122
" Don't worry about me. I'll heal. Come on-"
"Where are we going?" Luce asked.
"The sun's about to rise," Daniel said, taking a small leather satchel from Phil. "And I figure you must be starving."
Luce hadn't realized it, but she was.
"I thought we could steal a moment before anyone else shows up."
There was a sheer, narrow path from the plateau that led to a small ledge down from where they'd landed. They picked their way down the jagged mountain, hand in hand, and when it was too steep for walking, Daniel coasted, always flying very low to the ground, his wings tucked close to his sides.
"Don't want to alarm the hikers," he explained. "Most places on Earth, people aren't willing to let themselves see miracles, angels. If they catch a glimpse of us flying by, they convince themselves their eyes were playing tricks on them. But in a place like this-"
"People can see miracles," Luce finished for him. "They want to."
"Right. And seeing leads to wonder."
"And wonder leads to-"
"Trouble." Daniel laughed a little.
Luce couldn't help grinning, enjoying that at least for a little while, Daniel was her miracle alone. "
― Lauren Kate , Rapture (Fallen, #4)
123
" Thank you,” he said. Luce felt her lips quiver and her eyes burn.
Before she knew what she was doing, she fell into Cam’s
arms, felt his hands wrap around her back.
When his chin rested on the top of her head, she began to weep. He let her cry. Held her close. He whispered,
“You’re so brave.” Then Cam’s arms shifted and his chest pulled lightly away. For a second, she felt cold and exposed, but then another chest, another pair of arms replaced Cam’s. And she knew without opening her eyes
that it was Daniel. No other body in the universe fit hers so well.
“Mind if I cut in?” he asked softly.
“Daniel—” She clenched her fists and squeezed her arms around him, wanting to squeeze away the pain.
“Shhh.” He held her like that for what might have been hours, rocking her slightly, cradling her in his wings until her tears had tapered off and the
weight in her heart had eased enough that she could breathe without sniffling. "
― Lauren Kate , Rapture (Fallen, #4)
126
" This time, I asked a mortal Israeli girl what sort of things she liked to eat. She led me to a something called a falafel stand.” Phil shrugged and his voice lilted in a question at the end.
“Are you saying I’m looking at a solid brick of falafel?” Roland raised a doubtful eyebrow at Vincent’s bulging bag.
“Oh, no,” Vincent said. “The Outcasts also purchased hummus, pita, pickles, a container of something called tabbouleh, cucumber salad, and fresh pomegranate juice. Are you hungry, Lucinda Price?”
It was an absurd amount of delicious food. Somehow it felt wrong to eat on the altars, so they spread out a smorgasbord on the floor and everyone-Outcast, angel, mortal-tucked in. The mood was somber, but the food was filling and hot and exactly what all of them seemed to need. Luce showed Olianna and Vincent how to make a falafel sandwich; Cam even asked Phil to pass him the hummus. At some point, Arriane flew out the window to find Luce some new clothes. She returned with a faded pair of jeans, a white V-neck T-shirt, and a cool Israeli army flak jacket with a patch depicting an orange-and-yellow flame.
“Had to kiss a soldier for this,” she said. "
― Lauren Kate , Rapture (Fallen, #4)
137
" I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry, dear,” the woman said brightly. “The day I encounter Sophia again, I’ll grab the nearest heavy object and bludgeon her myself.”
Arriane flung out a hand to help Luce up, pulling her so hard her feet shot off the ground. “Dee’s an old friend. And a first-class party animal, might I add. Got the metabolism of a donkey. She almost brought the Crusades to a grinding halt the night she seduced Saladin.”
“Oh, nonsense!” Dee said, flapping a hand dismissively.
“She’s the best storyteller, too,” Annabelle added. “Or she was before she dropped off the face of the earth. Where’ve you been hiding, woman?”
The woman drew a deep breath and her golden eyes dampened. “Actually, I fell in love.”
“Oh, Dee!” Annabelle crooned, clasping the woman’s hand. “How wonderful.”
“Otto Z. Otto.” The woman sniffed. “May he rest…”
“Dr. Otto,” Daniel said, stepping out of the doorway. “You knew Dr. Otto?”
“Backwards and forwards. "
― Lauren Kate , Rapture (Fallen, #4)
139
" Very shoddy dressing. Leave it to Sophia to bring her B game to a sacrifice with cosmic and eternal implications.”
Luce was desperate to study the reaction on Miss Sophia’s face, but Daniel held her back. There were a scraping sound, a melodramatic gasp, and a cruel soft cackle.
“Ah yes,” Miss Sophia said. “My tramp sister returns, just in time to witness my finest hour. This will trump your overrated piano recital!”
“You’re really very dumb.”
“Because I don’t have the recommended brand of rope?” Sophia snorted.
“Forget the rope, dope,” Dee said. “You’re dumb in many dozens of ways, not the least of which is thinking you might get away with this.”
“Do not condescend to her!” hissed the third Elder.
“There’s really no other way to approach her,” Dee instantly replied.
“Thank you, Lyrica, but I can handle Paulina,” Sophia said without looking away from Dee. “Or what do you have people call you now? Pee?”
“You know very well it is Dee. You only wish you knew why.”
“Ah yes, Dee. Biiiiiig difference. Well, let us enjoy our brief reunion as best we can. "
― Lauren Kate , Rapture (Fallen, #4)