Free No Shadows Fall by L.J. LaBarthe

dressed in jeans and a blue long-sleeved T-shirt.
    “What makes you say that?” Uriel demanded.
    “They are a no-nonsense, tenacious people.” Agrat pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail. “And you’re a no-nonsense, tenacious Archangel. I’m really amazed you don’t like it here.”
    Uriel blinked. “Maybe I should spend more time here,” he mused. “Though it’ll be a damn miracle for a carbon ape to impress me.”
    “Do.” Agrat patted his arm. “I think you’ll be impressed with them. I mean, considering how cold it gets in winter, their refusal to give up to it and to fight it and stay warm and alive—that’s the sort of thing you’d do. You’d draw your sword and battle the weather if you felt there was a reason to.”
    Shateiel and Samael turned away to hide their identical grins as Uriel stared at Agrat in surprise.
    “I would not,” he spluttered after a moment.
    “Yes, you would.” Agrat grinned. “So, I found out where Hiwa is.” She changed the subject before Uriel could launch into a rant about how wrong she was and why.
    “Good. I hoped your ruse was not for nothing.” Shateiel’s smile turned into a frown, a foreboding expression that spoke volumes about how much he disliked Agrat’s performance for the benefit of a horny official.
    “Beloved, it was all to the good.” Agrat looped her arm through his.
    “Where is he, then?” Samael asked, eyes intent.
    Agrat sighed. “He’s in prison.”
    Uriel gaped at her, aware that Samael and Shateiel were staring at her in stunned amazement. “Why? I mean, what did he do?”
    “It seems that Ish’s eldest son is something of a hired mercenary.” Agrat shook her head. “What are we going to tell her? We can’t tell her Hiwa is a Russian gangster, can we?”
    “No.” Samael shook his head. “No indeed. If Hiwa wishes to tell her, then he should, but it is not for us to do so.”
    Uriel bit his lower lip thoughtfully. “I don’t know, Sammy. I mean, she has a right to know.”
    “Let us tell Remiel, then. He can decide.”
    Uriel nodded. “Passing the buck. I’m all for that.”
    “Men!” Agrat rolled her eyes.
    “Which prison is Hiwa incarcerated in?” Shateiel asked.
    “Butyrka. Maximum security, of course.” Agrat sighed. “Apparently, he was caught leaving the scene of the murder of a very wealthy family related to one of the high-ranking members of the FSB—the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.”
    “Fabulous,” Uriel drawled, shaking his head. “Well, let’s get our game faces on and go pay him a visit.”
    “We will have to wipe the memories of a lot of people,” Samael said. “If we go in as we are, as Archangels and angels, everyone will know. Everyone will talk. That could spread to the ears of Semjaza. We cannot allow that to happen.”
    “Excuse me,” Shateiel began respectfully, “but could we not instead create papers to say that we are taking him to trial or something? Something that would be less potentially harmful to the humans? As you say, Samael, sir, that would be a lot of memories to wipe. Would not guile serve us better?”
    “An excellent suggestion,” Samael approved. “What do you think, Uriel?”
    Uriel scowled as he considered it. “It’s better than anything else I can come up with. We’ll try it that way. So, what, we pretend we’re part of Russia’s prison service? What are they called, anyway?”
    Samael nodded. “Why not? And they are called the FSIN.”
    “Let’s just not cause an international incident.” Uriel grinned. “Raz would be really put out if he had to clean up after us.”
    “ I’d be really put out that we botched so simple a mission,” Agrat retorted. “After all, we’re ancient. We’re not wet-behind-the-ears baby angels, are we? We can do this easily. It’s not outside of our abilities or experience.”
    “As you say, lovely lady,” Samael said with a shallow bow.
    She laughed fondly and squeezed his hand. “So,