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"It’s an angel," I said

"Or sooyle?"

Beezle squinted, his clawed hands gripping the lapel of h the layers of reality to find the creature’s essence

"It’s an angel" Beezle nudged me with a sharp little elbow "See, I’reed

Gabriel signaled to me to stay behind and JB put his hand on ed off his touch, resenting their high-handedness I wasn’t stupid I knew that I wasn’t up to tangling with anything supernatural at the uard approached the body carefully, knelt beside the angel and rolled the creature to its back The angel’s face was splattered with blood and there was a large and ugly gash across his bare chest

Gabriel beckoned the ball of nightfire closer to hi here?" asked Beezle, surprise evident in his voice

"Who’s Baraqiel?" JB and I asked together

"Lucifer’s personal er," Beezle said

I wondered what Lucifer was up to now Why was his personalwounded in an alley only a few feet away froled corpse of a olf? Had Baraqiel just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was he the olf’s killer?

Gabriel laid his hands on the wound and the alley grew brighter as the light of the sun came fro--a sasped for air and his eyes flew open as Gabriel lifted his hands away froel’s chest The wound was healed

"Gabriel?" he asked, his gaze confused and frantic "Where am I? Where is he?"

"Where is who?" I asked

Baraqiel shook his head and sat up, staring atsilver blue that looked alainst his blood-covered face was ghastly He pushed up froround and wobbled as he attempted to stand

Gabriel rose beside hi hand on Baraqiel’s shoulder "Be at peace You need to rest You are still weak"

Baraqiel shook his head, still staring at hter?"

"Yes," I said

"Youfor you"

A cave in an ash-burned land A flash of green eyes, alight with hatred and madness

"Samiel," I breathed