Page 40 of Angels Don’t Date

The Commander frowned at my arm and took it in his hands, peering at the rune until it glowed as golden lines chased over and under my skin. “It is very pretty. Miracle is right about that. You don’t want to be life-bound to my son? Of course not. He’s a menace, but usually life-bindings requires the will and desire of both parties in order to take. I don’t understand how Richard could entirely ignore your will in the matter when you want nothing to do with him.”

“I don’t want nothing to do with him. Maybe it’s because I drank his blood while he healed me that one time. Oh, and I’ve known him so long, so we’re best friends forever, and I never want to lose him. But I’m a born vampire. Eventually I’m going to die and turn, and he’s going to have to kill me. He can’t do that if he’s life-bound to me, can he? And the assassination attempts are getting weirder and more often. I don’t even ask Mitt how many attempts there are anymore because I don’t want to focus on it, and it’s so many. Richard’s made my weakness his. How is that okay when so many people want to kill him without being paid for it?”

The Commander and Mirabel leaned back, glanced at each other and then nodded at me.

“That is difficult,” Mirabel said. “I mean, if he dies, then what are you supposed to do? You’ll be a vampire, and he’ll be dead, dead. Someone with his angel blood couldn’t turn, even if you got someone skilled like the Scholar to do it.”

I gestured at her. “Exactly!”

“And how can you be best online friends with him for the rest of your life if he’s dead?” The Commander asked, shaking his head. “The trouble, my dear…What is your name?”

“Oh. Sorry! I’m Katriana. Do you have a name? Everyone just calls you Commander.”

He beamed at me. “I’m Richard, of course. Richard the seventh. It’s a family name from a human my great-great-great-great⁠—”

Mirabel elbowed him hard, cutting him off. “Don’t get him started on family history, or you’ll never get out of here,” she hissed at me. “Oh! Have you eaten? Hope, will you please run down and get an order for her?”

An angel with flinty eyes nodded and left the room, closing the door silently behind her. I’d forgotten about the angelic guard. These two people were predators who needed no guards. Or witnesses.

“I don’t want to interrupt you more than I already have,” I said, half rising.

“But you already did, so you’ll have to stay for the rest of the meal. We can talk about music, and you can tell me more about this pet baking thing. Does he make chicken cakes?”

Right. She had a pet chicken. “I think he could, but he mostly bakes for his horse.”

“Pegasus,” every angel in the room said in unison.

I winced and looked around at all the angels including the two larger than life ones sitting across from me. “Right. Pegasus. He didn’t correct me.”

“Because he wants Vesper to eat you,” Mirable said. “Of course if you’re life-bound to Ritchie, then he probably won’t. Unless he’s bored.”

“Have you met his Pegasus?” the Commander asked, sounding politely curious.

I hesitated then nodded. “Yes. Vesper took me on a lovely ride to watch the sunset. He’s so beautiful.”

“Vesper took you on a ride?” Mirabel stared at me, unblinking. “I didn’t know he was capable of not killing anyone who got too close. But you’re clearly not dead. Astonishing.”

The Commander looked at her, and then cleared his throat. “Is my son’s blood poisonous to you? You shouldn’t drink his blood however good it tastes.”

“No, it’s not poisonous to me. That’s actually why I’m not dead, because I drank his blood while he did healing spells when I got shot.” It still hurt to think of Mini killing me.

Mirabel smiled dreamily. “I saw that. It was so romantic, but the whole time I was thinking that Ritchie was trying to kill you, but slowly.”

“No, I’m pretty sure he wants to keep me alive, otherwise he wouldn’t have done this life-binding thing. And how long will it take you to remove it?” I asked, looking hopefully up at the Commander. It’s almost like he didn’t want to give me an answer.

He steepled his fingers behind his chin and studied me. “I will have to do research on it. I’ve never undone a life-binding. Mostly because I’m the one who does them in the first place, and they occur after many interviews, psychological evaluations, and paperwork. So much paperwork.”

Mirabel wiggled her fingers where she had a large wedding ring. “Also marriage. I’ve never heard of a life-binding that didn’t come until after marriage. Usually at least three years to make sure the marriage is going to last.”

Marriage? Well Richard certainly broke all the rules with this one. I sat there, panicked, scrambling to think of something intelligible to say. “Oh. You do research?” I asked his father. Research seemed safe, and something in this world should be safe.

He looked like a commander, not a researcher, although he still had his glasses on and that gave him a slightly studious air.

“From time to time it is required. There’s a great library in Angel City full of tomes.”

“Texts.” Mirabel added.

“Manuscripts,” the Commander said.