Free No Angel by Helen Keeble

Faith’s face was set and pale. “Because once the host dies, and the blackened soul finally leaves the body . . . the demon moves into the abandoned flesh. And then it can act in the world directly.”
    I thought of all the things an evil alien entity wearing a human skin could do, and shivered. “So close the Hellgate already! You said your father kept it shut, why can’t you?”
    “Because I don’t know how he did it! He only talked to me about all this once.” Faith’s head drooped. “Just before he died, a year ago. He said that I finally had to learn the truth, because time was running out before my final year here, when I’d be able to attend the Masked Ball. He told me that there was something I had to do, and that he’d summoned help to make sure I’d be able to do it . . . but he didn’t get a chance to tell me more. My mother overheard and interrupted us. She thought he was delusional. They had the biggest fight. . . .” Faith trailed off for a moment. Her hair hid her face. “She made him leave. I never saw him again. My mother said his sickness drove him to suicide, but I know what really happened. Away from his home, without his holy sword, the forces of evil caught up with him.” She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “But I rescued his notebooks before my mother could burn them, and I’ve been studying them ever since. I’ve sworn to finish his life’s work. My father kept the Hellgate from opening. I am going to destroy it for good.”
    “Great,” I said. “Super. How?”
    Faith drew herself up to her full height. She practically glowed with holy righteousness. “At midnight at the Masked Ball, I will kiss my one true soul mate, and the power of our love will banish the demons forever.”
    The wind rustled the leaves across the stone floor.
    At last, I spoke. “That is—and I am speaking here as the guy who just found out he’s a winged, glowing mutant, mind you—the most insane thing I have ever heard.”
    “I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks it’s unlikely,” Krystal muttered. She held up a hand to forestall Faith as the other girl opened her mouth. “Let me handle this one, okay? I at least get where Raf’s coming from.” She folded her arms across her chest, facing me square on. “Look, up until now, I wasn’t convinced myself that Faith could be telling the truth.” Krystal threw Faith an apologetic glance as she spoke. “I was just willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, it wasn’t like I had any popularity to lose by hearing her out.” Krystal gestured at me. “And now here you are. Pretty conclusive evidence that the mystic stuff Faith’s learned from her dad’s notebooks does work, no matter how nuts it seems. Isn’t it at least worth testing her theory about closing the Hellgate? All you have to do is make sure she has a date for the Ball. What have you got to lose?”
    “Apparently, my mind,” I retorted. I buried my head in my hands again. “Demons and angels and now magic kisses . . . I didn’t ask for any of this.”
    “I know you didn’t.” I felt rather than saw Faith lean forward. Her fingers hovered hesitantly over my shoulder, as if she was afraid to actually touch me again. “I’m sorry, Raffi. But please. I really need your help. Please help me. Please be my guardian angel.”
    I looked into her face and knew that even if I had no idea what I was meant to do, I didn’t have a choice about doing it. “All right. I will.”
    Faith’s blue eyes met mine, shining with more than just the reflected light from my halo. She was so close. “Thank you,” she whispered, her breath soft on my lips.
    Krystal cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt the moment, but Raf is setting the place on fire.”
    Wisps of smoke were rising from the dry leaves drifting around my shining feathers. I sprang to my feet, wings jerking straight upward. Faith scooted back out of my way as I stamped out the smoldering