When Angels Fall (34 page)

“They estimate that some of the large stones at Pumapunku weigh over 130 tons,” she said. “You can really lift that kind of weight?”

Gabriel sighed,
“You’re not going to go to sleep, are you?”

“It doesn’t look like it,” Dani said. “Not anytime soon, anyway.”

“Come
with me and I’ll show you some
thing.”

2.

Gabriel grabbed his sword and led her outside and around the back of the house. There was a huge stone at the back of the property. It stood taller than her and was at least three feet thick
and
four feet
wide.

“This stone weighs approximately ten tons,” he said. “Do you agree?”

She looked at the stone in the bright moonlight and nodded her head, “At least.”

“Do you want to try to move it?” he asked with a grin.

She pushed against the large rock, putting all of her weight into it, but it didn’t move. She’d never really expected it to.

“I could push and shove on it day in and day out until the end of time
,
and I’d never budge it even a fraction of an inch.”

“Of course
you
wouldn’t be able to move it,” he said.

“Oh,
snap
,” she said.

“Don’t take it wrong, but you
are
only human.”

“
Snap, again!”
she taunted. “All right, big boy. Let’s see what
you’ve
got.”

He wink
ed at her and said, “Watch this, love.
”

He put his hands against the stone and held them still. She thought he was preparing himself to push the large rock, but she was wrong. Without him applying any pressure that she could see, the stone started to lift from the ground.

When it was about two feet in the air, Gabriel remov
ed his hands from the stone. Dani
jumped back to get out of the way of its crashing weight, but it didn’t fall…it floated.

“
Now
move the stone,” he said.

“Are you sure…?”

“Go ahead,” he urged. “Give it a push.”

She stepped forward and gave the stone a tiny shove. She was amazed when it floated away from her.

She looked at Gabriel, “That’s incredible.”

“It’s how all the
stones at Pumapunku were moved.”

“How did you carve them?” she asked, though she knew it had something to do with his sword. “They were precision perfect.”

Gabriel set the stone back on the ground, “Like this.”

He touched the sword to the granite; it melted through it like the stone was made of butter, leaving a crisp clean edge on the stone.

“That’s amazing,” she said. “Why doesn’t your sword cut through the floor when you put it down?”

“Because I don’t
will
it to,” he said. “My sword obeys my command. It does
only what I want
it to do.”

“Did you also build the Great Pyramids of Giza?”

“No,” he laughed. “That would be the Egyptians. Not every wonder of the Earth was created by divine power.”

He held out his sword again and carved symbols into the stone. Dani had no idea what the carvings meant, but found the inscr
ibing very interesting. It almost looked like sand script:

  ۼڵ
ۼڞ
ۼ
ط
 
ق۳
ٿ
ك

“What is that?”

“The written language of angels,” he said.

“What does it mean?”

“
Here shall no mere man tread,
” he said. “It was carved into one of the stones at Pumapunku to
keep out the unworthy.”

“They knew how to read the
written language of angels
?”

“No, of course not,” he said. “The words have power of their own. To be around them and not be worthy of the word of God would make a human feel unclean.”

“What happened if the words didn’t ward them off and they crossed into Pumapunku anyway?”

“I would smite them and send them to Tartarus.”

“You’ve killed a lot of people in your life, haven’t you?”

“More than you could ever imagine,” he said. “Some of them by choice, some by order, but all equally dead.”

“And it doesn’t bother you that you’ve taken so many human lives?”

“No,” he confirmed. “I have never smote anyone that was undeserving of my wrath.”

Dani giggled, “Unless they vexed you.”

“If someone
vexed
me
,
and I smite them it is because they have drawn my unwanted attention to the state of their soul,” he smiled. “I have never felt any guilt for what I do. I am what I was
created
to be.”

Dani yawned again.

“Back to bed with you,” he said. “It’s time for you to rest.”

3.

Gabriel was not in the bedroom with her when Dani woke up the next morning. She went downstairs to look for him, but only found Michael. He was standing in the living room staring out the window into the front yard.

“What are you doing?”

Michael looked over his shoulder at her, “Looking at Gabriel.”

She walked over and looked out of the window. Gabriel was on his
knees in the yard with his face
raised to the sky.

“What is
he
doing
?”

“If I had to hazard a guess?” he asked. “I would say that he’s praying.”

“If that’s all he’s doing then why do you look so worried? Surely you’ve seen him pray before.”

“No, never,” Michael said. “For him to be praying now tells me that
Gabriel’s
worried.”

“You can’t know that for sure,” she said. “Maybe he’s just praying to pray. He
is
still an angel.”

“Gabriel
hasn’t spoken to our Father since he was banished from Heaven,” Michael said. “He’s never even made an attempt to seek an audience with God since then. For him to try to talk to our Father now…I’m telling you, he’s worried.”

“Will God talk to Gabriel?”

“No, and Gabriel knows that. He’s not trying to get our Father to
talk
to him; just to
listen
to him.”

“Listen to him about what?”

Michael looked back out of the window at Gabriel, “I wish I knew.”

“Can I talk to you a minute, Michael?”

“Sure.”

“Without you telling Gabriel?”

Michael gave her a suspicious look, but said, “Alright.”

“I just have a couple of questions,” she said. “What would happen if I take my own life before Lucifer has the chance to rise?”

“Dani!” Michael said shocked. “Don’t even think…”

“What would happen?”

“Lucifer would win by default and coll
ect your soul. Humanity would
die off completely in less than
a
hundred years; pain filled
,
terrifying
years, and demons would take over the Earth.”

Dani nodded, “But Gabriel would live, right?”

“Yes, he would live, but he wouldn’t
want
to,” Michaels said. “He would’ve failed in the mission that God had given him, cost
humanity its rein on Earth, s
uffer the loss of the woman
he loves, and still not be able to return to Heaven. He wouldn’t
want
to l
ive anymore, Dani.
Life would only be a punishment after that.”

“But…”

“No, Dani,” Michael ordered. “Don’t even think about it. I know you’re thinking you can save Gabriel by taking you
r
own life, but try having a little faith in Gabriel instead. He
will
defeat Lucifer.”

“Okay, I won’t do that,” she p
romised. “The next thing isn’t really
question, it’s more of a favor; one I want you to do for me.”

“Okay,” Michael said, looking relieved. “What is it?”

“Will you be at the battle when Gabriel and Lucifer come face to face?”

“I’ll be there,” he said. “Why? What do you want me to do?”

“If it looks like; even for a second, that Gabriel is going
to lose, I want you to kill me.
”

Michael turned his head away, “No.”

“Please, Michael,” she begged.

“No, it would serve no purpose,” Michael said firmly. “If Gabriel loses then Lucifer will get you
r
soul whether I kill you or not.”

“But he
wouldn’t
get my body,” she said. “I don’t want to go through anymore pain than I absolutely have to. I know that sounds cowardly, but I don’t care.”

Michael shook his head, “The amount of pain you would suffer at Lucifer’s hands while here on Earth would be minuscule compared to what would await you in Hell.”

“I don’t want
any
pain, Michael. I don’t deserve it,” she pleaded. “Like you said, it wouldn’t matter if you killed me or not at that point, so please do it.”

Michael
stared at her but
finally nodded his head, “If that’s what you want, then I’ll do it, But do
not
tell Gabriel
about our agreement or I won’t be
alive
to help you.”

“Okay. Thank you, Michael,” she s
aid and they both looked back out
the window at Gabriel.

4.

Gabriel couldn’t believe he was doing this. He had never prayed before in his life; he’d never had a need to, but he was willing to give it a shot now:

Father, please here my words. I know You’re angry at me, but I beg
of You, please don’
t take out Your anger at me on Dani. Let her live after the coming battle. I know I have wronged You and I accept what has to now be; I accept my death as the price that must be
paid for my love of her, but Dani
is good. She didn’t do anything to deserve Your punishment.

Please let me survive long enough to defeat Lucifer and ensure Dani the long life that she so
truly
deserves. Oh Father, I beg this in Your name. Amen.

Gabriel repeated the prayer over and over in his head; hoping desperately that God was listening, and then rose to his feet. He wasn’t surprised to see both Michael and Dani staring at him.

“Did it work?” Michael asked him when Gabriel stepped through the door.

Gabriel shrugged and walked over to give Dani a kiss, “Good morning. I was expecting you to sleep longer than this.”

She put her arms around his waist, “I’ve slept enough.”

Gabriel wrenched his head around and looked toward the front of the house. Michael turned his head at the same time to look out of the window.

“Did you summon an angel?’ Michael asked Gabriel.

Gabriel shook his head, “No, I didn’t.”

“Well you got one anyway.”

Gabriel had had enough of angel interference. He threw open the front door and strolled out onto the porch.

He was surprised by
which
angel waiting in the grass, “Jehoel, to what do we owe the honor of your presence?”

“You kn
ow what I’m here to do, Gabriel,
” Jehoel said. “Let me do my job.”

“Walk away while you still can, Jehoel,” Gabriel warned.

Jehoel shook his head. “I have my orders.”

“Orders from
whom
, exactly?” Gabriel asked.

Jehoel laughed “Are you afraid, Gabriel? Surely everything before you is real.
Surely
she’s not just infatuated. Surely
you’re
not.”

Gabriel glared at Jehoel, “Do your worst, but know that when all of this is over, I
will
be coming to deal with you.”

Jehoel sneered
at Gabriel
, “I think we all know that what happens after
Lucifer rises
is a non-issue for you, because you won’t be around to
deal
with anyone.”

“He won’t have to be, beca
use I’m going to kill you long
before that. You can believe that, Jehoel,” Michael snapped.