SAMAEL

 I yelled, "Let's go, Michael!" as I seized his hand and leaped from the balcony into the air. My wings extended almost instantly, and I immediately flapped them slowly before picking up speed as I moved through the air. 

I loved the way the wind howled in my ears. 

Michael grasped me tightly, around my neck with one hand and holding my shirt in his other. With him on one side of me, I desperately tried to find my balance while holding on to his waist. Despite not weighing much, he wasn't particularly light either.

"S-Samael", he whimpered as I ascended further, and when I looked down at him, I noticed that his eyes were closed. I laughed out loud as we flew over a building.

"You should open your eyes", I whispered as I paused in the air, "you're missing the view!"

When I was in the air, I caught a nice view of the heavens, which was far more stunning from the highest point. The structures and the other angels shrunk in size as I ascended. 

It began to resemble a large sea of gold. 

Micheal murmured, "Wow," and I knew he was now looking too. 

"I do this all the time", I remarked, "it's very lovely and quiet"

"I wish I could do it", the tone in his voice was sad and I pushed him up because I felt him slipping. He wrapped both hands around my neck now, appearing more at ease. 

"That's fine", I said, "I'll teach you how to fly"

"You will?" He asked as he turned to face me and his golden brown eyes widened. 

I nodded with a smile, "of course. You're my brother"

He grinned before encircling me in a bear grip. I kept flapping my wings to keep from swaying. 

"I love you Samael", he said.

Michael had changed a lot.

In his flesh form, he was taller and had groomed golden hair. His eyes still resembled golden pools but with a fire in them. His face had changed, highlighting a sharper jaw and bushier brows. 

I let my eyes roam over his appearance. He had a bulky build and arms that were muscular. He was wearing a red, long-sleeved tunic and a black, sleeveless vest with silver buttons, but what surprised me the most was that he was now taller than me. I raised an eyebrow at the weaponry attached to the leather belt that draped around his waist. 

I looked up to see his face. He was still glaring at me.

Lucifer crossed his arms and replied, "Father said Samael could be at the event."

Michael withdrew his furious glare from me at last, but it didn't lessen when it fell upon Lucifer, "Father would never..."

"He did", Lucifer shot back, "you can go ask him." 

"Did he make you do this?", Michael pointed at me and asked, "Is that it? Did he infect you too?"

Lucifer lowered his arms and scowled angrily, "Samael didn't do anything, he's not like that." 

"You don't have to fight for me, Lucifer," I finally said as I stood up and walked over to where he was standing. My eyes then turned to Michael, "It's good to see you again Michael. You look good." 

He grimaced, "do not talk to me", he said, "I'm not as naive as I used to be Samael. Your tricks won't work on me this time." 

I rolled my eyes, "that's not how my abilities work", I said, "you know for anyone to even take a suggestion from me, they had to have been contemplating it to some degree first right?" 

His nostrils flared, and his eyes blazed. He knew what I was implying- that he had intended to harm Uriel on that particular day. 

His face quickly became rigid, and all he did was clench his jaw. I could see, though, that he held his belt firmly in his hand. 

He was still angry. Good, because I was angry too.

He turned to face Lucifer and cautioned, "Be careful," adding, "Where there's Samael, there's trouble," before turning to face me again and saying, "I should know."  

He walked over to the door and left the room, shutting it behind him. 

The room was still and silent. 

"Wow", Lucifer exclaimed after a few seconds, "that was intense" 

I turned to him, an apologetic look on my face, "I'm sorry. This is what happens when..." 

"...people get too close to us. They get attacked and hurt", the voice finished for me in my head. 

I broke off in the middle of a sentence, but Lucifer didn't seem to mind, "I don't care what our brothers or anyone else thinks about you Samael," he remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand.  

I looked up at him and managed a smile. He grinned back.

"Now", he said, "let's give you a makeover!" 

***

I hated long robes.

I couldn't see my feet when I looked down and they always felt heavier than I was, so I had to drag them along with me whenever I wore them. They were one thing I didn't miss about home. 

Since everyone else would be dressed in robes, Lucifer insisted that I blend in rather than stand out. He dressed me in a golden robe with fur trimming and a pair of white pants. When I glanced in the mirror and played with the fur at the end of the sleeves, I realized that gold was no longer my color.  

Lucifer was thrilled. He seemed to have been waiting forever to dress me. As he was styling my hair, I, at last, saw my reflection. I had changed a lot from the last time I saw myself. Despite being taller and more toned, I felt a little bit skinny. My waist was small and even Lucifer had to have the pants adjusted because they were too big for me. 

My nose was imperious, my angular cheekbones chiseled down to a flinty jaw, and I had thin, arched eyebrows. I thought my eyes looked a bit sad, with the sorrowful appearance of deep, black pools with twirling shadows in them. 

They truly served as windows into my soul.  

My long, jet-black hair was wavy and hung over my shoulder past my neck. Even though he felt it looked great, Lucifer gave it a perm, and it fell just out of my line of sight. However, I didn't mind it. 

I didn't mind anything with Lucifer by my side. Even as we walked over to the hall, with the gazes of the other angels fixed on me. What they thought or said didn't matter to me. I only cared that I was home and I had a brother who cared that I was home. He held my hand and led me into the hall and I took a deep breath. 

The praise event had one purpose- to worship father and so everything had to be flawless. The hall was large with ceilings so high that the seats were divided into eight sections, each one slightly lower than the one before it. With tall golden torches perched above golden flames in each corner, they occupied three out of four white walls. The throne was located on a floating platform at the far end of the hall.  

I swallowed air. My father's throne. 

Five chairs sat around the throne.  

Before, there were six.  

I wasn't surprised.  

"Samael", Lucifer said the doors burst open and all the various angels rushed in haste.

While others flew on their wings, others wandered lazily. I kept my eyes on the door, meeting their gazes, hearing their whispers. 

"Samael, I have to go," Lucifer said and I turned my attention to him.

"What?", I asked. 

"I'll be playing", he said, gesturing toward the band of angels that were already assembling on either side of the throne. 

"Oh right", I murmured, releasing my hold on his hand, "okay."

"I'll come to get you immediately it's over okay?", he grabbed both of my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes, "sit with the angels and don't talk to anyone if you don't want to. Just wait for me" 

I nodded and he smiled, but it didn't meet his eyes. He turned around and stretched his wings before flying toward the band, who all cheered when he landed among them.  

My chest suddenly hurt.  

I was alone.

I turned and moved toward the lowest row of chairs. As I drew closer, several of the angels turned to face me, but I chose to sit in a corner and avoid their eyes.  

I was alone. 

I heard a familiar chuckle and turned to the door. My chest sank when I saw them, Gabriel and Raphael flying in together and ascending to the throne at a high rate of speed. Following behind them were Uriel and Michael whose glare found me as quickly. 

My brothers. They all looked different, and none of them had even noticed me. I wondered if they knew I was here and what they thought. I knew how Michael felt but what about the rest of them?

I raised an eye to the throne. Five seats. How long did it take for mine to be taken down after I left?  

I swallowed air again and cast a glance towards Lucifer. He was fixated on a guitar, peering at the strings and lightly plucking them. In front of him, an angel was waiting, looking intently.  

They were home. Everyone was home. 

It didn't feel that way for me. 

I was alone.