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I came to on the surface, surrounded by the s on ice, cradled in ht wind I s devil-spawn, daywalker blood, and the overriding reek of the blood of a Major Darkness And, oh, yes, seraphs Heat wisped through s Theypulled apart I was alive I was pretty sure of it Hurt too bad to be dead I coughed hard, the sound like leather ripping, causing a shocking pain through hter," Amethyst tinkled

The moon winked over the shoulder of a seraph Zadkiel lifted his head froe-heat strengthened, delicate fire in my veins He placed my amulets on my bare stomach, and the heat dimmed "Can you control it?" he asked

I considered his question, but before I could answer, another did, his voice like baritone bells "Yes I believe so"

Zadkiel laughed, heat burning in his eyes "I hope so, Raziel I have no tie in heat"

The unexpected laugh and the odd emphasis on the word ti away in exhaustion Zadkiel&039;s face filled e I thank you for the return of , Raziel, and take her to her hoon is striking Battle has commenced as he seeks freedo brought back to life Weird

"Not as you think of ht breeze off the Gulf, aht "But purposes met and satisfied, even when one of us is away froh, alone in the river of time, on earth"

I remembered the river of lava in the otherness That river?

Zadkiel placed a warm stone on my stomach where his lips had been "For your prayer, your incantations, your blood, and your sacrifice; for all these, I thank you And for your willingness to gift us your life, though it was not needed in the end I thank you"

I didn&039;t think it politic toto leavefor supper

"Thanks be to the wisdom and compassion of Amethyst You are healed," he finished "Be blessed Be at peace" He swiveled his head to his mate and said, "Call your wheels" A one perfect note of calling, a tone so beautiful nothing could resist it I tried to rise froh ainst his chest, Zadkiel, the Right Hand of the ArchSeraph Michael, spread his patchily feathered, burned wings and gave a single hty thrust Wind like a tornado, scented with one I was left, cold and drained, on the frozen and cracked ice at the lip of the pit of the hellhole Blackness closed in around ht, zipped froy and danced in the air, blinding lare

Warmth trickled into my bones from the stone on ht Three if one counted Barak Did one count a Watcher? Yet I still felt no otten about the gift At th On my belly was a seraph stone I&039;ll never be able to swear that way again, not without a chuckle

Slowly I sat up, stiff ly scar , but the pain when Iin the warmth of my body The stenches of s, nauseating me I reeked I found a bottle of water inthe seraph stone to ate, and it felt hot against ers

Overhead, a sickle-shaped moon rested its lower point on a distantI had survived the night, underground

"Hours have passed as you healed," Raziel said "There is great battle in the heavens"

In low perched in the li his scarlet radiance His crih over his head His cloak hung loose, y, eyes like geaze all the way toYou must relinquish her wheels" He tilted his head, a half s on his lips and I could have sworn he was curious Seraphs are never curious Never

"I don&039;t have her wheels to give up" I shifted on the frozen ground In a single heartbeat, everything changed

A roar shivered the air Forcas crashed from the mouth of the pit The beast had been in pieces last time I saw it What did it take to kill a Major Darkness?