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Ezekiel reached over and cupped Angela’s hand. “I think I’m undermining your faith by burdening you with my woes. That’s the last thing I wish to do, so let’s change the subject.”

“Okay.” Angela placed her free hand over Ezekiel’s. “Tell me more about unveiling. Is it always involuntary?”

“Not always. If we’re composed, we can unveil whenever we wish.” Ezekiel’s calm eyes gleamed red in demonstration. “But if we lose our tempers or excitement gets the better of us, we unveil even if we don’t wish to. That’s why we must always remain calm, or the unanointed would see what we truly are.”

“Always remain calm.” Angela gave a humorless chuckle. “I can relate.”

Ezekiel offered a sympathetic smile. “For some years following my Anointment, the only significant contact I had with humans was when I hunted. I lived amongst them, but I had to avoid direct interaction until I learned to control my emotions.”

“Years?” When Angela first discovered her fire magic, Corin and Fiona kept her from school for only a couple of weeks. Corin was prepared to start homeschooling Angela, terrified of what might happen if there was another fire-related incident in her classroom, but Fiona believed isolating Angela would cause more harm than good. So she instead taught Angela self-soothing techniques to help her stay in control. Those techniques worked when her fire magic was less developed. “I can’t imagine being isolated for that long. You must have been so lonely.”

“I was sometimes.” Ezekiel shrugged.

“How does unveiling work? Are you shapeshifting like when you turn into mist?”

“No, we shapeshift using transmutation, rearranging the particles that make up our bodies. Unveiling is a chimeric transformation rather than alchemical, if that makes sense. We’re part beast, and unveiling is akin to the bioluminescence of fireflies or how certain species of octopi change the color and texture of their flesh to camouflage themselves.”

“Interesting comparison.” Angela tilted her head and imagined Ezekiel’s unveiled visage—gaunt cheeks, thick brow ridge, sunken eyebags—superimposed over his handsome human countenance. “It’s like your facial muscles are distorting when it happens. Does it hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt.” Ezekiel absently touched his cheek. “It’s just unpleasant to look at. If our anger or excitement is moderate, it’s only a slight transfiguration where our eyes and skin change color. On the other hand, if we become fiercely enraged or frenzied, we unveil more, looking as if we’re transforming into ghouls or ogres … or demons.”

Angela shook her head. “Even unveiled, you don’t look like any of those things to me.”

Ezekiel gave Angela an appreciative smile. “It’s comforting to hear you say that.”

They fell silent for some time, and Angela leaned back in her seat, soothed by the soft vibration of the car as it traveled through the city. She thought for a moment, looking for another topic of conversation. “What’s the story between you and Hugo?”

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow at Angela. “I take it you picked up on something from reading our emotions?”

“I did.” Angela bit her lip. “You mentioned the other night that you were attracted to both men and women.”

“I did.” Ezekiel shifted his shoulders and refocused on the road ahead. “Hugo and I were romantically entangled for a brief period, but he wasn’t ready for a committed relationship. So we’ve decided to just be friends.”

Angela tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “If this is too personal, you can just not answer, but … how many men and women have you dated?”

Ezekiel side-eyed Angela. “You want to know about my love life?”

Angela shrugged. “I mean, not if you’re uncomfortable sharing.”

“No, no, I’m fine sharing.” Ezekiel flashed Angela a smile. It seemed the topic of romance was lifting his spirits.

“Okay, but just let me know if I’m overstepping.”

“Will do. In answer to your question, I had dalliances with three young women in my youth, and as an adult, I’ve been in committed relationships with two women and three men. Well, actually, perhaps my relationship with Hugo was too brief to count. So let’s say two men.”

Angela folded her hands in her lap. “So you’ve been with more women than men. Does that mean you prefer women?”

“No, I have no preference. I just didn’t consider men an option in my early years, what with my religious upbringing.”

“I see. Are … are you attracted to men and women for the same reasons, or is it different for each?”

“You want to know what makes me fancy someone?” Ezekiel waggled his eyebrows.

Angela cringed. “I overstepped, didn’t I?”

“Probably, but I’m a shameless deviant who loves talking about himself. To answer your question, I find men and women attractive for the same reasons. Gender isn’t a factor.”

“Then what is a factor?”

Ezekiel started to answer, but he hesitated. “I joke about having no shame, but this topic doesn’t make you uncomfortable, does it?”

“Not at all,” Angela replied with a shrug. “This is just girl talk between friends.”

Ezekiel burst out laughing. “Right, girl talk.” He stroked his beard. “The people I’m attracted to are creatives—illustrators, musicians, thespians, authors … There’s nothing more romantic to me than artistic expression. I was drawn to Hugo’s singing, the way Prudence plays the piano—”

“Wait a minute!” Angela cut in, giving Ezekiel an incredulous look. “Prudence? You and Prudence?”

Ezekiel held up a quieting hand. “Firstly, Prudence and I were never involved. I merely developed an unreciprocated infatuation.”

“An infatuation with Prudence?” Angela persisted. “Even with the age gap?”

“I’m four-hundred and nineteen years old and have the eternal appearance and arrested maturity of a forty-year-old man. If age was a factor in my courtships, I’d spend the rest of eternity single. Yes, there’s an age gap—on multiple conflicting levels—but Prudence is one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. She’s refined, confident, and brimming with kindness. When she’s making music, the delight in her eyes is just as melodic as the song she plays.”

Angela rubbed her temples. “Hoo boy, this is a lot. Does Prudence know?”

“Yes, I professed my feelings to her a year ago, but she declined—to my complete astonishment.” He gave Angela a roguish grin. “I mean, look at me.”

“And she didn’t fall for your charms?” Angela feigned a look of utter shock. “Inconceivable.”

“Sarcasm duly noted.” Ezekiel raised his chin in mock indignation. “In all seriousness, she was very gracious when turning me down. She said she loved me like the son she never had, which was lovely, but it meant she could never regard me in a romantic light.”

Angela patted Ezekiel’s shoulder. “Even if it was gracious, rejection always stings.”

“That it does, but I’m happy to have Prudence in my life, in any capacity.”

“Can I ask about your long-term relationships?”

“Of course.” Ezekiel’s expression turned wistful. “Before my Anointment, I married a tenderhearted woman named Lydia Gold. I fell head over heels for her when I first heard her singing the Psalms. She was the love of my life.” His smile faded. “And Baldur was the love of my undeath.”

Angela tilted her head. “Baldur?”

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