“That isn’t what drew me here.”Gadreel pinned Jedda withhis steely gaze.“The power of the activated Enoch gem did.”
Razr inhaled a ragged breath as he shoved awkwardly to hisfeet.“Don’t touch her,” he growled.“Donottouch her.”
“Why would I?”
Razr blinked in confusion.Did Gadreel not know that Jeddapossessed the stone?“I don’t understand.”
Gadreel flared his gold-flecked white wings.“That’s becauseyou’re a lesser angel.”He sighed as if he felt sorry for those who weren’tsitting at the top of the food chain like he was.The prick.“Your gem elffriend here is qualified to wield Gems of Enoch.”
Jedda and Razr exchanged glances.Now Razr was reallyconfused.“I thought only humans could do that.”
“No, the rule is that demons and angelscan’t.Which means humans and elvescan.”
Relief nearly sapped Razr’s energy right out of him.“UntilI met Jedda I didn’t even know elves existed.”
“Few do,” Gadreel said with a shrug.“They don’t belong inour...reality, I guess you’d say.Their lives and deaths happen on anotherplane of existence.But because they are neutral forces, they can wield theEnoch gems as well as, or better than, anyhuman.”
Jedda stepped forward.“Mr., ah, Gadreel, can I ask why thegems don’t have exclusively ‘good’ vibes surrounding them?They’re not evenneutral.They’re hard to pin down, really.”
He inclined his head.“That’s because each contains a smallamount of demon blood.”
Well, Razr hadn’t seen that coming.“Why?Angel blood is farmore powerful.”
“Because the gems are used to fight demons.How would theirenergy know the difference between humans and demons without a baseline?”Gadreel’s massive wings folded behind his back, the tips just barely kissingthe floor.“Probably something we should have told you.”
“Yeah.Probably.”Razr couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of hisvoice, and Gadreel shot him a glare.But hey, it could have been worse.A lotworse.
“Come on.”Gadreel waved his hand, erasing the demon andfallen angel remains and sending their souls toAzagoth.Thegriminionswould be disappointed to havetheir job stolen from them.“I’ll zap the elf back to her realm and take youhome.”
Oh, fuck that.Razr took Jedda’s hand and tugged her close,ignoring her little squeak of surprise.“I’m staying.”
Gadreel wheeled around, his coat flapping at his calves.“What do you mean, you’re staying?”
Razr took a deep breath and blurted, “I mean that I’mrefusing reinstatement as an angel.”
“What?”Jedda tugged on his hand.“Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” he said, grinning.“I am.”
The archangelstared.“No onerefuses angelic reinstatement.”
“Uh, dude.”Razr couldn’t believe Gadreel had said that.Heknew of two angels who had refused in the last few years alone.“It’s happeneda lot recently.You guys are breaking rules left and right.”
Gadreel flared his wings again, either out of boredom orirritation.Probably irritation.“Armageddon is nigh.”
Okay, sure, as an angel battling demons, Razr had known thatArmageddon would eventually come, and every fight had been consideredpreparation.Thanks to the Four Horsemen, it had almost happened.But, alsothanks to the Horsemen––as well as a few angels and demons––it had beenpre-empted.World saved.Humanity rescued.Whether that was a good thing or abad one had yet to be seen.
“I hate to tell you this,” Razr said as he bent to retrieveAzagoth’scrystal horn, “but we just stopped Armageddon.We’re cool now.”
Gadreel’s eyes glowed so bright that Razr and Jedda steppedback.“I’m talking about Satan.He’s contained, but he’ll be loose soon.Wemust prepare.”
Jedda’s breath caught, and she let out a strangled squeak.“How soon?”
“Nine hundred and ninety-ishyears,” Razr replied as he kicked aside the halberd that had nearly split himin half.“Give or take a couple of years.”
She gave hima you’ve-got-to-be-kidding melook.“You’re alarmed now by something that won’thappen for almost a thousand years?”
“A thousand years is the blink of an eye for angels.”Gadreel turned to Razr.“Now stop being a fool and come with me.The ArchangelCouncil will want to see you.”
