Page 46 of Grave Revelations

“It’s a church.”

Azazel nodded, stepping up to the door. He pressed both hands against it and jumped back, hissing.

“What’s wrong?”

“It burns to touch it.”

She looked down at his hands, watching as charred fingertips healed and smoothed over before her eyes. “You can’t enter the church.”

He scowled and pushed against the door again. Again, he hissed, flinching back. “It seems not.”

Rebecca touched green-painted wood with her gloved hand, waiting for the scalding burn to singe her fingers through fabric. When nothing happened, she pushed. It swung open and she glanced over her shoulder.

Azazel stood with his arms crossed, looking put out.

She stepped through the door into a dark room, only the faintest trickle of light pouring in through two small windows to the left.

“Rebecca.” His voice was laced with warning.

She moved into the room. It wasn’t her fault he couldn’t enter. She wasn’t leaving him, just exploring the old church.

As Rebecca passed the first window and stepped into the light, pain lanced through her.Shit. The bond obviously didn’t agree with her. She backed up, the pain easing, and returned to the door.

Azazel’s arms remained crossed, muscles straining under his jacket as he squeezed them tightly over his chest, a stern expression painted across his face. His grouchy temperament should have raised her hackles; instead, she felt a thrill run through her.

He moved closer, making her heart thrum in her chest. They were close enough to touch, but his hands remained stubbornly tucked under his arms. “You cannot escape me. Not unless you’re willing to suffer unimaginable pain.”

Her heart rate ticked up, and she licked her lips. “I wasn’t…”

His gaze left hers, darting over her shoulder, and some of the heat pooling in her belly cooled.

“Sariel,” he said, stepping closer. “I have a message for you.”

“It saddens me to see you this way, brother,” a deep baritone said behind Rebecca, spinning her around.

She sagged into Azazel and stared at the creature hovering in the air above the church. He was nearly twice Azazel’s size, glowing brilliantly in the pre-dawn light, and he gripped a long, dangerous-looking sword.

“It may soon be your fate,” Azazel said, stepping past Rebecca to get between them.

Rebecca peered around Azazel as the massive angel flapped his silvery wings twice, landing before the door to the church.

“You may tell Samael I am not coming.”

“Tell him yourself.”

Sariel let out a barking laugh. “You haven’t changed so much then, have you, brother?”

Azazel widened his stance, letting his hands fall loosely at his sides. The light breeze ruffling Rebecca’s curls picked up speed.

Rebecca gaped as snow was stripped from branches and whipped into a funnel. Did the ember they shared mean all their gifts were the same? How strong might his fire magic be if it was her greatest ability?

“Come now, Gabriel. You know as well as I that visiting Samael is a one-way trip.” Sariel’s gaze ran down Azazel’s changed form and back up. “Unless we are willing to part with our sanctity.”

Azazel’s fingers twitched at his side, and Rebecca grabbed hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together.

Truth. Reviled. Unholy. Beastly.The words were there and gone in a flash, but Rebecca had heard them; her heart ached for him.

You’re not any of those things, she thought.

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