“Just get to the point,” Shadow rumbled, his shoulders squared, eyes narrowed. Clearly the two were still on the outs.
“Fine. We’ve recently uncovered a leak.” Michael’s eyes briefly shot skyward. “Upstairs.” He leveled his stare on them once again. “I’d go so far as to say there’s a traitor in our midst. Though for the life of me, I can’t figure out who it is.”
Didn’t surprise Obsidian. There were tight reins up there, but despite what the gospel wanted everyone to believe, not even Heaven was perfect. It was inevitable someone would fall through the cracks eventually.
A scroll appeared in Michael’s hand before he motioned Obsidian toward him, holding it out.
Stepping forward, Obsidian took the papyrus, broke the solid gold seal, unrolled it, and scanned the archaic writing. “It’s a list of names,” he told the others before meeting Michael’s unamused stare. “What is this?”
“It’s a list ofamsouelots,” the archangel clarified.
Obsidian frowned. “How did you get this?”
Only the Fates—Adorah, Nevaeh, and Karma—knew the alignment of souls. The sisters were the gatekeepers of the humans’ destiny and they took their roles seriously. They kept detailed lists under lock and key somewhere beyond the pearly gates. Not even the highest order of angels had access to them. Not even God Himself.
Or so Obsidian had been told.
“Look at it again, warrior,” Michael commanded.
He peered down at the paper once more. It was then additional names appeared beside those already scrawled.
Obsidian’s eyes narrowed menacingly, shot back to Michael. “What the fuck?”
Stygian stepped forward, glanced down at the page, inhaled sharply. Obsidian passed it over so his brothers could see for themselves.
“Who are they?” Aphotic asked.
“Those, warriors, are the names of youramsouelots. The seven human females whose souls are destined for yours.”
As the implications settled in, so did the silence.
“That particular list was leaked,” he added.
“To whom?” Obsidian inquired, though he seriously doubted he would like the answer.
“Lucifer.” Michael paced away. “And before you ask, yes, it was the only list that made it into my brother’s hands, though we’re still not sure who shared the information. When we find him, the traitor will be persecuted.” Michael sighed, then relaxed, his wings fluttering when he turned back. “I don’t need to tell you that those females are in danger. Lucifer’s already sent his demons topside and they’re searching. I’ve done my best to keep them shielded, albeit temporarily, but you know my father. He gets all up in arms when we attempt to interfere.”
“How long have you known about this?” Obsidian growled, not at all pleased with the situation.
Perhaps for the first time in Obsidian’s two thousand years of existence, Michael appeared almost remorseful when he said, “Too long.”
“Where are they?” Stygian demanded.
“Unfortunately, warrior, that’s not for me to reveal.”
“Bullshit,” Shadow hissed, stepping forward.
Obsidian held out his arm in a gesture for the male to settle. Inciting Michael wouldn’t get them what they needed.
“It took some groveling,” Michael explained, his eyes narrowing on Shadow, “which you all know I’m not fond of, but I managed to buy you some time.”
Knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer, Obsidian asked anyway. “How long?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have an exact timeline. Let’s just say the situation’s being monitored closely.” He paced across the room, exhaled heavily, then turned to face them once more. “The sooner you find youramsouelotsand complete thelintamair, the better.”
The archangel made it sound so simple. Like making the acquaintance of a human would result in an instant love that could be punctuated by an archaic mating ritual. They all knew humans were a bit more complex than that. Even if the warriors did have the Fates on their side, it would require finesse. Tack on the fact they had tofindthem first…
Michael studied them as though he expected them to spring into action. “You’re up against both the clock and your enemy, so I suggest you get to work.”
