Dawn had come again. As it always would. No matter how dark the night had been, the sun would always return to bless them with her light. If only people were as reliable as the sun. She walked down the crowded street, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face. An old man bumped into her and scowled at her, muttering a not so nice name under his breath. Cassiel wondered how he would react if he knew he had just cursed at an angel of heaven. she doubted he would take it well.
Unlike many of her brethren, Cassiel enjoyed spending time amongst mortals that wasn't work related. She loved to see them, when they were happy, when they were sad, when they were just plain mean. Many of her brethren couldn't understand why she spent so much time on earth. They thought it made her weak. She shook her head at that thought. If anything, it had made her stronger. Cassiel had seen the evils of men; murderer, rapists, pedophiles...it was enough to drive anyone mad. But she also saw the fighters, those who refused to succumb to the darkness and searched for the light. That was why she still had faith when so many didn't. Cassiel stopped in front of a church and heard a choir. She smiled wider and immediately went inside. It was a rehearsal, the pews were mostly empty but for a a handful of people scattered throughout the church, people like her, who had come to enjoy the music. The church echoed with the combined voices of choir, praising God for his goodness with their song. Cassiel closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy their song.
" Beautiful isn't it?" a deep masculine voice said in her ear, stirring her from her peaceful moment.
Cassiel turned to looked at the man who had sat behind her. He had piercing green eyes, and brown hair that was messy yet appealing. And when he smiled at her, she saw that he had only one dimple. Charming.
" Yes. They're wonderful." she replied, with a smile of her own. His eyes lit up as she spoke, moving over her face. She knew what he saw. A pretty young twenty something with extremely long and dark raven black hair, with startling purple eyes. Unfortunately she knew instinctively that he would look no further and wouldn't see anything else about her. But that was a mistake that most mortals made on a daily basis.
" I'm David. I've been going to this church my whole life, and I think I would've remembered someone like you. You must be new to the area right?" he asked, smiling at her with all the charm he had. He was definitely flirting with her.
Cassiel chuckled " Not really" She was, in fact, not new at all. She'd been to this place when it had been only a barren prairie.
David looked at her like a man starving. Only Cassiel was pretty sure that it wasn't food he was interested in. " Don't know how I could have missed you. You still haven't told me your name"
Cassiel was just about to respond when she heard something over the song of the choir. A trumpet, echoing throughout the church, righteous and true. She wasn't surprised that David didn't react as only angels could hear Gabriel's Horn. Apparently she was needed in heaven.
" You know what David? I think you should go home to your wife and child. Try and work out the problems in your marriage instead of flirting with random women in church." Cassiel smirked at his stunned face.
" But, b-but I'm not wearing my ring" he stuttered in disbelief.
" But you have a very nice tan line on you ring finger" she retorted. " Go home, get marriage counseling. "she ordered. Cassiel got up from the pew and left the Church. Even without the tan line, she new a troubled soul when she saw one. She walked down the street and into a deserted alley. Why would she be summoned home? Cassiel had always been able to come and go as she pleased between Earth and heaven. She hoped that everything was okay. She threw the coat she was wearing in garbage. Some homeless person would find it and be warmer for it. Her wings, which had been invisible in the church, now came into view as she stretched them to their full six foot wing span. She heard Gabriel's Horn again and sighed. So impatient.
" I'm coming!" she shouted to the heavens. " No need to get snippy!" Cassiel took off from the ground., the strength of her wings blowing several trash cans around. just as she was about to go full speed into the sky, she noticed a little girl on the roof of an apartment building, staring at her in wonder. Cassiel smiled at her. "Don't ever let anyone tell you angels aren't real Dana."
The dark haired girl gasped " How did you know my name?" she asked in awe.
Cassiel winked at her "Because I'm an angel, silly. We know everything". Then she waved goodbye to Dana and headed up toward heaven at full speed as Gabriel's Horn sounded impatiently for a third time.
Gabriel paced back and forth across the bright marble floor, his footsteps echoing throughout the empty hall. He was impatient to talk to Cassiel. Michael saw no reason to rush. Knowing Cassiel, and he knew her very well, the coming conversation was not going to go over well. Cassiel was renowned for her temper, and these new orders were definitely going to set it off.
"Where is she?" Gabriel demanded. "She should be here by now. We cannot afford any delay."
Michael was unsurprised by Gabriel's impatience. He was always eager to please their father, ever the obedient son. He said nothing to Gabriel, merely leaned against the white marble pillar and listened. "Michael? Are you not concerned that she is still not here?" Gabriel wanted to know.
Michael sighed. "No, brother, I am not. And neither should you be. Cassiel will come. It's only a matter of minutes."
Gabriel snorted. "She should not dally so. She should have realized the importance of this when she heard the call"
" And so I have rushed back home to heaven Gabriel, like a good little girl" Cassiel stated from the doorway. Michael looked over at her as she stood in the doorway, illuminated by sunlight. She was breathtaking. Her dark hair fell past her waist as it blew about in the wind. Her wingS, though just a strong as his, had a feminine quality to them. Both he and Gabriel were soldiers in god's army. As such their wings were black. But Cassiel was a paladin, a guardian to the mortals of Earth, so her wings were a golden- orange color, much like the harvest moon.
" What are you wearing" Gabriel asked, the disdain clear in his voice.
Cassiel raised an eyebrow. " It's called jeans and a t-shirt. I didn't exactly have time to change. What with the urgent calls and all" she drawled. " Now what's so important that you had to use the Horn three times ?"
" We have new orders from the Father." Michael told her, his blue eyes unwavering on her face.
When neither Gabriel nor michael said anything further, Cassiel started to get worried. She stepped into the hall and walked over to stand in front of Michael. "What is going on?"
" Michael says 'we', but the order is for you and you alone." Gabriel said, all business.
Cassiel turned to look at him. " I would appreciate a little more explanation and a little less cryptic statements, if you don't mind Gabriel" she told him in a withering tone. Michael tensed when he heard it. This would not go over well.
" You are to find the mother of the Messiah" Gabriel told her at last.
Cassiel said nothing for a few moments as she processed the new order that had come directly from God. "Why ?" she finally asked angrily.
Gabriel visibly stiffened "You dare to question him?" he asked, indignant.
" His destiny is not be fulfilled until he is full grown. That's another twenty years at least. That is when we are to approach him. When he is ready. What is the point in finding a child that has not even been conceived yet?" Cassiel was furious. There was no explanation for this order. The timeline had been decided centuries ago. It made no sense to change it now.
" This is what has been decided" Michael told her. " He will not be persuaded otherwise."
Cassiel ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "I was not chosen as the Messiah's paladin. That honor was given to Ithiel. What am I supposed to tell him? He is no longer good enough to be the paladin of the Messiah? That's hardly a good method for fostering feeling of brotherhood"
Michael put a hand on her shoulder. " You will tell him that this is the will of God."
"That used to be enough for you" Gabriel growled.
"Take that tone with me again Gabriel and I swear I'll geld you" Cassiel snapped, her eyes flaring dangerously.
Gabriel opened his mouth to retort but Michael cut him off.
" Enough. We cannot change what has been decided. There's no use in arguing about it anymore" he said firmly, ending the discussion. Cassiel glared at him and left the hall, muttering under her breath about stubborn angels who needed a smack in the head.
Gabriel waited until Cassiel was out of earshot. "No good can come from her questioning him".
Michael did not look at him, but at the door Cassiel had just walked out of. "Perhaps. But she was right about one thing." Michael finally turned his gaze onto his brother. "Ithiel is not going to take this well"