He mentioned my father to get a reaction, so I kept my temper in check. I raised an eyebrow at his mini-tirade. “Did I strike a nerve?”

Jared’s unending patience from the night before had run out. “If I let my guard down you die. Do you understand that?”

I took a drink of water and nodded. “We die.”

Jared took the glass from me and slammed it on the table. “Do you think I care about that? I would die for you a thousand times if I could. You’re the only thing that matters.”

I crossed my arms, incensed with his tender words mixed with their biting tone. “What is wrong with you? Why are you so upset?”

Jared leaned his elbows on his knees, looking to the floor. “I had company this morning.”

“I didn’t hear anyone come in,” I said, surprised.

“It’s because he doesn’t use doors. It was Samuel. He was a friend of my father’s. He’s concerned about the situation I’ve put you in.”

I held up a hand. “Back up. What do you mean he doesn’t use doors?”

“He’s an Arch.”

“An Archangel was here this morning?” I asked, mystified. “Do they look like Gabe? Do they look human?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“So if they look human, how do you know?”

“Archs have the same light hair, flawless skin, and the bright blue eyes, although Samuel and his family are the exception. They are nobility among the Archs, and are a contrast to the rest of them.”

“Contrast?” I had hoped I would learn to decipher Jared’s cryptic explanations, but I still failed consistently.

“He’s a Cimmerian, a line of dark angels. They are the strongest of Archs, they’re sovereigns and they’re warriors. They are assigned to those that are marked by Hell—the humans who are born to be stalked and tormented. They go toe to toe with demons quite frequently.”

“Oh,” I said, thinking about what kind of creature had been just a few feet from me while I slept. Anything built to wrestle demons had to be a frightening sight to behold.

Jared continued, “In addition to that, I can smell them a mile away. It’s very difficult for them to sneak up on us. Or each other.”

“Like fresh laundry, soap and a thunderstorm?” I asked, the corners of my mouth turning up.

Jared frowned for a minute in thought and then his mouth mimicked mine. “I hadn’t thought about it. To me it’s those things times ten. I would describe them as smelling like the cleanest air I’ve ever experienced.” After a short pause, he looked at me with curiosity. “What made you say that?”

I smiled, grabbing his hand. “That’s how you smell.”

“I do? Hmmm. Good to know,” he said, nodding his head in thought.

“So…Samuel…?”