Strange Relations

Chapter 37

Linq shifted from one foot to the other, eyes tracking Michael as he paced the confines of his office. "Sir?"

Michael held up a hand and Linq remained silent.

He wanted to explain things, to make Michael understand what had happened, but if Michael didn't want him to speak, it was wise to remain silent.

"You had the perfect opportunity, the element of surprise, and you couldn't manage to do the job you were tasked with?"

"She's fast! I did my best!" He held up his arm. "She slashed my sigil, she could have killed me but she made it a point to destroy the sigil instead."

"And without that sigil we have no way to track her!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry, but I barely escaped with my life. I can try again!"

Michael slashed a hand through the air. "Enough! I'm tired of excuses! You can't track her, you cannot surprise her! There is no point in offering to try again! We must find a different way to get rid of Aramintha. If she refuses to remain loyal to Heaven then she is of no use to me."

Linq stared down at the archangel blade where it sat on Michael's desk. It was coated in venom taken from the snake who invaded the garden. It could kill most anything. Including an archangel. If only he'd been quicker. Michael was angry because he'd failed. He needed to succeed and get back into Michael's good graces.

"Go. I need to think." He waved Linq from the room.

He backed out slowly, until he was free from Michael's anger. He would do better the next time. He had to or Michael might decide he was disposable.

***

Mintha slapped Laurel's hand. "Do not touch my stuff!" she snapped.

"I wanna help. Can I draw something?"

"No, go annoy Dean. I need to concentrate. Creating sigils is delicate work, one wrong move and you could blow this place sky high."

Laurel snorted. "As if."

Mintha sent her a glare. "Yes, as if. You can."

Laurel sat back with a pout. She didn't buy Aramintha's story that she could blow things up just by drawing an incorrect line. She just didn't want to let her do anything.

"I need to fetch a few more things." She stood and turned to head to her bedroom, stopped and sent Laurel a stern look. "Do not touch anything while I'm gone!"

She held her hands up. "I am the most well behaved girl in the universe."

Mintha snorted and left.

Laurel waited a full minute before she picked up Mintha's quill, grabbed the pad of paper she'd been using and began drawing. When she finished, she sat back, grinning at the thing. "Pretty. See, I'm so good at this!"

"Wyatt, slow down!"

Laurel looked up at Dale's yell as Wyatt hurried into the room, a book clutched to his chest. His foot caught on something and he tipped, crashing to the floor.

"Ow!"

Laurel shook her head at him as he rolled to his back and sat up. "Your nose is bleeding."

He touched his nose gingerly and went pale when he saw the blood on his hand. He groaned, grabbed the edge of the table, and pulled himself up. "Oh, sorry, I got blood on your drawing."

She shrugged. "I was just messing around."

There was a sudden bright flash. She and Wyatt blinked, looking around.