Color of Angels' Souls (32 page)

Jeremy could feel his frustration growing with each passing moment. The girl he loved was slipping away from him, and he had no clue how to save her.

Allison, on the other hand, felt … heavy. As if there were now an enormous weight on her shoulders. Again. When she had sat next to Jeremy listening to Elvis and Sinatra singing, she had been convinced that this new existence was going to be great. She would finally be able to lead a carefree life, without worrying about the promise she had made to her mother or screwing anything up. No more fear, fretting, or frustrations. She would be able to enjoy everything this new world had to offer. She could travel, meet fascinating people, read over the shoulders of the living, and still go to the movies and improve her culture. All her troubles were behind her… but then the same old curse—the terrible sense of responsibility that her mother had incessantly hammered into her—had quickly caught up with her. Once again, she had a mission. And once again, she didn't feel as if she were up to the task.

Allison snuck a look at Jeremy out of the corner of her eye. She liked everything about him: He was good-looking, brave, protective, and he had great abs that she could barely keep herself from drooling over. And what if the feelings she'd felt when they kissed were just a foretaste of what it would be like when they made love? She could imagine the fireworks. Jeremy didn't even realize it, but he was probably the only person who could make her give up her mission. She had to keep away from him at all costs, or else she would lose her courage. If he took her into his arms again she would be lost, and her entire mission would go down the drain: The Earth would keep turning, the wonder drug would be discovered one day or another, Ventousi would be rich and save lives, and would be a hero …

Allison suddenly released Flint's hand and clenched her fists. No. Impossible. That killer would have to pay for what he'd done!

All four Angels were quiet as they left the warehouse. A heavy tension hung in the air. The amphitheater was quickly emptying. They had carted off the Chimera and a group of Angels was taking down the golden stage and the wire netting around the ring.

It was a gloomy ride back to the apartment. The dispute between Jeremy and Allison appeared to have upset Lili, but Flint didn't even seem to notice. He had simply offered his assistance to Allison. It was up to her to decide if she wanted it or not. In any case, he seemed amused by the two Cherubs. They promised to keep things interesting for him. He would hardly have to worry about being bored in the days to come.

Someone had repaired Allison's bed while they were out. Which meant she wouldn't have to sleep with Jeremy anymore. Just before going to bed, Allison went into his room to get her pillows, without saying a word. Jeremy had been waiting for a chance to get her alone. He had to change her mind. When she was on her way out he blocked the door.

“Wait!” he ordered. “There's something I have to tell you.”

Allison gave him a defiant look and hugged her two Mist pillows tightly against her chest, as if they were protecting her. The fact that he was trying to foul up her plans instead of helping her drove her nuts—but not nearly as much as her burning desire to feel his lips against hers, or the way his nude body so close to hers made her mind turn to jelly. As long as that stupid loincloth stayed in place and she didn't say anything to him, she would be fine. She was about to ask him about the gold spot around his navel, but then thought better of it. If she opened her mouth now, there was no telling where the discussion may lead them.

“Listen …” he finally said, put off by her aloofness. “I … I really need you.”

Allison's face softened a little, but she still didn't speak.

“You realize how much you mean to me, don't you, Allison?”

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes. After their passionate kisses the night before, of course she knew that he had feelings for her. And, to be perfectly honest, she had loved every second of it. So what did he want to tell her, anyway?

Jeremy finally took the plunge: “I'm in love with you.”

Allison almost dropped her pillows. OK, she had been expecting just about anything, but not that. She remained on her guard, tightly hugging her pillows.

“I watched you a lot when you were alive, Allison, and I loved everything I saw. You're so beautiful, and so honest and genuine. You keep your promises, no matter what.” He grinned: “Even if I did have to scream my head off at Frankenstein so that he would stop you and Clark when …”

His loincloth slipped down a notch.

Allison turned beet red.

OK, it probably hadn't been such a great idea to bring that up just then, but he wanted to lighten the atmosphere. Seeing how tightly she clutched her pillows, and her red cheeks, he figured he'd made a huge blunder. But actually, Allison was doing her best to fight off the urge to look at his hips and his muscular stomach.

“Anyway,” he went on quickly, “that's what made me fall in love with you. And that's why I really think the both of us need to just stop and think for a second. About everything that's happened since we passed over. Listen, Allison, everything I've seen and heard about the Reds is bad news. They use the living by luring them along, exploiting their most negative sides. Do you really think you'll be able to resist once you've gotten used to their food? That you'll be able to become Blue again once you've gotten your vengeance? If it were even possible to get in the first place?”

He took one of her hands, forcing her to drop one of her pillows, and placed it on his chest. Allison bit her lip as she felt his firm pectorals beneath her palm.

“I give you my heart, Allison.”

He looked deep into her eyes, which were gleaming with emotion. Both stood still for a moment, deeply moved, gazing at each other. Allison could see the love he felt for her. Love, but also longing, passion, a desire to share his life with her, and that was much more important than all the rest to Allison. She had been so lonely her entire life.

But after a few moments she tensed up again. Wasn't this the same temptation she'd felt dozens of times before? She'd lost track of all the boys who'd tried to sleep with her (although she had to admit that none had ever proclaimed their love quite like Jeremy had). She had become an expert in the art of resisting, of putting up walls around her heart and choking off her desire. Above all, she had to keep her mouth shut. She knew her voice would betray her.

She took a step back. As Jeremy's hand dropped heavily to his side, she walked past him into her bedroom without saying a word. She had asked Flint to put up a Mist door between the two rooms so she could have some privacy, and when she slammed it shut, it was like the blade of a guillotine crashing down on his heart.

Still in shock, Jeremy lowered his head and walked hesitantly over to the door.

He stretched out his hand but didn't dare knock, lightly caressing the Mist barrier instead. He could feel the hair rising on the back of his neck. The all-encompassing fear he had felt when he'd been killed, and during his first few days in the afterlife, had finally begun to go away, but now he felt it come rushing back. It wasn't for himself this time though, but for Allison.

He decided not to walk through the walls to go see her. It would probably be better to give her some time. After everything they had been through, maybe a good night's sleep would help Allison understand how wrong she was. The same annoying words kept running through his mind like a whisper: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

He stepped back from the door and trudged back over to his bed. The two old Angels had gone to bed without a word, so he couldn't even talk things over with Flint. And there was no way he was going to Lili's room. Just the thought of it made his knees go weak.

Jeremy fell heavily on his bed. He crossed his arms behind his head and gazed fixedly at the ceiling, until his steely blue eyes finally closed. He fell asleep dreaming of Allison, after telling himself again that he had been right not to insist.

But he had been wrong.

Because when he woke up a few hours later, Allison was gone.

And so was Flint.

Jeremy ran straight to Lili's bedroom as soon as he realized that Allison and Flint were both gone.

“Lili! Lili! They're gone!” he yelled as he passed through the walls.

He was immediately stopped in his tracks by the stunning image that burned into his retina: The red-haired beauty lay sleeping on the bed, in all her glorious nudity. Jeremy had barged right in without even considering the perilous possibilities. He blushed and quickly turned away.

“Excuse me, I … I'm sorry, but …”

He heard a yawn behind him, then a soft sleepy voice.

“Wh … what? What is it?”

“Allison and Flint have disappeared.”

There was a silence, as if Lili were holding her breath. Then Jeremy heard the Mist sheets rustling. He trembled when he heard her soft, sultry voice whispering right next to his ear.

“What do you mean …
disappeared
?”

He slowly turned, praying that Lili had put something on, or else he didn't think he'd be able to talk straight.

When he opened his eyes, her firm, perky breasts were right there, just waiting for his hands and lips to caress them. Well then, she hadn't gotten dressed.

He swallowed hard, screwed up his courage and looked straight into her soft green eyes. If he could keep his eyes off of her breasts, he might just escape with his life.

“I mean … they're both gone,” he whispered, furious with his rampant libido that couldn't resist Lili's charms.

Her full lips arched like Cupid's bow into a mesmerizing smile, revealing her little white teeth.

“They've probably just gone out for some air. Your little friend was quite upset after our night out. Maybe Flint took her somewhere to help her change her mind; who knows?”

She raised her shoulders in a graceful movement, setting the rest of her body in motion as well. Jeremy had to close his eyes again.

When he opened them, her firm young body was against his, and he could feel the heat rising from her like a hot oven.

“What would you like to do … while we wait?” she asked in a theatrical whisper.

Her soft voice conjured up fantasies filled with indescribable pleasure.

“I … I'll wait for them in the living room,” Jeremy backed away. “I'll let you … let you get dressed.”

And he was gone.

Her melodious laugh accompanied him out the door, as he cursed himself for being such an idiot. The most beautiful woman in the world was holding her arms out to him, and here the boy genius had gone and fallen in love with a stupid kid obsessed with getting revenge and saving humanity. But now he was the one who needed to be saved—and in a big hurry, or he was going to make a big mistake.

They waited for them the whole day.

Allison and Flint didn't come back.

And so they waited all night as well. That is, Jeremy waited all night. Lili eventually left, saying she refused to spend another second in Flint's apartment, bored out of her socks. But the next morning, Allison and Flint still didn't come back. Jeremy was more than just anxious now. He could feel terrible pangs of jealousy gnawing at him. He forced himself to get a few hours of sleep, tossing and turning all the while, and helped himself to all of Flint's food without the slightest twinge of regret. And he waited. When Lili finally came back, she told him that she had asked around among Flint's friends, but no one knew where he was. It was as if the old Angel and Allison had disappeared from the surface of the … of the afterlife.

The next day, Jeremy decided that he had waited long enough. He went to Ventousi's house, expecting to find him there on a Sunday. But he was at work in his laboratory. He spied on the man the entire day, hoping that Allison would show up to haunt him. No luck. Jeremy found it strange that no red Angels were there to feed off Ventousi's emotions, since he was like a chimney stack, producing thick clouds of Mist due to his anxiety and fears.

His son, Peter, was back at home, but when Jeremy went to see him he didn't find Flint or Allison. He went back to Flint's apartment, then back to Allison's (former) place. No luck there either. Someone must have taken Frankenstein because the clever little dog wasn't there either. He had learned Clark's address and stopped by his place as well. He was relieved when he saw little Frankenstein, who immediately sensed his presence and began barking, waking Clark from his torpor in the process. The top model hardly looked his handsome old self. He had deep rings under his bloodshot eyes. Clark was in mourning. Kind of like Jeremy, who couldn't fight off a sinking feeling inside: that he had lost Allison forever.

He looked on as Clark brushed his teeth, his mind elsewhere: He thought about the investigation again. Clark had told the police that his best friend had been killed by the mafia. By accusing Tachini of being behind Jeremy's death, the investigators had followed a red herring. But at the same time, it had given them good reason to take a closer look at Allison's apartment, and they had found the microphones. Unfortunately, the discovery had only gotten them even further off track, but at least they had been able to rule out the hypothesis that Khan was a serial killer. His methods had been too sophisticated.

Jeremy threw up his hands in despair and decided to give up his search. He didn't know where else to look, and Allison hadn't even come back to see her friend Clark. To get his mind off his troubles for a while, he decided to stop by Rose's & Blues, hoping to run into Einstein. But he was out of luck again, as the old scientist was nowhere to be found. Jeremy cursed his bad luck. Where the hell was everybody? As he was brooding, he saw a small Angel who was enjoying a multicolored Mist liqueur as he ogled the breasts of a full-figured living woman nearby.