Khray flipped to the back of the folder and he and Blue looked at the graphs, not understanding what they were looking at.
"What's this?" Khray asked.
"This is a fan survey that was done on ten of Abadon's top artists. Look at where Blue is on the list for personality."
"He's dead last," Khray whispered.
"Yes, and it gets worse. Everyone agrees he's handsome and talented, but he's as dull as they come. And as much as I appreciate that he's drama-free, we need to build some kind of drama or scandal around him."
"I don't thin—" Khray started.
"Let me think about it," Uriel said just as Khray spoke.
Khray turned to look at him in shock. He went to speak but Uriel placed a gentle hand on the other man's wrist, quieting his words.
"I'm not much of a scandal type of person, but Khray and I will think of something to improve my image."
"Okay," Dagon said after a few minutes. "But just in case, I'll still send Blue's profile toOmegas of Valleywood." He shrugged his shoulders as he stood and gave them a Cheshire grin. Dagon leaned closer to Uriel, making him lean back in defense. "Who knows, they might not pick you, and something or someone more interesting would add some spice to your dull life."
Uriel gave a nervous chuckle. "We'll get back to you when we think of something."
"You do that," Dagon smirked. "You know, looking at you real close, I never noticed the hint of gray in your eyes. I like it."
Uriel forced a smile and didn't give the man any more meat to continue their conversation.
Dagon stood up straight and fixed his jacket then grabbed his briefcase. "It's been an enlightening meeting, but I have another engagement. Get back to me in two days with a proposal."
Uriel and Khray stood and all three men left the private room. Uriel said goodnight to both men and made a detour to the restroom. He noted that the lighting in the alcove leading to the bathroom was a bit darker than the rest of the restaurant, and there was an exit at the end of the long hall.
After finishing his business, Uriel was about to leave the bathroom but pulled out his cellphone, turning it on, and saw text messages popping on the screen from the band members. He'd read through the previous messages to get an idea of how Blue Lennox interacted with his friends. Uriel had to admit they were pretty close and was certain they would go to bat for each other.
Deciding to respond to the group later, Uriel was about to unlock his phone and send Azazel a message that he was done with dinner and was on his way home. He opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom and gasped when he was grabbed from behind and felt a sharp object stabbing him in the back.
Uriel went to move but realized he couldn't; his body went numb and flashbacks of his imprisonment came to his mind. Although Uriel was an immortal, there were tools and weapons that could harm him if used by another like himself. Not all gods and angels were good, and some liked to experiment with human weapons to harm or torture their kind for fun.
Gadriel was one of those; he was a former doctor, and in some cases he was seen as a mad scientist. During those twenty years Uriel was a sitting duck for Gadriel to experiment on with whatever weapon he could come up with. And the one stuck in his back was his favorite, a knife with a thick blade that immobilized an angel and stopped him from healing for at least a day.
The knife was dangerous, even in the hands of a human. Uriel had muscle memory when it came to that weapon. The scar on his leg was a stark reminder of how thick and sharp the blade was when it cut flesh from bone.
A deep chuckle echoed in his ear; it was unfamiliar and chilling. The object in his back deepened and so did the pain. Uriel couldn't move or make a sound. Uriel could tell that his attacker was a human, and he didn't know how the person got their hands on the knife. It was a question Uriel couldn't answer, nor could he hold on to a thought as his vision started to blur.
"Benito has a message for you. Say hello to your mother and father in hell," the attacker's deep voice reverberated in his ear.
Uriel choked on his blood as the knife was pulled from his back. Uriel's numb legs gave out and he fell to the floor, gasping desperately for breath. He tried to force his limbs to move but they didn't get the signal. Seconds, maybe minutes, passed as Uriel waited in hope for feeling to return to him.
Damn, when did I use up all of my good karma? This should not be happening.
Uriel couldn't keep his eyes open, but just before they closed, he saw a familiar face enter the restroom and hoped that they would notice him or hear his silent plea.
Micha, help me.
* * *
Uriel groanedand slowly opened his eyes, connecting with the pristine white ceiling. Along with the annoying steady beeping in the background, he knew that he was in the hospital. But he had no idea how he’d gotten there.
Uriel didn't forget what had happened. He'd been stabbed in the back by an unknown assailant with a knife that Gadriel made, stopping him from moving and healing. Not only that, it weakened his powers drastically, making him unable to function. Subconsciously, he reached up and touched his hair and stopped, realizing that he was able to move his arms.
That's weird.
