Page 114 of Destined for Dreams
“Remiel is already looking better, and the demon hit him with similar strikes,” Bartol pointed out.
“The archangel is at least ten times older and more powerful than Kerbasi.”
Cori dragged her worried gaze from the guardian, who still showed no signs of consciousness. “Can you help him?”
Micah grimaced. “I can heal the wound on his chest for now, but he’ll need to rest and recuperate from the rest of the damage on his own. There is only so much I can do with injuries this extensive before my powers are drained completely.”
“Whatever you can do is better than nothing.” Cori gave him a grateful look. “Just try to make him comfortable.”
“Of course.”
They stood quietly while the nephilim worked, hands glowing as they hovered over the gaping wound in Kerbasi’s chest. It took nearly fifteen minutes to close the hole and knit the skin back together. The guardian’s breathing was a little easier after that.
“Give him space and quiet for the rest of the evening,” Micah instructed. “He should be doing better tomorrow.”
“Shouldn’t we clean him up?” Cori asked.
“Someone else can do it.” Bartol pulled her from the room.
“But…”
He didn’t stop, taking her down the hall and toward the solarium. “There is something else we must do now.”
She felt guilty leaving the guardian behind, but she could hardly argue with Bartol while he was this determined. Once they reached her former tattoo workroom, she understood. Raguel—still wearing his tattered robe from battle but fully healed—stood there waiting for them. It was dark in the room now that night had fallen, but a solitary lamp in the corner lit the space with enough light to see.
“Father,” Bartol said, bringing himself and Cori to a halt in front of the archangel.
Raguel looked them over, a hint of sorrow in his gaze. “I wanted to wish you both farewell before I left.”
“You’re leaving now?” Cori asked. She’d hardly gotten any time to speak to him.
The archangel nodded. “They are summoning me back to Heaven.”
Bartol searched his father’s face. “Will you ever be able to return?”
“I do not know, son, but whatever becomes of me it was worth it to see you again and fight at your side. I am proud of the man you have become.”
Cori reached out and hugged the archangel. Raguel stiffened at first, but then he embraced her back. As she looked over at Bartol, she saw appreciation and pride there. He was glad she was doing what he could not.
She pulled away. “If there’s any way we can help you or put in a good word, we’d be happy to do it.”
Bartol’s eyes lit up, a hint of excitement in his expression. “I could call in the favor the archangels owe me.”
“I appreciate that, son,” Raguel said, shaking his head. “But I am not certain they would grant it for my freedom.”
“I will still try,” Bartol vowed.
“And we’ll keep pushing until they give us what we want,” Cori added.
The archangel gave them a faint smile. “While I appreciate that, you two should focus on each other. You’ve both got a bright future ahead of you if you will let yourselves heal and learn to trust each one another.”
“Yeah.” Cori cut a glance at Bartol. “We’re working on that.”
“Take care—both of you.”
“You too, father,” Bartol said, a hint of pain in his voice.
Raguel’s inner glow brightened, and a moment later, he flashed away. Cori hated to see him go, but she had every intention of finding a way to get him back. He’d been a huge help in today’s battle, and he deserved a second chance—not to be put into deep sleep again and only woken when it was time to kill another powerful demon. One glance at Bartol, and she knew he felt the same way. They’d fight for his father, whatever it took.
