"Annihilation, Chapter 25" by Jane Lebak

Chapter 25

Gabriel crouched by Israfel's bedside as she awoke.

Ophaniel threw himself over her, tangling his wings in hers, hugging her with an unCherubic desperation as she sighed. Gabriel could feel her drawing strength from Ophaniel, so he offered his own even as Zophiel offered hers.

She raised her head, taking in the wide windows, the bead curtains, the bird-filled trees and the crystalline sky, and finally the bare wooden walls and floors. "I'm home?"

Ophaniel only held her tighter.

They were in Uriel's bungalow again, a place Gabriel would gladly avoid for the rest of eternity if it meant everyone remained intact. While Israfel sat with Ophaniel, Gabriel probed into her heart, avoiding direct contact with her frayed heartstrings. "Stay still a moment." Without fanfare, he hooked the healed pressure points back together so quickly that Israfel didn't get a chance to do more than rattle the windows.

"Thank you." She looked at all three Cherubim, then took Gabriel's hand. "I was so scared he was going to take down both of us."

Gabriel squeezed her fingers. "It was a near thing, but we're both safe."

She shook her head. "You look awful."

"Thanks." He grinned. "It's not real. Remiel has dibs on the cape, though."

Israfel frowned. "Surely she can't wear it all the time."

Ophaniel made room for Gabriel to shift closer to the bedside.

"There's one more thing." Gabriel felt his cheeks go hot. "If you can try to hold still, I'm not sure if this is going to hurt, but it should be quick."

She recoiled. "What are you doing?"

"We re-bonded." His gaze dropped. "I needed your energy to defeat Satan, but I can break it for you now."

Israfel's spirit armored against him.

Gabriel felt Ophaniel brush his wingtips against his legs where Israfel couldn't see.

Gabriel forced himself to look into her eyes, into a blueness he wouldn't be able to plumb a few minutes from now. "God's going to require the knowledge back soon. I won't get another chance. You'll be stuck with me again."

She squeezed his hand so tight it hurt. "Then we'll just have to try harder to be present to one another, won't we?"

Gabriel trembled. "Breaking it now wouldn't preclude re-bonding at a later time, when you're more sure."

"I'm sure."

A flash of silver crossed his eyes. "Do you think you'll be up for trick-or-treating in a couple of weeks?"

She snickered. "Only if I get to wear that cape."

Releasing her hand, Gabriel unfastened the neck only to realize there were too many clasps to do this gracefully. Instead he flashed himself out of it, catching the cloth before it rippled to the floor. "Deal. Remiel can wait."

Raphael flashed into the room, beaming broadly. "It's checkup time. Everyone out but Israfel."

The three Cherubim flashed away to their choir loft, the third ring back from the throne after the Seven and the Seraphim.

Ophaniel said, "You're aware that if you hurt her again, I'll happily beat you half to death?"

"Please do." Gabriel bit his lip. "She deserves better."

Zophiel said, "Are you really going to surrender the knowledge?"

"I'm not sure I have a choice."

Ophaniel said, "Only Satan will have it? Is that really in our best interests?"

"The details blur after a certain point," Gabriel said, "but I think God stepped in and took it from him."

"This stinks," Ophaniel said. "I don't like a mystery."

"Mephistopheles figured it out." Gabriel's eyes glowed black. "Surely he's not that much smarter than you."

Ophaniel and Zophiel snickered. "Plus, we can cooperate."

"Maybe after the fifteenth time God removes the knowledge from us, he'll get tired of doing it," Zophiel said, and they all laughed.

An Angel appeared before them, then turned to Gabriel.

"It's my turn?"

The other two Cherubim projected reassurance and condolences. Gabriel went with the Angel.

Together they flashed to the throne, and the Angel departed with a bow.

Gabriel knelt. "My Lord. My God."

"My strength," said God.

Gabriel prostrated himself and presented himself properly, and God gave his approval.

He stood again, regarding God face to Face. "May I ask a few questions?"

"Certainly."

"Will Israfel recover fully?"

"She will."

He let out a long breath. "Thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done it alone." His fists tightened. "Will Satan ever attempt it again?"

"I removed the knowledge from him," God said. "None of them have it now. The one who learned it the first time is too unwilling to study the matter again, and the others don't have the same ability to reverse-engineer the soul."

Gabriel waited.

"There will never be another annihilation." God sounded amused. "You wanted me to spell it out."

Gabriel's eyes flashed, but he looked aside. "Did you take the knowledge from Satan after you assumed control in the lab area?" When God assented, he rubbed his chin. "That feels odd. I'm supposed to impart knowledge, not obliterate it."

"Education had no effect."

"I trust you," Gabriel said. "Removing knowledge is a first for me. I functioned as an antiCherub."

God chuckled.

Black-eyed and hopeful, Gabriel looked up. "Father, are you pleased with me?"

God made it known in Gabriel's heart how very pleased he was. Ducking his head, Gabriel grinned.

Jesus appeared before Gabriel and took his hands. "You did everything I wanted. Thank you."

Even as Gabriel shivered, Jesus turned his armor from black to grey, and then the armor vanished entirely to be replaced by jeans and a sweater. His touch on Gabriel's eyes returned them to grey, then changed his skin and hair to their normal color as well.

Gabriel trembled.

Jesus held him at arm's length. "Are you ready?"

"No." Gabriel's hands knotted. "Please let me keep it. I'm not going to abuse the knowledge. I won't even admit to still retaining it."

Jesus shook his head.

"We had that whole conversation," Gabriel whispered. "I don't want to forget that too. Please don't leave me an antiCherub."

"You're fully a Cherub." He gestured that Gabriel should kneel. "But there are some things even Cherubim need to forget."

He rested his hands on Gabriel's head and then pushed his fingers up beneath his hair.

What if you only took part of it? Gabriel sent.

"Then you'd piece it all back together and you'd have to go through this again," Jesus said. "Remember your words to Mephistopheles? Consider me as saving you the trouble of being either beaten or seduced. Satan's not going to leave you alone if he thinks you still have it, so you can't."

"Afterward?" Gabriel said, fists clenched. "Maybe then?"

"No promises, Gabri'li." Jesus ran a finger along some strands of Gabriel's hair, tracing down his forehead and over his eyebrows. "Relax."

Gabriel tilted up his face to look Jesus in the eyes, and Jesus brushed the tears from his cheeks. "It's done."

With Gabriel shaking all over, Jesus crouched and kissed him on the forehead.

When Gabriel was ready, Jesus had him stand, then called for Raphael and Israfel. Raphael held Gabriel while Jesus took the memory from Israfel of how Satan had manipulated her soul. She didn't object.

"Now," he said, facing the three of them, "what's this about a fun bet?"

Gabriel and Raphael grinned simultaneously.

"You're both crazy," he said with a laugh. "Gabri'li, go blow something up, will you? For the only time in Eternity, you've got more power than Lucifer at his peak. Don't wear it down. Spend it all at once."

Israfel and Raphael both ignited.

"I know just the thing!" Israfel stood on her toes, her wings spread. "There's a star nursery four billion light years from Earth that hasn't turned out a decent star in millennia."

Raphael gasped. "That's perfect!"

Gabriel folded his arms and glared at Jesus sidelong. "Thanks."

"And Rapha'li," Jesus said, but Raphael interrupted, "I know—get him the stupid root beer float."

"Get it?" Gabriel said. "You have to make it! There's a microbrew root beer they sell in New England called Virgil's, and a place called 'Promised Land' in Texas that makes the best vanilla ice cream on Earth."

Raphael glared at him while Israfel choked on laughter.

"The glass has to be ice-cold," Gabriel said, ticking off the points on his fingers, "with a little chocolate syrup around the inside rim. You pack three scoops into the bottom—"

Raphael said, "You have got to be kidding me!"

"Of course I'm kidding!" Gabriel gave him a shove. "Take-out from Friendly's is fine."

Jesus said, "Oh, and Zadkiel wants to borrow the cloak after Israfel and Remiel are done with it."

"Zophiel wants it too," said Israfel.

Gabriel sighed. "I'm never getting it back, am I?"

"Eternity is a long time," Jesus said. "You'll get it back. But I suggest you start a sign-up sheet."

Israfel escorted Gabriel to the star nursery where they located a spot with two brown dwarfs in close proximity. Raphael excused himself while Israfel selected an ideal vantage point to view the show.

Michael appeared, his signature suppressed. "Gabriel doesn't want an audience, does he?" When Israfel nodded, he said, "So don't mention I'm here." As she snickered, Michael added, "And if Gabriel asks, Remiel is not also watching from other there. With a video camera."

"Gabriel just signaled," Israfel said. "Where's Raphael?"

"Right here." He reappeared, holding a tall mug. "I hope this is cold enough for him."

"Absolute zero should suffice under most definitions of cold." Israfel smiled. "No take-out?"

"He nearly died, and then he saved your life." Raphael tossed the mug from one hand to the other. "The least I can do is procure some chocolate syrup."

"Second signal," both Seraphim said (with Israfel bouncing in place, hands clasped together).

The nebula flared with a white light, followed by an afterglow that shimmered on all the stardust and gaseous matter as it swirled around the gravity wells. Raphael whooped, followed by a deep awe that rolled from the depths of his heart. Next a visible chain reaction as a brown dwarf tripled in size, trembled, and collapsed on itself; it ejected matter that reflected light in every frequency of the spectrum.

"Oh," Israfel murmured. "My God."

As the glow waned, the show repeated with a second brown dwarf in the same cluster.

How many is he going to do? Remiel sent.

I told him to do at least three deep discharges. Raphael's thoughts sounded faint, so much of him was absorbed in the light show. The rapid recovery afterward will rebuild substance in him.

Does it work? asked Remiel.

It's efficient, Raphael sent, but I don't mind the side effects, either.

With that, a third star ignited, and everyone applauded.

Gabriel flashed to them, shaking, breath heavy, but with pink cheeks and bright eyes.

Coming up close, Raphael inspected him. "How do you feel?"

"Pretty good," he managed between gasps. "You're right. I don't get to do that very often." He looked up to spot Michael, then Remiel. "You didn't videotape that, did you?"

"It's content for my website," she said, the camera still rolling. "I was just thinking it's too bad I don't have a rusted pickup with a gun rack and a six pack."

"You're a lunatic," he said. "Quote me on that." Then he looked at Israfel. "Was that worth the price of admission?"

She smiled. "I think so."

"Come on." Raphael tossed him the mug. "I owe you a root beer float."

"Not yet." Gabriel gazed on the lighted nebula. "I want to watch it burn for a while. It's beautiful in its own way, how it's going to reform eventually and not just be snuffed out."

Jane Lebak wrote her first book at age three, in magenta crayon, on green-bar computer paper. Her writing has improved since 1975, but the passion remains.

Jane's first accepted novel was signed by Thomas Nelson in 1993 when she was 20 years old, enrolled in the English and Religious Studies programs at Cornell University. The Guardian, a fantasy about angels, was published under the name Jane Hamilton the next year when she was enrolled in an MA writing program at SUNY Brockport. It sold 23,000 copies plus 5,000 copies of a Crossings Book Club edition, before being declared out of print.

Jane got married in 1995 and delayed her publication goals to begin her family, but she never stopped writing. She has had short fiction published in Catfantastic IV, Dragons, Knights and Angels, The Sword Review, and Liguorian Magazine, among others, and nonfiction published in Chicken Soup For The Cat Lover's Soul, Holding Hands With God, Byline, Celebrate Life Magazine, Mothering Magazine, and several more. Numerous humor pieces have appeared in The Wittenburg Door and in The Compleat Mother. Although Thomas Nelson insisted she change her maiden name, she now publishes under her married name.

For more information visit < www.mindflights.com >. The above items appear as part of Volume 1, 2008, Issue 1.

MindFlights is a publication of Double-Edged Publishing, Inc., a nonprofit corporation designated as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Double-Edged Publishing believes the written word is a powerful tool, capable of shaping ideas and changing lives.

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Seven Archangels: Annihilation

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