tried again and this time felt certain he’d exited his physical form. “I’m usually quite good at transitions.”

“Of course you are.” Lena slipped her arm around his and took him to the edge of the rock. The seals who’d fled were poking their heads out of the water, observing the two of them. Lena hissed at them, and they dashed off as though a great white had just surfaced. She laughed and looked at Nick. “So tell me what happened.”

“Look, I know she’s dangerous to the future and all that, but really, what’s the rush? What harm could she possibly do?”

Lena narrowed her eyes. “Just tell me what happened!”

Nick glared back at her. “Testy, aren’t we?”

“Nick!” She squeezed his arm—not with much force, but it hurt enough to make him want to groan in pain. He managed to stifle it and act as though he’d felt nothing. He should have felt nothing.

“At the moment just before she jumped, some man in a car got out, caught her by the arm, and convinced her not to do it.”

“And you just let it happen ? Didn’t you at least try to use a construct to stop him?”

“It happened so fast I—”

“Given the scope and importance of this assignment, I’d have expected you to take some initiative, think outside the box. But you just acted like some kind of…I don’t know, boy scout. Why—”

Another wave threatened. Just as it was about to crash over them, Nick captured it into a sphere of energy, suspended it above them for a fraction of a second, then shot the entire mass of sea water up into the atmosphere. It all exploded in a circular spray, misting outward around the outline of the moon, faint but visible in the daytime. The effect of the resulting millions of microscopic droplets acting as prisms was a pale rainbow halo around the moon in three concentric circles.

“Impressive,” Lena said.

“I learn from the best. Though it’s not quite as impressive as what you did outside of Grand Central when you sent all that red destructive energy into a nuclear explosion in the sky.”

She admired the show for a while. Then, still gazing into the night sky, she sighed heavily.

“Nick, it’s important you complete this assignment if you want to pass probation and start on the real work.”

“I’ll get her to do it one way or another, okay?”

“Wait.” She stepped back and gave him a probing look. “You’re not getting attached, are you?”

The word attached felt like an icepick stabbing him, but she mustn’t know.

“Hardly! I don’t think I could ever feel anything but scorn for this sort of mortal.”

“What sort?”

“You know, the kind that leads millions of people astray. And looks like something the cat dragged in, you might be interested to know. And smells even worse. ”

The bell of a fishing boat tolled in the distance. Briny air filled Nick’s senses, soothing air. Lena smiled.

“Just focus on your assigned baddies, okay?” She made a pouty face. “I know it’s difficult changing jobs so abruptly. That’s why I’m going to give you a little more time to complete these assignments so you can be fast-tracked to a promotion.”

“Good. I hate babysitting these humans. They can be so…”

“Irritating?”

“To say the least.”

“Infuriating?”

“More often than not.”

She stared out into the inky ocean as if searching for more adverbs.

“Irresponsible, small-minded, arrogant… evil !”

Taken slightly aback, Nick gave her a thin smile.

“Right, well…They’re all made in the image of the Father, aren’t they?” he said. “There’s got to be some good in them.”