"Angels are violent creatures."
"So I noticed. I used to think they were all sweet and kind."
"Why would you think that? Even in your Bible, we're harbingers of doom, willing and able to destroy entire cities. Just because we sometimes warned one or two of you beforehand doesn't make us altruistic."
This is a dialogue between Penryn and Raffe. Penryn is the main protagonist, narrating the story. She is a post-apocalyptic survivor who just wants her 'sister' Paige back. Paige is taken by the angels of death for unknown intentions. Raffe is an archangel that had his wings amputated; he desires to reattach his wings. Oddly, Penryn partnered with the angel, a creature responsible for the utter endangerment of humans. They both are headed for the aerie, an angel outpost, hence they might as well go together. This particular dialogue intrigues me, since angels are technically known to be kind and innocent. The last things to cause an apocalypse that would come to mind are angels. Perhaps angels were as Raffe recalls, "sweet and kind", at one point. According to Penryn, the humans initiated the first offense, killing Gabriel, a messenger from God that descended over Jerusalem. After that, it was practically a one-sided war against the humans, angels mercilessly slaying humanity. It is possible that God had ordered this condemnation, and the angels are just carrying out his word. So, angels are not necessarily all sweet; they will resort to violence when offended or threatened.