Chapter Twenty-nine

ALEX AND I HAD ALWAYS wondered what would happen if my angel self was injured. As it turned out, it felt like being smashed over the head with a hammer. With every bullet my angel took, the force of it slammed through my skull until I thought it was going to splinter. During the attack, I sat slumped against the wall, fists tight as I somehow clung to consciousness, focusing all my attention on my angel as she flew. The Council saw who I was, of course, but were too distracted to react to either me or Seb. I could sense their utter shock over what had happened; their impotent rage. In over three millennia, no one had ever dared to attack them.

Raziel was there too. Naturally – where else would he be? This was his glorious hour.

He didn’t hesitate for an instant when my angel self swooped in front of the final Council member. I saw his face gazing coolly upwards as he aimed. The force of the bullet slammed through me, and I felt myself drifting, barely able to make it back to my human form. Against the wall, my fists slowly unclenched as a dark tide washed me away.

Then there was Seb, picking me up in his arms. Seb, I’m sorry, I want things to be the same between us again, I thought. I couldn’t get the words out. I clung to him as the world swam and slipped away from me once more. Vaguely, I had a dream that it was Alex holding me instead; the feel of his embrace was so real that I wanted to stay wrapped up in it for ever.

When I came to, I was looking up at the sky. Distant shouts; a scraping noise. I sat up, my head still groggy – and saw the view from my dream. All of Mexico City was spread out below, stretching into infinity. There was a weird hush in the air, as if the very world was holding its breath. My scalp prickled. The roots the Council had put down felt loose now, dangerous – like the bodies of headless snakes moving restlessly about, causing ripples in the earth.

I struggled to my feet – I was on a helipad. There was a door nearby; Alex, Seb, Sam and Liz had just dragged some sort of metal unit in front of it. The door shuddered rhythmically as the sound of shouts came through.

“Hold on, everyone!” called Alex. Even through his shirt, I could see his muscles flexing as they all strained to hold the barricade in place.