Page 130 of Angel Betrayed

“When you calm down…” The area was deserted now. Smart Other had fled. “We’ll talk, and then you’ll bring me Seline.” Sam shrugged. “Or I’ll cut off your wings.”

Seline was walking through a cloud of—well, a cloud. Everything was beautiful. Gorgeous. But there were only other angels around, and, even when they were around, they weren’t exactly chatty.

No humans. No shifters. No charmers. Delia had told her that when those beings passed, they went “far beyond the gates.” Yeah, there’d been a bit of yearning in Delia’s words. So when most beings died, they got some sparkly, happily-ever-after paradise. But angels had…

“You have to come with me!”

Seline spun around. Okay, wow, Delia’s wings were all ruffled. “What’s wrong?”

“Sammael.”

Her heart slammed into her chest. “Has something happened to him?”

Delia glanced around, and the angel looked worried. Not good. Delia didn’t worry. “If you don’t stop him, something exceedingly bad will happen.”

“Then why are we standing here?” Seline yelled as her own feathers ruffled. “Get me to?—”

Delia grabbed her hand and yanked her right off the cloud. They fell fast and hard toward earth. More clouds whipped around them, and Seline could just make out a sea of blue and the thick darkness of land and?—

“Use your wings!”

Oh, crap, right. Seline started flapping.

Delia didn’t let go of her hand. The angel flew forward, not down, and Seline struggled to keep up with her.

The air was cold on her face. It felt like raindrops were stinging her skin. Faster, faster, they went. Their surroundings blurred. She lost track of time. And then…

Darkness.

Her feet hit the ground.

“Seline?”

Broken, rough, Sam. Her eyes opened. He was there. Tall, strong, but with hollowed cheeks and wild, shadowed eyes. Pain etched deep lines on his face. She hurried toward him, and heard someone—Az?—mutter, “Wings…” from her side. She didn’t look his way because she couldn’t look away from Sam.

Her fingers trembled when she touched Sam’s face.

“I dreamed about you,” he whispered.

She tried to smile. Couldn’t. “And I dreamed about you.” Her heart beat so fast she hurt.

“I tried to save you.” Gruff. Seemingly torn from him.

She shoved back the memory of fear and pain and of his eyes—on hers. Afraid. Angry. Desperate. Seline stood on her toes and kissed him. This wasn’t a dream, he was real now, and she needed to feel his mouth against hers.

His fingers brushed over her wings, and a shiver skated down her body.

“She’s here, now let me out,” Uriel snarled.

Keeping Seline’s fingers twined with his, Sam stepped back. He kicked away the white powder that circled Uriel.

“What is that?” Uriel demanded. “Nothing should hold us. Nothing.”

“We can hold each other. Our own powers can lock us in. Bind us. Fucking Angel’s Dust.” Sam exhaled slowly. “The powder is made from angel wings. What the hell do you think happens to the wings and feathers when we fall? They burn, turn to ash and dust, but they keep a glow of our power. The Dust isn’t just used to poison demons. It’s a weapon that we can use against our own kind.”

Seline tightened her fingers around his.

Sam stared at her. “I wanted you to be free.”

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