Sigillum ex Fatum [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 38

"He said I was his science experiment. His pet project."

I was so horrified it made me numb. I felt almost out of body, trying to process what she had just told me. My stomach slowly began to churn. I looked at the man, unsure how to feel about him. What to make of him. What was he even? I had heard of demons and angel spawn (Nephalem), and angel and human spawn (Nephilim), but all three? Together?

Nephalem and Nephilim are notoriously powerful. To the point where it's largely forbidden, especially the Nephalem—they one hundred percent of the time take on their demon biology and become essentially demons of steroids. Nephilim tend to go either way, but are incredibly powerful, especially given they are largely mortal.

I tried to keep my judgment to myself as I looked him up and down. "Has...there ever been any other of his kind?"

"Not that I am aware of, no."

A horrible thought planted itself in my mind and I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. "Does...anybody else—"

"Know his origin?" She sniffed. "Of course they do. A select few. Actually a couple." She looked embarrassed. "I swore Mikha'el to secrecy. And now you."

I swallowed thickly.

"Please understand, I'm afraid what they might do to him!" She lunged forward and grabbed my forearm so tightly it hurt. "He's all I have!"

I carefully extracted her hand from my arm. Perhaps it was stupid of me, but the words were out of my mouth before I even thought what I was saying.

"I will personally oversee his integration as a member of Heaven to ensure they never have an excuse to do something questionable to him."

They both looked stunned. He looked at his mother. With righteous indignation, I clenched my hands into fists.

"He may be all you have, but you are all he knows. I will not allow a child to be ripped away from his mother."

"Thank you," she said. She then lunged once more and pulled me into a hug. She was a dead weight and I was so caught off guard I sank to the floor with her. The poor angel absolutely lost it. I could barely understand her words.

"Thank you—really, truly. You don't understand how much this means to me. You don't understand—this is the first time I have heard my son's voice. I thought—I thought perhaps a defect grounded in his lineage had made him mute, but now he speaks, and you're helping us, and—"

"It's alright," I assured with a kind chuckle, pulling her away, hoping to put her mind at ease. "Truly, it's alright."

Yet when she didn't calm, instead growing louder and more desperate, I understood what was happening. Or, at least, to an extent. I would never know the deep recesses of this woman's anguish. Even so, I knew this tidal wave of tears was relief from someone doing something kind for her. It had probably been a long, long time since that had happened, and it had broken a wall inside of her.

I had allowed her a safe place for her grief.

So, I said nothing more, simply held her in my arms as she fell apart into the dark hours of twilight.

~

"Where have you been all day?" Mikha'el snapped at me.

I halted before I sat down beside him. "Well, someone is in a lovely mood."

Mikha'el crossed his arms and shimmed down in his seat, brow furrowed. I ignored his temper tantrum and ordered some mead.

"You do realize that most of Heaven thinks this plan of yours for dealing with Baliel is insane, and by proxy thinks you're insane, yes?"

I laughed and waved my hand. "And why should I care what all of Heaven thinks?" I paused. "Wait, how does all of Heaven know—"

"Because God has a big mouth!"

I was shocked into silence by this flippant declaration.

"You want to know why I'm in a bad mood? Because God summoned me to speak of your plan. And He wanted you to be summoned, but We couldn't find you."

"I thought God could see and hear all?"

"Finding His angels is beneath Him!"

"Must be nice," I muttered.

"Right?! To not be bothered enough to carry out such a menial task? Well, when I couldn't reach you, you can imagine His reaction."

My wing twitched, but it was a bad twitch. "Sorry."

Mikha'el waved a dismissive hand. "It's done and over with. However, I feel compelled to let you know that God is of the same mindset that you're absolutely insane and have lost any sense you had in your brain."

I winced. "Did He forbid the operation?"

"No."

"Then we're fine!"

Mikha'el slammed his fist down. "You might be fine! I spent all day being reamed out by God, and you left me out to dry!"

I winced once again.

Then, a bit calmer, "Where were you anyway?"

The mead came, and I used it as an opportunity to be subtle. I spoke into my cup. "I was speaking with Malael and her son."

"For the entire day?"

"She was rather upset."

His demeanor softened. "Oh. About?"

I rolled my eyes. "Goodness, I don't know. Everything?

Mikha'el snorted in disapproval as he drank some of his own drink. "Did you manage to garner any useful information?"

Perfect.

"I did, actually. Had a very interesting discussion with her son."

Mikha'el paused before his right eyebrow popped up. "Her son?"

"Mmhmm."

"Spoke to you?"

"Yes."

"He speaks?"

"Very interesting fellow, I might add."

Mikha'el gave me an impatient look. "Speak plainly. I don't have the patience for riddles currently."

"I cannot." While I had not, in fact, sworn secrecy regarding her son's lineage, she implied she would like my compliance in that. So, I wasn't going to break that trust.

He rolled his eyes. "Sera. Come now."

"I can't. I promised secrecy, as I know you have as well."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"His parents."

Mikha'el rolled his eyes. "Still haven't got the daftest idea what you're blathering on about."

"He's like a cat," I said flatly.

Mikha'el looked confused for a moment. Then all at once put his hand on my knee, and we transported directly into his house, standing, cups forgotten. I knew his house was heavily warded and only God could listen in.

"She told you that?"

I adjusted my cufflinks. "We have an established trust between us, yes."

He gaped at me. I shrugged. "Something about saving her life, something something."

Mikha'el raked his hands down his face with both hands.

I was confused. "What?"

He laughed. "Just...you! You befriend a very disturbed prisoner of war who has gone through unimaginable horrors, and get her son to speak his first words!"

I once again fixated on my sleeves. I'm sure my outward appearance looked cocky, but inward I was anything but. I felt very uncomfortable. He was right.

"So," Mikha'el said, rubbing his hands together. "What information have you gathered?"

I grinned wickedly.