I turn his offer over in my head, inspecting it for flaws. “What exactly would you want in return for your help in freeing Jackie?”
“Don’t open the Abyss, for one.”
“So you’ve mentioned.” And I’ve basically already slipped up and told him that I don’t intend to, so that can’t be his real leverage.
“I’d also prefer not to face you on the battlefield.”
A hint of a smile touches the corners of my lips. I can’t remember the last time that I smiled. It certainly hasn’t been since I was captured and dragged here. “Afraid I might be stronger than you?”
Azael’s eyes light up, his gaze briefly jumping to my lips before returning to my eyes. “At present? Not one bit. But, depending on how quickly you learn, you mighteventuallygive me a challenge.”
“Tumultuari seems to feel differently.” I shrug, taking the win.
“Tumultuari is a traitorous blade who couldn’t wait long enough for my return.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that. Oh, and I want one more thing.”
“You’re already asking me to not only help you break into Elohim—which you have no idea how impossible that is to do—andextract someone from their heavily guarded prison. Is that not enough? What more could you possibly want?”
“Kesbeel. I want to meet Kesbeel.”
Heactuallygroans. “Of course you do.”
“Well? Can you arrange it or not?”
“No. Kesbeel made me swear an oath that I’d never tell a soul how to summon a Power ever again.”
“But that doesn’t meanyoucan’t summon him, right?”
“…I…” Again, he runs a hand through his long hair, further messing up the waves. “I don’t know. I haven’t been stupid enough to try it again, considering how angry he still is at me for doing it the first time.”
He’s close to breaking. I know it. I can negotiate. “How about you just try your best, then. If it works, you can tell him that I twisted your arm, and I’ll take the blame for it. And you said he was curious about me, right? The feeling is mutual. Maybe I could learn something from him.”
“I highly doubt anything beneficial could come from this, but…” He sighs, defeated. “Fine. I willtryto summon Kesbeel. But I will need to get my affairs in order first, just in case it doesn’t go well for me. In the meantime, you’ll begin training to be useful. Deal?”
A deal with the devil. I can’t help but feel like I’m shooting myself in the foot, even if I don’t know how. “Deal.”
“Good. Given the nature of the agreement, we’ll forgo swearing to Kesbeel this time. I doubt it means much to you, anyway.” He clicks his tongue, and seconds later, a small creature comes flying through the doorway.
My eyes widen as a raven lands on his shoulder. “Is that…Ramiel?”
“Yes.”
“But I thought?—”
“Please. Ramiel has no loyalties. His iterations are constantly conflicting with each other too much for that.” Azael lifts his arm, letting the bird walk down to his wrist. “This one has been quite concerned about your well-being, so I agreed to let him keep an eye on you. If you’ll have him, that is.”
“Worried about me?” I’ve hardly even met the little guy. “Are you sure you’re not just trying to spy on me? Or… Abaddon? HeisSemyaza’s?—”
The bird repeatedly caws at me, angry and incessant, as if he’s lecturing me.
“Alright, alright,” I mutter, obediently reaching out my arm. Instantly, Ramiel hops over to me, giving a small coo.
It’s strange, but he’s kind of cute, actually. I’ve always liked birds. It is still weird to think that he’s as much of an archangel as the others, though. I don’t know. Maybe splitting his soul into multiple different directions makes him quite different. There has to be a reason he always wants to be a bird, right?
“Is that enough excitement for tonight?” Azael asks, drawing my eyes back to him. He almost looks… exasperated.
“Please tell me you’re not sending me back into a prison cell.”
