That was probably the most disturbing thing Sara had seen yet, and she eased back, clinging to the tomb next to her, wanting more space between her and Raphael. More space between her and what she didn’t, couldn’t, understand.

Raphael writhed in pain under the assault of Gabriel’s light, but suddenly he shot straight up into the air vertically, Marguerite screaming and dangling below him, one of her sandals dropping off and hitting the fence of the tomb beneath them. She quickly righted herself and hovered next to Raphael, her arms crossed, head tucked in, shoulders slumped.

Raphael yelled in anger, “Gabriel, this has nothing to do with you. Leave and we’ll call it even.”

Sara watched Gabriel rise straight up in the air to stand in front of Raphael, graceful and masculine, his body tight with tension, hands in fists, voice strong and steady and confident. “It’s not a matter of anything being even. It’s a matter of doing what’s right. You know what can be done to a fallen one.”

“Yes, but if you do that to me, you have to do it to Marguerite, and you won’t. I know you won’t.”

Sara thought Raphael was wrong. Gabriel would do what was right, what was necessary. She felt it radiating from him, like the light from his fingers, a moral strength, a conviction of character, a decision. It awed and overwhelmed her to see him as he truly was, in his element, freed from the worry and torment of thinking he might have killed Anne.

He had forgiven himself and was prepared to do the right thing.

Sara’s fear eased, and she moved from behind the tomb to get a better view, to stand under the light of fallen angels.

Gabriel saw his advantage at Raphael’s words. Raphael thought he could hide behind Marguerite’s skirts, that Gabriel wouldn’t be able to punish her. But Gabriel saw no reason to protect Marguerite. She had chosen her path, she had killed innocent women, brutally and incomprehensibly, alongside Raphael. They had acted as a serial killing team. The violence and senselessness of their perversion of their power disgusted him so thoroughly that he had no qualms about vanquishing both of them. It was his responsibility to protect humans, to protect Sara, and he would do whatever was necessary.