Lesedi eyed him with curiosity, more than slightly put off by the man's stare. How could he have overlooked that attire? Brilliant white pants and a snug long-sleeved white shirt emphasized the immaculate definition of a perfectly proportioned frame, massive but not bulky. With his white punked hair and various flashing ear rings, he looked like a carnival sideshow minus his unicorn. .
And yet the cold sweat that suddenly coated Lesedi's skin served as instinctive warning of the danger concealed in the stranger's coiled muscles.
The man jabbed his index finger toward Lesedi. "You?" He then jabbed the finger at the wall. "And her? Will be getting married."
Lesedi stared. Of all the preposterous… "What? I cannot marry her."
Apparently Lesedi's confusion sat plainly on his face for the stranger to see. "I realize how very…unorthodox this may seem, but in five minutes, I assure you, it will be crystal clear." He raised his brows. "Like a diamond."
"I do not know what your business is, but I do know that I have no interest in it." Lesedi stood, anger beginning to replace the befuddlement.
He nodded. "Oh yes you do. Son of Letsie, heir to the throne of Lesotho." He widened those strange eyes. "Direct descendant of the tribe of Levi? I assure you, you do have interest, and you will cooperate."
Anger and fear coagulated into a strange mixture to thicken Lesedi's blood. Who the hell did this fellow think he was? When he finally managed to ask, the words, "What are you?" escaped his lips. The man had just given an account of his lineage, but he'd left off his whore of a mother and the shadow it cast on his supposed royalty. Lesedi had to acknowledge he wasn't merely an eccentric clown escaped from the circus. He was abstract in every possible sense of the word and he now pinched the bridge of his nose with what seemed an impatient sigh.
"I'm an archangel."
The nonchalance accompanied with the illogical term archangel left Lesedi shaking his head. "I'm supposed to just…believe that?"
The man seemed to thoughtfully consider that. "I don't see why not?"
Just for the sake of hearing the rest of the crazy story that lay beyond the ludicrous opening, Lesedi shrugged. "Fine. You're an archangel and you want me to…marry Miya for what purpose?"
The man shook his head with a smile. "I suppose you're not going to believe me until I present my credentials."
"That you're an archangel." Lesedi prayed he would realize how ridiculous it sounded.
"No, that you're a purple elephant with green polka dots that likes to fuck pink penguins. Yes, that I'm an archangel. Now, what sort of proof do you want from me?"
Lesedi considered. The conversation bore all the hallmarks of a dream preceded by a three day binge in a port city. And why would a real archangel use such language? The very outrageousness lent an air of truth to the whole thing. "You mean like wishes?"
The man's bright gaze hardened. "What are you, a bloody pansy? You need wishes like a little girl? No I don't mean wishes, find something more manly for crying out loud."
Lesedi had to laugh. It was well past the time for it. "You are serious."
The man tossed his hands up. "Oh for fuck's sake, yes I'm serious. Now name your price before I name it for you."
Lesedi's pride finally caught up to his fear and passed it right up. He stood before the guy, silently reminding him which of them was the larger. By only by mere inches. "Name my price then."
The challenge was met with a slow grin and eerily flashing eyes. "First impressive thing I've heard you say yet. But you may want to sit for this."
"I'll stand."
Lyght chuckled and a streak of panic flashed through Lesedi, but again, pride prevented him from moving one inch.
****
In a matter of seconds, Lyght sorted through all the things he could legally do, before reluctantly considering what he should do to the arrogant man. To doubt an archangel was one of the worst offenses, punishable by months or even years of various plagues, none of which would serve any purpose in this shotgun wedding scenario. Not to mention, he'd want the man's friendship, not fear, at the end of the day, so… "You like diamonds."
The dark man angled his head cautiously. "It is my business, I do not necessarily like them."
Lyght snorted at the lie. Another offense that he found no good reason to execute punishment for. In that moment. "You're right, you don't necessarily like them, you happen to love them." Lyght put up a hand to stop anymore lies. "I totally understand, I too am a…soul fond of diamonds. Therefore—" Lyght looked around, making sure the coast was clear, and let his wings loose.