She shook her head, looking suddenly terrified, and pushed at him again. He stood still as she continued to shove ineffectually. She finally just fell against him, crying softly on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she said under her breath.
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”
After a few minutes, she raised her head up, and he knew she was looking at the mountaintop behind him. “You must get out of here now,” she whispered.
“I won’t leave you here with him. I would rather Lucifer do something to me than to keep deceiving you.”
“Why do you care so much about me? Worry about yourself.” She wiped the tears from her face, panicked eyes flitting from the mountain and back to him.
He knew she wasn’t waiting for an answer, but he had one. “Because I love you.”
Arrayah’s eyes fixed on his, and for a moment he felt that a veil had dropped—that a wall, one he had not even realized was there, had crumbled down for but an instant. He saw her. Then she looked away at the mountain.
“Well, I don’t love you. I lied to you from the beginning. Saraquel was telling the truth. The only reason I spoke to you was because Lucifer told me to get close to you to control Michael.”
Gabriel could feel his eyes beginning to well up. “You don’t mean that.”
“Trust me, I mean it.”
“I know you don’t.”
She looked at him again, and her expression was cold and distant. “I do, Gabriel. I would never love an archangel.”
His heart felt ready to break. He held his composure together and flashed a paper-thin smile. “I don’t believe you. This is real between us. I know you can feel what we have.”
“We have nothing.” Once more, her eyes darted to the mountain, and she started pushing at him with renewed strength. Her voice rose to a scream. “Go, Gabriel! Leave me alone!”
“Please don’t say that.”
“I mean it! You are nothing to me, and if you don’t leave now, I will never speak another word to you again!”
Gabriel could find no more words. His chest plate suddenly felt three sizes too small. It was crushing him, and he couldn’t breathe. He turned away from her to hide the tears about to spill over, and without another word he launched himself toward the black, star-strewn heavens. Darkness had fallen.
Lucifer looked out over his new followers and felt a tingling sensation across his body. His outstretched wings shivered as he thought of how far he’d come. There was a name for this delicious feeling: power. The seed had been planted, and he stared out at the fruits of his labor—thousands upon thousands of angels on his own wondrous world called Terra.
He felt a tiny vibration in the ground beneath him. “Did you feel that?”
“What?” said Abbeus from ten feet behind him. Delia shot over from the other side of the summit.
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing, Delia. Back up.”
Lucifer noticed the crowd was concentrating on something off to his right in the distance, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He began again. “It has become dark on Terra just as it has in Heaven. I now urge you to continue what we have started and bring all of your closest angels back here for our next meeting. Thank you, everyone! Remember, we know now why He is hiding!” The crowd roared. After the long cheer dwindled out, massive clusters of angels broke away toward the heavens like flocks of birds taking to the skies. All in all, another successful meeting. The revolution was spreading. His power was growing. He could feel it to the very tips of his wings.
“Mighty Lucifer!” Saraquel came tearing up to the summit, panicked. He had dirt on his armor and face and nearly ran into Abbeus. “Gabriel is over there with Arrayah!”
“Oh, excellent. He has come to tell me he is joining us. What happened to your armor?”
“It was Gabriel! He told me he is going to oppose us head on.”
Lucifer tensed up at the thought of resistance, but it was especially insulting coming from lowly archangels. He wouldn’t let this spoil his high from the wonderful meeting. “He said this?”
“Yes. He threw me into the ground, Lucifer!”
“You will be fine.” Saraquel was visibly hurt by his reaction, but Lucifer had no time for weakness.
“He also said he would be taking Arrayah.”
“Where are they?”
“There.” Saraquel pointed into the distance exactly where Lucifer had noticed the disturbance. His wings snapped to full extension, and he plunged off the summit. He heard Delia shout for him to wait, but he had no time for her either. He raced over the remaining crowds.
Lucifer came upon Arrayah watching something up in the heavens. He thought he saw a tear drip from her face as he neared but couldn’t be sure. He was distracted by the distinct flapping of wings behind him and turned to see Saraquel and Abbeus following. When he faced Arrayah again, she regarded him with a bright expression on her upturned face and a cheerful smile. Too cheerful.
“Where did Gabriel go?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
He landed abruptly next to her and didn’t tuck his wings. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“He just flew away.”
“What happened? I thought you had him under control.”
“Well, I guess not,” she said. Lucifer saw the six-winged shadows of Abbeus and Saraquel behind him and turned to them as they approached. “Excuse us for a minute.”
“Of course, sir,” they said almost in unison.
He waited until they had walked some distance away, and then he leaned in close to her. “What did you just say to me?” He kept his voice low. His wings curled around to cast her in shadow and hide her from view. She looked terrified. She knew too much to betray him now.
In a near whisper, she said, “All I meant was that I think he had something to do. He doesn’t like me that much anymore. I told him he was ignorant for questioning your—I mean our—findings on God.”
“Of course, he likes you. Don’t be a fool. You should have succeeded.”
“Maybe he just doesn’t show it. I tried, but I guess he’s not interested now.”
“Saraquel said he is planning to oppose us.”
“They argued and fought. I couldn’t hear exactly what was said.”
Lucifer watched her coldly. He felt a powerful pull from her life force. It was the only one comparable to Thyaterra’s, and he had seen thousands of angels lately. If she was spouting lies, he wanted to catch her in one. If she was betraying him, he wanted her to crack. He waited some more. He could feel her nervous energy as he stared her down. She was an amazing creature and special to his cause but not too special to destroy if he had to. Fortunately for her, she didn’t so much as blink.
“Did you find out anything about Michael?” he finally asked.
“I do know that they got in a fight today.”
“Over what?”
“I don’t know.”
His wings trembled in anger, and his feathers stood up unintentionally all around her. She let out a gasp. Something must have changed on his face. He twisted his neck to pop it, and this action gave a quick relief.
“I’m disappointed in you.” He kept his voice calm. He paused to think what to do next. “No matter then. He is no longer needed.” He tucked his massive wings in tightly and spun to walk away.
“Good,” she murmured behind him. There was unmistakable relief in her voice. He stopped in his tracks, turned back around, and stood directly before her.
“Why is that good?”
“I meant nothing by it.”
“Do you care for him?”
She tilted her head as if amused and gave a careless laugh. “Of course not.” It came too late though, and the look in her eyes told him something else. Without thought, his wings shot out violently to their full extent.
Arrayah took a step back. “He is an ignorant brute. He is harmless, that’s all. I care for you.” She regained her lost step and then walked up to h
im. She embraced him, the side of her face resting against his gleaming armor. Her eyes closed, perhaps to shut out his penetrating stare. Either way, it calmed him down, and he knew now what he was dealing with. He could handle her. He could handle all of them. Thyaterra always made him second-guess his own judgment, but no other angel would do that to him again.
“As do I, Arrayah.”
She raised up to place her head on his shoulder. She rested her hand over his chest, but he could feel her looking up at the same place in the sky that she was staring at when he found her.
Gabriel forced himself to keep flying until he could reach somewhere to land and pull himself together. After shooting up the tiers of the Marble Falls, he veered over to the Great Forest and dropped down next to one of the giant pine trees. He landed hard, dropping instantly to his hands and knees. Then he began to pray, which he didn’t do often. He probably prayed less than any other angel in Heaven. Even he couldn’t deny that having everything he knew about God, Heaven, and the angels be challenged felt wrong.
“God, if You’re still there—no, I know You are still there. Hear me now. I have lost my best friend. I’ve abandoned the angel I love. Now I have made many enemies. I am alone, and I need Your help. If You are who I have always believed deep down that You are, then You will come back and tell me what to do.” He lifted his eyes to the dimmed light of God’s throne. “Please!”
He waited, but there was no answer. “Please, God. Give me a sign!” Nothing. Gabriel sat there with his head in his hands. He wondered why he had been created at all if this was all he was meant for. His armor read, “Miles Gloriosus et Nuntias Dei.” He knew why it said Glorious Soldier. It was the “Nuntias Dei”—Messenger of God—that he didn’t understand. He couldn’t even get through to the angel he loved. In fact, the only person who thought his opinion was important was Michael.
Gabriel used to wonder why there was practice combat when there was never any real combat. At times, he would feel it silly to be a great warrior angel. Now he could see he was being prepped for this particular time his whole existence. God knew this was going to happen. Maybe he was supposed to fight for Arrayah. Gabriel didn’t understand God dimming His light, but he trusted Him nonetheless. And he was suddenly filled with a renewed sense of purpose. At least holding onto hope was better than facing the realities of a hopeless end.
He was about to rise to leave when he heard the snap of a twig near him. He jumped to his feet, ready for combat, and looked around the thick pine tree. He caught sight of an angel walking away from him and ran forward in pursuit. After ducking under a couple of tree limbs, knocking off some leaves and needles, he went straight through a smaller branch. As it snapped off, he popped out on the other side to realize there was no one there.
He was not used to the darkness that had taken over Heaven. It had never been this dark. Not even close. He was frustrated by his poor vision, and the darkness made him feel alone.
“I know you are here, so come out and fight!” he yelled. “I can hear you moving!”
He waited for a second, and the rustling noises faded until silence again settled on the landscape. A voice began to speak.
“Will you make enemies of everyone now?”
It was the same voice from the orange grove, the one he was beginning to think was a dream. He would recognize it anywhere. “I have already made enemies out of everyone, including my best friend. I don’t know what I am doing anymore.”
“Don’t worry; Michael will forgive you. He has a pure heart. He was only concerned for your well-being, as am I.” The seraph’s lilting voice was again mesmerizing.
“Why is everyone so concerned with me? I am only an archangel.”
“Sometimes the most influential come from humble beginnings, Gabriel. Michael cares because he is your friend. I care because I know what you can be.”
“So you believe I can save the angels too, I guess. Well, that’s just great.”
“I believe you can and that you will become much more than you realize. But you must also believe in yourself,” said the seraph.
“I’m not concerned about me. I care about what’s going to happen to Arrayah. How can I save her?”
“Remember what God has written on your armor, Gabriel. That is who you truly are. You must realize it. Everyone cannot be saved.”
“Who says they can’t?” he demanded.
He felt the seraph’s presence disappear as before.
“How do you know what is written on my armor? I have never even seen you. Hello?” He waited for a response, but none came. This time he was not surprised. “Of course, you’re gone,” he muttered as he crumbled to the ground. He sat against a tree again, resting his arms on his propped knees.
He ran his thumb over the words inscribed on his chest plate. “Glorious soldier and messenger of God,” he mouthed. He closed his eyes for a minute to think. Exhaustion and fevered thoughts overcame him. Time was lost. An image of thousands of angels weeping flashed through his head.
He opened his eyes, not knowing how long he had been there. He needed to find Michael—to apologize and warn him about Lucifer. He needed Michael’s help to save Arrayah. Gabriel stretched his wings and took off toward the heavenly city. He soared over the field, turning it golden yellow, and flew up the jeweled layers of the Great Mountain before landing on the ledge. As he neared the closest pearl gate, he saw for the first time there was no dominion guarding it. He pulled his wings in until the lower feathers brushed his calves. He shoved the gate open enough to squeeze through and headed for Michael’s home.
Michael lived in the city in a house elevated about halfway from the gates to the throne level on the south golden ramp. His house was made of stone and was the least grandiose of the homes around it. It was only one story, and the only thing that made it stand out from the rest was its unremarkable nature.
In the yard were two tall white oaks like the ones from the White Woods of the north near the Lake of Purity. There were footprints very close together in the soft soil at the base of one of the trees. Someone had been spying on Michael. Did Lucifer have someone watching him?
Gabriel knocked on Michael’s front door. No answer. Gabriel was still drained from everything that had taken place, so he decided to wait at the door. It seemed the easiest course of action. He plopped his large body down on the raised step on the porch, and his armor clanked against the stone. He leaned back against a thin pillar.
He lay there for hours, thinking about what he would say to Michael when he finally came home. He really was sorry for how he had treated him. He hoped Michael would not only forgive him but forgive him quickly. He needed him.
Then his mind raced back to Arrayah. He thought of what he could possibly say to her the next time he saw her. He had to snatch her from Lucifer’s clutches. Perhaps she and Saraquel were telling the truth and she really had been fooling Gabriel the whole time. Maybe none of it had been real. In his heart, he knew there was more than she had admitted. She was under an influence that was not of Heaven. Even if she kept saying she felt nothing, he didn’t believe it. If she were to pay the consequences for transgressing God, then Gabriel would go to God Himself on her behalf.
He pictured her screaming and turning black as Michael had described. He watched as the light in her beautiful blue eyes went out and her writhing in pain as her body transformed. He winced as her skin charred to ash and her wings and hair were consumed by fire. He could smell them burning. She was burning up right in front of him, and there was nothing he could do. She screamed his name as she burned—Gabriel! Gabriel!
“Gabriel, Gabriel! Wake up! What are you doing here?”
Gabriel jerked awake, startled. Michael’s looming figure looked down at him. He needed to shake off his visions of Arrayah, but it took him a minute to pull himself back to reality. Then he smiled up at Michael. Michael’s face showed no emotion. Gabriel was pretty sure he was still angry. He didn’t blame him.
“Michael, I’m
glad you’re back. Look, I’ve thought about what you said and you were right. I am sorry for the way I treated you. I—”
Michael stepped over him and opened his door. His voice was as flat and unfeeling as his expression. “I’ll be right back. I need to get something.” He walked in and shut the door behind him.
Gabriel stood and waited at the door. Michael seemed to be unforgiving, contrary to the seraph’s words. He must have hurt Michael physically as well as emotionally. This might be harder than he had hoped. After a few minutes, Michael returned holding a massive sword in his left hand. An ornate inscription ran down the blade about the spirit of God, and a large star shone on the end of the pommel. The blade itself was over ten feet long.
“Whoa, take it easy. I said I was sorry. I didn’t think I hurt you that bad.” Gabriel scrambled back off of the porch, his foot meeting air on the steps and causing him to stumble before he regained his balance.
“Oh, really? You are sorry, are you?” Michael stalked down the steps.
“Yes, brother. I didn’t mean to hurt you. And I should have listened to you from the beginning.”
Michael advanced, raising the large blade. He lunged forward and Gabriel flinched. The sword’s tip stopped an inch short of his chest.
“Good, brother! I forgave you the first time you said it.” Michael revealed his right hand from behind his back and tossed a large orange. Gabriel caught it purely by reflex, then laughed as Michael’s words sank in.
“Oh, and don’t worry,” Michael continued, “you could never hurt me. It felt like a stiff wind had knocked me over, not the glorious soldier of the archangels.”
“Right. You stood your ground about as well as a stalk of wheat.”
Michael propped the sword on his shoulder and started back to the house. “I saw you flinch, by the way.”
Gabriel showed no sign of hearing. He was wrapped in thought about what Michael had just said about him being the glorious soldier. “I know what I must do,” he said.
Michael turned. Only the trace of his smile remained.
“I must fight against Lucifer to save Arrayah.”
War of Wings Page 13
