by M. R. Forbes
"Okay, I've had enough," I said, gathering my power. I wasn't going to sit on the sidelines and let her do everything for me.
Alfred put his hand on my shoulder. "Wait," he said. "I will handle this. Using your power here and now will hurt your case."
The older angel moved forward. Unlike Josette, there was no beauty to his approach, no artistry. He grabbed the first of Raguel's cronies by the back of the neck, holding him and punching him hard enough to knock him out with one blow. He dropped the unconscious seraph and turned to the one next to him, raising an arm to block a blow from a metal stick. His wrist shattered at the force, but he didn't react, using his other hand to shove the angel against the wall. Then he reached out and took one of Josette's suddenly offered sticks, smacking his opponent hard enough to knock him out.
Suddenly outnumbered, the fourth seraph dropped his sticks and raised his hands in submission.
"The time for change is coming, Josette," the angel said. "Be a part of it, or be left behind."
"It is not for you, Raguel, or Michael to determine the pace of change. Only He may make that decision. Right now, He supports the Diuscrucis." Josette raised her stick. "I can't have you running to Raguel ahead of us."
The seraph spread his hands and exposed his temple. Josette hit him, knocking him out.
"That should keep them for a few hours," she said, leaning down beside her sister and releasing them from their bonds. "Fight with me, sisters. The Lords is on Landon's side in this matter."
"Now what?" I asked. I couldn't quite get used to the idea that God agreed with what I was doing. I wasn't going to argue the point either.
"We have no choice. We have to go to the Council building and free Uriel."
"How are we going to sneak past Raguel and Michael?" Obi asked.
"We aren't," Josette replied. "Mother Hahn will handle the diversion."
Twenty-Four
The Council building was the tallest skyscraper in the city, visible from almost everywhere. According to Josette, the Archangels occupied the highest floors, ostensibly to be the closest to God. In reality, the hierarchical nature was obvious, and in my opinion in direct contention with the concept of humility.
"The only one of us who is without flaw is God," Josette said in response to that observation.
According to Dante, even God had his imperfections. That may or may not have been true, and at the moment I wasn't interested in a theological argument. I just wanted to get Uriel to put the sword back together. We had already been in Heaven for three hours, which was more than enough time for Sarah to put the hurt on any number of demons.
Getting to the building was relatively easy. With Raguel's hench-angels disabled, we were able to take the backstreets right up to the building itself without being noticed. Really, the Archangel wasn't even trying to catch us on the way in. We had to come to him if we wanted Uriel, and I didn't exactly have a lot of other options.
"So, tell me more about this diversion," I said as we stood across the street from the building, staring up at its western wall of glass.
"Mother Hahn requested an audience with Archangel Michael," Josette said. "When Michael refused, she took her case to Raphael. He and Mother Hahn have a long history of friendship, and he agreed to go to Michael at her bequest. When I signal her, she will send Raphael to Michael, while she takes up her argument with Raguel. With them both distracted, we will have an opportunity to reach Uriel."
"You know where they're keeping him?" I asked.
"The main conference room at the top of the tower," she replied. "It is the only place. They cannot keep him prisoner, they can only stall him with questions and matters of affairs. I imagine he may understand what they are doing, but then again, he might not want to help you anyway."
"So we could go and rescue him, and he'll still say no?"
"I wouldn't call it a rescue. More appropriately, we will be the ones who may be taking him against his will."
"But he's an Archangel, right? He's got power of his own."
"Yes. It is power he has sworn not to use again in conflict."
"Okay. How do we get up there?"
"Really, Landon? I am an angel."
I wondered again if her clothes were real or of my own mental design. It was probably better not to know.
"In that case, send the signal. We're-"
I stopped speaking as the silence around us was broken by the sound of shattering glass. I looked back at the tower just in time to see a body plummeting from the top. It fell halfway before turning to dust, the momentum spreading it wide and casting it down like confetti.
"Mother Hahn," Josette said, her face contorted in shock.
"Who?"
"Raguel. It must be."
"But he has to fall for that."
"Perhaps. He is an Archangel. He cannot be cast down so easily. There is no time for a diversion. If he is ready to kill for this, Uriel is not safe."
She circled behind me, her hands coming up beneath my arms. I was in the air before I could protest, being carried up toward the window.
"Oh, crap," Obi said beside me, dangling from Alfred's grip. "Did I mention I hate heights?"
We sped toward the clearly broken window at the same time a dozen seraphim appeared on the edge of the building and leaped off, swords appearing in their hands as they dove toward us.
"We're too late," Josette said. "Raguel has started the war. He is afraid of you, Landon. Give him a reason to be."
Her arms flexed, and she tossed me forward, releasing me from her grip. I didn't look back to see what happened to her or her sisters. I reached out with my power, grabbing the edge of the window and pulling myself toward it, using it like a slingshot. I launched forward in a rush, avoiding the oncoming angels. They spread their wings to slow themselves, taking ineffective cuts at me as I rocketed past, and then turning to give chase.
Then I was shooting through the window and into the building. I threw my power out again, pushing against it to slow my entrance, landing almost gracefully a few feet inside of the edge.
Archangel Raguel was standing beside a large, natural wood table. Another angel was sitting beside him, watching with resigned eyes. Uriel, I presumed.
More importantly, Raguel was still white and pure as snow. He hadn't fallen.
What the hell was going on?
A soft breeze at my back, and then Obi was beside me, dropped in the room by the passing Alfred. We stood side by side, in direct confrontation with the Archangel.
"Diuscrucis," he said, smiling. "Did you see that?"
"You killed Mother Hahn."
"I did more than that. I proved what we have long suspected but were afraid to verify."
"Which is?"
"God has abandoned Heaven."
I froze, not sure what to think of that. Was it true? How could it be? According to Josette, He hadn't abandoned me.
"I don't believe it," I said.
"The proof is clear," Raguel said. "I killed the Mother, and yet I am still clean. God did not see my betrayal. He does nothing to stop our rebellion."
"How do you possibly justify murder?" I asked. "It's a big leap from praying for change."
"You have left me no choice. One thousand followers died tonight, Diuscrucis. He allowed it to happen. He would allow all of us to perish rather than intervene, and at the same time forbid us from seeking rightful vengeance. The price of a few seraphim is a small one to pay to save the rest of Heaven and humankind."
"You're out of your mind."
"My mind is clear, as is my conscience. I am doing what needs to be done to stop the true diuscrucis, to stop the demons, and to stop you. If God is present, he agrees with what I am doing. If he isn't, it does not matter. Our seraphim will wrest control of Heaven from the traditionalists who keep our hands tied while our brothers and sisters die. What kind of Father allows that, anyway?"
I looked over at Uriel. He seemed uninterested in anything Raguel was saying. He didn't look at
me either, staring into space as though his mind wasn't even there.
"Do you think he can help you, Diuscrucis?" Raguel said. "He's barely present. He can't handle violence. He can't handle conflict. The first war destroyed him, and no amount of time can fix it."
"I'm taking him anyway," I said.
"No, you are not."
I glanced over at Obi, who took a few steps away from me. He knew what came next.
Boss battle. There was no way out of it.
Damn.
Twenty-Five
"Obi, see if you can do something with Uriel," I said, keeping my eyes on Raguel.
"Touch him and perish mortal," Raguel said.
"I don't think so," I replied.
I threw my power out at the Archangel, catching him off-guard. My energy slammed into him, throwing him across the room. He hit the wall and bounced off, landing on his feet, a pair of massive wings spreading out behind him.
"I'm thousands of years old, Diuscrucis," Raguel said. "I am one of His first creations. I fought Lucifer in the first war."
"And now you're turning into the spitting image. Congratulations."
"You think you know. The truth is that you know nothing." A sword appeared in his hand, six feet long and glowing with angelic fire. "My heart is pure. This revolution is a long time coming. We shouldn't have to sit idle while our family dies. We shouldn't have to follow an absent Father."
I could see his eyes welling up as he spoke, and I realized I had misjudged him. He wasn't evil after all. He truly cared about the Touched who had died, and all of the other seraphim the demons had been able to kill because of God's rules. He didn't want to go against Him for power. He was only what he was made to be. He was out for justice and vengeance.
It didn't matter. It was either him or me, and it wasn't going to be me.
He charged me, using his wings to propel himself forward with greater speed. I pushed my power off the wall, throwing myself sideways and away from him, pushing off the opposite wall to send myself back. I gathered my power internally, feeding strength to my body and throwing a hard right cross that caught him in the jaw. The force sent him into the stone, cracking it with his body and leaving him stunned.
"Uriel," I heard Obi said. "Nice to meet you, sir. What do you say we get out of here?"
I glanced over at the seraph. He was ignoring Obi, still staring straight ahead.
Raguel was back in business, and he rushed me again, his sword whistling at me with impossible speed. I threw my power up ahead of it, creating a shield that it sank into, stopping only inches from my face. I used the power like hands, turning the blade, wrenching it from him and throwing it out the window.
He smiled at the maneuver, clearly impressed.
The sword reappeared in his hand.
"That's not fair," I said as he came at me a third time.
He was in close, and his sword was a blur as he struck at me, over and over again. I kept my power moving, twirling it around me like a ribbon dancer, using it to deflect blow after blow while backing away. I needed an opening to hit him again, and he wasn't going to give it to me.
I saw motion near the window, and both Josette and Alfred landed on the precipice behind Raguel. They were in good shape, slightly rumpled but otherwise unharmed. It seemed the angels defending Heaven had nothing on the ones who had been on Earth.
What about Archangels?
"Raguel," Josette said. "Stop this madness."
The Archangel didn't stop. He continued striking, pummeling my shields with his blade, his eyes streaming tears the entire time. If he hadn't been trying so hard to kill me, I might have pitied him.
"Uriel," Obi said. "Come on, sir. The angels are about to tear one another apart, and you're the only one who can stop it."
"The only one," the Archangel said softly in response. "Always the only one."
I got the opening I was looking for a moment later. I focused my power, slamming it as hard as I could into Raguel's gut. The blow sent him out and up, and he crashed into the ceiling and fell to the floor, one of his wings bent at an odd angle as he cried out.
"Stay down," Alfred said, putting his sword to the Archangel's neck.
Raguel looked up at me. I knew that look.
"Alfred," I said, trying to warn the angel.
Too late. Raguel grabbed the seraph's sword by the blade, yanking it from his hand. He spun to his feet, flipping the sword as he did, coming around and driving it through the elder angel's neck. It slid off his body and tumbled to the floor.
"No!" Raguel screamed. "No!"
He dropped the sword. His own blade vanished. His wings began to turn color, starting at the outer edges and working their way in. He had struck Alfred down in anger. There was nothing just about it.
He was falling.
"You lied to me," Raguel shouted. "You promised me I was one of your beloved. That I would always be your child."
His hands were curling into claws. He was changing in a way I had never seen before.
"That doesn't look good," I said.
"You don't know the history of the first war," Josette replied. "We have to go. Now."
"Uriel, you need to get up," Obi said. "Look what's happening to him."
"Happening?" Uriel said. His eyes flicked over to Raguel. He didn't seem impressed.
The former Archangel's bare chest heaved as he finished his fall. He had grown at least four feet, his already strong body expanding and growing stronger, his wings becoming more leathered and worn. His fingers and feet were claws, his teeth grown to fangs.
"What the heck?" I said.
"Ever since Lucifer fell, this is what happens when an Archangel falls," Josette said.
"Does it happen often?"
"No. This is only the third time. Michael and Raphael were forced to destroy Remiel."
Raguel regarded us with cold, red eyes. "This is not justice," he growled.
"God hasn't abandoned Heaven," I said. "He's still watching over you. I tried to warn you."
"This is not justice," he repeated, his lip curling in anger. "I trusted in You. I followed You. All I desired was to protect the family You created. Why have You done this to me?"
"You did it to yourself," Josette said. "Your motivations were pure, but your heart wasn't. You wanted the power of the sword more than you wanted to defend your brothers and sisters."
"That isn't true," Raguel said, growing angry. "That isn't true."
"Uh, Josette," I said.
"And now the lies begin," she said. "There is no sense in being honest, is there, Raguel? Not when you have already fallen."
"Lies?" the fallen archangel screamed. "Lies?" He looked at me. "This is your fault, Diuscrucis. Not my fault."
He pounced toward me, raking his claws at my face. He was fast. So fast. I wasn't expecting that. I couldn't get my power up in time.
His hand stopped anyway, right before it reached my cheek. I could smell the sulfur against the flesh and feel the ancient heat of it.
Uriel was standing, his hand out, holding Raguel with a power I didn't know he had.
"The taint of your sin confuses you, brother," Uriel said. "Do not force me to repeat history. There is no good end for any of us if I do."
Raguel lowered his hand and backed away from me.
"Go down to where you belong," Uriel said. "Join him in the Pit. You've been seduced by power. Overcome by temptation. It is a sad day in Heaven, Raguel."
Raguel was still, his head bowed. He raised it a moment later, looking at Uriel. "I won't go. He betrayed me. He lied to me. To all of us. He doesn't care if we die. He doesn't care if we fall. He puts His faith in this one." He pointed at me. "He gives him His favor. He is no angel. He is half-demon. Half-evil."
"Raguel," Uriel said. "I'm warning you."
"No," Raguel screamed. Then he lunged at Uriel.
The Archangel raised his hand again, but it did no good. Raguel continued toward him, hands wide to cut him in half.
&
nbsp; "Landon," Josette said.
I threw my power out in a taut, thin line.
Raguel tripped over it, catching it with his claw and stumbling forward.
Uriel stepped aside, and then reached out and grabbed Obi by the arm.
"We must go," the Archangel said, pulling him to the window and leaping out.
"Landon," Josette said again.
I nodded, running to the window and jumping out, letting myself begin to fall. She caught me a moment later, holding me tight to her chest. A massive shout sounded behind us, a demonic roar of anger and pain.
"What's going to happen now?" I asked.
"His followers will join him. They will fall for him if we don't stop it. Heaven will turn black as chaos consumes it."
"How do we stop it?"
Josette pointed at Uriel, carrying Obi ahead of us. We were almost clear of the city, making a beeline for his home.
"Uriel will remake the sword. You will be the Lord's champion."
Twenty-Six
We landed just outside the gate to Uriel's home. I looked back and could see Raguel already behind us, more angels joining him as he headed our way. There were a lot of them. Too many. I felt a pang of sadness. They had all been granted a special place in Heaven, and it wasn't good enough for them.
"Get inside," Uriel said. He looked different now. Younger and more alive.
We hurried in past the gate. Uriel swung it closed, holding his hand against it and praying. "Lord, protect me as you have in the past. Grant me your wisdom, that I may do as You will."
The gate began to glow, the millions of runes lighting up along the perimeter. The light extended from the metal upward, into the sky as far as I could see.
Raguel reached us a few seconds later, landing in front of the gate, two hundred angels behind him. They wouldn't fall just for joining him. Not until they attacked their own.
"Uriel," Raguel said. "I will kill you."
"You can't touch me," Uriel replied. "Please, my friends, come inside."
He turned his back on Raguel, entering the house.
