Page 9 of Destined for Eternity
A large man stood there with a cowboy hat, short tufts of red hair sticking out underneath it. He wore tight blue jeans, a belt with a large golden buckle, boots, and a white button-up shirt. At first glance, he appeared unassuming and almost blended into the background. Since she’d gained her new abilities, though, she knew he was anything but ordinary. A powerful, white-gold aura surrounded him. From past experience, she knew he had to be an archangel.
“Well done,” he said with a drawl. “I’d hoped you’d do the right thing.”
Bartol frowned, no recognition in his eyes. He didn’t realize who he was looking at and couldn’t spot the aura the way she could. Nephilim abilities were many and strong, but they had their limits. If an angel wanted to appear human around them, they could likely do it. Only sensors, nerou, and someone like her could tell the difference because of their resistance to magic.
“What are you doing here?” Cori asked in a scathing tone. She’d never seen this guy before, but she wasn’t a fan of most angels and preferred to assume the worst. They were usually more trouble than they were worth. “I thought Heaven’s minions didn’t bother with these sorts of things.”
He turned his golden gaze toward her, revealing a hint of the power hidden underneath. “Just observing.”
“That’s useful,” she replied, rolling her eyes. He must have watched from afar until now, spying on them through magic so he wouldn’t be noticed.
Most archangels wore white robes, and the intensity of their glow was so strong it almost blinded one’s eyes. This one was different. He was holding his essence back, hiding it so only people with the right abilities could see him for his true nature.
Due to an ancient treaty, angels weren’t supposed to interfere with demons directly. It made them pretty useless for the most part. They’d sort of helped in London, basically pointing the way as to what to do and allowing Bartol’s father to help, but they’d still left the bulk of the work to the earth-bound supernatural.
The angel gave her a lazy grin. This one had the cowboy act down pat.
She had the sudden urge to throw something at him, preferably a strong burning acid. “You know it’s not Halloween for another six months, right?”
Bartol moved to Cori’s side, standing protectively next to her as he stared at the man in the cowboy hat. “What do you want?”
The archangel flicked his hand, and everyone in the bank froze except the three of them. “Maybe we should talk somewhere more private. This is a little…open.”
“Why?” Bartol growled. “They can’t hear us anymore.”
“I can’t keep them like this for long.”
Two more large men appeared, lesser angels who also wore casual clothing, jeans, and t-shirts. Cori couldn’t help being a little curious, considering she’d never seen them try to blend in like this. Something was definitely different about these guys.
“Maybe we should hear him out,” she whispered.
Bartol ground his jaw. “I have nothing to say to any of them.”
He wasn’t a fan of Heaven’s minions since they’d allowed him to be brutally tortured for a century in Purgatory for a crime that was hardly worth the severe punishment. All he’d done was sleep with a female angel. They thought he was the one to seduce her, so they’d wanted to make an example out of him. It was only recently that they learned she’d sought him out first, so as recompense, they were allowing Cori to go through the process to become immortal—when she was ready. Forever was a long time to live, and she needed time to seriously consider it before taking that leap. Bartol hated that she wouldn’t allow it yet, and they’d fought hard about that, but he couldn’t argue about it further until after the baby was born when it would be safe to complete the transition.
It was normally forbidden to share angel blood. When Lucas had done the same thing with Melena, he’d been punished with time in Purgatory. It had been a huge concession that Bartol would at least get to share his blood with Cori and make her immortal someday, not that it made her mate like angels any better for the special privilege.
“Don’t be like that,” the wannabe cowboy said. “I have a deal for you that you don’t want to pass up.” He gestured toward his two guys, who moved to grab the former demon hosts that lay lifeless on the floor. All four disappeared, but a few moments later the angels returned. They started cleaning up the mess around them, returning everything to its former state. Based on how efficient they were, this wasn’t their first time.
“What kind of deal?” Cori asked, suspicious.
“The kind that affects the future of your child.”
Bartol leaped forward and grabbed the archangel by his shirt collar. “Don’t you dare bring my child into this, you bastard.”
It wasn’t often her mate got violent. Bartol worked hard to keep himself under control because he feared the violent half of himself and tried to keep it in check. Cori admired that about him, considering so many other immortals had far fewer scruples. It was one of the things that made it easier to be with him after having such an abusive first husband.
The cowboy angel clucked his tongue. “Touchy, touchy.” Then he directed his gaze toward Cori, undisturbed by the nephilim still holding him. “I suggest you rein him in before things get…difficult.”
Bartol was strong but not strong enough to take on an archangel.
She moved to her mate’s side and put a gentle hand on his forearm. “Let’s just hear him out. Worst case scenario we can always call for backup later.”
With their friends, they could take this man down if necessary—and his buddies, too.
Bartol continued to stare hard at the archangel, his hand shaking as he grasped the shirt tightly. He might have personal space issues under normal circumstances, but not if his temper got the better of him. Finally, he loosened his grasp one finger at a time.
“This had better be good.”
