Eternal Sin (Primal Sin #2) - Ariana Nash Page 0,61

looked down. “I still hope to fix it—us.”

“If we’re fixable,” Mikhail replied quietly, unsure if Severn heard.

A whistle sounded, and a pair of angels took flight ahead, soaring toward them.

“Here we go,” Severn mumbled.

Mikhail freed his wings—instinctively wanting to shield Severn within them. Instead, he let them droop, so as not to appear threatening.

“Drop any weapons!” the guards demanded.

Severn raised his hands. “We’re unarmed.”

“Names?” The lead guard landed in front of them, gleaming in silver armor.

“Mikhail and Severn,” Mikhail replied. The guard’s audible intake of breath instantly gave his knowledge of them away. “We’re surrendering ourselves to Haven. We have no wish to cause trouble.”

“Severn and the guardian angel Mikhail?” the guard queried, disbelievingly.

“Yes.”

The second angel landed, ready to back the first up. Mikhail regarded them coolly. Frankly, he could render both helpless with little effort and didn’t need an angelblade to do it, but fighting them wasn’t the point of this exercise. They’d walk willingly into Haven. Getting out again would no doubt be far harder.

“We’d heard you were both dead. Fallen from Aerie?”

Mikhail sighed and glanced at Severn, who shrugged, content to let him continue. “Clearly, we’re alive. Whatever you may have heard doesn’t change the fact we’re here, and we’re now your responsibility, so I suggest you escort us inside.”

“Yes, of course, Your Grace.” The guard thumped a fist to his chest, and Mikhail caught a glimpse of Severn’s smirk, and together they were led toward the towering glass doors.

Chapter 26

Mikhail

Processing was torture. It began well. Mikhail was escorted alongside Severn through several entrance chambers, where a startling array of human technology catalogued their irises, and more alarmingly, Mikhail’s wings. Only one guard asked Severn to reveal his wings and was met with a, “My nickname Severn the Wingless isn’t obvious enough for you?” If they knew he was Konstantin, they didn’t show it. Perhaps the angels of Haven didn’t care who an angel is, just that they’re withdrawn from society.

Then began the questions. How long had the allyanse been active, had either of them experienced uncontrollable emotion, how many times had they physically coupled… That last one, Severn had laughed at and dryly asked if an angel counted the times he flew each day. From Severn’s tone, it was clear he wasn’t enjoying the scrutiny.

Mikhail considered the process necessary. Hundreds of angels surely lived in Haven, and all had to be processed so they might be cared for and managed effectively.

Their answers were recorded on more human technology, and finally, they were escorted from the processing center, through a sprawling park, to a neighborhood of large pod-like structures called habitats. They’d seen only a handful of angels throughout the experience, and only a few had been present in the park, speaking in small groups while Mikhail and Severn passed them by.

Inside the habitat was pleasant enough. A single room with a bathroom area on one side and kitchen on the other. The bed was the main focus. It reminded him of his own chamber in Aerie, but without the endless blue-sky view.

The door clunked closed, and Severn’s glare cut into Mikhail. “Still think this is some angel utopia where angels fuck and pop out babes for the war? I assume they think we’re capable of exactly that, hence shutting us both in here.” He turned on the spot, sneering at the inoffensive room. “Try the door. It’s probably locked.”

Seeing Severn so thoroughly unnerved was… interesting. During all the years he’d known Severn, he’d rarely seen him so flustered. “I suspect they don’t know what to do with us.” Mikhail tried the door. It swung open, revealing a view of the park and the angels strolling by, enjoying the outdoor space. Nothing overtly insidious had presented itself, and they clearly weren’t locked in. Really, it was all quite satisfactory.

By the time Mikhail closed the door and faced Severn again, he was rooting through cupboards, pulling out the white and gray loose-fitting clothes they’d seen others wearing. He sneered at those too and tossed them on the bed. “It’s a prison.”

“There’s no evidence of that.”

His smile was shallow and sharp. “How about the enormous glass dome and the three gates we had to pass through to get inside?”

“To protect those outside from volatile angels.”

Severn pursed his lips. “I’m taking a shower.” He stormed into the bathroom, and moments later, the shower hissed behind the smoked glass screen, offering a tantalizing glimpse of Severn’s outline. Mikhail tore his gaze away and wandered the room, finding everything in order.

Severn soon