Chapter Six

Dante opened the door just enough that he could peek his head through the crack. "What?"

Ezekiel sniffed the air, then screwed up his nose. "Is this a bad time?"

Michael didn't bother hiding his satisfaction, or elation, or whatever the shit-eating grin that was plastered on his face was supposed to mean.

Dante frowned at them both. "Must we? Why don't you come back in an hour or two?"

Michael tsked. "As unbelievable as this might seem, I'm afraid that the relic is more important than your throbbing love rod."

Ezekiel snort-laughed, and Dante growled. "All I hear from you is fated mate this, and fated mate that, then you're cock-blocking me. Make up your fucking mind."

Michael's eyes flashed. "Watch your gargoyle tongue and let us into the room this instant."

"Wait!"

Amir's shout was frantic enough that Michael took a step back. Dante sensed that his mate didn't want his first meeting with an archangel to happen while he was naked.

Dante lowered his voice but couldn't tamper his terse tone. "I don't give a flying vampire bat's ass whether you guys see me nude. But everything is new and strange to him. I don't want him feeling vulnerable."

Ezekiel straightened the silk burgundy and gold threaded vest he typically wore. "I'd be happy to wait while you dress. You might not care, but I assure you, that's a visual I'd be delighted to miss."

Dante grunted. "Hilarious. You know you want it."

Michael groaned. "Children, enough. Dante? Could you please verify with your mate that we can come in? I have a meeting with Azrael later, and he'll simply die if I'm not on time."

Ezekiel choked back a laugh, and Dante rolled his eyes. "Now who's being hilarious?" He peered back into the bedroom, closing the door so that only a crack of light from the hallway peeked through. "Amir? Are you ready?"

Amir had put his jeans and T-shirt back on, but he still appeared terrified as he frantically finger-combed his curls.

"I can't believe I'm meeting the Michael looking like this. I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't let him intimidate you." Dante gave his mate what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Remember, you have angel blood, too. You're just as good as they are. Much better, as far as I'm concerned."

"I heard that!" Michael called out.

Dante stage-whispered, "He's so touchy."

Amir slapped a hand to his mouth, his shoulders shaking as he held in a laugh. Then he whispered back, "You're so bad."

Dante grinned. "And I plan to be even badder with you the next time we're alone."

Michael stuck his head in the room. "You guys are adorable, absolutely precious. But there's still this small matter of demons and corrupted gargoyles who want to destroy the Earth plane. I hate to be ‘touchy', but could I secure the relic so the world as we know it isn't destroyed?"

Amir shrunk in on himself. "I-I'm so sorry, your, uh, your angelness."

Dante narrowed his eyes at Michael. "You're scaring my mate."

Michael swept past Dante with Ezekiel on his heels. "I'm sure he'll be fine. After all, he's been alone with you."

Ezekiel gave Amir a warm smile. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

Dante was on sarcasm alert, but to his surprise, Ezekiel's words seemed genuine. He remained on edge, though. Ever since he'd brought Amir to the lair, Ezekiel had been caring and friendly with his mate. He didn't want the unattached Reaper to get any cute ideas.

Michael regarded Dante. "Would you care to make a formal introduction?"

Dante gave him a tight smile. "Of course." For Amir's benefit, he'd rein in his sour attitude. "Amir, this is Archangel Michael."

Michael gave a slight bow of his head to Amir, and Dante almost fell over. He'd never witnessed such a pleasant display from the self-satisfied angel.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Amir. We're thankful to have the Nephilim as a part of the alliance of angels and appreciate your status as life-givers."

"Oh." Amir blushed as his eyes darted between Dante and Michael. "Thank you. Um, I don't mean to be rude because I've studied so much about you and all, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole life-giver, Nephilim situation." He cleared his throat. "Not that I'm saying anyone's lying, because you know, angels. It's just so…abrupt."

Michael nodded with a soft smile. "That's understandable. From what I remember when I looked over your file, you have a great interest in religious studies, but from the standpoint of everything being myth and legend. Before tonight, you never believed in the actual existence of angels, the Divine, or…" He made a dismissive gesture in Dante's direction."Gargoyles."

Amir's jaw went slack. "File? You have a file on me?"

Dante frowned. "Um, excuse me. What was this?" He mimicked Michael's gesture.

Michael sighed as if it were all so exhausting. "For such a mouthy creature, you get butt-hurt quite easily."

Dante crossed his arms angrily. Michael was right, he needed to dial it back. This was about Amir right now, and his mate needed to know that everyone in his new world was on his side.

Amir sidled over to Dante and leaned into him. Dante drew Amir closer, clasping his shoulder, silently trying to give him reassurance. The disparity in size between Amir and the rest of them had to be overwhelming.

Michael's gaze flicked to the ring box on the night table then back to Amir. "Thank you also for your bravery in protecting the relic. I need you to bring it to our conference room so it can be witnessed and verified." He turned to Dante. "Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael have arrived. As soon as the authenticity is confirmed, Gabriel will announce to the Divine Spark that it is under our protection." His eyes landed on Amir again. "The Rogues seemed particularly desperate to obtain this relic. It clearly worried them, so I have a feeling I know which one has been in your safe keeping."

Amir nodded. "I wasn't going to give it to anyone, my uncle told me not to. But when I found out it was you who would take it, well…" He shrugged. "It wouldn't make sense not to give the ring back to the one who gifted it in the first place."

Michael let out a light laugh. "Even if you weren't a believer, you were diligent in your studies."

Amir picked up the box and offered it to Michael. He shook his head.

"I appreciate your trust, but the exchange needs to happen in front of the chosen witnesses."

Amir yanked the relic to his chest. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know."

Michael smiled. "No apology needed." He gave Dante the side-eye. "The Divine has certainly blessed you with a charming mate. Don't fuck it up."

As much as Dante didn't care for Michael, he could agree with him on this. He didn't want to fuck things up with Amir. Admitting he was wrong, that he was thrilled to finally be with his fated mate, wasn't something he was ready to share out loud. But through his actions, he would make sure Amir was safe and happy.

"Let's get this underway." Michael turned to leave, then paused. "Oh. And Dante? Put something on. We must remain dignified."

Ezekiel snorted. "I don't think him putting on clothes is going to fix that."

"Excuse me, Ezekiel."Everyone paused at Amir's words. "I owe you my life and everything, but please don't make fun of him. He's a good, err, gargoyle, and he's my mate." Amir wrung his hands, but he continued, "Dante rescued me. I don't want anyone hurting his feelings."

Ezekiel sucked in a breath as if he was about to respond, but Michael grabbed his arm.

"Duly noted, Amir. We all have smart mouths on us, but we'll be more respectful in the future." As he passed, Michael whispered in Dante's ear, "At least when Amir is around."

Dante wanted to say that was fine with him—since he had plenty of disrespectful observations to share—but held back for Amir's sake. Instead, he reached for his mate, who was still fussing with his clothes as if trying to make sure everything was perfect. As soon as Michael and Ezekiel left the room, Dante gathered him into his arms.

He bent down, burying his nose in Amir's soft curls. The scent was muskier, and the hint of vanilla and almonds that he'd first noticed had been transformed by their intense encounter.

"That was nice of you to say. I'm not sure I deserve a mate as good as you are."

Amir gave his arm a light smack. "Stop. If we were chosen to be together, I'm sure we're not only good but great."

Dante laughed, giving Amir a squeeze before letting him go. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like laughing.

"I'll go along with that." He placed a kiss on Amir's forehead, then grabbed his pants off the floor. "We'd better get moving before Michael has a meltdown."

Once he was dressed, Dante twined his fingers with Amir, leading him out of the room and down the hallway to the foyer. He had to stoop a bit to accomplish this feat, but now that they'd mated, not touching Amir seemed almost painful. As it was, he was still a bit miffed that their time basking in the afterglow had been interrupted.

He stole a peek at Amir, who was looking around, his jaw slack. Dante drew his eyebrows together, confused at first by what it was Amir was so wowed by. However, the fine paintings of glorious angels and historic religious battles that he'd taken for granted, that had become background noise over the decades to him were now being appreciated by someone with fresh eyes.

"Where are we again? I know we're in your lair and all that, but where is it located exactly?"

"We're a hundred feet below the Church of the San Gabriel Mission. Great cardio going up and down those steps."

"Seriously? Wow." Amir grinned. "I always meant to visit—we had a semester on California missions in one of my classes—but I never made it to this one." He chuckled. "Of course, I would've missed out on this part of the tour."

Something occurred to Dante. He had some questions for Michael regarding Amir's angelic status. While gargoyles could easily move about unseen when in their creature form, could Nephilim do the same? Otherwise, traveling together might be tricky.

They reached the foyer then took the hallway that led to the conference room. His thoughts wandered to other long-term questions. He'd never heard of other mated couples actually living with his mate in the lair. Certainly weren't living there or any lair that he was aware of.

He now regretted tuning out everything related to the subject of fated mates. Had he known he was going to have such a huge change of heart, he would've paid closer attention to the happy family details.

"Ah, there they are."

Michael gestured them inside the arched doorway. The room was in a circular shape, the walls consisting of a rough, natural granite and shale that had been left exposed. Four wrought iron, standing candelabras were placed in equidistance from each other close to the walls, with thick white pillar candles already lit.

But the centerpiece of the room, which was where their most important decisions were made, was a ten-foot long table made of a rich cherry wood and inlaid with a variety of other woods that created a geometric design on the edges.

Everyone was standing, no doubt chatting and getting caught up before they began. The archangels had so much on their plate all the time that they rarely had time for socializing. Getting more than two of them in the same room at once was a challenge.

"Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel. This is the Nephilim who has been protecting the Seal of Solomon."

Dante gasped at the same time Mal and Ezekiel did. All the holy relics were important, but some held more special significance than others. This ring, made of iron with a hexagram star seal, was given to King Solomon by Michael as a gift from the Divine Spark. The ring was fashioned to protect the user from demons as well as control them. No wonder the rogues who came after Amir took so many risks to obtain it.

The archangels acknowledged Amir by nodding their heads and smiling. Gabriel stepped forward, and Amir tensed, his hand gripping Dante's tighter. He was proud of how brave his little mate was. Dante's own world was so common to him—angels, demons, his fellow gargoyles, all genders carrying the ability to be life-givers—that he was impressed by how well Amir was holding up.

Gabriel was as formidable a presence as Michael but with long, ink-black hair, skin that was a warm shade of beige, and eyes that were a rich, dark brown surrounded by thick lashes. He held out his hand to Amir, and Dante also tensed, but for a different reason. He hadn't expected to become so instantly possessive. Getting accustomed to being mated promised to be interesting.

"Thank you, Nephilim. Your vigilance has saved a most precious artifact. We are eternally grateful."

Amir accepted Gabriel"s offer, shaking his hand while Dante practiced monumental restraint.

Amir smiled shyly. "You're welcome. But I honestly only did what I thought was right."

Uriel, with red, wavy hair falling past his ears, turquoise eyes, and a snowy complexion decorated by a smattering of freckles, stepped forward next to greet Amir. Finally, there was Raphael, and if Dante was being brutally honest with himself, the only angel he would've ever considered chasing after.

Raphael moved with a grace that Dante had never seen another angel match. His shimmering gold hair hung past his waist, his angular features and lilac eyes accentuating his ethereal beauty. He also extended his hand in greeting, the long, slender fingers wrapping around Amir's small square ones.

Dante coughed loudly into his fist. He was done with everyone pawing his mate—angels or not. Raphael glanced at him sideways and gave him a wink. He imagined the archangels had all been laughing it up over him getting his fated mate after he'd split from the ranks and decided to do things his way.

Raphael drifted over to him, sweeping back a hank of hair that had fallen over his shoulder. "He's lovely, Dante. Is he to your satisfaction?" He lifted both of his perfectly arched eyebrows, the hint of a smile decorating his lips. "I take no joy in the pain of others. Despite your disdain for authority, I've always wished for your happiness. One who is filled with as much passionate rage as you must also be capable of a remarkable love."

Dante blinked, his eyes burning as he fought against unbidden tears. All he could do was stare at Raphael with a mixture of surprise and confusion. He'd never expected to hear such words from the powerful angel—words of sympathy, of understanding, perhaps even friendship.

"Thank you…" He suddenly felt so small and inadequate. "Your words mean a lot." Dante managed a smile. "And Amir is wonderful. I'm not sure I deserve him."

Raphael gave him a secretive smile. "You will."

Before he had a chance to quiz Raphael about his cryptic words, Michael spoke up.

"Now that everyone is here, please gather at the table. It's time for the official verification of the relic."

Dante noted that Mal and another Slayer, Caleb, had arrived. Dante rubbed the back of his neck. The last time he'd spoken to Caleb, he was sure the words ‘fuck off and die' and ‘eat satanic goat shit' were included. Although it was long enough ago he couldn't remember which one of them said what first.

Caleb gave him a nod from across the table as he took a seat, and Dante nodded back. He was going to assume Caleb was letting bygones be bygones until he heard otherwise.

Amir clutched his hand, and Dante smiled down at him. He brought entwined fingers to his lips and kissed Amir's knuckles. Leaning down, he whispered next to Amir's ear, "How are you holding up?"

"I can't believe this is real," Amir whispered back. "But it's so cool. The angelic texts were always my favorite to work on."

Dante pursed his lips. "I'm trying not to be irrationally jealous, seeing as there aren't any gargoyle passages for you to moon over."

Amir let out an inelegant snort then slapped a hand over his mouth. His cheeks turned scarlet, and Dante quickly guided him to one of the oak craftsman chairs. His own sweet angel had to be more nervous than a demon in a sea salt factory.

Gradually, everyone took a seat at the table, and Michael retrieved a two-foot-long, cylindrical container made of gold and studded with sapphires from his shimmering white robe. He set the capsa on the table then unscrewed the top, pulling from the case a scroll. It had been centuries, but Dante recognized it as the list of holy relics.

He hadn't been at a verification ceremony since the rod of Aaron had been rescued from the clutches of a Rogue who had once been a close friend. His gut tightened. The source of his anger, his compulsion to fight this scourge on his own terms, had begun then and only grown since.

Dante glanced at his wide-eyed mate, seemingly stunned at what must be like a dream come true for a man who had decided to dedicate his life to studying ancient teachings.

Michael placed a gold bar at the top of the scroll to hold it in place, then held the corner of the bottom, the feather pen—which was crafted from one of his own wings—poised to add the relic on the list.

"Amir? Would you please stand?"

Amir swallowed hard, stumbling on a chair leg as he rose, Dante placing a hand at the small of his back in support.

Michael smiled. "Present the relic then pass it to Uriel so we can begin the verification."

Everyone leaned forward, Dante certain that they were all experiencing the same anticipation as him. As a gargoyle, the only time he ever had the opportunity to see a true relic was at a ceremony such as this. One of his great regrets was that the lair in Morrocco was where the Ark of the Covenant was verified. He would've loved to have seen such an amazing piece of history. The archangels didn't run a museum, so if you missed out, that was the end of it.

Amir pulled the box from his jeans, the mosaic gemstone pattern familiar to Dante. He'dseen similar patterns used in décor and furniture back when he was hanging out in Athens during the time of the Byzantine Empire. As soon as Amir lifted the top of the box, revealing the heavy black signet ring with the hexagram pattern, a soft chorus of ‘oohs' and ‘aahs' filled the room. Dante surprised himself by ‘ooing' right along with them.

Everyone took a moment to admire the Seal as it was passed to them until the ring made its way to Michael. He pulled it from the box, turning it over in his hand with a soft smile. Dante imagined he must be bringing up the millenniums' old memory of when he originally gave it to King Solomon.

Once he tucked it away in his robe, he signed the scroll which was passed around for each signature of those present. When it reached Amir, he glanced around, his brow creased.

"Am I supposed to sign, too?"

Michael nodded. "Of course. You were the keeper of the relic and the one who brought it to us."

Amir bowed his head, and Dante placed a hand on his shoulder, certain that Amir was thinking of his uncle.

"I wasn't the true keeper, Michael." He lifted his chin. "My Uncle Khaled saved it from being stolen and sold on the black market when the museum in Baghdad was ransacked. He paid with his life by protecting the relic. I don't feel I deserve the same title as him."

Michael shook his head. "Your uncle is being rewarded, I assure you. But as I said before, you didn't quit, you did what had to be done at the risk of your own life. The length of time you took the risk isn't relevant. It only takes once for the price to be paid for that risk."

Amir's lower lip trembled, but he nodded, signing the scroll. After everyone had done their part, Michael carefully rolled the document back up and returned it to the golden capsa.

Dante noted that Gabriel seemed to be studying Amir, gazing at him with a furrowed brow, his gaze traveling over Amir's form. The familiar twinge of anger rose within him.

Gabriel leaned closer now that Mal had vacated the chair between him and Amir. "Tell me, are you an only child?"

Amir straightened. "Yes. My parents were older when they got married and had me. Khaled was my father's brother, and they sponsored him when he wanted to move here after the war. When they died in a car accident, he took me in."

Gabriel nodded as if that explained everything, but Dante had no idea what might need explaining. His wings started to glow before his lips stretched into a wide smile. He turned, glancing at Dante then locking eyes onAmir.

"And before I take my leave, I wish to congratulate you both."

Amir drew his eyebrows together, and Dante found himself on alert. Gabriel never made offhand announcements. His words always packed a punch.

Amir tilted his head. "Congratulate us for what?"

"On your pregnancy."