"And if there's one thing I've learned it's that they are not shy when it comes to their purpose."
"That's true," Cassie had acknowledged, this was something that she'd learned in her own work with the angels, "It's just I don't know if I'll be any good at it…and why didn't he just tell me before?"
But when she'd seen him so happy that his fight with Lucifer and their work with the angels had given him, and all of them, an opportunity to change their fate, she saw how easy it could be. He opened his eyes to find her watching him and he smiled. She could see that he was still glowing from the idea that he done something good and that she had been the reason.
"Good morning, angel," she said, and his smile widened. She put a hand on his chest and said, "I think we should call them all here today to make the announcement. Make a party out of it. What do you think?"
"I think that sounds perfect," he said taking her hand to kiss it.
"And then tomorrow, there's something I want you to do for me."
He paused for a second and then said, "Really?"
"Yes," and then she continued casually as she could, "there's a boy at Mendham, an artist, that I met while visiting Sara, and he could use some encouragement. You know how I love art and I know you can be inspiring when you want to be."
"Interesting," he said and she could tell he was excited, but he playfully said, "And why should I bother inspiring anyone but you?"
"Because with the angels mostly having settled in I've got more time on my hands and you have so much talent with humans. I want to do try to do some good in this world and I want you to help me. Will you do that for me?"
"I'll consider it," he said, grabbing her mouth with his in a long, deep kiss. Despite his playful response, she knew that by tomorrow he'd be asking her about it. He'd done it before, bothering her about something she'd mentioned that she'd wanted, especially during their big trip, but she hadn't really put two and two together at that time yet. She was also pleased at how she had eased them into this because she certainly didn't want him to know that Lucifer had pretty much told her want to do. He still had his pride.
The announcement was scheduled for three in the afternoon and the news of the meeting spread rapidly. Many of the angels arrived early and pushed Cassie and Elizabeth to give them advanced information, but they kept their mouths shut. It was nice to see everyone together again as many of them, they hadn't seen since Christmas. Interestingly, but not really shockingly, all of the angels noticed and smiled at the medals that Cassie and Elizabeth wore and finally the girls asked one of them why.
"They're from Michael, right?" the angels said already knowing that he was right.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"He loves symbolism, he's always been that way, and when ever he gets a chance to interact with humans, he likes to leave them with something. You know, Gabriel's usually the message bringer and…wait why did he come to you?" But the girls just smiled and managed to escape without revealing too much information.
When three o'clock came, Cassie sought out Azazeal and took his hand.
"It's time," she said excitedly.
She and Azazeal walked hand in hand, up the stairs to the raised platform where the alter used to be. She was just about to shout for everyone's attention when everyone fell silent and turned towards them. She looked up at Azazeal and he was smiling proudly. He simply said to them, "Michael has come to me and he told me that all of us have been given a chance to redeem ourselves!"
She was struck by an overwhelming sense of joy coming from them all. She smiled to herself that they always seemed to silently express their most extreme emotions and when she would have screamed and jumped about. When she asked Azazeal why none of them had any questions or concerns, he said that unlike humans they all knew what was expected of them. And as she had predicted it did turn into a rather boisterous party with drinking and dancing, and Elizabeth's favorite, some singing.
Sara and Luke were there too, of course, and Sara spent much of the day toying with angel suitors. Luke, on the other hand, had recently seemed to have out grown his sexual exploration phase.
"Luke, my boy, you're falling behind. Where's your libido?" she asked.
"Oh, it's healthy, do you worry, sweetheart. I'm just more selective now."
"Right!" she said, "Selective."
"Yes, maybe you should try it and stop playing with too many lovers and then coming to me to complain that they're boring," he said with a twinkle.
"Not all of them are boring."
"What ever happened to showing me something unsafe, huh?" he prodded.
"Whenever you're ready, honey!" She smiled and moved closer.
Suddenly Luke kissed her and she found herself lost in the sensation of it like she had never been before. When he let her go, she looked a little flustered but recovered with, "Easy there Tiger!"
"What, you weren't ready?" Luke smiled innocently.
"I can see that you still need a little polishing," she retorted.
"I'm a quick learner," he said with mock hopefulness.
"I'm afraid I don't have any openings for novices," she said haughtily.
"It's a good thing I'm not a novice then," he smiled deviously and tried to pull her close again but she danced away nervously and left him.
He was now hopelessly in love with her but didn't know how to get past their playful flirtation. He'd flirted with, dated, or bedded just about every woman he'd come in contact with but he had recently realized that he was never as happy as when she dropped by his room to talk. Maybe it was only that he could be himself with her but he wanted to believe that she was the woman he'd been looking for, someone he could be truly close to and depend on. He found that he had quickly tired of the chase and the thrill of a new partner, but he wondered if Sara would ever settle down.
For her part, Sara had always been attracted to Luke but she figured that it was just because…well he was gorgeous and they had so much in common. Besides, she wanted someone who would adore her and would want to be intimately connected to her. And she couldn't imagine the son of Lucifer, the king of sexual depravity and lust, being the intimate sort.
At the end of that long day Elizabeth and Lucifer dragged themselves home and settled down to bed, but Elizabeth wasn't quite ready to sleep.
"Will you tell my why Michael had a different message for you?" Elizabeth asked, "Why would they let you think that you were still damned?"
"I don't know if you've noticed but I can be kind of a hothead," he smiled, "Some of them must have thought this was all a trick and that I would leave you and try to force my way back into heaven if I thought there was a chance. So they wanted to encourage our arraignment by saying that He offered a truce while I was with you."
She still looked uncertain of his meaning.
"I've been trying to get His attention for centuries, Elizabeth, looking for any sign of leniency and at one time I was capable of that kind of lunacy, but not anymore. They don't understand what I feel for you, they can't. But I don't need their urging to stay with you." He smiled at her lovingly.
"I'm glad," she said, smiling back with a small amount of shyness because she knew that he gave her the credit for keeping him sane.
"Don't act modest, it doesn't suit you," he said, his attitude changing to a playful one and his tone lowering to a sexy rumble, as he leaned close to kiss her sensitive ears. "You're not humble when you've got me crying out to you in submission, are you? Or when I've been bad and I'm just your miserable slave desperately begging for your forgiveness. Your're never satisfied until I'm utterly vanquished, are you?," he whispered, moving on to nip at her exposed neck and she gave a soft sigh. "But now you're my plaything aren't you?"
She sighed again in agreement, her eyes closed, pressing herself against him, knowing what he would do to her and wanting it. He would torture her with achingly slow gentleness, which was her weakness, always keeping her just on the verge of total ecstasy. He would pay for it later, of course, but that was exactly what he wanted because he adored it anytime he could make her feisty enough to put him in a position that force him to yield to her.