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“I missed you so, so much,” Andrea said and rubbed her face against Palan’s cheek, tightening her arms around his neck. He didn’t mind, and continued to stroke her back. “You didn’t even tell me where you went. I woke up, and you were disappearing. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know when you’d be back. Abaddon took care of me, but then he tried to kill me, so I ran away to become a famous hunter like you, and I really thought I was going to die just now, but it turns out the unkillable monstrosity was actually you, and I was so relieved.” Tears ran down her face as she cried out the words, her body trembling.
Cleo stared at Andrea with wide eyes. Was this actually the demon who mercilessly chomped off Sariel’s hands just the other day? Why was the change so drastic? She wriggled out of Danger Noodle and cleaned herself off. “What are you doing here?” Cleo asked Raea. She spoke again before the angel could respond. “You definitely came here to save me, right? You’re the best.” She ran forward and clung onto Raea’s leg.
“Hello, Cleo,” Raea said and smiled, peeling her eyes away from the tiny girl who was still rubbing all her little demon pheromones onto her property. She rubbed Cleo’s head absentmindedly while narrowing her eyes at Palan’s sister. Andrea seemed to notice and raised her head, sticking her tongue out at Raea before burying her face back into Palan’s cheek.
“Ack!” Cleo shouted as Raea’s hand tightened around her head. She batted away the angel’s claws and clutched her head, staring at Raea with an aggrieved expression. Raea wasn’t paying attention. Cleo followed her gaze, her vision ending up on Andrea. She blinked and turned back to Raea, tugging on her hand while whispering, “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”
“Jealous?” Raea asked. “Me? I never get jealous.” She smiled, but her eyes were cold. She sauntered over to Palan’s side and patted Andrea’s head.
Andrea flinched and leaned away from Raea’s hand while shrinking into Palan’s chest. Her fur stuck straight up in an attempt to make herself seem larger as she hissed at Raea. She clawed at Raea’s arm when the angel refused to retract it. Who was this pretty lady and why was she touching her? Her eyes narrowed at Raea whose eye was twitching. Hadn’t Palan told her the opposite sex was evil and would bring about downfall? “Harlot,” Andrea spat out. “Stay away from my brother, foul siren. Your voice might fool him, but it won’t fool me.”
Raea blinked twice, frozen in place. “What?” she asked. She glared at Palan and jabbed her elbow into his rib. “What have you been teaching your sister?” A satisfied smirk appeared on her face when Andrea’s expression turned blank at her words. Having a bewitching voice was useful at times. Not that she’d need it to win over Palan’s sister.
“He’s been teaching me how to survive,” Andrea said and glared at Raea. She had shaken off the dazed effect by pinching herself on the arm, drawing blood. “I can’t believe he went against his own advice. Why’s he traveling with a woman? It must be because you’re a harlot.” Andrea nodded furiously and hugged Palan’s head, turning his face away from Raea. “I bet you’ll try to murder him in bed.”
“She’s going to murder him out of bed if you keep that up,” Pyre said, walking into the cave while shivering. He plopped down next to the fire and warmed himself up, rubbing his shoulders with his arms. “She’s a very jealous gal and easily prone to angering, so don’t agitate her too much.”
Andrea stared at the half-angel, ignoring Raea’s purpling eyes. After confirming Pyre really existed, she turned her head back to face Palan and pinched his nose with her hand. He flinched backwards, causing Andrea to tilt her head. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead. “You’re really Palan, but you’re traveling with other people? Are you sick?” she asked and furrowed her brow. “Don’t tell me that harlot gave you a disease.”
Cleo inched away from Raea as black flames crawled along the floor, radiating outwards from the angel’s feet. Palan snorted and rolled his eyes at Raea. “Andrea’s a child,” Palan said and raised an eyebrow. “Are you really going to let her words get to you like that? She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”
“I know exactly what I’m saying!” Andrea protested. “Children always speak the truth unless they want something. I don’t want anything from a seductress. I have my dignity.” She stuck her chin into the air and looked down on Raea before snorting.
“I have dignity!” Raea said and placed her hands on her hips. Black flames poured out of her back, causing Cory to squawk and hop away.
“You’re fighting with a child,” Palan said. “What dignity do you have?”
“That’s…” Raea frowned and bit her lip. The flames exploded outwards and rushed out the cave as she stamped her foot. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest before turning around. She caught Sariel staring at her and glared at the captive angel. Her voice was practically a growl, but Andrea was still stunned by it. “What are you looking at?”
“N-nothing,” Sariel said and swallowed. This is what happened to angels who fell and excelled in their sins? Hadn’t the little lizardling called her Raea? “Are you Raea Caelum, by any chance?”
“Yes,” Raea said, still glaring at Sariel. “What of it?” She stomped towards the captive and squatted in front of her. “You were the one who ordered my death, weren’t you? You had the nerve to send my own parents after me, Sariel.” Black flames sprout out of Raea’s palm as she clenched her hand into a fist.
“Stop!” Andrea shouted when Raea raised her arm.
Raea furrowed her brow and turned her head. “Why?”
Andrea blinked. “She’s Palan’s prey. I saved her for him.”