My angel broke free with a shining rush, soaring out of me. With a startled gasp, I stood gaping up at her as she hovered. I couldn’t feel what she was feeling any more. Oh my god, what was happening; who was this creature with my face? Belatedly, I tore my gaze away, my heart thudding. I couldn’t let anyone see me staring upwards – couldn’t let anyone figure out what was going on.

Before my angel could do anything, I quickly switched my consciousness to hers. All at once, I was the one hovering overhead, looking down at the foreshortened Willow below, still aiming the gun as if nothing was happening. My angel knew what I was about to do; there was a sudden mental frenzy as she fought against me. Gritting my teeth, I ignored her and swooped back into my human body. A flapping struggle; almost a scream of frustration as my angel tried to wrest free – but for now at least I was stronger, and I shoved her away inside of me.

The whole thing had taken only seconds. I took a few breaths, making sure I really had control. I could sense her frustration now, and that weird looseness again...but my angel had gone silent. Shakily, I flicked the safety on the gun and rested it on the floor. Alex glanced over, and I tried to smile.

“Bathroom,” I mouthed, and he nodded.

Upstairs, I splashed water on my face. My eyes in the mirror looked large and frightened; my face pale. Okay. This was not good. This was really, really not good. I had to tell Alex, only what could he do? He wouldn’t know what was going on any more than I did. But I couldn’t keep this from him any longer, no matter how much I didn’t want to face it myself; it had gotten way too serious. The possibility that I really could be responsible for his migraine – and that it might be a symptom of something far worse – came to me again, chilling my blood. Suddenly it seemed only too likely. I wanted so much to believe it wasn’t true; that my touch wasn’t hurting him – but how could I know, when I had this thing inside me that I didn’t even understand any more?

I caught sight of my crystal pendant in the mirror, and went very still. I heard Alex’s voice saying, Your angel is you; she’s a part of you. And that means she’s...everything I love.”

Alex had always believed – always – that my angel wasn’t something separate from me; that she was just another aspect of myself. What was he going to think when he found out that wasn’t true? That she had separate thoughts from mine; that I couldn’t even control her any more?