Finale

shook my head no. I wasn’t ready to hear myself speak in her voice again. As much as Dante wanted me to practice commanding her body, I wanted out.
    I hastily completed a short list of drills, commanding the fallen angel’s body to run a short distance, hurdle a fallen tree branch with ease, and untie and retie her shoelaces. Dante was
right; I had full control. And I knew, somewhere deep inside, that I was dragging her against her will through the motions. I could have commanded her to stab her own wing scars, and she would have
had no choice but to comply.
    I’m done,
I spoke to Dante’s mind.
I’m coming out.
    “A little longer,” he argued. “You need more practice. I want this to feel like second nature. Run through the drills again.”
    Ignoring his request, I commanded her body to expel mine, and again, the transition was as easy as it was abrupt.
    Cursing under his breath, Dante rammed the rod back into the fallen angel’s wing scars. Her body crumpled as though dead, arms and legs hitting the ground at funny angles. I wanted to look
away but couldn’t. I kept wondering what her existence on Earth had been like before. If anyone missed her. If she’d ever be free again. And how bleak her outlook must be.
    “That wasn’t long enough,” Dante told me, clearly annoyed. “Didn’t you hear me tell you to practice the drills again? I know it’s a little uncomfortable at
first—”
    “How does it work?” I asked. “Two objects can’t exist in the same space at the same time. So how does possession work?”
    “It all boils down to quantum realm, wave function, and wave-particle duality.”
    “I haven’t taken quantum theory yet,” I said with a touch of rancor. “Break it down into something I can actually understand.”
    “From what I can tell, everything happens at a subatomic level. Two objects
can
exist in the same place at the same time. I’m not sure anyone understands exactly how it
works. It’s just the way it is.”
    “That’s all you can give me?”
    “Have a little faith, Grey.”
    “Fine. I’ll give you faith. But I want something in return,” I said, eyeing Dante shrewdly. “You’re good at surveillance, right?”
    “You could do worse.”
    “There’s a rogue archangel wandering around town named Pepper Friberg. He claims a fallen angel is blackmailing him, and I’m pretty sure I know which one. I want you to get me
the evidence I need to nail her.”
    “Her?”
    “Women can be crafty too.”
    “What does this have to do with leading the Nephilim?”
    “This is personal.”
    “All right,” Dante said slowly. “Tell me what I need to know.”
    “Patch told me that any number of fallen angels out there could be blackmailing Pepper Friberg for numerous things—pages from the Book of Enoch, glimpses into the future, full pardon
on a past crime, information deemed both sacred and secret, or even to be elevated to the status of guardian angel—the list of what an archangel could provide could go on and on, I
think.”
    “What else did Patch say?”
    “Not much. He wants to find the blackmailer too. I know he’s been following leads and tracking at least one suspect. But I’m pretty sure he’s looking down the wrong
holes. The other night I saw his ex talking to Pepper behind the Devil’s Handbag. I couldn’t hear what they said, but she looked confident. And Pepper looked furious. Her name is
Dabria.”
    I was surprised to see a shadow of recognition cloud Dante’s expression. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Dabria?”
    I groaned. “Don’t tell me you know her too. I swear, she’s
everywhere
. If you tell me you think she’s beautiful, I’ll kick you off the ledge of the ravine
behind you and send this boulder rolling down after you.”
    “It’s not that.” Dante shook his head, pity creeping into his countenance. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”
    “Tell me what?”
    “I know Dabria. Not personally, but—” The sympathy on his face deepened. He looked at me like he was about to break awful news.
    I’d taken a seat on a tree stump to tell my story, but now I jumped to my feet. “Just tell me, Dante.”
    “I have spies working for me. People I employ to keep an eye on influential fallen angels,” Dante confessed, sounding almost guilty. “It’s no secret Patch is highly
respected in the fallen angel community. He’s smart, clever, and resourceful. He’s a good leader. Years as a mercenary gave him