Over and over in my head I head his command. Do not disobey. I opened my eyes. I was on my side right below the crib. Tristan was strangely quiet. I felt bad. I heard voices calling my name but they were warbled.

"Persi!" It was Bryan and he was much closer. I felt him shaking me. "Persi." He said frantically.

I rolled onto my back and stared up at him. His blue eyes so full of worry. There was someone else beside him. I couldn't make out who. I just lay there listening to my husband frantically trying to rouse me. "Persi." His voice was clearer. I eventually managed to sit up.

The room was spinning a bit. He was kneeling down. I glanced up and Captain Craig was standing in the doorway of the nursery. "Persi, please say something." Bryan pleaded with me.

"Bryan." I said softly. The room stopped spinning. I tried getting to my feet. My Grandfather's voice still echoing in my head. The glowing eyes. The golden sword. I was commanded to kill my own brother. I had just met him. I wanted to help him. I wanted to show him love. Why was I the one charge with this task? Why me? Tears fell down my cheeks. Bryan and the Captain helped me to the rocking chair.

"Oh my god, Persi." Bryan gasped. I cringed when he said "god". "What the hell happened? The apartment is a mess. We got reports that there was an earthquake or an explosion."

MY head was clearing up. I glanced over at the crib.

"The baby is fine." Said Captain Craig. He looked worried as well. He acted all tough and no nonsense but in reality he was quite caring and compassionate. He just hid it well.

"I had a fight with my father."

The two men exchanged glances. Bryan pursed his lips. "He did this?"

"I may have helped." The nursery seemed fine. I tried getting to my feet. I was still a little shaky. But with help we walked to the living room. The mirrors were all shattered. Vases lay on the ground in pieces or cracked. Photo frames lay on the ground. I stepped forward and felt a crunch of glass. I looked down. I was stepping on a framed photo of my mother. My favorite one. She was just natural. NO makeup. No touch up. Just my mother.

I bent down to pick it up. A piece of glass caught my finger. "Ow." I said and I brought my bleeding finger to my mouth. I sat down on one of the couches. I shook my head.

"The whole building looks like this Persi." Bryan started. "As far as we know, no one is hurt badly."

I nodded. My head was still in space. Far away from the current conversation. You must obey. "We just had a fight. I confronted him about Isaiah. He acted like he didn't know what I was talking about." I balled up my fists. How could he have not known?

"How does he not know?" Bryan repeated.

I shrugged. "Who knows."

Captain Craig was seated on one of the opposite couches. He was looking around the apartment at the destruction. He looked rattled. He never got rattled. Earlier when I told him who my father was he seemed fine. Though it may have just taken a while to sink in. Or he didn't believe me. "This was caused by an argument?" He said with an air of disbelief.

"Yeah. It got pretty heated. I shouldn't have pushed him like that." Shaking my head more tears came to my eyes. "But I was so angry."

"That's understandable." Bryan said quietly. "You must have really made him angry."

"You get into arguments with your father all the time, Bryan."

He raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Yes, Persi, I do. But my father is a plumber."

I laughed. It was the only thing I could do right now. "How bad does it look?"

"Like I said no one hurt. Lots of broken windows and rattled residents." Craig replied.

"How the hell are we going to explain it?" Bryan sighed.

Just then a knock was heard on the door. We all looked towards the foyer. The short black social worker was standing in the doorway. I forgotten the door was broken. A young uniformed police officer stood next to her. Bryan got up and walked over to them.

"Can I help you?"

The woman looked in the room. Her eyes big. No doubt evaluating the room. "Yes I am Judith Reynolds." She pulled out her ID. "I'm with children protective services. We got a complaint that there was a danger to the child."

Bryan folded his arms and glared at the woman. Our captain got up and walked over to them. The young officer straightened up when he notices the ranking officer. I could tell he had just got out of the military. He stared right at the captain.

"Who made the complaint?" Bryan's voice was angry.

"I'm afraid I can't divulge that." Judith replied. "Your wife told me to come back with an officer So now we need to just do a welfare check."

Bryan sighed loudly. "Now is really not a good time"

"I have to do this. It's the law."

Captain Craig looked at Bryan. "You know you have to let her."

Bryan glared at the woman and let her and the young officer in. She looked around at all of the broken glass and shattered Knick knacks. She pulled out a notepad from her briefcase. She started taking notes.

"What happened here?" She exclaimed.

"Earthquake."

"This is New York." She sighed. Glass crunched under her heels. "I need to see the baby's room."

"Of course." Bryan lead her down the hall.

Captain Craig stood close by watching as they walked down the hall. "Boy, this is turning out to be a hell of a day."

I snorted lightly. "Yeah. Big emphasis on the hell."

His expression got serious. "I am still trying to get them to not level charges against you for what happened this morning."

I shrugged. "The desk sergeant let us in. Gus opened the doors."

"Is that the story you are going with?"

"It's the truth."

Bryan and Judith returned to the living room. Bryan didn't look happy. But he was trying to be polite with the woman. They then went to the kitchen. The young officer stood in the door way shifting nervously. "Officer, what branch of the military were you in?" I said to make conversation.

He smiled. "Army, ma'am."

"I'm sorry." I chuckled.

"Why do you say that?"

"No reason. Just messing with you. I was in the Marine Corps."

He nodded. "I'm sorry." He laughed.

Bryan and Judith returned to the living room. She looked around again. "Everything here seems fine. Just need to get the living room cleaned up."

"Gee you think." I said sarcastically. Bryan shot me a look.

She raised an eyebrow at my remark. "I'm sorry Mrs. Lockhart. I am just doing my job."

I folded my arms. "Yeah I know. You just picked a really bad day to come."

She ignored me and turned to Bryan. "You will need to come to court on this date." She pointed on a piece of paper. "I also will be back for a follow up." She smiled. "Have a good day." She turned to walk out. The officer followed her out.

Captain Craig sighed. "I have to get back to the precinct you two. I hope everything turns out okay."

Then it was just Bryan and I. I could feel the weight of today crushing down on me. I rose from the chair and stumbled to my bedroom. I flopped down on the bed face first. Bryan was behind me. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." I said. My eyes already closed. IT didn't take long for me to fall asleep. My dreams were anything but happy. Wrath and blood were all I saw. I a woke with a fright. I sat up. Bryan was snoring beside me. I stroked his arm and then got out of bed.

Putting on a robe I went into the baby's room. He was sleeping contentedly. As I walked out I noticed a faint light coming from the living room. The light by the bar was on. I looked around. The living room had been mostly cleaned up. It looked bare without the mirrors and photos. Then I caught the faint smell of cigarette smoke. I followed it to the balcony.

My father was sitting on one of the chairs. He took a sip from a glass. He barely acknowledged my appearance. He had on just his slacks and dress shirt. He took a drag from the cigarette. "I'm leaving in the morning." He said quietly.

"No, please." I sat on the chair opposite him. "Look I am sorry."

He shook his head. "I need to get back to Lux." His voice was cool and even. His dark eyes staring at the sparkling city.

We sat for a few moments in silence. I hated that we always seemed to fight. I loved the man with all of my heart but there were times he made me so angry. But then we would make up and everything would be fine.

"Her name was Maria." His voice startled me out of my thoughts.

"Who?"

"Maria. That was the name of Isaiah's mother." He took another drag of his cigarette.

I turned to look at him. His eyes still glued to the city. He seemed lost in thought. The same sad look he got when he spoke about my mother. "She wasn't just a random girl I knocked up."

I sighed. "What happened?"

He stamped out the cigarette. Picked up his glass and took a drink. "We met in Miami. She was on Spring Break. The first time she had ever been away from home He father was senator."

I shook my head. I glanced at him. He had a slight smile on his face. "And?"

"Well, we had a little too much fun. Her father was furious. He whisked her off to some convent."

He shook his head. I could see tears on the edges of his eyes. "I tried looking for her. I did."

I placed my hand on his. "I'm sorry Daddy."

"It was too late. They told me she and the baby died in childbirth." He stood up and walked to the railing of the balcony. His back turned to me. His head lowered.

I wondered how he didn't know that the baby was still alive. I guess there were things even the Devil didn't know.

"If I would have known. I would have made sure he was someplace safe. Not some orphanage. No doubt he was made to feel like some abomination. Some sort of freak." I could hear the guilt and pain in his voice. I just sat there listening.

I stood up and walked over to him. I put my hand on his back and leaned my head on his shoulder. "He looks just like you. He even laughs like you."

MY father chuckled sadly. "I bet he's quite handsome."

"Very." I smiled. "You have to come meet him."

He shook his head. "And say what?"

"Hello, for starters. He seemed receptive to meeting me. Happy even."

"Anyone would be happy meeting you Persephone." He chuckled. His dark eyes smiling down at me.

The words of my Grandfather echoed in my head. I wasn't about to tell my father. I had to figure out how to get out of it. But how does one escape a command handed down by God himself. I had to find a way. Isaiah wasn't a bad person. He just needed love. All he wanted was to feel like someone loved him. Cared about him.

"It's not easy being your child. To be watched by heaven just for being who we are."

"I'm sorry about that. It's not just my children who are watched. I'm not the only angel with children. Ask your Uncle Michael how many he has." He laughed and walked towards the table. He picked up the pack of cigarettes.

"Huh. I thought angels weren't supposed to have children with humans."

"They aren't." He lit up another cigarette. "Too much power. Especially if the parent is an archangel."

"Like you."

He nodded and sat down. "Like me."

I leaned against the railing. I looked up at the sky. NO doubt my Grandfather was listening to every word. No doubt angry I hadn't completed my mission. I guess I was looking for a while.

"Trying to find answers." He pointed to the sky.

"Uh no. I guess I was mesmerized by the stars." IT was New York City. The stars were hardly visible. I turned to him. "I am getting sleepy Dad. I am going to head back inside."

"Okay." He took a drag of his cigarette.

"But I would really like it if you stay. And please come meet Isaiah."

He nodded. "Okay."

I leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight Daddy."

"Goodnight darling."

Once inside I went to the baby's room. He was beginning to stir. I picked up him. I sat on the rocking chair. Together we sat while I sang a song. It was no time till we were asleep.