Sigillum ex Fatum [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 33

In books, and TV shows, and movies, they always say a person wakes up slowly and is confused. But when I opened my eyes, everything came flooding back.

I sat up immediately, flailing.

"Where is he? Where is Auriel? We have to save him, he was possessed, and then we have to check on Metatron, there's something wrong with Metatron, and—"

I clasped both hands to my mouth and began to sob immediately. "Oh God, the angels! There are angels in the basement, and they're being tortured, and dying, and—"

"Sera! You have got to calm down!"

It was only then I realized someone was holding me back. I stopped for a moment, blinking. Amazement filled me, and a great wonder struck me.

"Mikha'el?"

But of course it was Mikha'el. He was there—

I began struggling again, kicking, trying to get up. He held fast, though barely able to against my panicked flailing. I looked at him desperately. He didn't understand. I had to make him understand.

"Seraphin! Seraphin! Slow down—what angels?"

"The angels in the basement! They're being held captive, and the demons won't let them die because of the necromancers, and—"

"Sera, stop! What are you talking about?"

"Get off me! Let me go and I'll show you—"

Mikha'el grabbed my face with both his hands. I grabbed his wrists, twisting, but his hands wouldn't budge.

"Sera—Sera! Look at me, focus—"

"They slaughtered all the angels in Metatron!" I shrieked. "Get off me already —"

Suddenly Raphael was before me. His eyes lit up, glowing white. I felt numb. After a few moments his eyes returned to their normal color, and he looked panicked.

"Mikha'el—they're in Metatron."

Mikha'el lurched to his feet, golden sword appearing in his hand. I was surprised when another one, same as the first, appeared in his other hand.

"Raise the garrison. You stay with Sera and—"

"I want to come with!" Raphael said.

"No."

"He's my brother too—"

Mikha'el's wings flared out behind him, with lightening and fire snapping off them. His eyes flashed gold. "We don't have time for this—that's an order."

"Then I'm coming —" I said, scrambling to my feet.

Mikha'el whipped his head around to face me. "You will do no such thing."

"But—"

"You're severely wounded. You can't."

Raphael had slumped in the seat next to my bed. He looked defeated and miserable. "Yes sir. And I just received word that the garrison is at the door—"

Mikha'el vanished.

"—waiting... For you..."

I tried to get up again. "Come on, let's go—"

But instead Raphael pushed me back down. Roughly. I wasn't expecting the simple act of being shoved into a soft bed would be so jostling. I howled in pain. He glared.

"I will put you to sleep if I must."

Gritting my teeth, I lurched to my feet. Raphael pressed two fingers to my forehead and then blackness.

~

I sat up. "Mikha'el!"

"Hey hey hey, sh sh sh."

It was Mikha'el. He smiled. I was confused.

"Mikha'el?"

"Please take it easy. You ripped your sutures out."

I screwed up my face. "Sutures? But—"

"You were stabbed with your own feather. Repeatedly. You were already weakened from your molting. You're not healing properly. We had to sew up the gash in your shoulder."

Gingerly I touched the wound. It hurt. I put my hand down.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. A lot of needless bloodshed could have been avoided."

I slumped against the pillows.

"It's a good thing you slipped me that feather when you shook my hand. At first I didn't understand. By the time I realized it was not only a warning, but a means to find you, it was too late. They whisked you away to Hell."

I swallowed. "Hell? I was in Hell?"

He nodded. "How did you know I could locate you by one of your feathers? Ingenous, really."

"The book. The book that Metatron gave me—oh God, Metatron—"

"Is fine," he said gently with a smile. "I promise. Once he realized a demon was after him, he extracted himself to stay by God's side. He put the library on lock down, so only a select few could enter and leave."

"Wait—after him? That's why all this happened?"

Mikha'el nodded. "He fought them off as best he could."

"Wait—the angels. The angels who were in Metatron at the time of the attack were... Trapped?"

He nodded again, grimly.

"And...the angels in the basement?"

Mikha'el paused, but then shook his head. I closed my eyes, feeling a tear roll down my cheek. "Fuck." I opened my eyes. "That's why the library kept becoming more vacant every time I visited."

"The angels that weren't killed outright in the initial battle were either possessed by demons or locked in the basement. Once Auriel was taken over, that's when Metatron retreated."

I braced myself. "And Auriel?"

"He's alive."

I closed my eyes once more. "Thank God."

"He is alive but—"

I looked at Mikha'el. "But?"

"Raphael is tending to him. He has yet to leave his side once he made sure you were stabilized. But... We are all preparing for the worst."

"No... No! He can't—I—why didn't you focus on him? Raphael should have healed him first, not me—"

"We thought he was dead!" Then, more quietly. "I thought he was dead."

A coldness knotted in my stomach. "No."

"He was stabbed in the heart, Sera!"

"No. You bastard, no!"

"Sera, please understand—"

"Understand? Understand? You made them heal me first, didn't you?"

Mikha'el turned his head away.

"Didn't you?"

"I thought he was dead, Sera!"

"Leave."

He looked shocked. "But Sera—"

"LEAVE!"

Looking near tears, he vanished.