The last two chapters! Can you believe this story is over?
I hope everyone has been having a great end of the year, and I'm so glad you took the time to read my story! I really enjoyed writing it, and I'm so glad I was able to share it with all of you!
GOODBYE, CARIEL
Metatron had escaped Michael's tower, folding himself through the universe too quickly to be caught. His grace was so small and weak that he could veil himself completely, hide entirely from even an Archangel's intense scrutiny. Michael put the entire Host on alert, keeping their eyes open for any sign of the Cherub, but the fact remained that the Archangels had been too slow.
Metatron was gone.
Gabriel retreated to his tower after the Cherub's departure, his grace singing tinnily in his own ears. Metatron had done what Gabriel had always wanted to. God was gone. Michael was moving, but Raphael and Gabriel had fought again, fought even as Gabriel admitted they needed to stop fighting.
"Gabriel?"
What more could Gabriel possibly do?
"What did Michael want?"
They needed to stop fighting.
Gabriel turned slowly, meeting Cariel's concerned gaze. The Seraph stepped forward, lifting one hand, but he stopped and forced himself to drop it. "Gabriel, I…"
"You are a good second, Cariel." Gabriel felt like his voice was coming from far away, echoing down a tunnel. His core felt twisted into knots, and his hands were shaking.
His hands were shaking. Gabriel clenched them into fists and took a moment to center himself. Focus. If I'm actually going to do this…
No. Not if. I am actually going to do this.
I'm going to leave.
Sudden calm filled Gabriel's spirit, a curious numbness that filled his core and diffused through his grace. God had granted him permission and shown the way by leaving himself. Now Gabriel was going to go. He had to go. If he stayed, he and Raphael would never end their feud. All of Heaven would suffer. All of Heaven had suffered. When Gabriel was gone, Heaven smoothed out. Michael was moving again. With a calm Raphael to support him, maybe, just maybe, they could make this work. In the absence of God, with a rational Michael, with a Raphael not twisted and bitter from Gabriel's constant presence…
Heaven had a chance, but only if Gabriel left.
"I've been reassigned again." The lie spilled easily from Gabriel's lips, and he smiled sadly at Cariel. I'm never going to see you again. "I'm leaving. Again. It'll be a while."
"Again." Cariel looked away. "When is it not?"
"I'm sorry." I'm sorry for not trusting you, Cariel. I'm sorry for not loving you when I had the chance. I'm sorry I'm lying to you now. I'm sorry I'm leaving you behind.
"It's not your fault." Cariel smiled tightly. "I'll run the ship while you're away, then? Business as usual?"
"Of course."
Gabriel hesitated, then stepped forward to rest his hand on Cariel's shoulder. "Cariel… I need you to promise you won't try to follow."
"What?" Cariel frowned, looking at Gabriel's hand, the first real contact between them in six hundred years, then up at the Archangel. "What do you mean? Follow you to Earth?"
"I'll be gone for a long time," Gabriel stressed. "Please. Stay here. Watch over my choir. Don't… don't upset Raphael in my absence."
"Just come back." Cariel reached up, covering Gabriel's hand with one of his own, then with both, clutching at the Archangel. "Just tell me you'll come back."
Gabriel squeezed Cariel's fingers, then leaned in to kiss a blessing against the Seraph's forehead. He closed his eyes and summoned forth a memory from long ago, a real kiss, stolen beneath the ocean's surface. Touching two fingers to Cariel's temple, Gabriel shared the memory with his Seraph, restoring what had been taken from him.
Cariel stepped back, his eyes wide, his fingers going slack. Gabriel slipped his hand out of Cariel's grip and spread his grace, folding himself away before Cariel could recover.
I'm sorry.