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earlier.
    “Well?” Her sweet, sultry voice broke his thoughts.
    “I’m a tactical expert.”
    Her gaze roved up and down his body, sending more heat spiraling through his veins. He strained to swallow the lump forming in his throat. “I should have guessed. Military fatigues and all.”
    “He didn’t have time to change,” Rafe said, his voice annoyed. “We’ll have to go shopping later.”
    Matthias cringed. Some things still hadn’t changed over the years. Shopping was one of them. Merchants might have improved their wares over the centuries, but the outcome was still the same—overpriced rubbish.
    “I hate shopping,” Lucia grumbled. “I’d rather have a root canal… with no anesthesia.”
    Serah chuckled. “You’re just jealous of my mad shopping skills.” It amazed him how, despite the tension of the situation, everyone remained chipper. He should’ve been unnerved, but the laughter seeped into his system. His jaw twitched as he struggled to control the smile brimming on his lips. He couldn’t show weakness.
    Serah scrunched her brow, her gaze quizzical. “The constipated look doesn’t become you at all.”
    “I don’t see the humor in this,” he said, forcing a gruff tone. The fact was, the humor was infectious, like a disease that crept in when you least expect it. He was practical. He was tactical. He didn’t have time for laughter. It left you open. It left you vulnerable. He needed to be alert if he wanted to keep her alive.
    “Laughter is the best medicine, you know.” Serah let out a long sigh. “Seriously, Lucy. This guy’s stick is wedged so far up even a proctologist can’t help him.”
    Everyone broke out into laughter. Everyone except him.
    Matthias wasn’t that familiar with mortal medicine, but he was familiar with ancient languages, so he had a good idea what a proctologist was. And hopefully he wouldn’t be meeting one any time soon—stick up his ass or not.
    “I’m so glad I dropped out of med school,” Lucia drawled.
    “Whatever. You would have kicked ass as a surgeon, but the women of Connolly Park thank you for your sacrifice.” The sarcasm rolled from Serah’s mouth and permeated his senses. What was it about that subtle wit that drove him mad?
    Lucia chuckled. “The only thing I sacrificed was my insanity. You know how much blood scares me.”
    With that, an irritatingly high-pitched falsetto rent the air. Lucia dug in her pocket for the source of the annoying tune.
    “Justin Bieber? For real?” Serah covered her ears, grimacing in mock horror.
    Lucia fumbled with the gadget. “It was the only thing I could find annoying enough to force me to answer the phone.”
    She pressed a button. “What’s up?”
    Matthias contained his groan. God, how he hated those silly electrical contraptions that modern mortals allowed their lives to revolve around. He wished things were as simple as they were eons ago. But times change, people changed, and so did their technologies. In this day and age, technology was a necessary evil.
    “Oh, really?” Lucia blew out a deep breath. “Wow. Just wow.” Gripping her phone tight, she paced the office. “All right. We’re almost done here anyway.”
    Rafael’s eyes glinted. “What’s going on?”
    Lucia covered the phone. “Hairstyling emergency. Frankie accidentally dyed someone’s hair blue.” She blew out a loud breath of air. “Where’s Kalli?” She paused briefly. “Oh, okay.” She shook her head. “Gerardo, you know that’s not safe. Even angels have their limitations. Rafe and I are just about done. Everything’s settled. We’ll be right there.”
    “What now?” Rafael asked with a groan.
    “Kalli sure picks the best time to stock up on supplies,” said Lucia.
    “What about Gerardo? Can’t he do anything?”
    “You know as well as I do that angels aren’t supposed to use their powers on humans. Looks like we’re the next line of defense.”
    “Bloody hell.” Rafael turned to lock gazes with