Page 25 of The Devil You Know

That Friday, I found myself biting my lip while waiting for Raphael to arrive at my home. I sent him an invitation, beautiful card and all, for tea, hoping he would show up because it would be impolite to decline such a civil invitation. Angels had their weaknesses, so I had to use them when I could.

I was relieved when I felt a spike of angelic magic gathering in the room. I knew it was Raphael because I made sure Michael was busy in Heaven for the next few days and I sent along a temporary key to the wards of my home for my guest to use.

“Hello,” I welcomed when Raphael appeared and scowled at me from the get-go. What a beginning. “Nice suit,” I complimented, though the vivid green accents paired with a dark suit only made me think about how healers were very good at using poisons.

“Thank you. I commissioned Auriolus and I’m quite pleased with the end result,” Raphael said stiffly.

“Abaddon’s boy toy?” I asked before I could hold my tongue.

“A skilled craftsman and an ingenious artist, yes, that Auriolus.” The angel narrowed his eyes at me as if I had insulted his favorite pop star, or something.

“Huh. Maybe I should commission him myself if he comes so highly recommended,” I pondered.

“I doubt even his skills would be enough to hide the ugliness inside you.”

I flinched, then tried to pretend I hadn't. That was... uncalled for. Raphael had an opinion of being brusque, which mostly stemmed from being a healer who didn't take shit, but that comment, however true, was just mean. Cruel.

“What is your problem with me?” I asked.

“Oh? Are we pretending you didn’t plan to ask me about the uses of demonic power in medicine?”

“Well, yes—”

“How demonic power can affect a body? How you can make things worse with it? Forgetting people in the medicine field talk to each other was your downfall, demon. I know you were talking to your subjects about their failed, unethical, fucked up experiments with living beings!”

“What are you accusing me of?”

“You want to know how to make Michael’s pain so debilitating he won’t be able to fight you. I know you are using this charade to bid your time to strike and, like a demon you are, will use any underhanded means.”

A bubble of hysterical laughter escaped from my chest.

“You think... you really think... haha... that I would do that to Michael?”

The Archangel looked surprised at my reaction and then even more angry.

“Yes! When we talked before you said, ‘I know’. You fucking said it! Acknowledged you are bad for Michael and yet here you are, so the only explanation is that your intentions are malicious!”

“Did you meet our pet?” I used the moment when he was thrown out of his rant and called out for Bane. The fox bundled up to us, his ears flicking with curiosity at the new visitor. “He was our companion on the deserted island God threw us on. I thought I had lost him, but Michael found him for me. I want to return his kindness. Want to make him happy. The research I had been doing... your spies aren’t good enough if they only reported that I was asking about our powers interacting with living beings. Animals, Raphael. I was asking how it could affect animals. Pets.” I stared at him pointedly over Bane’s head after I picked the fox up. “I just want to find a way to get Bane to Hell or Heaven with one of us.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t want to believe me. Do you know the owners of Steel Velvet? Would you believe them?”

“Nathaniel and Kreshadon? I met them before they started their current occupation. You talked with them? They will vouch for you not looking into anything sinister?”

“Yes,” I answered with a surety of a man with nothing to hide.

Raphael slumped as if his strings had been cut, all the steam gone from him.

“...how about that tea? I have some nice ginseng,” I offered cautiously.

A few minutes later we were sharing a table, a cup of steaming leaf juice in hand. Raphael was looking into his cup as if it contained all the answers to the universe. I stayed silent, patting Bane’s fur. Contrary to the belief, I had a lot of patience and knew when to shut up.

“Will you let me examine the fox?” he finally asked.

I set Bane down and encouraged him in the angel’s direction. Raphael held out his hand, letting Bane sniff all over it. Whatever he sensed had to meet with approval as he was clambering into the Archangel’s lap a second later. Raphael smiled down at the energetic animal and placed his hand on Bane’s head, his eyes closing in concentration. I could see a faint aura of light as he worked his angelic power. Bane’s ears perked up, as if he sensed what was happening.

“Hmm, as I suspected. Your pet is not a typical animal anymore. On that island, he was directly touched by God and I can still sense traces of demonic and angelic power in him. I think the living beings on the island had been used as a kind of... storage? God wasn’t there to return your power, so there had to be some kind of trigger to give you back what he took away and it makes sense the scattered power would be kept close to you.”

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