“We need to be proactive about this. We spent a lot of time being helpless in the past few months and we can’t allow that to happen again. We need to find these guys before they find us. Let’s start by monitoring the violence on Terra more closely; an increase in a certain area might indicate something.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but knowing that all of those women died almost threw me into madness. I will not allow that many lives to be lost again.”
“Sage is right,” Metatron supported. “Now that the Anakim are gone, we can focus on this task.”
“How do we know all of them are gone?” I interrupted.
“They were all at the battle, we killed them.”
“Number one: we don’t have any way of knowing that for sure. Number two: the fallen can create more at any time.”
“I suppose,” Metatron stammered.
“Exactly, we can’t think like that anymore. The fallen are cruel and heartless. We cannot give them qualities that we might portray. They are not honest, and they are not above even the most despicable of actions. If we remember that, then they cannot get the upper hand again.”
Then the strangest thing happened, the angels began to weep.
“What just happened?” I asked Gabriel.
“I think it’s a good thing. You have moved them to tears, not many things have that effect on angels,” he answered and as an afterthought added, “I know your words inspired me.”
The meeting pretty much ended after the tear fest broke out.
I told Michael I wanted him to meet me at my temple later, but first I wanted to visit Raphael.
Arafiel greeted me as he always did when I approached The Archives.
“I heard you kicked ass out there.” He smiled.
“I suppose.” I grinned back.
Most of the angels had gone home to recover, but a few who had major injuries stayed in The Archives with Uriel. He had even set up a few rows of beds with curtains dividing them to resemble a hospital.
“How many times do I need you tell you, that the angels believe in you before you believe it yourself?” Raphael’s voice was raspy.
“How did you know?”
“Uriel set up that goblet thing, we watched the meeting from here,” he explained.
“Pretty neat trick right?”
“Yea, the meeting is also broadcasted, but it’s more fun to watch, especially when I get to see you breaking all the etiquette rules.” He laughed.
“That’s my favorite part too.” I smiled. “I don’t think Gabriel finds it amusing though.”
“Maybe not. I think he’s just good at hiding things.” It was an interesting comment to make.
“So how are you feeling?” I nodded at his leg.
“Alright. Uriel is not sure I’ll be able to walk again though. I guess we will see with time.”
“I’m sorry, Raphael.”
“Sorry? The only reason I’m alive is because of you!” He laughed. “Talk about neat tricks. How did you show up like that?”
“I’m not really sure. Uriel mentioned before that Asteria could project herself places, but he didn’t think a human body would be able to handle that. I guess he was wrong. I have no idea how to make it happen again.”
“I’m sure you’ll learn.”
“Speaking of, I’m sure you’re enjoying being surrounded by all these books.”
“Oh yes. When I heal I might have to injure my other leg just to be readmitted here.”
“Did you know Uriel made all the pictures in the books?”
Raphael nodded his head. “I actually requested him to make a few pictures for me. They are hanging around my house. You should come by and see them when I’m out of here.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. And now that I know Uriel takes request I’m going to put him to work.” I laughed. “I’m going to let you rest now; I have to go meet Michael anyways.”
“Be gentle with him.”
“How do you all know these things before I even know them myself? And why can’t you guys warn me?” I huffed. Raphael just chuckled in response.
I was the first one to arrive at my temple and I sat on one of its benches and attempted to calm my nerves. I didn’t like what I was about to do, but it was not fair to Michael for me to continue a relationship with him when I had stronger feelings for someone else. I shuffled my feet nervously underneath the bench and in the process I had kicked something out into the center of the temple.
I walked towards the object and bent down to pick it up. It was a small, red, leather-bound book. I flipped through the pages and dust flew into my nose making me sneeze. Once I had recovered from my sneezing fit, I saw that the pages were all filled with an elegant script. I turned to the first one about to read it when I heard footsteps behind me. I closed the book and put it on the closest bench before turning to face Michael.
“Hey,” I greeted pathetically.
“I already know why I’m here.” I grimaced at his words.
“I’m really sorry Michael.” I sighed. I was already beginning to get watery eyed.
“It hurts of course, but I think I knew it from the beginning. How can I compete with someone who can literally change the way you feel with a touch? I was actually surprised you chose me in the first place.”
“Chose you? I didn’t know there were other options,” I snapped. “I didn’t just choose you, I wanted you.”
“I appreciate that. No surprise it was only temporary.”
“Why does everyone seem to figure things out before I do?” I was getting frustrated.
“Angels have been around a lot longer than you. We’ve gotten good at understanding things.”
“Uhg, how did you end up being the one explaining things to me? You are the one who is supposed to be angry and I’m the one should be doing the explaining.” I sighed.
“For a Goddess of prophets, you are really bad at anticipating the future.” He joked.
“Back to the matter at hand.” I glared. “I want you to understand that even though everyone else seemed to have already figured it out, I hadn’t. I only figured it out this morning which is why I asked you here. I knew we couldn’t continue this. It would be wrong of me.”
“I understand. If it’s any comfort to you, I think you handled this well. I would much rather end our romance now than have it continue under false pretenses.”
“Thank you for understanding.” Though there was still a slight tug going on in my heart, I was relieved that he had taken this so well. “Friends?”
“You think I’m going to stop being friends with a Goddess?”
I rolled my eyes and he pulled me into a hug.
“I don’t wish to upset you but you do know it’s against the rules right?” Michael said cautiously.
“I know. I never said I was going to take any action.” I gave a weak smile.
“Well, whatever you do, just make sure you’re happy. And if you are ever feeling lonely…” his voice trailed off and the corner of his mouth turned into the smile that I found so irritating when I first met him.
I just shook my head.
After Michael left, I began roaming the streets of Aether, with no destination in mind. I was restless and as I walked I held the journal I had found against my chest. It was a miracle that my breakup with Michael had gone so well and while the weight of that was gone, it was replaced by a different one.
I truly did not know what to do about Gabriel. I knew that according to the angels my feelings for him were wrong. I was afraid of what would happen to us both if we pursued a relationship. How would it affect his ability to protect me? I actually didn’t feel that it would. Then of course there was the small matter that I wasn’t sure if Gabriel even returned my feelings. When I had asked him about it he had even told me his feelings towards me were not romantic.
I found myself in the garden that Gabriel had shown me. It was where we had our previous conversation about his feelings. The sun was beginning
to set and there were a few evening flowers blooming that I had not been able to see during my last visit.
“Sage?” I wasn’t sure how I hadn’t notice him approaching, but somehow he managed to sneak up on me. “I’ve been searching for you.”
“Oh,” I said flatly. Of course he had sensed my distress.
“Is everything all right?” he fingered one of my curls.
“It’s your favorite isn’t it?” I queried.
“I’m sorry?”
“The curls, you like them,” I stated and he nodded his head.
“There is something fun about the way they bounce.” He smiled.
“I broke up with Michael,” I said flatly then bit my lip.
“I know. I ran into him while I was looking for you. Is that why you are upset?” He continued playing with my hair. His closeness was sending flurries through my stomach.
“I’m not upset.” I gave a weak smile in an attempt to show him.
“That was not very believable.” He teased and I laughed.
“Seriously though, I’m not upset. I’m just,” What was I? “Pensive,” I settled on
“Well pensive you looks far too sad.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her you said so.”
“You look stunning regardless of what expression you wear. Gold suits you by the way.” I wasn’t sure where his words were coming from and my heart stopped in my chest.
His comment was enough to make me hope that he had feelings for me, and I needed to know whether or not he did. I was filled with so many questions and before I even realized what was happening, words were pouring from my mouth.
“Why is it that you are the only person who can comfort me?” I tilted my head as I asked the question.
“That’s part of my job.”
“No, it’s more than that.” I shook my head. “Michael was my boyfriend and he never had the effect you have on me. As much as I tried to fight it, it always came down to you.” I thought back to how I could be completely entangled in Michael and the darkness would still be there but at the touch of Gabriel’s hand it disappeared.
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” he sounded afraid.
“If anyone should have been able to comfort me, even in the slightest it should have been my boyfriend. So why couldn’t he? Why is it only you?” I took a step towards him, my heart threatening to leap from my chest.
“Sage,” he said my name cautiously, I knew I was treading on thin ice, but I took another step closer.
“You lied to me, you lied to Metatron, and I think you even lied to yourself.” His hands were clenched into fists at his sides. “No one has ever looked at me the way you do.”
“Angels can’t have feelings for their charges. They can’t have feelings for humans either.”
“They can’t, or they are not supposed to?” By the way Gabriel kept clenching and unclenching his fists, I knew I was right. “Because there is a difference.”
“Metatron would never allow…”
“Metatron is not the one who is a Goddess,” I cut him off. “He most certainly does not get to control my actions.”
“Sage, don’t do this,” his voice shook with emotion. I knew he was longing to touch me just as I was craving it. There was a slight pounding in my head, not from a headache though. It was as if someone was gently patting my brain. I chose to ignore it.
I reached out, with trembling fingers and gently wound them through his and it was as if Gabriel couldn’t contain himself any longer. My touch had freed his restraint and he pulled me the rest of the way to him, placing our foreheads together.
“I lied,” he whispered before touching his lips to mine, I thought my knees were going to give out beneath me. His fingers pressed into the small of my back and I never wanted this moment to end. I wanted to spend the rest of my life in Gabriel’s arms, receiving kisses just like this one. Kisses that filled me with an intense luminosity that would obliterate my darkness altogether. The pounding on my head grew worse as Gabriel let out a small sigh against my lips.
Then my knees did give out, my vision grew black and I passed out.
Though Metatron didn’t get to control my actions, Asteria did.
Solace (Asteria Trilogy Book 1) Page 21
