War of Wings

by War of Wings (ARC) (epub)

  From the corner of his eye, Lucifer saw Arrayah’s shimmering gown as she floated down from the sky. She landed softly and sauntered directly toward him.

  “It’s lovely to see you, Arrayah.”

  “I need to speak with you.”

  “Let us talk in depth after the meeting. I am busy now. Have you done what I asked?”

  “Yes. I’m meeting him at the gate today. I believe he is falling for me.”

  “Is there an angel who wouldn’t?”

  Arrayah lowered her chin and her eyelids closed. “He trusts me.”

  “I chose to partner with you for a reason. The power of beauty cannot be questioned.”

  “You would know even better than I. Is there anything more powerful?”

  “I believe there are seven more powerful.”

  “Our virtues?”

  “All in due time. You have many gifts, Arrayah. Use them. Don’t come back without him.” Lucifer began to pace again and waved a hand in her direction. “You are dismissed.”

  Arrayah turned to leave, and Lucifer once more pictured the crowd before him—their anger, their disbelief, their skepticism, but also their hope. Their hunger for something more. He had already spoken one-on-one to most of the angels who would likely attend, and now he was gaining momentum as the word spread. There would be some who thought he was wrong, some who just wanted to hear what was going on to stay in the loop, some who had a slight interest but needed to hear more, and some who were completely on board with full support.

  By the time the day had passed and the meeting time had arrived, he was fully prepared. His armor gleamed. He stood tall and straight. He was what every angel aspired to be.

  At the appointed hour, the crowd of angels all stood near each other, engaged in debates and endless chatter. Lucifer waited to begin while angels descended from the sky. He continued to wait until the suspense was at its peak. “Welcome, everyone!” He smiled and spread his arms wide as if humbled by the attendance. “I’m happy to see so many familiar faces. I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming. It is an absolute honor to see you here.”

  He put a hand to his chin and appeared thoughtful, then raised his head and took a deep breath. “I know many of you have heard things that may have come as a shock to you. They may have frightened you, they may have interested you, but I hope they have inspired you.”

  Some angels looked around in confusion. Others seemed appalled. But many were nodding along.

  “I am no different from any of you and I don’t claim to be. There is only One who does claim to be better than you. I hope what you have heard has inspired you to demand the truth—whether it is good or not. I didn’t invite you here to tell you how to think. I invited you here to answer questions and openly discuss something that affects each and every one of us. Something we have never questioned. Ever. It comes down to this: is God who He says He is?’”

  Lucifer pointed to Heaven and began to pace. The audience was mesmerized. “I, for one, don’t know if I still believe Him. All I know are the facts. Facts of existence that He tells us He invented. Why is it that the more we find out and the wiser we become about this universe and the way things work, the more discredited His words become? Everything must have a beginning, yet apparently the laws of the universe don’t apply to Him. Do any of you know why that could be?”

  Lucifer dropped his hand, stopped pacing, and fell silent while he scanned the crowd with challenging eyes. After a few moments of pure silence, a seraph named Abbeus spoke up. “Since He is our creator, we must have faith in Him. He created the laws of the universe, so they are as He would have them be, and they don’t really apply to Him.”

  Lucifer scanned the faces in the crowd. “That is a good point. I know many who feel that way. How many of you have felt the same way?” He raised his own hand. “I know I have. Anybody else?” Hands started rising in the air. “It’s the normal way to think because that is what He has always told us. But what we have all found is that faith can be based on ignorance.”

  Lucifer looked straight at Abbeus. “What if I told you that I was here before God? Would you believe me?”

  “Of course not,” Abbeus huffed.

  “What if I said that tree over there has always been there, but it never grew from a seed?”

  “Well, I guess it could be possible. But I’ve never seen anything like that.”

  “Neither have any of us. But God wants us to believe that He has always been here without ever beginning. He wants us to believe in impossibilities of the universe that we have never seen. We must not be ignorant enough to ignore the truths that stare us in the face. We must at least question His story.”

  “But God made everything around us! His words have confirmed it, and it is evident in the beauty and miracle of all of creation. It is wrong to not believe it!” The words Abbeus yelled from the front of the crowd were voicing the concerns of the entire audience.

  The next moments, Lucifer knew, would be critical. “I’m not telling you what to believe. I’m telling you to think for yourselves as strong, intelligent angels. God is the one telling you what to believe. What is your name, my good angel?”

  “Abbeus.”

  “You are a seraph, correct? So you are near God all the time?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “And all day you worship God and you do nothing for yourself. That’s right, isn’t it?”

  “Well, praising God gives me fulfillment. He is the reason for my existence.”

  “That makes sense. He must do things for you with all that praise you give Him. What does He do for you exactly?”

  “He gives me life, light, and glory. I get the honor of serving Him. I get to be near Him.”

  “I’m asking what He does for you personally.”

  “This is absurd. God does not need to do anything personally for me.”

  “Why not? You have devoted your life to Him.”

  “Well, He really doesn’t do anything for me only. I do speak to Him though.”

  “I see. How often do you and God have face-to-face conversations?”

  Abbeus didn’t respond immediately. He finally answered, “Not often. God is in the heart and soul of every faithful soldier at all times. God surrounds us and is a part of us.”

  Lucifer nodded compassionately, his words silken. “Well, He is quite busy, so that makes sense. Just estimate it for us since you are closer to Him most of the time than we all are.”

  “I really don’t know. He speaks to me in my head quite often.”

  Some of the lower-ranking angels looked at Abbeus with wonder, but Lucifer laughed lightheartedly. “I don’t mean in your head. Of course, you know how often you speak in person.”

  Abbeus looked around at the angels near him. Finally in a quiet voice, he said, “Never.”

  Lucifer gasped theatrically in unison with the crowd. Abbeus awkwardly looked away. Lucifer shook his head in mock disbelief. After a moment, he solemnly observed, “I’m sure He has His reasons.” He met the seraph’s eyes with his. “Right?”

  Abbeus lowered his head. Immediately, a voice rang out from the crowd. “He doesn’t even speak directly with the seraphim?”

  Angels broke off into their own conversations amongst each other, and Lucifer lost control of the crowd. This was exactly what he wanted. Abbeus slowly made his way up toward Lucifer. When he got close enough, he whispered with his perfect white teeth exposed. “How was that?”

  “Perfect, Abbeus. You will have your reward in my ranks.”

  A familiar voice called out. “Lucifer! I have someone I would like you to meet.” Lucifer turned from Abbeus toward the two he most hoped to see. It was Arrayah and a rather large archangel—Gabriel. As always, she had perfect timing.

  What followed went exactly as Lucifer had predicted—Gabriel unwittingly played his part as beautifully as Abbeus had. Their conversation led into the real speech he had prepared. When he was finished, the sky was full of angels flyin
g toward Heaven, rushing to spread the word and recruit new converts. Gabriel seemed reluctant to join, and he asked for an additional day to consider the offer, but he would come around. Lucifer had faith in Arrayah’s powers of persuasion. Once he had Gabriel, Michael would soon follow—or be crushed and cast aside.

  Lucifer turned to speak to the other angels who were waiting for him, but he couldn’t help but notice the way Arrayah looked at Gabriel. It was the way Thyaterra had always looked at him. The look that made him feel invincible. He used to get this feeling from God.

  Gabriel left, flying back toward Heaven, and Lucifer excused himself from the remaining angels. He headed toward Arrayah and took her by the arm to guide her off to one side. “You have done very well. With his fighting prowess, Gabriel will be a great asset to our cause. I’m sure his reputation is accurate.”

  “I think he saw you wink at me.”

  “No, he didn’t. What makes you think that?”

  “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like I’ve known him forever.”

  He folded his arms. He towered over her. “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing.”

  Was she getting soft on him? At his unflinching appraisal, she sucked in a breath and lifted her chin. The look of anxiety was gone.

  “It is fine,” he said at length. “He is perfect for our little problem with Michael.”

  “Gabriel has become fond of me very quickly. But he’s not as ignorant and easily manipulated as I had originally thought. Now I’m not sure he is the best way to go about getting to Michael.” She hesitated. “I don’t want to hurt him unnecessarily, Lucifer.”

  Lucifer’s arms tightened, his fingers digging into his biceps. “I will decide if something is no longer the best way. And please don’t tell me he matters to you. Are you not still with me?”

  She looked conflicted. Was she going to be a problem?

  “Of course, I am,” she said. She pried away one of his hands, held it in her own, and smiled.

  She was cunning, and it infuriated Lucifer that she thought she could manipulate him. But he needed her skills turned on Gabriel. He would let it pass. “Good. You know how important you are to me.” He went in closer to her and touched the soft skin below her chin. Her skin flushed. “I need you, Arrayah. We are so close to our revolution.”

  The next day Gabriel met Arrayah by the flowing green grass of the Provender. He wasn’t as ecstatic as the day before. The sky had darkened, and an ominous, hollowed-out feeling was overtaking him.

  “God’s light has certainly dimmed,” he said by way of greeting.

  “Maybe God is abandoning us,” she said.

  “It’s possible, but it feels more like we are abandoning Him.”

  “How have you been since yesterday?”

  “Come with me.” He took her by the wrist and leaped up, wings unfurling. She barely had time to extend her own and flap them in time with his. He let go after a few seconds, and they drifted apart to soar, wingtips almost touching. They flew over the grounds where the Paradise Games were held. The fields and arenas took up over five hundred miles. He loved it here, taking in the sweet air, and he started to feel better. For a moment, his troubling thoughts went away completely.

  They didn’t say a word—only looked at each other every now and then. Gabriel finally started descending near an opening hidden in an enormous grove of trees. From above, they could see miles of trees laden with fruit, and beyond these were rows of vegetables and giant patches of flowers all neatly separated into their own areas across the ravine. Their arrangement was impeccable. Unlike the imperfections of Terra, everything here was orderly and pristine.

  “Have you ever noticed the order of all of these?”

  “I have never really thought about it, but now that you say it, they are perfect,” she said.

  “Isn’t it amazing? They are all grown in their own specific place for a purpose—all the pears next to pears, all the spiritapples next to spiritapples. Everything is meant to be exactly where it is.”

  “It’s pretty spectacular to look at.”

  They hovered close to the ground next to a gap between trees.

  “Follow me,” said Gabriel.

  As they landed, he walked her through a path that was not easily spotted from the air. They were amidst orange trees and were near the place where Michael had first spoken of his dream.

  “These are my favorite of all the foods and fruits of Heaven. Would you like one?” As he said it, two white rabbits hopped away from his regular tree.

  “Oh, cute. Sure, I’ll try one,” she said. “Why do you like oranges so much?”

  He grabbed two, peeled them, and handed her one. He walked slowly, and she followed through the grove. The sharp, sweet scent of citrus was thick in the air, and the branches created a canopy overhead.

  “Well, they are delicious, first of all. And they are juicy, sweet, and easy to eat.”

  “Nice. Did you come up with that yourself?” She was smiling.

  “Certainly.” He tried to sound playful in return, but it was not coming easily today.

  “Is that it? I mean, I agree they are really good.” She bit out a juicy chunk. “But there are many amazing fruits in Heaven.”

  “There’s another reason too. Come here.”

  He led her to an iron bench situated in the middle of the grove. The bench was simple and unadorned, a rarity in Heaven. He had put it here, in his favorite place, a long time ago. He spent more time here than in his own home.

  They sat there on the bench for a little while eating their oranges and smiling back and forth. She laughed when he bit into his orange and juice squirted into his eye. After he wiped his eye, he looked at her and knew his grin said it all. He couldn’t help enjoying himself around her.

  “Come over here. I want to show you the other reason I love oranges.” He walked her even farther down the path, which was becoming narrower. It was still surrounded by perfectly symmetrical trees heavily laden with fruit.

  “You have noticed the layout of this grove, with the fruits, flowers, and vegetables all being in their places, right?” said Gabriel.

  “Right.”

  “I’ve spent much time in all of these fields and orchards. Each of these trees or plants is in its designated spot and none are mixed with other kinds. Just like with the angels and how our order of things has always been until recently.”

  “I’m sure it was that way for a reason at one time. Hopefully, things are changing.”

  “Well, the oranges are much like you and me.” Gabriel stepped to the side and revealed something unique.

  That little, remote corner of the grove yielded a small bush with three flowers. One was red, one pink, and one white. It was completely encircled by orange trees. Arrayah gasped when she saw it. No other flowers were even on that side of the ravine, much less in the middle of an orange grove. It shouldn’t be there. It was an imperfection in Heaven.

  “They are absolutely beautiful!” exclaimed Arrayah, almost breathless.

  “I think everything is meant to have its place. Some are just meant to be different. I don’t believe it is a mistake like some would think.”

  She stood there taking in the remarkable flowers. “I agree with you. What are they?”

  “I don’t know. In a place full of the most magnificent fruit in Heaven, a lowly type of flower found its way to grow in their company. It is nowhere else in Heaven to my knowledge.”

  “I have never seen or heard of it either.” Arrayah stooped down to smell one. She breathed in, and her eyes closed.

  “The oranges took these flowers in, and that is why I love them. They exist to be themselves and grow where they have been planted though it seems an unlikely home.” He smiled. “I come here all the time to remind myself that maybe I have a place too. Maybe I’m an imperfect type of flower.”

  He picked one of the flowers and accidentally pricked his finger on one of the thorns. He grimaced and handed it to her carefully
. “These are the only ones I know of in Heaven. Do you want to give them a name?”

  She peered at the odd thorns and then poked one, reacting the same way as Gabriel and jerking her finger back. “Yes.”

  “What will you name them?”

  She reached for Gabriel and slid an arm around his waist. “Well, I see it like this. I think the flower needs to get more credit. The flower found a way to thrive away from its natural place, to be with the oranges when others couldn’t. It rose up by itself to be something different. Something amazing.”

  Gabriel hoped she was talking about him as well as the flower, but in the back of his mind, he thought she might be referring to Lucifer. He couldn’t get the wink out of his head. He was getting lost in unpleasant thoughts when she spoke again.

  “I will name it rose,” she said, touching one softly. “Just like you rose up from the lowest tier to become a leader in our new ranks. These are roses just like you.” She tapped his nose with her finger. “What do you think?”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “I think it’s a beautiful name.”

  “You know what else I noticed?”

  Gabriel moved his hands slowly down her sides. She was so delicate underneath that silky dress. Blood was racing through his veins and his heart sped up, but he did his best to keep his voice level. “What?”

  “This rose has thorns to protect itself because it’s fragile, so one must be careful with it.”

  He was sure she was talking about more than the rose at this point. “Not everything needs to protect itself. Sometimes others are meant to protect.” She was shaking slightly, and he could feel it. He wondered if she felt him tremble too. “Just as I will always protect you.” Her guard was down, it was clear in her eyes, and she was as lost in the moment as he was. Her eyes drifted shut, and the rose slipped from her fingers as she leaned toward him. They kissed. They kissed for a long time. This was the best moment of his existence. Better than his first victory in the games. Even better than the first time he met his best friend.