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“Why do you need a good answer?” Raven asks, flicking her gaze to mine, trapping me in place. I’ve never felt captured by anyone as much as I do in this moment. “Can’t you just accept that maybe it’s more than about my Hell-bound soul?”
“How the fuck so?” I mutter under my breath. “Who are you anyway? How do you know me?”
She either doesn’t hear me, chooses to ignore me, or maybe I never even said the words out loud because she doesn’t respond to my question. Her blue-green depths sheen with unshed tears, yet she keeps her face expressionless, no longer affected by the angel or the man she killed. I think Andre’s presence calmed her as much as it has me. It’s strange, feeling evil my sick lungs chill out for a moment, letting me breathe.
“I’d have to get a better reading of your soulmate to be certain.” Andre flaps his wings again. “The Higher Power never does things without reason.”
Releasing me from her enchantment, Raven shifts her attention back to Andre. “You can’t possibly think this asshole bastard is my soulmate. He wants to sacrifice me to save his own soul. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
I’m going to have to agree with her. Sure, she’s attractive. I’d fuck her harder than any of her soul keepers. But my soulmate? Impossible.
“Too much, little hellion. Far more than you should’ve ever had to bear,” Andre says softly, ruffling his brilliant feathers, sparkling like a damn rainbow prism even in the dark, “and I’m sorry. Things should’ve never shifted this way. Your beautiful soul is too light and pure to experience such torment. I wish there was something I could do, but you are bound. You must understand why I can’t intervene...with either of you.”
I tense and curl my fingers into fists at his words. Anger gets the best of me, and I stomp forward and surprise both of them by grabbing Raven by the back of her dress. Hoisting her off the ground, I restrain her to me and unsheathe my blessed dagger from beneath my jacket. It won’t do jack-shit to the angel—at least not like how it’ll burn a demon—but I don’t like the way things are going or what he’s saying. I’m running out of time.
“This is bullshit! I’ve done nothing but serve in God’s name, and you’re going to deny me the one thing I need.” I aim the dagger at Andre. “If you can’t help me, then I’m going to find someone who will.”
Raising his hands, Andre admits defeat and steps back. A strange look crosses his face, and he flicks his eyes toward the starry sky. I remain firm in my place, refusing to let the quick look toward the heavens distract me. Angels are supposed to be trustworthy, but there is something about this guy that makes me want to keep my guard in place. I don’t know if it’s the way he looks at Raven or if it’s the way he doesn’t just give up and abandon us. Whatever it is about him leaves me on edge. I need to get out of here while I can still force Raven to go with me.
Raven locks her slender fingers over my arms, trying to break my hold on her. “There is no angel on this plane who will help you, Elias. But if you let me introduce you to my devils—”
I holler my frustration in her ear, giving her a shake. “I’ve already made a shitty fucking deal with a demon. I need divine intervention. I deserve it. I’m only in this mess because I was trying to do the right thing.” My chest aches, my lungs tight and clenching. I can’t suppress the cough as much as I want to, and Raven uses it against me to jab me with her elbow.
I heave and bow forward. My eyes uncontrollably water, and I swing my blade, ensuring the damn angel doesn’t try anything stupid. Blinding light illuminates the world. Shielding my eyes, I shuffle away, putting space between us. Raven surprises me by sauntering closer with her outstretched arm.
“It’s serious, isn’t it?” she asks, risking my fury to touch my shoulder.
A shockwave courses through me, stealing my breath even worse than the cough. I stumble out of her reach, my fear forcing me to put distance between us once again. I don’t know what kind of bullshit this is, but I want no part of it.
“It’s none of your damn business,” I snap, my words coming out gruff.
Andre expands his wings, startling me. I jerk my attention to the angel and rush him. He doesn’t dodge me and launch into the sky like I expect. The fucker surprises me by enveloping me within his wings. Standing in shock and awe, I steady myself by gripping the front of his shirt. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he’s decided he can show me mercy and free my soul of its demonic bind.
Wrapping his arms around me, the angel pulls me close in what I can only describe as the most awkward hug I’ve ever felt in my god-damned life. I remain rigid under his flexing muscles as he releases a breath near my ear. I shudder at the sensation, hating how he smells like a tropical drink without the alcohol.
And then the angel sniffles and pulls away.
I grimace and peer into his glossy eyes as he leans in close enough to see the ring of metallic gold around his dark irises. “Why are you fucking crying? Is this part of the whole save my soul and prepare me for Heaven thing? Because if it is, I don’t feel any closer to God. Only your...” Fucking damn it. I ram my hands into the angel’s chest, shoving him back. “Don’t rub that thing against me. Not cool, man. Save it for her. She looks like she’d enjoy it as much as she enjoys the damn demons.”
“We both do,” he says simply, so seriously, that it throws me off. I had no fucking idea that angels could get a boner, and this guy nearly stabbed me with his. “The body is a magnificent thing, but also so frail. I’m sorry yours has failed you.”
“The fuck?” I obviously found the wrong angel. “It only failed me because—”
“You only have weeks left on this plane.” He cuts my comment off and tries to close the space to me once more. “But you know that, don’t you.”
Stumbling away from him, I raise my palms. “This is why I’m asking for your help. I’ve been working my ass off in God’s name. I’m not asking you to save my life or give me more time. I’m asking you to cancel my demonic contract. You can do that. I know you can. You’re an angel and demons don’t have anything on you.”
“I’m sorry, Elias. Your assumptions are untrue,” Andre whispers, flapping his wings hard enough to stir up fallen leaves from the ground. He doesn’t try to hug me again despite looking like he wants to. Fuck, he doesn’t even adjust his meat rod to get it in line. All he does is blink his eyes, shedding a damn tear. “I wish the Higher Power had led me to you sooner before you succumbed to a demon’s clutches. You will face far worse eternal torment than any mortal ever would.”
I stiffen at his words, wondering why he thinks that. It’s pointless to ask him. He already steps away and stares at the sky. “You should be fucking sorry. It’s like you want me to burn.” I wave my blessed dagger at him. “You can offer me a miracle and choose not to. You’re a fucking bastard.”
Another tear sparkles on Andre’s cheek. “I can’t.”
“Then fuck off!” I rush forward, planning to test my theory on whether or not my blessed dagger will harm an angel. I want this son-of-a-bitch to feel the pain I feel. The agony he guarantees on my soul.
“Elias, stop!” Raven shouts, stepping between me and Andre. If the angel didn’t flap his wings, sending me falling on my ass, I might’ve gutted her by accident.
Pain swells through me, and I punch my fists into the hard ground. My vision hazes, my eyes uncontrollably watering. I shout in anger again, so pissed off by the way my plans to save myself unravel before me, and nothing I do can stitch up my mess of fate’s strings unless someone offers to cut me free of them.
