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17

The room vibrated as Raguel’s aura radiated a powerful light.

His eyes were balls of white fire ready to burn me out of existence. I grasped the arms of my chair, feeling the need to flee, when glowing chains materialized in front of me. The heavenly metal wrapped around all three of us but only hovered threateningly, never touching our skin. I could feel its searing temperature wanting to burn through my new clothes and sizzle my hair.

Thick beads of sweat fell from my face. I was in a furnace. Wait, no. Was I actually freezing? I couldn’t tell anymore. With a lame attempt, I wiggled in my chair to get further away from the chains, but someone’s finger tapped the back of my hand. Zak’s gentle touch lingered on my skin for a moment until my heart rate was no longer skyrocketing.

He chuckled at the holy man in front of us. “Raguel, is this really necessary?”

Raguel stood and the long braids resting on his shoulders seemed to hover. “I don’t know what I find more insulting, that you tried to lie to me, or that you’re still trying to. You even got Jarmiel to follow along in this scheme of yours. This is an abuse of your power.”

“I asked for his help,” Zak said.

Raguel scoffed, turning to the second angel. “And you complied?”

Jarmiel’s head dropped. “Yes.”

My heart hurt for him, just a bit. He looked like someone’s pride and joy getting scolded for the first time. Raguel pressed his fists into the desk and sparks sprang from his golden rings. “ Why am I having this conversation at all? A demon, Zakiel?”

I bit my tongue; unsure if saying anything on my behalf would make things worse. The chains continued to irritate every cell in my body.

“Okay, first, I didn’t lie. I just avoided telling you for a while,” Zak started, “Second, I can explain.”

“Please do.” Raguel’s stern face matched his stern tone.

I gulped. Gods, give me strength.

“Jess is no ordinary demon. We’re not entirely sure what that means yet, but Jarmiel wouldn’t have agreed to help me if he didn’t feel the same. I’m sure you can sense it too.”

The white-haired angel still fumed, but only through sharp breaths out his nose.

“Do you sense any malice from her?” Zak asked.

Raguel’s body shook like he wanted to yell but held back. “It’s not always as simple as a feeling, Zakiel. Hell gets more clever by the day. So, one of their kind sends an innocent face to your door, and our greatest angels falter?”

Zak angled his chin to look down at me while I peered up at him in my stupified state. “Do you allow fear to counsel you now? That’s unlike you, Raguel,” he said.

The tone of the room suddenly changed.

“Zakiel,” Jarmiel whispered sharply. Even I was taken aback. That had sounded an awful lot like an insult.

Raguel’s silence made my insides tighten, but Zak continued. “You seem to think I’ve adopted the shortcomings of mortals, like fear, but perhaps it is you?”

“Watch your words,” Raguel said.

“Humans fear what they don’t know. We’re supposed to be different. See for yourself that she isn’t a threat to you.”

Raguel took a deep breath. After a moment, his eyes dimmed almost back to their normal state. I flexed under my chains as Raguel came back around his desk to stand in front of me. A flurry erupted in my veins as something inside wanted desperately to escape the imposing angel.

“Not being a threat to me is easy enough,” he said, “She can still be a threat to others.”

Zak raised a brow. “If that’s your argument, then so can any of our peacekeepers.”

“That is a different issue entirely.”

“Is it?”

Raguel’s light flickered again but I finally spoke up. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Whether he believed that or not, it was impossible to tell with his harsh stare. He used my armrests as balance as he leaned to better examine my face. I could barely meet his gaze. The heat from my chains made my eyes prickle from the intensity.

“If that’s indeed the case, then you’re still in the wrong place,” Raguel said, “Part of a peacekeeper’s job comes with the strong possibility of violence.”

“But not against humans.”

He blinked. Finally, he seemed to be considering something other than banishing me. “That’s… correct.”

Zak waved a taunting finger from his restrained hand. “It also just so happens that I’ve already extended my mercy.”

Raguel’s mouth opened once before shutting again. I had a chest spasm when he suddenly snorted.

He pushed off of my chair so his back was against his desk. A harsh laugh left his lips next. From there, his frustration grew into a half-hearted series of chuckles. “So, you had planned on telling me but only after you had her secured.” Raguel shook his head. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she bewitched you, Zakiel. Bless your soul.”

Zak wore the smile of a charming prince, but he fooled us all with his cunning. “You guys get so jumpy about the littlest things, I wanted time to prove a point. She also took on one of The Necromancer’s Ghouls by herself,” he said like a proud father, “A big one too.”

Raguel made a humored frown. He pinched his chin between his thumb and pointer finger. “This true, girl?” he asked.

“Sort of,” I said.

Technically, the thing had still been alive.

Raguel’s brow softened as he continued to study me. The chains across me, Jarmiel, and Zak turned back into tiny balls of light that vanished in the air. I rubbed my exposed flesh that had turned pink and took a big gulp of air.

“Lisha informed me of your progress here. Sloppy and inexperienced, she says, but your determination against the reaper was admirable.” Raguel spoke slowly like the words were painful to utter.

“Really?” I asked, remembering the test not going well at all.

“Your scores were some of the lowest I’ve seen, but that’s not uncommon for recruits with zero experience. With a demon’s strength, I expect better from now on.”

Did he just refer to me as a recruit ?

“You’re letting me stay?” I asked.

Raguel’s eyes rolled to one side. “I don’t have a say in it at the moment, thanks to Zakiel’s questionable methods, but he hasn’t given me a reason not to trust him. This doesn’t mean that I trust you. Prove to me that you’re more than a demon, Jessebel Winters.”

His frosty eyes scanned all three of our faces.

“This is on you two, should things go poorly,” he said, pointing to the angels, “but I too am curious. The chains should have caused you to catch fire at least. What sort of evolved demon breed are you?”

My eyes grew out of my head. He’d intended to set me ablaze?

Rude.

“We don’t know but that makes her special, right?” Zak asked.

“If that’s the case, I’d like to get her bloodwork done.”

My heart sank, but why? It wasn’t like they could find out anything worse.

I was already a demon.

Zak sounded less chipper about that part. “We’ll see to it before exams.”

“Uriah won’t like this,” Raguel said.

I remembered that name from EXO’s historic video. Barely. Of the three angels around me, they seemed to revere Uriah as someone in a higher position than them. Zak lifted his shoulders. “Ahh, he’s strict but he’s curious too. I’m sure he’ll see the benefit of studying her.”

Raguel pressed his lips together. We all watched him reviewing the last ten minutes in his mind. For the moment, it seemed like we were safe. I was safe. And it was thanks to Zak. I felt the weight of his generosity building up brick by brick.

Zak and Jarmiel had been willing to go against their own…

For me?

Raguel stepped forward, away from the desk again, “I apologize but I’d like to experience your aura for myself.”

He presented his hand to me and I knew the drill. It didn’t make it easier to surrender. I still didn’t trust my touch. Everything that happened after was still unpredictable.

It felt like a rush of wind blowing up my arm. Not only was his grip intense but his energy as well. I watched his holy face closely for signs of distress but he revealed nothing. “It’s as you say. Her soul isn’t malicious but very disorganized,” he mulled, “How is it something like you has come to be? Who were your parents?”

“I don’t actually know,” I said, sounding like a broken record.

His voice growled a bit, or was he grumbling? “Do you want to be here? This isn’t purely to appease Zakiel?”

Since he mentioned it, maybe I had wanted to please Zak. The thought of disappointing him made me physically ill. If I ran, he would think I was a coward. Those were thoughts I haunted myself with as well. I didn’t want to keep running; from the world or myself.

Raguel cracked a smile and dropped my hand. “I suppose that doesn’t matter. Looks like you’re stuck here for now.”

He turned away, making a slow lap to the chair behind his desk again.

Much to my displeasure, my voice quieted like a mouse. “I don’t want to be something people hate. I’ll learn how you do things here.”

Raguel took a longer pause than I had. He lowered himself into his seat and drummed his large fingers against the wood. My nerves settled like dust on a shelf. Things were still while the wrinkles around his face softened even more.

He sighed. “I’ll need you in top shape, and quickly. Training a demon will be tricky. I hope you all realize what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

I just nodded.

“Do not abuse this chance, Winters. Pass your peacekeeper test. I will hold a council meeting following your success, regardless of your contract with Zakiel,” Raguel said, “Now, all of you get up.”

I rose from my chair. His presence was still a bit too bright. Too godly. But I forced myself to keep my head up so he knew I was sincere. “I’ll do my best, sir,” I said.

“Then you’re all dismissed.”

Jarmiel made a swift path toward the door but Zak hesitated. “Wait, isn’t this my office? Hey, Raguel, we should get a drink! I missed that handsome face.”

The silence from the braided angel was deafening. I made a dash for the hallway after Jarmiel.

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