archangel

Take this message to your people, you obsequious little worm,_ I murmured. __nyone who lays a hand on Jordan Amador will have to answer to me. Now do me a favor and go to hell.__ removed my sword from his hand and then decapitated him. His severed head tumbled across the floor like a wayward bowling ball. Good riddance.I set my sword aside, found a stool in the corner, and climbed up in front of Jordan. Her handcuffs were attached to a huge meat hook bolted into the ceiling. I lifted her off of it with great care, unsure if she had the strength to stand. As soon as her arms were free, she looped them around my shoulders and pressed her face against my neck. She was trembling, but not crying. I sank to the floor and cradled her in my lap, breathing out the last of my anger now that she was safe. ___ sorry,_ she mumbled in a small voice. ____ so sorry, Michael.__ snorted. __hat the hell do you have to apologize for? You got kidnapped. Pretty sure that__ not your fault.__he shook her head, her words partially muffled as she pressed her face against my shirt. __hould__e been stronger. I could__e gotten you killed.___y Heckle and Jeckle here? Not likely.__ shaky laugh rattled through her. She slid her fingers into the hairs along the nape of my neck and hugged me tighter. I knew from experience she didn__ want me to see her face because she knew she was only seconds away from breaking down. No one would ever accuse Jordan Amador of being a crybaby, not if she could help it. It was a ridiculous notion at best, but I indulged her anyway. __hank you.___ust doing my job. But you__e welcome.__ smoothed the sweaty hairs away from her forehead enough to kiss it. She didn__ move away. We stayed there for a while without speaking, just clinging to each other until we felt strong enough to separate.

Archangel Zadkiel, help me to remove, clear and replace old patterns that no longer serve me. And so it is, amen.

The voice of the archangel is the trumpet call of God.

I can see the headline now: Archangel Busts Were Whisperer.

We fall, we fall together

Actually Gabriel__ an archangel,_ I corrected. __ut otherwise, yes.___ell, that explains why he__ so hard to impress,_ said Xavier flippantly

The undulating terrain was cloaked in lush abundance, the vineyards like garlands of deep green and yellow, orchards and farms sprouting here and there, hillocks of dry golden grass crowned by beautiful sun-gilt houses, barns and silos. And overhead was the bluest sky she'd ever seen, as bright and hard polished as marble.There was something about the landscape that caught at her emotions. It was both lush and intimidating, its beauty so abundant. Far from the bustle of the city, she was a complete stranger here, like Dorothy stepping out of her whirling house into the land of Oz. Farm stands overflowing with local produce marked the long driveways into farms with whimsical names- Almost Paradise, One Bad Apple, Toad Hollow. Boxes and bushels were displayed on long, weathered tables. Between the farms, brushy tangles of berries and towering old oak trees lined the roadway.

Where are we heading?___he closest wooded area to here is Kenwood Academy__ estate. Good place to hide, especially at night.___f we__e going into the woods, I definitely need to change.__ glanced back at her as we returned to the curb where the cab had dropped us off. __r you could just go home.__he crossed her arms and avoided my gaze, scowling. __ou__e sick of me already? That must be a record.__ lifted my eyes to the heavens. Women. __his creature tore out a woman__ throat and busted her chest cavity open like a piñata. I don__ like the thought of it being anywhere near you.___id it ever occur to you that I feel the same way?__urprise flooded over me. __o, it_actually didn__.___ know I__ not as strong or as smart as you are, but that doesn__ mean I can__ help. We__e partners, aren__ we?___eah,_ I said, and couldn__ stop the smile creeping across my lips. __ guess we are._ She tossed a quick look at me and frowned. __uit it.___hat?___ hate it when you do that.___ou hate it when I smile?___o, when you make that, __w, she does have a heart_ face. You look like a Disney prince.__ laughed. __y bad. I__l work on that.

If I'd wanted you dead five minutes ago, you'd have died five minutes ago.

The hit-woman opened the door. No dead body on the floor. Thank God.I heard an unearthly roar and then Jordan charged Liz from where she__ been hiding beside the door. She tackled her to the floor and stabbed her through the wrist with a small switchblade. The hit-woman shrieked and let go of the gun, allowing Jordan precious seconds to bat it across the room. She landed a couple hard punches to the assassin__ nose, bloodying it, before the other woman got the upper hand.She grabbed a handful of Jordan__ ponytail and slammed her head into the edge of the coffee table. Jordan cried out, but didn__ let go of the knife. She withdrew it and held it against the assassin__ throat, shouting, __ove again and I__l kill you, puta!__iz panted madly, but stayed put. Jordan glanced up at me. __ou okay?___live,_ I said through a grimace. __ot okay.___ood enough._ She returned her gaze to the woman pinned beneath her and glared. __he police are on their way. And not the nice, human police. Angels. Get any ideas about trying to kill me again and you won__ even get to deal with them._____e been in jail before,_ Liz said, attempting to recapture her former arrogance. ____l get over it.__ordan leaned down a few inches, lowering her voice. __eally? How__ you like to return without your tongue?__iz__ eyes went wide, as did mine. __ou wouldn__ dare.___ou shot my best friend. Multiple times. Lex talionis.___ou can__ kill me. You__e not a policewoman. You__e just a girl.___o. I__ a Seer. You and the rest of your friends had better learn the difference between a sheep and a wolf in sheep__ clothing. Until then__he lifted her fist and punched Liz hard in the temple. The assassin went out like a light. __aya con dios, bitch.