War of Wings Page B

Omega?”
    As her words sank in, it felt like that instant just after waking up when harsh reality was still setting in. Had she really just asked that? It took him a minute to respond because he was repeating the question in his head and trying to figure out where it came from. “I don’t understand,” he finally said.
    “I know! It doesn’t make sense if you really think about it. We can’t possibly know if God really is who He says He is. That is all I’m saying.”
    Gabriel knew his confusion showed. He felt stupid and slow, and he could not come up with a decent response. She looked at him hopefully, and he wanted to agree with her just to see her smile, but he couldn’t bring himself to. They crossed to the gates in silence. Her eager expression wavered but remained.
    They finally said their goodbyes. Gabriel felt he was grasping for the right words, strong and convincing words, but none were in reach. He had to see her again so that he could say some of these things he wanted to if he could only muster the courage when the time came.
    He watched her turn and leap into the air, her pure-white wings unfurling and beating hard. She soared over the edge before drifting down the mountainside. Her wings rose and fell gently as if they were caressing the air as she fell.
    It was then that he remembered what the seraph had said. Angels would forget that God was holy. He recalled Michael’s warning—angels falling, angels burning. Arrayah could not be a part of that though. She was something different. She smelled like lavender after a rainy day. And those eyes.
    Gabriel tore his gaze away from her dwindling form. He knew he should find Michael right away and talk to him alone. But all of this felt too overwhelming, and if he rushed to find Michael, it would only acknowledge that something serious was happening. If he waited until the next day, perhaps Arrayah could join him. He really wanted Michael to meet her—and after all, it was just one more day.

L ucifer remained on Terra. He had sent Saraquel to recruit his closest friends and the other six archangels. It was a start for his new apprentice. In the meantime, Lucifer continued to indulge his fresh appetite for destruction. When Thyaterra found him in his new domain, the shock on her face as she landed was clear. Lucifer looked around himself and took in the extent of the damage. Trees lay uprooted for hundreds of miles, and dirt, rocks, and dead plants were scattered throughout the vast plains. They were empty now—a huge perimeter around Lucifer was completely void of life.
    “Lucifer!”
    “I told you not to follow me.”
    “I didn’t. I waited for you to come back, but I only saw Saraquel. He told me where to find you.”
    He actually wanted to see Thyaterra, so for once he was glad that Saraquel was weak. Her life force was so strong that he could feel it immediately. She was pulsing with it. Why had he not noticed it before? The urge to grab her by the neck was almost unbearable. “I didn’t want you to see it like this, but this is all for you. I have named this place Terra after you.”
    “This is not yours to name. I came here to draw a line with you.”
    “What are you saying?”
    “I will not stand by your side and watch you turn your back on our Father. If that is the path you choose, I will no longer be a part of your life.”
    He could feel his hair standing up, or maybe it was growing. Whatever it was doing, he couldn’t control it. Anger, powerful and unrestrained, was filling his veins.
    “I don’t know what is happening with you, Lucifer, but it is not something I feel strong enough to be able to handle alone. If you do not come back to us, then I will no longer come near you.”
    He fought to remain composed, but his voice sounded like a growl even in his own ears. “You don’t understand what I have seen.”
    “I don’t care what you’ve seen. You are becoming unstable. You are deceiving yourself and believing your own