Natural Born Angel (Immortal City 2)

Maddy smiled and put the phone away.

She looked at herself in the mirror one more time and thought back to those numerous days in the ACHS halls, when she was just another anonymous girl in a hoodie and earphones. Although she didn’t totally want to get caught up in all the hype, well, it was nice to be the centre of attention, to look so beautiful. To feel so . . . wanted, if she were honest with herself. She may as well enjoy this moment. Right?

A light knock came on the door. Maddy looked towards it, taking a deep breath. Was it time? “Come in,” she said nervously.

The door squeaked open, and there stood Louis Kreuz, the head of Angel training. A dark cloud crossed Maddy’s face. She was done with training. What was he doing here? Did she still have to put up with him?

“Can I come in for a second, nominee?” He was wearing a crisp tuxedo with a jaunty collar. He held a Cuban cigar in his heavy hand, but it remained unlit. A rare compromise to fire codes.

“Mr Kreuz, I’m really just trying to— ”

Kreuz let himself in and closed the door behind him. “It’ll only be a second, kid.” He smiled at her.

Maddy sighed. Kreuz was holding a small case in one arm. He opened it and held it out for Maddy.

“Here, take it. Please.”

Puzzled and a bit wary, Maddy looked into the case. It was lined with velvet, and inside was a golden and purple silken sash. It was of the Godright class. She gasped.

“It’s for you,” Kreuz said. “You know, to wear.”

“I didn’t know any had survived,” Maddy stammered, pulling it out of the case.

“Here,” Kreuz said, helping arrange the sash so that it draped over her neck.

Maddy felt a tingling as the sash fell over her. As if it were sending energy to her.

“There aren’t too many, but, well, I managed to have one set aside.” Kreuz coughed. “It was your father’s.”

“But how. . . ?” Maddy said, tears starting to well in her eyes. “Or why, even?”

Kreuz put a hand on Maddy’s shoulder. He looked Maddy in the eyes. “Your father was the best nominee I’ve ever seen. Until Jackson Godspeed, actually. Your dad was hardworking. Talented. Smart. Fast. A natural-born Guardian. And also stubborn. In some ways he felt like a son to me.” Louis’s eyes cast off to the past. “You remind me a lot of him.”

“But you were so hard on me,” Maddy said, remembering the meetings in his office, when he had basically told her she would fail.

“I’m sorry,” Kreuz said. “But any less than perfect would’ve been enough for your enemies to stop your Guardianship. And I could tell when I first met you, you had more of your father in you than even you might imagine. I knew I had to challenge you harder than anyone else could challenge you. And all I could do was hope you’d be up to it.” He smiled at her. “And you were.”

Maddy looked at the Angel in front of her, her entire perspective of him changing rapidly.

“I wanted to apologize, too, for ever even mentioning some false . . . allegations that were brought against you,” Kreuz said. “You know I have to investigate every charge of misconduct, regardless of who it is or how much hooey it may seem.”

A bolt went through Maddy. “Emily,” she said. “What did she say?”

Kreuz didn’t respond directly. He just looked at her thoughtfully.

“Keep your eyes open, Maddy. That’s my best advice about that one.”

Maddy nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now, having delivered my special package, it’s time for this old Angel to find his seat upstairs.” Kreuz adjusted his bowtie. “You know they have a special seat with my name on it. Moved it from the old Temple and everything. Perks from old Angel City.” He smiled.

“But I want to know— ”

“No more time for buts,” Kreuz said, waving his hand as he left the dressing room. “Now get up there and become a Guardian.”

Someone with a headset arrived directly after Kreuz departed and guided Maddy to her position in line, at the end. Just like Jacks had said he’d been the year before. It wasn’t until Maddy was lined up with the rest of the nominees backstage that she really began to feel nervous. Her palms were sweating and her heart was beating hard. She realized at that moment she’d never even watched a Commissioning on TV before, much less been in one.

The main room of the Temple waited just beyond the doors. The music struck up as the commercial break ended, and a woman’s voice echoed into the back hall, where the nominees were waiting.