Read Online Archangel Rafe (A Novel of The Seven Book 1) by Lisa Hughey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lisa Hughey
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beats of the faithful Angel’s heart. Until the organ pumped no longer.
Uri ran up to the three of them, a hundred pounds of gear on his back, hair tied back in a stub of a ponytail, and sweating enough to put out a fire with just his body fluid. Streaks of soot smeared his face and ash coated his hair. He stared down at the body of his Angel.
Uri dropped the gear unceremoniously. The ground shook with the vibrations from the heavy weight. He knelt beside his fallen firefighter with his head bowed and a soft prayer for the faithful’s soul. “This fire is...wrong. We’re on the brink of....” Uri gestured in frustration. “I don’t know. Change?”
An edge of disquiet bled into Rafe’s mind. The Universe had seemed just a little off for the last few weeks. A strange unease hovered in the air. But he would have to figure out what was going on later.
“How is the fire?”
“I’ve managed to contain the rest. The burn area won’t exceed the perimeter in place.” Uri’s gaze swept the devastation.
“We lost many souls tonight,” Stanislaus whispered from the ground, his body had already begun to fail.
Uri asked Stas, “What happened to Lev?”
Stanislaus glared at them both. “Exactly what happened to me.” He held out his hand and opened it so that Rafe could see what he had clenched so tightly. Blood oozed from the wound. “I was stabbed.”
Stas had been stabbed directly through his angel’s mark. The seemingly innocuous Bic pen protruded from both sides. Shit.
An ancient death blow.
“Don’t judge them,” Stas implored. “Don’t. They are the same as me, just...different.”
Rafe frowned. What the hell did Stas mean? But before he could ask, the old Polish healer fell over. Gone. His heart had just given out. He said a small prayer for the soul of Stanislaus. Tonight was a loss for the entire Angel community.
“What the hell?” Uri said softly.
Rafe said, just in case Uri couldn’t see where Stas was attacked, “He was stabbed through his mark.”
Uri whispered a curse. “Certain death.”
Rafe’s mouth tightened. As far as he knew, no Angel on earth had been killed in this manner since the great flood. His unease heightened. “What in the Cosmos is going on?”
“This is serious.” Uri glanced back at Angelina. “Only one survivor?”
“No, that’s my transitionee.” Rafe ran his fingers through his hair.
“Why is she here?”
“I didn’t have time to get her somewhere else.”
“We’ll get to her later.” Uri swept his arm to gesture towards the destruction. “We need to figure out why Lev and Stas were killed. Because this was deliberate.”
Rafe agreed. “Stas said, don’t judge them.”
“Don’t judge who?” Uri propped his fists on his hips.
“I don’t know.” Rafe said, “We need to take this to the council.”
“Agreed.” Uri looked at Angelina. “You need to take her home first?”
“Yes.” He could also use this time while they were figuring out what happened to their Angels to figure out how to convince Angelina to become the healer she was meant to be.
Rafe must have spoken out loud.
“She needs to be convinced?” Uri snarled.
Rafe was compelled to stick up for Angelina. “She’s had a rough time lately. She has very little joy in her life.” He swallowed. He certainly hadn’t helped.
Joy. Angelina had little. He had none.
“And she can’t find joy in healing others?” Uri shook his head, and sweat flew to the dirt. “I can’t believe Angelina Guerisse’s granddaughter would think that way.”
“The old lady is an exceptional healer.” And her granddaughter Angelina was following in her footsteps. She had instinctively healed a very difficult condition without any training or the correct technique.
Uri continued to extoll the virtues of the old lady. “I still remember right after she first transitioned and she rushed into that building without regard to her own safety to save those people.”
Uri was right.
Uri ran up to the three of them, a hundred pounds of gear on his back, hair tied back in a stub of a ponytail, and sweating enough to put out a fire with just his body fluid. Streaks of soot smeared his face and ash coated his hair. He stared down at the body of his Angel.
Uri dropped the gear unceremoniously. The ground shook with the vibrations from the heavy weight. He knelt beside his fallen firefighter with his head bowed and a soft prayer for the faithful’s soul. “This fire is...wrong. We’re on the brink of....” Uri gestured in frustration. “I don’t know. Change?”
An edge of disquiet bled into Rafe’s mind. The Universe had seemed just a little off for the last few weeks. A strange unease hovered in the air. But he would have to figure out what was going on later.
“How is the fire?”
“I’ve managed to contain the rest. The burn area won’t exceed the perimeter in place.” Uri’s gaze swept the devastation.
“We lost many souls tonight,” Stanislaus whispered from the ground, his body had already begun to fail.
Uri asked Stas, “What happened to Lev?”
Stanislaus glared at them both. “Exactly what happened to me.” He held out his hand and opened it so that Rafe could see what he had clenched so tightly. Blood oozed from the wound. “I was stabbed.”
Stas had been stabbed directly through his angel’s mark. The seemingly innocuous Bic pen protruded from both sides. Shit.
An ancient death blow.
“Don’t judge them,” Stas implored. “Don’t. They are the same as me, just...different.”
Rafe frowned. What the hell did Stas mean? But before he could ask, the old Polish healer fell over. Gone. His heart had just given out. He said a small prayer for the soul of Stanislaus. Tonight was a loss for the entire Angel community.
“What the hell?” Uri said softly.
Rafe said, just in case Uri couldn’t see where Stas was attacked, “He was stabbed through his mark.”
Uri whispered a curse. “Certain death.”
Rafe’s mouth tightened. As far as he knew, no Angel on earth had been killed in this manner since the great flood. His unease heightened. “What in the Cosmos is going on?”
“This is serious.” Uri glanced back at Angelina. “Only one survivor?”
“No, that’s my transitionee.” Rafe ran his fingers through his hair.
“Why is she here?”
“I didn’t have time to get her somewhere else.”
“We’ll get to her later.” Uri swept his arm to gesture towards the destruction. “We need to figure out why Lev and Stas were killed. Because this was deliberate.”
Rafe agreed. “Stas said, don’t judge them.”
“Don’t judge who?” Uri propped his fists on his hips.
“I don’t know.” Rafe said, “We need to take this to the council.”
“Agreed.” Uri looked at Angelina. “You need to take her home first?”
“Yes.” He could also use this time while they were figuring out what happened to their Angels to figure out how to convince Angelina to become the healer she was meant to be.
Rafe must have spoken out loud.
“She needs to be convinced?” Uri snarled.
Rafe was compelled to stick up for Angelina. “She’s had a rough time lately. She has very little joy in her life.” He swallowed. He certainly hadn’t helped.
Joy. Angelina had little. He had none.
“And she can’t find joy in healing others?” Uri shook his head, and sweat flew to the dirt. “I can’t believe Angelina Guerisse’s granddaughter would think that way.”
“The old lady is an exceptional healer.” And her granddaughter Angelina was following in her footsteps. She had instinctively healed a very difficult condition without any training or the correct technique.
Uri continued to extoll the virtues of the old lady. “I still remember right after she first transitioned and she rushed into that building without regard to her own safety to save those people.”
Uri was right.
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