Breathe

Chapter 20

Lucie

Traffic was slow this afternoon in the corner Wal-Mart. Only a few people strolled in to leisurely survey the shelves, most of them soccer moms or bored teenagers. I qualified as the latter, I suppose, leaned against my cash register, struggling just to keep my eyes open. I hadn't slept nearly enough, but had no time for a power nap, so I just had to suffer through the day. It was only a few more hours, after all, until my shift was over.

I took these slow moments as an opportunity to check my phone, ducking my head and turning on the screen. I scrolled through my text messages; some were from Jiya, one from my mom, and one from Cian: Picking up Vinny. Swing by the house after you're done working?

I was about to send a reply when someone cleared their throat. Startled, I nearly dropped my phone, thankfully fumbling it into my fingers before it hit the ground. I stood up straight, adjusting my blue vest and blowing a haze of curls from my face. "Hi, how are you..." I trailed off, realizing that I recognized the face in front of me. I'd seen those alluring dark eyes before, the narrow chin and high cheekbones, the close-cropped pixie cut. Her shirt dipped just low enough to reveal the bible verse tattooed against the golden skin of her collarbone: The day of death better than the day of birth. "Caprice?"

"Lucie, right?" she questioned, digging in the pocket of her skinny jeans for a credit card. My eyes trailed to the conveyor belt, upon which an alarming amount of wine coolers were rolling in my direction. It was Caprice, however, and I decided it was best not to ask.

"Yeah," I said, beginning to scan her merchandise.

"I see the mortal isn't with you," Caprice observed, and it was all I could do to correct her that Cian was much more than a mortal. I figured it would be useless. To the angelic community, that's all he ever would be. I frowned at the register's screen as the cooler packs flashed up, wondering why he wanted to go back to them. As if they'd ever treated him like an equal?

I shook the thought away. It was his decision, so I had to quit being such a helicopter. "No, he doesn't work with me. He's at home, with Vinny."

"Oh, I heard about what happened with him. Must have been quite a scare, huh?"

I looked up in alarm, one of the packs of wine coolers still gripped between my fingers, hovering above the scanner. "How'd you know about that?"

Caprice's lips, a maroon color this day, split to reveal a line of faultless white teeth. Underneath the bleach white lights of the store, her eyes glittered like fine obsidian, and I sighed. She had unmatched beauty, charisma, charm, and she acted like she knew it, too. If she weren't hundreds of years older than she looked, I might have even been worried that Cian would grow too attached to her. "As of now, sweetums, I'm the only death angel in all of San Francisco. You really think I don't have eyes and ears everywhere?"

I scoffed as I slid the last wine cooler pack into a bag for her. "What is this? Some sort of empire?"

Caprice let out a sweet laugh as she swiped her card. "It will be. Now tell me: What business does Cian have with the fallen angels?"

I exhaled into the air, which smelled faintly of Caprice's perfume, and of the disinfectant wafting from the cleaning aisle. I focused on printing out the receipt, tapping numbers into the register, instead of looking at the angel in front of me. Somehow, I'd known she had come for more than just pomegranate wine coolers. "I don't know much, just that Nick's been messing with him lately. That he's the reason Vinny nearly died again."

Caprice's smile vanished. "He was a bartender at my club for a while, you know. I wish I'd never trusted the guy, should have known what side he was on from the start."

"What do you think he wants? With Cian, I mean. Why is he trying to manipulate him like this?"

Caprice gave a half-hearted shrug as she returned her credit card to her pocket, then lent me an apologetic glance. "Who knows? If there's anything I know about the fallen angels, though, it's that they're a prideful species. Dempsey's death must have shattered them."

I hugged my arms around myself, as if I could rub away the goosebumps his name brought to the surface of my skin. "You really think he meant that much to them?"

"From what I've heard, Lucie, your brother was one of the strongest demon wielders they'd ever seen. I'd say he meant a whole lot."

"I guess," I admitted, "I'm a little concerned about what Cian's going to do. He's strong and all, but Nick's threats are beginning to drain his stamina, especially after Vinny..."

I was taken aback when Caprice gave my hand a reassuring pat; even though I hadn't known her long or particularly that well, I knew she rarely showed any signs of affection. "Cian's a deep thinker. Have some faith in him, will you?"

Caprice reached to gather her things, and I gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah," I muttered. "I'll try."

She started for the exit, but not before she called over her shoulder, "And take care of the Lazarus kid for me, alright?"

I scoffed, surprised by her concern. "Why is that?"

She flashed another priceless smile. "I'd like to see you all happy someday."