by C. L. Coffey
“I haven’t said anything to anyone, nor will I,” Leon told her, looking somewhere between worried and confused as his forehead wrinkled up.
Finally, Grace’s expression softened, and she gave Leon a warm smile. “Lieutenant, you have done nothing wrong, please do not worry. There are other important matters we must discuss.”
Leon smiled, and although he didn’t seem completely convinced, nodded. “I look forward to your visit, ma’am,” he said before leaving.
As the door closed behind him, I could feel my nerves leave with him. There was something about the atmosphere in the room which was leaving the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge. I spared a glance at Cupid, but he wouldn’t return my gaze. Before I could question him psychically, Savannah was back in front of me.
Summoning the last remaining shred of willpower to stop myself from rolling my eyes at her, I sucked in a deep breath. “You were about to tell us why you’re here? Seeing as New Orleans has finally started to return to normal and all the Princes of Darkness have been defeated, my logical conclusion is that we’re here to organize the Secret Santa, although we are cutting it a little close to Christmas.”
Savannah’s eyes narrowed, and then she shot a look at Grace. “This right here, is why Angel should not be running a House.”
“My bad,” I shrugged. “I didn’t realize that not having a sense of humor was part of the job description.”
“Angel,” Cupid muttered in a warning tone. “We should move to the library.”
There was something about that which unsettled me. The angelic higher-ups had brought a feeling of unease with them that I just couldn’t shake, even as I followed the group into the library and the larger table in there. At least the other archangels weren’t present. I shook my head, pushing that thought far away before I jinxed myself.
“We are here on official business,” Grace confirmed. “However, I feel that we should also add Lieutenant Roi to the agenda.”
There was an agenda?
“How can we help, Grace?” Cupid asked, his impassive expression giving Michael’s poker face a run for his money. I glanced over at Michael and frowned. Or the old Michael’s poker face, at least. This newer version was lightly drumming his fingertips on the table.
“Actually, we’re here to discuss Angel,” Zachary piped up.
“What could I possibly have done now?” I asked, rolling my eyes in exasperation.
“More like ‘who’,” Savannah muttered. It was under her breath, and there was no doubt the higher-ranking angels with their super-hearing powers heard it, but no one reacted.
Except me.
Those three words had my heart plummeting into my stomach, and the blood rushing from my head. If I wasn’t already sitting, my legs would have given out on me. As it was, with the prickling sensation at my hairline, I wasn’t convinced I wasn’t about to pass out.
“Angel, what is your relationship with Joshua Walsh?” Grace asked.
“He’s my charge,” I replied, carefully.
“And the rest of it,” Zachary snorted.
“Zachary, we have discussed this,” Grace said, curtly. “If you cannot contribute to this conversation without prejudice, then you should leave us and return later once a decision has been made.”
“A decision?” Cupid asked, looking over at me with worry lines around his eyes, while Grace and Zachary continued talking. “What are they talking about, Angel?”
I pulled my hands off the table, resting them in my lap. Within seconds, I was wringing them, and I couldn’t stop myself. “I slept with Joshua,” I admitted. “It was the night Michael came back.”
“Angel?”
I blinked looking over at Grace. Her stern expression remained. “I’m sorry?”
“Is it true you are in a relationship with Joshua?”
“Be careful how you answer that,” Cupid quickly shot at me. I looked at him, my eyes wide. “Angels are not supposed to sleep with humans.”
“I know that,” I silently told him.
“Angels are not omnipotent, despite what Zachary will have you believe. Unless there is an admission, they have nothing more than speculation,” he continued, though not without first arching an eyebrow at me.
“If you two could hurry up your conversation,” Savannah muttered, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “We’ve already spoken to Joshua. You might as well confess and make this easier on yourself.”
I didn’t have a normal heartbeat. When I died, whatever transformation happened to my body, it had done something to my heart. It beat maybe twice a minute… at that moment, I was sure it had stopped altogether. “Joshua?”
“Savannah,” Grace all but growled at the Latina virtue. She turned back to me. “We debriefed Joshua on the situation with Lucifer.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Joshua and I are in a relationship. I care about him,” I admitted.
The room fell into an uneasy, icy silence. “Define ‘relationship’,” Savannah demanded.
“Private,” I snapped back.
“Angel, humans and angels are not allowed to be in relationships,” Grace said. I stayed silent. There was something about the way she said it that made me feel that whatever response I gave her would be wrong.
“But this shouldn’t be news to you,” Savannah sniped, shooting a glare at Cupid.
“Especially not considering what Cupid went through,” Zachary added.
“Hey!” I snapped as I caught Cupid wince. “That is completely unnecessary.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not sure it is,” Grace said, leaving me staring at her in disbelief. “The fact this still causes issues for Cupid even now should serve as an indication to you as to how severe the situation is, Angel.”
“And if it doesn’t, then Cupid hasn’t done a good enough job-”
“Enough,” I snapped at Zachary. “Now you’re just being nasty. Cupid explained things,” I told them, dropping my eyes to the table. That wasn’t strictly true. Cupid had told me a small bit about what had happened – how, during the height of the Roman Empire he had fallen in love with a human – but he had never gone into too much detail. I had seen the pain in his eyes and I had never pushed it.
“However, as Zachary has said it, it doesn’t make it less true,” Grace said, fixing me a glower.
I blinked. Up until now, it had always been me and Cupid against Savannah and Zachary, with Grace and Metatron playing the neutral party who would keep us both in check. This was the first time I had been on the disagreeing side of her, and I didn’t like it.
“Humans and angels should not be in relationships. That’s the end of it,” Grace continued.
“But it’s not though, is it?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
“Angel?” Michael, finally spoke up, his tone low and warning.
Once I may have listened to him… okay, if he had used a certain tone, I would have had no choice but to obey his instruction, but I would occasionally listen to him. Now, he had been gone too long. While Cupid and I thought he had been dead, we had been left to fight regular battles of power with the annoying virtues, justifying everything we were doing. If anything, seeing as it had taken him so long to return to the convent, I didn’t want to listen to him anymore.
So, I ignored him. “No relationships with humans, no drinking; no being human isn’t a rule, is it? It’s just you guys swearing a covenant and forgetting that I was human. You don’t just get to turn my life completely on its head and force me into some dumbass mold to suit your needs. Just because my methods are different to yours, doesn’t mean that they’re wrong…” I trailed off, realizing that their attention was fixed firmly on me, but with a look of astonishment. I frowned. “Don’t tell me you didn’t expect me to find out about that?”
“You haven’t taken the covenant?” Grace asked me, but her attention switched to the other end of the table where Michael and Cupid were sitting, rather than waiting for my response. “This was suppos
ed to happen when she earned her wings.”
“We were a little preoccupied with the fact Lucifer had been released from Hell.”
My words fell on deaf ears.
“You know the rules,” Zachary sniped. He crossed his arms, sinking back into a chair he managed to make look way more comfortable than it really was, with a snug expression plastered firmly across his face.
“There was a lot happening when Angel earned her wings,” Michael responded. “My intention was to always have Angel swear the covenant.”
“And what about after?” Savannah asked. “What about when Cupid was running the House?”
“We were a little preoccupied with defeating the King of Hell and two Princes of Darkness,” I offered, even though at this point I could tell I was no longer part of the conversation. I frowned, my gaze falling on Metatron who, while watching everything with eyes of a hawk, was busy scribbling away in his book so quickly, I was sure he hadn’t missed a single word that had been spoken.
“There’s nothing to say that she can’t take it now.”
My head shot upright, glaring at Michael. “Isn’t there?”
“Is there a reason why you wouldn’t want to?” Savannah asked.
Once again, I felt like she was wanting a certain answer from me. “Surely, by now, I’ve proven to all of you that I am capable of doing my job regardless of whether or not I’ve sworn a covenant or not?” I asked instead of answering. Technically I had only defeated one fallen angel, but at this point I wasn’t even sure anyone cared.
“That is irrelevant, Angel,” Grace said, with a firm shake of her head. “You are an angel. Angel’s must swear the covenant.”
I frowned, chewing at my lip. This wasn’t something that only affected me.
“Why are you hesitating?” Savannah asked, leaning in towards the table, staring at my face as though she was looking for Waldo – like a small twitch would give everything away.
“There is a procedure to this,” Cupid said, finally jumping in.
“I think it’s clear to everyone here that the angels of this House do not care about procedures,” Zachary retorted. As if he was a frigate bird, he sat up in his chair, puffing out his chest. “In fact, I think it is also clear to all that neither of you should be running this House.”
“I am inclined to believe that this House may benefit from Michael’s return,” Savannah added.
My eyes narrowed as I glared at her. Since the very first time I had encountered Zachary and Savannah, they had been trying everything to remove Michael, Cupid and myself from the House in New Orleans. I wasn’t completely sure of the motive behind her words, but I was one hundred percent certain that having Michael back in charge was not their end game.
“I still do not feel like myself,” Michael said. He rose to his feet and took a few steps towards the window to stare out of it. There was a moment’s pause before he turned back. “I should not be running this House in my current condition.”
The corner of Savannah’s mouth quirked upright, like a cobra rising up to entice its prey. “I appreciate your honesty, Michael. However,” the smile remained as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I think we can all agree that Cupid and Angel are also not capable of running this House.”
“That’s a bit off a stretch,” I snorted.”
“Is it?”
“This House is in disarray,” Zachary continued before I could speak. “You won’t even swear the covenant,” he shrugged.
“I never said I wouldn’t,” I snapped at him before I could stop myself.
“So do it,” he suggested, with a half shrug of a shoulder.
“Cupid?” I sent a non-verbal plea for help to Cupid, but he kept his gaze fixed firmly on a bookshelf opposite him. “Cupid!” I tried again.
“The fact that neither you nor Cupid are capable of making this decision speaks volumes,” Savannah sniped at us.
“Will you two just give it a rest?” I cried.
“While I would normally be inclined to agree with you, Angel, in this instance, I feel that Zachary and Savannah make a valid point. Despite the fact you both have succeeded in defeating Lucifer, Beelzebub and Asmodeus, your skills at running this House are very evidently lacking,” Grace said. Her voice was calm but it sent shivers down my spine. “Angel, you must swear the covenant, regardless of whether or not you remain in charge of this House, and I feel it’s time for Cupid to step down.”
I could feel the blood rushing from my head as I stared at the seraphim. Quickly I shook my head. “I am still not ready to run a House!!!” I squeaked, my words getting stuck in my throat.
“I think everyone would agree on that,” Savannah said, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, enough!” Cupid snapped, slamming his palms down on the table. There was a loud screech and a clatter as he stood upright, sending his chair flying. “I’m done. I never wanted to run this House, even back when I was Michael’s second. I said back then, and I said it when you put me in charge: I am not the angel for this job. I don’t have the ability or the patience, and I still don’t. I certainly have no desire for all the politics. Fighting the Fallen is exhausting enough, I’m not fighting you. I quit.”
CHAPTER THREE
Covenants and Consequences
“Cupid!” I cried. “You’re not supposed to quit!”
“Why aren’t I?”
“Do you know what you are saying?” Grace asked him, tilting her head.
Cupid shrugged. “Yes.”
“Very well.”
“Cupid, you can’t…” I stopped. Just like that, something had changed. It was like when Michael had ‘died’. The connection I had with Cupid was purely psychic, but I knew at once that it wasn’t there, as easily as I would know if someone removed a limb. “Cupid, what have you done?”
“This was always Michael’s House. He’s back now. It only makes sense the House returns to him too,” Cupid explained. For the first time in a very long time, he looked at ease.
“Mmmm,” Grace nodded. “Actually, yes. I think, for the time being, Michael would be best resuming his position.”
“But Michael has already said he is not capable of performing his duties either,” Zachary was quick to jump in. “Given the circumstances, I would propose that myself and Savannah take control of the House.”
My stomach started churning at that suggestion and my eyes flew helplessly to Michael. “Given that there are no more Fallen in this city, I might be able to handle running a House again,” Michael said, moving back to the table. He remained standing behind his chair, rather than taking a seat, his hands gripping at the back.
Not so long ago I was cursing Michael for his impenetrable poker face. Now I was cursing him for his lack of it. A blind person would be able to see the uncertainty and doubt all over Michael. Hell, he could have been hiding behind the Great Wall of China and we all would have seen it.
Grace pursed her lips, slowly folding her arms before she shook her head. “No. I apologize. Michael, you have said on many occasions since returning that you do not feel comfortable resuming your lead over this House. I wouldn’t wish to put you in that position.” She straightened her back and took a deep breath, like the next words she was going to utter would be painful.
They were.
“I think, that until Michael returns to full strength, it would be best if Zachary takes control of the House.”
The words had the same effect as eating week-old shrimp étoufée. Not only did I feel like I was going to throw up, my stomach churning, but there was a sour taste in the back of my throat. Even worse, I could sense the connection between myself and Zachary appearing. It was a good job it was only telepathy and not mind reading given the cussing out that was happening in my head.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to take a deep breath: I was overreacting. Zachary was a Zach-ass, I was not denying that, but honestly, how bad could he be?
“I think the first order of business is my second,” Zacha
ry announced.
Even with my eyes closed, I could tell he was puffing his chest out. I poked an eye open… I wasn’t disappointed.
“Who shall remain as Angel,” Grace finished for him. I didn’t miss the shock as it flashed across Savannah’s face.
“Indeed,” Zachary nodded. “Although I feel now is an appropriate time to question how suitable she is.”
“I have always thought of Angel as capable of leading this House,” Michael suddenly spoke up. His attention was fixed on Zachary. “There has been nothing that has made me doubt that decision.”
“Still, her relationship with her charge is not only inappropriate – it goes against the covenant,” Zachary retorted. He looked to Grace. “At the very least, an angel who has not taken the covenant should not be protecting a human. The very purpose of the covenant was to protect humans.”
“I’ve been doing a damn fine job of protecting Joshua so far,” I snapped. Beneath the table, my hands curled into fists. “I would also like to point out that Lucifer has also been defeated.”
“No one is doubting that,” Grace assured me. “However, Zachary makes a valid point. The covenant is there to protect angels as much as it is to protect humans.”
“Frankly, I don’t want any angel in my House who hasn’t taken the covenant,” Zachary added. “That means you, just to clarify,” he added.
I couldn’t hold back the shudder at the sound of his voice suddenly appearing in my head. This was not what I signed up for. Hell, none of this was what I signed up for. Now that Michael and Cupid were out, I sure as hell didn’t want to be here anymore than Zachary didn’t want to me there either. I stood up, shaking my head. “Well, that can easily be arranged,” I muttered, pushing my chair back.
I got a few steps from the table before Cupid was standing in front of me, his hands going to my shoulders as he held me at arm’s length. “Where are you going?” he hissed at me.
I shrugged his hands off me. “Right back at you.”
