Solitude Grace

Chapter Twenty-Five

They were watching him, he could feel their eyes piercing into his back like knives, cutting at his startlingly white wings. He kept walking however, knowing to acknowledge them would be like acknowledging scraps of dirty that had just caught onto the soles of his shoes.. 

"You went to see the Downcaster." The child's voice sounded like an echo to that of a human child, lost of all emotion and left hollow.

"That is none of your concern." Raphael barked at him, watching as the child cowered away from him with a satisfying smile in place.

He continued his stroll down the golden walk way of the hall, seeing more and more lost souls cower at his presence and feeling the tinge of satisfaction once more.

The walls were whiter than snow and shone like liquid gold, Raphael always had the urge to run his hands along it but thought better of it, thinking the wall might melt with the contact. The temptation was still there but avoiding it seemed best.

The whole hallway was a bright passage that led to the most purest room of all, there was no light such as this one on earth, it was impossible for human to even lay living eyes on brightness this sharp without their eyes burning. 

As he approached the door, he stopped, wondering for a moment why among all this brightness, the door to the brightest sanctuary of all, was the darkest shade of black one could lay their eyes on. It seemed too uncanny to fit in with its surroundings yet there it stood, daring the visitor to enter the room, menacing those forbidden to step a foot into the doorway.

Raphael walked in with the posture of a rogue, shoulders slouched casually, taking long, dragging steps.

"Nice of you to grace us, Raphael." Raphael rolled his eyes at the hint of superiority he heard escape his brother's tone.

"I only ever aim to please." Raphael smirked, shooting Gabriel with snarky eyes.

"At least inform us if you have done something good with your time on earth. Has Harper accepted your plea?" Uriel intercepted, his tone bored.

"More or less." Raphael shrugged, crossing his arms.

"Which one is it, Raphael?" Uriel tried to keep his voice controlled, but Raphael could see the strained vein on his brother's forehead.

"I'd watch my tone, Uriel. You know your place." Raphael tensed his jaw briefly before returning to his casual stance. "But our young Harper refuses to leave his beloved."

Remiel voiced a quiet profanity at Raphael's words. Raphael felt almost sorry for his brothers, they were trying so hard to keep Harper away from the blonde fury. If he hadn't hated them so much he would have tried harder with Harper, but who would sentence their own brother to an eternity of aloneness? It seemed a waste of love in Raphael's eyes.

"Has he even considered leaving her?" Saraqael asked, his tone the gentlest of all the brothers.

He had always seen the rational side to things and in a way tried to defend Harper.

"For now we can leave it be, the girl knows nothing." Saraqael suggested only to be met by glares sent his way by five of his brothers, Raphael stayed indifferent.

"She suspects." Michael added his own words.

"Suspects what? Angels?" Raphael rolled his eyes yet again. "Who in their right mind would suspect angels? You fret over something that isn't humanly possible."

"And what if she does find out, she cannot go crying wolf through town, no one would believe her." Saraqael supported his brother with a small smile starting on his lips.