“Oh. . .I. . .I. . .” Cain stammered.
“Where is your brother?” Michael asked. “We were told you were both in the field.”
“Am I supposed to keep up with my brother? I. . .I do not know where he has gone.”
“What have you done, Cain?”
The anger in Michael’s voice was clear and intent. “Your brother’s blood calls out to me from the ground where you have hidden his body.”
Adryel peeked through the leaves again. Michael stood with his back to her, his arm pointing at the shallow grave. She could make out two other sets of wings, but Michael was so large she could not see who, other than Dariel, had accompanied him.
Cain fell to his knees. “I was angry. I was jealous. He. . .he told me I was not good enough, that I never had been, never would be. I hit him with a rock. The angel. . .she said to hit him again and again, and I did.”
They stood in silence for several moments, until, finally, the third angel spoke. “She?”
Ramael’s voice.
Adryel gasped, stood upright, and began to take a step, to run to him, to throw her arms around him. But she remembered all she had done, and she sank back to the ground, her arms clutching her chest where her heart pounded like a drum beating double time.
He was alive. Her arms trembled, and she wheezed as she struggled to force air into her lungs.
He was alive. She wanted to scream and laugh and cry. She wanted to dance and to shout for joy.
Ramael was alive.
She could do none of the things she desired. Instead, she pulled herself into a tiny ball and pushed her way into the bush as silent tears washed down her face. She could not allow him to see her. They couldn’t find her. She had long passed the point where a simple I’m sorry and a smile would result in a welcome home.
She had gone far beyond the point of forgiveness.
“Her name was Adryel,” Cain said. “She gave us fire. I went in to her last night. . .She told me to hit him. . .How could I refuse the guidance of an angel? I was only wanting to—”
“Enough,” Dariel shouted. “She gave his mother the fruit in the garden—it had to be her—she slept with a human, she murdered his brother, and. . .and who knows what else she has done? Lord Michael, if you had stopped her in the beginning. . .”
“So you have said. Adonai thought differently.” Michael sighed. “Dariel, return to the city. Bring a squad of soldiers back with you. Search everywhere. Search their cavern. Find her. Bring her to me.”
“Yes, Lord Michael. Right away.” Dariel’s voice oozed with pleasure.
“Ramael, I am sorry.”
Ramael’s reply to Michael was nothing more than a whisper, and Adryel could not hear.
“Cain, come with us.”
She heard the four of them moving across the clearing, and she lifted her head to watch as they disappeared down the path to the settlement. Dariel was rushing ahead of the others. Michael was leading Cain by the arm. Ramael followed. As he reached the bend in the path, he glanced over his shoulder and looked directly at the bush in which she hid. Adryel froze. He turned away.
If he had he seen her, he would have called for Dariel. He did not. But Adryel saw him, as though he looked right at her—through her—his blank face, without emotion, without surprise, without anger. . .Not the face of a power.
Had a power found his pair to be as evil as she, he would have screamed and cried and beaten on the ground. A power would have wailed and torn his robe. A power would have taken his anger out on whoever was nearby—Cain, most likely—and he would now lie broken and bleeding in the dirt. Had a power discovered what Ramael now knew to be true. . .
Unless the power no longer cared.
She hid her face in her hands and she wept.
After what seemed like an hour, Adryel slowly unfolded herself and stood. She ought to make this easy. She ought to go to Michael herself. She stood behind the bush for several minutes, debating. Shouting arose from the camp, followed by women’s voices wailing in sorrow.
She couldn’t stay there, she decided. Surely they’d comb through the field as they began their search. She looked toward the road back to Hell. It ran through open country, and after crossing the two small hills, the land was flat. It would take hours to reach any type of cover. Until then, she would be visible from miles away. If Dariel returned in the afternoon and made half an attempt, if he even strolled to the top of the rise and opened his eyes, he would spot her.
She recalled a tent pitched at the rear of the settlement, near the sheepfold. She had been in it once, and she had seen blankets and tools and a pile of straw that reached higher than her head. No one would be working this afternoon, she felt certain, and if someone did approach the tent, angel or human, she could burrow into the straw. Perhaps after dark she could find her way back to Hell.
***
Adryel slowly dug herself out of the straw. Bits of it clung to her and she carefully untwined pieces from her hair, wincing as she pulled them free. She brushed the smudge of dirt on her left arm and shook her head hopelessly when she found streaks of mud running the length of her robe. She had crawled into the pile when she’d heard Dariel’s voice outside the tent, and she had remained on the ground beneath the straw, almost immobile, for hours.
Carefully, she moved a flap aside and looked out. The camp seemed deserted. She listened, straining to catch any indication of life, any noise, but there was nothing. She sighed in relief and stepped outside. The red light of sunset skimmed across the land, just clearing the crest of the hill. Darkness would come before too long and she could begin her journey home.
She stretched, her muscles protesting each movement. Perhaps she could find some food. As she stepped away from the tent, a hand grasped her from behind, closing around her neck. She screamed, but the sound was choked off as she gagged and struggled for breath.
“You’ve been busy.” Ramael released his hold on her neck and whirled her around to face him, catching her by both shoulders.
“Ramael,” she shouted, opening her arms to embrace him. He pushed her away.
“The bottom of your left sandal was visible under the straw. You had to crawl into the open eventually.”
Adryel glanced down and noticed a piece of straw clinging to her sandal.
“You covered my foot.”
Ramael turned away. “Dariel was too pleased with his assignment. He shouldn’t have been happy. He should have been sad that someone so. . .” his voice caught, “so good has become so evil.”
“Ramael, please, listen to me. I’m sorry.” She fell onto her knees. “I believed you were dead. . .that Michael let you die. . .that Adonai. . .I never would have followed Lord Lucifer if I had known.” She raised her hands, as if in prayer, pleading with him. “Please, Ramael, please listen. Let me explain. I—”
“Don’t even try.” He looked into her eyes, his face blank, as before, almost as if he were inspecting some new species, not as if he had been reunited with his long-lost pair. “I thought I knew you.”
“You did. You do. The real me. I’m not evil, I—”
He placed his foot on her chest and pushed her down.
“No, Ramael. . .”
He pressed her firmly against the ground, holding her in place. “I ought to drag you to Lord Michael myself.” He loomed over her, glaring.
“No. Please, wait. Lord Michael will kill me.”
Ramael paused. “He will consign you to the lake of fire.”
Adryel gave a small smile. Lord Lucifer frequently tossed disobedient angels into the lake. She’d ordered it a couple of times when he had been away, exploring a new tunnel. They would tie the offender to a stake, waist deep. Their screams would be terrible, their burns sickening, but at some point the cords binding them would burn through, and they would stumble back to land.
Ramael shook his head as if he could read her thoughts.
“The lake runs far into the cavern, becoming deeper as it goes.”
> Adryel nodded. She knew this.
“At some point, a barrier has been erected across the lake, with a single entrance, and Lord Michael possesses the single key. Beyond the barrier, the lake ebbs and flows. One finds places where, at times, the land is dry, while, at other times, the lake may be a fathom deep or more.”
He looked her in the eye, but his remained cold, hard. “You will be chained to a metal pole in that part of the lake. In the beginning, you will stand on dry land. The lake will gradually rise. It will cover your feet, then your legs and, finally, your body. It will rise until it reaches your neck. Then it will begin to subside. Its level will drop until you stand on dry land again. In the time it takes for the earth’s sun to rise and set and rise again, the lake’s level will rise and fall twice.
She gulped. “How long will. . .”
“For eternity. You will be all alone with only the lake for light. Moss will grow on the pole and you will eat it. Your robe will burn away when the lake rises the first time. Your skin will be unprotected and will burn whenever the fire touches it. Your screams will echo throughout Hell, as you call it, warning the others to mind what they do.”
“Ramael, please, help me. I’d rather die,” she cried.
“You won’t have the choice,” he snapped.
“Tell me what to do.”
He turned away, pacing back and forth, as though tormented by his thoughts. Adryel lay where he left her. Finally, he stepped toward her again.
“Dariel returned to the city for soldiers. They arrived on Earth some time ago. He has sent them in all directions to search for you. They will never stop. You will never be truly safe.” He pulled her to her feet.
“He and two others have gone west, toward your portal.” Ramael nodded. “Yes, we know where it is. Dariel thinks you will take refuge in Hell. He will search every inch of it. If he does not find you, he will return later, again and again.”
He sighed. “They left two hours ago. The moon will not shine tonight, so if you are careful, if you do not crest the hill until it is completely dark, you can avoid them. You know of the caves in the mountains near the portal?”
“You’ve been to the portal?” she asked, but he ignored her question.
“I would search for you in those caves, but Dariel won’t. It would be unlike him to expend so much effort without a direct order—even for you. Eventually, someone may think to look there, but should you take refuge in those caves, you should be safe for a time.”
He turned to leave, but Adryel reached out and grasped his hand.
“Ramael, I love you. I. . .”
He slipped his hand away. “The next time I see you, I will be with Lord Michael, watching as they chain you in the lake of fire.” He wiped his eyes. “I don’t want to see you again. You are dead to me now.”
He took two steps before turning back a final time.
“When you next see Lord Lucifer, he will enjoy hearing the story of how, in addition to your other achievements, you caused me to disobey my orders. The two of you can laugh at my expense.”
“Ramael, I would never. . .”
But he had gone.
***
If they had not forgotten to douse their fire, Adryel would have stumbled over Dariel and his soldiers as she trekked toward the mountains. Ramael had not led her astray. The moon did not shine at all that night, and with only the twinkling stars overhead, she had to strain to see through the inky darkness.
She found the party asleep, about two hours after she left the humans’ camp. She had waited for the sun to set completely and had picked up some bread and fruit from Cain’s tent before she had set out. Her flask of water had been filled the night before and she grabbed it, too, as she left.
The fire was visible for miles. She could have taken a wide berth and avoided the camp completely, but the ground nearby was uneven and full of small prickly shrubs, so she walked toward the fire, planning to give it a wide berth when she approached.
She crouched low, almost crawling, and she paused repeatedly as she drew near, listening for any sign of life. She wanted to laugh when she finally detected the sound of snoring coming from the three angels.
Still, she hesitated. Soldiers, after all, were taught to be vigilant and to “sleep with their eyes open.” She recalled how it had been nearly impossible for her to leave bed during the night without waking Ramael.
Finally, she decided that if she wandered off the path in the dark she would be more likely to awaken the soldiers by stumbling over one of the shrubs and crying out in pain than she would be by passing through their camp, her route lit by the remnants of their campfire. As she crept through the camp, stepping over the soldiers, who lay directly in the narrow path, she paused beside Dariel. His sword lay on the ground beside him, doubtless so he could reach for it easily if he were threatened during the night. He was quite proud of his sword. It had been given to him by Lord Michael, himself, for distinguished service, and Dariel carried it on every important occasion.
Adryel was flattered he would bring it with him to search for her. Two days ago, she would have taken the sword to taunt him with the knowledge that she had been so close and he had not known, but tonight she resisted that impulse. Better he believe her to have gone in some other direction.
She walked on, not pausing for rest, reaching the mountains near the portal to Hell as the sky first began to show a sliver of light in the east. She paused at the base of the mountain and looked toward the cave in which the portal lay. Perhaps she should enter and hide inside. Lord Lucifer would conceal her. With what she had done, her status in Hell would be secure for millennia to come.
She started toward the portal, then stopped. Lord Lucifer would protect her, but what about the others? Beliel would help her hide—for a price. She knew exactly what that price would be, and she shivered. The lake of fire might be preferable. Even if Beliel did not give her away, Ami would.
She began to pick her way up the mountain, reaching one of the higher caves just before light flooded across the plain. She looked to the east and thought she might see movement in the spot where the soldiers camped. They would not have seen her.
She gazed down the steep side of the mountain. The opening was obscured by a boulder and by a large bush, similar to the one behind which she had hidden the day before. The route she had followed was a steep, winding path. If Dariel were half as slack as Ramael thought him to be, he would never try to reach the cave, even if he noticed it.
Adryel sat behind the bush and ate her morning meal. As the morning passed, Dariel and his soldiers came into view. By midday they stopped below her to rest and to eat. She moved into the cave, peeking out to observe them and they finally moved away, entering the portal to Hell below.
Never Coming Back
Dariel and his soldiers stayed inside the cavern until the sun was setting. Hearing Dariel’s angry voice, birds roosting in a nearby tree took flight as he stalked through the portal, back onto the earth. Adryel almost laughed as he complained about the stagnant aroma of Hell, about the darkness, the dirt, the heat. He swore she was in the cavern, hiding somewhere, perhaps moving from place to place as their search had proceeded.
The three of them pitched camp at the foot of the mountain and she heard them talking long after the sun had set, and she could see them in the light of their fire.
“Why do you dislike her so much?” one of the soldiers asked Dariel as they began their evening meal.
“An intellectual snob,” Dariel hissed. “Always thought she knew more, argued better, was more clever than anyone else in our class. I despised that orb.”
The others laughed.
“Better grades than yours?” the other soldier asked.
“Always. And undeserved,” he bellowed. “That arrogant excuse for an archangel, Lord Lucifer, always favored her. Wanted her in his bed, we all thought, but Ramael caught her eye first. . .I mean, I think the world of Ramael, but I’ve never understood what he saw in her. I�
�ll bet he’s sorry now. . .Lord Lucifer got what he wanted, I gather.”
They all laughed and made indistinct comments that Adryel could tell were lewd in nature, even if she could not make out the words, the tone was clear, causing Adryel’s cheeks to flush with heat. Still she listened to hear what else they might say.
“On the night we took the Institute, she bit me. See my hand? Lost a finger to her.” He held up one hand so they could see the stub of his index finger, the top section missing.
It was Adryel’s turn to chuckle quietly.
“I vowed I’d have satisfaction. I will find her and bring her in, no matter how far she runs, no matter how well she hides.”
“The earth is a big place. Where do you think she’ll go?”
“She’s back there. In Hell. She’s in that cavern now, laughing at me. I’d go back and surprise them all if it were. . .if it were anywhere else.”
The others snorted with laughter.
“Do you want to spend the night in there?”
Their chuckling ceased.
“Thought not. Lord Lucifer is protecting her, and why would he not? She’s done more to interfere with Adonai’s work than the entire group of them combined. We’ll have more humans before too long. Think what she will do then.”
“More humans?”
“Yes, it seems the old female just realized they were not immortal. . .Stupid creature. She plans more children. Told her daughters-in-law and her grandchildren they need to have them too. Soon, she said.”
“Adryel could be hiding in these mountains,” one of the soldiers said. “Did you see those caves up there?” He pointed.
She slipped farther away from the opening, even though they likely would not be able to see her with darkness all around.
Dariel laughed. “Can you climb that slope?”
She couldn’t hear the soldier’s response, but a few minutes later, she heard rocks rolling down the hill. She clapped her hand across her mouth. Did the stupid angel not realize it was night? The direct approach was all but impossible even during the day. Adryel had reached the cave using a winding path that began farther down the mountain. It was difficult to see, and only the width of one of her feet in many places. It had taken her many hours to navigate it safely and quietly in the darkness. He would never make it.
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