of the undead. They stood in military formation. The familiarity made me feel at ease, and the fact they looked well and healthy made them more mortal and less unfamiliar. I paused at the sight of some half-naked people right outside our bedroom, though. “Is this where they’ll sleep every day?”
“No.” Raphael levitated us over the bodies, and we landed outside under the twilight sky that hung over the Court. He proceeded down the steps.
I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “Where will the undead live?”
“The staff is making arrangements.”
I noted a few piles of ash on the grass. I tugged Raphael’s hand. “What’s this?”
He flicked his wrist, and the ashes flew away. He pulled me along without answering my question. As we rounded a small fountain, I noticed another pile of ashes. “Was there a barbecue last night?”
Raphael chuckled. “Funny.”
“What is?”
“Barbecue. The sun burns the undead to ash.”
“What?”
“Mm-hm. They lack mortal hydration mechanisms. If they don’t follow their instincts to hide from the sun, it barbecues them.”
“You aren’t bothered that they died on your lawn?”
He paused by the gardenias and inhaled. “The undead have to learn to follow their newfound instincts. Besides, most of them made it inside. When Michael trains soldiers, he does much the same. They have to train hard or get cut out. It’s the principle of existence. Some never make it, while others thrive.”
“If the undead die of sunlight, who protects the Court during the day?”
“Angels. Mortals. Lucifer is fond of shadows too. Trust that I know him better than most.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I need to go for a run.”
“What for?”
“To clear my head.” I shrugged. “Get back to training.” His jaw worked, and I continued. “Oh, come on, it’s a habit and one I enjoy. It makes me feel like I started my day right.”
“A habit I am sure you will break.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Try.”
“Run with me. It’s not about the commander and his conditioning, as you call it. It’s about something I enjoy. Running, weapons, fighting the Marked.”
He placed a palm over the back of my neck and stepped closer, violet eyes burning with…jealousy? “You are not in the Court of Command.” He stared at my lips, and I rose on my toes and pecked his. “I know where I am and who I belong to. With that said, tomorrow, if not later today, I will put on your pants and go for a run. Please deal with it.”
Raphael’s mouth quirked. “You’ll wear my pants?”
“Yeah.”
He hugged me and surrounded me with his wings. Oh God, I was doomed for falling for this angel. A calm washed over me, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning my cheek on his chest. He stroked my back. The scent of him blended with the garden, and I thought I could stay with him like this forever. “Everything here is beautiful.”
“I agree.”
I looked up at Raphael, who smiled, eyes lifting at the corners. “Shall we?”
I nodded, and we moved toward the tower near the gate.
“It’s a gorgeous evening.” Warm with a soft cool wind that lifted my dress and made me feel like a butterfly.
“Every day is a gorgeous day in my Court.” He took my hand again. “Unlike the days in the Court of Command, where it’s freezing, muddy, and secluded.”
I chuckled. “You like jabbing at the Court of Command.” Richard’s words came back to me. I still couldn’t figure out how I could bring Raphael and Michael closer. What could a mortal do with these powerful, stubborn angels? But I would figure it out, because it mattered for all of us, and it mattered to me. My family still lived in the Court of Command, and I wanted us to be able to visit each other freely.
Raphael continued. “Why would a mortal want to serve in a muddy, freezing, secluded Court when she could reign in the ever-beautiful Court of Sunder?”
Reign? I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but a man came around the corner and bowed from the waist, executing a perfect bow. When he came back up, he smiled. Piercing brown eyes, oddly the same shape and color as mine, stared at me. I couldn’t look away. “Well said, Lord Raphael. Why would anyone serve Michael when they could reign over their own territory is beyond me.”
Raphael tightened the grip on my hand and stared at the man. The way Raphael reacted to his presence made me alert and wary. And who