croaked, barely a whisper.
As the form solidified, she was further convinced it was not Gabriel at all. She didn’t know how she knew, some unknown instinct or perhaps part of the abilities she had yet to discover, but this one seemed larger to her, yet less severe. Stronger and more unyielding, yet almost relaxed. It felt to her like a paradox of substances. And she sensed it had humor, of all things, as though the very act of appearing to her in this way was amusing to it. She relaxed when she felt certain this being was not a threat, and it solidified into a similar form as Gabriel. Obviously an Archangel, this one had black hair and skin, and deep, dark eyes. His wings were broader than Gabriel’s.
“Who are you?” Unbidden, the name Michael popped into her mind.
“Relax, girl.” The deep, booming voice reverberated through the treetops. “I came to say hello. Introduce myself. Clear up a few misconceptions.”
The familiar feeling of soothing energy that had accompanied Gabriel surrounded Julia, washing away her anxiety and filling her with an unnatural calm. Or rather, filling part of her. Another part of her became silent and watchful, evaluating the situation.
“Yes, I am Michael,” the Archangel began. “Yes, I should seem familiar to you; I have been with you for many years.” His dark eyes twinkled with delight.
The Archangel Michael. Julia’s hands trembled, and she lowered herself into one of the wicker chairs. She wasn’t entirely sure how the whole angel thing worked. Maybe she had pissed Gabriel off enough that he had sent Michael to “collect” her. Maybe she had made a fatal mistake. Was it a sin to have anger toward an Archangel? She swallowed hard and clenched the arms of her chair.
“A sin to be angry?” Michael laughed. “If that were the case, the entire human race would be damned. If you keep thinking up your questions so quickly, I am going to start answering them in the same way. That won’t be comfortable for you, and it will take you a lot longer to process the information.”
“Won’t be comfortable?” she asked when she found her voice. “I don’t understand. What do you mean process the information?”
“I mean, use your human voice. Wait for your answers. I’m not going anywhere. Slow your thoughts. Instead of hurling your questions at me, say them and let me answer.” Michael paused, his wings settling onto his back. “When we send messages to humans, often all the human will hear is a very high-pitched squeal that can be almost deafening. It then takes weeks, sometimes years, for the human mind to process and accept the information.”
Julia could only stare at Michael. She had heard that very sound on many occasions, and usually got one of her blinding headaches afterward. Some tests had been done when she was younger to determine the cause of the pain, but none was found. Eventually, she had just learned to live with it.
“Our messages are absorbed into the human system,” Michael continued. “Into the subconscious. They process as if they were instinctual knowledge. And, as you well know, humans are utterly infuriating when it comes to their innate ability to disregard their instincts.”
Yes, Julia had a lot of practice ignoring her instincts, but she wasn’t about to admit that. She grimaced and continued to meet Michael’s unwavering gaze.
Michael chuckled. “Fortunately for us, you are only half-human, so you have been successfully learning to follow your instincts. This last year, anyway.”
He paused again. She felt him studying her thoughts. It was an effort to slow her mind and focus on one question at a time.
“Many years?” she asked. “How many years have you been with me? You do feel familiar, I’ll give you that.” She was fascinated that even though her insides were in complete turmoil, she addressed Michael with ease. Not just Michael, but the Archangel Michael. The second Archangel she had met, and God’s second in
As the form solidified, she was further convinced it was not Gabriel at all. She didn’t know how she knew, some unknown instinct or perhaps part of the abilities she had yet to discover, but this one seemed larger to her, yet less severe. Stronger and more unyielding, yet almost relaxed. It felt to her like a paradox of substances. And she sensed it had humor, of all things, as though the very act of appearing to her in this way was amusing to it. She relaxed when she felt certain this being was not a threat, and it solidified into a similar form as Gabriel. Obviously an Archangel, this one had black hair and skin, and deep, dark eyes. His wings were broader than Gabriel’s.
“Who are you?” Unbidden, the name Michael popped into her mind.
“Relax, girl.” The deep, booming voice reverberated through the treetops. “I came to say hello. Introduce myself. Clear up a few misconceptions.”
The familiar feeling of soothing energy that had accompanied Gabriel surrounded Julia, washing away her anxiety and filling her with an unnatural calm. Or rather, filling part of her. Another part of her became silent and watchful, evaluating the situation.
“Yes, I am Michael,” the Archangel began. “Yes, I should seem familiar to you; I have been with you for many years.” His dark eyes twinkled with delight.
The Archangel Michael. Julia’s hands trembled, and she lowered herself into one of the wicker chairs. She wasn’t entirely sure how the whole angel thing worked. Maybe she had pissed Gabriel off enough that he had sent Michael to “collect” her. Maybe she had made a fatal mistake. Was it a sin to have anger toward an Archangel? She swallowed hard and clenched the arms of her chair.
“A sin to be angry?” Michael laughed. “If that were the case, the entire human race would be damned. If you keep thinking up your questions so quickly, I am going to start answering them in the same way. That won’t be comfortable for you, and it will take you a lot longer to process the information.”
“Won’t be comfortable?” she asked when she found her voice. “I don’t understand. What do you mean process the information?”
“I mean, use your human voice. Wait for your answers. I’m not going anywhere. Slow your thoughts. Instead of hurling your questions at me, say them and let me answer.” Michael paused, his wings settling onto his back. “When we send messages to humans, often all the human will hear is a very high-pitched squeal that can be almost deafening. It then takes weeks, sometimes years, for the human mind to process and accept the information.”
Julia could only stare at Michael. She had heard that very sound on many occasions, and usually got one of her blinding headaches afterward. Some tests had been done when she was younger to determine the cause of the pain, but none was found. Eventually, she had just learned to live with it.
“Our messages are absorbed into the human system,” Michael continued. “Into the subconscious. They process as if they were instinctual knowledge. And, as you well know, humans are utterly infuriating when it comes to their innate ability to disregard their instincts.”
Yes, Julia had a lot of practice ignoring her instincts, but she wasn’t about to admit that. She grimaced and continued to meet Michael’s unwavering gaze.
Michael chuckled. “Fortunately for us, you are only half-human, so you have been successfully learning to follow your instincts. This last year, anyway.”
He paused again. She felt him studying her thoughts. It was an effort to slow her mind and focus on one question at a time.
“Many years?” she asked. “How many years have you been with me? You do feel familiar, I’ll give you that.” She was fascinated that even though her insides were in complete turmoil, she addressed Michael with ease. Not just Michael, but the Archangel Michael. The second Archangel she had met, and God’s second in
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