Grace and Glory (The Harbinger #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,51
I took a careful step back. I heard no movement behind me, and I knew better than to take my gaze off the Harbinger. I just hoped the Wardens were down but not too badly injured.
“Don’t worry, child of Michael. I always find you entertaining.”
“Happy to hear that.” I willed my heart to slow. I needed to conserve my energy. With no Protector, I would grow tired, slow to move and prone to errors. There was no set time limit to when that happened, but considering I was still healing, probably not that long.
“I’m sure you are.” He lowered his wings. “I’ll admit, I’m surprised to see you so belligerent. Maybe I just need to break some more of your bones and kill one of those Wardens behind you.”
Potent rage swept through me, and the Sword of Michael flared intensely.
Gabriel laughed as his head fell back. “You’re so angry. I can taste it. Do my words hurt? Is it because I took your Protector? You shouldn’t be angry with me. If God cared, your losses wouldn’t have piled up. You have to want revenge for the deaths of the ones you loved.”
Gabriel had killed Zayne, and he’d been partly responsible for what had happened to Misha and even my mother, and he wanted me to blame God? He was out of his mind, but it also occurred to me that he might not be aware of Zayne’s Fall and subsequent return. That could be beneficial.
If Zayne snapped out of it.
And if I even had a chance to try to bring him back.
“This is not a game, Trueborn. There is nothing you can win. It’s already over. Why make this difficult? You couldn’t save your Protector,” he said, and I flinched. “And no one can save the human race, not when they’re unwilling to save themselves. Their time has come to a close. There’s no stopping it.”
“This conversation again,” I said.
“It’s the truth. All you have to do is step outside to see it. They’ve allowed themselves to become consumed by hate, greed, pride and gluttony. They feed on others’ pain. They’re inherently self-centered. There’s no fixing that, Trueborn. No saving them.”
“You speak as if it’s every person who’s like that, and I’m not going to lie. There’re a lot of crap human beings, but you know what?” I said. “Painting them all with the same brush would be like saying all angels are overgrown toddlers throwing a hissy fit because they’re no longer BFFs with God.”
“BFFs?” he repeated.
“Jesus,” I muttered. “BFFs means best friends forever. Seriously, I ask yet again, how am I supposed to be afraid of you when you don’t even know what that means?”
The tainted grace flared. “But you’re already afraid—afraid of me, of the role you’ve played in the deaths of so many. Terrified because I’m right about them.” He sneered. “The human race no longer deserves any more chances. They are without faith and damned, and God is just as lost as His creations are. Give in to your anger and join me.” Gabriel lifted his hands, palms up. “I will be the father you never had, and with us together, you will have your ruin.”
A laugh burst out of me—a loud, obnoxious and cackling laugh I couldn’t hold back as I stared at him.
Gabriel started to frown.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re trying to be all scary and threatening,” I said. “But all you need to add to that is ‘Luke, I am your father,’ and it would just be perfect.”
“I do not understand.”
“Of course you don’t.” I shook my head. “Is that gross stuff in your wings infecting your brain or something? Because you’re out of your mind.” I clasped the handle of the sword with both hands. “You’re right. I am angry, but I’m not irrational or stupid enough to blame anyone but you. You are the only thing I want revenge against. You may be the source of my rage, but you will not be my ruin.”
His lip curled in a snarl. “That is incredibly disappointing to hear, especially when I’m being so generous by giving you not one but two chances to make this easy on you. I will give you no more.”
Before I could formulate a less than wise response, Gabriel came at me. The only blessing was that he hadn’t summoned his grace.
It was a small blessing.
I swung the Sword of Michael, but he caught both of my wrists in his hands.