Page 131 of A House of Gold
But together.
"The meeting," I say after a moment. "When?"
"Tomorrow night." He helps me sit up against the pillows. "The other Hhuses agreed to a delay. They know about the attack. Know that someone is targeting you." His jaw tightens. "They're...concerned."
"Concerned that I'll die before they can use me?"
"Something like that." He moves away from the bed, and I immediately feel the loss of his warmth. "They'll want to see you. Assess the threat. Decide if you're worth protecting, or if it's easier to let whoever is hunting you have what they want."
"Comforting."
"Angels aren't known for their compassion." He returns with a tray I didn't see him pick up, food that smells like heaven. Soup and bread and fruit and something that might be tea. "They're known for their self-interest. So we make them understand that protecting you is in their self-interest."
"How?"
"By proving that you're the key to stopping whoever killed your grandmother." He sets the tray on my lap. "By showing them that the missing souls conspiracy threatens all S=seven houses. By making them afraid of what happens if they don't help."
I look down at the food. My stomach growls, apparently three days unconscious works up an appetite. "And if they decide I'm not worth the risk?"
"Then I go to war with six angels to keep you safe." His voice is matter-of-fact. Like he's discussing the weather. "I've fought Heaven before. I can do it again."
"You'll lose."
"Perhaps." He sits on the edge of the bed, watching me eat with that intense focus he has. "But I'll make sure you survive long enough to run."
"I'm not running."
"Then you're crazier than I thought." But there's no heat in it. Just tired acceptance. "Eat. You need your strength. Tomorrow night, we'll meet the other six angels who are either going to help us or kill us. I'd prefer you didn't faint in front of them."
I take a bite of soup. It's perfect, rich and warm and exactly what my body needs. "Have you eaten? Slept? Since I know you lied about needing those things."
"No."
"Croesus"
"I was watching you." He says it simply, like it's obvious. "Making sure you kept breathing, making sure the void hadn't left any trace inside you. Making sure," He stops. "Making sure you came back to me."
My throat tightens. "I'm back."
"I know." But he doesn't look away. Doesn't stop watching like I might disappear if he blinks.
I eat slowly, letting him watch. Letting him reassure himself that I'm real, I'm here, I'm alive. Through the binding, I feel his tension gradually ease. Not disappear, he's too shaken for that, but soften into something manageable.
"Tell me more about them," I say after a while. "The other angels. What should I expect? I saw them before but I’ve only interacted with Seraph and Idris so far."
He's quiet for a moment, considering. "Seraph you've met. Pride incarnate. Beautiful, perfect, and absolutely convinced of his superiority. He'll try to undermine me, probably flirt with you to prove he can."
"Charming."
"He's powerful. Dangerous. And he holds grudges for centuries." Croesus's expression darkens. "He'll help if it benefits him. But he'll make us pay for it."
"Who else?"
"Idris. Envy. Master of illusions and mind games, as you found out." His mouth twists. "He'll see through any lies you try to tell. He'll know your desires before you do. And he'll use that knowledge without hesitation."
"Looking forward to it."
"Kael is Wrath. Fire and fury and violence barely contained." Croesus's voice drops. "He's the most dangerous in direct combat. If he decides you're a threat, he won't hesitate to eliminate you."
