Jeremiel frowned and then his eyelids drooped. “Can I stay up with you?”
“No, Jeremiel. It’s time for you to sleep now,” Rebecca said. “Besides, you have a big day with your father. You don’t want him to leave you behind when he goes, do you? Jeremiel?”
He let out a soft snore.
She smiled and kissed his forehead.
“He finally fell asleep.” She rose from the bed and carefully worked her way around Lucifer, who continued to look down at Jeremiel. “Your dinner will be ready in a moment.”
As she hurried out of the room, Raphael caught her arm.
“Are you alright?” he asked, searching her eyes.
“Of course,” she said, her hazel eyes growing soft as she touched a hand to his cheek. “Please, enjoy your visit with your friend.”
When she left the room, Lucifer turned to Raphael and spoke in a low voice. “Does he have gifts?”
Raphael quickly looked toward where Rebecca had left and stepped into the room, closing the door. “I told you before, Lucifer, that is not something that is open for discussion.”
“Surely, you must have wondered whether your son carries the same gifts as we do.” Lucifer sat down on the edge of the bed, slender fingers brushing over Jeremiel’s face. “He has the look of the angels.”
“I care not about his gifts.”
“You should.”
“I see no reason why.”
“Think of what it would mean if he did. Half human, half angel. He could be a god among men.”
Raphael’s nostrils flared. “I will raise my son to honor all as his equals.”
“You are a fool, Raphael. If your son has angelic gifts, that means other of your progeny could too. Think of it. With sons by your side, you could raise an army that could not be defeated.”
Raphael gritted his teeth. “You forget yourself, Lucifer.”
“Forgive me. What I meant to say was no human army. If you are concerned about the other archangels, there is nothing for you to worry about. They would have done something by now.”
“It has only been a short time in Heaven, only days since we left. You know time moves slower there.”
“Yes, yes.” Lucifer waved him off. “If our departure was a problem, Michael would have done something about it the moment we left without his permission. And even now, with Uriel running around the countryside impregnating what appears to be half of the Earth’s female population, one would expect some kind of intervention.”
Rachel’s face flashed in his mind. He felt an ache in his chest at a vision of her watching Uriel from the bridge. Uriel was selfish and didn’t deserve her love. Then again, so was he.
“These women and their offspring? Are they...?” Raphael couldn’t help his curiosity. Jeremiel was young, but he was already showing the gifts that other angels had. He was stronger than other children his age, taller, faster, and at the rate he was growing, he would soon be able to rival the strength of grown men by the time he was ten.
“All girls. Useless,” Lucifer spat. “They all died within hours of their birth, and their mothers with them.”
“They died during childbirth?” He thought of Rebecca and how she struggled during the birthing process. He had worried that she would not survive.
“It was an act of mercy. The women would have been stoned to death for giving birth outside of wedlock.”
“And what of Uriel? How could he keep lying with all those women knowing that they were dying giving birth to his children?”
“He didn’t even know they carried his children. Ignorant fool. He was gone before the sun even made an appearance over their bed. Uriel owes me a great deal for cleaning up the messes he’s left. Once a family finds out their daughter has conceived out of wedlock she is cast out. I provided them shelter until the birth.”
“Why? Why would you do that?” Raphael looked at him suspiciously. Lucifer always made it clear how he looked down on the humans.
Lucifer waved his question off. “Think of it as a favor to Uriel. Now what was I saying before . . . Ah, yes, your son and his angelic gifts.”
“I did not say he had any.”
“I can read you well, my old friend. You should be proud. Think of it: with more sons, you could rule over Earth.”
“I didn’t come here in the hopes of having sons. I consider it a blessing for what I do have. All I want is to live in peace with my family. Your desire to rule is your wish, not mine. I will have nothing to do with it.”
Lucifer shook his head. “Still after all this time, you see humans as equal to us.”
“Yes. It is something I will always believe.”
Lucifer laughed. “My dear Raphael, one day you will see the error in your ways. You will see that we are destined to rule over humans. Not today, but some day. Now, let us feast. I am famished.”
***
After the meal and when Lucifer had long left them, Raphael took Rebecca into his arms as they lay on the rooftop, watching the stars.
“You were quiet this evening,” he said.
She stiffened a moment and then relaxed. “Not anymore than usual. I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation with Lucifer.”
“You don’t like him.”
“He is your friend.”
Gently, Raphael pulled her off his chest. He looked into her eyes. “Tell me, Rebecca. Tell me what is wrong.”
She lowered her eyes, and her black lashes fanned the tops of her cheeks. She was so lovely. He hated to see her like this, but he had to know. She hadn’t spoken a word throughout the entire dinner. It was so unlike her.
“Did Lucifer tell you something?”
It was possible that Lucifer had tried to get information out of her about Jeremiel. They had both agreed long ago to keep Jeremiel’s gifts and his origins a secret. They wanted him to be treated the same as others in their community.
“No. He has not spoken to me. It is just . . . he...” her cheeks grew pink.
“What is it?” Raphael placed a hand on her chin, lifting it. Her eyes gazed into his, and for a moment he thought she was going to say something when she let out a breath.
“It is nothing really. It’s just . . . as Jeremiel grows older, I see so much of you in him and the nature of his true self, the son of an archangel. Seeing Lucifer reminds me of the power that you have and gave up to be with me, and I wonder.”
“Wonder?”
“I wonder if you have any regrets.”
Raphael studied her face. He felt like there was something more that she wasn’t telling him. It wasn’t like her to hold anything back from him.
“None at all. You?”
His breath caught when she glanced down for a moment, hesitating.
“Only one.”
His heart stopped.
“You . . . you regret marrying me?” He could barely get the words out.
Her eyes flashed up at him. “No. Oh, no. That is not what I regret. Not at all.”
His heart restarted. “What is it then?”
“It is Baka.”
“Baka?”
“It’s more about Jael than Baka. No woman should have to suffer the way she has at his hands. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t thank the Heavens for sending you and for you loving me. Without you, it would be me in her stead, rather than Jael.”
On occasion, he saw the dark-haired woman whom Baka had taken as his wife after Raphael married Rebecca. Jael and Rebecca had the same features and one would have thought they were sisters, except that Jael was taller and her eyes were black rather than hazel. It did not come as a surprise that Baka chose Jael. What did surprise him was that he married her within days after Raphael wedded Rebecca.
“He doesn’t hurt her, does he? He seemed proud, showing off his son.” Baka’s son was born days before Jeremiel, and Baka made sure that everyone in the city knew about his newborn son, Saleos.
“No, but that does not mean she does not suffer. There is no love in that
house, at least not for her. He only loves what she can bring to him and his stature in the city. I was told that she is with child again. I pray that she brings him more sons. It is the only time that he at least pretends to love her.”
“So that is your regret. You have no regret marrying a fallen angel? Or being shunned by your own family?”
She looked deep into his eyes. “You have saved me in more ways than one, Raphael. My father...” She swallowed thickly. “My father was angry and he had a right to be because I embarrassed him in front of the entire city for backing out of the deal he had made for me to marry Baka. My father has his duties. I . . . I understand that.”
He brushed aside a lone tear that rolled down her cheek. Dathan, Rebecca’s father, was the governor of Ai and well known for his love of the gold coin. How someone like him could have a daughter as pure and sweet as Rebecca was beyond him. Nonetheless, she loved her father. “I could go to Dathan and beg his forgiveness.”
“No, please don’t. My father has made his choice, and I have made mine.”
She reached out to cup his cheek. “You are my family now. You have brought me a son that is as beautiful in spirit and goodness as you are. If I had to do it all over again, I would. There is only one thing that I would ask of you.”
“Anything. Whatever you ask, I shall give you.”
“Promise me you will watch over Jeremiel when I am . . . gone.”
His breath hitched at her words. It was an unspoken rule between them that they would never speak of death. It was something that was unbearable for him to even think of. He knew that someday she would die and when she did, she would leave to the part of Heaven where only humans crossed over—the archangels lived elsewhere along with the seraphs and guardians.
“Rebecca,” he croaked. “You mustn’t speak of such things. You have years, decades before . . . that happens.”
She shook her head. “We must, Raphael. Please. It would bring me great comfort, knowing that Jeremiel will be with you. He will, won’t he?”
“I know not.” All he knew was that Jeremiel had superior strength, hearing, and sight. He didn’t know if being half angel came with immortality.
“Can you . . . is there someone you can ask?”
Raphael sighed as he thought of Gabrielle. If there was anyone who could convince Michael to allow his half-angel son to live with the other angels, it would be her.
“Yes. There is.” He took her in his arms. “I promise when the time comes. I will ask for him . . . and for you.”
“No, don’t. I am not worthy. Jeremiel is one of you. Just promise me for him.”
“I promise.”
“That’s all I ask.” She leaned forward, placing her warm lips over his.
Raphael pulled her into his arms. Her scent filled his senses and he forgot all about death, Lucifer, Baka. There was only her with him. Together. And in the warm evening with only the stars as witness, he showed her how much he loved her.
7
After Rebecca kissed Raphael and her son good-bye, she went through the house and gathered what she needed for her daily trip to Ai’s water well. Humming, she left the house with a water jar placed carefully on her head.
With Lucifer gone, a weight was lifted from her. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was that made her nervous around him. When she first met him, she had thought he would be humble and sweet like Raphael. They both had the same unearthly beauty that she guessed most angels had. Lucifer’s dark looks were just as attractive as Raphael’s fair golden ones. That was where it ended. He was nothing like Raphael.
He even differed from the delightful Uriel. Unlike Uriel, who would flatter her profusely, making her blush whenever he visited, Lucifer didn’t even acknowledge her existence. It wasn’t until she was carrying Jeremiel that he began to pay attention to her, and not in a good way. When she finally gave birth, he visited even more frequently. He didn’t look at her the way Baka did whenever she accidentally ran into him in the city—with eyes roving her body, making her feel naked. Instead, Lucifer watched her with curiosity as if she were a dung beetle.
She nodded to a few of the women as she passed through the city gates. Her home was outside the city walls far enough to be away from prying eyes, yet close enough where she could make her daily walk into Ai. Raphael had wanted to live inside the city, knowing that Rebecca would want to be close to her family. Even though her father shunned her and forbade anyone in her family to acknowledge her, her mother found a way to be at the city’s center gathering her daily ration of water at the same time Rebecca was there.
She loved Raphael even more for his insistence on staying nearby even if it meant that his true identity might be revealed. When they discovered Jeremiel had been conceived, they had agreed to move outside the city gates.
Rebecca took the water jar off her head and placed it on the ground. She scanned the square, searching for her mother. The well was located in the city’s center. It was a typical day in Ai. Merchants lined the city’s narrow streets with baskets of grain, vegetables, fabric, and other wares to sell. Women were crowded around the well, some with two or more water jars.
She smiled when she saw her mother walking swiftly toward her.
“Mother,” she said, wrapping her arms around her. Seeing her for only a couple of minutes a day was not long enough. If not for her father’s pride, she could have visited her mother regularly and even brought Jeremiel with her. “There is so much to tell you.”
“We have little time. Your father is at the inn,” her mother said, taking a step back. Looking around, she leaned in and whispered, “He is with one of them—an angel.”
“Mother, you promised not to ever mention the word.” Her mother was the only person she had told about Raphael’s true origins.
“This is not the first one. There have been others. It is said that some have had carnal relations with women in the city and as far as Jericho. Some even say that they are here to rule over us and are trying to breed a new race. What does Raphael know about this?”
“Nothing. He has not said a word to me.”
Her mother looked at her skeptically. “He was one of the first to arrive here . . . and to have a son.”
She stiffened. “Raphael loves me.”
“Are you sure, daughter? Dathan speaks with their leader, Lucifer.”
“Lucifer?” Her heart pounded in her ears. He was still in the city.
“Yes. He fears others will come and that Lucifer will build an army that no human army can defeat.”
She thought of the hushed whispers between Raphael and Lucifer behind closed doors and how Lucifer had been visiting more frequently as of late.
“I see the look on your face, Rebecca. You see what I see.”
“Raphael is different.”
“Even Baka sees it. I have heard that the child Jael carries was placed there by one of them. Baka seeks to join their army and is willing to raise sons for them.”
“Poor Jael,” she gasped.
“Raphael is one of them. It is not too late for you. Your son does not know who he is. Take Jeremiel and flee this place before Raphael turns against you.”
Raphael’s handsome face flashed through her mind. She thought of his soft touch as he brushed his thick hand against her cheek, the soft expression on his face as he gazed into her eyes lovingly, the warm glow she felt when he held her in his strong arms. She couldn’t even fathom the thought that he would ever hurt her.
“I don’t believe it. Not Raphael. He has always treated me with love and respect. He has nothing to do with the others. You must believe me.” She had always trusted in her mother, and it would kill her to think that her own mother thought Raphael was like the others.
“Are you sure, daughter?” Her mother gazed deeply into her eyes.
“Yes. I am.”
Her mother sighed heavily. “I cannot imagine you loving someone that could be cruel, and Raphael has made you happy. You glow within every time I see you. I
have a mother’s heart and I worry for you, that is all.” She smiled.
“I understand. I am a mother too.”
Her mother patted her cheek, then she handed her some thick material. “Here, take this. I made it for Jeremiel.”
Rebecca took hold of a red blanket, her fingers tracing over the intricate designs. By the look of it, it must have taken months to make. For all of her mother’s warnings, she knew her mother loved her and Jeremiel. “Oh, it is lovely. I wish you would come to see him. He is growing so fast. Mother?”
Her mother’s eyes were wide as she stared in the direction of where the inn was located.
“We could use a man like you on the council, Lucifer.”
Rebecca froze. Coming out of the inn were Lucifer and Baka, with her father close behind.
Shaking her father’s hand, Lucifer said, “I will take that under consideration, Dathan.”
“Being in the governor’s good graces has many benefits,” Baka said. “Come to my place for supper and I can tell you about—”
Baka’s eyes met hers and she gasped.
Seeing Baka’s frown, her father followed his gaze and looked directly at her mother and to her. His nostrils flared at the sight of her.
“Lucifer. Baka. We will continue our conversation tomorrow,” her father said. “Sarah. Come. Now.”
Rebecca blinked back tears as she watched her mother give her one last look before scurrying away with her father into the inn.
Her hands shook as she reached down for her water jar. She didn’t care if she had to come back later when the well was more crowded. She needed to leave.
“Allow me, my dear Rebecca.”
She shivered at the way Lucifer said her name. He smiled down at her.
Standing behind him, Baka’s eyes traveled her body, and again she felt as if were stripping away her clothes. She hunched her shoulders protectively and shifted away from him when he approached her. He walked behind her and she felt his hot breath on her neck.
“This one is not worthy of your time,” he said. “Not even her own father can bear the sight of her.”
“I beg to disagree. My friend seems to be quite fond of her.” Empty grey eyes focused on her, and she shivered when his lips curled slowly into a smile.
Before the Fall Page 5
