No Angel by Helen Keeble Read Free Book Online
Authors: Helen Keeble
good idea to stop digging. She let out her breath in exasperation. “Miss Moon, I expected better judgment from you. Mr. Angelos, detention.”
“What?” I exclaimed indignantly. Krystal shook her head, but I ignored her. “That’s not fair!”
The Headmistress gave me a hard look. “ Two detentions, Mr. Angelos.”
“But—”
“If you speak again, Mr. Angelos, I shall have you rusticated.”
I had no idea what that was, but it sounded painful. I shut up.
“Miss Moon, return to your dormitory at once. Your own dormitory,” the Headmistress added as Krystal showed no inclination to leave.
“Uh—can I take Rafael to the nurse, please?” Krystal sounded oddly desperate. “I think maybe he hit his head when he fell over.”
The Headmistress treated me to a cursory inspection. “Nonsense, he’s practically glowing with health,” she said. “I believe he will survive without your company.”
Krystal bit her lip, then dashed around the Headmistress to shove the flashlight into my hand. “Keep it pointed at your face,” she hissed into my ear. “And come find me tomorrow. I’ll explain everything.” She disappeared between the trees.
I was left alone with the Headmistress. The Headmistress I’d just hit with a flaming sword.
“Mr. Angelos.” The Headmistress’s voice was as level as always, but the skin between my shoulder blades crawled. I suddenly wondered just how amnesiac she really was. “I am neither a fool nor your enemy. Do not make the mistake of treating me as either.” I followed Krystal’s advice about the flashlight, to better display my deeply penitent expression. To my relief, the Headmistress started to walk away, her heels impaling dead leaves with every step. “And, Mr. Angelos,” she said over her shoulder, “Miss Moon is not a suitable partner for you. I do not expect to catch you in a compromising position with her again.”
“Don’t worry,” I muttered when I was certain she was gone. Picking myself up, I brushed dirt off my trousers. “You won’t.”
Soft, silver-gold moonlight made Krystal’s flashlight entirely unnecessary as I stomped my way back to my own dormitory. I was too tired to do anything other than kick off my shoes and collapse backward onto the bed. Craving darkness and sleep, I stuck out one arm to flick the light switch off.
The light stayed on.
“Aargh,” I groaned, not even having the energy to muster a proper obscenity. I forced my eyelids back open—and found myself staring at the overhead light fixture.
Which was off.
As was the bedside lamp. And the curtains were drawn, not allowing even a sliver of moonlight to penetrate.
I could see all this quite clearly, thanks to the golden, shifting light rippling on the ceiling like sunbeams glittering from the surface of the sea.
Blinking, I pushed myself up on my elbows. The light moved as I did, sending dark shadows scurrying in the corners of the room. The mirror on the far wall lit up with reflected brilliance; I squinted, automatically raising a hand to shield my eyes.
My reflection copied me. It had to be my reflection, given that it was moving like I did and looked just like me.
Except for the halo.
Chapter 6
I finally managed to fall asleep facedown with my head stuffed under my pillow. I awoke restored and refreshed, firmly convinced that I’d hallucinated the whole thing.
And still glowing.
“Oh, come on,” I groaned at my resolutely haloed reflection. It wasn’t a flaming, floating circlet, at least, but a distinct glow outlined my entire head. I looked like I was being rather badly backlit by incompetent stagehands.
Maybe Krystal had been right, and I had cracked my skull on the ground last night. I leaned forward to inspect my eyes in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. My halo helpfully illuminated the fact that my pupils were the same size. As my medical knowledge of concussion began and ended there, further diagnosis was impossible. Vague worried thoughts about
“What?” I exclaimed indignantly. Krystal shook her head, but I ignored her. “That’s not fair!”
The Headmistress gave me a hard look. “ Two detentions, Mr. Angelos.”
“But—”
“If you speak again, Mr. Angelos, I shall have you rusticated.”
I had no idea what that was, but it sounded painful. I shut up.
“Miss Moon, return to your dormitory at once. Your own dormitory,” the Headmistress added as Krystal showed no inclination to leave.
“Uh—can I take Rafael to the nurse, please?” Krystal sounded oddly desperate. “I think maybe he hit his head when he fell over.”
The Headmistress treated me to a cursory inspection. “Nonsense, he’s practically glowing with health,” she said. “I believe he will survive without your company.”
Krystal bit her lip, then dashed around the Headmistress to shove the flashlight into my hand. “Keep it pointed at your face,” she hissed into my ear. “And come find me tomorrow. I’ll explain everything.” She disappeared between the trees.
I was left alone with the Headmistress. The Headmistress I’d just hit with a flaming sword.
“Mr. Angelos.” The Headmistress’s voice was as level as always, but the skin between my shoulder blades crawled. I suddenly wondered just how amnesiac she really was. “I am neither a fool nor your enemy. Do not make the mistake of treating me as either.” I followed Krystal’s advice about the flashlight, to better display my deeply penitent expression. To my relief, the Headmistress started to walk away, her heels impaling dead leaves with every step. “And, Mr. Angelos,” she said over her shoulder, “Miss Moon is not a suitable partner for you. I do not expect to catch you in a compromising position with her again.”
“Don’t worry,” I muttered when I was certain she was gone. Picking myself up, I brushed dirt off my trousers. “You won’t.”
Soft, silver-gold moonlight made Krystal’s flashlight entirely unnecessary as I stomped my way back to my own dormitory. I was too tired to do anything other than kick off my shoes and collapse backward onto the bed. Craving darkness and sleep, I stuck out one arm to flick the light switch off.
The light stayed on.
“Aargh,” I groaned, not even having the energy to muster a proper obscenity. I forced my eyelids back open—and found myself staring at the overhead light fixture.
Which was off.
As was the bedside lamp. And the curtains were drawn, not allowing even a sliver of moonlight to penetrate.
I could see all this quite clearly, thanks to the golden, shifting light rippling on the ceiling like sunbeams glittering from the surface of the sea.
Blinking, I pushed myself up on my elbows. The light moved as I did, sending dark shadows scurrying in the corners of the room. The mirror on the far wall lit up with reflected brilliance; I squinted, automatically raising a hand to shield my eyes.
My reflection copied me. It had to be my reflection, given that it was moving like I did and looked just like me.
Except for the halo.
Chapter 6
I finally managed to fall asleep facedown with my head stuffed under my pillow. I awoke restored and refreshed, firmly convinced that I’d hallucinated the whole thing.
And still glowing.
“Oh, come on,” I groaned at my resolutely haloed reflection. It wasn’t a flaming, floating circlet, at least, but a distinct glow outlined my entire head. I looked like I was being rather badly backlit by incompetent stagehands.
Maybe Krystal had been right, and I had cracked my skull on the ground last night. I leaned forward to inspect my eyes in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. My halo helpfully illuminated the fact that my pupils were the same size. As my medical knowledge of concussion began and ended there, further diagnosis was impossible. Vague worried thoughts about