Michael gestured to the lounge that was near the fireplace. A low fire had been burning, warming the immediate area. I sat on the lounge, watching with a lot of caution. I'd never encountered an archangel before, aside from the devil of course. They were powerful, they held the ability to do so much with such little effort.
"I could say, what brings you here but I already know the answer to that. One hundred and fifteen souls arrived a few hours ago, something that was not scheduled. The protocols had not been adhered to and it is my understanding that hell was bypassed all together. What do you know of the situation Emily?"
"Brannon's upset that we can't be together and he said that he will harvest more until he gets what he wants."
"Which is you."
I nodded reluctantly. Why? Because I knew that Brannon and I had drifted apart. We were not the same people anymore. My heart was in a thousand pieces, broken and it was likely that I could never fully repair it. He was my first love and even though I wanted him, I don't think that it would ever be the same.
"You know he's moved on, don't you?"
"With the vampire, yeah I figured as much."
Michael nodded, stretching back on the leather lounge.
"There is a cloud of uncertainty over him, I'd like nothing more than the ability to track him and find him before he does more damage but he is as wily as his father. He knows how to play the game and for that reason, we must be smart in our movements from now on. With each passing minute, his mind grows darker, his lust for the vampire increases while his love for you is slowly dying. If there was ever a chance of repairing the relationship, it has passed long ago and for that, I am truly sorry Emily. Heaven and hell will always be at odds with each other but that doesn't mean that we don't want the best for our own. I know that in the past I had tried to stop the devil and his love from forging a relationship but that was based on blinded trust of a seer's vision. There is no reason that an angel cannot form a bond with another, regardless of what kind of creature they may be. All that this world requires is that they are accepting of the worlds and naturally as a part of one of those worlds, Brannon met that requirement."
"I don't understand, why were you trying to stop us?"
He sighed rather heavily, looking away for a brief moment before returning to me.
"Your assignment was that you were to watch Brannon and nothing more. When you pushed the limit on the assignment, your overseer deemed you to be a high risk situation which essentially means that you are removed from the assignment. They did as the rules stated, they put you into a safe house and removed your powers."
"And placed the purity spell over me."
Michael nodded, offering a sharp smile.
"I suppose you wish for it to be removed."
Yeah, I would like that.
"I don't like being controlled."
"That may be so but we cannot help you. A purity spell remains until you are pure. Once you are there Emily, your thoughts of Brannon will not be the same. Your love was always doomed, no matter how hard either of you tried, it was always destined to fail. Opposites in every way, there maybe attraction but it would not have lasted. When he told you that he had harvested those souls, what did you feel?"
"Sick. I couldn't believe that he'd done it."
Michael gave a knowing nod.
"And it will only get worse. I warned his mother that the child she carried was a monster and she didn't believe me, for my efforts I earned a broken nose. But I was right, he is a monster and he will continue on like a spoiled brat, not stopping with his tantrum until he gets what he wants."
"But he can't have it." I said sadly.
"No and therein lies the problem. What to do with the son of the devil who has made a demand for the unattainable?"
"I will reason with him, make him see that we can't be together. If he's with Chloe, then it won't matter anyway."
The archangel laughed, a wicked chortle that made me concerned.
"His infatuation with the vampire is fleeting. One whiff of his pretty angel and he'd dump her in a second. Your offer is most commendable Emily, I am humbly appreciative of your willingness to face off against the enemy but in this instance, it is not sufficient. We will be taking another avenue, one that will require us to go on a road trip."
He looked over the guards outfit I was wearing with amusement.
"I think that we can deal with that first."
A snap of his fingers and I was in a smart pant suit, a deep grey colour with a stark white cotton shirt underneath. I stood as Michael did, looking over the outfit and the glossy black pumps. Crossing the gap between us, Michael looked down at me. The charming smile gleamed almost as brightly as his deep purple eyes. They had a richness to them that was beautiful, the man himself was alluring.
"I can give you so much in this world Emily, more than just a first level deus. This assignment will test you and your strength, if you pass then you can move up in levels. Pass with excellence and I could move you to the top of the deus levels."
That was an amazing offer, the only level above deus was to be an archangel and that was something that could not be attained. Archangels were made for their roles, not earned through hard work. With one little assignment, I could reach the top. But the problem was, I knew that the assignment was going to be rough. I knew that it would end Brannon and I forever.