The Reaper's Touch

64. Make Love Not War .

Archangel Gabriel POV

I could feel her eyes on me, my skin itching at how hard she was watching me with absolutely no shame. When I turned to see from my peripheral, she took that opportunity to confront me.

"So.." The miniature version of Ezra's loves turned to me. "You and Myia, huh?"

I wanted to spread wings and fly right through the ceiling. Coming here, I knew there would be no escaping the inevitable. I would have to face the music eventually, the song that died out long ago. Our song, mine and Myia's.

Emberly slapped the back of her arm. "I will ground you, dead or not." She warned.

"She means no harm." Ezra sighed, eyeing the girl. "Though her words aren't well-thought out ever, she only means to help.. I think."

I waved it off. "Worried about me, old friend?" I smiled. "Certainly no need. She and I.. we've moved on to lead different lives. Nothing to fret over, had we been mortal, same thing could occur. Life leading you elsewhere and such."

Ezra only rose his head slightly in acknowledgment to my words while Ember nodded, but the little one looked at me as if she knew better. As if she could see right through me. I shifted uncomfortably. No one's gaze had made me feel so powerless. She couldn't simply be a dimensional, not with a knowing sense like that.. or maybe, I was just easier than I thought to read.

"You know," She began again, "I had a boyfriend once. Told me if he came back to me, he loved the hell out of me. And if we didn't find our way back to each other, then it just wasn't meant to be."

I was confused. "Okay?"

She looked at me like I was a complete idiot. "Uh, hello.. you're back!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Do I need to spell it out for you, you hunk of a brick-headed angel. She wants you to talk to her."

"I beg to differ." I grumbled.

"Emagene." Ember snapped.

Ezra shook his head lightly. "That's enough."

"No, no." I gestured for her to continue. "I'm intrigued, mini Ember. For someone so young, so unaware of the ways of this world, you seem to know quite a bit. You may continue."

She smiled at her parents. "Good." Though I'm sure she was going to continue, whether I was okay with it or not. She pulled me down to have a seat with her. "I've heard the story, the reason why you two made like a banana and split." She clicked her tongue on the last word.

In all my days, I'd never had anyone tell me Myia was still interested, that she spoke well of me, or at all of me for that matter. "She talks about me?"

"Er, uh.. ha, well.. not really.. no.." She made a face but hid it behind a wide smile. "But it isn't because she doesn't want to.. I think, no, I know she still wants you."

"I don't think it's proper to talk about.. you know.. angels like that." Ember looked away from me sheepishly.

"Oh, no?" Ezra kissed her brow and I could see the flush of her face even without the rushing blood. "Angels can be quite the wicked."

And though the Reaper himself could very much be the embodiment of wicked, I was certain my meaning and his meaning were on two different realms right now. It was not new, yet very different to see him being in such a manner. I had witnessed with my very own eyes how he cared for others like the first Ember, the warrior angel, few archangels even, and these two. But I had never witnessed him love another. Not after his mortal wife.

"See," The young blonde gestured to the pair of them. "One person thinks one way and the other thinks another." She brought her other hand up to weigh the two. "You guys won't know what the hell each other is really thinking, let alone feeling, if you guys don't open up to each other."

"I am an archangel. I don't have time to-"

"What? Make love not war?" She looked at me in a manner that said 'isn't that what angels are all about, stupid?'. "And trust me buddy, ya've got plenty of time."

I made a face at her, unsure of really what to say back to that. I turned to the others, but they shrugged, leaving me on my own to be lip-boxed by her. Neither looking like they could bring themselves to tell her to shut up, though I could only imagine it was because they'd told her plenty enough before my arrival let alone now.

"You're an angel for Reaper's sake!" She continued, "Love should be the first, middle, and last thing you'd want to focus on. Especially with a beautiful girl like Myia."

Ezra cleared his throat. And I wasn't sure if it was because the little one here was jabbing at an archangel with her sword-like tongue, or because he didn't think it appropriate to push be pushing his own little one on to an archangel.

"Oh hush, she's able to make her own decisions." She pointed at him. "You're such a dad." Turning back to me, she poked me in my chest. "If you don't at least talk to her, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, tomorrow, a millennia from now.. but you will. You'll regret saying what you needed to most. Because no one, not even an angel as bad ass as Myia, will be willing to wait around forever. In this dimension, or any other."

"I-"

She slapped her hand over my now stinging mouth. "Uh, uh, uh!" When she was sure I wasn't going to say anything, she removed it. "You have anything to say, you say it to her. Until then," She stood up. "I'm taking Anahita with me."

Ember looked concern. "Where are you going?"

"She's going to help me look for someone. While you two were off playing hanky panky, I learned something a little rotten birdie told me." She smiled proudly. "I shouldn't be long."

"Is it safe?" Ember looked to Ezra. "Maybe you should-"

"No!" She all but jumped from the furniture we were sitting on. "Michael's dead, The Scribe has withered right on away, we have Ana as our very own. We're good, Mom." She reassured her, looking to Ezra. "We'll be quick."

Ezra slightly leaned down, making sure she knew to look him square in the eye. All seriousness filling his face, static blues unwavering. "You'd better be."

She play-saluted and went to find the fallen angel Anahita. Both of them turned to me when she was gone with apologetic smiles, Ezra more so a shrug to show he had no control over the little ball of fire himself.

I waited for a moment before I was sure she was long gone. "You sure she's not a banshee?" My voice carried, so I dropped it even lower. "A nymph perhaps?"

"No." Ezra actually chuckled out a breath of air. "Just a cupcake."