by Elicia Hyder
She laughed. “I think we might have a convert.”
“Maybe.”
I surveyed our surroundings. Vegetation unlike any I’d ever seen on Earth or in Eden colored the rocky landscape. Thick moss carpeted the ground, and a leafy vine snaked all across the tall rock formations that framed the narrow waterfall. I peeked over the rock face. It was a long way down.
Far in the distance, I could see an empty beach. The sand shimmered like glitter.
I sighed. “Eden never stops taking my breath. It’s incredible.”
“Especially Lunaris. I love it here.”
“Where do you live?” I asked, feeling a little stupid for not knowing such a basic detail of a woman I had carnal knowledge of.
“I have a few places, but my main residence is in the Onyx Tower.”
Her answer made me feel a spark of sadness. The Onyx Tower was beautiful, but she literally lived at work. The thought of me doing that was nauseating.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I was just thinking what it might be like to live in Reclusion. Ugh.”
She laughed and the sound tingled my spine.
It was starting to get dark. “Do you think it’s too late to visit?” I asked.
“No. The Fiery doesn’t operate on regular days and nights. We’re just as likely to catch its residents sleeping as we are to catch them eating lunch.”
“What?”
“Come on. You’ll see.”
“Where are we going?”
“Down.”
I pointed off the rock. “Down there?”
“Yep. Let’s go.”
Cassiel started down a trail between two boulders. The path was steep. Almost too steep for even me. “If Metatron is older than Sandalphon, how would he manage this?” My foot slid on a patch of loose dirt.
“He wouldn’t. There are a few ways in and out of the Fiery. This is just the most beautiful. I like to bring all first-timers in this way.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “Why? Is it too much for you?”
“No.” Though I wasn’t so sure. On Earth, I would’ve needed a rope and a belay for such an incline. At least here, my wings could catch me. Whether or not I’d take out Cassiel before my wings caught was another question. I slowed my pace to put some cushion between us.
“Do you come here a lot?”
“Not in years.”
“But you know Metatron?”
“Very well. I haven’t seen him in a long time, but I get letters occasionally.”
We passed a couple of full gazenberry bushes. Gazenberries looked like pink currents, but they tasted just like Nerds candy. I plucked a few ripe berries off and popped them into my mouth.
“When we were in Italy, you were so adamant he wouldn’t help me. What’s changed your mind?”
She shook her head, and her long loose curls swooshed across her back. “I still don’t think he will, but I may know of a piece of leverage we can use to convince him.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s just say, Iliana has the power to give him what he wants most. We’ll see how the conversation goes just asking him.”
At the bottom of the falls, Cassiel crept along the rocks toward the waterfall. I stopped and looked up. In the cool mist, rainbows arched in different directions thanks to Eden’s double suns.
Around me, the water seemed to vanish under the mountain.
“Come on!” Cassiel called before disappearing behind the falls.
I followed her and found that the rocks formed a bridge over where the water poured into the large mouth of a cave. She was waiting for me on the other side.
It was dark inside the cave except for glowing blue stalactites that hung from the ceiling and small patches of bright, colorful plants that lined the banks of the river.
“Wow,” I said, my mouth gaping as I took in the expansive cavern. “It’s like Fraggle Rock.”
“What’s a fraggle rock?” she asked.
“It was a cartoon when I was a kid. Is it this dark everywhere?”
“More or less.”
A hollow thump made us both look behind her. It was a small wooden boat bumping against the rock. “That’s our ride,” she said.
We walked over to it. There was no driver. No ropes. No anchor I could see. Cassiel held up the hem of her skirt and stepped over the railing. Then she turned and motioned me forward. “Your turn.”
I stepped onboard and the boat rocked. “Now what?”
She sat down on the bench and patted the seat beside her. “Sit here, then reach back and push off the rock.”
I raised an eyebrow.
She smiled. “The boat won’t move with the stream until you make it.”
“OK,” I said, my voice full of melodic doubt.
I sat beside her, then reached back and pushed against the rock wall.
The boat lurched forward into the current, and my upper body toppled backward. Cassiel’s arm came around my back to catch me. Our laughter echoed off the walls of the cavern.
“Remember how I said no one needs help in Eden? Perhaps I was wrong,” she said.
I kissed her to shut her up.
Blushing, she checked our surrounds. We were alone. “No one will see us down here, right?” I asked.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Good. Come here.” I kissed her again, then put my arm around her.
The boat moved slowly down the river, gently bouncing off the rocks as the stream curved through the cave. Cassiel pointed toward a small cove in one of the bends. It was covered with fluorescent mushrooms and flowers. “See the lights? That’s what all of the Fiery looks like.”
I leaned against her. “No. This is what all of the Grateful Dead’s music videos looked like.”
She nodded. “They said the same thing.”
My head snapped back, and I turned all the way toward her.
She just laughed.
We floated for about ten minutes (or it could have been an hour in Eden time, who knows?). Cassiel softly hummed “Time after Time” with her head against my shoulder, and I almost forgot we were on an urgent mission. Easy to do in the land of ever after.
The farther we went, the thicker and brighter the gardens were. We went over two small waterfalls before it seemed we reached the end of the cave.
On the other side, the auranos was dark except for the stars and planets, but the land was alive with a brilliant light show. “Holy smokes,” I said, my eyes full of wonder.
Purple and blue cascading flowers covered the riverbanks. To our right was a field of glowing orange, pink, and gold spindles that twisted up toward the stars. On Cassiel’s side of the boat were tall trees, the brightest green I’d ever seen.
She was watching me.
I was smiling so wide my face felt like it might cramp. “This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”
“I knew you’d like it.”
“It’s like all the plants are made of neon.”
“They are. Well, at least some of them are. Other gases produce different colors. Mercury creates blue. Helium, yellow.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah. It’s a lot like Earth’s neon signs. The energy of auranos”—she pointed to the sky—“causes the gas to glow.”
Tiny blue gnats floated around us. I relaxed against her. “This is beautiful.” I looked at her admiring the lights like it was the first time she’d seen them. All the colors of the rainbow reflected off her face. I pushed her hair behind her ear. “You’re beautiful.”
My hand lingered on her cheek, and she turned her face into it, closing her eyes. She pressed a kiss to my palm.
There were faint voices up ahead, and music—there was always music in Eden.
We rounded another bend toward what looked like an outdoor restaurant. A pergola draped with glowing white vines crowned the tables. There were only a handful of patrons.
I immediately recognized Metatron sitting with a woman and w
atching the river. His hair was white, and his tan face was creased with deep wrinkles. He sat in his chair with the weight of a few hundred years. His spine was bent. His head was down. Even from our distance, I could see the tremor in his hand as he slowly lifted his fork to his mouth.
My mind flashed forward to my face in the mirror as an old man. Gray hair. Deep lines. Tired eyes. Even though I was quasi-immortal, my body was far from perfect. In Eden, it was better, but I could still feel a slight ache in my spine from where Azrael had ripped out the bullet a few days before.
What would eternity feel like after I’d spent a few more decades on Earth? Which I fully intended to do once Iliana was older and my presence was no longer dangerous.
Metatron didn’t only look his age—it was obvious, he felt it.
The boat slowed at a small wooden dock near the eatery. I got out first, then offered my hand to Cassiel. She took it, then lifted the front of her skirt as she stepped out.
“Cassiel, is that you?” a woman asked behind me.
Cassiel pulled away from me and straightened her dress. “Hello, Miriam.”
I followed her up the bank. The woman who had been seated with Metatron was walking out onto the glowing landscape. The two women embraced.
They turned toward me when I neared them. “Warren, this is Metatron’s wife, Miriam. Miriam, this is Warren.”
“The American angel.” She reached for my hand.
I laughed and shook it. “That’s me. I can’t believe you’ve heard of me all the way out here.”
“You’re a legend. Just like your father.”
“You know Azrael?”
She just smiled, waiting for me to answer my own question. I felt stupid. “Of course you do. I forget you’ve been here for what? Hundreds of years?”
“Hundreds, ha. Try again.”
“Well, you’ve aged very well.” She actually looked younger than me.
“Sweet boy.” She motioned me forward. “Come. I’ll introduce you to Enoch.”
I leaned toward Cassiel. “Enoch?”
“Earth name. Someday you’ll get the hang of living here,” she said with a grin.
I sighed and shook my head. “One sec.” Kneeling down, I plucked a blue flower from the ground. It still glowed as I stood.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” Miriam asked. “It will burn for about a day. Then it will go out.”
I twirled it in my fingers. “What happens if I take it home?”
“It dies outside the Fiery.”
“That’s so cool.”
I carried the flower toward the table. Metatron started to stand as we approached, but Cassiel held her hands up. “No, no. Don’t get up on our account.”
With a grateful humph, the old angel settled back in his chair.
Cassiel walked over and knelt by his chair, putting her hand affectionately on his arm. “Metatron, it’s so good to see you.”
He covered her hand with his own withered one. “Shalom, Cassiel. It’s a pleasure as always, my old friend.”
Friend? Interesting.
Their plates on the round table looked like giant red flowers with the food in the center of the petals.
“We didn’t mean to interrupt your meal,” Cassiel said.
“Nonsense. I insist that you join us,” Miriam said, sitting back down beside her husband.
I couldn’t help but think of Sloan and be grateful that she wouldn’t be chained to an ancient angel someday.
Cassiel stood and touched my arm. “Metatron, this is Warren. Though, I’m sure you already know that.”
Metatron smiled and reached up. “Of course. Warren, it’s nice to finally make your acquaintance. We’ve heard a lot about you for many years.”
I gently shook his hand. “Good things, I hope?”
He smiled. “Things, anyway.”
I laughed. I could appreciate an angel with a sense of humor. They were rare. Then again, he’d been born on Earth, so he was different like me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I understand this is quite the privilege.”
“I don’t know about all that.” He gestured toward the table. “Please join us for a meal. The Fiery has the best gonganut manna in all of Eden.”
“Gonganut? I haven’t even heard of that.” I turned to pull out a chair for Cassiel, but she’d already sat down.
Metatron slowly lifted his shaky hand and pointed over our heads at the vines growing on the pergola. “Gonganut. The white flowers wither and fall to the ground and form a pod under the soil.”
“Like peanuts,” I said.
Cassiel’s brow lifted. “I’m surprised you know that.”
I tapped my temple. “Not all spiderwebs and dust up there, my dear.”
Metatron laughed—and wheezed.
In front of Cassiel and myself, two eight-inch circles in the tabletop began to glow red. Then they swelled. I pulled my hands back and watched. The centers cracked in a star shape, then peeled back like petals.
My eyes widened, and I looked at Cassiel.
She was watching me again with a smile. Then she grabbed one of her own petals and peeled it back. Then another and another until the food in the center was unveiled.
Manna, fresh fruit, and some kind of chocolate were all inside…even for Eden, it was impressive magic.
The berry-sweet smell was intoxicating. I picked up a piece of manna and bit off the edge. It melted like butter in my mouth, and my eyes closed with pleasure.
Metatron had an expectant smile when I opened my eyes. “Well?”
“Delicious.”
Cassiel cut her manna with her fork and knife. “We had some chocolate manna in Idalia today that was to die for.”
He chuckled. “Perhaps I should try it.”
Cassiel’s face fell.
“Stop making jokes like that. You know I don’t like it,” Miriam said.
“I apologize, my love.” Metatron laid his napkin across his flower plate. “Not that I don’t love the visit, but why have you come? I doubt it’s only to appreciate the luxem blooms.”
Cassiel swallowed the bite in her mouth. “No doubt you know of the Vitamorte’s birth.”
“Yes, we’ve heard,” he said.
“Congratulations,” Miriam said to me.
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“There’s a plot for the demons to take the child into the spirit world,” Cassiel said. “They plan to use her unbridled power to destroy the spirit line, forever separating the mortal world from Eden.”
Metatron nodded. “You told me about that in your letter.”
“Did she tell you what the Council wants me to do with Iliana?” I asked.
“She didn’t tell me, but we heard it from a shopkeeper in the village. They want to make the child a seraph,” Metatron said.
My stomach twisted. I dropped the manna on my plate, my appetite suddenly gone.
“Yes,” she said.
Metatron folded his hand on the tabletop. “I don’t understand what this has to do with me.”
“I need to find the Morning Star. I believe he might be my only bargaining chip to convince the Council to allow Iliana to stay on Earth.” I took a deep breath to steel my nerves. “I’m hoping you will return with me to Earth to identify him.”
Metatron turned his ear toward me. “Am I going mad, or did I hear you say you want me to return to Earth?”
“You heard me correctly, sir.”
His wife tried unsuccessfully to stifle a smile. “I’m sorry, Warren, but if you only knew how hard of a time I have getting him to go to the market once a century.”
Cassiel took my hand across the table. “Metatron, please consider this. You know I wouldn’t ask if it were not important.”
“Yes, I know. Which is why I’m sorry I must be a disappointment. Does the Council know you are moving against them? Undermining their decision?”
I squeezed Cassiel’s fingers.
Her eyes fell. “No, they don’t. But I’m sure it won’t be
long before they find out, which is why it’s imperative that you help us now.”
The angel shook his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t—”
“The Vitamorte can give you what you want most in this world,” she blurted out.
Her words landed on the table with a nearly audible thud. Metatron sat back in his seat. Miriam covered her face with her hands.
Cassiel leaned forward. “But only if she’s allowed to come into her power. To do that, she must grow up on Earth.”
Metatron and his wife locked eyes. Finally, he turned back to Cassiel and bit back an angry smile. “You toy with my emotions, my friend.”
“Please help us,” I said.
The angel closed his eyes. “Where do you believe the Morning Star is now?”
I could have fist-bumped everyone in the restaurant. “We believe he’s either been recently born to a friend of mine or that he’s still in utero.”
Metatron laughed. “Well, why didn’t you start with that?”
His tone made the hope go out of my chest like air from a sliced balloon. Cassiel’s hand tightened around mine.
“I can’t identify an angel child before they come of age.” He looked at Cassiel. “You should know that.”
Her eyes closed.
“How do you know?” I asked, desperation in me welling like a tidal wave.
“When the Morning Star was born the last time as Leviathan, I visited Earth to see the child. Then, of course, we knew it was him.” He shook his head sadly. “But had I not been told, I wouldn’t have known.”
I released Cassiel’s hand. Balancing my elbows on the table, I cradled my skull.
“I’m sorry. I know this is not the news you were hoping for,” Miriam said.
My eyes were fixed on the center of the table.
Metatron’s wrinkled hand closed around my forearm, and a wave of peace washed over me. He was an Angel of Ministry. I took a deep breath and pulled my arm away.
He looked surprised.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I know you’re trying to help, but I can’t let my senses be dulled. There must be another way.”
We were all quiet for a while. No one had any ideas, least of all me. Cassiel put her hand on my back. “We’ll figure something out.”
I didn’t look at her. I was afraid I’d see deceit in her eyes.
