of true beauty and nothing more. “David,” Michael says.
The last man is staring interestedly at me and Cal. When he catches me staring at him, he gives a little wave, a big smile adorning his face, revealing even teeth. He brushes a lock of his long white hair out of his face and flutters his bright purple wings. Earrings that look like they’re made of stone hang from his ears. “Gabriel,” Michael says.
Oh fuck. More archangels.
My eyes get wider at each name mentioned, and Cal gets more tense. He starts to pull himself up. I try to stop him, but he ignores me. He leans on me, putting one arm over my shoulders, wrapping the other around his middle, holding his stomach as he grimaces. It’s obvious he’s trying to push himself between me and the other angels.
“Well, this is certainly new,” Raphael grumbles, looking pissed off.
“It’s better than appearing in a vision surrounded by fire,” David says, looking at all the people who are watching him. He preens a bit for the crowd. “That usually scares everyone off.”
“I think it’s just you,” Gabriel says. “People like seeing me.” He starts shaking hands with everyone around him. Rosie looks dumbfounded as purple feathers brush over her face. Nina laughs in unfettered delight.
“What have you done?” Raphael accuses Michael.
Michael snorts. “It wasn’t me. You can trust me on that. Benji did it.”
All their eyes turn to me. “Uh. What did I do?” I ask them nervously.
“Changed the shape of things,” Michael says, though he doesn’t sound upset, just resigned. “Calliel will be the first, but surely others will follow. You are more, Benji, than the sum of your parts.”
“The first what?” Cal asks.
“The first to be given a choice,” Michael says.
“The big guy upstairs must be getting old,” David says, sounding bored. “He’s lost his marbles.”
Gabriel shrugs. “Maybe he just knows something we don’t.”
David rolls his eyes. “I think that’s a given.”
“We don’t have time for this,” Raphael says. “A war is coming. The longer we’re gone, the further behind we get.”
“Patience,” Michael says. “We don’t even know if it will be our war yet to fight.”
“You may have forgotten Metatron,” Raphael snarls at him, “but I haven’t. I know what our brother is capable of. He’s a ruthless bastard who thinks he’s a god. His corruption will soon overflow and spill into the rest of the worlds. You have missed news from the front lines, Michael. The Split One has crossed into Metatron’s field. Even Father himself cannot say what will happen. The timetable has shifted. This is different from all the times that it has happened before. You know it is. Its own Firsts won’t be able to stop It again. The seventh time will be the last.”
“We wait,” Michael says firmly, even as he pales further. “We agreed to wait. To give them all time. But you are right. We must return.”
They all turn to look at Cal and me. The people of Roseland try to crowd in front of us again.
“Calliel,” Michaels says. “You are to be given a choice. You may return to On High and continue to be the guardian angel of Roseland. The people and everyone in the town will be yours as your duty dictates. It is the reason you were made, and these people are your responsibility. Father will be there, as he’s always been.”
“Or?” he asks.
“Or,” Michael says slowly, “you may choose to stay. You will no longer be an angel. You will be human. Your halo and wings will be stripped. You will no longer be able to return to On High. You will age. You will bleed. You will get sick. Eventually, you will die. How you live your life from here on out will determine what happens then. Another angel will be assigned to Roseland, though it won’t be given priority. Our resources are stretched thin as it is. There may be times Roseland will not be guarded, though I know not of Father’s plans for this place during those times.”
“What’s the catch?” I ask even as my heart begins to race. There has to be one. It can’t be that easy.
Michael watches me with shrewd eyes. “Calliel will not be able to speak to our Father for as long as he lives. Even in prayer, even in the quietest moments, our Father will not be there.”
“You bastards,” I whisper. “Oh, you fucking bastards. I’ve already made the choice!”
None of the archangels flinch. “We are tested,” Michael says.