A Beautiful Torment (A Beautiful Book. 2) **ON HOLD**

Chapter Five - You Can't Teach an Old Angel New Tricks

The rumbling of my stomach jolted me awake, and I groaned as my head pulsed in sync with my heartbeat. The smell of bacon was still thick in the air, and everything came back to me in a rush. Jumping on Anzel, swinging, receiving blows... His right-hook.

I rubbed my left temple and grimaced as my the skin quivered, obviously sore. Turning my neck, I saw a small glass bowl sitting on the coffee table beside me, and a strange pink liquid floated inside. A red stained hand-towel lay beside it, and I realized it was blood. My blood.

The sun was high now, illuminating freshly fallen snow. A thought nudged my mind. I still had no idea where I was.

Chatter met my ears.

I sat up slowly, my body screaming a protest at the movement. Alexis, Mak, Yopi, and Zeke sat at the bar, munching on broken pieces of bacon and buttered toast like I wasn't even there. Psh, that was fine with me. The less they bothered me, the better. But I guess if I really wanted that, I wouldn't have sat up, because right when my face was visible over the coach's back, Yopi smiled at me and waved.

I groaned internally but offered her a small smile and even smaller wave.

"How are you feeling?" she asked rising from her stool to come sit next to me. Alexis glared at me the entire time, her gaze like a blade.

Jeez. If looks could kill.

I rolled my eyes and brought my attention back to the small Archangel sitting beside me, face bright with happiness.

How is she always so happy? I almost envied her for it. Okay, no almost about it. I loathed her for it. How much would I give just to not give a shit about anything anymore?

"I'm fine," I lied. She swayed in my vision a little, but I forced myself to stay up straight.

"Anzel left to go to Wal Mart, so he won't be back for awhile. You don't have to worry about him," she said, obviously trying to comfort me.

I snorted at the thought, and Yopi frowned. "I'm not scared of him," I snapped. "He just caught me off guard."

Understanding crossed her beautiful features and her mouth formed a small circle. "Oh. Okay. Well, there's more bacon on the counter if you want some," she added sweetly. "I can make you some toast too, if you want. You know, so it's warm. Nothing, and I mean nothing is more gross than cold, soggy toast." It seemed like she was talking to herself more than me, but I honestly enjoyed it. Her rambling distracted me for a while, though she didn't even realize she was doing it in the first place, and I couldn't pay her back for that.
Yopi jumped up from the sofa and danced into the kitchen, pulling out a bag of wheat bread and sticking two pieces into the toaster that no one had bothered to put away.

I rose from the couch, intending to follow her.

Alexis stood up abruptly, her chair nearly tipping over. "I'm not hungry anymore," she said.

Brat.

She glided out of the room and into the hallway that housed her room, only stopping to glare at me before she vanished.

Zeke continued to stare at me with his chilling gold eyes, crunching nonchalantly on a piece of burnt bacon. I forced myself not to squirm under his gaze. It was already embarrassing enough that he had watched me pass out. I didn't need him to know I was scared of him. Well, think anyway.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice as cold and flat as the tile I was walking on.

I did a double take. "What?"

Mak hid a smile under his hand.

Zeke's blue labret twitched as he gave me a steady glare. "I asked you: Why are you here?"