Page 17 of By An Angel's Grace

“You bet.”

“All the time,” he said. “But I was kind of hoping you’d say that.”

“That I’d get back to work?”

“Fuck to the no,” he said with a grin. “That you were on vacation. You need it, and Addy needs it.”

“What Adelaide needs is to make sure that her injury isn’t serious. I did what I could, but healing isn’t my forte.”

“Thankfully, I have both just the place, and someone who knows all the healing tricks on speed dial.”

“Of course you do.”

Once I picked Adelaide’s limp form up, Gabriel handled the transportation. We disappeared from the empty stretch of road and reappeared in the bedroom of a fancy hotel suite. As usual for Gabriel, I had no idea how he’d come into it long enough to have it ready – more than likely it’s one of his countless special arrangements at places he favored.

Gabriel stepped into the next room to make a phone call, while I did my best to get Adelaide settled in comfortably, then settled in next to her on the bed to wait. I tried to convince myself it wasn’t anything serious. After everything we’d come through, and everything she’d survived, it couldn’t be. I did what I could to accelerate her healing, focusing my limited powers that way as I smoothed her hair back from her face. I kept waiting for some sign she’d wake – a flutter of her eyes, some noise besides the steady breathing. None came.

Gabriel reappeared with Raphael in tow, a relief by itself. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

Raphael nodded, gesturing for me to get out of the way. He could heal her far better than I, but I still couldn’t help but hesitate in leaving her, even that small amount. Still, I stood and moved aside, keeping an eye on her.

“She’s done and risked a lot in the service of our Father. I was hoping it would be a bit longer before she’d be in need of healing again, but it seems the least I could do,” Raphael said. He shifted her onto her side and parted her hair to inspect the spot she’d been struck. “Hm.”

“Hm? Care to elaborate?”

“Demons hit hard,” he said, unhelpfully.

“How bad is it?”

“Nothing that can’t be healed, but she’ll need rest.” That, at least, was a relief to have confirmation of.

“They can manage rest,” Gabriel said. “They’ve got this place as long as they want it. And Tabby Cat is insisting he’s sticking to the ‘I’m on vacation’ plan. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

“As long as she needs,” I said, meaning it.

Raphael looked my way and nodded. “For the best,” he said, before returning his attention to her injury. He spent a few moments laying his hand on the bump on her head and praying. Then he began to talk more conversationally again, even if he kept his eyes on Adelaide. “Gabriel didn’t say much, but said you’d come to some sort of arrangement with Lucifer?”

“Pretty loose arrangement. I agree not to open the Gates of Hell and lead another inconvenient invasion, and he, and his agents, stop interfering overtly with mortals.”

“And you trust that?”

“Of course not. But I do believe that he needs some time to rebuild. He lost a lot more in that fight than we did. We proved we can hurt him, and his realm, with enough cause.”

“So what do you think he’s going to do?”

“I think he, personally, is probably going to focus on getting Hell in order and tell his agents to try and be a lot more subtle. He’ll probably pull back the ones he doesn’t think can do it. It’s something, and it should guarantee Adelaide’s safety for a while.”

“And hopefully others, of course.”

“Plenty of others, but she was the one he threatened this time. She’d be the focus for plenty of his minions.”

Raphael smiled just slightly. “And you’re certain you’re not just speaking in self-interest there, singling her out?”

I shrugged. “I’m not going to even pretend to not be taking her side in a lot of things. I almost started a war that she was at the center of, including you and the rest of the archangels. She’s earned it. But I am very sure I’m not solely speaking in self-interest. I think it will benefit plenty of others, too.”

Raphael nodded before resuming praying for a few more moments, then continued the conversation. “Speaking of your willingness to fight us over one mortal, you may wish to keep very clear of Michael for a while. He’s still, shall we say, less than pleased.”

Gabriel grinned. “Since she’s unconscious at the moment, I’ll speak for Addy here, presuming that this is where she’d say Michael can go fuck himself, she’ll go where she pleases.”

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