“No.” Seb looked down, turned the cookie over in his hands and then rested it on the table uneaten. “When the attack happens, I’ll be wherever you are – doing whatever I can to protect you.” He gave a small smile. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

On the one hand, I was touched – enormously. On the other, I felt a little irritated that he seemed so convinced I couldn’t take care of myself. “Seb—”

“Querida, no, that’s not it,” said Seb before I could say anything else. “You know I don’t think that; you can take care of yourself very well. But if there’s an attack and the team fails, the angels will find out everything. I won’t leave you on your own in that kind of danger.” He shrugged again; his eyes held a gleam of humour suddenly. “You can try to make me if you like. You won’t have much luck, I don’t think.”

My chest tightened – what I felt was far too deep to put into words. Thankfully, with Seb I didn’t have to try. I let out a long breath.

“You’re still calling me querida,” I pointed out finally. “Brothers don’t do this.”

“Sorry. I’m very forgetful sometimes.” He picked up the cookie and took a bite; stretching back against the sofa, he rested one long leg out in front of him.

I smiled; if there’s an opposite of sorry, that’s how he looked. “Seb...you know I appreciate everything you’ve just said. God – so much. But when we attack the Twelve, I have to be there with Alex. I have to be. I’ve got to learn this.”

Seb’s eyebrows drew together in thought as he finished eating; I could sense him putting aside his own feelings. “You will – I’m just not sure how else I can explain it to you,” he said. Brushing his hands off, he sat up and held them out to me. “Here, see again what it’s like for me.”

I wasn’t sure what good it would do – we’d tried this so many times. I moved beside him on the sofa anyway; putting my hands in his, I closed my eyes. The half-angel energy felt completely familiar now, wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. And the sensation as Seb changed his aura was like second nature to me too by then...but this time, as I drifted into the lights of my own aura, I realized I could feel something different.