Hope in Love

by J. Hali Steele

  Greed, jealousies and shirking their responsibilities.

  The archangels were acting like mere men.

  * * * * *

  The stream of bright, warm sunlight that greeted Yael when she opened her eyes was glorious. Luxuriating in the feeling, so relaxed and comfortable, she didn’t want to move. She felt at home. Loved. Last night’s events fresh in her mind, she replayed Ramiel’s words. Had she misunderstood him?

  I want to keep you.

  Surely she must have dreamed it. She had never felt such an orgasm in her life and it confused her. He made her feel…alive. And sexual. She blushed remembering what she’d done with him by the lake. And what she wanted to do again.

  Where had he slept last night? She would have known if he’d been beside her. Felt the hardness of his body when she moved. She thought of him in someone else’s arms.

  “Are you awake?”

  Jumping so hard her head banged on the bed’s headboard, she turned to see him in the doorway of the bath.

  His eyes were darker today than usual. Full of unrest. A light growth of hair covered his angular jaw and only served to make him more handsome. Only a few days ago she thought him sinister.

  His long, dark gray hair hung loose and brought to mind the angel Ramiel gliding toward her, wings outstretched. Her stomach fluttered uncontrollably as the dampness pooled between her thighs.

  How long had he stood there and watched her? There was something else in his eyes. Guilt? The guilt triggered her memory. After he made love…after they coupled, he put her to sleep.

  “Why did you put me to sleep?”

  “You needed the rest. I had to perform my duties.” His eyes were narrow slits.

  “Ramiel. Ram, please do not trifle with my faculties. I have asked you not to.”

  “I apologize. I thought you would—”

  “In the future, don’t think for me. Allow me that.” She shouldn’t be this hard on him. She woke up totally refreshed and felt wonderful. What bothered her was her body did not feel like her own. He could do things to her. She wouldn’t think about that now. Not with him looking at her like he was.

  “Would you honor me by accompanying me to my domain below?”

  “I…yes.”

  “Wonderful, we can leave right away. I believe you will like Florida. The weather is warm and the water so blue and beautiful.” She watched his eyes lighten and the hint of a smile play around his mouth. His shoulders weren’t so stiff now. It made Yael feel better.

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  * * * * *

  The difference between Florida and her homeland struck Yael immediately.

  There was no sand.

  Part of the domed white roof glared back at the sun that glinted through tall trees draped with moss. The majestic Grecian columns appeared to rise magically out of the leaf-strewn earth. Gusts of wind carried broken branches into hidden corners of the palatial house. A wide veranda was littered with nature’s debris from the latest storm.

  Tall trees closely circled the property. They waved in the breeze and cast their eerie shadows across the façade of the house. The birds’ twittering calls seemed far off in the distance. She looked around with wonder at the various shades of greens and blues. It surprised her that she felt both cool and warm at the same time.

  The thought of her home brought back memories she did not want to think about.

  How would she raise a child, a daughter, and make her understand her role as savior? Yael wasn’t sure she understood it all herself. Would Ramiel be there to assist her with the education of their child?

  These angels and prophets caused so much death, yet they called themselves good.

  Ram had delivered them to the outside of his home because he wanted to see how she’d react to the dense, lush greenery. She’d grown up in Israel where there was very little water, lots of sand and no real trees to speak of. The stately Spanish moss that graced his home did not resemble the Joshua trees of her land in any way. A faraway look was in her eyes and Ram wondered what she thought. It wasn’t a good time to read her mind. Not after last night.

  She should not have known he put her to sleep.

  Michael was right. Ram needed to get his shit together.

  He’d had one thing in mind when he returned from his visit with Michael—going below. And he wanted Yael with him. It’d be a vacation of sorts. He could share with her the wonderful changes in the world. Since her arrival as an exulted, she hadn’t visited Earth. Ram would show her the sights, cars, amusement parks and dancing. Especially dancing. It would be a joy for him to see her eyes shine with excitement. Now here they were.

  Hopefully, it would help her forget the onerous duty put on her by the Fates.

  Ram wanted to make her happy. Not with sexual things. The idea to please her in other ways now occupied a constant place in his head. Her mind, her soul, he wanted to show her the delights of this century.

  And he needed to get away from Michael.

  His domain was located deep in the Everglades, but he couldn’t wait to explore with her. It’d be like seeing it for the first time. Yes, a vacation would be good. Just for a little while. The Fates had asked this of her and he’d make them believe the time away was for the best.

  So she could conceive.

  He loved the remote wildness of his earthly domain. Nothing but swamp surrounded his home and it could not be approached by humans. His mental guards here were more intricate than those he used above. They wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone. Except the natural inhabitants.

  But this was Lucifer’s world.

  He would know by now that Ramiel had arrived. He and Michael were left alone by Luke, but one never second-guessed what the devil might be up to.

  A sound rustled under a clump of bushes. He knew what would appear and he waited for her to see it.

  “Oh!” She moved to stand closer to him, her eyes wide with shock.

  “Don’t be afraid. They will not harm you here.”

  “What is it?”

  “An alligator. They are indigenous to this part of the country.

  “Are there more?”

  “Very many, yes.” In his need to have her safe, he wanted to give her another gift. He pulled her into his arms. He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face so he could look into her eyes.

  “You will always be safe with me. Nothing in my domains will hurt you ever.” He covered her mouth with his in a soft kiss. When he lifted his lips from hers, he saw the golden flecks of her eyes darken. She expected more. But he had given her all she needed with one gentle kiss. “Come with me.”

  He led her up the marbled steps to the wide front doors. He wanted to show her the inside of what would be her home for now. They stepped in to the entryway and he heard her sharp intake of breath. She looked up at the ceiling.

  “How beautiful.” Her eyes lit up in surprise.

  The entranceway was a rainbow of color and light. The domed roof that glinted in the sunlight outside was made of stained glass. It depicted an angel with its wings flung out and in flight. He waited for recognition to dawn on her. The blue eyes would be unmistakable even from this far away. The dark gray hair. The silver-gray sparkling tips of the wings.

  She looked at him and back at the ceiling. Yael was seeing the archangel Ramiel in full heavenly flight. He had to admit himself it was a magnificent sight to behold.

  The angel portrayed above them was untarnished.

  “It fills me with hope,” she whispered. Tears flowed from her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she gazed at the angel without the bitterness, without the pain and desolation that now weighed heavy on him most days.

  “It’s a very old likeness,” he said.

  Ram didn’t come here often. He’d almost forgotten himself how he used to look. The world and man had both been new when the piece above them was created. Even he couldn’t believe the clear joy he saw reflected in his own eyes.

  “You were so beau
tiful.”

  “I don’t know how I should take that.” He smiled. Ram wanted to enfold her in his arms but settled for brushing the tears away with the pad of his thumb.

  “I’m sorry.” Her cheeks grew pink, her head lowered in embarrassment.

  “I understand. Come, let me show you the rest of my home.” He wanted to show her the back of the house. The guards he kept would not allow even the worst storm to disturb the beauty and solitude of that part of his domain.

  He watched her take notice of her surroundings as they went down the long hall. His style here showed much more formality than above. Queen Anne furniture graced the blue-striated marble expanse of hallway with its sophisticated and curved details. The dark mahogany gleamed. She could explore the wonderful rooms later.

  Ram saw when it dawned on Yael that there was no sound of footfalls. She looked down to make sure her feet touched the floor and she cast her eyes at him in a sideways glance.

  “Aside from my music, I need the silence. The cacophony of lost souls when I’m this close bears down on me. It forces me to seek absolute quiet here in my home. Hence, you do not have the normal sounds of walking and doors opening or closing. If it becomes unbearable to you, I can change it.”

  “No, I’ll be fine,” she said.

  When they reached the end of the hall there were two large doors that led out of the house. He opened them and heard her suck in a mouthful of air.

  “It seems I am forever catching my breath around you.”

  “A recent addition to my garden.” He smiled with pleasure at her surprise. A magnolia tree in full bloom stood in the middle of a carpet of green grass. Flowers were everywhere.

  Amazement at the riot of color flashed across her face. The plants were done in the manner of a wild English garden.

  “Did you…”

  “No, it’s magic. But I do love the serenity and wildness of it.”

  “I see.”

  “Tonight, we’ll go out for dinner. You will find everything you need in our room. It’s the first door to your left at the top of the stairs. There are things I must see to. Please feel free to explore. You’re absolutely safe here.”

  “I’ll be fine.” As she watched him vanish into thin air, he read her thoughts and she wished she could dematerialize.

  You can now. Another gift I’ve given you. Use it wisely. And always be sure you know where you’re going when you do use it. I wouldn’t want you to end up in a men’s room.” Ram chuckled. “Oh, and for tonight, wear something black.

  His laughter drifted through the quietness of the garden. He would have to explain later about being in her mind. He’d done more than keep vigilance. He rationalized the invasion of her privacy as a need to protect her.

  Knowing her unfamiliarity with this period, he’d acquired the basics for her. There were two black dresses appropriate for evening wear. Which one would she chose? Personally, he wanted to see her in the skimpy strapless number.

  He looked forward to shopping with her once she became familiar with the trend of clothing worn by women down here.

  Chrissakes, he looked forward to a shopping trip. If he wasn’t careful he’d become what Luke called a girly-man.

  He had truly lost his mind.

  * * * * *

  Ram had felt the evil creature’s presence before he disappeared and left Yael standing in his garden. Though it could not enter his domain, he thought he should see to it before harm came to a human.

  Luke and his damned light demons. This one probably escaped him and Raphael earlier. He would need to fight him as an angel. They were wily bastards.

  His clothes vanished and he allowed his wings to expand to their full width. They tugged only slightly when they emerged. This was something he’d done for thousands of years now. When he had been newly created, the pain had ripped at his spine.

  The light that surrounded him would not allow anyone but another angel to see him. And the demon.

  As he lifted his body into the sky, the whir of his wings chased the birds from their nests. Though they couldn’t see him, their senses were much more acute than humans’. They were aware when something abnormal entered their realm.

  He could close his eyes and never strike one of the many trees that densely populated the area. He simply flew through them.

  He thought about Raphael’s statement that Yael wanted to be embraced by his angel wings. His cock grew hard as he envisioned her wrapped in their gossamer beauty. How would it feel to have her stroke his feathers? To penetrate her in that form.

  “Fuck.” He felt the pain stab through his back and heard his wing tear.

  Ram tumbled out of the sky and slammed into the hard bark of a large oak tree.

  “Bastard,” he cried. The goddamned demon hit him with a bolt of white lightning. Shit, concentrate.

  Ramiel?

  Stay away. How had she entered his mind?

  I will not. You are hurt. There was nothing she could do from so far away.

  Yael, please. Repairing his wing would take time. Unable to fly until he mended it, he’d be vulnerable. His fault. He should have paid better attention. These were dangerous and vicious creatures. They’d been known to kill an angel. All angels, though they wielded the power of lightning, were susceptible to its white-hot fire. God damn Luke.

  Ramiel, answer me, damn it. Her voice shook with fury because he tried to shut her out.

  I will be fine. I need to— Had she cursed at him?

  Oh hell, the demon found him and he wasn’t ready yet. He encircled his body in a camouflaging light to hide from the creature. He saw it high above him in the very tree from which his body had recently torn bark.

  Can you see it? Yael would know about the light demons and their use of deadly white lightning.

  Yes. The pain eased in his back.

  Look at it. NOW, she yelled in his mind.

  What did she think she could do? Then it hit him. Yael wielded the magic of storms. And that included lightning bolts.

  But you can’t see it. Ram still didn’t understand.

  I felt your pain. We are meshing. I may be able to see it through your eyes if I concentrate hard enough. Look at it. He felt her enter his mind and search for a mental path. He helped guide her and knew the moment she saw the demon through his eyes.

  He’s not expecting a fight now that I’m injured.

  He heard the fierce rumble of thunder in the sky and saw the lightning dance above him. Damn, she was strong.

  A bolt shot in a blue-white arc and smashed into the back of the demon. The air split with the piercing, high-pitched sound of death. The branch broke away and fell with the demon to the ground at Ram’s feet.

  “Nasty little fucker,” he said as the creature disintegrated in a blinding flash.

  Are you all right? she asked.

  I’ll be fine. I need some time to mend my wing. He couldn’t assume his human form until the damage was fixed. It would be healed in the same way he did his bones. Mentally he would put it back together. Yael, he whispered in her mind, thank you. I look forward to our dinner together.

  Hurry back.

  Ram sat under the tree, and as he mended his wing he thought about her. How was it he could mesh with an exulted? Meshing was a magical coming together, an irresistible and uncontrollable bonding of souls reserved for angels. Something they were only allowed to do with each other. Exulted were, after all, humans. To mesh with one would make him no better than the fallen angels who had been cast from Heaven millennia ago.

  “Shit,” he said out loud. “Michael will kill me this time.”

  Chapter Seven

  It took awhile for Yael to calm herself after the attack.

  She’d explored until she was content and now sat in the largest bath in the world. Everything in the room contained varied teals and coral colors of the sea. The towels were so soft she couldn’t believe it. Why did Deborah live so sparingly if she had all of this at her fingertips? She must be careful not
to covet the luxury.

  She found the answer to her dilemma about what to wear in the closet of the room they would share together. An array of clothing waited there. Her knowledge about this time period was nonexistent. She’d have to trust Ram. She could not believe the small bit of clothing women wore today. It was no wonder the angels came down here to rut with humans.

  Earlier she put on a pair of shoes she found in a box and thought she would teeter over. But she practiced in them, and after a few tumbles, she finally mastered how to walk in them. They were a shiny black with thin strips of material laced across her foot and little silver bows at the back on another tiny piece of strap. The footwear made her feel womanly. And sexy. Her hips swayed sensually when she walked in them.

  He’d told her to wear a black dress and she found two of them. She’d prepared the dress for tonight and it waited for her. It had no straps and she prayed her ample breasts would stay inside. It clung to her curves and showed off her body to no end. She refused to think about bare knees.

  The underthings she found were mere bands but she liked how they felt on her.

  Yael hadn’t given much thought to why she could feel Ram’s pain or enter his mind. Now, as she waited for him and enjoyed a glass of wine, she did.

  They were meshing. A tie that would be unbreakable, and they must stop it before it went any further.

  Her nerves begged for a second glass of wine.

  She’d never been out to dinner. Unless she counted going to her deceased husband’s family home.

  During conversations above, she often listened to exulted who exclaimed over their visits to Earth. They went to restaurants and shows with their benefactors. For the first time she wished for a little more sophistication. Yael didn’t blame Deborah for the lack of education she’d received. She could have gone on adventures with others. She’d chosen not to.

  Yael hoped to impress Ram with what she wore. Afraid the top of her dress wouldn’t stay up, she made a shawl. And then she covered her knees. The two materials, both black, were not so different and she was an excellent seamstress.