"He asked for that."
"And yet you had no problems granting that request because you knew he'd have revenge on his mind. You might pretend you're a god of light and goodness and blah blah blah, but I know the truth."
"And what is that?" Her voice was flat and emotionless.
I swiveled around quickly and jabbed my Hellsteel blade a fraction from her heart.
Her eyes widened and her chest stilled.
"That you're a god of vengeance. You only favor those who serve your purpose. You let children suffer with diseases, with debilitating illnesses, withblindness. What kind of caring parent does that?"
"I do notletit happen. Nature takes its course."
"And you do nothing to stop it." I pursed my lips and spit at her feet. "Go fuck yourself. I'll find another way to save the woman I love."
Above me, a blinding light began streaking out of the sky, its trajectory straight for the spot I stood.
Her army of archangels coming to the rescue, as always.
With the sword tip still pointed at her, I blinked out of her plane's existence.
Iwouldfind a way to redeem myself with Anna and save her from making an enormous mistake with her life.
Somehow.
"I thought you said I'dneedyou," Cain said as he stood under the awning of a shop and crossed his arms.
The name of the business,Wings of Justice, made me want to gag.
"Yes, well…" I sighed. "Perhaps I was wrong. You and I both know I'm not a perfect father."
Cain's silver gaze roved my face. "You gave Phoebe to Malachi and would've let him torture her, you psycho." Color flushed my son's cheeks and his breathing accelerated.
"And you left her with me to run off and exact your vengeance. What does that make you?"
A small woman with glint of purple hair poked out from behind Cain's bulk. "Oh, it's you." Phoebe's face twisted as if she'd smelled something horrendous.
"Look, can we just let bygones be bygones? It's not as if either of you came out worse after invadingmyhome."
I mean, truly. Cain and Michael started a war with my army. They're lucky I didn't retaliate more harshly.
Several passersby gave our little group odd stares, even though we hid our wings. It took everything within me not to give the old busybodies a taste of my true self to watch them grab their hearts with fright.Let's face it, granny there is one foot away from the grave.
Her pinched face and stiff walk reminded me of the nuns at Anna's church, bringing my thoughts to earlier today as I'd watched her unseen.
For thirty minutes after dawn, she'd silently cried and prayed for God to smite me. Her hate for me ran strong, which was the exact reason I'd arrived here in Barkley, Texas like a damnable beggar.
I'd be revolted at myself if I weren’t so desperate to heal Anna's heart.
"My Lord?" Samael's voice jolted me out of my head. "Did we want to continue this discussion inside?" He cast his golden stare to the street and pointedly raised his eyebrows at the sleepy townsfolk gravitating toward our little group.
"Cain?" I pushed my palms together and tapped my lips with my index fingers. "You know how difficult it is for me to ask for help, especially from those I've wronged. Will you at least listen?"
His face hardened, but Phoebe laid a hand on his chest. "I think we should hear them out. Your fatherdidhelp us in the end."
"There. See? Your little Nephilim is quite brilliant." I gave Phoebe my most winning smile. After all, no one could resist my charm when I felt generous.
She wrinkled her nose. "You can stay outside. I was talking about Samael."
