Seb started to answer, but broke off as he caught sight of an angel gliding overhead. He shifted his aura to dull greys; brought it as close to his body as he could so that it appeared shrunken. On the balcony beside him, Mike’s aura looked far too healthy. He found himself edging closer, attempting to hide it a little. The angel cruised silently past, almost on a level with them. Seb tried to look as if he couldn’t see it, but its radiance burned itself into his skull anyway – the proud, fierce face; the powerful wings that seemed to glow blue-white, every feather outlined.

“’Cause I heard her talking with her friends yesterday,” went on Mike, “and if my high school French wasn’t failing me, she was saying that she thinks you’re really hot. Wondering if you’re a devout or not.” He grinned. “My advice? Just pretend that you are, man. Tell her how much you lo-ove the angels.”

Seb was barely listening to him. Below, the angel had chosen its victim; landed in a flurry of wings on the festive street.

It was the street girl.

Seb went very still, staring. He had never seen an angel choose a child to feed from before. The girl was gazing up at the angel with a look of awestruck joy on her face; her energy was pale blue. It wavered like a soap bubble, looking young and vulnerable.

“Seb?” He felt Mike shove his arm with a laugh. “You awake over there? God, I wish I had so many gorgeous girls drooling over me that I could take it in my stride.” He stroked his jaw with a musing expression. “Maybe it’s the stubble. I could always stop shaving...”

“Thanks, but I can’t – I’ve got some things to do tomorrow.” Seb heard his voice say the words. Somehow it sounded normal. Below, the angel was advancing on the girl, smiling, stretching out its shining hands towards her. With no conscious thought, Seb switched his awareness to his angel self and flew out in a rush, swooping down so quickly that the lanterns and the dancers were a blur.

He hovered in front of the girl, spreading his wings wide. The angel drew back with a flapping hiss. It was a male, and its gaze widened abruptly when it saw that Seb had no halo. “You – how—”

“Not this one,” said Seb. He had never spoken in his angel form before, but his voice came out with no hesitation, low and hard. Inside, he was screaming at himself. What are you doing? For the first time in your life, you’re so close to finding her – and you’re risking it for this?