ARCHANGEL'S STORM: proof 760123 that Illium loves romantically Aodhan and everybody knows:
Before the other angel could continue, a butterfly, its wings an unabashed red dotted with saffron yellow, alighted on Aodhanās shoulder. Another followed a second later, its markings more modest, its wingspan larger. Aodhan looked at them, and for a fleeting instant, he was a young angel again, woefully embarrassed by his most curious of abilities.
āItās as if they can smell me,ā he muttered, but didnāt brush the delicate creatures away. Instead, he lifted a finger, and a third butterfly appeared out of the sky to alight on it, this one with wings of creamy sunset. āIllium says that perhaps I can use them to flutter someone to death.ā
Jason watched as Aodhan put the butterfly carefully beside the others, creating a living ornament on his otherwise prosaic T-shirt of deep brown. They werenāt the only fragile beings of flight who were drawn to Aodhanāonce, long ago, Jason had seen the other angel laughing as he was covered by an array of tiny jewel-hued birds, his attraction greater than the nectar on which they customarily sipped. āAs Galen would say,ā he replied, āBluebell has the wings of a butterfly himself.ā
