is, why wouldn’t you know about it?”
Luniel wrinkled his nose. “Yeah. Was afraid you’d ask that.”
“Uh-huh. And why would you even care, either way? Isn’t it ‘meant to happen’?” She made ironic quote marks in the air. “When it’s all over, won’t you guys just get sucked up into heaven, or something?”
“It’s complicated…”
“Yeah. Right.” She folded her arms. “Whose side are you really on? And don’t even think about lying to me.”
Luniel sighed, tilting heavenblue eyes to the sky. “It’s not really a matter of sides—”
“Answer me, creature. If you’re really a demon, I swear to God I’ll slice you up with this autopsy saw.”
He leaned back, palms warding her off. “I’m not a demon, okay? Give me a break. Demons have beady little red eyes and smell bad.”
“But you’re not exactly in the club, are you? You curse, you flirt, you don’t exactly look…
angelic
. Sorry, I don’t buy it. What’s the catch?” She held his gaze with hers, triumphant, determined not to let him get away with anything.
He grimaced. “Look, it’s not as bad as it sounds. We had…kind of a disagreement. About…stuff. It’s not important.”
She shook her head, incredulous but satisfied. “I should’veknown. You’re a fallen angel, right? Did the wrong thing by Dad and got grounded for it like a sulky teenager.”
He jammed his chin into his hands and pouted comically. “We’re not exactly
fallen
, okay? We still play for heaven. We’re just not on the first team.”
“That has to be the worst rationalization I ever heard.”
“We’re called the Tainted, and there’s a bunch of us. We’re not damned, but we’re not exactly heaven’s favorites, either. It’s kind of a halfway thing?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hey, I don’t make the rules, okay? We work for an archangel called Michael. He calls us when he’s made a mess and doesn’t want to get his hands even dirtier than they already are.”
Morgan blinked. “Michael?
The
Michael? From all those paintings? Girly long-haired guy with the armor and the big sword?”
“Girly.” Luniel snickered. “I am so telling him you said
girly
. But yeah. Isn’t more than one Mike, far as I know. Thank heaven.”
“And so you want to stave off the Apocalypse. How come? What do you care? Won’t it all be nectar and ambrosia and harp music…?” She stared. “Oh, shit. Heaven doesn’t want you, right?”
Luniel shrugged, sheepish. “Hey, at least you guys got somewhere to go. Heaven repossessed my soul. I’m just gonna blink out. Even hell’s gotta be better than oblivion.”
Her mind worked it over, incredulous.
I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking about the end of the world. With an angel. A fallen angel. Who’s probably lying through that killer smile with every blasted word.
He lighted to his feet. “Okay? Done with the inquisition? Let’s go see if we can’t raise a few demon sigils—”
“One more thing.” Morgan stood, facing him. If he was going to lie, he’d have to lie to her face. No more omissions. Just the facts.
Luniel halted, exasperated. “What?”
“What was your sin?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your sin. What did heaven throw you out for?”
His jaw tightened. “You really wanna know?”
“Yes.”
“Come closer, then. Trust for trust.”
Morgan took a step. She didn’t trust him. Not at all. But she had to know.
“Closer.” Luniel beckoned, a fiery glint in his eyes.
She edged closer. She could feel his body heat. Smell that delicious toffee scent. Feel his lips on hers in her memory, that scorching kiss, his strong arms around her…
She tightened her mouth, stoic. His magnetism affected her, she couldn’t deny that. Didn’t mean it wasn’t all part of the trick.
He leaned over her. His sooty hair fell on her shoulder, fragrant, inviting. She shivered.
It’s a game. Don’t fall for his lies. Don’t let him touch you…
His lips brushed her ear. Unwillingly,
Luniel wrinkled his nose. “Yeah. Was afraid you’d ask that.”
“Uh-huh. And why would you even care, either way? Isn’t it ‘meant to happen’?” She made ironic quote marks in the air. “When it’s all over, won’t you guys just get sucked up into heaven, or something?”
“It’s complicated…”
“Yeah. Right.” She folded her arms. “Whose side are you really on? And don’t even think about lying to me.”
Luniel sighed, tilting heavenblue eyes to the sky. “It’s not really a matter of sides—”
“Answer me, creature. If you’re really a demon, I swear to God I’ll slice you up with this autopsy saw.”
He leaned back, palms warding her off. “I’m not a demon, okay? Give me a break. Demons have beady little red eyes and smell bad.”
“But you’re not exactly in the club, are you? You curse, you flirt, you don’t exactly look…
angelic
. Sorry, I don’t buy it. What’s the catch?” She held his gaze with hers, triumphant, determined not to let him get away with anything.
He grimaced. “Look, it’s not as bad as it sounds. We had…kind of a disagreement. About…stuff. It’s not important.”
She shook her head, incredulous but satisfied. “I should’veknown. You’re a fallen angel, right? Did the wrong thing by Dad and got grounded for it like a sulky teenager.”
He jammed his chin into his hands and pouted comically. “We’re not exactly
fallen
, okay? We still play for heaven. We’re just not on the first team.”
“That has to be the worst rationalization I ever heard.”
“We’re called the Tainted, and there’s a bunch of us. We’re not damned, but we’re not exactly heaven’s favorites, either. It’s kind of a halfway thing?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hey, I don’t make the rules, okay? We work for an archangel called Michael. He calls us when he’s made a mess and doesn’t want to get his hands even dirtier than they already are.”
Morgan blinked. “Michael?
The
Michael? From all those paintings? Girly long-haired guy with the armor and the big sword?”
“Girly.” Luniel snickered. “I am so telling him you said
girly
. But yeah. Isn’t more than one Mike, far as I know. Thank heaven.”
“And so you want to stave off the Apocalypse. How come? What do you care? Won’t it all be nectar and ambrosia and harp music…?” She stared. “Oh, shit. Heaven doesn’t want you, right?”
Luniel shrugged, sheepish. “Hey, at least you guys got somewhere to go. Heaven repossessed my soul. I’m just gonna blink out. Even hell’s gotta be better than oblivion.”
Her mind worked it over, incredulous.
I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking about the end of the world. With an angel. A fallen angel. Who’s probably lying through that killer smile with every blasted word.
He lighted to his feet. “Okay? Done with the inquisition? Let’s go see if we can’t raise a few demon sigils—”
“One more thing.” Morgan stood, facing him. If he was going to lie, he’d have to lie to her face. No more omissions. Just the facts.
Luniel halted, exasperated. “What?”
“What was your sin?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your sin. What did heaven throw you out for?”
His jaw tightened. “You really wanna know?”
“Yes.”
“Come closer, then. Trust for trust.”
Morgan took a step. She didn’t trust him. Not at all. But she had to know.
“Closer.” Luniel beckoned, a fiery glint in his eyes.
She edged closer. She could feel his body heat. Smell that delicious toffee scent. Feel his lips on hers in her memory, that scorching kiss, his strong arms around her…
She tightened her mouth, stoic. His magnetism affected her, she couldn’t deny that. Didn’t mean it wasn’t all part of the trick.
He leaned over her. His sooty hair fell on her shoulder, fragrant, inviting. She shivered.
It’s a game. Don’t fall for his lies. Don’t let him touch you…
His lips brushed her ear. Unwillingly,
Similar Books
