Page 124 of White Lights
“Simon?” she calls.
The passage is silent but for the soft sound of Dez’s breath. She travels slowly, carefully. She loses track of how far down she’s gone.
And then, like someone’s turned on a Bluetooth speaker, Dez hears laughter down below. She pauses on the stairs to listen.
Rafe’s laughter.
She quickens her pace until a dim light pools in the distance. Finally, she reaches the bottom of the stairs and peers around a corner into a crowded room.
It looks like an ancient bunker, stone walls, low ceilings. All the angels are there, but Dez doesn’t see Simon, nor anyone else from her class. As she steps cautiously into the room, she notices most of the activity centers around Jet. People surround him, shaking his hand, clapping him on the back. But for all the smiles, there’s an edge ofdarkness in the eyes of the other angels. And Dez wants to know what it’s about.
Rafe stands by Jet’s side, but when he looks toward the stairs and notices Dez, he separates himself from the group. He comes to her, smiling, like she’s just showed up to a party.
“What is this?” she asks.
“You don’t know? It’s Simon’s ascension. He’s ready.”
“Simon’s ascending?” Dez is shocked. “Tonight?”
“Any minute now. You must be his plus-one.”
“Me? Why not Esther?”
Rafe tosses his head. “Probably better that way.”
“Why?” Dez asks, following him farther into the room. “Rafe?”
She breaks off as something cold and smooth wraps around her ankle. She freezes and looks down, gasping at the sight of the white cobra curling up her leg.
The director appears at Dez’s side, looking down at Dez’s leg. “Do you like snakes, Ms. Rae?”
“My brother had a pet corn snake,” Dez says stiffly. The pressure around her calf constricts as the reptile travels up her bare leg. “He never fed it. So I did.”
The director studies Dez, then slowly smiles. “Hannah’s been in my family a long time. The things this girl has seen.” She snaps her fingers. On command the snake uncoils, releasing itself from Dez’s thigh. In a second, it’s back in place around Moriah’s shoulders.
“She’s seen it, too,”the cobra hisses at Dez.
Dez gapes at the snake who’s suddenly entered into language as if there’s nothing strange about it.
“Seen what, darling?” Moriah coos.
“My garden,”the snake speaks again.“In the kinetoscope.”
“The snake—the snake can talk?” Dez swallows, taking a step back.
“Of course,” Moriah says. “It was Hanachesh who gave humanity the gift of speech.”
“I taught elocution to your mother Eve,”the cobra hisses.“How to speak with words, how to speak with her body.”
“You’re … the serpent from the Garden of Eden?” Dez asks.
The cobra flicks her tongue.
“They’re ready,” Rafe calls to the director from across the room.
“He’s here,” Moriah announces with a smile. Dez turns and rises on her toes to see Simon walking toward them, wearing a white robe. His hair is damp, as though just out of the shower. He’s being led by Dr. Zarlengo.
They stop in front of Jet, who places his hands on Simon’s shoulders, leans in, and whispers something. Simon nods.
