Fallen

Chapter Six

The crowd was a mixture of white suits, dark clothing, and elegant dress wear. Each member of the Fallen was dressed in their required attire, of dark suits, tailor shirts and gowns. The messengers were the epitome of a contrast in their white and gray apparel, the colors of the women all soft pastels.

Despite her every effort at subtlety, Harper could not resist letting her eyes drift towards Noah. Standing at the far opposite side of the room, he was like a beacon to her gaze. He stood at an angle, his back towards her, while the profile of his face was visible like a well cut plain. He wore the required attire of the messengers; pale gray suit, crisp and clean. The color would have washed most others out, especially when coupled with Noah's blonde hair and fair skin. But on him, it seemed to make him emit a gentle glow.

Or, that could have just been Harper's infatuation.

"Could you please stop staring," Grace muttered. "You're embarrassing me."

Reaching out to slap Grace on the arm, Harper snickered, just as her fathers voice bellowed over the soft murmur of the crowd. All eyes turned to the head of the room, as Jonathan stepped forward, backed by the stone fireplace whose flame never ceased.

"Thank you all for coming, and for providing our guests with such a wonderful greeting," he called, his voice amplified as though over a speaker. Of course, there was no need in this crowd for such human inventions. "I am certain, that in a crowd such as this, the beauties of Earth will be evident."

A soft chuckle rippled through the crowd as Jonathan paid them lip service.

"I feel it is time to formally introduce our esteemed guests. Many have been eager to make their acquaintance."

Appearing as though from the air, three figures emerged from the crowd, stepping up to Jonathan's side. Each wore pure white, of such a vibrant brilliance, Harper had never seen.

She admittedly found herself intrigued by the Angels. Despite her own feelings regarding the Fallen and their bid for redemption, she never doubted the existence of Angels. But she had also never seen one before, leaving her mind to conjure up its own interpretation.

Taking in the three men at the head of the room, she found herself surprised. They were all younger than she expected. Very stiff, and incredibly formal as they stood with their hands clasped at their backs. Their faces, while so completely different in features from each other, all wore the same expression of polite disinterest. None of them looked around to the crowd. None seemed interested in those who they had some to judge.

Taking a step forward, the center figure spoke.

"We thank you for your welcome," the Angel called, his voice a soft music to Harpers ears. She had never heard a voice so entrancing before, and she found herself hypnotized but also wary of the sound. "I am Ariel, the Lead of this council. I give you Miles," the Angel gestured to his right. "And Michael," to his left. "We wish to assure you all, our impartiality on this subject is pure. As is our intention to allow you every opportunity to redeem your Heaven rights. We wish you live among you, to learn from you, and to grow with you. And, we hope, to return as a collective to heavens gate."

A wave of applause sounded, as the Angel Ariel smiled, with a bow of his head, before stepping back in to line with the others. Harper took the opportunity to glance around, and wasn't surprised to see that the Angels obviously well rehearsed speech had played its part perfectly on the naïve and hopeful crowd. The Fallen were desperate to believe them, as the messengers were exhausted of their role. Everyone in this room, for one reason or another, wanted this issue ended.

With a step forward again, Jonathan spread his arms. "Please, enjoy yourselves."

With another round of obligatory applause, the crowds converged on the Angels. Harper couldn't stop her eyes from rolling, as each individual of the community seemed desperate for their chance to speak with the newcomers.