Sword's Blessing Read Online Free PDF Page B

out of the soul in her hands into the body, and as Samantha watched the hole in the Angel’s throat closed. There was a pause. The soul quivered and then, like a balloon, expanded. The man took a deep, gasping breath, and writhed. Samantha sat back.
    “Not what you expected?” Eli asked as the woman shrieked and fell to her knees opposite Samantha.
    “Don’t knock it,” Samantha stood, studying the Angel’s newly mortal soul. “It worked, right?”
    Still, he was right. She had released Damned souls of their debt, but never actively reverted anyone back to being a mortal. It was almost like the soul had automatically gone back to base form, like he’d been recycled. “Uh oh.”
    “What?”
    Samantha grimaced, watching the woman’s shaking hands over the man’s face. “I think I reincarnated him. And I have no idea what that means.”
     

 
    3
     
    “Armand, Armand.” Giselle stroked his face. Her mind was in a whirl. He’d refused to let her come to harm again, telling her to run. How could she? She could not leave him again! She knew she defied orders the moment she attacked Cyrene. They had no business trying to take down a greater Damned. She reached up, wiped her face of tears. Cyrene might as well have had her claws wrapped around Giselle’s heart as Armand’s throat, and when she’d made her move. Giselle shook her head, kissing Armand’s cheek. He wasn’t dead, he was lying here, breathing and warm!
    “Honey, we’ve got to move,” Samantha said softly. “I can keep this glamor up till the cows come home, but someone will have noticed that throw down.”
    “I...” Giselle took a deep breath and finally snapped to attention. Armand was fine, he just had to sleep it off. It was time to get back on the horse. She stood and sheathed her sword, wiping her eyes and shaking out her wings. Focus. “You’re absolutely right. We’ll get out of your hair.”
    “It would be better if you came along. Samantha wants to be certain your partner–”
    “Armand,” Giselle filled in.
    “Armand, then. Anyway, Samantha did some pretty acrobatic stuff there. If she’s going to keep track of him, he needs to come along.”
    Giselle sucked in a lip, narrowing her eyes at them. Would she have to fight them too? She wasn’t sure. Reliably she could only handle Damned of twenty five thousand souls or less. According to reports, Eli had something like thirty five or forty thousand nowadays, and Samantha could take on a damned of fifty thousand souls if Cyrene was any indication. “I’m not leaving him.”
    “That’s fine,” Samantha said with a wave. “The car seats four anyway.”
    Giselle choked on the answer. “I can’t come with you,” she sputtered.
    “Why not?” Samantha asked, glancing over at her. “We’ve got to move, Armand is hurt, you’re tired, and we aren’t about to try anything funny.” She paused. “What’s your name, anyway?”
    She looked to the side, reluctant. Given their files Samantha was telling the truth, but going with them would be a betrayal of her duty. She was expected to report back. She was expected to leave him in whatever hands he’d landed. He was no longer an Angel, there was no sense in protecting him beyond the scope of mortal protection. Giselle looked over at Armand and swallowed. He looked younger than he had as an Angel. She remembered his smile in the coffee shop as she’d teased him about reading, the way he’d held her when they met after years apart.
    “Giselle. It’s Giselle.”
    “So, Giselle, if you have to report or something, go on. We aren’t going to hurt him. You’re also welcome to come along.” Samantha shrugged and spread her hands. “Up to you.”
    She took a breath. This was what had gotten them separated in the first place, but she understood Armand’s actions more than ever, now. “I’m not leaving him. Let’s go.”
    “Doo dah, doo dah…” Eli hummed the tune to Camptown Races, and slung Armand over his shoulder