Page 79 of Grim Tidings

Gabriel nods. “Yeah, sweetheart. You did.”

I close my eyes, relieved.

I did it. I saved a soul. I didn’t stand to the side and watch a death unfold. I chose a different path and I—

I saved him.

“Everyone is okay?” I ask again, blinking my eyes open. The light hurts, muted as it is. Everything hurts.

Gabriel gives me a look.

“I don’t count,” I half slur. “The car barely hit me.”

“I want you to listen to yourself right now. Barely hit you,” he mutters under his breath. He continues his evaluation, easing his hands over my body. His palms press to my ribs and squeeze. I hiss out a breath and his eyes jump to mine. “Broken?” he asks.

I shake my head. Badly bruised, most likely. The car was already skidding into the sidewalk when I stepped into the street. The bumper clipped my hip with enough force to send me sprawling, but it didn’t hit me head-on. My left side is aching and I can feel abrasions down the length of my back, but they’ll heal themselves over the next couple of hours. I’ll feel the phantom pain of it for a couple of days, and then—good as new.

One of the few perks of being a dead girl.

“What the hell is going on here?”

I roll my head against the pavement, smiling dazedly. “Oh. Hello, Frank.”

“Hello, Darcy.” He frowns. “Were you just hit by a car?”

“A little bit,” I answer at the same time Gabriel says, “She jumped in front of a car, yes.”

Frank presses his hand over his forehead. He’s wearing his forest-green apron. The one he puts on when he’s making arrangements. I wonder if he could make me a get well soon bouquet. Sunflowers, but dahlias, too. Because I can’t seem to have the light without a little bit of darkness with it.

The thought makes me giggle.

“Has someone called an ambulance?”

“I’ve got her,” Gabriel says. There’s a hint of demand in his voice, some of his Guardian magic slipping through. He shifts so one of his arms is under my shoulders and the other is under my knees.

“I don’t know if you should move her, man.” Nate takes off his glasses and tries to wipe them on the edge of his shirt, but it doesn’t help. The rain is still coming down too hard. “What if she broke her neck or something?”

“My neck isn’t broken,” I offer. “The car hit my hip.”

“Fine. What if your hip is broken?”

The driver finally climbs out of the SUV that’s straddled across the sidewalk. He has a Bluetooth earpiece in and a Red Bull in his hand. I can’t believe this is the guy who was destined to kill Nate.

The universe is so unfair.

“That crazy lady jumped in front of me!” he shouts. “I won’t be held liable!”

Gabriel’s body tenses. I curl my hand around his wrist and feel the press of cold metal against my palm.

His sword.

“Gabriel,” I whisper. “You can’t pull a sword on a mortal.”

But he’s not looking at me. He’s glaring at the driver, his big body curled protectively over mine.

“Why weren’t you paying attention?” he snaps.

The driver glares at Gabriel, his lip curled. “Didn’t you hear me, buddy? This crazy lady ran into the street. She’s got a death wish.”