That night was definitely hard. Penryn kept to her word and placed a barrier between us, it tugged my heart like nothing before; logically I could just move it, but then I'd just prove myself wrong. Staying on my designated side, I listened to her soft breathing as she slept, my arms felt cold and lonely without her there.
I as drifted to sleep, my mind wondered back to the time before I became human, I feel asleep with the memories.
Pacing the empty space, my wings trailed behind me, my jaw was set tightly as the angels lined up leaving the Hall of Meetings. Glancing around when they were all gone, I sighed with relief and sprinted to the room over. Becoming Messenger wasn't everything Uriel and I thought it would be; or maybe it was because my heart was somewhere else. Penryn.
Entering the spacious room, a clear orb sat in the middle, walking over I said out loud, in ancient angel "Penryn Young" the orb shimmered to life and an image of Penryn showed up before me. I smiled to myself, Penryn was curled up reading a book, she looked up slightly as if she knew but she brushed it off and looked back down at her book. I placed my hand on the orb next to her image, she suddenly got a surprise look and picked up her phone. I basked at how much she had changed in a matter of 3 years, and how much everything in her world changed. After I ordered all of us angels to go home, her world rebuild itself and she had helped with most of it- "yeah, I have a few lessons today and then more night classes"- her voice interrupted my thoughts. I still remember the first few times I had watched over her in private after the first month of being away. Suddenly a white light flashed before me, I was being summoned.
Getting one last look at Penryn, she was pulling her into a ponytail and passing through her apartment. Walking out of the secret room; Josiah was standing waiting for me, "checking up on your Daughter of Man again?" he mocked me, I still despised the day he walked in on me checking on her, "no, I was thinking. Besides I'm being summoned." I spoke proudly and I spread my wings and flew off.
Once I entered the pure white room, I hovered in place, and waited for my message, "Raphael, I have taken notice your long-term concern for a Daughter of Man. I sense you have reached a crossroads, I pity your choice. After all, your sacrifice has gone on much longer than losing your Watchers and sword for the temporary time. So, I give you a choice Raphael… If you choose, I can grant you the chance to become human for a permitted time. If you choose to do so, I can have you human permanently, or you can come back to your role as Messenger." I couldn't breathe. Be human? Could I? "how long?" I asked, "for a human, 6 months" I gasped, I could be human and be with Penryn. Although what would happen to the angels? Gabriel had gone on missions for years, without a single clue on his whereabouts. "But I warn you. This is a onetime decision, whatever choice you make at the end of your trial, will be permanent and you could never return, human or Archangel." I thought it over for a while. Then I rose up higher with confidence, "I'll do it. Make me human my Lord, but I want to know, what will happen to my position?" I asked, "Nothing will change. For all the others all they will know is that you're on a mission. No one will know."
I woke up with heavy breaths; my hair was sticking to my forehead. I looked over next me, the sun was up, but Penryn was curled up next to me, "hi…" she said softly and looked up at me. I looked down at her, "I don't remember doing this" I arched a brow at her, she shrugged "I know, you were having trouble sleeping… I got worried", she said quietly. I smiled and hugged her to my chest.