A vein throbs in the archangel’s temple as his annoyance skyrockets, and I almost crack a smile at his irritation. Whatever it is he knows, he doesn’t want to share. Doesn’t want to show his hand and give us the advantage. To him, we’re ants in a hill, andhe’s the kid with the magnifying glass, deliberating on whether to burn us or allow us to survive.
Honestly, it could go either way.
Finally, Micah pushes out a heavy sigh. “We tie his life force to yours.”
“Wewhat?”Azrael barks, getting a stern glare from Micah at the volume.
“It’s ancient magic that’s rarely used anymore—one that very few people know about. It is kept in the strictest confidence by those privileged enough to be brought in on the secret. A confidence that will continue to be held.” There’s no lack of threat in his tone as he glares between us, and Azrael and I both nod immediately, understanding the unspoken implications. “In the old days, when Angels roamed the Earth more freely, falling in love with a human was a common occurrence. Naturally, they developed a way to avoid the exact scenario you’re facing.”
“How does it work?”
Micah gestures in my direction, not sparing me a glance. “He would remain human, with all those ridiculous vulnerabilities… just as squishy and easy to kill. Car crashes, gunshot wounds… still lethal. Physically, while your influence would make him more durable, he’d always be weak.”
“Thanks,” I deadpan, but he continues to ignore me.
“This is something that requires serious consideration, Azrael. It is not something to be taken lightly. The binding of life force is just that—it causes your souls to become dependent on each other to stay alive. If he dies, so do you.”
“No fucking way,” I interject, drawing both their eyes. “There’s no way in hell I’ll agree to anything that makes him vulnerable. Absolutely not, Az. No.” He squeezes my hand with such insistence it silences me.
“Illness?” he asks, and Micah shakes his head.
“Human illnesses would no longer be a concern, nor would poison.” He shoots me a sideways glare that makes me question if he might be the one to try and poison me.
“But Az has allergies… and uses an inhaler,” I point out, and Micah gives me a bored glance.
“They are an inconvenience, no doubt, but they can’t do any lasting damage.”
Azrael speaks up, bringing the attention back to him. “We can… do this?”
Micah scoffs, flipping his hair in an exaggerated, glamorous toss. “We areAngels. Very little is beyond our capabilities.”
“Except being humble, apparently,” I mutter under my breath, because really… who can blame me?
“Beau,” Az hisses, and I bite my lips between my teeth, refusing to look up and meet anyone’s eyes. Dead silence rings through the office, so quiet you could hear a feather hit the floor. Azrael sits in deep thought, unblinking, before his eyes move to me. “Beau? Baby, why won’t you look at me?”
My gaze remains fixed on the ground. “Because if I do, you’ll have those pretty, giant eyes and I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“Are you planning to spend the rest of our lives avoiding eye contact?”
“If that’s what it takes. Blindfold me, I hear it can be fun.”
“Can you please just look at me?” I surrender with a drawn-out sigh, and regret it immediately.
Operation: Puppy Dog Eyes is in full effect.
“Beau, I love you.”
“I love you, too, but I could never put you at risk like that. You’re asking me to agree to something that would make you easier to hurt. Darlin’… Iadoreyou, but you gotta admit, you’re awfully clumsy.”
“If I may,” Micah interjects, lip pulled up as though he’s staring at gum on the bottom of his shoes. “Injury is not a concern for Azrael. As a full-blooded Cherub, he would not become weaker.”
“ButIwould make him weaker,” I argue. “If I drive off a bridge, he suffers.” The archangel nods, albeit a little reluctantly.
“If we don’t do this, then I’ll give up my wings. Why don’t you tell him about that, Micah?”
The archangel is less than pleased about being bossed around, but he relents with a haughty huff. “Besides forcing me to work with Seraphiel again? It is an excruciating process for the Cherub involved. The magic would sever the wings from his back as atonement for abandoning his Heavenly position.”
“That’s…barbaric!” I shout, but Micah silences me with a hand.
