mountainside almost melted directly into the sandy beach, like they were one and the same. It was beautiful and a popular spot among angels, though today he hoped to be alone.
Gabriel peeked around a stone corner at the bottom of a wall bordering the estates. He looked around the carved columns, across the sandy beach, and out over the water. No one was in sight. He stepped out and ran his feet into the white sand. A cool breeze came in off the water as he approached the gentle surf. As he leaned over to wet his face, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Gabriel.”
He accidentally threw water up his nose. He coughed it all up, but it took way too long. Arrayah laughed quietly. She must have come around from the back side of the mountain.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you. I asked around and heard you like to come here.”
“Raphael was wrong back there.”
“Gabriel, listen.” Her gaze, previously so direct, was averted, and she clutched her necklace—her thumb rubbing a slow circle over the word Humilitas. “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me.”
There was something about her that made it difficult to breathe, and it wasn’t just the water in his throat. “Yes. I mean, no.” He let out something like a laugh and nodded. “Right. You’re right. That’s what I’ve been saying.”
Her hands dropped to her sides, and for a moment she looked lost, with her wings gently fluttering and her eyes skipping everywhere before finally landing on him. The water around them gave off a misty cloud that smelled like sweet soap.
“No, I mean, I’ve never thought it. I just have this feeling that you would never do anything to hurt me.” She took two steps, and the space between them disappeared. When he said nothing and only stared at her, she pressed on, her words tumbling out. “Not because I’m so wonderful. Just because of you, who I sense you are.”
His hand raised between them, one finger brushing her necklace. “You’re always so humble, but you have so little reason to be.” From there, it seemed natural for his hand to drift up and rest against her face—a simple, automatic gesture, but when her eyes closed and a smile claimed her face, he felt like something in his world had shifted.
“Gabriel!”
Arrayah seemed as startled as he was, and she stumbled back from him as his hand fell away. A moment after Michael’s voice tore through the air, they were buffeted by the downdraft of his massive wings as he descended beside them. Michael pushed Gabriel back with one hand. “It’s bad enough you’re turning your back on the job God has set aside for you in the future. Now you’re leaving your post, destroying buildings, endangering other angels—what were you thinking?”
Anger surged up in Gabriel, and he shoved Michael away from him, hard. “Back off and calm down, Michael.”
“Oh, I’m calm. And although I know God doesn’t make mistakes, He must see something that I don’t. I thought you’d come around, but obviously I was wrong.”
Arrayah raised a hand, her voice quiet. “Excuse me, I know you mean well, but you don’t know the whole story.”
Michael turned to see Arrayah’s face, and an awkward pause followed. Gabriel eventually felt it had to be broken. “Michael.”
He was still frozen, just looking at her.
“Michael, have you met Arrayah before?”
Michael’s gaze jerked back to Gabriel. “Arrayah? This is the virtue angel you nearly crushed?”
Gabriel, counting inwardly to ten, had forced his fists to unclench from his sides. He pushed down the things he wanted to shout at Michael, instead preparing to describe, evenly and precisely, what had happened at the community building’s unveiling.
“Yes, but that was an accident.”
Arrayah looked over to Michael in confirmation. “It really was. He would never hurt me.”
Michael paused awkwardly again. He looked at the two of them like he didn’t know how to speak. Finally he said to
Gabriel peeked around a stone corner at the bottom of a wall bordering the estates. He looked around the carved columns, across the sandy beach, and out over the water. No one was in sight. He stepped out and ran his feet into the white sand. A cool breeze came in off the water as he approached the gentle surf. As he leaned over to wet his face, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Gabriel.”
He accidentally threw water up his nose. He coughed it all up, but it took way too long. Arrayah laughed quietly. She must have come around from the back side of the mountain.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you. I asked around and heard you like to come here.”
“Raphael was wrong back there.”
“Gabriel, listen.” Her gaze, previously so direct, was averted, and she clutched her necklace—her thumb rubbing a slow circle over the word Humilitas. “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me.”
There was something about her that made it difficult to breathe, and it wasn’t just the water in his throat. “Yes. I mean, no.” He let out something like a laugh and nodded. “Right. You’re right. That’s what I’ve been saying.”
Her hands dropped to her sides, and for a moment she looked lost, with her wings gently fluttering and her eyes skipping everywhere before finally landing on him. The water around them gave off a misty cloud that smelled like sweet soap.
“No, I mean, I’ve never thought it. I just have this feeling that you would never do anything to hurt me.” She took two steps, and the space between them disappeared. When he said nothing and only stared at her, she pressed on, her words tumbling out. “Not because I’m so wonderful. Just because of you, who I sense you are.”
His hand raised between them, one finger brushing her necklace. “You’re always so humble, but you have so little reason to be.” From there, it seemed natural for his hand to drift up and rest against her face—a simple, automatic gesture, but when her eyes closed and a smile claimed her face, he felt like something in his world had shifted.
“Gabriel!”
Arrayah seemed as startled as he was, and she stumbled back from him as his hand fell away. A moment after Michael’s voice tore through the air, they were buffeted by the downdraft of his massive wings as he descended beside them. Michael pushed Gabriel back with one hand. “It’s bad enough you’re turning your back on the job God has set aside for you in the future. Now you’re leaving your post, destroying buildings, endangering other angels—what were you thinking?”
Anger surged up in Gabriel, and he shoved Michael away from him, hard. “Back off and calm down, Michael.”
“Oh, I’m calm. And although I know God doesn’t make mistakes, He must see something that I don’t. I thought you’d come around, but obviously I was wrong.”
Arrayah raised a hand, her voice quiet. “Excuse me, I know you mean well, but you don’t know the whole story.”
Michael turned to see Arrayah’s face, and an awkward pause followed. Gabriel eventually felt it had to be broken. “Michael.”
He was still frozen, just looking at her.
“Michael, have you met Arrayah before?”
Michael’s gaze jerked back to Gabriel. “Arrayah? This is the virtue angel you nearly crushed?”
Gabriel, counting inwardly to ten, had forced his fists to unclench from his sides. He pushed down the things he wanted to shout at Michael, instead preparing to describe, evenly and precisely, what had happened at the community building’s unveiling.
“Yes, but that was an accident.”
Arrayah looked over to Michael in confirmation. “It really was. He would never hurt me.”
Michael paused awkwardly again. He looked at the two of them like he didn’t know how to speak. Finally he said to
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