War of Wings (6 page)

M
ichael always thought he knew everything; that was nothing new. Gabriel wasn’t going to let it bother him. Besides, Arrayah seemed to have forgiven him for the building incident. Compared to how things had been progressing, this was practically time for a small celebration. Gabriel’s fondness of Heaven’s fruits was tempting him; saving half the angels could wait. He worked his way over to the Spiritapple Field south of the Great Mountain and the Provender, where he could feast on the sweetest fruit in all of Heaven.

Gabriel descended to the orchard and grabbed a spiritapple from the ground. It had green, pointed leaves, and the fruit inside was protected by a hard outer skin. He simply pulled on the leaves on top, and it exposed the white fruit and its sparkling mist. Inside the fruit was a narrow chamber filled with its ever-so-sweet juice. Gabriel took a large bite, and it immediately sent endorphins from his toes to his wingtips. It heightened his mental clarity and boosted feelings of happiness, openness, and love even as he became hyperaware of sound, light, and movement. This was just in the first sip. Most angels only enjoyed one like they were supposed to, and they followed proper protocol by replanting the leaves in the soil. Not Gabriel.

By the time Saraquel approached him, he was lying on his back and at least fifteen square feet of the field had been plucked, opened, and the juice sucked dry. None of them had been replanted. Gabriel had every intention of cleaning up his mess—just not now. He was feeling good. Very good. He almost got up when he saw the angel flying in, but it was Saraquel. No big deal.

“Gabriel, I see you are a fan of the spiritapple,” said Saraquel as he landed.

“Would you like some? There’s a few I haven’t gotten to, and you’re welcome to them.” He felt rather magnanimous offering this, as he would not have minded draining another dozen. It must be the juice making him so generous, he reflected.

“You know you are supposed to eat the fruit and not just drink the juice, right?”

“Of course.” With that, he tipped another and drank its juice in one continuous slurp. “I have had an excellent day, at least one small part of it, so I am celebrating.”

“Have you heard anything strange from Michael lately? I am actually concerned about him.”

Gabriel laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing.”

“I just spoke with Michael briefly.”

“You did? What did he say about me?”

Saraquel looked confused. “He didn’t say anything about you.”

“Oh. Well, God has been speaking to him personally lately, and he said He showed him something unbelievable.”

Saraquel fidgeted nervously. “Has he spoken to God in person?”

“He said God showed him something in a dream. A seraph has recently spoken to me as well. There are some strange things going on.” Perhaps it was the spiritapple juice, but Gabriel felt perfectly content to share everything on his mind, even with Saraquel.

“I would agree. Things are changing.”

“That’s for sure.” Gabriel ripped the top off another spiritapple and gulped the juice inside. “These are so sweet. Here.” He tore the top from another and tossed it to Saraquel, who almost dropped it.

“Listen, I think Michael has been trying to move up the ranks, so he is acting like God appreciates him more than the rest of us,” Saraquel said. “We are archangels too. Why wouldn’t God tell us or show us these things?”

“Easy now. Michael is my best friend.” He felt a moment of irritation and stared at Saraquel. He tipped up another spiritapple shell to enjoy its juice, and the pleasant feelings returned. The sky looked oddly multicolored. He squinted to refocus. “I don’t know why He wouldn’t tell us though. That’s a good question. He did say God talked about me. Isn’t that a laugh?”

“How many of those have you had, Gabriel?”

Gabriel watched him counting the shells that littered the ground. “These aren’t all mine.” A moment later he realized they actually were.

“I’ve never seen anyone have more than two before.”

“I’m fine. So is Michael. Let’s talk about something else.” Saraquel began to glow brightly, and Gabriel squinted again. He wanted to touch him.

“Gabriel, I know that Michael is your best friend.” Saraquel raised his hands as if backing off. “I am just telling you because Azrael and I have seen how Michael manipulates you into always following him, and we aren’t the only two who have noticed. I mean, he told you that God was talking to him about you. Wouldn’t God just come to you if there were something you needed to hear?”

Gabriel stood up and put his hand on Saraquel’s glowing shoulder. He shook his head and the glow disappeared. “First of all, God does talk to me. Second, I know Michael better than anyone. Thanks for your concern, but Michael is not manipulating me.” He wasn’t so sure anymore after the comments Michael made about Arrayah, but Saraquel was the last one who needed that information.

“We are just looking out for you and Michael.”

“I’ll watch out. Thanks.”

“No problem,” said Saraquel. “You know, Gabriel, I have always thought of you as the real leader of us seven archangels.”

Gabriel smiled. Saraquel wasn’t so bad after all. “Well, thank you. I’m honored you say that, but I can’t say I agree with you. No one should ever follow someone like me.”

“I disagree. In fact, I know another high angel that would disagree too.”

Did he know Arrayah?

Saraquel finally took a bite of the spiritapple and knelt beside him. “How would you like to be more than just an archangel?”

“We would all love to be cherubs or seraphs, but it’s not going to happen. What high angel are you referring to?”

“The highest angel. Lucifer thinks highly of you. He was asking me about the seven archangels. It seems as if he is choosing one for a very special project.”

“Did you mention my name to Lucifer?”

“I told him you were the one that brought all of us together. You get along well with everyone, and even Michael listens to you.”

“What is the project?”

“There is a revolution coming, Gabriel. A revolution of the minds of angels. The ranking system and orders of angels is going to change.”

Gabriel’s stomach felt queasy. Had he heard right? Maybe the euphoria of fifteen spiritapples was turning into madness. Michael’s statement about his dream was too similar to Saraquel’s for comfort. He had to see God. He never saw God, but he would today. Maybe it was heightened boldness from the fruit, but he was going to march up those golden steps for answers, no matter what.

“I have to go.”

“Wait, I’m not finished. We have a place for you.”

“We can finish this later.”

“I need your support as a fellow archangel. I must please my new master.” Saraquel tried to hold Gabriel’s wing back. Gabriel ripped it out of his hand and spun to confront him.

“Did you say new master?”

“I just mean I need your support.”

“Right. Yes, we are archangels. But don’t use that as the very manipulation you accuse Michael of. I have only one brother. Watch how you speak of him around me.”

“I am sorry. But I’m not the only angel who feels he is trying to exalt himself. He could be in some major trouble if he keeps it up.”

Gabriel looked through Saraquel’s strong, dark eyes. He wasn’t backing down the way he used to. The entire experience felt surreal. “You should go now.”

“All right, Gabriel.”

Saraquel drifted away, but Gabriel’s discomfort lingered. Saraquel was troubled and acting strangely. What was going on in Heaven? Gabriel picked himself up and waited a few minutes for his head to clear a bit. Then he flew up the twelve layers of the Great Mountain.

He entered the pearl gates on the southwest side, and one of the dominions opened the gates for him. Once near the ramp, he slowed to a walk. He passed all the way up and crossed over the bridge above the River of Life. Then he began the long journey up the staircase. He thought about how inconvenient accessing God was. He was right to never visit Him. After all, when had God ever cared about Gabriel? Maybe it was the lingering effects of the fruit, but it was difficult to focus his thoughts, and they seemed bold and daring, even to him. He eventually got to the thrones, who greeted him less pleasantly than he would have imagined.

“I’m sorry, but you can go no further,” said Kaldeczar. He was the leader of the thrones and was decorated accordingly. He wore a tall hat decadent with jewels and boasted golden armor. He looked way too tense.

This only added to Gabriel’s disquiet. Why was the leader of the thrones on staircase duty? “I would like to speak with God.”

“I regret to inform you that that is not possible. He will see no one right now, not even the seraphim.” Kaldeczar stood firmly and without expression in front of Gabriel, as if using his body language to suggest Gabriel would have to go through him physically.

Gabriel was unimpressed. “Why? What is happening?”

“I have told you everything we know. Maybe He is busy with something we don’t know about yet or don’t need to know about at all.”

“That is absurd. I need to see God, and I think I have a little idea of what is going on. Michael the archangel said He spoke of me. Do you know Michael? Is he up here?”

“I do not know Michael, and I haven’t seen an archangel up here in a while. I’m sorry, but I will not let you pass.”

“Please get out of my way.”

“No.” Although Kaldeczar was much shorter, he moved squarely in front of Gabriel and tensed up as if ready to strike.

Gabriel didn’t have time for this. “Move, tiny angel!”

“How dare you?” Kaldeczar drew his golden blade.

“I am going to see God, so put that little stick away before I take it from you.”

“I dare you to try!”

“I don’t have to try anything!” A group of thrones began to encircle them. Gabriel wasn’t intimidated, but in the back of his mind he knew Michael would hear about this. Michael heard about everything.

When Gabriel refused to budge, Kaldezcar attempted to drive him backward with a swing of his sword. As soon as the throne attacked, Gabriel dodged the blow and stepped quickly in, grabbing Kaldezcar by his armpits. Before he could attack again, Gabriel lifted him up and launched him into three other thrones standing to the side. His sword went flying. Gabriel prepared to be swarmed by angry thrones, but they allowed Kaldezcar to rise and have the first go. He drew a dagger and charged, and Gabriel blocked a blow with his forearm guard just before he heard a new voice. It was exactly the voice he didn’t want to hear during another fiasco like this. At least this time it wasn’t his name being yelled.

“Kaldezcar!” A virtue came running over from the other side of the platform. It was Arrayah. “Stop it, both of you.” She was beneath the thrones in rank, but her voice could command any angel. Kaldezcar backed down, his head lowering in embarrassment.

Arrayah turned to Gabriel. “What are you doing here?”

Kaldezcar grunted. “You know this angel? He is trying to defy the hierarchs and barge in to God’s throne.”

“Yes, I know him. Does he deserve to be attacked because he does not understand that God will not see anyone?”

Kaldezcar took a step back, but he glared at Gabriel when Arrayah turned her head.

“Come with me, Gabriel,” she said with a wave of her hand as she walked past him. Gabriel returned the glare but immediately turned away to follow Arrayah. As they departed the platform, he saw a seraph at the edge of the crowd looking at him sympathetically. Their eyes met, and she seemed to be looking right through him. He couldn’t interpret that look, and he wondered why she did not have her eyes covered. At any other time, he would have gone over to her, but Arrayah gestured at him impatiently, and he followed her toward the stairs. At the first step, he glanced back at the seraph, and she slowly shook her head as if it was a warning. Gabriel hesitated. “Arrayah, wait.”

Arrayah paused on the step below and looked up at Gabriel. “What is it?”

“This seraph,” he said. When he pointed to where the seraph had been, she was gone. “Never mind.” He decided to let it go. “What is going on, Arrayah?”

“I don’t know exactly. I was also trying to meet with God, but the seraphim wouldn’t let me either. Will you walk down with me?”

“Yes.” The fact was there was nothing he would rather be doing than walking with Arrayah, regardless of where they were. Who cared what was happening in Heaven? This was what was happening in his world. He was walking with one of the seven virtue angels, and she was genuinely interested in him. Gabriel completely forgot about Michael. He completely forgot his determination to see God.

“I’m sorry about Michael and me fighting earlier.”

“Let’s just live in the moment,” she said.

He loved that answer. Michael didn’t need to even be mentioned. “So, what are you doing up here?”

She paused before answering. “Things are changing right now, and I’m not sure what exactly is going on. I wanted to speak with God.”

This surprised him. God had spoken to Michael about him, he had spoken to a seraph, the highest cherub had asked about him, and now the most beautiful of all the hierarchs was walking and talking with him—and she was wondering the same thing he was. This meant it wasn’t all in his head or Michael’s. He felt his stomach flip even as a rush of heat surged into his chest. “What do you mean?”