Page 57 of Wings of Strife
“Did they mention Uriel at all? If the Fallen were there, he must be involved.”
Shaking my head, I say, “Not by name, but I came to the same assumption as you.”
“What about the masked man? Did you recognize him, even a little?”
A chill works its way down my spine just thinking about him. For a second, I can almost hear his deep, smoky voice.
“No. I don’t think so.” My teeth chatter. When did it get so cold in here?
“You’re freezing,” he says, pressing his warmth against me. “Come with me.”
I follow him to the closet where he tells me to strip down. He rummages through his belongings, and by the time I’m undressed, he’s holding out a spare shirt for me to wear. I put it on, loving that it smells of him.
Raphael kisses the top of my head, and I feel a little warmth returning to my limbs. He pulls me back to bed, motioning for me to get beneath the sheets before grabbing a book from his nightstand and joining me. On top of his bedside table sits a new frame with a picture of the three of us at Esther’s shop. My heart squeezes at the fact that he keeps us so close to him while he sleeps. I burrow beneath the blankets, a giddiness bubblingbeneath my skin and wiping away a little of my fear. His sheets are silken smooth. Far nicer than any I’ve ever owned.
We rest against pillows, and I snuggle into Raphael’s side. “What do you have there?” I ask, curious about the weathered book in his hands and wanting a diversion from the swirling emotions in my gut.
“This is my uncle Isaac’s journal. The guy was a bit eccentric, so keep that in mind, but I wanted to show you something I found earlier.” He carefully opens the book. Although the page is torn and half of it is missing, one word is unmistakable.
Seraphim.
My gaze shoots to his, and he smiles boyishly.
“Like I said, he was bizarre, so I’m taking everything with a grain of salt. If this is true, though, then he would have spoken with the twins Castiel mentioned.”
I try not to snatch the book when he passes it to me, being extra careful with the sensitive paper.
I finally did it.After months of trying, I met with the Seraphim twins. Ingrid and O…From the articles, I would have sworn they looked alike, but… spot the differences. It’s easy to feel just how powerful th…stomach. Having been raised in squalor, I expected the…edges. But they were kinder than most of my own fami…I didn’t mean to learn their secret. It was purely by acci…I would take it with me to the grave.The information detailed below could change…
I reread the passage three times before finally looking away from it and back up at Raphael. “You don’t happen to have the rest of this, do you?” I ask him, though I already know the answer.
He kisses my head, his expression grim. “I’m afraid not. But I refuse to believe that my crazed relative was the only one who discovered their secret. The information has to be out there somewhere. It would be too cruel for it to have ended with this journal and their deaths.”
He’s right. I don’t want to believe that the secret Isaac discovered is lost to us now. With everything going on, Ican’tbelieve it.
Shifting on the bed beside me, he tilts my face up with one finger beneath my chin. “I’m not giving up, sunshine. Not by a long shot. I’ll rummage through every book, every cupboard, and every drawer if I have to. You deserve to know as much as possible about your heritage.”
Words won’t seem to pass my lips, no matter how hard I try. Tears fill my eyes, blurring my sight.
This man.
From the very first day, he’s been there. Supporting me. Sticking up for me. Making me feel worthy. I wonder if he understands how much of a difference his actions have made.
When the tears finally fall, he wipes them away. “I think it goes without saying that you’re spending the night with me.”
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She grins up at me, and even though the smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes, I know it won’t take long to convince her. It’s obvious what’s holding her back, and I hate that she fears the angels who came after her. I hate that she’s worried about bringing them here.
“Let me protect you, sunshine. And before you say anything, it’s not because you’re weak. The opposite, in fact. Sometimes I think you might be the strongest angel I’ve ever met. You don’t have to do it alone. Not anymore. So please. Stay.”
My words cause a few more tears to fall that I once again wipe away.
She nods, sniffling a little and says, “Alright. I’ll stay.”
I lean in, placing a light kiss on her lips. “Shoot. I was prepared to do whatever it took to convince you.” My kisses carve a path across her cheek, down her jaw until I reach her neck.
“Oh. Well I—” She pulls in a lungful of air as I suck her flesh into my mouth. A moan escapes her before she continues. “I really should be going.”
