Divinity (31 page)

“…protect her!” Gabriel’s voice rang in her ears.

“…human experience.” A voice she didn’t recognize.

“You have failed.” Michael’s voice, angry. “…grave danger…one left…”

Julia could only hear bits and pieces, and nothing made sense. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed the noise to stop. She raised her fingers to her temples and rubbed small circles while she collected herself.

-
Why didn’t you tell me?
- Julia asked, turning to face Michael. Maybe he wasn’t any better than Gabriel after all, with all his secrets and unanswered questions.

-
I didn’t know until I saw you make that call
.- He shook his head, his form becoming solid again. -
We’ve been here for millennia, but there has been such rapid change that we forget what humans can do. We think the other side of the world is safe enough, that two paths will never cross. It’s my own failing. I should have foreseen this
.-

-
You separated us…on purpose?
- Julia stopped her surge of anger and took a deep breath. She thought about the woman with the black eye. -
Sorry. It’s a lot to take in
.-

-
Yes
.- Michael bowed his head for a moment, then lifted it, returning her steady gaze.

Julia started the car, a plume of dust kicking up as the tires spun out gravel. With a chirp, the car moved onto the asphalt, speeding toward her new home. Julia turned over many thoughts in the next few moments of silence, making an effort to mask her mind. She wasn’t certain she knew how, but it seemed to be working. Or at least, Michael wasn’t reacting to any of her wild imaginings.

She examined the things she had heard from the angel chatter earlier, trying to pull information from them. She wondered why they would be separated, and then remembered Michael saying that it was dangerous for them to be in the same place. If angels could be bad, maybe they had killed Charlie. No, she knew it was the husband. That malicious drunk who found every opportunity he could to hurt her. Sweet, beautiful Charlie, whom Julia had never had the chance to meet face to face.

Julia pulled into the drive at the house and parked. -
Michael?
-

-
Yes?
-

-
How does it work? When you and I talk like this, can the other angels hear?
-

Michael arched an eyebrow, studying her. -
No. We are focused on each other. The other angels only hear the conversations that are directed at them
.-

-
But you can have more than one conversation at a time?
-Julia asked, though her tone made it clear it wasn’t a question.

-
Yes
.- Michael said. -
I am the only one. I have the ability to be everywhere. Hear everything
.-

Julia nodded, pensive. Still tightly concealing her thoughts, she tried to push away the budding idea that perhaps Michael wasn’t the only one.

-
I don’t understand, Michael. If no one else can hear us, why did you say you would come for me tonight? Why not just say what you were going to say?
-

-
Better to be safe with some subjects,
- Michael said. -
We were in a dangerous place and needed to focus. I was going to tell you about Charlie, and make certain you knew you had to stop speaking with her
.-

-
Well,
- Julia said, the grief returning to her voice, -
someone else made certain of that, didn’t they?
-

Raphael approached Gabriel, and though her head was held high, her wings drooped with exhaustion. Her long, raven hair fell about her shoulders beautifully, but lacked its usual luster.

“Gabriel,” she said with a nod.

“Raphael.” He took a deep breath. “I am sorry, Sister.”

She waved a hand, dismissing his worry. “I am fine, Gabriel. The tsunami gave me one thousand fresh souls. I am training them to heal. They are all eager to help with the survivors.”

“Is there anything I can do to assist the survivors?”

“There is always a need for miracles. But you do not have the time.” Raphael reached out and touched Gabriel’s hand. “Do not punish yourself. Remember that the outpouring of the good in people will help the others to pull through. It is not as though you could have done it any differently.”

Gabriel hung his head. “True. But such a cost.”

“Like I said, I have many in training to help.”

“Training takes its toll, too.” Gabriel studied her face. “You should have one of them heal you.”

“It is my burden to bear, Gabriel, and I bear it gladly.”

Gabriel graced her with a fond smile and bowed his head. He had begun to lift it when he felt the Child die. His head snapped up as his fierce eyes sought his daughter in the scene below. He relaxed marginally when he found her, safely in her car with Michael.

“We lost one,” Raphael said, her words weighed down with sadness.

Gabriel spun, his wings tensing, and found himself eye to eye with Ariel. “I sent you to protect her!”

“Her husband killed her. As I stepped in the door, he crushed her.” Ariel shrugged.

“Protect her! Not watch her die!” Gabriel’s rage shook his entire being. Raphael laid a soft hand upon his arm.

“Please, Brother. Even with a thousand healers I cannot keep up with another storm of that magnitude.” Raphael’s voice was soothing yet pleading. She quietly added, “Zachariah will be devastated.”

Gabriel checked his anger and fixed Ariel with a glare that would have made a human soil his clothing.

“I was told to protect her from other sources, not from the human experience.” Ariel furrowed his brow “We are not supposed to interfere with what they do to each other.”

Gabriel felt Raphael give his arm a light squeeze. He exhaled heavily. “There are exceptions, Ariel. You know this. You know how important she was.”

Ariel lowered his head and folded his hands together.

Michael appeared before Ariel, his wings extended halfway. “You have failed.”

“Yes.”

“You will go with Raphael. Assist her with her new healers.”

Ariel’s wings sagged. “Yes, Brother.”

Michael caught Raphael’s eye. -
Watch him closely for me, Sister. Something isn’t right here
.-

-
I feel it, too, Michael
.- Raphael released Gabriel’s arm. “Let’s go then, Ariel.”

As soon as they were gone, Michael spoke to Gabriel. “She is in grave danger now. Now she is the only one capable of acting.”

“Yes.”

Michael vanished, but his voice lingered in Gabriel’s ears. -
She must not fail
.-

Gabriel looked down, viewing Michael and the girl on the Earth plane. -
We will all do everything we can, Brother
.-

-
It will become increasingly difficult, not only because of them, but because of her,
- Michael said, his voice distant.

-
What makes you say that?
- Gabriel asked.

-
I believe she has learned how to shield her thoughts
.-

XXXII

“I love this place so much, Isabel.” Julia squeezed her cell phone between her shoulder and her ear as she stirred her pasta sauce on the stove. “Everything about it. I’ve decided to sell my townhouse.”

“I’m happy to hear that, Julia,” Mrs. Williams said. “I would like to come visit you next week. Are you free?”

“I’d love to see you. Just tell me when, and I’ll make it happen.” Julia surprised herself with the truth of that statement. Charlie had been gone for a month now, and as much as Julia enjoyed learning about her angel half, she dearly missed human companionship.

“Next Thursday? We can have lunch. I’ll arrive at noon.”

“Sounds perfect,” Julia said, setting her spoon down on the counter. “I’ll see you then.”

“Of course, dear.”

When Julia hung up, she wondered what Mrs. Williams was up to. She had never invited herself over before, but then, Julia hadn’t lived in her dead son’s house before. The way she brought up the time and date made Julia think it was all planned out in advance. She gave her sauce another stir.

“Do you always look for motive?” Michael’s voice split the silence.

Julia spun around to face him, a trail of bright red sauce spraying off the end of her wooden spoon and landing on the tiles with a splat. Her eyes followed the slop and she thought about using energy to clean up the mess.

“Paper towels were made for that sort of thing,” Michael admonished, but not without a hint of humor to his tone.

Julia laughed sheepishly. “I wasn’t going to try, Michael. It was just a fleeting thought.” She tore a sheet from the roll on the counter.

She turned and looked at Michael more closely. He was semi-transparent.

“So, do you?” he asked.

“Do I what?” Julia spoke, seconds before she realized what he meant. “No. I don’t always think there are ulterior motives. Isabel seemed a bit too prepared to name the time and date. It made me think…”

Michael interrupted Julia. “I wasn’t serious, girl.”

“Oh.” She really needed to figure out his sense of humor. The pot of pasta had finished and started to boil over, so she quickly took it off the burner and poured it into the colander she had waiting in the sink. “Michael?”

“No, I don’t eat.”

“No eating, drinking, sleeping, physical contact. What can you do?” She put together a plate for herself, poured a glass of red wine, and sat at the table. “Can you sit with me while I eat?”

Michael didn’t sit in the chair opposite her—rather, he appeared there, hands folded neatly on his lap. “I
can
do all of those things, girl. It simply isn’t necessary, so I don’t.”

Julia twirled up a fork full of noodles using a spoon as a backstop. “Why didn’t you father any of the Twelve, Michael? It seems to me if you are the most powerful Archangel, you would be the best candidate for the…” Julia’s cheeks reddened and she cleared her throat, “…position.”

Michael studied Julia for several minutes while she ate. After every bite, she would dab the corners of her mouth with her napkin and flick her eyes between her plate and his face, awaiting a response.

Finally, he said, “I did father a child.”

“Oh?”

“Many years ago. He was not well received.”

“You can’t try again?” Julia asked, setting her fork down.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea at this time,” Michael answered, his eyes swirling darkly. An instant passed and his face lost all serious edges and broke into a large smile. “Unless… Is that an offer?”

Julia sputtered into her wine glass, her face matching its contents. Michael threw his head back with a long, hearty laugh.

Julia pushed her chair away and cleared the table. She was so flustered she almost put her dirty plate in the fridge. “Very funny,” she muttered, willing her cheeks back to a normal color.

The wolf she’d heard before seemed to stay close to the cottage, howling once or twice each night. Julia had seen its tracks in the dirt under her windows, but had a deep sense that the wolf wasn’t a threat to her. There was something…familiar about its sound. She’d taken to calling it Charlie, though she’d never seen it face to face.

The goose-down pillow cradled Julia’s head as the comforter surrounded her and lulled her into a deep sleep. She found herself standing in a field of summer grass, waving like the ocean in the breeze. She inhaled the sweet smell, turned, and found herself at the bottom of the rainbow bridge.

I must be dreaming
, she thought. Julia usually recognized her dream-state immediately and had control of almost everything in her dreams once she realized where she was. She looked up the length of the bridge and decided against it. She stepped around it and sauntered easily through the field. The long blades of grass whipped against her legs as she walked past. With a quick thought and the slightest motion of her fingers, the grass parted for her, making a long and winding path through the field.

I wonder why I’m here
. Julia walked along casually, running her hands along the soft tops of the grass and enjoying the feel of the sunshine on her skin.
Maybe I should try a few things
.

Even as the thought occurred to her, wings sprouted from her back, full and white. They were twice her size, yet weightless. She slowly stretched them open, instinctively raising her arms out to the side in tandem.