A few seconds later, a series of ear-splitting shrieks rose.
Some of it came from the purple-eyed woman.
Most of it came from me.
Stop!I yelled.
The hook tightened again, pulling me downward, into another memory of the golden room.
NO.I dug my heels in, grunting when the pressure cracked another rib.
“We’re nearly there,” Ramiel said.
I’m not going.I threw myself in the opposite direction, ignoring the crushing pain in my chest, churning my feet through the invisible quicksand.
“It would be easier…”
I said NO!And I didn’t budge. Pressure closed around me, shattering my bones and tearing my skin to bits. But I didn’t give in. I didn’t want to know what had happened in that lurid room. I would’ve preferred todiethan find out.
The pressure vanished.
I was back on the stone streets of Niall, staring into the smoky smog.
Ramiel rose to his feet, beaming. I crumbled, my breath rattling in and out of my lungs.
“As always, I commend you for your tenacity,” Ramiel laughed. “But this didn’t need to be so painful.”
“Pain’s my fucking kink.” Blood oozed from my mouth when I spat.
Ramiel’s feet shifted into my line of sight. And his shiny black dress shoesreallychapped my ass. They were pompous and obnoxious. Like the man himself.
My vision swam.
Ramiel’s feet moved closer to me.
I stretched a hand out, searching for something,anything,to use as a weapon. I almost cried in relief when I sliced my finger against the blade of my poleaxe. Sucker was twisted like a pretzel, but still sharp.
“We’ll try again,” Ramiel said. “Once I bring you to Idril and—argh!”
I drove the warped tip of my poleaxe through the polished patent leather of his left shoe. And his small, surprised yelp was music to my ears.
But then he went sprawling sideways.
I blinked, staring at my misshapen poleaxe, as Ramiel hit the ground a few feet away. He didn’t move.
“Oh snap,” I laughed, even as my skull throbbed. “Did I find the magic button? ‘Press here to deactivate your stark raving mad angel—'”
“Adelaide.”
“Fuck!” I hissed.
The new voice made me jump, which sent pulsing pain down the back of my neck and caused my vision to go totally black for a few seconds. I drew shallow breaths, my teeth clenched, and waited for the sensation to ebb before I opened my eyes.
Anothergoddamn Celestial knelt before me. A woman, swathed in a white dress, with radiant blue wings. She had a long, golden staff propped on the ground and was leaning her left hand against it, while her right brushed my shoulder. Her curly, flaming red hair cascaded to her waist.
And her electric blue eyes…
“You—ooh, youbitch!” I slurred. “You coulda at least let me eat my pizza before you sent me here…”
