Planet Earth is blue 13

As time stood still under those stars, my head felt clearer than it had done for years. I reached out to one of the hanging raindrops but found it to be rock-hard and immovable, as if nailed to the air. Then Uriel waved a hand, the drops fell to the ground and we were back in the world again.

I was about to ask another question when there was a loud crack and an aftershock that threw me to the ground. I looked up to see Lily standing in the temple doorway, her gun raised and smoking. She fired a second time but Uriel still stood there, unmoved. Then a dark stain slowly spread across his chest and he fixed me with his sad eyes one last time before fading into darkness.

‘Why did you …’ I began in fury, but stopped when I saw the barrel now trained on me. We remained motionless, each one willing the other to make an end.

‘You know what I am,’ she said bitterly. ‘Don’t expect me to be anything better.’

She turned away and set about packing our bags. ‘Get a move on. It’s nearly sunrise and they’ll be hunting for us.’