I stared at him. What he said was slightly disturbing. How did he get my name in the first place? But, I reminded myself, angels had ways of knowing things I would never figure out. It was pretty cool he was a private investigator. I mean, secret agent-style spy work was the only missing element in this crazy adventure.
“I would have thought the angel of power would be a soldier,” Gabriel said.
The new angel shook his head. “That would mean involving myself in the problems of humanity. Besides, I don’t like taking orders.”
Gabriel chuckled.
My curiosity got the better of me. “Who are you?”
“You know him,” Gabriel said. When I looked puzzled, he clarified. “Well…his name, at least.”
It took a minute to figure out. Then, Sister Helen’s words struck me.
“Michael?”
He grinned. “Nice to meet you.”
I understood now why she had hoped he was the angel in New York. The fallen feared him.
25
Jordan
Tokyo, Present Day
“We need to get him out of here,” Raphael interrupted Michael’s introduction.
Police sirens sounded in the distance, and the last thing we wanted was to get tangled up with the authorities.
“Of course,” Gabriel replied. “Let’s get him back to the hotel.”
“No, you can’t take him back there,” Michael said.
“Why not?”
“They’re tracking you. I’m not sure how, but they are.”
Even though I was in pain and definitely not at my best, I knew “they” were the fallen.
“You can come to my apartment,” Jophiel offered. “The boy can be treated there, and you can all explain to me what’s going on.”
Raphael gripped my arm to lift me up, but I refused to move. “Wait. What about our stuff at the hotel? I can’t leave my duffel behind.”
Gabriel understood the concern on my face. I was not about to lose my parents’ possessions.
“A few of us will go back for our things,” he reassured me. “For now, we need to get you off the street.”
With my mind at ease, I let Raphael lift me up. He gently grasped my right arm, while Zadkiel came to my left.
“How far away is it?” Uriel asked.
“Not far. Just a few blocks that way,” Jophiel replied.
It was a slow journey since I was still limping from my sore ankle, but in a short time, we were outside Jophiel’s building.
“What are we waiting for?”
“They’re going to check the place before we take you up there,” Raphael explained.
Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Jophiel disappeared into the building. When Gabriel came back down and gave us the all-clear, we approached the door.
“How far up is it?” Zadkiel asked.
“All the way to the top.”
“He’s not going to make that. He can barely stand,” Raphael said.
“Can you all please stop talking about me like I’m not here? I might be a physical wreck, but I’m not unconscious.”
Zadkiel grinned at my boldness and released my left arm. Raphael then lifted me into his.
“What are you doing?”
We flew through the opening in the middle of the staircase and landed at the top in seconds. Raphael strode forward through the open apartment door, wings no longer visible. Gabriel and Zadkiel were on our heels, and I realized they must have flown up too.
Inside, the long dining table had been cleared off, and Raphael laid me on top of it. I stared up at six angelic faces and smirked.
“Why is it the wing appearances always happen when I’m not in a proper state of mind? For all I know, I’m hallucinating.”
No one replied, but I could tell I’d amused them.
“We’re going back to the hotel,” Uriel said.
“Be careful,” Michael warned.
He left with Gabriel and Zadkiel to retrieve our things, while Raphael cut away my t-shirt and hoodie to get better access to my shoulder. Jophiel came over with as many medical supplies as he could muster, and Raphael slipped on gloves. The angel of healing inspected the dagger in my shoulder, deciding how to pull it out.
“This is going to hurt, isn’t it?”
“Afraid so,” he said, grasping the weapon and pulling quickly.
I winced, trying to ignore the discomfort. The pain subsided slowly, and I jerked my eyes over to the wound. Dark lines had spread from the injury, snaking down my arm and through my veins. My eyes widened as panic set in.
“Holy water!” Raphael yelled. “I need holy water!”
Michael came close and stood behind my head. “Look at me,” he said.
My eyes tore away from the wound, and I stared up at him.
“You’re going to get through this,” he reassured me, leaning forward to place his hand firmly on my chest in restraint.
“What are you—?”
My words were cut off as Raphael poured the liquid over my shoulder. I thought the dagger was bad enough, but it was nothing compared to this. I screamed out, again and again, as pain seared through my body. The holy water washed over the wound, combatting whatever infected it.
Eventually, either the pain subsided or my shoulder became numb to it. I was in and out of consciousness, but I knew Raphael was stitching up the wound as I could feel the small pinch of the needle every time it entered my skin.
When I opened my eyes, I was on the couch. My shoulder was bandaged, and I had no shirt on. Peering at the door, I took in the sight of four chests and realized the others had returned with the luggage. I groaned as I sat up.
Raphael came over to me. “How are you?”
“Fine, I guess. I’m still alive, which counts for something.”
He smiled. “You’re a fighter, that’s for sure. You have some pain meds and antibiotics in you, which is why you’re probably feeling better.”
I nodded slowly and stood up, light-headed. Wanting to find a hoodie from my bag, I walked carefully over to the pile of luggage, catching my reflection in a mirror as I did.
I froze. I looked a hot mess, my hair standing up in every direction. My chin had a little scruff on it as I hadn’t shaved in a few days. My bruised face and neck were a wicked shade of purple, and my shoulder was covered by a large bandage. The black lines running down my arm had turned red, as if whatever was coursing through my system had been burned out of me.
Taking my eyes away from the mirror, I returned my attention to the pile of luggage. My duffel was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s my bag?” I asked.
“Right here,” Gabriel said.
I turned around to find all of them staring at it on the dining table.
“Is there a problem?”
“Not anymore,” Michael replied.
“What do you mean?” I moved toward them.
“Your bag had a tracker attached to it,” Uriel explained.
“How is that possible?”
“We’re not sure. The fallen typically don’t dabble with technology, but Satan will resort to any means necessary to keep tabs on someone,” Gabriel said.
I peered at the tiny crushed device that lay next to my bag. “This was it?”
“Yes. It was black, to blend in with your duffel,” Uriel said.
“And it was in the shape of a fly, to avoid suspicion,” Zadkiel added.
“Where would they get such technology?” I asked, picking up the device to analyze it.
“That’s what we’ve been wondering.” Jophiel’s forehead crinkled with concern.
“I guess they filled you in on everything,” I said.
“Yes, and there’s no need to convince me. I’m ready to leave with all of you once you’re recovered. Seeing the fallen today, especially Satan, made this situation all the more real. Add to that your bravery and whatever is in that backpack…I’m more than prepared to fulfill my duty.” He looked at Gabriel. “I’m sorry I didn’t come
when you called.”
“It’s all right. No one answered. I was frustrated, but now I recognize we all simply fell into mundane routines that were hard to turn away from until the truth faced us.”
They nodded their heads somberly.
“I have to ask, what exactly was going on with my arm?”
Jophiel brightened at my question. “I was hoping you’d bring that up. Follow me.”
I grabbed a zip-up hoodie from my duffel and followed him to a room concealed by a large door. Jophiel slid it open. The others joined us and gathered around a long table in the center of the space, where the dagger lay amidst beakers, vials, and other chemicals. I remained in the doorway, taken aback by my surroundings.
It seemed we had stepped into an artist’s studio crossed with a laboratory. Art supplies of all kinds could be found on the left side of the room; scientific objects like those of an inventor could be seen on the right. There were paintings, completed and unfinished, stacked along the far wall, and an entire counter full of artifacts in the process of preservation.
“What exactly is it that you do?” I asked, finally joining the others around the table.
“It’s quite hard to summarize in one word,” Jophiel said. “I’ve been called an art historian, an anthropologist, an archeologist, an archivist, an artist, and an inventor. I do all these things, but if I had to label myself, it would be an angel of art.”
I smiled. The room was a testament to this.
“Are those the holy water grenades?” I asked, pointing to a line of balls along the back wall filled with clear liquid.
“Yes, the newly mastered model.”
“How are they newly mastered?” Zadkiel asked.
“Well, they’re no longer made of glass but plastic, so they don’t crack and injure the wielder. Also, you can now press down on the top and throw them like an actual grenade since they explode on impact,” Jophiel explained.
“That would have been helpful in my case…” I raised my bandaged hand.
Jophiel looked puzzled.
“He used the last one of mine,” Raphael supplied.
Jophiel grimaced and nodded in understanding.
“What did you want to tell Jordan about the dagger?” Michael reminded him.
“Right. So, you might not know this yet, but there is more to these weapons than meets the eye. In fact, there is more to the fallen forces too,” he said, glancing at his brothers standing around the table.
I followed his gaze and settled on Gabriel. The memory of whatever they were about to tell me played across his face like a movie.
26
Gabriel
Heaven, After the Fall
I flew alone to High Heaven and landed gracefully on the expanse of clouds encircling the castle. I walked the remaining distance to the entrance, carrying the chest that held all the belongings I presumed I might need on Earth.
Since the war, the castle had been restored to its original beauty, but the memories still lurked within the walls. Memories of evil, darkness, destruction, and treachery. I entered the tower and climbed the spiral stairs, knowing what waited for me at the top was different this time. An open entranceway led to a circular chamber, where Seraphiel stood with Jophiel. My surprise at his presence was soon replaced with curiosity as I realized the entire right side of the chamber was open to the clouds. I set down my chest and stepped over to the ledge, gazing down into nothing but white.
“This is where you will descend,” Seraphiel said.
I turned to face her. “But how will I control the descent? The drop is so sudden, my speed will accelerate quickly. Not to mention, I cannot see anything.”
“What you are looking into right now is an illusion,” she replied, walking away from me to the opposite side of the chamber. “A shield, I believe you call them.”
Jophiel nodded.
I didn’t understand what she was saying, and she immediately recognized that. “Father tasked Jophiel with conducting some experiments.”
“Experiments?”
“Would you care to explain?” she asked.
Jophiel stepped forward. “Father wanted the angels of art to investigate two things: heavenly light, and divine light. He gave us samples of each to conduct our studies. The weapons created in the Forge are infused with heavenly light. These weapons are lethal to all of us, since angels both blessed and fallen originate from the same source.”
I nodded my head in understanding.
“We were entrusted to test the samples of heavenly light for lethality. Father wanted to know what kind of damage could be done, not only to beings like us but also to humankind. We did not conduct these studies on ourselves or on humans but on synthetic materials Father created for us. There were many findings, but the most significant was the discovery of what we now term Hellfire.”
“Hellfire? What is that?”
“It was an accidental result of an experiment. One of my comrades mistook the divine light for heavenly light and mixed together excessive amounts of each. There was so much light matter in the sample it started combatting with itself, and this aggressive behavior turned the material into dark matter. We termed it Hellfire. This all occurred right before the Seventh Day Gathering. Father immediately took the substance from us before it got into the wrong hands.”
“That makes sense,” Seraphiel said.
Jophiel and I looked at her.
“Father sent down the Hellfire with the fallen. He did not want it to remain here. It is now the fire that burns in Hell. He also turned it into Satan’s punishment by having it physically reside inside him.”
Jophiel was alarmed. “Do you understand what kind of punishment that is? We did not have much time with the Hellfire, but it was in our presence long enough to know exposure causes immeasurable agony. It is the most lethal type of matter.”
Seraphiel was solemn. “He knew.”
Outrage welled inside me, and it took everything in my power to quell it. I believed the fallen deserved to be punished for what they had done, but this punishment was severe. So severe I would never wish it on anyone, not even Satan.
Jophiel was shaken up too.
At his lack of response, Seraphiel said, “Please continue your explanation.”
He nodded grudgingly. “Our studies of the divine light had a similar purpose. Father wanted us to figure out its capabilities and potential. After a series of short experiments, it was apparent this light could be manipulated to do things.”
“Like what?” I wondered.
“It could transport, barricade, and cloak things. We have since termed the capabilities portals, barriers, and shields. The way they work is quite hard to explain because they are made of divine light and are invisible. We were still conducting our studies when Father used them.”
I was confused. “When did He use them?”
“When He barricaded the fallen in High Heaven and sent them to Hell,” Seraphiel said.
Recognition dawned on my face.
“After that,” Jophiel continued, “we realized how easy it is to hybridize them by taking qualities from each and combining them together. Father barricaded the fallen, sent them to Hell, and allowed the Seraphim to walk in and out of the barrier before the fallen departed.”
“And you are still conducting studies now?” I asked.
“Yes, although the majority of them have been completed.”
I fell silent and looked at my feet. The magnitude of secrets they had kept was overwhelming.
“Is there anything else Gabriel should know?” Seraphiel wondered.
My head popped up from its downcast position. “I certainly hope not.”
Jophiel shook his head. “There’s nothing else…other than my warning.”
“What do you mean?”
Seraphiel elaborated. “Father wishes for all of you who are being sent to Earth to have a complete knowledge of the fallen and what they are capable of.”
“What are they capable of?”<
br />
“Some angels of art fell with Satan,” Jophiel answered. “That means the fallen have the potential to manipulate all these substances since they were sent down to Hell.”
“The First Choir believes this will not happen because Father put barriers in place to stop them,” Seraphiel said.
Jophiel scoffed. “You only need one of them to be set free before they are all freed. If that happens, they have the potential to create weapons just as powerful as our own. They also have the potential to manipulate and hybridize the divine light like we have done in Heaven.”
“I understand, Jophiel,” Seraphiel continued, “which is why we have acknowledged your warning and are now informing your comrades so that they are prepared to deal with the fallen.”
Jophiel did not challenge her further.
“I believe it is now time for you to leave.” Seraphiel moved to lead him out, but not before he took in my presence one last time. Neither of us knew if we would see each other again.
I gave a faint smile. Before I could say goodbye, he was escorted out of the chamber.
When Seraphiel returned, I picked up my chest and stepped back over to the ledge. “So, if what lies below is some portal, my drop is not as far as it seems?” I asked.
“Correct. In fact, the portal does not lie down there.” She placed a finger under my chin and lifted it. “It lies in front of you.”
Briefly, I set the chest down and slowly placed my hand in front of me. Sure enough, I could feel the divine light.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
I nodded. “Where am I going? And where will my keys be located?”
Seraphiel explained all. Then, I stepped into the clouds and made my descent.
27
Jordan
Tokyo, Present Day
None of the information in Jophiel’s story seemed new to the other angels, but I had a ton of questions. One thought in particular crossed my mind.
“You mean, you guys can be killed by dark and light weapons?”
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