silencing her as he went to Rebecca’s side.
Naomi was confused. Wasn’t Raphael going to have his say?
“Brothers and sisters, we gather on this morn to bring judgment on Jeremiel, Archangel of Death, for his wrongdoing. It has been many centuries since such a serious transgression has been made. As is our custom, the archangels call forth our brother to make his arguments so that we may grant leniency on our judgment. It is with heavy heart I call on Jeremiel. Jeremiel, come forth!”
A ram’s horn echoed through the hall. Murmurs filled the chamber as the angels turned to the entrance.
“Jeremiel!” Michael called louder.
The ram’s horn sounded again.
Naomi’s heart pounded in her chest with each vibration of the horn as it echoed in the vast chamber.
“How many times is Michael going to call for him?” she whispered to Lash.
“One more.”
“Jeremiel!” Michael cried out one last time.
The room tensed. Hushed whispers filled the hall like white noise.
He isn’t coming.
She gazed at her family and friends. Hope was lost. She could see it on their faces. Lash, looking pale, held on to her hand tighter. Uri grew even greener, and Rachel bit down hard on her bottom lip as the sound of the ram’s horn faded.
“The final call has been made. Jeremiel, Archangel of Death, has been accused of heavenly disobedience and for abandoning his brothers and sisters in their time of need. He serves himself and no other, leaving all that care for him behind. What say you of these charges, Gabrielle?”
All eyes turned to Gabrielle. Her dark lashes slowly lowered, but not before Naomi caught the torment within them. When they finally opened, they were blank.
“Yea,” she said.
“What say you, Deborah?”
Deborah’s eyes flicked to hers apologetically before she answered.
“Yea.”
The simple word stabbed Naomi. Her knees buckled when Uri hoarsely said yea, and Lash had to hold her up. And then when it was Rachel’s turn, she gazed into her friend’s teary eyes.
“What say you, Rachel?”
“I . . . I think . . .” Rachel’s voice quivered softly.
“What. Say. You. Archangel Rachel,” Michael’s voice boomed.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered the word Naomi had thought would never come from her dear friend’s lips.
“Yea.”
“So say you all. Jeremiel is hereby banished and shall be stripped of his title, rank, and all angelic gifts.”
This can’t be happening. It can’t. Naomi shook her head in a daze. Michael’s voice barely registered as he went on about angelic duty.
Why wasn’t anyone doing anything?
“Jeremiel chose an Earthly life,” Michael continued. “That is what he shall receive. He is now one of the fallen. All are forbidden contact with him.”
Lash turned to her, his eyes wide. They wouldn’t ever see him again. She couldn’t let this happen. She wouldn’t.
“Wait! You can’t do this!”
There was a chorus of gasps as she went up the platform, moving the statuesque Uri out her way to get to Michael.
“It’s my fault. Please, I beg of you. Reconsider. Give Jeremy a chance.”
“My child, Jeremiel has been given a chance,” Michael said.
“It’s my fault. I made him leave. Punish me. Not him.”
“He chose to leave. We are all given free will here.”
“But to take away his family? They . . . we . . .”
She gazed down where her family stood.
“We’re his family. We love him. You punish us all when you keep us away from him.”
“We live in treacherous times. Saleos has built his army on false hopes and false dreams. Jeremiel’s love for his family will put us all in danger. Duty must come first.”
“How can love be dangerous?” Raphael’s voice boomed. The hall went up in a roar at his rebuke.
Frowning, Michael raised his hand, silencing the room before he spoke.
“Raphael, you know as well as I that battle is looming. Saleos will use all means necessary to win, including those we care about the
Naomi was confused. Wasn’t Raphael going to have his say?
“Brothers and sisters, we gather on this morn to bring judgment on Jeremiel, Archangel of Death, for his wrongdoing. It has been many centuries since such a serious transgression has been made. As is our custom, the archangels call forth our brother to make his arguments so that we may grant leniency on our judgment. It is with heavy heart I call on Jeremiel. Jeremiel, come forth!”
A ram’s horn echoed through the hall. Murmurs filled the chamber as the angels turned to the entrance.
“Jeremiel!” Michael called louder.
The ram’s horn sounded again.
Naomi’s heart pounded in her chest with each vibration of the horn as it echoed in the vast chamber.
“How many times is Michael going to call for him?” she whispered to Lash.
“One more.”
“Jeremiel!” Michael cried out one last time.
The room tensed. Hushed whispers filled the hall like white noise.
He isn’t coming.
She gazed at her family and friends. Hope was lost. She could see it on their faces. Lash, looking pale, held on to her hand tighter. Uri grew even greener, and Rachel bit down hard on her bottom lip as the sound of the ram’s horn faded.
“The final call has been made. Jeremiel, Archangel of Death, has been accused of heavenly disobedience and for abandoning his brothers and sisters in their time of need. He serves himself and no other, leaving all that care for him behind. What say you of these charges, Gabrielle?”
All eyes turned to Gabrielle. Her dark lashes slowly lowered, but not before Naomi caught the torment within them. When they finally opened, they were blank.
“Yea,” she said.
“What say you, Deborah?”
Deborah’s eyes flicked to hers apologetically before she answered.
“Yea.”
The simple word stabbed Naomi. Her knees buckled when Uri hoarsely said yea, and Lash had to hold her up. And then when it was Rachel’s turn, she gazed into her friend’s teary eyes.
“What say you, Rachel?”
“I . . . I think . . .” Rachel’s voice quivered softly.
“What. Say. You. Archangel Rachel,” Michael’s voice boomed.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered the word Naomi had thought would never come from her dear friend’s lips.
“Yea.”
“So say you all. Jeremiel is hereby banished and shall be stripped of his title, rank, and all angelic gifts.”
This can’t be happening. It can’t. Naomi shook her head in a daze. Michael’s voice barely registered as he went on about angelic duty.
Why wasn’t anyone doing anything?
“Jeremiel chose an Earthly life,” Michael continued. “That is what he shall receive. He is now one of the fallen. All are forbidden contact with him.”
Lash turned to her, his eyes wide. They wouldn’t ever see him again. She couldn’t let this happen. She wouldn’t.
“Wait! You can’t do this!”
There was a chorus of gasps as she went up the platform, moving the statuesque Uri out her way to get to Michael.
“It’s my fault. Please, I beg of you. Reconsider. Give Jeremy a chance.”
“My child, Jeremiel has been given a chance,” Michael said.
“It’s my fault. I made him leave. Punish me. Not him.”
“He chose to leave. We are all given free will here.”
“But to take away his family? They . . . we . . .”
She gazed down where her family stood.
“We’re his family. We love him. You punish us all when you keep us away from him.”
“We live in treacherous times. Saleos has built his army on false hopes and false dreams. Jeremiel’s love for his family will put us all in danger. Duty must come first.”
“How can love be dangerous?” Raphael’s voice boomed. The hall went up in a roar at his rebuke.
Frowning, Michael raised his hand, silencing the room before he spoke.
“Raphael, you know as well as I that battle is looming. Saleos will use all means necessary to win, including those we care about the
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