“Didn’t think so.” How many Wraiths were out there? Thousands, right? Ramiel had all those human souls stored away in that hunky body of his?
“You say it so disdainfully,” Ramiel chuckled.
“Because there’s nothing ‘dainful’ about stealing souls.” Wasdainfuleven a word? Eh, whatever. It was now.
Ramiel made a soft, amused sound. “I ease a person’s suffering and I’m denounced for it. Raphael’s hybrids live a life of agony, and the humanscelebratehim. I’ll never understand mortals.”
The darkness around the edges of my vision crept inward. This conversation needed to be wrapped up. And stat. “Look,” I dug the heel of my palm into my temple, “I don’tcelebrateyour brother. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a pair of immature assholes waving your dicks around to determine who hasthe most girth.Your whole‘woe is me’speech won’t win any brownie points here. Because the only ones I feel sorry for are the poor fucking bastards you put in the middle of all this. The humans, hybrids, Wraiths…all of ‘em.”
“You pity the humans?” Ramiel asked. “Even though they asked—nay,forcedyou to fight in their battles?”
“Okay, well, that was mostly Quinn,” I said. “And he can fuck off too. But the rest of them—”
“Quinn?” Something dark flashed behind Ramiel’s eyes. “That boy is still alive?”
“Unfortunately.”
Ramiel’s nostrils flared. A red tinge appeared on his cheeks.
My heart plummeted. Uh-oh. The fuck had I done?
“Is he here?” Ramiel asked.
“Who?”
“Quinn.”
“Quinn? Who’s that? You must be hard of hearing. I saidFinn—”
Ramiel pulled his hands from his pockets, his wings lifting over his head.
Shit!
I hated Quinn’s guts. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. That didn’t mean I wanted to sic this deranged, soul-eating Celestial on him.
I needed to do something.Fast.
And, like a miracle from the heavens, it happened.
Ramiel’s skin turned fluorescent-y, like Seruf’s had. I didn’t think twice. I staggered to my feet (nearly blowing chunks when my stomachsquish-squatched)and thrust my arms through his chest.
Down I tumbled, into that tunnel of color and sound. Except Ramiel’s was brighter. Louder. Harsher. My head almost split in two.
I couldn’t hold on this time. So, I drew back, sobbing.
“You are brave, attempting to usemy poweragainst me.” Ramiel’s voice drifted over my head as I hit the deck again.
I looked up at him—or, at least, IthoughtI looked at him. But my brain had gotten knocked loose. It sloshed around inside my head, mashing against my skull. Blinding me. I couldn’t see anything around the black spots in my vision.
“But you should know better,” Ramiel continued. “Did I not teach you to—"
“Teach me?Goddamn, I think all you angels are on crack. You makenosense. None.”
Ramiel knelt, grasping my chin, ignoring me when I tried to bite his hand. He pushed my head back, his coffee-scented breath billowing over my face as he stared at me. “You don’t remember, do you?” he asked.
“Rememberwhat?”
Ramiel’s hold on my chin tightened. “Well, that explains…” he cleared his throat, his other hand drifting toward my chest.
