Page 26 of The Devil You Know

“Ha! I knew you were special, Bane! Wait, does it mean I can just take him to Heaven or Hell if he already has the powers inside of him?”

“Do not be hasty,” Raphael scrunched his nose as if he was a teacher displeased with his student. “He has traces of power. And both of them. I don’t know how it will affect the outcome, but I’m pretty sure it’s not enough to guarantee his safety were you to take him into another plane.”

“Shame,” I sighed. Of course, it couldn’t be that simple. “Do you think there’s a chance to do it one day?”

“I don’t know. But I think if any animal has a chance, it would be one touched by God. His uniqueness may be the very thing that the other experiments lacked – an established connection that can be used. Now, excuse me, I have to go,” the Archangel stood up, his cup clattering to the table.

“Wait!” I had many questions to ask, but I had a feeling he was a second from bolting, so I picked my words carefully. “Will you visit? You avoiding Michael is hurting him.”

Raphael teleported out without a response.

I thunked my forehead against the table. Bane licked my hair commiseratingly.

“I didn’t have a chance to ask if he knows if this is why you are so intelligent. You are such a clever boy,” I patted the white fox, who looked pleased at taking me out of my funk.

To be honest, I was unsure what to do. I could pursue the ideas Raphael gave me and work with some of my demons... but I didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to misinterpret my actions like the Archangel did. The tension between the sides was high enough without me adding to it. So, I twiddled my thumbs for a bit, wrote a few more names on the list of people I thought may help, but did not approach them.

A week later, Raphael appeared in my living room.

“Shit!” I clutched at the towel around my waist, my only covering as I had just gotten out of the shower. Fuck, I didn’t yeet Raphael’s token out of the wards because I thought he may come to make nice with Michael, but I did not expect to just see him pop up! And with a stack of documents that were now spilling over my table no less!

“Get yourself decent, demon,” Raphael huffed, his nose high.

“Excuse you!” I spluttered. “I’m not the one invading other people’s privacy. You are the indecent one!”

The Archangel raised his sculpted brow at me, and it made me feel like a scolded child. I turned on my heel, choosing tactical retreat, and made myself presentable as quickly as I could.

“Tea,” Raphael ordered nonchalantly.

“I’m not your servant!” I hissed. In truth, I was about to offer to make it, but now I didn’t want to do that when it was demanded of me.

“Don’t be difficult,” Raphael said, making me consider twelve different ways to kick an Archangel out of your home, but then he continued. “Make yourself useful while I explain my research.”

My mouth opened ready to spout surprised questions like ‘are you actually going to help me?’ and ‘what research?’ or ‘are you possessed?’ but I refrained, not saying a word, and marched to the kitchen to make the best fucking tea I could instead. I had that fancy one somewhere, the one that looked like an unfurling flower when you put it in hot water... Yes, perfect! I brewed it meticulously and even prepared a platter of cookies while Raphael started talking.

He... he was really helping me.

The knowledge he was sharing with me was a mix of his own experiences and research he had done in the past week. There wasn’t a simple answer to my problem at the ready, but Raphael opened some avenues, came up with ideas I didn’t even know existed. Through him, I gained access to documents, experiments, scientists.

A month later, we had a breakthrough and a solid idea of how to proceed. Weeks after that, we performed the first tests.

“I’m missing something... Get me Michael’s blood,” Raphael demanded. “A drop or two will be enough.”

He probably meant by asking the angel... but I managed to keep this secret from Michael so far and I would be damned if I spoiled the surprise. There were other ways to get his blood. Much more interesting ways.

Chapter 11

“Darling, I think you would look marvelous in red.”

Michael blushed to the tips of his ears at my comment combined with my ravenous gaze.

“You mean like... lingerie?”

“That too, I would love the sight of you all dressed up in lace for me, but I had a different kind of red in mind...” I flicked a small, finely wrought and decorated dagger into my hand. Its point was very, very sharp. “Something a bit more sanguine.”

My lover’s eyes were tracing the unhurried movement of the dagger as if hypnotized. With a smirk, I went into the bedroom, Michael charging after me like a bull after a red flag.

“What’s this? A wrapping on my beautiful canvas?” I said, pinching the material of Michael’s shirt between my fingers. “It’s a crime to hide such beauty. It has to go.”

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