“No, of course not, follow me.” James waited while Raphael tipped the attendant’s co-worker who had slipped into Angelina’s seat behind the wheel. “Take good care of this Hummer, Tony.”
Tony looked down at the ten dollar bill. “I’ll make sure it gets in the dent free zone.”
With the attendant’s enthusiastic help, adjoining rooms were attained in short order. Catherine and Angelina, accompanied by the two giant Archangels, attracted a modicum of attention in the lobby. Being in San Francisco, they received only a cursory glance. Room cards in hand, the quartet took the elevator up to their rooms. When they reached their destination Angelina grabbed Abaddon’s arm, pulling him toward one of the doors.
“Don’t even think about it, Ange.” Catherine’s now familiar exasperated look evoked smiles from her Archangel companions. “Do we have to go through this every time we stay somewhere?”
Angelina shrugged. “Yep, until you give up your secondary calling of monitoring me,”
“Abaddon and I will be in our room whenever you are ready to go out to dinner,” Raphael said as Catherine opened the door and pushed Angelina in ahead of her.
“I’ll knock when…” Catherine began, only to be pushed aside by Angelina, who popped her head over Catherine’s shoulder.
“Can I take a bath in your room, Raph? Cat always takes forever to…”
Catherine waved to the two smiling Archangels as she pulled Angelina into the room and closed the door.
“They are very amusing, Raph,” Abaddon commented as Raphael opened the door to their apartment.
“Indeed.” Raphael pointed to the coffee maker located on a table inside their room. “I’ll make us some coffee while we wait.”
“You know how to do such things, Raph?” Abaddon watched his brother tear open a package containing a sealed bag of coffee and place it into the upper part of the coffee maker.
“Sure.” Raphael filled the empty pot with water in the bathroom. “I’ve stayed in hotels before. They always have these small coffee makers. Sneaking down to Earth occasionally has come in handy. The coffee tastes good too.”
“You know a lot about everything, Raph,” Abaddon said admiringly. “I will have to concentrate on learning more about the simple functions on Earth.”
“You would know more now if I could have talked you into leaving that mine a little more often.”
“I know you meant well, Raph. I thought you were just making me interact with people to get a laugh.”
“I was,” Raphael admitted, “but I also wanted to give you something to do besides pound rocks. You could have at least streaked through the dimensions like Mike does.”
Abaddon shrugged. “I…I am a little short on imagination, Raph. Can I learn that?”
“If anyone can learn imagination, my brother, it will be you.” Raphael turned on the coffee maker and sat down carefully in one of the chairs. “The chairs are sturdy enough, brother.”
Abaddon sat down, smelling the coffee brewing with a smile of appreciation. Raphael leaned toward him, laying his hand over where the demon had plunged his sword into Abaddon’s chest. Abaddon winced slightly. He relaxed as Raphael completed the healing process he had begun earlier. When he could feel Abaddon’s wound no longer caused his brother any pain Raphael leaned back again in his chair.
“I should be able to heal on my own. After you drew out the sword it should not have been necessary for you to help me heal. How did you know I could not do it on my own, Raph?”
“I felt it when I gripped the sword. Something was different. That thing was like nothing I had ever been near before. I would caution against allowing the monsters to use you as a pin cushion to gain the upper hand in battle from now on.”
Abaddon chuckled. “I will take your warning under advisement, Raph. I hope Sister Mary Catherine is correct and we will gain strength with each confrontation. Otherwise, this new joint venture of ours could get very exciting.”
“You don’t seem to mind the danger. I’m trying to induce some caution in your battle plan because if one of these things destroys you I will be left to face Sister Angelina alone.”
Abaddon laughed, nodding his head in agreement. “You would certainly stand a better chance against the demons, Raph.”
Raphael poured each of them a cup of coffee, setting Abaddon’s cup down in front of him. “You are growing very fond of Sister Angelina. It was very surprising for me to hear your terms of endearment for her.”
“She has healed me in ways I never thought possible. Each time she touches me, some of the black visions I have nursed over the eons past vanish. I believe our Father meant to make amends with Angelina’s presence in all this.”
“I thought so too from the first moment you held her in your arms. In her own way, Angelina is as powerful as Catherine. Those two are fearless. They have complete trust in me. I must admit their trust was almost misplaced today. I was losing it, Abaddon.”
“But you didn’t.”
“True, but only because the Sisters leant their strength to me at a crucial moment before you arrived.”
“Well, that is how we are supposed to do this,” Abaddon argued. “If the Lord wished for us to just lay waste to evil down here without a care, we would already be heading back.”
Raphael laughed appreciatively, shaking a finger at Abaddon. “Yes, I know how that would have worked. I guess you’re right though - we seem tied to our two Sisters in more ways than we thought. It is an added bonus watching them together.”
“I had not given it any consideration before, Raph. Do you think Angelina could become pregnant?”
“That would be strictly within the Lord’s purview, Abaddon. If our Father wishes for it to be possible, then it will be possible. We know how such things came about in the past.”
“Yes, but that did not end well. The Nephilim…”
“The Nephilim were the product of the fallen angels and human women,” Raphael interrupted. “It was expressly forbidden for the fallen to mate with humans and yet they did. The last of them fell in battle with the Israelites at Canaan. They have grown more cautious by reproducing in secret.”
“I…I would not want Angelina to birth a monster worse than the ones we have already faced.”
Raphael smiled. “In that case, my dark brother, perhaps you could enlighten me as to why you allowed yourself to know Sister Angelina in the biblical sense.”
When Abaddon remained silent, Raphael went on.
“I’ll tell you why: it feels right to you. I believe as you already stated, our Lord meant for the two of you to be together. Any further thought on the matter would be blasphemy.”
Abaddon laughed. “Blasphemy!?”
“Now that I have eased your mind about this relationship with Sister Angelina perhaps you could answer a question I have entertained since the time of your exile.”
“I will if I can.”
“You are the Angel of the Abyss, are you not?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have the key to the Abyss as stated in the Bible?”
“I am the key, Raph.” Abaddon’s surprise was plain at Raphael’s question. “I…I always assumed you knew. The prophesy is true. One day I will cast Lucifer into the Abyss for a thousand years if he does not anger me to the point I forget everything and kill him. At the moment of my exile at Heaven’s Gate, the knowledge of this purpose was given to me.”
“Then you know of this Abyss?” Raphael pressed Abaddon, putting down his coffee cup.
“I…I came from the Abyss - at least my first memory is of the Abyss.”
“You never spoke of it to me. You always assumed we knew of this?”
“Yes, I…”
“Assumed our Father told us,” Raphael finished for him. “What manner of place is this Abyss?”
Abaddon reached over and gripped Raphael’s forearm. Raphael grunted in agony and Abaddon released him. Raphael lurched to his feet, backing away from Abaddon for the first time with f
ear in his heart. The next moment, Raphael knelt in front of the Archangel of the Abyss and clasped both of Abaddon’s hands in his. He looked into Abaddon’s face, sadness sweeping over him in a wave of despair.
“You carry this with you always?”
“Except for the times Angelina and I are together in the biblical sense as you put it.” Abaddon was amused at Raphael’s reaction. “The Abyss is not a place one goes to by choice, Raph. Was there something you did not understand in the title Archangel of the Abyss?”
“You are of the Abyss,” Raphael repeated in sudden understanding. He gripped Abaddon’s shoulders. “I am sorry, my brother.”
“I am also of the Lord,” Abaddon reminded him with a smile.
“It is no wonder Lucifer cannot stand before you for a moment in battle.” Raphael remained awestruck at Abaddon’s revelation.
“It is also why the Lord gave me specific directions as to my mission here. He forged me as his avatar. He knows if I am launched blindly as a weapon I cannot be easily recalled. With your guidance, I can resist the shadow of the Abyss and dispel it altogether from my thoughts at times with Angelina.”
“Sister Mary Catherine does not ease your thoughts, Abaddon?” Raphael sat down again.
“I am not a demon, brother. Catherine is the Lord’s weapon too. Do you see how she reacts to Angelina as if she cannot fathom why or how Angelina can care for me in the way she does?”
“She is a pure soul. I have met many humans, but none who could give me strength. Sister Mary Catherine has power. Against a demon capable of maintaining its own hell dimension such power can be the difference between victory and defeat.”
“Defeat is not an option, Raph. We were not sent here to lose.”
“I admit it difficult to maintain such certainty in a place like we visited today,” Raphael replied grudgingly. “Do you think it a crisis of faith I entertained the thought of defeat today?”
“It matters little. I will not be defeated. With our companions to buttress your power at such times we will still prevail in spite of your momentary lapses. As you explained, perhaps the time with Lucifer caused you more problems than were apparent at the time.”
“Maybe.”
“Now who is guilty of blasphemy?”
“Was that a witticism, my brother?” Raphael grinned.
“Maybe.”
“You are indeed growing an imagination. I think…”
Raphael was interrupted suddenly by a commotion at the adjoining door leading to the nuns’ suite. Sister Angelina burst through the door with Catherine in hot pursuit. Angelina wore a black miniskirt, red tube top, sheer stockings, and black high heels. Angelina breathlessly dived into Abaddon’s arms. Both Archangels were nonplussed once again by the antics of their comrades in arms. Catherine halted just short of trying to rip the giggling Angelina out of Abaddon’s arms. Angelina gave her a little wave as she squirmed closer to Abaddon.
“Do you see this?” Catherine gasped in indignation. “She wants to go out in public like this.”
“Sister Angelina?” Raphael remarked with admiration. “You altered the traditional garb by…”
“This is not funny, Raphael,” Catherine cut in angrily. “She…”
“Calm yourself, Sister Mary Catherine,” Raphael urged. “I only meant to comment on Sister Angelina’s ability to alter her garb by thought. I…”
Catherine’s nun’s habit changed instantly into an outfit nearly identical to Angelina’s.
“You think this parlor trick is something special?” Catherine suddenly realized as the others stared at her in amusement what she had done in a moment’s anger. Blushing, Catherine changed instantly back into her black robes. “Sorry I lost my temper.”
“I compliment both of you on your prowess. There’s no reason to be sorry, Cat. Your continued banter with Sister Angelina is far more entertaining for my brother and I than you can imagine. By the way, you looked very attractive in either outfit, Sister Mary Catherine.”
Catherine sat down heavily on the extra chair. Abaddon reached over and covered her hand with his while Angelina reclined comfortably against him. Catherine looked up into Abaddon’s penetratingly blue eyes with tears welling up in her own.
“I don’t know why I let such things bother me so much.”
“It is a small thing, Sister Mary Catherine. As Raphael explained, your interaction with Angelina is priceless. We have such a long road ahead of us these momentary indignities you feel will be a humorous comfort years from now.”
“After all, Cat,” Raphael added, “we have only been together a few days.”
“I have known the little she-devil much longer.” Catherine looked pointedly at Angelina.
Angelina laughed. “You knew the old Angelina. You must give the new one a little space.”
“Did either of you get a chance to prepare for dinner?”
“She didn’t give me a chance, Raph,” Angelina complained. “I tried a few different looks in the mirror after I figured out I could alter my clothing and she attacked me. I think she needs a time out.”
“Why, you little…” Catherine pulled her hand free of Abaddon’s and launched herself toward Angelina, only to be caught up by a laughing Raphael.
“I will accompany you back to your room, Cat, and make you some tea while you get ready. Let Angelina finish preparing for dinner here. She will be dressed appropriately when we are ready to go, right Ange?”
“Just like the old Angelina from the nunnery,” Angelina promised, her intake of breath at Raphael’s suggestion betraying the desire to be alone with Abaddon no one could mistake. “I will help my Lord Abaddon into his appropriate costume also.”
“I’ll bet.” Raphael returned his attention to Catherine. “How about it, Cat?”
“I’d like some tea.” Catherine resigned herself to the inevitable, allowing Raphael to gently guide her through the adjoining doorway.
Raphael closed the door behind them, blocking out the sounds beginning immediately in the next room. He was grateful the rooms were well sound-proofed. Knowing now the extent Angelina’s involvement meant to Abaddon, Raphael felt joy for his brother and relief Abaddon could know some respite from the Abyss. Raphael shuddered as he quickly repressed the vision Abaddon had shared with him. Catherine glanced up in time to see the brief look of abject terror which flashed across Raphael’s features.
“What’s wrong, Raph?”
“Nothing really, Sister Mary Catherine. I’ll explain it as best I can after you finish your preparations to go out. I will have the tea prepared by then.”
Catherine nodded reluctantly and went into the bathroom, avoiding the urge to press Raphael on the matter. Nearly forty-five minutes later, Catherine emerged from the bathroom, completely dressed but for her head covering. Raphael poured her a cup of tea at the small table. Catherine sat down and took a sip of her tea, looking worriedly at Raphael.
“I’m sorry I keep acting like a big child in regard to Sister Angelina’s behavior,” Catherine apologized. “She’s so different from the way I knew her.”
“Her torture and captivity altered her in some ways you are having trouble understanding, Cat. My brother has healed her beyond the physical body. I’m sure you will be more at ease with her actions as time passes. I know her relationship with Abaddon makes you uncomfortable, but…”
“I’m not jealous or anything, Raph,” Catherine interrupted, thinking she knew what Raphael thought of her disapproval concerning Angelina. “It’s …”
“You do not feel as she does. While you have no need or want to be like her, I think you feel a little envious of how she feels toward my brother,” Raphael finished for her.
Catherine began to disagree but took another sip of her tea instead. She smiled.
“How come you’re so smart?”
“Thousands of years, my dear, studying human nature. I recognize Sister Angelina’s desire. In your case I have no prior example of pureness to compare your nature with.
I can only…”
Angelina cried out in ecstasy, her voice quieted by the soundproofed walls, but not completely silenced. Catherine blushed. She covered her ears comically. Raphael laughed in appreciation with Catherine joining him. Catherine reached across the table and clasped Raphael’s hand in hers.
“Were you upset earlier because of…”
“No, Cat,” Raphael cut Catherine off, patting her hand with his free one. “Abaddon revealed something to me I never realized. It made me view Angelina’s part in all this differently.”
Raphael explained what Abaddon had told him about the Abyss and how Angelina made the visions of it recede. Catherine listened intently, her grasp of Raphael’s hand tightening with each passing second.
ARCHANGEL Page 14