“Here.” Samael plucked a fig from the tree they were under and handed it to him.
“No.” Michael pushed his hand away. “This is not a moment for fun. This situation you now have involved me in is very serious. You have not acted right since you returned from Eden, and I think you need to go to Father immediately.”
“Judging by your lack of enthusiasm, I take it you do not want to be involved in my…fun. Is that what you call it?”
“No, I do not want to be involved, but I am worried about you and think you should seek help. I can come with you. You do not have to go alone. You have done nothing wrong yet, and I am sure He will forgive you.”
“Why would I go to Him? He cannot help me. No one can. Besides, I will never be forgiven.”
“What do you mean?” Michael asked.
“Apparently, you are like the rest of them who abhor my company and spurn my ideas,” Samael said, admiring the fruit in his hand.
“You are misunderstanding me. I am trying to help,” Michael countered.
I watched Michael and Samael secretly, knowing I should not be there. I repositioned myself on the ground to make my departure as stealthily as possible. However, a fallen branch snapped beneath my foot, alerting them both to my presence.
Samael stopped the conversation. He turned to look at me and stared directly into my eyes. I saw so much anger and hatred in them, two emotions I never thought would enter into this Paradise. He quickly reached out and snatched the letter from Michael’s hand. The violent action pulled Michael’s attention back.
“Samael!” Michael called to his retreating figure.
He did not stop.
7
Gabriel
Heaven, In the Beginning
From that moment on, the trust between Samael and Michael was broken.
Samael knew many of us suspected him of stealing the missing objects and sought allegiance elsewhere. I saw the anger and hatred lurking inside, and I knew he was waiting for the precise moment to show his true colors.
After receiving no response from my first message to Father, I wrote Him twice more with updates. I emphasized more than anything that I thought the extreme change in Samael’s behavior was most worrisome. On my third attempt, I finally received a response. The brown sparrow I sent my first message with found me sitting on one of the two hills in Low Heaven that had a wonderful view of the world below. He landed on my shoulder, and I lifted my finger to him so he could jump on. Then, I carefully detached the small piece of parchment from his leg with my other hand.
The moment it was untied, he set off again. I unrolled the message and read its contents.
I will take care of it.
The words spelled out before me in angelic script offered no sense of calm. While I was content He had finally taken my warnings, there was still unease rising in me that His response did not reduce.
When I looked up, Michael was walking toward me. He sat down beside me on the ground, and I knew I had to reveal my apprehension.
“I know you are worried,” Michael began. “I am too. That anger and hatred you see in him, I see it also.”
“It was never there before.”
“I know. I know it better than anyone. I just do not understand what changed.”
“Samael did not reveal anything to you? In the letter, perhaps?”
“No. That letter only contained more ranting and raving, much like the council meeting. I took it seriously then, and I am taking it seriously now. You heard our conversation. I tried to appeal to him. I tried to let him know I was still there, but he pulled away.”
“He pulled away from all of us, Michael. There is nothing you can do if he does not want your help.”
“I know. I just feel like I failed him as a brother.”
“You did nothing wrong. You offered your help. I know it must be hard for you since the two of you were so close,” I reasoned. Not only were Michael and Samael on the council, they were both in the same vocation as angels of power, meaning they were skilled fighters ready for combat.
“You speak the truth, Gabriel, but I just feel betrayed. He was like a brother to me. Not in the sense we are all brothers and sisters in Father’s realm, but like a real brother. I know that sounds trivial.”
“No, it does not. I understand. You two were similar in many ways. You formed a bond, but now, he has forged his own path—one you cannot tread because you do not feel the same. This has revealed a difference between the two of you. You take your position as an angel of power seriously, devoting yourself to Father and obeying His will. Samael has the same position but has turned his attention to himself, lusting for his own power and control rather than using his abilities to protect others.”
Michael nodded in agreement but did not speak.
“I just try to look back and wonder where this new behavior started. What triggered this defiance, this change of heart?”
“I wonder the same sometimes. Did you notice, he has not been acting right since he returned from Eden?” Michael said.
“No, I did not, but now you mention it, he has been different. Did he tell you about anything that happened there?
“No. When he returned, he told me everything was fine. But he has not been right since.”
“Well, I composed several messages and sent them to Father in order to warn Him about Samael’s behavior.”
“And?”
I handed him the small piece of parchment.
“Ah,” Michael replied.
I nodded. “I want to help Him, but I have no idea how to do that. Between Samael and these missing objects, my warnings seem very insubstantial.”
Michael became silent. I knew he wanted to say something but was holding back.
“What is it?” I asked.
“With everything going on with Samael, I forgot about the missing objects. Raziel is probably right. Whoever the culprit is, they are most likely targeting High Heaven next, which means the Seventh Day Gathering serves as a perfect distraction.”
“That is logical…and I suspect you are right,” I said, thinking the matter over carefully. “I cannot believe how unwise I have been.” I stood up and paced. “If only I paid more attention to this before. I forgot about Raziel’s words, but if I had remembered, I could have warned Him more precisely.”
“Gabriel, you tried. You did all you could. I imagine if you included more details, the answer would have been the same,” Michael said, rising from the ground. “I will see you soon. I realize I have to release Ariel from watch duty. I briefly forgot we are all taking extra shifts because of the missing objects.”
I watched him leave, paralyzed by the idea the inevitable was coming, and there was no way to stop it. It seemed like time—something I never took note of—was suddenly moving so fast, because I soon found myself standing in the valley outside of the sanctuaries, where a group of archangels had formed to fly to High Heaven together.
Raphael was making sure all the angels of healing were present, while Chamuel and Tzaphkiel guided the angels of the home. Jophiel was trying to coax the angels of art out of their sanctuary, many protesting about leaving masterpieces and inventions unfinished. Zadkiel stood aimlessly among the angels of teaching, while Metatron and Raziel took lead of the group. Uriel and Sandalphon already had the angels of nature ready to proceed. Michael and Ariel were standing in front of the Sanctuary of Power, conversing with one another with troubled looks on their faces. I was alone, as there were no other archangels who were angels of music, so I made my way over to them.
“What is wrong?” I asked.
“Samael is not here,” Ariel explained.
“Have you looked for him?”
“Yes, we sent out a search party and even looked ourselves. There is no sign of him,” Michael said.
“Where could he be? Do you think he left already?”
“Of course he did. It is exactly the type of stunt he would pull after that council meeting.”
At Ari
el’s words, I looked at Michael.
“We must go. There is no one else to wait for,” he replied, walking away to inform everyone we were ready to depart.
Metatron was displeased by Samael’s absence. Michael silenced him with a stern look.
With that, we all spread our wings and took off into the air. It was exhilarating, flying through the realms of Heaven, especially with so many of us. All the eye could see was a sea of white wings, and the mass of angels only grew in size as we passed the two cathedrals and the Principalities and Angels joined us. All of us made up the Third Choir of the Celestial Hierarchy, known as Heaven’s messengers.
Once we mounted the tallest hill, we quickly arrived in Middle Heaven, where our ranks grew ever more as the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers merged with our flock. These angels comprised the Second Choir, known as Heaven’s governors. In their realm, the terrain changed into mountains and cliffs. Unlike Low Heaven, this domain had barely any ground or clouds to stand or walk upon, forcing all the angels who resided here to fly in order to get around. As we flew over the region, the beauty of three tall cliffs that held the councils for the Dominions, the Virtues, and the Powers struck my sight. These buildings were known as halls, and they had pillared entranceways and long steps leading up to them. The architecture of the halls matched the formal nature of the angels who inhabited Middle Heaven.
Our flock began to break left, gaining momentum and speed to make the elevated ascent into High Heaven. It was refreshing to have such a journey and to be able to spread my wings for a longer period of time. The wind blew through them, ruffling my feathers and reviving the life in them. We burst through a span of clouds, and the sight before us was breathtaking. A radiant light glowed throughout this realm and encased every inch of High Heaven in almighty awe. It was a kingdom of clouds, which centered on a large castle in the middle of the sky. This fortress rested on an enormous cloud. The spires and turrets gleamed, and the white marble façade dazzled the eye as it sparkled against the light.
Everyone flew past the castle and continued to the right, toward a cloud that was the designated gathering place. All of us began to pull up. I stretched my wings down to either side and gracefully landed, slightly disappointed our meeting would not take place in the castle. Instead, we were out in the open air.
The highest rank of angels, the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones, were already gathered. These angels formed the First Choir, known as Heaven’s counselors.
Once we were all together, the festivities ensued.
Every so often, Father arranged the Seventh Day Gathering for all His divine beings to attend. He had created a similar day for humankind simply known as Sunday, meant for worship, rest, and spending time together. In Heaven, our gatherings did not occur every seven days. Instead, the timing of them was more random, and usually, there was a large gap before we had one again. This gathering in particular was taking place much sooner than any of us expected, and I surmised Father had made the decision because of the missing objects. Not only would a gathering keep up morale among the angels, it would alert us to anyone who was suspicious or who might be missing.
There was always music, singing, laughter, and camaraderie, and this time, it was a welcome distraction from all the worry about Samael. However, even as I played my violin in the symphony, those anxious feelings returned. I tried to calm myself by getting lost in the music, but to no avail. Instead, I focused on what the others were doing.
Metatron was having a debate with angels from the Second Choir.
Tzaphkiel was dancing to the music along with other angels of the home.
Chamuel and Jophiel were having a conversation with some Cherubim.
Zadkiel sat alone, reading a scroll.
Ariel was introducing Uriel and Raphael to other angels of power.
Grace, Hope, and Peace, three Virtues, were serenading Raziel and Sandalphon.
Michael was brooding by himself, alert and on watch. At least I am not the only one worrying about a potential threat.
I brought my attention back to the task in hand and filtered out the activity around me. A sour note from a flute had us stop in the middle of a ballad, as angels of music never made such a mistake. The other angels at the gathering carried on as if they had not heard it, but the angels of music assembled around me were upset.
“Who misplayed?” Griel demanded.
“Sorry,” Araziel confessed.
I gazed into the face of my comrade, recognizing the signs of nervous distraction. “Araziel, it is nothing to be ashamed of. All angels of music make mistakes sometimes.”
Griel huffed, knowing “mistakes” and “angels of music” were two concepts that did not belong in the same sentence.
Araziel ignored her. “Thanks, Gabriel. These missing objects have me on edge.”
We all raised our instruments again and started the song over. Halfway through, a thought struck my mind. How does Araziel know about the missing objects? That information was not revealed to everyone… I glanced at my comrade. He played his flute but seemed anxious, like he was expecting something to happen. I knew he did not enjoy playing in front of large groups, but his earlier comment lingered in my mind. Perhaps he overheard one of us talking.
Of course, that had to be it. There was no other logical explanation.
8
Gabriel
Heaven, In the Beginning
Once the celebration ended, Michael and I stayed behind in the hopes of talking to Father. We wanted clarity and reassurance, but instead, we had to settle for talking to the Head Seraphim, Seraphiel, who promised to relay our worries to Him, telling us repeatedly He had everything taken care of.
We left shortly after that, realizing we simply could not do any more except call a council meeting and let the others know our concerns. On our arrival in Low Heaven, Michael went to check on Cassiel and Haniel, who were on watch during the gathering and might have seen Samael. I headed to the council room and sent out the message we needed to meet.
In a short amount of time, all our comrades filled the council room.
All except Samael.
“As Head of Council,” Metatron began, “I call this meeting to attention. Since Michael and Gabriel called upon us, we shall now give them the floor.”
“Thank you,” I responded. “As you can all see, Samael is not among us. He was not at the gathering either. We fear he is missing. Michael and I are concerned because the last time we all saw him, he was expressing unfavorable ideas, and his disposition had obviously changed. We believe him to be dangerous.”
“Dangerous? How so?” Ariel asked.
“Well, considering his anger and rebellious language, he might try to do something to seek Father’s attention,” I explained.
“But the Seventh Day Gathering is over,” Ariel said.
“Yes, but that should not matter. We need to take action. We need to prepare.”
“I am sorry, but I thought we all thought the thief would strike during the gathering. That did not happen, so why are we preparing now?” Tzaphkiel asked.
“Because Samael is missing,” I replied.
“Isn’t he the thief?”
“There is no evidence to prove that,” I pointed out.
“Correct, but why else would Samael feel the need to leave unexpectedly, unless he thought we were onto him?”
Seeing the conversation was veering far off course, I tried to reign it in. “Everyone, I understand you are all under the assumption Samael is the thief. I cannot give you an answer regarding that situation. We are here because he is missing, and judging by his recent change in temperament, we believe him to be dangerous. For these reasons, we need to prepare ourselves. Now, I have written several messages to Father to warn Him about Samael. Regardless, I still think we need to put together a plan to ensure our safety.”
“What was Father’s response?” Metatron asked.
I looked at Michael, knowing this answer would be our undoing. “He told u
s He would take care of it.”
“Then He will take care of it, and we should not worry. I am concerned about Samael too, but Father might have already located him, and He could be dealing with the situation as we speak,” Metatron reasoned.
“Right,” I suggested. “But—”
“Look, I understand you all think you know Samael,” Michael interrupted. “You can believe in the comforting possibility Father is resolving this situation, but no one knows Samael like I do, and my instincts tell me we need to prepare for an attack. As the leader of our army, I am asking the council’s approval to put some procedures in place. You do not have to agree. You do not have to participate. I simply need your verbal support. I know we must take Father’s words into consideration, and I am not trying to disobey Him, I just believe we should be ready. I want to protect us, and I want to make sure we are safe.”
“Then we shall put it to a show of hands,” Raziel said. “All in favor of Michael and his wish to act?”
Hands went in the air, seven in total, including Michael’s and mine.
“All opposed?”
The five remaining hands rose.
I was pleased the odds were in our favor. My happiness did not last long.
“As Head of Council,” Metatron began, “I reject this tally.”
“What? Why?” I blurted.
“Gabriel, I simply cannot let you and Michael do this. There is no reason to act other than your belief Samael has become dangerous, which we cannot prove. Yes, we all witnessed a very worrisome outburst, and I will be the first to admit I was concerned about his interest in the stolen objects. However, you have consulted with Father, and He said He would take care of it. We cannot disregard that just because Michael has suspicions. I feel horrible about this, but we cannot do anything.” Metatron’s words, his body language, even his facial expression revealed he did not want to let us down. He had a duty to fulfill though. As Head of Council, it was his job to determine how we would act, so he had to reject the tally because it went against his responsibility, our orders, and the structure that made up our world.
The Genesis of Seven Page 5