In her spare time, Elizabeth had taken to visiting with Cassie as she worked with the angels that still needed help. They were much more friendly with Cassie than they were with Elizabeth, but they did not show the distrust that they had originally had towards Ella. Cassie could only assume that it was because of her relationship with Lucifer that they treated her this way. Elizabeth was very pleasant to all of them but did seem to focus her attention more on Cassie, Malachi and Ella when she was around. However, she did eventually display a talent with some of them that Cassie was grateful for.
"What's his name?" Elizabeth asked Cassie, indicating a sad looking angel sitting a little ways off.
"That's Nelchael. He…" But Elizabeth had already begun walking over to him before Cassie could tell her that they had not be able to help him or any like him as yet. Cassie watched and listened to their exchange with interest because Elizabeth had never approached regular angel on her own before.
"Hello," Elizabeth said to get his attention, "My name is Elizabeth," she began as he rose.
"I am Nelchael, lonsa," Elizabeth noted the name he had for her but did not acknowledge it.
"You are sad."
"Yes," he responded simply.
"And you are Ophanim, right?"
"Yes," he said brightining at this.
"When you moved, the others moved…but not anymore." She said, realizing the last bit as she spoke.
"Yes," he said with the widest and happiest smile Cassie had ever seen on any Ophanim. He seemed to be delighted that someone understood him at all.
"I have an idea. Have you heard of dance?"
He just gave her a confused look. She smiled and said, "Wait here. I'll come back" and she turned to go, but suddenly, none other than Lucifer himself appeared next her. Nelchael immediately took a few steps back as Lucifer stole a smoldering kiss from her and handed her something. He turned to look Nelchael over apprasingly and then walked off.
"Okay, nevermind," She laughed to herself turning back to Nelchael, "Come on I have something to show you." And she grabbed his hand and took him to the TV to show him the DVD she now had that she hoped would explain what she thought he may enjoy.
"Cassie, come see this," she said and Cassie joined them, still a little amazed.
As it turned out, movement was what they were all looking for, the Ophanim, and apparently dance was a great way for them to express this, especially in a group. Elizabeth had shown him a ballet and he was mesmorized, so they knew they had it right. Elizabeth and Cassie were both very excited about this solution, but Cassie was curious as to how she'd known.
"What just happened there?" she asked after he'd left.
"I don't really know, he was just so sad and I wanted to help him."
Eventually, they determined that her talent apparently only worked on a certain few angels but they couldn't figure out why.
A little later that afternoon, Azazeal approached Elizabeth and said, "You shouldn't do that, you know?"
"Do what?"
"We were having a conversation and then, poof, he's gone, and that's not the first time," he replied obviously irritated but also amused.
She turned and ignoring his irriation said, "Yeah, sorry, I forget that he doesn't have a 'when you get a chance' mode."
"At least for you he doesn't."
She just shrugged, but she was annoyed with herself for asking him to run that little errand so casually.
"Elizabeth," he continued, "you will not let him hurt my family, will you?"
"Why would you ask such a question?" she replied shocked.
"You know why," he said slyly, "You are as much to be feared as he is, especialy now that you are carrying his child."
She was a little surprised that he knew this.
"He told me himself," he said responding to her look.
But it was strange to her that he didn't really seem to actually be worried about her loyalty to Cassie or his family and he seemed to be amused by this conversation.
"So you're just letting me know that you know, have I got that right?" she said.
With a smirk he replied, "Something like that."
"Well, Cassie's known for a while. We are your friends, Azazeal, you don't need worry. But don't you try to manipulate me, or him for that matter, to control the other. There is no reason to do something like that."
"Of course not, lonsa." He said a little too smoothly and left her.
Not being able to stop herself, Cassie cornered Araquel, one day and got from he the meanings of the names Lucifer and a few of the other angels called Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth!" Cassie said with great excitement the next time she saw her, "I've got a secret."
"Oh, do tell!" and they sat together.
"I know you said that you didn't want to know but, I managed to get out of Araquel the translation of what the angels are calling you."
"Ah, I knew it was only a matter of time. And I think Lucifer wants me to know too."
"Okay, so first of all he said that naneel means 'my power' or 'my strenth' but that it has many levels of significance. He said that it carries the feeling that Lucifer's has given control of his power to you and it could be translated as 'One to whom I have given my power.' He also seemed to think that you were now as powerful as Lucifer, sort of by proxy, I guess. Another meaning is that it honors you as the source of his power which is noteworthy because, well...it's not really true now is it? And yet another meaning is that since you are his power, his is nothing without you."
"Remember me telling you that he's dramatic?" Elizabeth said with a self-effacing smile.
"Well, he's in love, silly," Cassie said. "You've told me how he feels about you."
"I assure you Cassie, I have no powers whatsoever. He's just being controversial."
Cassie just smirked at her.
"Alright, and second, lonsa means 'power' or 'force' and when I asked him why Nelchael calls you that, he said that it would be inappropriate for him to call you anything else.."
"They're always to cryptic," Elizabeth said and Cassie nodded in agreement.
"Maybe that's why they act so strangely around you," Cassie offered in the hopes of getting more information.
"Yeah, I've kind of been wondering about that too. They're much more comfortable with you."
"Except for Nelchael." He had become only one who would speak to her if she didn't speak to them first and he almost always visited when she was at the church.
"He's just grateful, I think. He knows I understand him to an extent and that I love what he does."
"Well, there must be some reason the others aren't more friendly."
"Maybe I intimidate them. They know who I'm with and even if they don't know how close I am with Lucifer, they must know that he's jealous and protective."
"I guess," Cassie said, "Wait there's Haniel. She'll tell me." Elizabeth shook her head as Cassie went off to get Haniel. Cassie had taken a renewed and intense interest in all things angelic so she was not to be stopped in her pursue of information.
Haniel smiled brightly at Elizabeth and said, "I hope you are well."
"Yes, thank you, Haniel."
"Haniel, why are the others so…unfriendly towards Elizabeth," Cassie interjected.
"Oh, they are not unfriendly, casarmi, they are…respectful," she finally decided.
"But that doesn't mean they can't talk to her."
"It would be impolite to approach her and he wouldn't like it," she said obviously refering to Lucifer.
"Who cares what he thinks!," Cassie said to Haniel's surpise, "Anyway, why it is okay for you to approach me, but not her and why does Nelchael talk to her so freely."
"He's one of theirs and he has permission," she said as if that explained everything.
"What?"
"Most of those of us here are of Azazeal's group," she said to Cassie, "And we have been introduced to you, remember? Few of his," she said refering to Lucifer,"have dared ask permission to come here and none have been introduced to her, except for Nelchael. You introduced yourself," Haniel said turning to Elizabeth with a smile. "Those who do not call you casarmi are his," she went on to explain, "They are the ones you cannot always help and she does."
"But I've spoken to many who still don't approach me." Elizabeth said.
"Yes, but if you don't give them your name," she said again like this should be obvious.
"So this is a matter of politness?"
"Yes," she said and smiled hopefully, "We would like to know you."
"Hm, but go back to the part where only a few Lucifer's angels have come here."
"Yes, they must ask permission."
"He didn't just send them," Elizabeth appeared to be getting irrigated.
"No."
Standing, Elizabeth said, "I am Elizabeth," and reached out a hand to Haniel which the angel took with another beaming smile.
"I have something I need to do, please excuse me," and with that Elizabeth left them.
They'd only gotten here about an hour or so ago, when Elizabeth burst into the room where Lucifer was talking to Azazeal and a few others. He knew immediately that he was in trouble but he waited for her to speak.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry for interrupting you all, but I need Lucifer for a second," she said sweetly, playing the annoying wife who can't leave him alone with his friends. He didn't respond right away so she added, "Please, honey, it will just take a second."
That afternoon the four of them were supposed to go to lunch and then the ladies had wanted to do something annoyingly normal, but they hadn't decided what yet. When Elizabeth and Lucifer did not return, Cassie told Azazeal that she still wanted to get out just the two of them.
"Alright, but what's going on with Elizabeth and Lucifer."
"Nothing major, I'm sure they'll straighten it out."
After a nice lunch and walk, Cassie said that she wanted to play some pool. They were both quite good but it may have been because they were both cheating shamelessly. Azazeal was just better at it.
"You're supposed to let me win, you know."
"Why?" he said, but she could tell he was at least familiar with this idea.
"That's just how it works."
"Maybe next time," he said but she knew he didn't mean it. She'd have to beat him herself.
That night Lucifer climbed penitently in to bed after having finished doing what she had commanded. She'd sent him to personally ensure that all of his angels knew that they could go to the church at any time for Cassie and Elizabeth's help. She'd also had him recind any order that they needed special permission to talk to her. If she gave them her name, which apparently was a politeness that you couldn't get around, they could speak to her freely.
He didn't reach for her as he usually did but after few minutes she turned to him and hugged him. It wasn't long before they were making love. As he moved above her, she explored him with her hands and finally ran her hands very softly over his buttocks. Then spreading her hands wide she griped it firmly and he winced as her hands reminded him of how sore he was from the punishment she'd chosen to administer. This reminder had its desired effect and he spent himself gratefully, in his ecstasy expressing love that surprised her considering her treatment of him early in the day.
As he wrapped himself around her to fall asleep, he had just enough time before losing consciousness to run his thoughts over how exciting it had been that he hadn't known what he had done or what she had wanted until after she'd been done with him. Only then had she told him why he had deserved punishment and what he was going to do. She had rarely needed to take such a severe action against him anymore but he had to admit it was thrilling. She'd been so forceful and angry and he had submitted easily, without resistance. He could not help but admire each time she found a new way for him to surrender to her, he thought to himself with pleasure as he fell asleep.
The Ophanim: Wheels, also known as Thrones, are unusual looking compared to the other celestial being. They appear as a beryl-coloured wheel-within-a-wheel, their rims covered with hundreds of eyes. "When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels." (Ezekiel 10:17)