Back at Dina's apartment, she made up the pull-out couch for Sam.
"You can go back to school now, turns out you're not crazy after all," Dina said as she fluffed up two sad-looking pillows and noted that there wasn't any money to buy new ones.
Sam sat down at the edge of the mattress. "All of that stuff scared me, but . . . I'm staying. I can't let you do this alone."
"I'm not alone. I have Jun and Bridget and this angel dude and we'll put the word out through the Hunter network . . . you're not trained. Thank you for the offer, but go back to California where it's safe."
"I may not be a good fighter . . . yet . . . but I was always a good shot. I'll work hard, I'll get better - I promise."
Dina deliberately for all of one second. Even though she wanted Sam to be safe, the last thing she needed was bad feelings between them.
"All right, but you have to promise to trust my judgment. If I decide any hunt is too dangerous for you and I decide you're not coming, then you're not coming."
"I promise," Sam said happily. "So . . . is there something going on between you and Jun?"
Dina fidgeted. "He and his sister, Fumiko, back in Japan sell my knitted stuff. I started out on Etsy, but it turns out people will pay more if they think a Japanese person made it."
"So the two of you are just fellow Hunters and scammers?"
Dina made a moue. "Friends with benefits. Is it that obvious?"
"Not at all," Sam said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I just know you very well, big sis."
It was the middle of the night and Dina and Sam were riding in Dina's truck. They had just taken down a nest of vampires and burned their bodies. They were exhausted, battered, and filthy. It was Sam's first vampire hunt and Dina was pleased with how well it went. She had really underestimated Sam's determination to learn.
When they stopped a red light at a deserted intersection, Sam started shaking. "Dina, I feel sick," she said, her teeth chattering.
Dina glanced over at her. "You're coming down from the adrenaline high. When we get home, we'll open a bottle of wine and you'll take a nice hot bath. You can use one of my bath bombs, but just this once. Fumiko sends me them from Japan. You can buy your own at Walgreens. And if you want a guy, don't bring him back to our place."
Sam gave a small grin. "I'm not much in the mood for swiping right now."
"You did good tonight," Dina said.
"Thanks," Sam said with a bigger grin. "I told you I wouldn't let you down."
FIVE YEARS AFTER THAT
Dina and Sam were eating dinner one evening when suddenly Sam dropped her fork and started speaking in tongues. At first Dina tried to interrupt her, but then fell silent when she realized Sam was prophesying. She grabbed her phone and recorded as much as she could. When the message ended, Sam slumped in her chair, spent.
"Are you okay?" Dina asked. When Sam nodded, Dina said, "I'm sending this file to Dev to translate. If God is talking directly to you, something big must be happening."
Sam and Dina picked at their food while waiting for Dev to get back to this. They were too nervous to eat. It was an hour before he called and by then they'd wrapped up the leftovers for another night. There was no food waste in the Wesson household. Dina had picked up her knitting, but she kept dropping stitches. Sam tried to play a silly game on her phone but couldn't concentrate and lost all of her lives within a few minutes.
When Dina's phone rang, she grabbed it. "Dev, I have you on speaker for Sam."
"Yeah, I have Jun on speaker too," Dev said. "So. Apparently you guys did a great job holding off the Devil until now but he's done skirmishing with Hunters. Whatever army he's managed to scramble together, he's planning on moving against heaven. Soon. So marshall your own people because there's only going to be one battle, winner takes all - control of heaven, hell and the Earth."
Sam went out for a night out on the town with Dev and his girlfriend Porsha. Dina decided to stay home because she wasn't sure she'd be very good company, but she didn't feel like drinking alone. She poured herself a glass of wine, then poured it back into the bottle.
At that moment, Uziel popped into the kitchen behind her. "Hello," he said.
Dina started but didn't turn around. "I'll never get used to that," she said. "And you've never learned to knock first."
"I'm terribly sorry if I have upset you, Dina, but I wonder if I might speak to you."
Dina repoured herself that glass of wine and took it into the living room. "What's up, Uz?" she asked. "Some new recruits for me to break in? There's not going to be much time to train them. God was awfully vague on when the war would be. It could be tomorrow, for all we know. Or tonight."
"Perhaps he does not know, but I do sense that there will be some advance warning of when the attack will begin."
"Great. Wonderful. So we're not going to die tonight," Dina said with a sip of wine.
"We are not. I hope you do not die at all, but I cannot predict the future. But no matter how the war turns out, I came here to tell you that we will not see each other again afterwards. God assigned me to this mission and once it is over, I will not be permitted to be involved any longer in your life."
"Oh," Dina said. "So you came to say goodbye? That sucks. Hunters could always use an angel on their side. I might not have gotten used to your entrances, but I've gotten used to having you around. Hunting won't be the same without you."
Uziel smiled sadly. "This was the greatest mission in my existence and . . . you have been the greatest person I have ever known."
Dina blinked. "Wow, um, thanks. I mean, if you've known, I don't know, Moses, he was probably greater than me."
"I did not know Moses. You are valiant and lion-hearted. There is a reason why God chose your sister to his prophet."
"He still could have just sent an email."
"You are also very beautiful."
There was a silence, then Dina said, "Pardon?"
"I am in awe of your courage and your beauty and I request that you would know me as a man knows a woman."
Dina frowned. "I'd say we know each other pretty well. As well as an angel can be considered 'knowable,' " she said, making air quotes with her fingers.
"In a Biblical sense."
"Know in a Biblical sense?" Dina repeated and then the understanding hit her. "You mean you want to sleep with me."
Uziel looked abashed. "Yes."
Dina immediately recoiled. "I don't know how you could ask me that. You're not a man. I've seen your true form. You're a-, you're a-"
"You think I'm a monster," Uziel said in a sad tone.
"I-, well- you're a heavenly creature."
"Yes, but I am in the body of a man. I can function as a man."
Dina felt her stomach flip over at the thought of having sex with Uziel. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I can't do it."
"I can make you forget what my true form looks like. But just temporarily. I can give you the knowledge back afterwards."
"No," Dina said immediately, but then added, "But if you make me forget, I'm willing to kiss you. Will you accept that?"
"I will accept any boon my lo-, my lady will grant me."
Dina thought Uziel was about to call her his love and tears sprang into her eyes. Nobody had ever loved her. She and Jun had never exchanged I love you's and she had never had a boyfriend.
"Do it," Dina said roughly. "Make me forget. But promise you'll make me remember."
"I promise," Uziel said. He put two fingers to Dina's forehead and a moment later the memory of his true form was gone, as though it had never been there.
He put out his arm and Dina snuggled into him. He held her for a moment, then titled up her head to his and kissed her. She was surprised to find that he was a good kisser though his mouth did taste different than a human's, but not different in a bad way. She pressed her tongue into his mouth to taste him more deeply. When he did the same to her, a jolt went through her body. She parted her legs and hooked one leg over Uziel's hip, pressing herself hard against him, feeling that he was indeed capable of functioning like a man. She moaned into his mouth and-
Uziel pushed her away. Hard.
"What the hell?" Dina hissed.
"You said only a kiss. I cannot allow more than that."
"That was before I knew what a great kisser you were."
"That was when you remembered what my true form was."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Dina said. "Don't be a pussy tease."
Uziel reached out and pressed two fingers against Dina's forehead again and her knowledge of his true form was returned. She blinked at him owlishly for a moment, then downed the rest of her wine.
"Thanks for not taking advantage," she said quietly, but wondered what it would have been like if they'd done it. Probably not that different than any other guy, she told herself. Being an angel didn't mean you were a sex god. She'd never slept with a supernatural creature before, probably best not to start now. Yeah, for the best. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the horrifying image of his true form.
"Thank you, Dina. I love you," Uziel said. And when Dina opened her eyes, he was gone.