Immediately, two warrior angels draw their swords and step in front of the handsome middle-aged angel that just stormed in. My demons are by my side in a flash, and everyone in the room tenses.
Yep. It’s official. This scythe is trying to get me killed.
“I’m not threatening you,” I quickly say, looking past the fierce looking soldier angels and into the dark green eyes of the winged man they’re protecting. “It just activates on its own,” I offer awkwardly, and I work to keep myself from shaking the scythe and demanding it cooperate and stop trying to get me taken out.
After a beat, the kelp-green eyed angel nods, and his bodyguards back off. They step aside, and he walks further into the room, radiating confidence and ability. Or maybe it’s his shiny gold armor that’s doing all of that, but either way, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy you’d want to mess with.
He scans the room, and when his eyes land on Tazreel, his stern face melts, and in its place is recognition and camaraderie. “Taz?” he asks, surprised. “They didn’t tell me it was you here, you old prick!” he announces, and then in three long strides, he and my sperm donor meet in a hug and a whole lot of back patting.
What the fuck?
I watch them take a moment to catch up and think about what Jerif said about soldiers getting wiser with time and experience.
“Louquin, when did you make Major?” Tazreel asks, holding him out at arm’s length and looking him over with pride.
“Not long. It’s been about a decade now,” Louquin answers with a beaming smile.
“Well, it was long coming, I’ll tell you that much. Congratulations. As soon as I get home, I’ll send some things to help ring in the good news,” Taz offers, and Louquin looks all kinds of honored and appreciative.
“You’re too kind. I should say no, but we both know I’m not going to,” he confesses on a dazzling grin, and the two angels laugh and hug again.
I share a bewildered look with my guys. Who knew Taz would actually be liked enough to have a friend? And an angel friend, no less.
“What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but when I was given word that we had a party from Hell make a surprise drop-in, I didn’t think it would be you,” Louquin states, curiosity filling his eyes.
“Ah, yes. I’m hoping you can help me, old friend. I would have announced the visit, but you see, I’m just as surprised to be here as you are to see me,” Tazreel starts.
Louquin looks like he’s dying to know what’s going on, and I look over at the guys to see they’re still on guard but as amused and curious by the interaction as I am.
“It’s been brought to my attention recently that I’ve sired a child. The wee thing was dropped right onto my doorstep,” Taz says, motioning toward me like I’m some frail baby in a bassinet just left for him out of the blue.
I tilt my head and release a sigh that says come the fuck on, but my incredulous sound goes ignored by them both. Louquin eyes me speculatively, taking in my appearance.
“Unfortunately, I’m not certain of who the mother is,” Taz goes on. “I applied a tincture to track this bundle of joy’s bloodline, and it led me straight here. She must have a maternal relative on base. I’m hoping you can help me track them down so the little whelp’s mother can be located,” Taz finishes.
I snort, not at all amused by the technically accurate, but very misleading tale that my sperm donor just wove into existence, as though he’s reading bedtime stories instead of trying to solve the problem of his whoring ways.
“Well, first let me congratulate you,” Louquin offers with a blinding smile before his brows lower slightly. “But I don’t know how we’d be able to find the relative. That isn’t very much to go on,” he adds.
“This is true,” Taz nods. “Luckily, my progeny has very unique markings, which I’m certain come from the mother’s side. It might be possible to identify a relative that way,” Taz offers, fluffing his hair and wings, like my unique coloring is an affront to his Abdicated good looks and the neutral color palette that Heaven dipped him in when he was created.
“Hmm, that might be possible. Where’s the little one?” Louquin asks, looking around for what he expects to be a little kid.
Echo and I both snicker under our breaths. I step forward, my scythe still in Swiss Army battle mode, and wait for the Legion Major’s green eyes to settle on me.
When they do, I offer him a wide smile. “Hi, I’m Delta. Oh, and apparently I’m this asshole’s kid,” I add, just to be sure that everything sinks in. I gesture to Tazreel with my scythe and don’t miss the irritated look he shoots my way at my blatant disrespect in front of a friend. I give him a shrug. That should teach him to pop into bathrooms uninvited or describe me as a whelp.
“Wait...” Louquin stammers, wide eyes flicking from me to Tazreel. Taz gives a confirming nod.
The angel’s green eyes immediately hook back onto me, taking in my electric purple hair and wings before his disbelieving eyes move to my scythe. He takes in the details slowly, like the facts are puzzle pieces he’s trying to put together.
And then, the strangest thing happens. The last piece snaps into place, and realization comes with his mouth dropping open.
I watch as the blood completely drains from his face as recognition seeps into his dark green eyes.
That can’t be good.
19
“It can’t be,” Louquin states adamantly, but his new ghost-white pallor and the shocked set of his features tells a different story.
He looks back to Tazreel, but instead of the jovial light in his eyes and the sense of brotherhood that was
