“It’s working, angel,” Covet hissed from the door. “Keep talking.”
And Haziel did. It was like standing between a tsunami and a towering cliff and words poured out of her. “The seals are weakening, and they’re ramping up your emotions. You are not yourselves. You actually like each other. And you both like me. At least, you both seem to like me, and if you don’t stop glaring at each other you’re going to fight again. I’ll be caught in the middle, and you’ll both end me. I don’t want to end. I’m a relatively young angel. As angels go. I have so much more I want to do before my time comes. And if I end here in hell, I don’t know what will happen—”
“Haziel.” Wrath took her by the shoulders, his touch gentle. “Stop.”
“Nope.” She screwed her eyes shut and gave every drop of Ramiel power she had to keep them apart. “If I stop talking, you’re going to start fighting again.”
“Haziel,” Ava this time. “Open your eyes. We’re calmer.”
She dared to crack her lids. They were back on the ground, and both hell princes had receded to a more normal size. The throne room was a shambles, and both hell princes were bloodied and sweating.
Wrath gently stroked the flesh of her upper arms. “Did I do that?” He was looking at the red marks on her arms with real regret.
Haziel nodded. “But you were not yourself. You were in the midst of battle lust.”
“I lost control.” Wrath shook his head. “I’ve never lost control. Even at my angriest, I retain control.”
“You weren’t alone in that.” Ava looked around her at the devastation and sighed. “I woke with this overriding desire to get you out of my palace.”
Wrath nodded but kept his gaze on her. “My apologies, Haziel. I would never want to hurt you.”
“I know.” She nodded and stepped closer to him. “But I think we should leave now. Two hell princes this close together with the seals weakening can only spell more trouble.”
Chapter Seventeen
Wrath in the throes of fully developed regret was a different beast entirely to deal with. Haziel had to keep checking to make sure the meek and agreeable being following her out of Ava’s palace was the same blustering warmonger who’d marched in with her.
“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.” She gave releasing his guilt another try.
He looked at her with remorseful blue eyes and shook his head. “I could have ended you.”
“Well, considering you’ve threatened to end us all on more than one occasion, I don’t see that as something to torture yourself over.” Wrath regularly liked to threaten to pull earth, heaven, and hell into an end.
The old Wrath razzle-dazzle kindled in his eyes and by razzle-dazzle she meant killing spree fury. “Careful, angel.”
As she seemed to have abandoned careful days ago, Haziel gave him a wink and a cocky grin. “Lead on.”
They reached Ava’s cluttered courtyard.
“Psst!” A bush to their left quivered.
With a growl, Wrath dove into the bush and emerged dangling a small, yellow imp by a horn. “Yesterday.” He gave the imp a shake hard enough to rattle his dark eyes in his oversize head. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“I have information,” Yesterday yelped, his tongue flapping out of his mouth.
Haziel took pity on the poor creature. Imps were notorious liars and trouble causers but this one was sort of cute. “Perhaps you should listen to him before you shake the brains out of his ears.”
Studying the imp like he was a glob of goo, Wrath stopped the shaking.
“What information?” Haziel approached the imp. For a moment, she envied their ability to lie. What would it be like to open your mouth and trot out a lie? Just once, she’d love to say something untrue. Ramiel had slapped the truth telling gift on her when she’d risen to the rank of his second. He needed to be able to trust her, he had said. It had made sense at the time, but now she wasn’t so certain that trust worked like that. Was it even trust if you had guaranteed honesty? Her wing throbbed, but she resisted checking the damage. Wrath was already remorseful enough.
Yesterday’s left eye dropped back to facing forward in his eye socket, and he focused on her with a piteous expression. “He wants to end me.”
“You lied to me and Asmodeus.” Wrath gave him another shake. “You caused war between Asmodeus and myself, and then betrayed both of us.” Wrath pulled him closer to his face. “And you endangered Eddie, and that I cannot tolerate.”
That did sound rather damning. “To be fair, Wrath, you and Shade do rather enjoy making war on each other.”
“Yes,” Wrath snapped. “But this little turd burglar told each of us the other was attempting to end us. He caused a struggle for survival.”
And that was a good enough reason for her not to intervene further. Haziel stepped back. “Fair enough.”
“Not going to beg me to save him?” Wrath raised one dark brow and smirked.
Yesterday gaped at her. “You’re an angel. You are supposed to be all love and light.”
“Not that kind of angel.” Haziel shrugged and pointed at herself. “Ramiel’s court. More of a keep the peace kind of angel.” She felt sorry for him and softened her tone. “And right now, you sound like a threat to peace.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Yesterday gave up on her and turned his attention back to Wrath with a pleading look. “To help keep the peace.”
“I’ve had all that I can take of you.” Wrath’s wings flared behind him, and his power brushed over her senses. It had a similar power signature to Ramiel’s but was rawer and cruder, like denim versus silk.
Covering as much of his huge head as his stubby arms could achieve, Yesterday squealed. “I have information on where Lucifer is.”
Cocking his head, Wrath held the imp up to his eye level. “You’re lying.”
“No.” Yesterday shook his head and pointed to his horns. “My horns aren’t moving.”
