Chapter 35: Archangel
"Is that really so surprising?" Azrael chuckled, his genuinity showing without restraint this time.
I looked at him as if he grew two heads.
Was he being for real? Cupid was stricken by my death?
Was it Opposite Day and I wasn't informed? I thought balefully.
I let out an unamused laugh, glancing up and down at him.
"Can you really blame me? All Cupid has ever talked about is how black hair suited me better, how I was a troublemaker and not worth all the risk Angelo took for me...blah, blah, blah." I mocked with an eye roll.
Azrael, not the least bit surprised, humored me by asking, "Did he really say all that?"
"Not everything, but in theory he did! And the black hair part was true!" I pouted.
"I see you're still caught up on that." He mused. "As I said, you can be rest assured that it's not a bad change."
If I didn't know any better I'd think he was flirting with me.
But I did.
I knew he didn't mean it like that, especially since I've gathered that he and Larissa must have been romantically involved with each other. I saw it when they accompanied me to my prison-like room. She had her body leant against his for moral support the entire time. He reciprocated the heat of her by slipping his hand in hers for a momentary squeeze. It was a reassurance that I couldn't interpret but knew was read clearly between only the two of them.
As Azrael smiled at me I felt like I had done something right for the first time. It had been a while since I felt like that being around someone of their kind.
Usually due to their superiority or scolding, I always felt like I was doing something wrong.
He translated Cupid's intentions for me. "I guess you could say your way of expressing your like for each other was vying for attention in any which way. Don't take that guy's words to heart. He really was depressed for a while with you no longer here."
I huffed, still hardly believing it.
"Probably because he didn't have anyone to argue with."
He didn't deny that part.
"That was obviously one of the reasons, but also because he considered you his friend. It's hard for us angels—and Cupids—to bond with someone purely out of just knowing who they are as a person. Especially if that individual is a human. It rarely ever happens unless it's the case of being their guardian angel."
"Wait, what? Really? Does that mean I have my own guardian angel?"
He clasped his hands before him, still looking relaxed against the wooden door.
I was somehow excited by the thought of that.
Having someone that constantly watched over me and manifested nothing but my well-being sounded awesome.
"Had. You had your own guardian angel until someone got rid of him."
From the look on his face, I could have guessed the culprit.
"Angelo?" I gasped in disbelief.
He simply retained the smile on his face.
"Let's just say jealousy is a disease that even angels aren't immune to."
"That's interesting as we as humans were taught to not engage in it by you guys."
"Being taught something is wrong doesn't always lead to everyone believing that is the case. Also, feelings come naturally even against our own nature. Sometimes we can't help ourselves. We are victims to bad emotions too. You couldn't begin to imagine how much we have in common with humans despite the heavens thinking otherwise."
I found his words mind-blowing.
That did explain how someone with a seemingly terrible reputation like Mikael was still here.
"Genie and I didn't intend to end up here. We were trying to find Mikael for answers, yes, but we didn't think it was possible just by stepping outside of the shield around Angelo's house. I knew the endless hole had more than what we anticipated, but this was a whole other expectation. It brought us to the heavens, for Christ's sake!"
I hadn't braced myself for the image of it all—no fictional adaptation or books could have prepared me for the glorious scene of what I had landed myself into earlier on.
"I can only assume that you ended up here because that was the last place the pendant took Angelo or Cupid, maybe both. You could say it acts like a compass of some sorts. It's coordinates were already fixed to here the moment you used it."
"Ah..." I acknowledged the explanation.
It made sense...if I could even say that.
Suddenly, my brain remembered the origin of this conversation, and I was amazed by how far we have derailed from the topic.
"You said you would tell me about Elisabetta but I think we've scratched the surface of almost everything except for her." I raised my brows at him accusingly.
"I don't know what else to tell you other than the fact that her and Angelo were lovers who had a story more tragic than Romeo and Juliet. Maybe even that shipwreck movie you humans like to rewatch and cry over and over again..."
"You mean The Titanic?"
He snapped his fingers excitedly at the name. "Yes, that one! Their love sank quicker than the ship did."
I muffled a laugh. "That's a wicked comparison."
He shrugged. "That's all I can reveal. I'm pretty sure you know the rest of the details of how everyone was against them. How Angelo saw her anyway and got punished for it the moment the entire heavens found out. Because of that, Elisabetta was envied and rivaled while he was always on guard in fear of someone taking her away from him. It made me woeful to be a witness to his biggest fear turning into a reality."
"What's the deal with Mikael anyway? I can't seem to tell if he liked or hated Elisabetta based on how he was seconds away from ending me."
He let out a chortle from deep within. It was like I had told him an inside joke despite us not being that close.
"Mikael was only shocked that is all. He means no harm unless provoked—which your sudden appearance did to him."
My appearance provoked him? What an odd way to put it. I frowned internally.
"Are you guys sure he's an angel? He doesn't look like one." I intentionally pinpointed.
"You humans really are superficial. Are you judging his status solely based on his appearance? Why? I guess the association of the color black to evil-doings and even people have really rotted your brains down there. News flash: that's only a form of social control. It's sad that it extends to even clothing."
"I didn't mean that—"
"I know, but it's not very nice of you to judge him like that. He likes black because it apparently makes him look hotter. His words not mine."
I hated the part of me that agreed with that fact.
Him being dressed in all black really did a number on me. I was sure that was the case for many other beings here regardless of their gender. He just rocked that color like it was the one he was born in. It was that befitting for him and all his features seemed to be purposely heightened because of it.
"He's also the least friendly of all the high-ranking angels."
That wasn't much of a surprise.
"Who's considered the friendliest?" I asked out of sheer curiosity.
"The Commander in Chief ironically."
That's Angelo...
"There are three triads of angels. The third one interacts and serves humanity closely. The second one fulfills God's plans for the universe. The third one which I'm a part of contemplates and serves God directly. Within our circle, Angelo is the only archangel."
"I thought archangels were lowly ranked. Isn't that what the Bible says?"
He snickered.
"You read the Bible?"
"I did as a child." I said defensively.
I was no saint, but I was no heathen either.
"Well, if you did it more on a religious basis you would have noticed that the word Archangel means "chief of angels". The prefix "arch" also means "chief". Thus the term "archangel" in the Bible is used in the singular form—which I have to hand it to them for not messing up like other details they have transcribed. Anyway the point I'm making is that it indicates that there is just one archangel. Rightfully, that's Angelo."
"So that means he's really it here, huh?"
He chuckled at my phrasing. "I guess you could put it like that."
Followed by that, there was a loud commotion outside. The sound of things being thrown around and smashed reached my ears. It was obvious someone was making a wreck of the place. I couldn't help but jump as I heard a boisterous voice yelling at another to calm down.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Azrael smirk. "Speaking of the devil..."
My hands folded into a fist at the meaning of his words.
Angelo was here.
And for some reason unbeknownst to me, he was uncontrollably angry.
I felt like a storm was brewing.
I gulped.