“You don’t have any other major injuries,” I said flatly, hopping off the pulpit to face Azariah from the front. “Once I set that wing, and we deal with some of these feather issues, you should be in flying shape after enough time to heal. A good soak in the shower and maybe cleaning with oil should repair most of the surface damage. Kais would probably share some of his holy oil for this.”
“Of course,” Kais said with a shrug.
“You have my deepest gratitude, First Daughter.” Azariah inclined his head toward me, but his smile was mocking. His eyes were cunning. I didn’t trust this guy as far as I could throw him.
I crossed my arms with a narrow-eyed glare. “So who sent you here?”
“Devya,” Kais warned, his voice sharp with authority. “Take it easy. We’ll be questioning him after he’s treated and we’ve all been able to rest.”
“Really?” My gaze shot up to him, standing guard with his weapon like the warrior priests of centuries past. “You think you guys are the most unbiased, impartial judges here?”
“Are you?” he fired back. “Azariah just got here, and you’re stomping around like a petulant child.”
“Please, please.” Azariah raised his arms, his too-pretty face pinching with a wince as he did so. “There’s no need to fight on my account. Deyva has good reason to be suspicious of me.” His look at me turned pitying. “Succubi have a long history of being jealous of angels, due to their kind falling out of God’s favor.”
It took everything I had to stop from lunging at him. “You fucking—”
“Hey, will this work for a splint?”
My growl was cut off by Stavros returning with two slender wooden boards and a length of nylon rope. He apparently missed that I was about to tear into Azariah, and Kais sent me another scathing warning look from where he stood.
I turned to Stavros stiffly. “Yes, that’ll do fine,” I said through gritted teeth, ignoring the massive and intentional slight against my kind, and all but snatched the supplies away from him.
As much as I wanted to revel in the hint of nervousness in Azariah’s face, I kept quiet as I set everything down next to his injured wing. Stepping closer to him made me pause, if only for a second. He was attractive, as all angels were. Just androgynous enough to be both beautiful and handsome, with a long, lithe body created for little air resistance during flight.
Now standing next to him inside his wing, the feathered limb acted like a privacy curtain, shielding everything outside so my attention was only on him. Once healed, the wing could draw someone in close, like an affectionate arm around the shoulders. Not that it would ever happen between this fucker and I. This angel was not my friend. The smug glee on his face told me as much. He might have the priests wrapped around his little feathers, but not me.
I wrapped my hands just above and below the break, casting him a single warning glance. “This is going to hurt like Hell.” Then I snapped the bones into place.
“Ahhhh, fuck!”
His scream blasted out my ears, his pain and fear overwhelmingly pricking my tastebuds with their sharp, spicy flavor. I knew from the angels I’d sampled before, their energy was the most potent, concentrated form I’d ever tasted. It was like getting injected rather than eating or drinking. Not that fucking him was remotely in the plans for me. If it wasn’t for Kais asking me to heal him, I wouldn’t be within ten feet of this angel.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Zach burst in, running at top speed with panic paling his face. “What’s wrong? Why is he screaming?”
“Relax, Deyva’s just setting a broken bone,” Stavros placated him while holding one side of the splint for me.
“Well, don’t be cruel,” Zach murmured in a smaller voice.
“Isn’t that rich?” I snorted, winding the nylon rope around the two strips of wood holding the break in place.
“Dearest lamb, is that for me?” Pain laced through Azariah’s voice, but I could still hear that taunting smile.
“Um, yes,” Zach answered shyly. “We’re about the same height, so I hope the pants fit. I’m not sure how good this wine is—”
“Sweet man, come here.”
I finished tying the splint securely while Azariah beckoned Zach closer. Ever the eager puppy, Zach nearly stumbled over his feet again as he approached with wide, starry eyes. Azariah cupped his cheek tenderly, stroking his thumb over the young