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AS SOON AS WE MAKE it back to Heaven—or Home—we're greeted by Amber and Jophiel. The latter looks even more gorgeous than usual, which blows my mind. How can the most gorgeous guy in the world keep topping himself? I blame his black t-shirt and windswept hair.
“Well done, Miss Riley!” Amber exclaims as she shakes my hand. “Roughly fifty percent of spirit guides are successful on their first mission, so take a moment to be proud of yourself.”
“Wow... only fifty percent?” When Jophiel moves closer to me, I feel my entire body tensing up.
“Indeed. We have yet to calculate the results of your fellow classmates, but we expect it to fall in the fifty percent range.” Amber gives me a smile that could make anyone melt. I'm sure Alyx would melt. “Anyway, I think you've earned a visit with your family. When you're ready, one of us can take you.”
“Just... one of you?”
“Unfortunately, yes. We can only provide one escort.”
My eyes pass over the three faces that surround me. Taishi, Amber or Jophiel. I doubt Amber would care, and Taishi's probably tired of me, so I give her the only answer that makes sense. “I... I guess I'd like to go with Jophiel.”
Amber practically sings her approval. “Wonderful! Jophiel is an excellent choice!”
When I see Jophiel's fingers moving toward me, I assume he wants to shake hands, so I try to meet him halfway. But he doesn't shake my hand. Instead, he pulls my hand to his lips and brushes a kiss across my knuckles.
“I'm also very proud of you, Leigh,” Jophiel says. When I hear my name in that sexy British accent of his, I'm surprised my ears don't fall off and roll across the ground. “And it will be my pleasure to escort you to your family. We will, unfortunately, have to wait until tomorrow. I have a few errands to resolve before I'm available. Is that alright with you?”
“Uh... sure.” I steal a glance in Taishi's direction. He's not looking at me. What if I'm wrong? What if he is upset that I didn't choose him?
“The hard work begins now, I'm afraid,” Amber warns me. “We always try to choose an easier mission for beginner guides. It will be rather more difficult from here on out.”
I'm really glad my “easy” mission had a happy ending. Cynthia got to meet Colton, as well as a potential new boyfriend. Before Taishi and I left London, I saw her swapping texts with Kieran. I really hope it works out for them.
“That's okay. I'm up for a challenge,” I confidently state. But my confidence feels like a lie. I actually have no idea what I'm doing. “So... I have a question.”
“Of course,” a smiling Amber allows. “You may ask us anything.”
“I'm just wondering if you know Alyx's result yet? Was her mission a success?” I'm probably being nosy, but I'm dying to know.
“We... do.” Amber's voice is tinged with disappointment, so I can already guess her answer. “Unfortunately, Alyx didn't succeed. According to her guide, she wasn't a very willing participant. Do you think you could talk to her, Leigh? Perhaps you could convince her to put a bit more effort into it next time?”
“I'll try.” I don't have much hope, though. Alyx is kind of a rebel.
All of a sudden, Taishi rushes away from us. He doesn't say goodbye or anything. He just takes off without a word!
“Taishi!” I try to shout his name, but he chooses to ignore me. He's walking so fast, I have to sprint to catch up to him. I need to talk to him. I hope Amber and Jophiel aren't mad that I ditched them in the middle of our conversation. “Taishi, wait!”
“What?” Taishi croaks. He stops walking, but he doesn't turn to face me.
“Are you upset with me or something?” I ask. “You looked happy when our mission was over... but now you're acting weird!”
“This is how I always act.”
I can't really disagree with that, but I still think he seems crankier than usual. “Are you sure you're not mad at me?”
His answer is frustratingly terse. “No.”
“You're not upset that I chose Jophiel?”
Taishi snorts at the thought. “No! Why would that make me upset? I couldn't care less.”
“Ouch.” I wince at his words. “That's... harsh.”
“Sorry.” As he mutters the halfhearted apology, his sandaled foot slides forward. “Now... if you have nothing else to say, I should really be on my way.”
“Okay.” I can feel my lips drooping into a frown. Taishi is mad at me. I can tell.
“I'll see you on our next mission.” When his obsidian eyes finally meet mine, I don't see any gentleness in them. Taishi Nakamura is colder than ever. “Goodbye, Riley-san.”
As I watch him go, I feel oddly disappointed. Taishi's a pain in the butt, but I want him to like me. I certainly don't want him to give me the cold shoulder. It sucks.
When I turn around, Amber is standing right behind me. Her close proximity makes my shoulders leap with surprise.
“Amber!” I exclaim. “I, uh... I didn't know you'd be standing there.”
She gives me an innocent smile. “Sorry to alarm you, dear. Now that Taishi's gone, I wanted to have a word with you. In private.”
“Of course.”
“Hmm... how should I put this?” Amber leans forward and whispers directly into my ear. “Even though Mr. Nakamura is one of our best guides, we've been told he can be a bit... difficult to work with.”
“You can say that I again.” I hope my honesty doesn't get him in trouble. It's not like I dislike him or anything.
“He seemed a bit icy toward you,” Amber observes. “So I was wondering... would you like a new instructor? One who's a bit more pleasant, perhaps?”
I don't have to think about it. Not even for a second.
“No!” I practically scream my answer. “No... no no! Not at all. I don't mind working with Taishi. I think he's a good partner and a good teacher.”
“Okay.” Amber accepts my decision with a tense smile. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I can't imagine working with anyone else.” The words passionately pour from my mouth. “I can't. I really can't.”
And it's the honest truth. I wouldn't want another instructor. I couldn't even imagine another instructor.
In the beginning, I never thought I'd say this, but I actually like working with Taishi.
And I'm looking forward to our next mission together, whatever it may be.