The living room was three times the size of the sitting room but decorated just as grandly. The focal point was a large painting of the earth guardians, Amara and Sveva. The toddler twins had on matching dresses of with lace and blue ribbons. They looked like cherubs. Lucius saw Amara squeeze Wila’s hand before gently pulling her the rest of the way in the room when she’d stooped at the threshold after seeing the life size painting.
Maalik had come back to the car to inform him that he had been seen. If Lucius had not experienced it before with the first Ife he would have thought the angel had been mistaken. For the first few seconds Lucius could not make sound, let along form words. Two days ago he hadn’t known the location of one Mother and now there were two. He’d instructed Maalik to send word to Sariel. They were in over their heads and Lucius, who had never been ill a day in his existence, felt sick to his stomach. If Azriel found them...
After gathering his senses he decided that the best course of action was to make contact with the women in the house. The last thing Lucius needed was for them to plot an unnecessary escape. How he had been wrong. When he and Maalik knocked on the front door, it was answered by two very calm guardians. The time it took for Sariel to arrive had been spent in uncomfortable silence. With Amara and Wila sitting on a couch across from him and Emily and Ruth, each standing next to the Mother they guarded, both ready to throw themselves in front of their charge if Lucius so much as moved an inch.
He’d wanted to kick himself for jumping the gun. It seemed like a good idea when he came up with it. But in truth, the fairy was good protection…better than he was in his current state. So he’d sat there, every fiber of his being wanting to go to Wila and him exercising an angel’s restraint to keep himself seated until Sariel had arrived fifteen minutes after the large warrior angel he’d sent as added security.
The look on Sariel’s face went from company pleasant after introductions, to all business in a matter of seconds once they were seated.
“I hardly know where to start,” he said.
“The beginning is always nice,” Emily said. Her smile lightened the comment and the room.
“Yes…the beginning,” Sariel muttered to himself and stood up. He paced the room as he thought of how far his beginning should go. “In the beginning God created the heavens and–”
“Really Sariel,” Amara said. She was the first to catch on to his weird sense of humor.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” The angel sat down and started over.
“The one that made the universe has many names: The Almighty, The Great Creator, God, Buddha, Allah, many others, but It is just one entity.
“Angels were created first to help with its ‘construction’. There are different orders of angels and we follow a hierarchy of sorts. Watchers or Guardian angels are the only ones usually known to humans. Their purpose is protecting mankind. There are two types of archangels; one whose purpose is to oversee the Watchers, I am that type of angel. The other, oversees all the lower class of angels. They are also Seraphim and they are the caretakers of God’s throne. Three were created at the beginning. Our three were Armaros, Azazel and Azriel.”
“And what type of angel are you Hadraniel,” Wila asked.
It had only been two days but Lucius wondered if she would remember him from the gas station. He was shocked at being called by his heavenly name and then pleased that she’d remembered.
“Call me Lucius. I’ve not known that name for a very long time.”
“Lucius is a Power or Authority, a warrior angel,” Sariel answered for his friend before continuing
“The Watchers rebelled and started to mate with human women, creating a new race called nephilim. The three Seraphim were conflicted. Armaros left the heavens. Azazel thought that humans should be ruled, and on occasion laid with human women also, leaving Azriel in heaven alone. In the end the Creator came back to rid the surface of the earthbound angels and their children. Azazel was cast from heaven, Azriel was spared and we were given the prophecy of the Mothers. Hadraniel, a favorite and trusted angel was the only one to ever find one from the line. A young girl, who was able to see angels, her name was Ife.”
First everyone looked at Wila and then they all looked at Lucius, who had been sitting quietly. He picked up the story where the other angel left off:
“When I found one that I thought was of the line, or a Mother herself I called Sariel. Once meeting the young girl he agreed with me that she could be one from the prophecy. I stayed behind while Sariel went to Azriel with news of my discovery. She came to me that night and told me that I would find the Queen; protect and sacrifice all so that she may live. I believed her and allowed her to leave. Enraged, Azriel forbid me entry into heaven and bound my wings as punishment.”
“That doesn’t explain why our mother thought we were in danger,” Amara said.
When Lucius did not speak up Sariel answered Amara’s question, “Unbeknownst to us, Azriel shared in Azazel’s beliefs that angels were superior to humans. Being spared and with no replacements of his counters, he felt he was meant to rule all. With the passing of the millennium his behavior has become more erratic. He’s banned the telling of the prophecy and ordered almost all the higher angels to help in the search for the Mothers. While he’s never come right out and said it, we fear he plans on destroying you.”
“How is this something that their mother would have known?” Ruth asked as she looked between the two angels.
“That remains a mystery. I’ve been trying to find out since I located the two of you,” Sariel said. “But it’s a daunting task. There are millions of angels and a time span of a thousand years. It could be as simple as one of us warning your mother.”
“No, I was there when their mother brought the note, it was not a warning, it was a threat.”
“Your life and that of your sisters are still in danger. Azriel looks for you still.” Lucius said.
“What protection can you offer fallen angel? If now is the time that the Queen needs you most.”
Ruth’s venom filled words were shocking to everyone present but it was Sariel who answered for Lucius. Sariel’s words were not said in anger but were frightening just the same.
“Ruth it would do you well to remember he has searched tirelessly a millennium for her. There are some of our kind that have given up and others that are on the wrong side and want her dead. While he may have superior strength and speed, it is nothing compared to the power of an angel and would mean certain death for him if he should ever have to fight one. He is my brother and I love him dearly. I would want no harm to come to him, but I know he would gladly die to protect the Queen and the other Mothers.”
For the first time Wila could remember her mom looked flushed and had been shocked silent by the anger she had brought out in Sariel.
Emily changed the subject. “I guess it’s safe to say you don’t know the location of the others?”
“No, it was luck that we found Wila. Lucius and I both were shock to discover a second so soon.” Sariel said.
“Can you tell me anything about my locket?”
“The locket was created by the Almighty and left as a gift for the Queen. It’s an axis and links the worlds; heaven, hell, earth realms and anywhere else in this known universe,” Lucius said.
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