Fallen

Chapter Seventeen

Uriel and I shared a single glance before he was on his feet running, with me in his arms. When we made it to the RV the world swam around me, I was seeing everything in double. He could have at least warned me he was going to do that. I wasn’t used to moving at the speed of light, like that. Oh, I think I’m going to be sick. I covered my mouth with my hand trying to stop from hurling. After a minute and I felt I was safe, I made my way into the RV. It was a disaster. It looked as if a herd of elephants had stampeded through it. I gaped in disbelief, looking from the mess to the two archangels who were now watching me.

“What did you do to my home?” I asked barely a whisper as I bent over and picked up a piece of what used to be the chair in the main bedroom.

“Your home?” Michael questioned, remorse in his voice.

I looked up to him meeting his blue eyes. “Yes, my home.” I answered, trying and failing to keep the break from entering my voice.

“Belle I apo…”

“Please, don’t.” I interrupted Michael. “Please, just let Azrael heal you the best he can. I’ll.” I looked around the RV sadly. “I’ll deal with this later.”

I turned and squeezed past Uriel and walked away from the RV. They had completely destroyed it. It would need a full remodel or to just be scrapped. And it broke my heart. That was my home, the only place I felt safe, felt like myself. And now, it was just gone. I knew three archangels would be a tight fit, but I never believed they would have a full out brawl inside either. I should have guessed though; Uriel and Azrael didn’t seem to like Michael very much. Sure, Michael was hard, but he was just lost and misunderstood, and no one had ever tried to help him. I felt him before I saw him, and I just sighed. I didn’t expect any of them to come to me so quickly.

“I know you’re there, and I know you didn’t do it intentionally.” I stated without turning around.

“How is it you can feel me, but I am unable to feel you?” he aske coming to sit next to me.

I wrapped my arms around myself and shrugged just as a shiver ran throughout my body. The fall weather was finally becoming crisp, soon the leaves would begin to fall. I couldn’t wait for that, I loved to watch the leaves change. Old life falling, making room for new life. It was an amazing concept.

Without prompting, Michael wrapped one of his wings around me and drew me into his side. He was bigger than Azrael or Uriel and was a lot warmer. He felt as if he were a heater. Somehow though it was comfortable, I couldn’t complain. “Thank you.” I told him, tucking myself deeper into him, letting his body heat and wing block me from the cold.

“I truly am sorry about your home.” Michael looked down at me as he said it.

“I know.” I tilted my head up to look into his blue eyes. “Normally I wouldn’t care. It’s just….It’s what that RV represented for me. Freedom, my own home away from the people who abused and tormented me.” I shuddered again at the memory. “It was my escape. The good thing is, that it is still drivable, it’s just not livable anymore.”

“Uriel and Azrael are attending to the mess so I could come and speak to you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I smiled, before standing and looking down on him. Well, down on his chest. “How are your wounds?” I asked squatting so I was level with his chest. So many scars, so many stories.” I scowled, as I ran my fingers along his scars, new and old. I knew he, like Uriel and Azrael was a warrior, but I still just didn’t like seeing them like this. It just didn’t seem right.

“Scars from many battles.” Michael told me, never making a move to stop my hands from roaming his enormous chest and abdomen.

“I know.” I mumbled, irritated. “But I don’t like it, I don’t like seeing evidence you have been hurt. And seeing you earlier, what they did to you.” My hands stopped moving on his chest, they clenched into fists as I tried to swallow my anger.

“Yes, I am sure that was hard for you.” Michael said genuinely

“Hard for me?” I shook my head my hair falling from the messy bun it was in. “The pain you were in, the devastation I felt and saw on you, the resignment, like you’d already given up.” I opened my eyes and clasped his face between both my hands. “That’s what was hard for me. Not just seeing you like that but feeling it, knowing how it made you feel. Uriel explained this connection between me and all of you, and I accept it fully, and even if you don’t I want you to promise me, I will never feel that from you again. I never want to feel that you’ve given up.” My sadness had entered my voice by the time I was done, and I was honestly tired of trying to hide it from them.

“How could anyone deny you?” Michael asked, his voice and eyes soft and gentle. “I do accept you Belle, fully, forever.” Michael cupped my face, his massive hands swallowing it. “Do you know how long I have searched for a beloved? Someone whom I could connect with as I have done with you?” I shook my head, mesmerized by his eyes and the softness of his voice. “Centuries. You my precious Belle are mine, and I will never let you go.”

Tears fell from my eyes at his confession, and I covered his hands with mine. “I’ll hold you to that Michael. Because once this battle starts in heaven, and I am left here alone, I expect you to come back to me.”

Michael leaned down and pressed his lips to mine gently at first, then harder, more forceful. But I didn’t mind. I met him passion for passion, except mine was a combination of his and mine, making it feel that much more potent. My mind had blanked, nothing other than the way his lips felt on mine echoed through my mind. Michael, the hardened, calloused angel everyone was afraid of, was nothing but a big teddy bear. So much beneath the surface that no one ever cared to look at. When he pulled away, I groaned, making him laugh. “I will always come home to you Belle.”

“Azrael healed you the rest of the way, didn’t he? You’re totally healed?” I knew the answer.

“He did.” Michael nodded, a sadness entering his eyes.

“And you healed him and Uriel the rest of the way?” Again, he nodded. I leaned back onto my legs, bowing my head allowing my hair to hide my face from him. If anyone was watching it would look like I was bowing to him. “You’re all leaving, aren’t you?” It barely came out a whisper, so low I was surprised he even heard me.

“We are.” Michael agreed, dropping to his knees before me and gently lifting my face so I had no choice but to look at him. Tears filled my eyes but I couldn’t help it, my heart was hurting, my chest was squeezing me so tightly it was hard to breathe. “We will come back.” Michael vowed. The determination in his eyes almost made me smile. Almost.

“I hope so.” I murmured. “Do you know how long?”

“I am sorry, Belle.” This time the sorrow entered his own voice. “I do not. Battles in heaven can last hours, sometimes days. But there have been those that last years.”

A gasp left me; my eyes boring into his in disbelief. I couldn’t bring myself to speak, I was lost for words. They may be leaving me for years. Not days, years. No, they couldn’t leave me for that long. Days, weeks I could manage. But not years, I couldn’t handle years. I grasped onto Michael’s hand tight, desperate. No, don’t leave me for that long. I wanted to beg, to plead, but I knew I couldn’t. It would be selfish of me, would cost lives.

“I can feel you now.” Michael told me, moving my hair from my face. “If kissing you was all it took, it would have been the first thing I did.” He told me, before placing his lips back on mine. Tears filled my eyes again, and I kissed him with all the desperation, sorrow and pain I was feeling. I kissed him with an intensity I didn’t know I had. “Please, come back to me.” I whispered, resting my forehead against his, my fingers laced behind his neck.

“I promise you I will.” Michael told me, his voice strong and sure.

My head turned at the sound of footsteps and I saw Azrael approaching, his silver wings seeming to glow under the moonlight. A sob escaped me at the sight of him. Before I knew it I was on my feet and running towards him, throwing myself into his arms. He caught me, his wings caging us in a small world of our own. I caressed his face between my hands, tears freely flowing. “You too. You come back to me too.” I all but begged him, the pleading in my tone impossible to miss.

Azrael skipped words as his mouth descended on mine. His kiss was bruising, but I welcomed it. Azrael picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as I twined mu hands into his holding him to me. I didn’t want to let him go, the thought breaking my heart. My broken sob broke our kiss before I was ready. His silver eyes stared into mine, my own emotions reflected back at me through them.

“Be careful, come back to me. You hear me? You come back to me.” I begged, holding his face between my hands so he had no choice but to look me in the eye.

“I will come back.” Azrael assured me, the agony in his voice breaking me more. He hesitated before putting me down. He gave me one more kiss before unfurling his wings, leaving me exposed once again.

Before I could register anything, Uriel had me in his arms and wrapped in his wings like Azrael did. Uriel though had me in the air from the beginning, and I wrapped my legs around his waist and stared into those blue eyes, I have grown so addicted to.

“No need to ask,” Uriel stated, his voice strong. “I give you my word, I promise you, I will come back. I will hold you like this again.” He pressed his lips to mine. His kiss gentler and more tender than Michael or Azrael’s had been, but was no less passionate. It was just Uriel, gentle, kind. He held me tightly to him, and I could taste his tears as they mingled with my own. I pulled back and wiped his tears from his cheeks. I smiled sadly. Uriel was so kind, how was he going to get through this? Please get through this. I begged silently. “And.” Uriel said, trying to finish his thought from earlier. “When I get back, and I get you in my arms again.” His blue eyes stared deep within mine. “I will love you, worship you. I will be with you in every sense of the word.”

Sparks erupted in me at his words, hope. “I’ll hold you to that Uriel.” I told him, trying to smile. I gave up and kissed him one last time. “I’m going to miss you.” I whimpered.

“And I you my beauty.”

Uriel put me down and unfurled his wings before stepping back and joining his brothers. The three of them standing side by side was intimidating. Or it would be to another person. They looked strong, united like they weren’t just half and hour ago. I stared up at all of them smiling the best I could. “Please be safe.” I pleaded, looking between them. “Look after each other, protect each other. Then come back to me.” They all nodded, resolve covering their features. Without another word they all took off into the sky disappearing beyond the clouds. “Good luck.” I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself and dropping to my knees and sobbed.