“Yes,” Silence answered. “She’s locked inside. Can you get her out?”
“Who is that?” My heart pounded. “If it’s not Castiel, who are you?”
The seraph on the other side grunted.
“This is Azrael,” Silence answered. “He’s a friend of Castiel’s. He came to check on him. He’s going to help.”
Hope again flickered in my chest. “You will? Please, promise me you’ll get him out. He must be hurt badly if he hasn’t broken free already.”
A swoosh came from the other side of the door, the sound of feathers. He inhaled, then snorted in disgust. “You’ve been with Castiel. I can smell him on you. Stale but still present.”
Shock rippled through me. Castiel had told me about their keen senses, but this was beyond my understanding.
“I tried to save him,” I said.
“More than that.”
My face flamed as I realized what he meant. Seraphim could smell the afterscent of sex? Embarrassing. “It’s not like that,” I stammered. “We both—we are happy. He said I’m his mate.”
“Another one,” he muttered after a heavy pause. “What is this madness?”
I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to tell him Castiel was the only thing that mattered. It was laughable—or had been laughable—to think mere men could direct a seraph on puppet strings. Make him preach what they wanted, trot him out in public to grow their numbers, everything.
Except they learned how to hurt him.
Tears pricked at my eyes. “Why isn’t he free already? How badly is he hurt?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain calm.
Azrael sighed, and his wings shifted, the only audible sign of his agitation. “His ayim will heal him eventually. But drinking poison…it will take several days.”
“It’s been over a day now,” I said, trying not to panic. “And he’s nowhere to be seen.”
“If he was mated to another seraph and had completed the bond, his ayim would have extra strength.” Azrael let the silence grow after those words, sharp and accusatory.
I swallowed. I hadn’t completed the bond with him. But then, I wasn’t a seraph. I didn’t have ayim. Still—had I made his chances of healing worse? Could I have helped him by bonding to him?
All my concerns about him leaving me—or worse, wishing he’d left me—seemed so distant and ludicrous now. I didn’t know if he’d survive the night.
“He will survive, won’t he?” Silence asked, as if reading my mind.
Azrael shifted his weight, making the floor beneath him creak. “It depends on what they’re doing to him now. And why they’re doing it. If he hasn’t broken free yet, he’s likely cut off from sunlight.”
“We have to find him now,” I urged.
“I’ll get him out of this mess,” Azrael finally declared, then stepped away.
“Wait!” I called, touching the door and swallowing my tears. “Wait, where are you going?”
“Are you leaving?” Silence hurried after him. “I thought you were going to break down the door. You look strong enough for it.”
Frustration burned my body. “Hey!” I shouted, slamming the flat of my hands against the door. “Get me out of here! I need to see him! I can help.”
“You said you’d help us,” Silence murmured insistently, her footsteps hurried.
“No. I said I’d help Castiel. I don’t deal with humans.” His voice was cold and hard, as if Silence was his mortal enemy.
The door opened and shut.
Quiet echoed around us, ringing in my ears.
