Before the Fall by L.G. Castillo Page A

It was an unspoken rule between them that they would never speak of death. It was something that was unbearable for him to even think of. He knew that someday she would die and when she did, she would leave to the part of Heaven where only humans crossed over—the archangels lived elsewhere along with the seraphs and guardians.
    “Rebecca,” he croaked. “You mustn’t speak of such things. You have years, decades before . . . that happens.”
    She shook her head. “We must, Raphael. Please. It would bring me great comfort, knowing that Jeremiel will be with you. He will, won’t he?”
    “I know not.” All he knew was that Jeremiel had superior strength, hearing, and sight. He didn’t know if being half angel came with immortality.
    “Can you . . . is there someone you can ask?”
    Raphael sighed as he thought of Gabrielle. If there was anyone who could convince Michael to allow his half-angel son to live with the other angels, it would be her.
    “Yes. There is.” He took her in his arms. “I promise when the time comes. I will ask for him . . . and for you.”
    “No, don’t. I am not worthy. Jeremiel is one of you. Just promise me for him.”
    “I promise.”
    “That’s all I ask.” She leaned forward, placing her warm lips over his.
    Raphael pulled her into his arms. Her scent filled his senses and he forgot all about death, Lucifer, Baka. There was only her with him. Together. And in the warm evening with only the stars as witness, he showed her how much he loved her.

7
    A fter Rebecca kissed Raphael and her son good-bye, she went through the house and gathered what she needed for her daily trip to Ai’s water well. Humming, she left the house with a water jar placed carefully on her head.
    With Lucifer gone, a weight was lifted from her. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was that made her nervous around him. When she first met him, she had thought he would be humble and sweet like Raphael. They both had the same unearthly beauty that she guessed most angels had. Lucifer’s dark looks were just as attractive as Raphael’s fair golden ones. That was where it ended. He was nothing like Raphael.
    He even differed from the delightful Uriel. Unlike Uriel, who would flatter her profusely, making her blush whenever he visited, Lucifer didn’t even acknowledge her existence. It wasn’t until she was carrying Jeremiel that he began to pay attention to her, and not in a good way. When she finally gave birth, he visited even more frequently. He didn’t look at her the way Baka did whenever she accidentally ran into him in the city—with eyes roving her body, making her feel naked. Instead, Lucifer watched her with curiosity as if she were a dung beetle.
    She nodded to a few of the women as she passed through the city gates. Her home was outside the city walls far enough to be away from prying eyes, yet close enough where she could make her daily walk into Ai. Raphael had wanted to live inside the city, knowing that Rebecca would want to be close to her family. Even though her father shunned her and forbade anyone in her family to acknowledge her, her mother found a way to be at the city’s center gathering her daily ration of water at the same time Rebecca was there.
    She loved Raphael even more for his insistence on staying nearby even if it meant that his true identity might be revealed. When they discovered Jeremiel had been conceived, they had agreed to move outside the city gates.
    Rebecca took the water jar off her head and placed it on the ground. She scanned the square, searching for her mother. The well was located in the city’s center. It was a typical day in Ai. Merchants lined the city’s narrow streets with baskets of grain, vegetables, fabric, and other wares to sell. Women were crowded around the well, some with two or more water jars.
    She smiled when she saw her mother walking swiftly toward her.
    “Mother,” she said, wrapping her arms around her. Seeing her for only a couple of minutes