Celestial (Angels of Elysium, #2)

by Olivia Wildenstein

“At least, we have a champion—Seraph Asher.” A sparrow swooped around our heads, spilling its aria into our ears. I followed its ascent toward the fake cerulean sky. “What makes you so fond of him?” Something flashed over Mira’s face, something that made goosebumps scamper over my skin. She knew. She knew about Naya . . . She’d recognized Leigh’s soul. Mira broke the silence with a question. “What makes you so intolerant of him?” Even though I wished she’d let it go, I felt like I owed her for barking at the ranker. “I thought he was my friend; I thought wrong.” She gestured to the shredded list surrounding my boots. “The paper at your feet tells a different story than the one you tell yourself.” “He’s not doing it for me.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Whom is he doing it for then?” “He’s doing it for the woman whose soul he collected a few weeks ago. The woman I tried to save from cancer.” Saying it out loud made my ego throb like a stubbed toe. Ugh. Why did his reason for helping me matter? Why did his reaction to my smoldering matter? I was beginning to think his absence might be a good thing. Definitely a necessary one. “You asked why I was so fond of him.” She gestured to the list. “I find his desire to succor souls commendable.”