Fallen

Chapter Twelve: Uriel's POV

I watched from the corner of my eye of the two’s display of obvious affection. A twinge of greed tightening my chest. Azrael had found his beloved by falling, while all I found was bitterness and hatred. The human was right, I was the peace keeper, the benevolent one. I was the only one able to reign in Michael’s fury. No one else really tried, afraid of his wrath. Michael had grown hard over the last century, angry. None of us could really understand why. But watching Azrael and the human, I could see why. He was lonely, he wanted a beloved, a life partner, as I once did. It was said that all of us were supposed to share a beloved. Could this be her? Or was Azrael making a mistake? How could we know who was meant for us? Was it possible for me, for the others? Had Azrael really found her?

I thought back over the human woman’s and mine exchange and realized she was right. She could have left me to die, could have harmed me or killed me while I was unconscious with the pain. There was even the possibility she had saved my wings. She did save Azrael’s after all. In fact Azrael looked better than he did before he fell. Brighter, happier. But I could feel the anger rolling off of him the second the sound of the girl’s motorcycle faded into the distance.

“You are not to speak to her in such a manner.” He warned me, his voice angrier and harsher than I’d heard it when directed at me.

“She is human.” I spat, not really understanding my ire.

“That may be so, but she is my human. My beloved, and you are to treat her with the respect any other would have should I have chosen another. She saved not only my life but yours. Look around you Uriel, look at the blood in which you lay. It is yours. You would have died of blood loss should she not have stopped your bleeding. Your wings were held to your back by the smallest bit of muscle. Should we have been in heaven, they would have taken them from you. She put them back, she is trying to make sure you do not lose your wings so you do not lose a piece of yourself.”

Azrael approached me slowly, as if he were approaching a great enemy. “When you fell, she insisted I bring you here and clean you before she arrived. She chose you above herself, and I abided by her wish and left her in the forest to bring you to safety.” He growled, his face hardening into stone. “You speak of betrayal as if you truly know what it is. You know Michael was bound by law to do what he had done. No matter the angel, no matter the rank, none are above the law. You truly have no idea of what this did to him.”

“I know.” I finally said, laying my head against the blood-stained fabric beneath me. “That still does not ease the pain of what was done.”

“No, it does not, and nothing but your will can change that. But when you speak of betrayal before Belle, you truly have no idea of the betrayal she has been through, and yet she still remained pure of heart and soul. She lied to all of the archangels in order to preserve my life, and I’m sure she would do the same for you even after all you have said to her.”

Guilt took root inside me. “Who was it that betray her?” I asked him, curious to what could have happened to her. There truly were so many things. She was human, a small and quite petite one. She was so fragile looking. The thought of that suddeny angered me.

“Her family, all of them, and they done so willingly. Her story is not mine to tell, that is a tale she will need to tell you should she be so inclined to do so.”

“I understand.” I murmured in a low voice. “Is she truly as kind as you say? As giving and selfless? How could a human be so?”

“She is the most selfless human I have seen. Risking her own life to save mine. Healing me and wanting nothing in return. Now healing you in the same way. You should be kind to her and get to know her before you pass judgement. There is more to her than what you see. She’s been deeply wounded. She has mental and emotional guards and walls that are stone with her resolve. She does not like people being close to her.”

“How did you accomplish it?” I asked, truly curious.

“I do not know brother.”

He was telling the truth. He didn’t know, and yet he had managed it. Maybe I could do as she did. Turn my anger into strength. Turn my hurt and bitterness into kindness. I did not like all of the negative feelings that surrounded me. It was heavy, crushing me under the weight. I want the lightness back, the ease and peace that once filled me. Maybe she could help me, maybe she could bring me back to myself.

She was a beautiful human. Her honey-colored hair flowed down her back in waves. Her forest green eyes bright against her milk-colored skin. She was small, but her athletic build told me she had trained tirelessly to attain a level of fitness most humans can not accomplish. And she had been nothing but kind, until I provoked her, even then she was only stern. Nothing cutting or harsh leaving her lips. I could still feel her warmth against my skin when she brushed my hair from my face, her touch gentle, careful. She didn’t want to hurt me further. Azrael was right. She was a unique human, one I was now intent to get to know.

Azrael spent the next hour or more discussing the uprising in heaven, the potential these rouge angels could have of winning. They had caught Azrael off guard, deceived him before they threw him. Then they had cast blame upon me for the act of abandoning my post. Many other angels voguing for the accuser. The many against the one, won. As it always has in heaven. None of us have ever considered that another uprising would occur.

Before too long the sound of the human’s motorcycle was heard approaching the mobile house where the human resided. It was an odd invention, a house on wheels. No matter how odd it was, it seemed to be practical for those who do not wish to stay in one place. This human seemed to be one who did not wish to settle, who wished to be alone. What made her choose Azrael?

At the sound of the girl’s approaching footsteps, Azrael was on his feet and opening the door for her. The smile she had for him was blindingly beautiful, lighting up her face, making her forest eyes glow bright. She truly cared for him, just as he cared for her. But I could still see the guards Azrael spoke of in her eyes. She was afraid Azrael would leave her. I guess me being here did not assuage her fear. If anything it made it grow. Her logic made sense, with me here the thought of an uprising was confirmed. She was afraid Azrael would leave her to go fight the uprising. And she would be right. Other than Michael himself, Azrael was our most powerful and skilled warrior. The thought of her face crumpled in despair at his absence bothered me, though I did not know why.

“I got the supplies we need, but we have to leave again. People are already asking questions about what fell from the sky. Most think it was nothing but a meteoroid. But there are others with suspicions of aliens and such. We can’t be here when they track the trail here. It could put you and Uriel in danger.”

“And what of yourself?” Azrael asked, strain in his voice at her words.

“I am human Azrael; I can do whatever necessary to protect the two of you from them. The most they could do to me is take me to the police station and question me. The two of you however would be a different story. They would do their best to detain you, and with Uriel being hurt it wouldn’t be hard for them to do. They’d use him as leverage to get to you. Uriel may not like me very much, and that’s fine. But I won’t allow you nor him to be harmed.”

“You are too kind, too selfless for your own good. Do you know that?" Azrael asker her, compassion softening his voice in a way I had never heard before.

“Only to those who deserve it. Like I told you before, humans are vile, evil beings. I hate I am apart of them, but I am and there is nothing I can do about it. Now, can you please go and keep an eye on Uriel while I drive? Make sure the moving of the RV doesn’t jostle him too much, please?”

“Of course.”

Next thing I knew Azrael was once again back here with me, while I felt the rumble of the vehicle start and begin to move. I wonder where she was taking us. Not that it mattered at all. As long as my brothers do not know I still live anywhere far away from where I fell would be perfect. I never could have gotten myself far enough away on my own. Was this one tiny human truly capable of keeping two archangels a secret and safe? Could she hide us from our brothers? I knew a pure soul was rare, hardly ever seen, but I could not recall what all they could do for our kind.

“Do not fear brother, she will get us away and out of the way of her kind and ours.”

“That is kind of her.” I was beginning to fade again. The pain and exhaustion weighing down on me like a heavy blanket. Deciding the best thing I could do to help heal myself was to sleep, and so I did.