Page 35 of Reapers Don’t Ride

I looked at Gavriel and saw the way he was looking at Lorien. Dark. Angry. He was bringing up old wounds.

“I was not worthy of her,” Gavriel said softly, but there was a cutting thread of anger beneath it.

“You weren’t worthy? The great, noble, pure Gavriel Harthorn isn’t worthy? How humble of you. That didn’t stop you from accepting every promotion that the Commander gave you as you advanced up the ranks. Did it?”

Gavriel spun around and put a hand on his hilt. “You wouldn’t know what I did and didn’t accept. You abandoned us all, and for what? Perhaps if you’d stayed, Mirabel wouldn’t have abandoned the angels like you did.”

Lorien’s eyes sparked bright gold. “Now it’s my fault that she married an ogre?” He pulled a sword that shone with a strange light, not quite heavenly, but something otherworldly. Maybe it was elven.

Shane stood up and slammed his hands on the table. “You two want to brawl, take it into the alley. No interference from bystanders,” he said, frowning at me.

I blinked at him and then shook my head. “They aren’t brawling. Gavriel got shot. I still have to take out the bullet and check to make sure it wasn’t poisoned or cursed.”

“Yes, you’re so eager to take off his shirt,” Lorien spat and then spun around and marched into the alley.

This is what we’d been waiting for, the chance to grab him and get some answers about the demonic threat, but Gavriel was injured.

Gavriel swept me into his arms and brushed my hair back from my face with his warm, strong hand as he gazed into my eyes. “If you really don’t want me to fight him…”

I took a deep breath and then stepped back, crossing my arms. “No, of course you should fight him about some girl you used to know. That sounds like a great way to spend your time.”

He gave me an apologetic look and then turned and strode towards the door, leaving me seething after him. He’d been shot. This was not the time, but at the same time, when else would he be able to get his hands on the angel?

Shane put a hand on my shoulder for a second before I glared at him. He raised his hands in surrender. “Angels duel over honor all the time. It shouldn’t take long.” He headed towards the door and then held it open for me.

I hesitated and then walked through it in time to see Lorien throw a fireball at Gavriel. Gavriel captured it in a shadow of death and leapt at him with his sword. The gold angel blocked Gavriel’s blow and then punched his face, smashing his nose.

The scent of Gavriel’s blood bloomed, and I leapt towards the fight. Unfortunately, I hit a ward that hit me back five times as hard.

I went flying back, hit the brick wall, and crumpled to the ground. I rolled to my feet, but my vampire blood was trickling down my scalp. I’d have to wash my hair.

Shane gave me a look that I ignored as I focused on the fight. Every time Gavriel took a blow, I winced. Overall, his hits were harder and faster, so Lorien was slowly being driven down the alley to the other ward. Gavriel was going to win, but he’d be bloody and bruised by the time it was over.

I hated watching him get hurt. It made my skin itch and my whole body ache from my gums to my fingernails.

“He won’t kill him,” Tiago the elf’s low voice assured me.

I didn’t take my eyes off the fight. “I know.” Right? Gavriel wouldn’t die, but being hurt was enough to make me crazy. He was mine to keep safe.

“You shouldn’t be so obvious about how fixated you are on him. He’s a weakness of yours that anyone can take advantage of.”

I bared my teeth at him, distracted from the fight for a second. When I looked back, Lorien kicked Gavriel’s body, snapping several ribs. I ached for him. Literally. “I’m sure that telling me not to be fixated is very helpful.”

Tiago chuckled, melodious and calming. “Then again, that weakness is what makes you accessible, relatable, someone Shane is comfortable inviting to his crew.”

“Being part of his crew would be another weakness.”

“Would it? Ah. You have a strong sense of loyalty. How lucky for you that none of your masters engaged it.”

“Yes, I’m very lucky.” Yes, the fact that both of my masters had been so vile was lucky. The elf was so irritating.

I edged closer to the ward, so close that I could feel the buzzing of it over my cheeks. Crucible chittered in my ear, telling me that I needed to be more careful. I fished a handful of treats out of my pocket and let him eat out of my hand. He hadn’t disappeared into the shadows once he’d found me, almost like he didn’t want to lose me again. Crucible was loyal to me.

Gavriel was playing the part he was supposed to play, but it wasn’t real. And he’d been lured into a fight over the other girl, even when he was supposed to pretend to be in love with me. What would it be like to have someone’s true devotion? I’d never know. And that was fine. I didn’t need devotion, just the cupid to have a brain hemorrhage and drop dead so Gavriel didn’t break another rib. He was going to be hurting after this was over. Lorien wouldn’t be hurting, because once I tortured the information we needed out of him, he’d be dead.

They rolled across the pavement, swords and fists striking, and then Gavriel was on top, steel blade pressed against Lorien’s throat.

The golden angel struggled, gritting his teeth, but the blade edged closer and closer. The angel looked past Gavriel, saw me, and then a flash of something malicious went over his face. He shifted slightly and pulled something out of his sleeve.