“And you can’t tell a lie.” Ava’s eyes glittered. “Can you?”
He shouldn’t have been surprised she’d known that. Along with the exotic and rare, Ava liked to collect information.
“No.” Haziel looked crestfallen. “It can be very inconvenient at times.”
Ava chuckled. “Times like now?”
“Yes.” Haziel grimaced.
“Oh, Wrath.” Ava threw him a sparkling glance. “You have brought me a delightful little present.”
“Leave her alone, Ava. Your issue is with me.” He didn’t like Ava toying with Haziel. She might annoy the shit out of him with her cheeriness and her positivity, but he reserved the right to toy with Haziel for himself.
Wait! What? And why did that make him think of other, and far more pleasant, ways he could toy with Haziel?
“Tell me, lovely Haziel.” Ava smoothed Haziel’s hair behind her ear. “What are you doing with Wrath?”
“Ramiel sent me,” Haziel moved her head away from Ava’s stroking fingers.
“Why?”
“To keep an eye on Wrath.”
“Really?” Ava looked at him with keen interest. “Why?”
“Why what?” Haziel frowned.
Ava tossed her head and tutted. “Silly me. You cannot lie but you can evade a vague question because you are not sure what needs answering.” She chuckled. “I shan’t make that error again.”
Slimy duck taints, but Haziel would hand Ava everything she wanted to know.
“Let me be more specific. Why did Ramiel send you to watch Wrath?”
Haziel gave him an apologetic grimace. “Because he is concerned that Wrath will go after his daughter, and he wants to know what he’s doing. Wrath is unpredictable and also vulnerable with his power gone and his seal weakened.”
“So, Ramiel sent you to babysit big, bad Wrath.” Ava threw her head back and laughed. She turned back to him. “How demeaning.”
Yes, well, there was truth in that. Another technicality there was no point in trying to dispute, so he shrugged.
Ava flung her arm over Haziel’s shoulder and examined him with a hard, glittering gaze that scorched him from head to toe and back again.
“Tell me, Haziel.” Ava leaned closer to Haziel. “What do you think of our Wrath?”
Haziel’s tawny cheeks deepened to russet. “I like him.”
“Oh, we all like him, my angel,” Ava drawled. “Do you like all those muscles?”
“Yes,” Haziel whispered, blushing even deeper.
“Do you like those beautiful blue eyes of his?”
Haziel cleared her throat and looked like she’d rather fly headfirst into a hurricane. “Yes.”
News to him, and Wrath perked up. She liked his body and his eyes. He silently willed Ava to stay on her current line of questioning.
“What about those strong thighs?” Ava murmured. “Do you like those too?”
“I do,” Haziel squeaked. “Wrath is very attractive.”
Well, well, well, apparently, he wasn’t the only one having inappropriate thoughts.
“You know,” Ava whispered, “those strong thighs of his help him drive that thick, long—”
“Ava!” Crap, Ava was going to make him blush at this rate. “Is this really necessary? You know why she’s here. You’re angry with me, not her.”
“You’re right.” Ava released Haziel and spun away from her and closer to him. “Sweet Haziel here has done nothing to me. Whereas you.” She closed the distance between them and jabbed him in the chest with a sharp fingernail. “You made a fool out of me.”
“No, he didn’t,” Haziel said.
Ava glared at her. “Yes, he did.”
“No.” Haziel shook her head, her face a study in honesty. “You’re not a fool. Thus, nobody could make a fool of you.”
Ava opened her mouth and shut it again. She stared at Haziel with far less malice as she said, “I think I like you.”
“I’m likable.” Haziel shrugged. “Unless you ask me if your ass looks fat in something and it really does, because then I’ll have to tell you that.” She flinched. “Not that your ass looks fat or ever could.”
This time when Ava laughed it was genuine amusement. “I’ve changed my mind. I know I like you.”
