Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Chapter 18: The Sight

My pen tapped the paper as I slouched over in the chair across from Ehno inside his cell. He was perched at the edge of his cot, back ramrod straight. The white scrubs the FBI had them wear made his red eyes even more shocking. They were like an albino's, which contrasted dismally against his now short blond hair. The red gave off a wicked vibe, but his demeanor put him strictly in the otherworldly category.

"When did you, uh, die?" I asked, fidgeting with my pen.

There was a tick in his jaw. "I cannot remember," he said. He cocked his head to the side as if listening to something. "Andrew cannot either."

As much as it weirded me out, their strange way of communicating might come in handy later.

Ehno continued, oblivious to my thoughts, "We've been trying to remember. It's as if the last moments of our lives have been wiped away."

I sighed and looked back down at my paper, which was blank. "Ehno, I'm going to get you out of here. I promise." I looked up, pleading with my eyes.

He gave a sharp nod.

"Can you tell me about your psychic ability?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't call myself psychic."

"Okay. What would you call it then?"

"I'm intuitive." His rigid posture relaxed some, and he leaned in. "You're the Illuminator. You have the power to free us. I've seen it."

Was he crazy? I didn't know what I was doing. I probably made a huge mistake forcing Andrew to surrender. My head did a nosedive right into my palms. "I'm sorry; I don't know how. Dammit. This is all my fault."

His warm hand landed on my shoulder. "I know it's hard. You don't know how to control your power right now, but we will teach you." When I didn't look up, he said, "Do you trust us?"

"What?" I peered up.

"Do you trust us?"

"With my life." Which was surprisingly true.

"Then listen. We'll teach you what you need to know." His face was serious, though his mouth curved, as if he itched to grin. "Andrew has taken a particular liking to you." He finally smiled; the look really suited him, much better than his previous rigid expression.

"Really?" Was I like a little sister? A good friend? A lover he wanted to ravage? Gah, I was hopeless, condemned to heartbreak.

"Gabriella, you don't see what you truly are." His posture was back to the firm position it was before. The more-relaxed Ehno disappeared as quickly as he had emerged.

Reflexively, I looked out through the glass to see Joseph leaning over a desk, a cup of coffee only inches away. His eyes were closed, and he looked so peaceful, even if he'd slumped into a somewhat uncomfortable sleeping position. "I'm just a human who happened across an ancient race of angels," I said cynically, turning my attention back to the angel before me.

"You're wrong," Ehno said. "You're more than that. So much more."

"How's that?" I challenged.

He didn't respond, just watched me with a curious gleam in his eyes.

"Ehno, people are watching. I have to—"

"I know," he said. Of course, he must've known what I was going to do next. "You won't hurt me."

Turning in my chair, I reached for my supplies. I needed to draw his blood. After snapping my latex gloves on, I reached for the alcohol swabs and tourniquet. He automatically placed his left arm out for me, and I wrapped the tourniquet above his elbow and watched as the vein swelled. I patted it a few times before finding the best angle to draw the blood. I was extremely nervous. From my training, I knew I needed to insert the needle as smoothly and as swiftly as possible to prevent pain. I'd done this a million times before, but this time I faltered, unsure if I could truly continue with this façade. Was I really going to do experiments on these angels until I came up with a way to release them?