Dying for the Devil

16

Death.

It is peaceful despite the chaos around me that I can no longer here. I am floating above. I see Micah roaring for me, and Lucifer who fall to his knees, realizing his mistake. The dagger forged and given to me freely is one of the sacred objects given to those who deserve a peaceful death. Given to those who earn it. And it means that Lucifers' soul cannot be broken.

That is what I learned the day it had been given to me.

Sariel handed me the blade, and as the all knowing, all seeing, he knew then what I'd planned to do. And he had rewarded my sacrifice.

My soul, split into two, floats above me, hovering in different directions. One returns to the man on my right. Micah, who senses it now, stills his shouts for me, and instead rushes to my side. He collapses on the ground against me, cradling my lifeless body. The armies from both dark and light shuffle and groan, unsure of what to do. There is so much blood. So much blood has been spilled here today.

Lifting my gaze, I find Sariel waiting at the edge of the field for me. I am drawn to meet him there. He holds a waiting hand, for me to accept. Slipping my fingers into his, we walk. It is quiet and peaceful here in this place.

"Is this heaven?" I ask him. His gaze remains straight ahead, but he answers.

"No Adeline. You are in-between" he replies.

"What happens now?" I ask. He stills us walking, our fingers still interlaced.

"You walk with death, and yet you are not afraid" he states simply. His eyes on me, assessing.

"No, I'm not afraid. I know there will come a time when they come to meet me one day" I reply, giving him a casual shrug before adding, "on the plus side, no more belonging to other people here. I am free to be myself" I say, exhaling without really needing to.

Sariel continues to stare at me, almost as if trying to understand some sort of the puzzle he has missed. We turn to face the carnage of the battle. Bodies litter the floor of the forest, some injured, others dead. The war must have raged on throughout the night, as the first of dawns light breaks over the horizon. The darkness begins to retreat, accepting defeat.

But in the end, are there really any winners in war?

"You chose to sacrifice yourself without any hesitation. Why?" he asks.

"Because I will always choose them. It will always be them" I reply, watching from afar as Evie makes her way to where Micah still remains, cradling me. She drops to her knees, and I feel the heavy sobbing of Micah through my chest. I sense Gabriel isn't with her, but I don't see him here to meet me.

"Gabriel will live, only thanks to you. He indeed owes you another life debt I believe" Sariel says, a slight amusement to his voice. I whip my head to look at him, as a smile tugs against his mouth.

"Did... Did you just make a joke?" I ask incredulously. His eyes snap to mine, and he lets out a low rumble of laughter.

"Just because I am all knowing and all seeing, does not mean I do not understand jokes Adeline" he replies, as I huff out a small laugh along with him.

"So where do we go now?" I ask again. He angles his face skyward, watching and waiting for something. I follow his gaze, and the sun begins to rise over the clouds. A vibrant golden sunray begins to bask over the field, and as it reaches those fallen warriors, they begin to glow. One by one, the angels are lifted from the ground and pulled up towards the heavens.

Every standing soldier looks on, some in awe and others in sadness, watching their brothers and sisters ascend into the holy land. Some of the dark angels begin to glow as well, as they are lifted upwards. I believe in my heart those are the angels who were taken by force. The other Taevas warrior angels who remain are still alive. The remaining dead angels, the dark ones, disintegrate into piles of ash and are whisked away with the morning breeze.

The sunlight stretches and weaves its way through the shadows, through the trees and over the hills, reaching Micah. His eyes snap open, and he too, looks upwards towards the heavens. Micah listens, almost as if someone were talking to him. A sudden dawning realization snaps him into movement. He places me delicately onto the ground, and tucks my hands against my chest, one on top of the other.

Before I've even noticed it, Sariel and I have walked back over to where my body is. My body is basked in the morning light, my skin glowing softly against the dark ground underneath me. Micah is whispering things to me that I don't hear, or don't understand. He kisses each of my eyes before placing his hand on top of mine.

"What's happening?" I whisper, turning to face Sariel again.

"I am the Archangel of Death, Adeline" he says amusedly, and I feel as if I am missing something incredibly funny.

"Every part of this would has a counter part. Every day has its night, every soul has its counterpart, every darkness has its light... And with an angel of death there is an angel of life" he says, a soft smile on his lips before he begins to disappear before my eyes, along with everything else.

It's dark. Too dark. And I feel like I'm struggling to breathe.

I'm drowning, and I don't know which way is up.

I feel it then, a small tug in my heart. I latch on, and pull. I pull so hard and so tightly to that tether that I fear it might snap. But it doesn't. It holds on and holds on until I break through the surface for that glorious breath of air.