by Elicia Hyder
“She’s not a friend,” Azrael said quickly.
Adrianne put a hand on her hip. “Are you ever going to learn the manners of humans? You’re in the south for crying out loud.”
“Sleeping arrangements,” he blurted out. “We have two spare bedrooms. One has a full-sized bed, and the other has a queen.”
It was obvious Azrael wanted to move the conversation along, so I helped. “Reuel needs a bed. He won’t fit on the couch.”
At the kitchen island, Reuel had a mouthful of reheated meatloaf. He smiled, showing ketchup in his teeth.
“And Cassiel can have the other bed. I’ll take the couch.”
Cassiel laughed and crossed her arms. “So you can sneak off in the middle of the night while I’m asleep? I don’t think so. We can share the bed.”
All eyes turned slowly toward me.
“Share the bed?” I asked.
Azrael had a taunting smile. “We have a queen. It would be big enough for both of you.”
I wanted to give him the finger. “No thanks. If we have to sleep in the same room, I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Cassiel sighed and shook her head. “Suit yourself.” She looked at Adrianne. “May I use your shower? I’d really like to wash off all this blood and get out of these ruined clothes.”
“What happened to you guys?” Adrianne asked.
“An army,” Cassiel said.
Adrianne’s face soured. “You know, Warren, things have been so peaceful since you’ve been gone.”
“And I’m working hard to keep it that way,” I said.
“I’m sure, but it’s like you show up and suddenly armies are shooting people up and demons are storming the compound.”
Cassiel smiled at me. “He is the Angel of Death, you know.”
“I guess.” Adrianne pointed to the door behind Cassiel. “The bathroom is down the hall, the second door on the left. There are towels and washcloths under the sink.”
“Thank you, Adrianne.”
“Do you need something to wear? I could try to find something with legs short enough to fit you.”
“That’s OK. NAG brought me a couple of things to choose from.” Cassiel turned toward me. “Can I trust you for five minutes?”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to sit on the bathroom floor while you take a shower?”
I swear she blushed a little.
“Five minutes,” she said, dodging the question.
As she walked away, I watched. “We’re plotting against you while you’re gone.”
“I expect no less,” she said with a laugh.
When the bathroom door closed behind her, Adrianne turned to Azrael. “I’m going back to bed.”
He kissed her. “I’ll be in there soon.”
“Will I see you in the morning?” she asked me.
“Most likely.”
“Give me a hug just in case.”
I hugged her. Then she went to the other side of the house.
When we were alone, and the shower turned on in the bathroom, Azrael grabbed my arm. “You have to get her out of here.”
“Why are you so worried?” I asked.
“She’s too inquisitive. I don’t want her around Adrianne.”
“But your baby’s human.”
“That was a rumor from Ionis. I’m not trusting Adrianne’s life to the Council until we have solid proof.”
“You think they’d hurt her?”
“I’m not taking any chances.”
Azrael had already lost one pregnant wife to dangerous angels. Couldn’t blame him for being cautious with Adrianne.
“We’ll leave tomorrow, I’m sure. Unless you want her out of here tonight.”
He put both hands on his hips. “No, tomorrow is fine. I still need information from her about what happened in Malab.”
“We’ll talk over breakfast, and then she and I will go.”
He nodded.
“Speaking of Malab, what do you know about inflicting the final death this side of the spirit line?” I asked.
“It’s forbidden. I’ve never been able to do it, even though I wanted to a few times.”
“I can do it.”
His head snapped back.
I held up my hands and conjured the final death.
His eyes doubled. “Whoa.”
I let the power fizzle out.
“It must be because you were born with free will. Did you destroy Menelek?” he asked.
“Yeah. Felt super sick afterward. Cassiel and Moloch both said it was a bad idea to do it on Earth.”
“Moloch would say that, wouldn’t he? He was working with Menelek.”
“You’re right. He was. That doesn’t explain why Cassiel would say the same.”
He looked at me seriously. “Don’t mistake her voice for one of reason. She’s not here to help you.”
“You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. Now tell me, what happens if you don’t take Iliana to Eden?”
“Then I assume I’ll be moving into your guest room.”
“I figured as much.”
“They said they’ll send the guardians for her.”
His tired eyes fell to the floor. “I can’t believe they’re doing this again.”
“What do you mean again?”
“It’s not important.” He put his arm on my shoulder. “They can be stopped. It just might take everything you’ve got to do it.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my family.”
He smiled and squeezed my shoulder. “I know.”
The water in the bathroom shut off.
“That was fast. She doesn’t mess around,” I said, looking down the hallway.
Azrael pushed my cheek to turn my face back to him. “No, she doesn’t. Don’t let your guard down around Cassiel for a second.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Chapter Thirteen
Reuel took the full-sized bed, and Cassiel and I went to the queen bedroom. As promised, I arranged blankets and pillows on the hardwood floor. She laid down on the bed facing me. “You’re being ridiculous. There isn’t even carpet in here.”
I stacked two pillows behind my head. “It’s your fault for not letting me sleep on the couch.”
“Warren, I don’t bite.”
“How can I be sure? Most snakes do.”
“Very clever.” She stared at me for a second. “Are we going to talk about Adrianne’s baby?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. We already know Adrianne’s baby is human.”
Her eyes narrowed. “There’s power there. Can’t you sense it?”
“Yes, but it’s Azrael’s biological child. Who knows what kind of power it might have. Just look at Fury.”
“I think it’s more than that,” she said.
“Ionis came with a message confirming the baby wasn’t an angel. The word was straight from Eden.”
“Given by whom?”
“Does it matter right now? Should I plan on killing pregnant women too?” I asked, raising my voice.
“Of course not. Calm down. I’ll check into it when we get back.”
“For tonight, is it too much to ask that we drop it and go to sleep?”
“Fine.”
Using my power, I turned off the light switch and the room went dark. My brain began turning on Azrael’s advice: get a backup plan. But, hell, what could that be? I hardly had a preliminary plan, one with lots of giant holes in it.
“Was it hard for you being at the Claymore property tonight?” Cassiel’s voice ripped me from my thoughts.
I stared up at the darkness above me. “You want to talk about my feelings now?”
“I’m trying to understand you, Warren. There’s never been another like you before.”
“I am pretty special,” I said with a cocky smile she couldn’t see in the dark.
“There’s never been another human turned Archangel…or any angel, for that matter.”
�
��I know what you meant.”
“So was it hard for you being so near your old life?” she asked—or pried, really.
“It’s hard every time I come to Earth.”
There was a beat of silence. I hoped her inquisition into my thoughts and emotions was finished. It wasn’t.
“Do you miss Sloan?”
I sighed. “Only when I’m here.”
“Do you ever—”
“Goodnight, Cassiel.”
I heard her roll over in the bed. “Goodnight.”
Nothing in me wanted to talk about Sloan. Or about my old life. But that apparently wouldn’t stop my brain from thinking about it. Turning their faces over and over in my mind. Replaying Sloan’s very last words to me…
“With everything I am, I love you.”
Pressing my eyes shut, I tried willing myself to sleep, or at least willing my brain to shut off. Too bad that wasn’t happening.
Sleep wasn’t going to come easy. My body might have been immortal, but after being shot up and cut open, it was sore. And the floor sure as hell wasn’t helping. I turned onto my left side, then my right. Then onto my stomach, and then onto my back.
Finally, with a huff, Cassiel turned on the bedside lamp. “I swear to the Father, Warren Parish, if you don’t get into this bed, I’ll get on the floor myself.”
I ignored her.
She threw the covers back and swung her legs off the bed. Then she stood and grabbed her pillow. “Don’t believe me? Scoot over.”
I sat up, and she towered over me. She wore tiny gray shorts under a thin white T-shirt. She also wore no bra. Why? Because they weren’t necessary in Eden. They certainly weren’t necessary for Cassiel—not that I noticed. My pulse suddenly thumping, I darted my eyes away. “Fine. I’ll get in the bed.”
The shirt had nothing to do with it. I swear.
I pushed myself up, then took my pillows around to the other side of the bed. We both laid down the exact same time.
She rolled toward me, then using her finger, she drew a line down the center of the bed. “This is my side. And that is your side. I’ll stay on my side. You’ll stay on your side. This isn’t that complicated.”
“Shut up, Cassiel.”
With a victorious smirk, she turned off the light.
In the morning, I awoke to angel chatter in my ear. The mandates from the Council had been announced, and the Angels of Death were pissed.
I groaned and opened my eyes. I was hugging my second pillow to my chest in a weird and loving way that made me wonder what I’d been dreaming about. My bare feet were tangled up with Cassiel’s.
Her back was to me, and had we been any closer, I’d have been spooning her and not my pillow. It was a good thing she was almost a foot away. Morning wood was still a thing in the afterlife. Who knew?
Slowly, I tried to withdraw my feet before she noticed them.
“Warren?” she asked softly.
“Yeah?”
“You’re on my side.”
I snatched my feet away, and she turned over to face me.
“How did you sleep?” I wasn’t sure why I’d asked. It’s not like I cared. Maybe it was my brain working overtime to think about anything other than what was literally between us under the covers. The scent of her so dangerously close wasn’t helping.
“Very well, actually. I think getting shot a half dozen times really wore me out.”
I laughed, and it felt good. Too good.
“You’re up early,” she said.
“It’s your fault.”
“My fault?”
I tapped my ear. “My angels are livid about your decree.” I pulled the pillow over my head. “They won’t shut up.”
“Here, let me.” Between the pillows, her hands slid up my jaw.
Oh god. I closed my eyes and gulped. Touching me—even my face—was dangerous at the moment. My heart raced.
She pressed her fingertips beneath my earlobes until there was a soft click. All the voices went silent.
My eyes popped open. “What did you do?”
“You’ve been an Archangel for how long and didn’t know you had a silence button?”
“Holy shit. That’s amazing. How do I turn it back on?”
“If you hold those two spots again, or if you broadcast a message to all your angels, it will turn back on for all of them. Otherwise, it will turn on one by one as you contact them.”
“So I should probably contact Samael since he’s supposed to be getting back to me with information.”
“If you want to hear it.”
“Thank you, Cassiel.” The words felt strange in my mouth.
“You’re welcome.” She rolled onto her back. Then she lifted her head and pulled her long golden hair from beneath her, letting it spill across the bedsheets beside me. It smelled like honeysuckle.
My whole body was throbbing. Thank the Father I was in the fetal position on my side.
“How’s your back this morning?”
“Still sore if I lay on it.” I closed my eyes, hoping she wouldn’t notice I was fibbing.
Silence.
I peeked out one eye and saw her staring at me. “Why are you lying about that?”
I sighed. “This honesty shit is getting old really quick.”
“Why would you lie about something so stupid as laying on your back?” She threw her hands into the air. “And you wonder why I don’t trust you.”
I’d finally had enough. Pushing the covers down to my thighs, I rolled onto my back. “Because I’m trying to be a gentleman!”
“What?” She looked down. Then her eyes doubled. They shot back up toward the ceiling. “Oh my.” Pink bloomed in her cheeks.
I pulled the blankets back up around me, my erection slowly starting to wilt. “It’s been almost a hundred years, and my body still won’t believe it’s not human anymore.”
She covered her face with her hands. “Oh my stars.”
Laughing, I pulled her hands away from her face. “Are you embarrassed, Councilor?”
“Humiliated.” Her cheeks were cherry red. “I’m sorry, Warren.”
“Forget it.” I needed to forget it. Her giggles were resolidifying the situation.
She sat up, fanning her face. “I need to get out of this bed.”
I wondered what she meant by that.
Sitting up, I took care to keep the covers pulled over my lap. I pressed a finger against my ear and called out to Samael. “Can you hear me?” I asked inaudibly.
“Loud and clear. Still gathering info, so stay tuned. Lots of activity here,” he replied.
“What’s the plan for today?” Cassiel stood and turned to face me, then gathered her hair into a knot on top of her head. The T-shirt lifted in the front, exposing the smooth patch of skin between her belly button and the sagging waistband of her cotton shorts. “Earth to Warren.”
I pulled my eyes back up to hers. “Sorry.”
“What’s our plan?” she asked again.
“I want to call and check on Fury.” Which was true, but I really wanted call and warn Fury. I just couldn’t tell Cassiel.
“Does she really believe her sister is alive in Nulterra?”
“She does. In fact, she received intel that might prove Anya is alive.”
“What kind of intel?”
“Details about her sister’s movement after Abaddon took her. She’s hoping the information might lead us to the Nulterra Gate.”
Cassiel spread the clothes NAG had given her on the bed. “How much do you know about the Nulterra Gate?”
“Only what Azrael has told me. And what I saw through his blood stone.”
“Shall I tell you what I know about it?” she asked, picking up the pair of cargo pants.
Truth be told, the reason I had sought out Cassiel in the first place (many months earlier) was to hear what she was hopefully about to tell me. When the deal was struck between Eden and the demons, the Council had been responsible for laying out the parameters of
the agreement.
I only knew what Azrael knew: the demons were allowed to access the spirit line so that souls could be delivered to Nulterra; and the gate on Earth was to be permanently sealed. Azrael wasn’t much for details.
“I’d love to hear it.” I propped my pillows against the headboard and reclined, lacing my fingers together over my stomach.
She unzipped the cargo pants and held them out in front of her.
My hand shot forward. “If you’re getting undressed, save the story for later. There’s no way I’ll remember if you tell me while you’re getting naked.”
She smiled, and for the first time, I realized she had a slight dimple in her left cheek. “I’ll change in the bathroom. Don’t worry.”
I wasn’t worried exactly.
She sat down on her side of the bed. “We tried to find out the location of the gate from the demons during the negotiations, but they refused to tell us. They did, however, agree to have two keys created for the gate. One was for Abaddon. The other for us.”
“I haven’t heard anything about a key.”
Her head tilted. “Did you assume there would be no lock on the door to the most volatile place in existence?”
Good point. “Honestly, I never even thought about it.”
She smiled again. “Honestly? Have we finally gotten to that mountaintop in our relationship?”
I touched the center of my chest. “You help me, and I’ll help you.”
“Fair enough.” She turned to face me. “Because the key was Nulterra-borne, it could not cross the spirit line. It certainly couldn’t be brought into Eden. So it was entrusted to an angel here on Earth”
I straightened. “Who?”
“A guardian named Mihan.”
Mihan. That name sounded very familiar. So familiar it stirred a sick feeling in my gut.
She must have noticed how it affected me. “You fought against her with Azrael and Sloan at a place called Calfkiller River. She’d possessed the body of a human woman. A brunette, if I remember correctly.”
The battle of Calfkiller River was where I’d died the first time—or at least that’s where my human spirit died. Azrael brought me back as a full angel. It was the first time we fought Abaddon, the Destroyer. Mihan, a woman, had battled alongside him against us. Sloan had killed her.
