Why would it?
You denied her time and again.
The truth of my fall from grace hung heavy around me. I’d had her so briefly, but for those fleeting moments, I’d finally known true happiness. But the reality of our situation meant anything lasting was impossible.
And yet.
And yet . . .
I missed her with a hunger so fierce it damn near rent me in two.
The others believed her, so why couldn’t I? Why was it so hard for me to entertain the idea that fate might have granted the four of us our perfect mate?
Because your kind are unworthy of happy endings.
I tapped my fingers on the arm of the chair, my thoughts chasing each other until one rang out so loudly I sat up straight from the force.
So become fucking worthy.
Shoving to my feet, I raked a hand through my hair and took a heavy breath. I’d sat idly by my entire existence, waiting for my time to come, only entering situations when Death was needed. Not any longer. Not when I could do something to help.
“Gabriel,” I thundered as I left the room and stormed down the hall.
Unfortunately the angel did not miraculously appear at my summons. Several heads turned my way, though.
“What are you looking at?” I snapped, annoyed by the judgment and pity I found in their curious gazes.
Though the latter emotion might have been a bit of me projecting. It’s not like anyone here knew me.
I pulled my leather gloves from my pocket and slid my hands into them just in case I needed to shove someone out of my way.
“Everything all right?” Hades called, standing off to the side with a dark-haired vampire I vaguely recognized.
“Where’s that troublemaking angel?” I demanded, moving to join the twosome.
“You’ll need to be more specific. We have a handful of angels in our ranks these days,” the vampire said with a barely there smile, his Irish accent tinged with something close to amusement.
As my eyes landed on him, that sense of recognition deepened. I knew this man. And not just because he was part of the rescue party that came for us atIniquity.
“I’m surprised to see you here. I recall greeting your soul.”
Caleb’s lips twitched. “You’ll have to take that up with Gabriel. He gave it back.”
“As I said, troublemaker.”
Hades let out a low chuckle. “It was more like he gifted it to your mate, Caleb. Don’t twist things around. Gabriel isn’t in the business of just handing things like souls out willy-nilly.”
Caleb shrugged. “There were a lot of moving parts to my resurrection.” He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly attempting to comb his memory for a recollection of me. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
“We have. You won’t remember me, though. The souls I claim rarely do.”
Caleb looked between the two of us. “How does it work between the two of you? Don’t you technically have the same job?”
Hades and I exchanged a knowing glance. We got this question frequently when we were together.
“He reaps them and then passes them on to me for judgment and sorting.”
Caleb nodded as though he followed, but it was obvious he had more questions than answers. Most did when it came to all things death and afterlife.
