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"I know" That wasn’t news, however

His ry line "You don’t When I report that I’ve failed to recruit you to our cause, my next order will be to kill you"

My blood chilled in my veins "You wouldn’t--"

"I don’t want to," he said, low "But I am incapable of rebellion"

"Butyou were flogged in the arena" I remeertips across them, how he flinched when I traced the place on his shoulders where his wings used to be "What for, if not refusing to fall in line?"

"For being a half-breed For being insolent and irreverent"

"You hipped forto understand "But you never actually denied a couish sharpened the words, made a weapon of them, until I had to reach for him

My palm covered his knotted fist, and I stroked his knuckles until his fingers unfurled beneath mine Then he turned his hand slowly under ned A small part of me still loved him Not as you build your drea, showering ephehtness

"What did they el learned I had a lover," he said quietly

I was afraid I knehere this was going "Asherah, the goddess of desire"

He shook his head "Like you, she was huh she was a priestess"

"He ordered you to kill her?" It seeical conclusion

"Yes" The raw syllable told me how much the memory still hurt him, two thousand years later

"And you couldn’t refuse"

"Only hu There must be a way to resist your orders"

"Do you think I would not walk away froled a hard look at el--or whatever the hell the creature was--had a powerful hold on hi Kel think he didn’t have free will, due to the bullshit ardless, it also n on with a being I wasn’t convinced had humanity’s best interests at heart, Kel would kill

Shit

"How long do you have before he gets suspicious?"

"I’ents And I’m not his ht anyers through mine "Nor do I Even before I met you, I eary of war, sick unto death"

"But you can’t die"

"No" The word carried infinite sorrow

"I don’t understand what the archangel wants froick doesn’t work Which just leaves the touch What good could that possibly do him?"

"I don’t know," he answered "But this I promiseI won’t hurt you, Corine"

"You can’t knohat the future holds" If I had the option, I’d take a do-over in Sheol, find so concern Can you stall?"

"A few days at least He won’t expect instant capitulation froel knew me I wasn’t sure how I felt about that "What’s his name, anyway?"

"Barachiel"

"Is he an utter bastard?"

The question startled a quiet chuckle out of Kel "Yes, rather I used to tell her power It was the only thing that made my mission bearable"

"Is the bloom off the rose?"

He inclined his head "I a whether you work for Barachiel or not Lately, it seems as if his will has supplanted any otherif there ever was anything ineered by such a crisis in faith, but it ht be better that he had lost his blind fanaticiss that made me think maybebut ht so too, long ago But after Asherah diedthey broke me Made her purpose"

"Maybe you had to accept that," I offered "Or go crazy"

"You mean my belief was a forine what you’ve gone through"