A Beautiful Dark

brushing snow off my jeans and pulling my hat down tighter over my ears. “Well, how lucky for you,” I said. “I’m about two seconds away from crying anyway.”
    Asher shoved his hands in his pockets. “Shit,” I heard him mutter.
    I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him.
    “I have to go,” he said. “Raven is dangerous. If she’s here, something bad is up.”
    “Go,” I said. “I’m going to bed.”
    Asher turned and started walking toward the ladder. When he got there, he turned around. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
    “You were mad that I was flirting with other girls?”
    “Go!” I yelled.

Chapter 22

    W ednesday morning, I walked into homeroom with blinders on, determined not to meet anyone’s gaze. After last night, the last thing I wanted was to be confronted by Devin or Asher. Actually, I didn’t want to be confronted by either of them at all that day.
    Busy scribbling in her notebook, Cassie barely glanced up as I took my seat. I was kind of grateful, because I knew she’d notice the dark circles beneath my eyes. I felt terrible. Bleary-eyed. I’d barely slept.
    I kept replaying my fight with Asher over in my head . What did Raven being here mean? I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling me. Something they both weren’t telling me.
    Throughout the morning I managed to outmaneuver them. If one of them was walking down the hall, I ducked into the bathroom. If I saw either of them approaching me, I whipped around and pretended to be deep in conversation with whoever was nearest. Instead of going to the cafeteria for lunch, I went to the library and settled at a table in a back corner.
    I had intended to catch up on some studying. Instead I grabbed a book on angels from the shelves and flipped through the pages. The past two nights, I’d done extensive research on the internet, but it hadn’t proved very helpful. As Devin had said, a lot of myths and stories were associated with angels. How could I even begin to identify what was truth and fiction?
    I knew I could go to the source—Devin or Asher—but I couldn’t help but feel that they each had an agenda. They were on opposite sides and I was caught in the middle.
    I jerked back as Devin dropped into the chair across from me.
    “You’re avoiding us again,” he said, his voice low. Not because he was respectful of library rules but because he didn’t want anyone to hear us, I figured. Although with his hang-up about rules—who knew?
    “You’re paranoid,” I whispered, turning another page.
    “You won’t find what you need to know in there.”
    “You don’t know what I need.”
    “I know you need to concentrate on accepting and controlling your powers.”
    “Right now, the only power I’m interested in is the one that will make you leave me alone. By the way, our appointment at three fifteen? Forget it. I have ski practice.”
    “Your destiny is more important.”
    Folding my arms on the table, I leaned forward. “Do the Gifted see me on that roof today?”
    His cheeks turned red, and he looked uncomfortable.
    “They don’t, do they?”
    He glanced around as though everyone around us was eavesdropping. His voice was even lower, more secretive when he spoke. “There’s a lot about you they don’t know. You’re an enigma. It’s . . . troubling.”
    Taking pity on him, I reached across and placed my hand on his. He laced our fingers together and then stared at them as though he’d never before seen intertwined fingers.
    “I’m sorry, Devin. I just need some time. A couple of days.”
    He lifted his gaze to mine, and I could see the earnestness in the deep blue. “You’d be happy with the Order.”
    “Are you happy?”
    “Not when I’m here. There’s too much . . .”
    “Chaos,” I filled in for him, my mouth twitching.
    His eyes sparkled. “Yes.”
    His fingers tightened around mine. “You know, you are special, Skye.”
    “Because of who my parents are.”
    “No, because of who you are. You’re smart and funny and determined. You’re like no one I’ve ever met before.”
    I smiled. “Back at you.”
    “Meet us today on the roof.”
    “I can’t. Not today.”
    I almost caved in when I saw the look of disappointment on his face. “I made a commitment to the team,” I tried to explain. “It’s a responsibility. Just like yours to the Order.”
    “But all this”—he threw his hand out in a gesture that encompassed