Killing Me Softly (Reaper Romance)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Dead Serious

Briseis could've slept all day cuddled up next to her exhausted reaper. In fact, the thought of it continued to spin in her head that she was just left with laying in bed staring at him like a creeper. His dark blond lashes swept down resting, she brushed his curly hair back and kissed his stubbled face. She smiled as he softly stirred.

"I can feel your eyes on me, human," his groggy voice rumbled against the pillows. 

"It's not my fault that you look like a sweet angel when you're in slumber?"

He groaned, rubbing his eyes. "You humans have a very warped and misguided idea of angels. It's terribly annoying, but I know none of you know any better."

Briseis appeared curious. "Really?"

His eyes opened and nodded. "If you only knew how insulting it is to be compared to one, you'd apologize instead of thinking it was a compliment."

"You mean all the thousands of celestial images of archangels with beautiful wings adorning every Christian place is completely wrong?"

He sucked in a breath, trying not to let his hatred of them bleed through his explanation too much. "It's their greatest achievement. The best PR campaign eternity can buy."

Briseis sat up. "You can't just say something like that and not expect me to wanna know more. So are they not beautiful and powerful? Are they demons?"

Micah scoffed. Dammit. He just wanted to make use of his erection, especially staring at her gorgeous nude body wrapped up against him. "I was trying to relax, Bree. Can't we just lay here, naked, and see how restained I can be by not pouncing all over you again?" 

She shrugged. "Can't we do both?"

He sighed. Fucking angels. They rob him of everything. Even when they aren't around.

Briseis stared at the angst on his face, not that he was hiding it very well. "What's the matter? Did it go away?"

Micah laid on his back, annoyed. "Yes, it did. Now we can talk about those assholes you like to call angels. And no, they aren't demons. Demons do not exist."

"Wait a minute. No demons? So, I'm --I mean, my gift isn't from the Devil?"

He chuckled. "No, Bree. Demons serve as a scapegoat for the angels. They are made up because humans crave binary thinking."

She nodded. "Good vs. Evil."

He nodded. "Yes. The greatest lie ever told was a belief that a living thing is either one or the other. That's not true at all. We, Bree, are both and neither. Angels are no more inherently good than so-called Demons are evil. They are both because everyone is both. Angels wanted to shed their dirty legacy of manipulation of humans and therefore invented a creature that embodied all the horror and pain they were perfectly enacting themselves. They did it because they needed something that made them be perceived as good. Or at least far better than their supposed demon counterparts. But, it's all smoke and mirrors. We are all good and evil. Everything that lives."

Bree frowned. "But--what about---"

"The Divine?," he interrupted. "They have no intention to intervene. If it's human's free will to believe what they want, there's no need to punish the angels that pulled the crafty joke on humanity."

"That's not a joke, Micah. People have done terrible things in the name of such beliefs. For centuries. Countless scores of people have been tortured, maimed, and murdered all in the name of this."

Micah reached out and touched her hand. "I know it's not a joke. And you do too. But like I said. Angels are assholes."

"Ugh," Briseis muttered with disgust. "I feel so dirty learning about that. Ignorance is truly bliss. You're right. They sound like serious assholes. Screw 'em."