The night air smelled sweet, like flowers and dewy grass. It was the perfect weather for a picnic, with only the faintest scent of autumn lingering in the air.
In the center of the field, a circle of trees cast a canopy over the picnic blanket spread beneath them. In the middle of it sat Gabriel, his eyes fixed on the horizon, his thoughts occupied by the events of the past couple of days. He could still remember vividly the look of utter defeat in Lucifer's eyes when the archangel revealed his identity.
He shook his head slightly, trying to push the memory from his mind. The thought of that traitor, the one who betrayed him so thoroughly, had haunted him ever since. But he refused to let it win; he couldn't afford to think about the betrayal now, not with so much going on in the world a
