Page 41 of Heavensent & Hellbent

“Everyone’s going to Cory’s for burgers,” Ehsan said. “Can we go?”

My eyes flashed to Zain. I wondered if he would be going, but before I could ask, Penny said, “I’d be happy to take the boys, if you want a bit of time to yourself. Or”—she looked between me and Zain—“whatever it is you feel like doing.”

It was like she had heard our earlier conversation. As always with Penny, shewashelpful. Was she hoping I’d put in a good word with my dad?

“Are you sure?”

“It’s not a problem,” she said in her singsong voice. “You can pick up Ehsan from our house when you’re done.”

Ehsan was elated, as were his new friends. I gave Ehsan the only cash I had, which was twenty dollars, for his food, and privately told him to at least offer to pay. Tarofing—the Iranian act of politeness and offering something even if you didn’t want to—had been imprinted on us by our parents.

The boys returned to the other members of the team to go to the diner. Zain went back to the field to pack up his things, leaving Penny and me alone.

“Thanks again,” I said.

“I remember being young,” she said, her eyes on Zain. He was stacking the cones he used to mark the sideline. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell your dad.”

“What…” I began, alarmed, but she just winked, turning on her heel and leaving. As I watched her slender silhouette running after the kids to catch up with them, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself, “So weird.”

I made my way to Zain. He had a large duffel bag over his shoulder and the stacked cones in his other hand. We walked through the field with a small gap between us, though I could feel the heat of him.

“My car’s parked over there,” he said, leading the way to the other side of the field. “I’ve managed to talk to some lower-level jinns—ones who usually are willing to talk for money. They knew who you were, though they wouldn’t say how. Even after some persuading.”

I raised an eyebrow at his tone. “Persuading?”

“After the third one played ignorant, I got impatient. He still didn’t speak, even with some broken bones.” He shrugged.

Broken bones.I gulped.

“And you killed the one that tried to attack me yesterday?”

He nodded. “He wasn’t too far from where he cornered you. His death was quicker than he deserved.” I’d forgotten what Zain was capable of—about the world I was spun into, full of torture and death, of ghastly beings and angels that slayed them effortlessly.

“And that’s all the information you got?” I asked.

He sighed, like my comment was more of a critique than I had intended it to be. “Normally, the person I’d ask about all of this would be my mentor, but I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Zain had mentioned that he had a mentor who’d taught him how to be an angel and how to be a guardian for his charge.

“As a human, you aren’t meant to know about us, remember?”

“Well, I mean, I do now, so…”

Zain eyed me like I was being dense. “Roxana, he’d organize for you to get your memory erased. And I’d get into trouble. Serious trouble. You knowing isn’t a small thing to him—to them, the elders.”

“Elders?”

“Upper-level angels. They’re immortal and pretty much call all the shots. You don’t want to mess with them.” The grim line of his lips stopped me from asking any more questions.

Now I understood. “Right.”

We got to his car, and while he put his stuff in the trunk, I got in the passenger seat, but not before searching my surroundings. I was being paranoid again; it was hard to shake, though.

Zain returned to the driver’s seat, though he didn’t immediately start the car.

“I’ve been worried about you,” he finally said, not facing me. He dug into his pocket and retrieved a small silver lighter, which he held out to me. “Take this.”