War of Wings

Does he deserve to be attacked because he does not understand that God will not see anyone?”
    Kaldezcar took a step back, but he glared at Gabriel when Arrayah turned her head.
    “Come with me, Gabriel,” she said with a wave of her hand as she walked past him. Gabriel returned the glare but immediately turned away to follow Arrayah. As they departed the platform, he saw a seraph at the edge of the crowd looking at him sympathetically. Their eyes met, and she seemed to be looking right through him. He couldn’t interpret that look, and he wondered why she did not have her eyes covered. At any other time, he would have gone over to her, but Arrayah gestured at him impatiently, and he followed her toward the stairs. At the first step, he glanced back at the seraph, and she slowly shook her head as if it was a warning. Gabriel hesitated. “Arrayah, wait.”
    Arrayah paused on the step below and looked up at Gabriel. “What is it?”
    “This seraph,” he said. When he pointed to where the seraph had been, she was gone. “Never mind.” He decided to let it go. “What is going on, Arrayah?”
    “I don’t know exactly. I was also trying to meet with God, but the seraphim wouldn’t let me either. Will you walk down with me?”
    “Yes.” The fact was there was nothing he would rather be doing than walking with Arrayah, regardless of where they were. Who cared what was happening in Heaven? This was what was happening in his world. He was walking with one of the seven virtue angels, and she was genuinely interested in him. Gabriel completely forgot about Michael. He completely forgot his determination to see God.
    “I’m sorry about Michael and me fighting earlier.”
    “Let’s just live in the moment,” she said.
    He loved that answer. Michael didn’t need to even be mentioned. “So, what are you doing up here?”
    She paused before answering. “Things are changing right now, and I’m not sure what exactly is going on. I wanted to speak with God.”
    This surprised him. God had spoken to Michael about him, he had spoken to a seraph, the highest cherub had asked about him, and now the most beautiful of all the hierarchs was walking and talking with him—and she was wondering the same thing he was. This meant it wasn’t all in his head or Michael’s. He felt his stomach flip even as a rush of heat surged into his chest. “What do you mean?”
    “The classes seem to have lost some of their separation and order. I mean, look, here I am a virtue, and you are an angel, and we are having a conversation after trying to get to God’s throne.”
    “Actually, I am an archangel. Not just an angel. I have to tell you.”
    “Oh, my deepest apologies.” She smiled.
    “There’s only seven of us, just like you virtues.” He hoped she would appreciate the similarity of their rarity.
    “Wow. That is so interesting.” Her lips spread into a grin. “Everyone knows that you know.”
    “I was just making sure you knew.”
    Gabriel looked at her constantly. It occurred to him that this might make her uncomfortable, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “I know what you are saying though. I’ve had a few encounters lately that I never thought would happen.”
    “Like what?”
    “I think a seraph is trying to tell me something, and Michael is acting odd. Not to mention earlier today another archangel told me that Lucifer was talking about me.”
    “Is that why you were trying to speak with God?”
    “Yes. I just want answers, but God and I aren’t exactly the closest.”
    “We all have our own relationships to work out with Him.”
    Gabriel looked down, wanting to change the subject.
    “When was the last time you spoke with Michael?” she asked.
    “It’s been a little while. Maybe he is avoiding me.”
    “Over the fight I saw?”
    “Yeah, and he made some strange comments.”
    “What comments?”
    “I probably shouldn’t say.”
    “Trust me.”
    He couldn’t do anything else. “He said that something is