Chapter 251: Followership
"I can’t believe you just attacked without orders! Do you know how embarrassing that was for me?" Cassie paced in frustration on the other side of the library table from Rain and Ozzy.
Rain knew it was probably the most private place in House Eros’ manor she could think of that could host all three of them.
Well... all three of them and Malzkael, who was reading a book in the corner of the room when they arrived. Her dark hair was up in twin-tails today, tied off by skull-decorated ribbons in streaks of white that rested on her shoulders. Rain couldn’t see her, but he almost felt he could sense whenever she paused in her page-turning to watch.
Had Cassie invited Malz because the three of them were in a relationship? No matter how platonic and professional Rain wanted to keep things, sex was sex, and it seemed to mean more to him than to Cassie... but almost the same as Malz.
Cassie hadn’t yet brought Malz in on the truth about the demon attack, and Rain had been about to ask Cassie about that before the dressing down had begun.
"He was clearly not serious about us trying to save that angel’s life," Rain said. "About you."
"Don’t you think I knew that? Adashiel’s a fucking pornstar, he just says things that don’t matter because it’s all about him looking hot and getting laid." There was that word again. Pornstar. What did it mean? Rain wondered. "And the man who died wasn’t a House angel, aside from his family, few people would care about him..." The way she held herself, she cared. "I just feel... I wish I knew what I did wrong..."
She chewed her lip, as she did when she thought sometimes. Rain knew how certain she’d been that the man was stable. That he’d pull through, even after his heart stopped and she used Rain’s lightning-aspected magic to revive him.
So even amongst angels there are greaters and lessers... Rain knew this already, because according to Heaven he was Rainier l’Eros, his family name modified to include a modifier for lesser.
Cassiel shook her head. "But that still doesn’t excuse what you did, Rain. People are going to think I can’t control my team. They’re going to think I can’t lead."
Control!?