“Does Will know?”

I shook my head. “I’m afraid to tell him. I think it would make him very upset. He despises Cadan.”

“He’ll have to learn eventually,” Marcus said. “But for now, you’re right. He doesn’t need to deal with this too, on top of everything.”

I nodded. “Where’s Ava tonight?”

He eyed me suspiciously. “Out. This isn’t really her scene.”

I made an ugly noise. “I think that I’m just not her scene.”

He gave a slow nod, his mouth forming a tight line. “She didn’t tell me that you knew.”

“About her and Will?” I asked, my voice a little more snarly than I meant it to be. “Yeah.”

He pushed himself off the wall and moved around me so that he stood in my line of sight to Will. “If you want an outside opinion, I say don’t stress over it. He felt pretty bad after it happened and told no one. Not even Nathaniel. I only know because Ava told me.”

“Did you and Ava ever … ?”

He laughed. “No, she’s too serious for me. She’s absolutely no fun at all, and I have a lot of fun. I have an open mind.”

I rolled my eyes. “Then Kate is just your type.”

He grinned widely. “She’s perfect. I want you to know that I’m a one-woman kind of guy when I have one. You don’t have to worry about her.”

I stared at him. “I better not.”

“May I ask you something, Ellie, my love?”

“Of course, but I’m not your love.”

“What’s Heaven like?”

I paused. “Why? That’s kind of random.”

He shrugged. “I’ve come to the realization recently that I am not invincible. I’m immortal, but there is a very real possibility that I will die in battle. Any of us could die. Nathaniel is gone. Since reapers don’t have an afterlife, I’ll never get to see what Heaven looks like. You’re the only angel I’m cool with, so I thought I’d ask you.”

I blinked. “I don’t know. I never remember Heaven. Never have.”

He frowned. “That’s too bad. I guess I will never know.”

“Marcus,” I said, examining his scars. “How did you get those scars?”

He pulled his collar wider. “Demonfire from the blade of one of the Fallen.”

“Who?”

“Belial,” he answered. “A long time ago, he was summoned by humans messing with angelic magic they had no business messing with. They wanted him to fight on their side in a war between men. They call it the Second World War. Thankfully the spell was short-lived, and Belial was sent back to Hell before he did too much damage. He killed three of my friends in the process and split me wide open from here”—he pointed to the right side of his rib cage and drew a line with his finger up to his cheek—“to here. His demonfire scarred me, but I survived.”

I absorbed his story, imagining the horror of it all.

“It’s okay, though,” he said with a grin. “The scar makes me look like a badass. Kate loves it.”

I laughed. “If you say so.”

My smile faded when his did, and he grew very serious suddenly. “Believe Will when he says he doesn’t want you to fight Sammael and Lilith until he knows you can beat them. Belial was Hell on two legs, Ellie. I wouldn’t be here right now if that spell hadn’t sucked that monster back to where he came from. Be patient. Grow as strong as you can, be as prepared as you can. Michael and the other angels don’t care what happens down here unless Heaven is compromised. If your soul is destroyed, then Earth will be at Lucifer’s mercy.”

“Do you think I can beat them?”

He studied my face, his sapphire gaze invasive. “You?” he asked. “No. Azrael? Maybe. Gabriel? Definitely.”

I nodded. I knew what we had to do: summon Azrael. If he couldn’t do it, then I needed to become an archangel, and I needed to stop worrying about what would happen to me once I did.

Will’s presence flooded over me, and I looked to see that he had wandered over to where Marcus and I were standing. His smile was pleasant. “Can I have her back yet?”

Marcus slapped Will’s shoulder, took a swig of his beer, and started to walk away. “Have your way with her.”

My hand rushed to my mouth as heat flushed into my cheeks.

Will dipped his head low to mine. “Ignore him. Are you having a good time?”

I pressed my body into his, just to feel the security his closeness offered me. “Yes. Are you?”

His hands came down on my shoulders and rested around my arms. “I am if you are.” His hands touched my waist.

I pushed my palms up his chest and around the back of his neck. I tilted my head back and he leaned forward, his face inches from my own. “Dance with me.”

“I can’t dance to this music. It’s not even music at all.”

“You’re a big bad demonic reaper hunter and you’re too shy to dance with me? That’s kind of sad in a huge way.”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“I could just order you to dance with me.”

He sighed and nuzzled my neck. “Don’t make me. I beg you.”

Shivers rushed through me. “You’re lucky you’re so cute. Otherwise I’d definitely make you do it.”

He kissed my shoulder. “You’re very merciful.”