Page 7 of The River of Hatred

Jessica tilts her head and squints up at me, possibly calling me out on my lie with her gaze. “Are queer pairings more common among Celestials?” she asks instead. Curious little kitten.

Though same-gender pairings were always rarer, I did not find it peculiar that I yearned for someone who chose to identify as the same sex, even back then. For the love of chocolate-covered peanuts, I was not supposed to yearn for anyone at all! Why would the genitalia on the outside of their being matter?

I shake my head and bring myself to the present. Being in Ithuriel’s presence is making me fall into the same cycle of self-flagellation I experienced before my fall.

“As there are no pairings in Heaven, your question’s really: ‘Are queer pairings more common inHell?’” I allow us to drop a couple of feet, enjoying her frightened yelp and the way she clings to me tighter. “Demons are equal-opportunity fuckers, poppet.”

The Nephilim flushes again and I’m tempted to transfer her weight onto one arm and run the back of my hand against those scarlet cheeks, check how warm they get when she does it. “Are you trying to shock me with your words?” the kitten asks and I laugh loudly, making Itha turn toward us again, this time with an inscrutable look.

“Just making sure you’re not bored, poppet,” I murmur, my eyes still on my once-friend’s. After a couple of seconds, he looks ahead again.

“I’m being flown through Hell on the wings of angels, on a mission to save humanity via rift-closure. I’ll then go topside for the first time in years, and let me remind you, I haven’t seen the sun in that long. How could I possibly be bored?”

I snort at the Nephilim’s dry humor. “I’m pretty sure that’s the most you’ve spoken in one go since we met, kitten.”

She rolls her eyes. “First poppet, now kitten. How many more diminishing nicknames can I look forward to?”

I widen my eyes in fake affront. “Diminishing? Honey, if you were any smaller, you’d disappear. You’re practically a Christmas elf.” Instead of being offended, the mortal throws her head back and guffaws. At least she’s not one of those sticklers for political correctness.

I enjoy the sight of her mirth for a moment, then scan the ground below and in front of us again. There’s been minimal movement since we began our flight – just an odd minion here and there, doing depraved minion things. We’re flying away from Purgatory, away from Ash’s domain, and have just entered the missing Asmodai’s, just as vast and all-encompassing, just as perilous to the mortal in my arms.

“At least I don’t look like I mainline steroids,” she says, pulling me back to our conversation. It’s my turn to laugh. Even though I’m carrying her through the air (but we just determined she’s far from heavy), I somehow feel lighter than I have in months. Ever since Armaros…

Well. There went that.

Chapter 5 – Jessica

Ichew on the bite of the sandwich I took and try to pretend that things aren’t awkward. Which, of course, makes them way the fuck more awkward.

“Do you want a sandwich, Ithuriel?” I offer to try and break the nearly painful silence that’s been around since we landed for a break.

The angel replies without looking away from the stone formations he’s been observing for longer than they warrant. “No, thank you, I don’t require sustenance yet.”

See? Awkward.

Sariel’s hand shooting out and taking the sandwich out of my hands startles me and I almost jump to my feet.

“Relax,” he drawls, grin wide. He slowly brings my sandwich to his mouth and bites down, exactly over the spot where I just took a chomp off. He keeps his eyes locked on mine and uses the side of his thumb to brush off a crumb stuck near the edge of his lower lip. “Mm,” he purrs, handing the sandwich back to me. I automatically accept it and look down at the now wider bite mark. My eyes lift back to his and I can feel my face twisting into the universal WTF expression. “Oh, I just wanted to know the taste.” His eyes are dancing. God, why does he always have to phrase shit like that?

“Cease with the impertinence, Sariel.” Ithuriel’s voice draws me out of the hypnosis the Fallen cast me under.

Sariel winks at me, then strides over to the angel, steps unhurried. “I don’t know what you could possibly mean, my friend.” He stops when he’s standing right in front of him, making it impossible for Ithuriel to ignore his presence.

The white-haired angel shoots up from his seated position and all but snarls in Sariel’s face. “I told you that I am not your friend. I stopped being your friend the moment you betrayed everything we believed without even confiding in me.” His voice breaks at the end and Sariel blinks. The mask slips for only a moment, though, and then the lazy, indulgent expression is back.

“I didn’t know you wanted to go with me, Itha.” His smile is a mixture of softness and mocking. The emotions shouldn’t be able to coexist but they seem to be made for this Fallen.

“I would have stopped you.” Ithuriel’s voice shakes with emotion and there’s nothing calm and collected about him now. Sariel seems to be the chink in his icy armor.

The fallen angel’s gaze turns pitying, brows drawn, lips still set in a false smile. “No. You wouldn’t.”

Suddenly, I feel like I’m observing something I have no business seeing. I put my uneaten sandwich back in my backpack and stand up, dusting off my ass.

“What are you talking about, Sariel?” Ithuriel’s almost begging Sariel to reply when I look around, desperately hunting for a manifestation or something to go kill. There’s nothing but dry grass and thorn bushes in this area of Hell.

“Ah, does it even matter at this point?” Sariel spreads his midnight dark wings. “I’ll meet you in the sky,” he says, before shooting up into the air with a few mighty flaps. My jaw nearly hits the ground – his ascent was way gentler when he carried me.

Ithuriel shakes his head and sighs, the exhale slow and full of exasperation. Once he turns towards me, I give him a tentative smile. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, Ithuriel. I’ve never seen a heavenly angel before. Or wings. Not close up at least. It’s hard not to look.”

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