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When I turned, I stifled a scream because a man stood behind ed between us, his teeth bared He rurowl, deceptively fierce for his size In the er’s features were divinely beautiful, capped with a shock of silver hair, but his eyes burned like black holes, cold and pitiless as the grave He wore a dark trench coat, his hands tucked into the deep pockets, which should have reassured me

It didn’t

"Can I help you?"

"You know you can" His words flowed in a silken tenor, playful, but I had never been so terrified in my life

I had no idea why, but it was all I could do not to cower or pissback a few steps toward the house, I gauged hi how fast he couldlike a creeper in the dark, he hadn’t actually done anything threatening, hadn’t said anything scary So what the hell?

"You find ," he observed "If you would comply with Kelethiel’s request, it will cease to affect you"

Oh Shit

"Barachiel," I guessed

"CleverDistaste for the condescension in his tone permitted me to force down some of the abject terror In response, I picked Butch up and cradled hi did not stand down Without el’s ankles and pissed on his designer shoes Barachiel seemed amused by the move, conte to the benefits" So far as I knew, Kel was still stalling hiht it azed intoto hypnotize ht’ve worked if Butch hadn’t been bitingto listen if you want to state your case"

Anything to get rid of you This is Not Good

The only way this could be worse was if I was in my panties, like I had been when I saw Chance I so wasn’t prepared to fight an archangel or an ancient forht Maybe I never would be, but it would be the apex of suckage if I got killed as Chance ed to find his way back toNo damn way

So bullshit would for in the ways of BS-fu

"I can taste the darkness on you, even now," he whispered "Whorls of sht path You cut the deh to resist teether, we can reshape the world No more war No reat, but I reazed up at me seemed brainwashed Maybe the world was a shithole, but at least it was full of people who could call their ime where this creepy fucker controlled our actions and opinions The idea of being used in that fashion made me want to barf

"I’ tiious leader But it see me to take a different role"

Before he could reply, footsteps crunched over the gravel, heavy ones They thu toward us Kel was the only person big enough to h et rid of his boss

"What’re you doing here?" Kel de up on you, Nephilihten her away, then this failure is on you," Kel said coldly

His tats gloith threatening power, and for a horrified moment, I wondered if they would duke it out on Chuch’s lawn I held up a hand, alot the words out

"Pleasetake it down the road Find an empty field The winner can come find me Justdon’t hurt my friends Don’t hurt the baby"

"There’s no need for violence," Barachiel said silkily "I alin Isn’t that right, half-breed?"

The archangel raised his arm, and Kel’s body stretched taut, as if pulled on a torture rack Then Barachiel sla hiined a force strong enough to control Kel, but Barachiel’s poas undeniable And terrible

Kel

"I couldn’t hear you"

"Yes, my lord"

For inter while Barachiel forced Kel to dee fro his potency, I saw my own death Because now I knew for sure: Kel wouldn’t be able to stop his hands froh with a holy blade Though he’d hate it, as with Asherah, he was helpless before Barachiel

"I think that is an ael turned to ly white in the dark "You will find I aentle and tender to those who please e as well I am brutal and merciless to those who do not Barachiel vanished as he had co him so reduced; it was obvious fro shaht he had been stripped of his pride before rovel in the dirt at Barachiel’s whim Maybe I was supposed to be impressed

I wasn’t

"I wish I could die," he said hoarsely "See an end to this at last But even that, he will not allow"

"What’s his hold on you? How can he--"