In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III)

by John J Higgins

  Going down the hall, he called out for Lillith, but there was no response. He went to look for her in his invisible hallway, but saw that it was no longer hidden. There it sat exposed, the barrier broken with a huge gaping hole that anyone could see.

  Getting increasingly more concerned by the moment that he may find Lillith dead or destroyed, he frantically began searching through his palace for any further signs of her. He turned the corner and entered his workshop with the mirrors. There were disturbances on the floor where a number of the rebel Angels had been. Their energy levels had left impressions on the floor. He could also tell that Lillith had been here recently, and he could sense a great emotional confusion lingering in the room.

  His spirit sunk further as a thought came to him. What about the concealed crystals in the mirrors? If Luciferael had gotten his hands on those . . . Could Luciferael have found them and used them to harm Lillith? He moved rapidly to the mirrors and reached his hand into the first one that was in front of him. Pushing his head inside the mirror, he could see it still had its crystal within it. Turning it around with his hand he closely examined it, but there was no sign that it had been used or disturbed since he had hidden it. Going from mirror to mirror, he found that each of them still had their own crystal, all untouched save for the one crystal that he already had retrieved and had already kept tucked in his tunic during the rebellion. He still wondered about the specific powers for each of the remaining crystal prisms, but he had other matters on his mind at the moment, and discovering all their purposes would have to wait for another day.

  Jarahmael began to pace around the room. If Luciferael and Lillith had been here at the same time, he could have harmed her. Why would Luciferael even be up here in his palace? As he thought about it, he realized that Luciferael had control of the Seventh Heaven for a few days. Could he have found out by then that Jarahmael had been working against him, and had not truly been one of the rebel Angels? Would he have come to Jarahmael's palace to get some sort of revenge?

  Jarahmael thought about Lillith being captured by Luciferael and his rebels. They could have done any number of terrible things to her. I do need to try to make sure she is safe! Jarahmael thought. Finding her would be difficult, more difficult if Luciferael was trying to keep her from him, or if she had been able to escape and was back in hiding.

  Jarahmael thought back on the events of the rebellion. It was only towards the very end of the war that Jarahmael would have even been seen by any of the rebel Angels. As far as they were concerned he had been captured or destroyed early in the rebellion, at the gateway between the Third and Fourth Heavens.

  It was only later that Jarahmael had entrapped Sammuael and the other guards in his crystal prism when he freed Michael and Ariel. There would not have been any other witnesses. Jarahmael then looked around the room and saw his own reflection coming back at him from each of the mirrors. Wait, Luciferael loved to preen himself in front of mirrors. Could Luciferael have come here looking for more mirrors?

  Luciferael knew that Jarahmael had been perfecting the method of making Angelic mirrors, rearranging light waves so that they would reflect back images. That was definitely a possibility.

  But how would Luciferael have found Lillith, unless he caught her by surprise. He felt a stabbing pain rush through him: maybe Lillith let herself be seen. Luciferael was the most handsome of all the Angels. Could it be that Lillith fell for Luciferael once she saw him? Maybe she went with him willingly? That was a terrible thought and Jarahmael pushed it to the back of his mind. He noticed that his pacing had sped up and he was moving quickly around the room. Looking back at his own reflection, he told himself that he had to calm down. He needed to find her before he made any conclusions.

  Thinking back, he kept trying to convince himself that Lillith would not have left him willingly. He wished he had stopped in to check up on her, but he was so busy dealing with Luciferael's rebellion. He always had a pressing problem to deal with that prevented him from seeing her, even when it had been possible. After he thought about it further, he decided he should ask the Almighty about her whereabouts. Maybe He could give him guidance on what to do next.

  It had been difficult finding Lillith earlier after she had left Adam. Now that the war had been fought across the Heavens and the Earth, Jarahmael would not know even where to begin. And if Luciferael wanted to hide her from him, in the Underground that included both Hades and Hell, it would be tough going and a formidable task.

  And Jarahmael was tired from all the fighting of the war. Waves of regret, a feeling he had never had before, engulfed him. He had lost his Human mate, sacrificed his own desires when he could not rejoin her, compelled to keep fighting in the war rather than protect her. Now instead of getting his life back to normal like the other loyal Angels, he would have to find Lillith before something terrible happened to her. If Luciferael and his Auxilium had her, they would take out their anger on her. He became filled with remorse and anger at the same time as he thought about it.

  What if this was all part of the Almighty's plan? The Almighty had asked him before the war began, Lillith too, if they would be willing to take assignments from the Almighty sight unseen. And they had both agreed. Could this all be part of the Almighty's plan? Why would He punish him and Lillith when he had done so much to protect the Almighty and ensure victory over the rebel Angels?

  There was only one way to find out. He would fly back to the Throne Room and see if he could find the Almighty before He left once again.

  Chapter 3

  TRICKERY

  Lillith preferred to sleep on the straw bed in the hut down by the waters in Eden. The pyramid would be nice once it was done over, but it was cold and uncomfortable at night. The straw provided her with warmth and let her feel secure. The hut was also close to the river that flowed through the Garden of Eden and was extremely convenient for her, as she relished being able to get into the water to swim and bathe. The cool water running over her skin was quite delightful. She had forgotten about her new wings when she first walked back into the water earlier, and soon discovered that her wings did not do well in the water. She was unprepared for the ways the water pushed her around, and the wings caused her to flounder for a distance in the current. She found herself washed up into the shallows and was covered in patches of mud before she was able to use Luciferael’s spell again to remove the wings from her back.

  It had been quiet for her since she was back in Eden. Luciferael had allowed her to return to Eden as he prepared for his final assault on the Earth. She did not know what was going on with Luciferael's war, nor did she care much. She was still upset about having lost Jarahmael, but was becoming accustomed to being alone. Luciferael had brought out some of her feelings of lust, but he was not someone that she wanted to spend a lot of time with either. He was definitely concerned about only one Being in the Universe, and that was clearly himself. He could not take his own eyes off of himself. Every chance he had, he was looking at his own reflection. When he made love to her, he was looking at himself more than he was ever looking at her. I don't think Luciferael can ever love anyone outside of himself, she thought. Well, at least not to the extent that he loved himself. She wanted someone to care for her, but she did not want to have to sacrifice herself to get crumbs of attention. She could have remained with Adam for that!

  Now that the day was over, she could just stay in her hut and enjoy the sounds of Eden. Different insects and creatures sang out songs throughout the night. It made Eden such a warm and magical place for her. She wondered if Adam missed Eden. Eden had been created for their benefit, as had the Earth below. Despite her running away from Adam, Lillith was still angry that she had been so quickly replaced, when the Almighty created another woman for Adam, named Eve.

  Eve had certainly demonstrated her character by disobeying the Almighty and bringing Adam along the path of destruction with her. Now for her foolishness, Eve sentenced both herself and Adam to death, as well as all of t
heir future offspring. For a “chosen” one, Eve was quite the disappointment. I, never disobeyed any direct command of the Almighty! she thought to herself. He had never forbidden me to become involved with any of the Archangels.

  And the idea that Adam and Eve would have children, well that was an outrage in itself, one that Lillith did not want to think about at the moment; it infuriated her even more.

  Lillith was finally able to fall asleep, nestled in the straw underneath her. She had some vivid dreams that she was still up in Heaven. Beautiful as it was, it still disturbed her sleep. She never felt that she could rest in the Heavens without Jarahmael. The Angels were constantly on the move, or talking, even when they were supposed to be resting. Jarahmael showed up in her dream and she felt his warmth transmitted into her. Seeing him again, even if it was in a dream, made her feel safe and secure once again.

  She awoke a few hours later. She felt that she was no longer alone. She looked up to see three Angels standing over her and her bed. In the darkness she did not immediately recognize any of them. They had not used their internal illumination. She thought that was odd, as she had never seen the Angels move as though they wanted to remain unseen by anyone else.

  Startled, Lillith exclaimed, “Who are you and what do you want of me?” She was still having trouble placing the identities of these three Angels.

  Luciferael stepped forward and illuminated himself from within. “See, Lillith, it is I, Luciferael, I have come to bring you home with me. I still want to build you that mansion we talked about before.”

  “Good evening, my lord,” she said, still trying to wake up and rubbing her eyes and face.

  “You remember Beelzebael and Sammuael, don't you, Lillith? I have brought them to try to protect you from any harm. The loyal Angels had been sworn to destroy you by the Almighty. You and your kind are now considered to have been a failed experiment. Adam and Eve ruined paradise for all of your kind. Their selfishness and desire to become godlike was their undoing.”

  “The Almighty?” asked Lillith, looking perplexed. “I thought you had conquered the Heavens, Luciferael?”

  Luciferael became enraged as she mentioned his last conversation with her.

  Sammuael then spoke up. “Should we not be going, my lord, it’s been a long trip with more travel before we get back.”

  “Yes, we should get going. Come with us, Lillith, I am taking you to a better place.”

  “But what if I don't want to go?” she asked.

  “You have no choice, Lillith. If you stay here you will be captured and destroyed by the Almighty and his Angels. Don't you want to be safe and come with me? Beelzebael, Sammuael and I will protect you.”

  Things have drastically changed in the past few days, she thought. The Almighty must be very angry with her for not fighting these Angels. She thought about resisting, but knew that she never would be able to overpower these Archangels, nor could she outrun them if she tried to fly away. They were still much better flyers than she would ever be.

  Luciferael commanded that Beelzebael and Sammuael protect her as they moved to either side of her. Lillith paused to grab her satchel which contained some of the branches from the Tree of Life. She would need them if she left the Garden of Eden, as they were a steady source of nourishment for her. Now she was ready to travel, and the four of them slipped away from the hut in the darkness.

  Lillith overheard Luciferael whisper to the other two Archangels that flying would only give away their position. If they slipped back into the pyramid, they would remain undetectable by the other Angels, at least for a few days.

  Lillith assumed that the war for Heaven did not go well for Luciferael and the others. Now she was being hunted by Jarahmael’s former friends. What had she gotten into? Why had Jarahmael allowed himself to be destroyed and left her like this?

  Chapter 4

  FREE WILL

  Jarahmael flew down from his palace to the Throne Room, but could see as he was entering the structure that the Almighty had already left. Taking a chance that the Almighty may still reappear and speak with him, he went up to the Throne itself, bowed and asked for the Almighty to please grant him an audience. At first there was no response, but then a bright light shone down from the skylight in the ceiling. Looking upwards, he could see the Almighty floating up there surrounded by the Seraphim and Throne Angels.

  “Jarahmael, what do you need?” the Almighty asked, looking down at him.

  “My Lord, Lillith has vanished from my palace and I believe that Luciferael may have taken her captive.”

  “I am afraid that is true, Jarahmael. He has taken her with him, and has hidden her for the moment, and I suspect intends to have her join him in the Underworld soon.”

  “Can you please make him release her, my Lord, and return her to me?”

  “I am sorry, Jarahmael, but I cannot do that. Each of you has free will and has to find some solution on your own.”

  “But she is being held against her will!” pleaded Jarahmael.

  “That may not be true, Jarahmael,” responded the Almighty.

  “I can't believe that she would willingly leave me for Luciferael!” said Jarahmael, growing agitated.

  “It is more complicated than what you may know, Jarahmael. Remember I asked you if you were willing to serve Me no matter what would happen?”

  “Yes, I do, Lord.”

  “And so did Lillith?” asked the Almighty

  “Yes, she did.”

  “There are some things I cannot explain to you, My loyal Archangel Jarahmael. But things must still take their course. Once Luciferael started his rebellion a whole set of other choices were set in motion. Each and every one of My creatures who have free will, at some point will have to make choices, choices that can affect their lives and happiness going forward in their existence. That is the point of free will, My son. And it is not for Me to prevent them from making their own decisions.”

  “What should I do, my Lord?”

  “Whatever you think is best, Jarahmael. You have everything you need already.” The tunnel of light that shone down from the Almighty to Jarahmael then retreated upwards and in a second it was gone, along with the Almighty.

  Jarahmael was disappointed. He wanted the Almighty to set things back to the way they had been by returning Lillith to him, or to at least have her released from the clutches of Luciferael and his rebel Angels. As he thought about it, he became angry. Have I not always done everything the Almighty asked?

  He needed to get away from the Throne Room, as it reminded him that the Almighty had the power to deal with this situation but chose to remain out of his problem. Glancing back at the Throne itself, he remembered that he had hidden the Book of Creation and the Book of Life. Did the Almighty know that he had already taken and hidden them? Was that what He meant when He said to him that he already had everything he needed to save Lillith? Or defeat Luciferael? Jarahmael had thought about confessing to the Almighty that he had the Books, but there had not been any time that had been suitable for him to tell Him. Even now the Almighty left before he could tell Him he had taken the Books and hidden them. If the Almighty did know he had the Books, He had not confronted him.

  All the activity that had transpired since the Almighty had left a little more than a week ago was overwhelming. Jarahmael realized that the Almighty had not been present during the rebellion at all. The Almighty could have ended the war anytime He pleased. But He chose to be away from the Heavens while Luciferael and his colleagues caused their trouble. The Almighty relied upon the loyal Angels to combat Luciferael and his rebels. It was touch and go at times, but in the end the good ones did prevail.

  Now what should he do to free Lillith? He paced in the Throne Room for a few minutes, needing to wear off the tension he felt. He wanted to do something but he didn't know what to do. He certainly was not happy with the Almighty. Had he really chosen the correct side to be on during the war? Maybe the rebel Angels would have taken better care of him. Not d
eserted him and Lillith without any real help like the Almighty had just done.

  After a few moments of recalling his dealings with Luciferael, Beelzebael, Suriel and Sammuael, he felt sure that he did make the right choice by remaining loyal to the Almighty. Each of the rebel Angels was only concerned about themselves, and he could never worship or obey any of them without question. And they all had an arrogance that he could not tolerate.

  He was just tired of all the fighting and disappointed that he was going to have to find Lillith all over again. He wanted to rest and have things back to the way they were — Lillith and him living comfortably together in his palace without all these problems.

  Jarahmael was still upset and thought about sitting on the Throne himself. Was it not true that, he, Jarahmael, could rule the Heavens, the Earth and the Universe if he did so? None of the other Angels knew that about the Throne itself. He had only learned it by chance when he dropped the Book of Creation as he hid it in the male Sphinx on the Earth below.

  Would that not be the ultimate act of rebelliousness? He could do in one gesture what Luciferael and the others had fought a war over. The Almighty was amazing in that He allowed Luciferael and Michael to sit on the Throne to conduct the morning ceremonies and they could take the power for their own. Of course, neither of them had any idea that they could control the Creation from that seat.

  Jarahmael walked closer to the Throne and thought back to when he had taken the Books out of the base of the Throne, shortly after the war began. As he got closer he decided to look inside the Throne to check on the replica books he had substituted and left. Opening the seat of the Throne he found the two mock-ups he had left, the contents he knew to be empty in both of them. No one has discovered they were missing, he thought to himself. Best to keep it that way for now, Jarahmael thought. No one knew he had the Books except maybe for the Almighty and He did not seem concerned at all.