Alexandria's Knight

Angel in Disguise

Dria

Remember how I let that priest stab me in the chest with his big, pointy holy sword and Adriel didn't like that despite my rampant healing abilities?

Payback's a bitch.

Adriel disappears in rays of light as the arrow pierces his chest. I scream. Arms are holding me back.

"Adriel!" I cry out.

"Wait! Just wait, Dria. It's all we can do."

The light is blinding and I have to fight not to look away. It doesn't dispel, just lingers there. I'm not sure how long it shines. All I know is that after a while, my eyes have to adjust when its finally gone. Even in the glare left by its holy floodlights, I see Adriel collapse to the floor.

Damus and Wynferd are already there, pulling his limp body up, checking to see if he's okay.

"He's alive!" Wynferd calls out and everybody stops holding their breaths.

Eric, Calypso, and Calcifer let go of me and I go to him, kneeling on the hard, stone floor. I take his face in my hands, feel for his breath. Thank God. He really is alive.

"I thought your ass was toast, man," says Kel. "Burnt."

The Nine crowd around us, staring down at their would-be King.

"Let's get him somewhere more comfortable." I need to hear him say he wants to come back to my service and my home so I don't command them to carry his ass right back to the house regardless of what I want. "Let's get him back to his room at the motel for now. He needs rest. When he awakens, I expect him to know he's been summoned."

"Yes, my Queen," comes the reply all around me.

It takes energy to pop in and out of places, which is why we don't do it often. You need to know where you're going or at least who you're going to. Since I've been in Adriel room at the motel, we simply pop over there with him. The guys carry him over to the bed and put him down.

"What's that smell?" I frown. It's cleaner than holy water. Purer.

"Angel. El mentioned that some angel came to visit him and told him about that statue," Wynferd explains distastefully.

My head goes back. "What business does an angel have with a demon?"

"I can't say. We can ask Adriel when he comes to."

"My Queen," says Fane hesitantly, "I know you want to stay here with him. I must insist we return home. It's what Adriel would want. Once we get you back there, we'll come back and watch over him until he wakes up. We'll take it in shifts if we have to, but I don't want you exposed."

Sighing, I cross my arms over my chest. I can't believe we were together in this room for the first time just last night. Suddenly, I'm torn between wanting more of last night and wanting my feelings to just STOP for five minutes and give me some peace.

Going to Lucil is right. Adriel will soon be back he belongs and I will have my throne even if my heart is...well, even if it's gone.

"Fine," I tell them. "I'll go back." Almost losing Adriel got me shook, for sure, if I'm not even arguing with them about this. I can't look at him, somehow knowing that the reason he stood before the Arrow is because of me.

Adriel

Barry is there when I wake up.

"I thought it was best if I waited until after your friends left."

The curtains are closed against the bright sun, thankfully. My head is ringing with weirdest headache. Groaning, I sit up on the bed.

"Now do you see? Your punishment? They took her memories but left her remembering the peace you gave her with no further relief."

"And they banished me from Heaven." I touch at my back. "They clipped my wings. When I became a demon, I lost my memories too. I wasn't allowed to see Alexandria again after that. Not as an angel. I became a Watcher and I saw her again." After I was forced to leave her, she overdosed on pills on the bathroom of that miserable little apartment, alone again, while I watched as a demon, unable to stop it. I remember the hollowing despair. The rage. And I didn't know why. Why was this happening to her? Why did I care? I'd seen people die all sorts of death. Why her? I didn't know. But what I did know was that her soul was coming to my new turf in The Underworld.

I'd see her again.

"Yeah, you got demoted. Or should I say, you got put on the other team." He nods at me like I'm a simpleton. "All because you just couldn't keep your hands to yourself."

"You sound salty about it."

"Oh I am." He looks me right in the eyes then. "You were, are, my best friend, Adriel." Tears shine in his eyes. "You just don't remember."

"I'm sorry."

He lowers his head, shaking it. The tears glitter as they fall. Pretty.

Barry swallows and continues, "Didn't you ever think your work ethic was a little too serious for an ordinary demon? And what kind of demon wields a sword of light and holy fire for that matter? You never even thought about it, did you."

"I'm a shadow demon—"

"Those are your demonic powers, yes. Remnants of your angelic powers still remain." A look came over Barry's face. "You were perfect, Adriel. Until you weren't, until you got Alexandria as your charge." He held up his hands and I realized my face must have done something at him. "Nothing against her." He points a finger at me. "You should've been able to control yourself better. You knew the rules."

"But why punish her too?"

"Alexandria wasn't punished. She was lead down the path. That's all. It wasn't a path you were meant to intervene in."

"Let's say I buy that. If God is so merciful then why punish me at all?"

"What transpired between you two just isn't allowed. Before, you saw her as God's charge. Through God, your charge. But in the moment you revealed yourself to her and touched her, you saw her as yours." He smiles a little. "Then you were not so perfect and still God loved you so. God loved you so that you were even allowed to reunite with Alexandria in The Underworld. God loved us both so that I was allowed to come to you in your second darkest hour and offer you comfort."

I think about his words. My mind wanders in different directions in the quiet between us until Barry speaks again.

"Isn't it ironic? You've been staying away from Alexandria, like a good angel would all this time since you fell. But your love isn't forbidden anymore, Adriel."

I raise an eyebrow. "Are you telling to go have crazy sex with the woman I've secretly been in love with and lusting after since before my own fall?"

"What I'm saying," Barry sighs, "is stop acting like an angel, Adriel. You're not one anymore."

Barry leaves a little bit later and I keep thinking about what I saw in the light of Heaven's Arrow and our conversation.

You just couldn't keep your hands to yourself.

No, I couldn't. And I couldn't let her go. Not without her knowing that she was loved. That someone loved her. No, that's not quite right. I couldn't let her go without her knowing that I loved her.

And I'm not going to let her go now.