“And I thought someone had brought me flowers, but it was you.”
“Whoa, that’s a great line. How are you feeling?” Mia asked, raising up on one elbow.
“Not horrible, not comfortable, but not horrible.”
“I’m sorry about the demon.”
“You didn’t know this would happen. You came to me for help, and you know the rest.”
“I think we have to put all that behind us and move on. I’m worried about your heart. Mind if I examine you?”
“I do believe you’re flirting with me,” Michael said.
Mia looked around her as she sat up. “All this week, I’ve woken up in the strangest places. Where are we?”
“Raphael’s crystal room.”
Mia slid over and put her hand on Michael’s chest. She lowered her head and rested it on the archangel. “Your breaths are deep, strong, and clear. And your heart is beating slowly.”
She lifted the cover and looked at his abdomen. His skin was growing back over the dragon-heart patch. “This is going to take some time. Maybe you’ll want to restrict your activities until this returns to normal.”
“Yes, Mia,” Michael said. “Now lie back down, you’re bothering me.”
“If ever you question the love and loyalty of Raphael, remember today and push those thoughts away from you,” Mia said. “I know you don’t like to think of yourself as weak and vulnerable, but when I arrived, Raphael was physically holding all your innards inside.”
“Yes, Mia. Time to shut up.”
Mia rolled over and lay with her back to Michael. He could see the line of her spine through the tunic that she had on. Raphael had done a masterful job of reconstructing her spine. She had faint traces of trauma to her back, but she was whole again. He ran his finger down her spine.
“Careful, big boy,” Mia said.
He stopped. “I wasn’t.”
“Good.”
The door opened, and Raphael poked his head in. “How’s our patients?”
“I’d like to go home, please,” Mia said.
“As soon as Sariel’s sound enough to transport you.”
“Isn’t there anyone else?”
“Not that I’d trust with you right now.”
“Geeze, break out in demon pox twice and no one wants to hold your hand.”
A low rumble started deep in Michael’s chest, and he started laughing.
Raphael looked amused. “Now I understand why you put up with Misfit here.”
“Do you have a place here where I can do some research?” Mia asked.
“What are you looking for?” Raphael asked.
“I’d like to find out the proper way to address the Council of Women. I figure there may be a protocol. Also, to look into the hierarchy of the group.”
“Why?” he asked, curious.
“Short history,” Mia said. “Forgive me if you already know this, but I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. I’m some kind of failed experiment of genetic manipulation. I was engineered to have certain skills, and my life was structured so I would develop a cold bitter hatred if not become a psychopath. You, better than anyone, know that psychopaths aren’t made. They are born that way. But they did their best to place me in a cold home where I was unwanted and scorned by my peer group. I escaped that home, but they continued to follow me and kill everyone I loved. Flash forward, I didn’t become the type of assassin they wanted. It could be that the Neyer gene of fence-sitters was too strong, or maybe because of another entity’s interest in me, or just dumb luck. A few days ago, a volo candle sent me back in time to when I was twelve. There was no pivotal moment there to correct, so I don’t think I was sent there by them. But while I was there, my grandmother Fredericka Cooper took out a contract with a group of Other assassins to kill me and bring back my heart as proof. I guess, either they wanted to start again or feared I was going to expose them.”
“I saw the contract in her memory,” Michael said. “I can confirm that Mia is telling the truth.”
“Who signed it?” Raphael asked, curious.
“My grandmother.”
“That had to sting.”
“Oh yes.”
“So what do you wish to accomplish?”
“I suspect that the entire group isn’t guilty of these crimes. When I was possessed by the demon, my thoughts leaned to threatening them with certain assets I may have at my disposal. But now she’s gone, I can see reason. I would like to have them investigate my claims and punish their own. Also, I would like them to stay out of my children’s lives. Prior to the candle incident, I had Mother Nature’s protection. I can’t always count on her minions to have my back. It’s not how I want to live out my life. I would like them to stop playing games with me and mine.”
“Do you think they manipulated time to kill you?” Raphael asked.
“I did but now realize there is a possibility that my grandmother just took advantage of the situation.”
“Do you know who played fast and loose with time?” Raphael asked.
“We have suspicions but no hard evidence yet. My husband, Altair, and Orion are working on that problem. I feel the best use of my time is to talk to the council.”
“You’ll need an advocate,” Michael said.
“I thought I could do this myself. Bringing on an advocate would alert the faction within of the situation. I don’t think that’s wise.”
“I see you’ve thought this out since I last read your mind,” Michael said.
“I’ve seen what happens when I let my anger direct me. I do rash things, and the consequences are high. When I was put in that situation of having to live my life over, I realized that nothing I could do would bring about the same result. I looked
