instinct. “Of course it does not,” she said firmly, her hands clenching beside her thighs on the couch cushions.
Remiel blinked and steepled his fingers in front of his chin. “Hmm,” he hummed.
Compassion was known widely as a tool of the Guardians, but Warriors were not completely devoid of it. Anahita found herself wishing Remiel could have a bit more of it at the moment.
Remiel was known not just for his surplus of gifts, but for the very rare instance of resisting Temptation. Remiel’s Temptation had been a woman, and not only had he resisted her, he had literally destroyed her, seemingly with ease. This epic occurrence had taken place much,
much
before Anahita’s time, so she did not know firsthand what had happened, but in the whispers among the brethren, Anahita had gathered that Remiel’s Temptation had been a very evil woman—one who had broken some of the Most High’s most important laws. And Remiel had meted out justice despite what Anahita now knew had to have been great internal struggle.
Max had broken one of the Most High’s most important laws as well, and yet, she could not bring herself to do as Remiel had done.
Yet
, Anahita reminded herself. It would be done. “I need a small amount of time,” Anahita said, raising her chin and leveling Remiel with steady eyes. “I have only just encountered the objects of my mission, and I must make sure I proceed with caution now that more variables are known.”
The words were wise, Anahita knew, and not ones Remiel could take exception to. The damage a single angel could do when under the power of a misguided Compulsion was not to be taken lightly.
“You must not wait long,” Remiel said after a beat of silence. “This was Jayden’s downfall.” He rose to his feet, and Anahita craned her neck back to maintain eye contact. “Organize your thoughts quickly, Anahita, and get your mission underway.”
“Yes, of course,” Anahita said, rising as well so she could feel more on even footing with the imperial angel.
And without another word of encouragement or censure, Remiel vanished. His final words rang through the quiet of the apartment with what felt like increasing urgency, and as though in response, Anahita’s Warrior Compulsion rose to the forefront to accept the challenge the other angel had laid out. But then, right on cue, Anahita’s Guardian Compulsion beat the Warrior Compulsion back and nearly convinced Anahita to Guard Max before she was able to get a hold of it.
Suddenly, the thought of organizing her thoughts seemed worlds outside of possible.
• • •
Max’s ear began to heat against the metal of the door that led to the angel’s living quarters. Why he was even here, he had no clue. He’d been with Jericho, who had given him a name for what his eye did. It was called
Knowledge
, and Jericho and his wife, Dahlia, also had the ability, though only through touching one another. Turns out Max had been unintentionally wise to keep his eye’s ability from their captors. It would have been exploited in the worst ways.
Jericho had mentioned in passing that Jayden was showing Anahita where she would stay, and after nearly having a coronary at discovering she was
going to stay
, Max had found himself right outside her door.
Where he had promptly heard another man speaking to her in near-whispers. The emotions such a discovery had inspired in him did not bear scrutiny.
Okay, fine, he’d lost his shit a little. But after punching a hole in the wall across from her door, he’d gathered himself enough to listen in on her conversation—a very mature move that he steadily stood by. Especially since it had yielded some very, very interesting intel.
Anahita’s little mission of death did not seem to be her own idea. That was ... nice, Max guessed. As was the knowledge that she was hesitant to carry out her mission—at least, that’s what he was able to glean from her tone of voice and cryptic answers. Reading other people
Remiel blinked and steepled his fingers in front of his chin. “Hmm,” he hummed.
Compassion was known widely as a tool of the Guardians, but Warriors were not completely devoid of it. Anahita found herself wishing Remiel could have a bit more of it at the moment.
Remiel was known not just for his surplus of gifts, but for the very rare instance of resisting Temptation. Remiel’s Temptation had been a woman, and not only had he resisted her, he had literally destroyed her, seemingly with ease. This epic occurrence had taken place much,
much
before Anahita’s time, so she did not know firsthand what had happened, but in the whispers among the brethren, Anahita had gathered that Remiel’s Temptation had been a very evil woman—one who had broken some of the Most High’s most important laws. And Remiel had meted out justice despite what Anahita now knew had to have been great internal struggle.
Max had broken one of the Most High’s most important laws as well, and yet, she could not bring herself to do as Remiel had done.
Yet
, Anahita reminded herself. It would be done. “I need a small amount of time,” Anahita said, raising her chin and leveling Remiel with steady eyes. “I have only just encountered the objects of my mission, and I must make sure I proceed with caution now that more variables are known.”
The words were wise, Anahita knew, and not ones Remiel could take exception to. The damage a single angel could do when under the power of a misguided Compulsion was not to be taken lightly.
“You must not wait long,” Remiel said after a beat of silence. “This was Jayden’s downfall.” He rose to his feet, and Anahita craned her neck back to maintain eye contact. “Organize your thoughts quickly, Anahita, and get your mission underway.”
“Yes, of course,” Anahita said, rising as well so she could feel more on even footing with the imperial angel.
And without another word of encouragement or censure, Remiel vanished. His final words rang through the quiet of the apartment with what felt like increasing urgency, and as though in response, Anahita’s Warrior Compulsion rose to the forefront to accept the challenge the other angel had laid out. But then, right on cue, Anahita’s Guardian Compulsion beat the Warrior Compulsion back and nearly convinced Anahita to Guard Max before she was able to get a hold of it.
Suddenly, the thought of organizing her thoughts seemed worlds outside of possible.
• • •
Max’s ear began to heat against the metal of the door that led to the angel’s living quarters. Why he was even here, he had no clue. He’d been with Jericho, who had given him a name for what his eye did. It was called
Knowledge
, and Jericho and his wife, Dahlia, also had the ability, though only through touching one another. Turns out Max had been unintentionally wise to keep his eye’s ability from their captors. It would have been exploited in the worst ways.
Jericho had mentioned in passing that Jayden was showing Anahita where she would stay, and after nearly having a coronary at discovering she was
going to stay
, Max had found himself right outside her door.
Where he had promptly heard another man speaking to her in near-whispers. The emotions such a discovery had inspired in him did not bear scrutiny.
Okay, fine, he’d lost his shit a little. But after punching a hole in the wall across from her door, he’d gathered himself enough to listen in on her conversation—a very mature move that he steadily stood by. Especially since it had yielded some very, very interesting intel.
Anahita’s little mission of death did not seem to be her own idea. That was ... nice, Max guessed. As was the knowledge that she was hesitant to carry out her mission—at least, that’s what he was able to glean from her tone of voice and cryptic answers. Reading other people
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