Not that he expected Keenan to believe that.

Keenan pushed his power at the flames, forcing them out, and Azrael smiled as he pumped up his power and disappeared.

Sam glared down at Tomas, rage boiling in his blood like acid. A punishment angel had been close enough to attack Seline. She’d been alone, unprotected, and all because of this prick.

“Please,” Tomas gritted, and Sam knew the angel had never begged before. Not even when the vamps had pinned him to the ground and ripped open his jugular. “Sierra’s human. She doesn’t—she doesn’t even understand what’s happening.”

“And you want me to die for her?” Who the hell did Tomas think he was talking to?

Tomas stared back at him. “I’m planning to kill for her. I was hoping you’d be willing to kill, too.”

Sam hesitated as he met Tomas’s gaze. Despite those words, Sam didn’t trust him.

“Um . . . who’s Sierra?” Seline’s voice was soft behind him. Her fingers seemed to burn right through Sam’s shirt.

“His charge.” Sam didn’t drop the weapon. “Before he fell, Tomas here was a guardian angel, and he was supposed to guard her.”

“She’s psychic,” Tomas whispered. “Her destiny . . . Sierra was going to see things. Change the world. I was supposed to protect her.”

Yes, yes, he knew this story. “But you wanted her too badly, huh?” Guardians were always closer to falling than most angels. All that time being around humans and seeing the emotions.

Tempting.

“You understand want, don’t you?” Tomas demanded as he slit his eyes back at Seline. “You let the enemy get f**king close.”

“No, he did not just say that to me,” Seline snapped.

Sam smiled. “You must want to die.” Fair enough, he could accommodate the guy.

Sam sliced with the claw. Not deep or hard enough to kill, not yet, but just enough to cut open the skin.

“Save her. ” Tomas wasn’t fighting. Interesting. Tomas was powerful, in his way. “Kill me, fine. I probably got that coming to me. But save her.”

“Rogziel really has her?” Seline demanded, an edge breaking the words.

Tomas nodded, and the move made the slice on his throat widen. “Don’t even know . . . ah . . . jeez, ease up! How he got her, but he’s keeping her at that house until I get back.”

“You’re telling me that Rogziel will hurt an innocent human ?” Sam demanded. Not the way of the punishment angels. At least, not those who still had wings.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying!” Tomas’s stare glittered. “I’m saying he’ll slice her up, he’ll enjoy it, and he won’t give a damn about her being innocent or not.” And his eyes were still on Seline. “Isn’t that right?”

Sam slowly eased his hold on Tomas. He glanced at Seline. She was okay. He’d gotten to her in time. So why did his chest still ache?

Seline swallowed and nodded. “I don’t—I didn’t think angels could do the things he’s done. There was a vampire. Karen.” Her lips trembled. “I did some checking on her. She hadn’t killed anyone, but Rogziel had said Karen knew where his real prey was hiding. He said he’d make Karen talk.” Her eyes squeezed shut. “By the time I got there, there wasn’t a whole lot was left of Karen. All I could do was hold her hand before she died.”

Bastard. “That’s when you decided to get away?” Sam asked.

“That’s when I knew he’d be coming to kill me soon. He said Karen was an abomination. That she deserved his punishment just for existing.” Her smile was broken. “I fell into that abomination category, too.”

The hell she did. His back teeth clenched. Sam gritted out, “And the real prey?”

“Turned out that was you,” she whispered. “But as far as I can tell, you didn’t even know Karen.”

An image clicked in his head then. A young blond vampire, freshly turned. Nervous hands. Wide eyes. The woman had wanted to become human again. She’d been turned by a monster in a dark alley, and she’d just wanted to get her life back.

She hadn’t realized—not until Sam had broken her heart and told her the truth—there was no going back. Not for any of them.

She’d been an innocent, one hurt by the world. One who hadn’t deserved anyone’s punishment. Rogziel, you will beg me to kill you. Beg.

“He doesn’t care about collateral damage,” Tomas growled. “He’ll use anyone, do anything, to get what he wants.” Tomas put his hand to his throat and tried to stop the bleeding. His voice rasped when he said, “What he wants is you, Sammael. Your head on a platter for him.”