Free Just a Little Death (Children of the Apocalypse Book 1) by A.L. Kessler Page B

right now.”
    She patted my cheek. “You’re my daughter, I know when to push and when not to. When the time comes, I’ll be there.”
    I nodded and looked over the sea of people moving through the courtyard. None of the humans knew about the demons, the angels, or the apocalypse. Someone with a facemask walked by and I wondered if they were really concerned about the plague, or if they were someone with a compromised immune system. Could be both. I closed my eyes and focused. A number came to my mind. Over half the student population would die from the plague if Pestilence wasn’t found.
    “What’s wrong?”
    I shook my head. “Some days the numbers in my head depress me.” I knew I had no choice but to find the horsemen. No one could take my place in this fight.
    “You’ll get used to it.” She promised.
    I hoped she was right.

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    Past Pestilence
     
    “You’ll keep me updated?” My mom asked as she stood in front of the train station. “I don’t like the idea that your abilities are showing.”
    This weekend had been a little rough because of her opinions, but I’d miss her. “I’ll make sure to keep you as updated as I can.” I sighed. “I know this is hard for you, but trust me, it’s not easy for me either.” I hadn’t shared my plan with her to go to the Devil’s Playground with the others. Something about me searching among the dancing lightning made me think she wouldn’t appreciate the plan.
    She hugged me and kissed my head. “Send my apologies to your father, I never meant to keep you from him. If I had known…” She shrugged. “Maybe things would have been different.”
    “Of course. Let me know when you get back into town.” I squeezed her. “I’ll be fine, I promise. Nothing has really changed since the first day of school.”
    “Except now you’re fighting demons, dealing with the Seven Deadly Sins, and you’re able to summon a scythe.” She chuckled, but it didn’t mask the sadness in her voice.
    She had a few points. “I’ll be fine.” I said again. She walked into the station and a flood of relief went through me. I couldn’t imagine how life would have been growing up knowing I’d fight demons. The woman probably wouldn’t have let me out of her sight. I loved her, but her over protectiveness would be a problem. I turned around and Ruthie stood right there. I raised a brow. “I didn’t think you were going to come to see her off.”
    “I sensed a demon around and I didn’t want you alone again.”
    I started to walk back towards the school, but she pulled me towards the parking lot. “I brought the car.” She grinned. “Didn’t think you wanted to walk all the way back.”
    “Nope, I can’t wait to find out about my car and see if I can get it back on the road.” I walked with her to the car lot.
    She unlocked her car and I got in. “Why do angels have cars?”
    “So that we blend in, haven’t you figured that out yet?” She got in the driver’s side. “We do a lot of strange things to blend in. We come in different forms all the time, but the best way to protect you is to always be there somehow.”
    I raised a brow. “You haven’t been here all the time.”
    “That you know of. I don’t always appear like this. It’s complicated.” She shrugged. “A lot of times guardian angels take the form of lifelong friends, and if something happens to that bond, we reappear as someone right when you need them most.”
    I combed through my life and tried to think of who she would have been. She was right though, there was always someone there during the tough times. “I guess you’re right.”
    “Now, as for the other Children of the Apocalypse, they blend in because it allows them to see how things are affecting the human population.” She pulled the car out of the parking spot and headed towards the school. “It’s how balance works.”
    I tried to imagine leading a normal human life while trying to keep an eye on the death