Page 52 of Angels Don’t Date

I could save you from the dark that wears you if you dare to come near.”

The other verses wound on, hiding in his fear, but finding the strength to love and trust in spite of all the darkness and uncertainty.

The end came like a sigh and with it the soft plucking and gentle bells until the sound faded and I dropped my head against Richard’s chest, somehow having ended up that close to him. How was his armor so warm and soft? It must be the heavenly gold.

My heart beat in the sacred stillness of that last note, and it felt like a church, felt like a vow, as serious and eternal as our souls. I was exhausted, but also filled with this buoyant energy that sank into me from my head to my toes. I felt life-bound to him for the first time, truly one.

It took a long time for me to remember that this was the perfect opportunity to set him up with another angel. It took even longer to stand upright and take a step away from him.

He looked languid, relaxed, replete, and his slow smile was absolutely too delicious. I almost kissed him, but then I remembered the last time I kissed him, and the werewolf’s kiss, or face assault, and that there was an enormous audience behind us.

They broke out into this cheer that made the rafters ring. Angels were so loud. I flinched at the sound and curled up against Richard, who put an arm around me and held me close. We stood there for a long time between the Commander and Mirabel while the angels cheered.

“Congratulations! It was so beautiful!” A lovely female angel I’d never met said, throwing her arms around me and squeezing me until I squeaked. Then she released me and gave Richard a cold look. “Congratulations to you as well.” She moved on, and then it was another angel, a male.

He bowed to me respectfully, congratulating me on my beautiful song before he grabbed Richard in a rib-crushing hug. “You don’t deserve so much goodness.”

Richard grinned at him and then gave me a side-look. “I’ll take it anyway.”

Another female angel hugged me too tight, and after that, I lost track of what Richard was doing, I was just trying to keep breathing through the onslaught. This is why you didn’t hire angelic musicians. They got caught up in the sound and didn’t understand lies, so they maybe thought that had actually been some kind of wedding ceremony. I’d sung that I’d take his name, and he’d sung the same, but that wasn’t a vow. There hadn’t been an ‘I do’ just so many other words.

Anyway, I survived the congratulations until finally they were gone, leaving only one angel left. I vaguely recognized the white-winged cupid, Lorien, who was supposed to be on the show but had flaked.

How did I feel about that? If Richard hadn’t come to take his place, I might never have met SunRae in real life. And I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him.

I pressed a hand against my chest while my heart twisted. Absolutely not. I wasn’t in love with Richard. I mean, sure, I loved him because we were best-friends-forever, but we weren’t romantic! I was trying to help him date other angels. Which is why I’d just hugged fifty of them and never asked one if she liked baking. I didn’t want him to date other angels. I didn’t want him to date anyone but me. I wanted to sing duets with him and not have to remember that it was just pretend afterwards.

“Congratulations!” the cupid said, gathering me into a big, feathery hug. “You’re so cute and little! Is Richard giving you a sufficiently hard time? Of course he is. Hopefully you’re reciprocating. Of course you are!” He squeezed me and lifted me in the air while I held still and didn’t sink my fangs into his throat. He smelled delicious, but it was Richard whose blood I wanted to drink for the rest of my life. I just wanted this person to put me down, and my fangs were my only unpinned weapons. The guy hugged like a lumberjack.

He finally put me down and leaned back to beam at me. “So cute.”

Richard put his arm around my waist and pulled me away from him, frowning at the angel. “What are you doing here? You forfeited your place.”

“I’m here for the cake. I understand there is a mountain of cake in the garden reception.”

Richard’s scowl was epic. “Did you already eat all the cake? It’s for the music video.”

“Music video?” The cupid wiggled his brows and looked lascivious. Weird that an angel could look like that. Yes, I was definitely glad that I had Richard on my show instead of him. No matter how difficult that made things, I’d take him any way I could get him. The end.

“Of course the music video,” Mirabel said, cocking her head as she studied him. “But now that you’re here, I could use an angel for my school. I have this student who has such a hard time emoting when she sings. Lanise has fairly good tone, but the emotions…” She tsked and then snagged the angel’s arm and yanked him to the side.

Her leaving left only the Commander. Who might execute his son if justice required it.

I shrank even closer to Richard, glad for his arms around me. “Hello, sir,” I squeaked.

“It’s Richard,” he said, grabbing my hand and shaking it. “Or you can call me Commander. Most people do. Terribly dull, but it is what I am, although perhaps soon we’ll be hearing happy news to the contrary. Eh?” He ribbed Richard and gave him the most terrifying smile I’d ever seen.

Richard’s eyes widened and his face went pale and splotchy for a bit before he squared his shoulders, firmed his jaw and gave a short nod. “Perhaps.”

They were talking about angelic forces stuff, probably about pushing back the northern giants from the border after this dating show was over. Did it ever have to end? Of course it did, and it should before I broke my stupid heart on him.

I sighed and ducked out of Richard’s arms. “We should go get the video finished before Pearly White eats someone. Thank you so much for playing with us.” I patted the Commander’s armored arm, feeling awkward before I turned and headed for the door.

Richard caught up with me outside, grabbing my hand and squeezing my fingers. “You really were amazing.”

I gave him a look. “You lowered your abilities so that I’d shine.”

He looked insulted, also gorgeous with those glorious blue eyes and shiny golden hair framing his perfect face. “Nonsense. I just lowered my ego so that you’d shine. I can do that when required, shocking as that sounds.” He wiggled his brows in a way that made me blush.