you wouldn’t suggest something similar, First Daughter.” For once, Azariah’s teasing wasn’t grating on me.
“Hence why you’ll never see me giving marriage advice.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Long relationships are not my strong suit.”
Zach scoffed, his fingertips grazing along my lower back as he leaned in to nuzzle me. “You’re a pretty great girlfriend so far.” He brushed a kiss along the base of my horn, the sensation and affection in his voice making my insides flutter.
I put on a smile, meeting his eyes as I leaned away. “Just give it time.”
My tone was joking, but a sense of dread stamped out any highs from his touches, his sweetness. The realization that I might have to break up with my boyfriends sooner than I imagined was so incredibly human, I nearly laughed. I was fucking immortal—I’d seen generations of men live and die. And still, the mere thought of cutting things off with these priests just made me want to cling to them more.
Zach, oblivious to my inner turmoil, just made a dismissive sound at my self-deprecation. Az however, missed nothing, his eyebrow lifting slightly.
“I’m about to make a batch of holy water,” Zach announced, changing the subject. “Want to help?”
“With you?” the angel grinned. “I would love nothing more.”
“Keep your hands to yourself,” I said in a mock growl. “No touching.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Azariah clasped a dramatic hand over his heart again. “But if you two are looking to spice things up with a threesome—”
“We’re good, thanks.” Zach breezed past him into the chapel, heading down the aisle to the pulpit.
Azariah laughed softly, watching him stride between the pews. “The little lamb is growing some horns of his own.”
“Confidence is a good look on him,” I agreed.
“You’re good for him, Deyva.” Azariah leaned against one of the open church doors, his wings spreading out to the sides. “I mean that with no underhanded spite at all.”
“Good, bad,” I snorted. “What is with everyone trying to fit me into one category or the other? You, of all people, should know better.”
“Oh, I do know. Good for him doesn’t necessarily mean good in general.” He smirked. “There’s just no denying the effect you have on him, that’s all.”
I shrugged off this information, stepping inside to follow Zach, but not before Azariah’s whisper reached my ear. “He would be devastated if he lost you. They all would.”
They’ll get over it, I thought, gritting my teeth. They had to. Sure, they might remember me fondly. Sex with other humans would never compare, but they would move on with their lives. The sooner I cut ties with them, the faster they would recover.
It still fucking hurt to think about, though. A type of hurt that had nothing to do with facing an eternity at the whims of Kimaris and King Belial.
My march between the pews must have looked angry to the humans scattered inside now that my mood was thoroughly soured. I tasted the unease and apprehension, but kept my gaze straight ahead.
Who the hell did Az think he was? He probably faced the same consequences as me if Kimaris ever found us both. But Hell had barely touched him, whereas it was deeply ingrained in me. Kimaris probably couldn’t get into his head like he did with me. The winged fool probably thought he was in the clear.
I never would be. Not until Kimaris got what he wanted. And if Belial got wind of me being hidden on earth, he’d punish Kimaris, who would, in turn, take it out on me. The longer I stayed here, the worse the outcome would be for everyone involved.
I slid into an empty front pew while Az walked up to Zach at the pulpit. Buckets of water were already set up on the stage, with Zach muttering soft prayers over them as his fingers passed over rosary beads. He looked beautiful and serene, completely in his element. Moving from right to left, he paused at each bucket to say a prayer with the fingers of his opposite hand moving down the rosary. I recalled those fingers tweaking my nipples this morning in much the same way.
Azariah followed him, hovering a hand over the surface of the water after Zach moved on to the next one. His holy light was subtle, but still miraculous to the humans watching. The angel’s palm and fingers glowed golden, like sunlight in late afternoon. No one had seen the quality and color of such light since before