When We Were Still Human Vaughn Foster (the kiss of deception read online .txt) 📖

“If I ask a question, will you answer honestly?”

He raised a brow, but when she didn’t continue, nodded.

“Did you know I was a changeling?”

His eyes widened, but the question didn’t seem to startle him. “Yes.”

“Did you, or one of Michael’s people do it? The swap, I mean.”

“No. It’s literally impossible for an angel or one bound by the Accords.”

Val nodded and looked back over the city. This time, the silence ate away at Vladimir. He shifted on the ledge until he finally cleared his throat. For the first time since she’d met him, he seemed at a genuine loss for words.

“Did you know I was lying when you woke up? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Val shook her head. “It was Raven. And in case you weren’t aware, there’s this thing called Wikipedia. Plus, I streamed the Angelina Jolie movie in the hotel.” She sighed and scooted back to bring a leg up to her chest. “It was surprising, but knowing the truth doesn’t change anything. My parents raised me, and I love them. It’s honestly not the most shocking thing I’ve learned in the past couple years.” She shrugged. “Or even the past couple days.”

Vladimir made an understanding noise. He lifted his chin, and Val followed his gaze to a shooting star, which soon became an airplane

“Another question,” she said hesitantly. She half-anticipated him to get up and leave, but he only looked at her expectantly.

“Earlier… You said ‘helping each other out to take a load off.’ That would imply you’re carrying a load right now.”

“I suppose.”

Val braced herself and met his eyes. “What’s bothering you?”

He took a breath and seemed to debate whether or not to answer. “Zadkiel and I have to pick up Greed tomorrow,” he said quietly.

Val’s eyes went wide. She remembered the mural. The horned man on the boat and the dragon-wolf double helix played across her mind. She’d been so set on escaping the castle, she hadn’t really given thought to the rest of the Sins. She’d met three the day she awoke— Gemini, Avia, Zadkiel. Her and Vladimir made five. That left two more.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” she asked carefully. “You two seem to be pretty big on the whole Team Armageddon.”

“I suppose.” Contemplative shadows crossed his face. He brought a knee to his chest, mirroring her. “The issue is that it’s Zhong Kui. The ghost king and commander of 10,000 demons. He was a close friend of Zadkiel.” Vladimir ran his hands through his locks, then looked to the sky. “About a thousand years ago, he got promoted to Charon of the Underworld and was never heard from again. Never met the guy, but every angel in heaven can go on about how amazing he was; generous, loving, kind.”

“Alright…” Val said slowly. “I still feel like I’m missing something. He’s really powerful and you already know him. That sounds like a pretty solid ally.”

He shook his head again. “Michael said that the Kui we bring back won’t be the same one that left. I mean, he has a point. Whatever could have turned a saint into a Sin would have to leave a few scars…”

“But isn’t that just the curse?” Val asked. “How would Zhong Kui’s actions affect Michael’s spell?”

“It’s more complicated than that. He had to change in some way to become an ‘eligible candidate’ for the curse to pick him. An individual’s heart and bloodline must meet certain conditions for the curse to fall. Some of it you’re born with, some of it is just life. Zadkiel took it upon himself as an honor, and Gemini had the option of ‘join or be executed.’” Vladimir chuckled and flexed his fingers. “Zadkiel was already a pompous ass, and Gemini’s envy of humans drove them down a dark path.

“You’re a ghoul so that’s not too surprising… I was a bit of an exception. The immortal-reincarnation thing is murky. My grandfather’s curse made it so that I was the only one who could become Lust. My parents tried to stop it, but it was inevitable.”

“What about Avia?”

“Wrath?” He shrugged. “There was no other fate for her than this.”

“Why do you only call her Wrath, but the rest of us by our names?”

He paused, then looked off in the distance. His coat ruffled in the breeze and it looked as if it would bleed off into the darkness. He must have found the answer he needed in the stars because he cleared his throat. “Wrath is wrath because it’s the only thing left inside of her.”

When he didn’t continue, Val took it as a sign not to press further. Instead, she decided to change the subject, hoping to achieve some kind of breakthrough.

“Hey,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “It’ll be fine. I think it’s sweet that you care about Zadkiel so much. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it almost makes you seem like a real boy.”

“Aww, thank you, that means the world to me.” He tried batting his eyelashes but burst out laughing. Val found herself laughing with him and was soon caught in a deadly coughing fit. He patted her back until she gave a thumbs up, then rose to his feet. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up beside him. “Let’s get back. I have a long trip tomorrow.”

Val nodded and stepped back onto the roof. It was then that she looked around and remembered where they were. “Umm…”

He held up a hand and retrieved a black feather from his inside pocket. It glinted in the night and reflected the shadows. Her stomach suddenly lurched and the blood drained from her face.

“Vladimir… Is that...”

“Yep.” He turned the feather over and ran a finger along its edge. “Michael’s got ruined during the…” he trailed off, almost in