POV BETTY
I woke up at two in the morning on my couch because a draft slammed the window shut.
Right. I'd opened it around eleven for a bit, then fallen asleep.
Time to go to bed and get some proper rest.
Needless to say, no supernatural being came in through my window.
I looked at the photo again. It still looked like nothing more than a strange outline.
I'm pretty sure Gabriel will tell me tomorrow that they just wanted to prank me with that ridiculous story—and then I'll be furious forever.
That's what I'll do.
I might as well get used to the idea now.
Out of curiosity, I checked—of course Gabriel was already offline at two a.m.
I'd also gotten a new friend request: Thomas. The "demon," Aamon.
For adults, this kind of joke is downright frivolous and immature.
I didn't accept the request. No point—if it turns out tomorrow that they really were capable of inventing such a childish prank, they're all getting deleted anyway.
Gabriel Stone.
Naberius.
Thomas.
Since I was already looking at my list, I blocked Paula. I never want to see that woman again.
Well—inevitable. I'll see her in court.
And yes, it's also true that I was the one who started seeing an angel in a strange outline.
Still, that didn't mean they had to put on that whole fairy tale about a demonic mission.
The fact that he kissed me didn't improve the situation one bit.
I properly closed the window and slept until morning.
Paula called late in the morning. At first I didn't want to pick up, but then I did—just so I could hang up on her without a word.
"Hi, I hope we can talk reasonably…"
I knew what she wanted: for me to withdraw the complaint.
Wow. Sneaky and vile. Because if things don't go the way she suggests, then suddenly they're unreasonable.
"Well, her behavior will gain meaning in court," I thought cheerfully.
Of course, that underhanded, low-grade manipulation attempt annoyed me.
That's exactly what I escaped when I quit.
And now there was this angel business too. I made coffee instead and listened to music.
Tamara messaged me. Selma had replaced Paula. Gabriel Stone was leading the team as of today.
I was angry at both of them now—but more at Paula.
"Glad to hear it," I replied curtly.
Then she sent the new team photo. Paula wasn't in it.
For a moment, I considered calling her back. I almost felt sorry for her.
Then I remembered everything she'd done over three years. At least the hellish atmosphere was gone from the Rrr‑Take department too.
I looked at Gabriel closely once more. He didn't seem like a supernatural being—but he didn't look like a small-time liar either.
He stayed silent. Until the afternoon.
"Coming so I can show you the angel?"
He even added a smiley.
What was I supposed to reply to that?
"I'm only willing to discuss this angel thing with you in a public place."
"Is the police station safe enough for you?" he wrote back.
"Let's say it is."
"Okay. Aamon's starting his afternoon shift soon. Let's meet in front of the station at 4:20 p.m."
Now that was a date. I was smiling by then.
"I hope you'll have proof."
He was waiting with Naberius in front of the station. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he took my hand and walked me over to Thomas.
Thomas must have just arrived too. His colleague didn't pay us any attention—apparently his friends stop by all the time. Nothing unusual about it.
"She is in the basement," Naberius shared this unbelievable piece of information.
Fine. I had to see this. There would be no angel upstairs, and they'd finally admit they'd told a massive lie.
We went down the stairs. Of course, apart from shelves full of files and an ornate circle, there was nothing in the basement.
"Someone let her out," Thomas concluded.
"The one who sent her. I doubt your colleagues would've failed to mention it if they'd found an angel."
And this was being discussed—seriously—by three adults in the basement of a police station.
I was starting to lose patience with them when the angel appeared.
She looked at me. Then at Gabriel.
I could tell she hadn't expected visitors.
Then she noticed that Gabriel was holding my hand.
"You do know what happened ten thousand years ago, right?"
The angel asked me, as if she never spoke to the others.
I knew.
I didn't have much time to study the angel. Naturally, she took full advantage of her freedom and vanished rather than answer uncomfortable questions—preferably from within the summoning circle.
Questions like who let her out, and why she came back.