In the back of the War Ring her sisters slept soundly on her shoulders, but she herself could not manage to get to sleep. She felt like her world was spinning like the little wooden toy that Miss Giddy use to play with and it made her feel like she had first become a wife all over again. Her stomach was in knots, her breathing was short, and her skin felt clammy despite the coolness of the desert air around them. Was forever going to be like this now that her world was devoid of her sweet sister? 

     The sun had long since set, the Rig now condemned to silence since       the pursuing gunfire and cries of the others had gone silent. Now there      was only the rumble of the engine and the shuffling of those unlucky      enough not to be taken by sleep. Max was awake as he usually was,      but he didn’t fidget as the others did, only moving for his restless hands      to pick at each other.

     For a long time he had been staring out the window, caught within his      own mind when the gentle voice caught him off guard and he found      himself responding to the name they’d given him, head tilting to better      hear her. To the question, he said nothing, he considered not giving an      answer at all, to just pretend he never heard her, or didn’t care to answer.

If Deluge was phased by the weapon in his face, his expression didn’t mirror it. 

“Because while the world may be full of demons and savage things, we do our best to keep them at bay here. Or hadn’t you heard?” 

The Archangel’s lips picked up just at the corners in a small smile at the self-directed point of humor. 

     " –heard just fine. “ he grumbled, the ‘just don’t believe you’ was left      unsaid as he set down his gun; fingers unwilling to leave it before they      did all together and went to scratch at the space behind his ear in an      unnerved habit. When his hand fell it went to graze the handle of the      knife tucked in his brace but he passed it to itch under the metal and      with the help of the cot he pushed himself to stand. There was gentle      bustling outside it was what had woken him up and he stood staring      at the opening of the tent. Max found he didn’t like not being able to      hear what was hiding on the other side of the walls, so he followed.