Samael’s golden stare lifted to me. “My Lord, everything okay?”
Nodding, I waved a hand. “Yes. I just need some air.” I stood and excused myself from the meeting.
‘And even though you said he’s evil, God, he didn’t seem so bad. I think he’s just unhappy and bored, like me. And he has the most beautifully soft wings…’
Anger flared hot in my chest. I blinked to Anna’s room with my fists clenched.
The little shit is about to get a dose of reality.
Kneeling beside her bed once more, with her tiny hands clasped together, she was the perfect picture of a cherub.
“Anna,” I growled, fighting an urge to blast out a wave of shadows, which would’ve done nothing to scare her since she couldn’t see. “I thought I told you to stop praying for me.”
“Lucian!” She splayed her fingers against the bed and stood, carefully turning in my direction. “You could hear that?” Her eyebrows climbed her forehead.
I cast a glance at the ceiling and willed my heart to stop galloping. “Any time you include me in your prayers, whether you use my name or not, I can hear it. Stop.”
“But I didn’t say your name.” She smiled, her sightless eyes roving the room.
God, I swear if you don’t put an end to this, I’ll…blast her to cinders.
Yet, I knew I wouldn’t. I steered as far from children as possible. They made me jumpy with their grubby hands, harsh truths, and pure souls.
Must handle this delicately.
“What can I do to assure you I need no favors or protection from…God?” I nearly choked on the sentence, imagining God’s eyes alight with amusement at my predicament.
“Nothing.” Anna shrugged and bit her bottom lip, then sat on her cheap, shabby bed.
The ceiling felt as if it was closing in on me, so I lowered myself to the floor, pulling my wings inward to keep the tips from brushing the bare wood.
“Surely there is something you desire. I have the power to give you anything.” I wanted to peek into her soul, to discover what she craved more than anything else, yet I couldn’t. It would be an invasion of the worst sort.
“I don’t know.” Her face fell and she smoothed the hem of her nightgown. “Father Martin says I have everything I need.”
This child, blind for years, could’ve asked for her sight and I would have given serious thought to restoring it just to keep myself out of her prayers. Yet she asked for nothing.
If my heart hadn’t shriveled up and died an eternity ago, it might’ve wept.
I bowed my head and cradled it in my palms.
Lucifer Morningstar Elysium, the strongest angel under the Heavens, defeated by a nine-year-old human.
“Itwouldbe nice to visit the art museum.”
I jerked my face up in astonishment. “But you can’t bloodysee.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I know, but I still remember what some of those paintings looked like. There was this one, I can’t remember everything because I was little, maybe five, and it was right before my eyes finally went completely black, but it had a huge tree with rough, brown bark and a red apple. There were people in it, too, but all I could really see were those colors—brown, red, and green—and I wondered what the paint would feel like if I touched it.”
“Well, I can’t very well take you to an art museum.” The idea was preposterous. “Why don’t you ask your Sisters of Celibacy? I’m sure they would love to—”
“I did, but they said it would be wasted time and effort since I couldn’t see the paintings, anyhow.”
“Well, they have a point.” I scowled, hating that I agreed with their decision.
“But I could still touch the pictures. Did you know each color has a different texture? White is thick because it requires a lot of titanium oxide, and yellows are thin and runny. I think I’d be able to see the picture in my mind if I could just run my fingers over the dried paint. It would help me to pain my own picture in my head.”
I could only stare, taking in her springy curls and hopeful expression.
