✔ || Save Me [[SEQUEL to DISTRACT ME]]

Chapter 34

One down, six left.

A disgrace!

Fire.

He'd been on Earth for over two weeks now. His magic was mostly dormant - at least, his original magic. He borrowed from Hell what he couldn't manufacture.

The stumps in his back were still clotted with rot. Flies clung to their edges, but what did it matter? It's not like he could stop them.

An archangel who can't even fly?

Humans glanced in their direction from time to time, wondering where that smell of decay was coming from. He glared at each one until they looked away. He couldn't be bothered to deal with them right now.

He was sitting across from the other Fallen archangel in a seedy bar, tucked away in a dark, forgotten corner.

"What is it with you anyway?" Lucifer picked at his teeth, lounging lengthwise across his chair.

Raphael scowled at him. "What do you mean?"

Lucifer sighed loudly, hooking his leg over his armrest. He rolled his head around, a lazy smile playing across his features. "I mean," he purred, "who cares about a little guardian? You're an archangel." He suddenly flung his body upright, leaning over his knees with a manic grin. "You're above him."

Raphael gazed at him coolly, not budging except to drum his fingers on the table irritatedly. Finally, he said, "It's more the principle of the thing."

"How so?" Lucifer leaned back again, going back to picking his teeth.

Raphael worked his jaw. So this is what happens to Fallen archangels. They go mad. Just look at me.

Fire, one of the voices chanted, as if to agree with him.

"Well?" Lucifer giggled, "Cat got your tongue? Is my beauty too distracting?"

Six.

"That human decided that my property was his," Raphael finally shrugged, "and my property decided he was right."

"Bummer," Lucifer said, a touch of true empathy laced in his amusement. He lurched to his feet, slamming his palms down on the table, earning startled looks from the other patrons. Raphael raised his eyebrows, mouth set in a firm line, as the other Fallen squinted down at the grainy, stained wood of the tabletop. "What would you like to do to them?"

"So many things," Raphael admitted.

He twitched - an unfortunate side effect of his impending insanity. Since he Fell, he could feel himself slowly slipping deeper and deeper into the darkest parts of his psyche. But that was okay. It gave him clarity. He could understand everything perfectly now.

He had realized something. It was no wonder he Fell - Heaven was corrupt. Of course he was banished; he was the only one who saw the entire celestial system for what it was: a fracturing gerontocracy that was doomed to fail. It just needed the right push. He and Lucifer were the perfect candidates for that push.

After they completed Raphael's self-assigned revenge mission, of course. After all, he didn't deserve to fall, and he wouldn't have fallen if it weren't for that human.

And Taehyung. He'd pay too. He was supposed to please Raphael forever - to be his. It wasn't Raphael's fault that they were caught breaking the rules. What was he supposed to do? Ignore the will of the other six archangels and save Taehyung from falling? That would only doom both of them.

Six.

"What would be your favorite outcome?" Lucifer pressed.

Raphael paused thoughtfully.

Fire.

Despite everything, Raphael had to admit that the human must really love Taehyung to show all of his his memories to the archangels. So, above all, they had to be separated. Taehyung couldn't love anyone but Raphael, not ever again. He belonged to the Fallen archangel. He always had, and he always would.

"I'd like to keep them apart," Raphael mused. "So, I suppose that it wouldn't be very good to put them both in hell."

Lucifer sighed dramatically, dropping back down into his chair. "Well, that's no fun, but I understand."

Raphael nodded. "I'd like to give the human to you."

"Nice," Lucifer hissed victoriously, a blood-curdling grin stretching across his face's papery flesh. "What about the Fallen?"

Their waiter came over, but Lucifer waved him away irritatedly. If he had his powers, the human would probably be a pile of ash. But he didn't - not here on Earth. That was the rub: on Earth, he possessed no magic. In that sense, he was even weaker than Raphael. But once he stepped into Hell, he could give any archangel a run for his money.

Fire.

Six!

Raphael shrugged again, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Taehyung? He's mine."

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{A/N: Last day to ask any questions you might have for me for the Q&A!}