Glass Pomegranate: Volume I

Chapter Seven: You Ruined My Shirt

The electric-blue light sucked inside of Angel as quickly as it had come. He gasped for air and sat bolt upright. Scrambling backward, he pressed against the car door, nearly feral with fear.

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed.

Nyx stared at him from the other side of the backseat. Her eyes were wide in wonder and horror. Mascara and eyeliner smeared across her face, mingling with the streaks of blood on her cheeks. Terror gripped him, worried it was hers. The tight crusted layer of blood coating his chest made him realize it was his own.

I'm fine. Better than ever really, so where did all of this blood come from and why does she look so devastated and awe stricken? Why is Cassie peering at me from the driver's seat like I have ten heads?

The last thing I remember is getting drinks... then Jeff's announcement... Nyx stomping on my foot... Carl...

"What the fuck?" he repeated. "Was I fucking dead?"

"I - I think so," said Nyx. Her voice was low and hoarse. She threw herself against him and he reflexively hugged her, still reeling and numb. Her tears were wet against his bare chest. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," he said.

"Should we - should we still go to the clinic?" Cassie asked.

Nyx pulled away to look up at his face, her body still pressed close. She pinched Angel's cheeks, turning his head side to side. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. Really good actually," he said, squirming away from her grip. Even the dull ache he felt earlier that evening had disappeared. "I don't think there's any need for the clinic. I'd only be wasting Dr. McGill's time."

"Maybe you should, just to be safe?" Cassie suggested.

Nyx nodded, wiping her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"No." Chills settled in and he trembled, cold despite the summer humidity. "I wanna go home. We can figure something out in the morning."

Cassie pulled the car onto the road and continued toward the village. Respecting Angel's wishes, she turned down the backroads toward his cabin.

"Are you sure?" Nyx asked.

He nodded.

"I've only seen something like that once before," said Nyx. "When Ivy came to the island that day."

A shiver rippled up his spine. "That's an incredibly rare ability, and so far as anyone knows, she's the only one to ever be born with it. How could I have it and not know all this time?"

"You've never been dead before," said Nyx. "How should we know how this works? It's not like Ivy is a chatterbox."

"You're resilient right?" Cassie asked. "Maybe that has something to do with it? Daisy can't even read your emotions. Maybe energy stuff doesn't mesh well with your body or something?"

Angel considered it. Daisy was frustrated to no end that she couldn't get a handle on him when she easily absorbed and read everyone else. He was the only one on the island capable of lying to her and that alone was enough to drive her batty. She had mentioned on several occasions that this had annoyed her about his mother Ember as well, so perhaps there was truth to Cassie's theory.

They made it to his cabin and parked in the driveway. The small yellow house was in darkness, looking lonelier than ever. Nyx and Cassie followed him out of the car. 

"It's ok," Angel said. "Maybe you two should head home. I'm only gonna go to bed."

"No way am I leaving you alone after that," said Nyx. She clung to him like a burdock, wrapping her arms tight around his waist.