Courtney Allison Moulton

“I am the Messenger, Gabriel, she who is set over all the powers," I called out. "I evoke thee, Sammael, the Lord of Souls and Fallen angels of death. I am the Will of God and you shall come forth, incubus, the serpent with the lion's face, the Venom of God-""That is enough name calling... I heard you the first time.”

“I put my palm on my belly. "I'm hungry."His eyes bulged. "You're-? What is wrong with you?""This form is strange to me.”

“Oh, excellent," Ethan Stone said. "A way out. Good thing I was sure to be bitten by a radioactive spider so I can scale these walls and ceiling and shimmy my arse right out of here."Will studied the wall shaft for a long moment. "I don't think that would work.”

“You won't want to," he crooned into my ear. "Not after you've had a taste of what I can offer you.""You're right," I chirped. "I'll probably barf. I'm getting indigestion just thinking about it.”

“What are you doing?""I'm putting them into the envelopes, just like you asked.""Fold them hot dog style so they fit.""Fold them- what?""What's the matter with you? You're folding them hamburger style, the short way, and they don't fold that way.""What are you talking about?"I took a piece of paper and folded it lengthwise. "Hot dog style, see? Looks like a hot dog." I folded it crosswise. "And hamburger style. Looks like a hamburger.""It looks like a piece of paper.""And you look like an idiot.”

“All the beasts of Hell knew they couldn't stop me. I was the archangel Gabriel, the Preliator, and they knew that no matter how many times they killed, I always came back to kill them. No matter how much they frightened me, I remembered what Cadan had told me about the stories of me he had grown up hearing. Even demons feared something. The demonic reapers had nightmares of their own, stories they told one another to terrify, a legend that haunted them in their sleep. That was me. I was Hell's nightmare.”

“You found her. Excellent. That'd be awkward if we handed out 'lost archangel' posters all over town. No one would take us seriously, for God's sake. They'd arrest us!""Ethan." Will mumbled disapprovingly."Well, they'd arrest you first," he continued, pointing at Will. "You're far more shady-looking than I. The tattoos. That's what it is.”

“I frowned at him. "You didn't let anyone write on you? How does that happen?He gave me a disapproving look. "Seriously, Ellie?""Ah," I said. "You must have glared at them just like that. I'm the only one who's not afraid of you. Maybe I could draw over your tattoos so they glow and write BADASS on your forehead. All I've got is pink, though. Hope you don't mind.”

“Keep close," he said. "It only gets more dangerous from here." I patted his shoulder. "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you.”

“Everyone's parents argue-that just happens in any relationship-but parents shouldn't fight in front of their kids.”

“R u ration yet?""What language is that?""R U AWAKE""Much to my extreme dismay. The sun is no friend to my fragile complexion.""Poor baby. Come to my room asap.""It's too early to proposition me, Ellie.""GET OVER HERE?""So frisky. Give me a minute to get some clothes on. Or should I not...?”

“First there is nightmare. Then come the memories. Now she must hunt'.”

“What?" I asked, swallowing a mouthful. "You remind me of me." "That can't be good." I took another mouthful.”

“So what can I really do? If you can jump through a two-story window, then what can I do?" "You can do that too. You don't need wings to do it,either.”

“One by one the angels had come to the top of Har Megiddo where I sat, holding her body close to mine after she'd died. I'd fought alongside them in battle, but up close, when they stood quietly watching us, they looked as beautiful as they looked unreal. the angels weren't supposed to feel emotions, but they were all weeping. All of them. Their tear stained their flawless faces like rain running in rivulets across stone. Azrael was the only one of then who came to me, knelt in front of me and took her from my arms. He was the angel of death come to carry his sister home. I din't want to give her up, knowing it would be the last time I ever saw her face. I had died on that wretched hill with her.”

“My brother," Will growled. "And your friend. You'd better not treat him the way you treat me.”

“Your tense," Will observed, staring out the windshield. "I have a ninja sitting shotgun. Of course I'm tense.”

“Maeghan is local, Berengar is Liege.""Shotgun on Liege," I said quickly. The reapers all stared at me like I'd grown a third eye. "What?" I asked, not the least bit embarrassed. "Their waffles are world famous. I'm going to Liege if only for their awesome waffles.""I like waffles," Cadan said.I beamed at him. "All right. You'll be on Team Waffles with Will and me."Will just shrugged. He accepted me for who I was and he didn't seem to mind being on Team Waffles. Marcus gave Ava a pathetic look. "Why can't our team have a cool name?”

“You don't need my kind of strength. A simple look from you alone cripples ,e. I am at your mercy." -Marcus”

“Can I ask you something?”“Of course.”“You told me once that you loved me because I was human,” I said, my voice tiny. “Will you stilllove me when I’m an angel? Even if I won’t be human anymore?”“Always,” he said, green eyes bright. “Even if you stop loving me.”I felt myself begin to crumble and I left the armory and him sitting on the”

“You will never see the ends of his armies. They blanket the Earth as a storm blankets the sky, but the sun will never rise again.”I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You demonic all think you’re Shakespeare. Really nice. Good-bye.” Then I took off her head and the rest of her burned up.”

“Love doesn't make you blind. It paralyzes until you can't breathe or run away from it.”

“A conversation between Ellie and her mom:[Ellie] "I guess it's true that love makes you blind.""No," my mom said. "It doesn't make you blind. You're very, very aware of everything about the one you truly love, whether you know it from what your eyes tell you or your heart. So no, love doesn't make you blind. It paralyzes until you can't breathe or run away from it.”

“There are four things you need to know about war. One, every action requires careful tactics. Two, never lose hope and fight only for what is right. Three, be brave but you don't have to be fearless. And four, be willing to sacrifice.”

“if you want peace, prepare for war”

“He was so willing to hate me, but so hesitant to love me.”

“A demonic reaper asked to be my valentine and then killed his crazy ex-girlfriend to save my life. Tomorrow I was starting up antipsychotic meds.”

“I've even got one for you, too, Ellie.""Wow, thank you, Marcus.""The second one was supposed to be mine," he admitted with a shrug. "But since I don't want to look like a jackass, I'll give it to you. See what a nice guy I am?"I rolled my eyes at him. "God, Marcus, you're the sweetest guy ever."He grinned stupidly. "Actually, that's not true. I got it for you to begin with, because you two are attached at the hip and I figured you'd show up together. You're so predictable.”

“So are you and Marcus finally getting along?" he asked. "She threatened to castrate me," Marcus said. I nodded. "Sure did."Will blinked and stiffened uncomfortably. "Oh.""That's not nice, Ell," Kate scolded. "Boys need those.”

“You know, for someone who believes in me so much, you really have no faith in me at all.”

“The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never live at all.”

“Kate's Daddy had bought her a red BMW for her birthday. I found it to be an absolute miracle of God that Kate hadn't pancaked it yet. She drove like a blind person going into diabetic shock.”

“Aren't you excited? We're about to undertake a heist. That's exciting, isn't it?”

“Good-bye, Cadan,' I said, backing out the door.'If I hear anything new, I’ll come to you.''Be careful,' I warned. 'My guard dog bites.'He grinned, and that impish gleam returned to his eyes. 'And you don’t?''Wouldn’t you like to know.''Don’t get me excited.”

“Imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t heardher coming.”“Screw you,” I growled, and grabbed his collar to draghim out of the stall.“In a public restroom, Ellie? Really? Didn’t think you werethat kind of girl.”

“You're so sweet, you're going to give me a cavity.”

“If I kiss you now, I won’t be able to stop. We’ll miss the party.”

“Don’t be mad” was the first thing he said. He really was terrified, as if the most frightening reaper on the planet was no scarier than a mouse, and yet put him in a tux and it was the Apocalypse.”

“Who’s your friend?”I practically leaped into the air and spun around to see that Kate had walked up behind me. I slapped the back of my hand against Marcus’s chest, hard enough to force him back a step. “This is Marcus. Ignore him. He’s a bad seed.”As she checked him out, that growing smile of hers told me she was up to no good. She held out a hand for him to take. “Hi. I’m Kate. I’m a bad seed, too.”

“Kiss me,” I whispered slowly, a desperate plea, and I stroked my thumb across his bottom lip. My heart pounded, and I wanted him so badly it felt like I’d jump out of my skin.His mouth parted, and his eyes fell to my lips before flickering back up. His hands slid around my hips, and he pulled me against him. “No,” he said, but his body betrayed his pledge.“I order you to kiss me,” I said into his lips. My fingers dipped into his waistband and began to unbuckle his belt and jeans. He took a deep breath and his hands tightened on my hips, but he didn’t stop me.He turned his face into my neck and let out a long, frustrated groan, burning my skin with his breath and sending shivers through me. He nuzzled my hair, drinking in my scent as my fingernails ran softly down the back of his neck. “You can’t do that to me,” he said huskily, his lips brushing my skin.I slipped my hands under his shirt, and I smoothed them over his solid abdomen. “Then kiss me because you want to.”

“He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the small of my back, tugging me to his chest. I threw my arms around his shoulders, sliding my nails up and down his neck gently. “Stay with me. And with Nathaniel and Lauren. All day. Be happy today.”“That’s it?”He bent down and kissed me richly. “Each time I look at you, I want to see a smile on your beautiful face.”“Will you be looking at me a lot?”“I’m always stealing glances,” he confessed. “You rarely notice.”

“I'm a reader,not a fighter.”

“As much as I hungered to learn more about my past, I was afraid of learning other things too--mostly about death and despair, and dark corners of the globe. I prayed that those memories wouldn't come back to me, because I felt in my bones that some things were too frightening to remember.”

“I'm so sorry for everything. I never wanted to hurt you or make you doubt me. I need you to trust me. I need you. Amd I love you. I want you. You know I do. I'll never stop doing any of those things until the day I die for you."- Will”

“It's easier to love you than to pretend I don't.”

“Another one of my mystery skills I can't seem to remember. I really hope cooking is on that list, because I'd like to be able to make cupcakes without turning them into cement.”

“My kind of fun just doesn't include making fun of vertically challanged people”

“What’s the point of eternal life if one spends it doing nothing? There is none. It’s waste of eternity.”

“No!You cant get this close to me and then push me away.”

“When Ragnuk killed you, I looked for you everywhere. But you didn't come back. For decades I looked for you, terrified the angels were punishing me for letting you die alone. I thought that you'd never come back to me--that I'd lost you forever.”