Gabriel leant against the door, trying to control her shaking. It was unseemly to appear so angry after visiting Sariel. In court when people failed her, yes, when seeing an adolescent girl, no. Damn her and damn Lucifer! Damn them both. Why couldn’t either of them just do as they were told? Life would be so much easier if they just accepted their place. At least Sariel was controllable without her magic.
Lucifer was still someone to be feared. He might be trapped in Hell, but she sometimes worried that he might one day escape. That was, of course, impossible. Hell would never fall. Lucifer would always be trapped as he was. It was a fitting punishment for his sins. Siding with the Gods they had fought so hard to overthrow, convincing so many that they could coexist. He had refused to see the error of his ways, had refused her logical reasoning. He had insulted her and had tried to take away her throne. He had been beyond foolish.
Now he was paying for that foolishness. But it had come at a terrible cost. One-third of the Angels had Fallen with Lucifer into Hell. Another third had Fallen into Purgatory. They were only a third of the strength they should have been. Was it any wonder they were losing grasp on the world as Humanity thundered down the road to its own control? That could not be allowed.
Why could Sariel not see how vital she was, that as an Arch Angel she had the power to shape the world, even if she couldn’t access that power. She still had the latent abilities of the Arch Angels. She could invoke wars with simple whispers, she could condemn a nation with a single word. She could bend other Angels to her will with just her voice and aura. Yet she failed to appreciate what she had. Always pining to see the Citadel and Surface. Gabriel was sick of her whining. Just like a child, she lived for the now with no appreciation for the future.
When she and Michael needed so much of their attention focused on the world, here they were chasing after a spoilt brat. Still Sariel was his sister, he could deal with her. Sariel had to see that they knew how to rule Heaven, she just had to lend her support to them. She didn’t need to govern, Heaven was theirs.
Nothing would remove her from her throne. Of that Gabriel was sure.
Sariel looked at herself in the mirror. Did people really think she was unwell? She wasn’t deformed or disfigured. She had two arms, two legs, and six wings. Her skin was unusually pale, but then so were Michael and Azrael’s and so had her father’s she had been told. Just like them, she had jet black hair and wings. An extreme rarity in Heaven where everything was synonymous with sunlight. The other Elder had sun-kissed olive or dark bronze skin, wings of white and gold. The rest of the Angels seemed to live and breathe light.
But her family were no ordinary Angels. They were the Angels of Death. Though of course she didn’t actually get to do anything, and Michael was usually too busy running Heaven and Earth. Most of the duties of Death fell to Azrael and his handpicked servants, the Reapers.
Other than colouring, she looked like every other Elder Angel. She was pixie-like, delicate and defined but with the natural strength that was there for all Elder. She could lift more than any mortal, endure exertion, hunger, and thirst for far longer. She healed very quickly, had little need for rest, and glowed softly.
Her other rarity was her violet eyes, of all the Angels only her family and Gabriel’s had them. Of the Seven Arch Angels, only Raphael and Uriel did not have violet eyes. The other Elder Angels tended to have amber or light blue. The Ascended and Lesser Angels had a wide variety.
No, she was definitely not deformed, she looked like an Elder Angel from her family. Though she would never admit it, she secretly longed for Gabriel’s sun-kissed complexion.
It was times like these that she especially wished that her parents had survived the War. To have the normal family dynamic, to have Michael as her brother and not her keeper. Maybe then she’s actually like him and Gabriel. Maybe not.
She sighed and sat down by the window, gazing out once again at the activities of Heaven. The sky was streaking gold and orange. It was approaching dinner time. Sariel hoped it didn’t take Michael long to come and sort her out. She was hungry.
Sariel opened her eyes when she heard the door open. It had been so long she had dozed off. A quick glance out the window showed violet and pink skies, it was just before dawn, not that the sun ever actually set or rose, but they still used the timelines mortals used. It was easier.
Her brother wore an annoyed expression as he walked over to her. Not that she expected any difference, but just one she would like him to side with her. He sat down next to her and studied her for a moment, looking for something in her eyes.
“Gabriel is very upset,” he said softly.
Gabriel was always upset. There was a reason people did very little to annoy her. Her temper was legendary and frequent. “I cannot win. If I sulk, I am a spoilt child, and if I actually form an adult argument then she gets upset.”
“You shouldn’t have mentioned Lucifer. You know she is extremely touchy on the subject.”
“But that is who she is comparing me to. You both fear that I might be the next Lucifer and tear apart the fragile control of Heaven. That is the real reason you both tuck me away out of harm’s way. There is nothing to worry about, I have no powers. How could I ever be a threat to Heaven? You are suffocating me with your fears. I am not living. I do not see the world, I do not see how even my own kind lives. Angels go about their lives, and I barely know anything about it.”
“You know how Angels live.”
She raised her hands in exasperation. “I know how Elder Angels live, and just how different I am from that expectation. I do not know what the Lesser or Ascended get up to or do for Heaven. I’m one of the Arch Angels, ruling over Heaven and Earth yet I have never seen a Human. I do not know how they live, what they aspire for. I do not understand the merest details about the people I’m meant to rule.”
“The Lesser were once Humans, their journals fill the archives.”
“They are not Human anymore. They have changed.”
“The Surface is too dangerous for you, Sariel.”
“And not for the many Angels that have little or no magic? They survive just fine.”
“They are expendable, you are not. Elder Angels are the real might of Heaven, we are the magic that holds it together. The Lesser will never have our power. We are living, they are not. We are infused with the essence of Heaven, they are not. They live here at our discretion.”
Sariel fell quiet, shocked by his words. She hadn’t realised that he viewed the Lesser as expendable. Were the Ascended saints and prophets viewed as equally expendable?
“You are irreplaceable, Sariel. You will not be going to the Surface, and that is final. Put such notions from your head, they will only cause you further problems. You will apologise to Gabriel. It is also clear you need to learn some humility. You will work with the servants until we have decided that you have learnt your lesson.” With that, he turned on his heel and left.
Sariel sagged against the window both furious and sorrowful. She wasn’t being spoilt, she was genuinely concerned about her ability to govern. Why couldn’t they seem to understand that? Yes, she wanted to see the world, but her reasons were more than just that.
The reason the War of Heaven had broken out was because of the cruelty and ignorance of the Gods. They had once ruled Heaven, had in fact made it. But they were cruel and vain. They had lost touch with the world that they had dominated. It was from their decaying reign that the Angels had stepped up to lead the world. Naturally, the Gods had been unwilling to relinquish their absolute control and war had broken out. Eventually, the Angels had won at a terrible cost. But Humanity had been given a new chance, a new era of expansion. It seemed to her that the Angels were now in danger of losing touch.
And if they did, what was to stop them being overthrown by Humanity? Benevolent and understanding rulers remained in power. Those that were out of touch were so often overthrown.
Perhaps the greatest concern was her brother’s view on the Lesser. It was chilling to hear two of the Arch Angels talk about how expendable they were. Did the other Arch Angels think the same? She knew she didn’t, but then her voice fell on no one’s ears. The Arch Angels were meant to look out for the wellbeing of Heaven and all who dwelled within it, but apparently, there were divisions she had been unaware of. That was food for thought, but at another time.
Right now, she had to go and apologise to Gabriel, which would be a trial in itself. Still, Sariel had learnt a few things over the centuries of annoying Gabriel. She responded to respectability and appearances. Gabriel was always one for appearances. She was, after all, the most beautiful and most powerful Angel in all of Heaven. Appearances meant a lot to her.
Sariel sat down in front of her mirror, trying to think what look would ease Gabriel’s anger the most. She was stumped.
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