heUriel knew he had to fly faster. Christine was fast asleep in his arms. They called him the voice of the Creator. His breathing grew faster, and he felt Michael behind them.
"Uriel!"
Uriel ignored Michael completely. He urged his wings to go faster if he stopped; Michael would catch up with them, and he could not have that.
"Uriel!"
Michael's voice was booming in the heavens. Uriel had to find neutral ground. Only on hollow-ground would he be able to handle Michael.
"Uriel! Where are you taking her?"
Uriel looked down on earth. Where was it? His wings were getting tired; he had not flown in a long time. He tightened his grip on Christine.
"Uriel! You cannot outfly me!"
Uriel found what he was looking for, and he dived down, landing in a graveyard, placing Christine gently on a rectangular tombstone.
Uriel laid his wings backwards, he heard a thud, and Michael landed behind him, tugging his wings back. "Why did you make me chase you?"
Uriel stood in front of Christine, who was sleeping on the tombstone, and he spread his arms wide, facing Michael. "I didn't make you chase me. You chose to do that on your own."
Michael grinned. "Oh? Is that why you landed in this graveyard?"
Uriel knew he was no match for Michael. He was taller, broad-shouldered more masculine compared to Uriel. "You have no power here, Michael."
Michael rolled his eyes. "Do I look stupid to you? Are you afraid of me now, Uriel?"
Yes, Uriel was afraid. Michael was one of the most dangerous angels. "Why would I be afraid of you?"
Uriel tried to hide that his heart was beating with fear. Michael took a step forward. "I can smell it on you."
Uriel did not move, still standing between Michael and Christine. "You can leave, Michael."
"I'll leave if you hand me over Gadrial."
"That is not going to happen, Michael."
"Oh? What is she to you anyway, Uriel?"
"Sh... It doesn't matter; the point is you will not put your hands on her!" Uriel dug his feet further into the ground, taking a defensive stance. He was going to try his best, he was not the best among the elite, but he could try.
"You are a coward, Uriel." Michael took a step forward. "You didn't even fight in the battle one hundred and eleven years ago."
"I am neutral."
"Another name for a coward. What would Gadrial say when she finds out that the great Uriel defied who he is."
"I am not defying who I am. I am the 'voice of the Creator', thus making me neutral to these battles." He was not going to lie. Michael's words were a knife jabbed deep into his heart.
"It wasn't like that in the beginning, was it?"
"The contract and loyalty held us back from telling anyone who you and the Creator really were; war-mongers."
"Is that what you call us? Did it not occur to you - if we weren't there, the Hierarchy of heaven would have fallen into ruin?"
"You never cared for the Hierarchy!"
When Uriel blinked. Michael was moving forwards while they were conversing, Michael's face was so close, and his nose was almost touching his.
"You only cared about one thing -" Michael gestured with his head behind Uriel. "You never told Gabriel you love his sweet sister."
Uriel was sweating now. "You got it all wrong!"
Michael knew he hit a nerve. "How did it feel, Uriel? How did it feel to seal her fate when you drove your sword in her heart?"
Uriel gulped, he had to get away from Michael, and his sleep spell will not keep Christine asleep much longer.
Michael lowered his head next to Uriel's ear, whispering. "You didn't answer my question. How did you feel when you saw the terror in her eyes when you drove your sword into her heart?"
There was a groan behind them. Uriel slowly turned his head backwards, Michael's eyes were staring up from Uriel's shoulder, but he did not move.
"It seems, Uriel - that our sleeping beauty will wake up shortly."
Uriel's thoughts were all over the place. What was he going to do? He knew Michael could not harm him here or Christine. Nevertheless, he needed her to stay asleep. Wait. . . He had to get Michael to attack him, which would break the rules of Hollow ground.
"Uriel, did you forget I am still here."
"The world doesn't revolve around you. You are so full of yourself."
"Excuse me!"
"Why don't you confess? You do not hate Gadrial. You were never envious of her."
"What the fuck are you getting at, Uriel!"
"You wanted her out of the way because you are the one who loved her!"
Uriel saw the veins in Michael's neck pulsing. "What the fuck did you say, you bastard?"
Uriel's plan was working. Michael was getting more agitated by the second. "I said you lo..."
Michael grabbed Uriel's neck with a firm grip and began to squeeze. "I will break your bloody neck."
Uriel gasped for air. Michael placed more pressure on Uriel's neck. Tears formed in Uriel's eyes when he saw several Angelic, human and demon spirits rose in the graveyard.
Michael's eyes widened in disbelief, and they opened their mouths. "You have broken the sacred covenant. A vow that had been implemented since the first heavenly war."
Michael loosened his grip around Uriel's neck. Uriel shagged to the ground rubbing his neck.
"Uriel coerced me to do this!"
The spirits lifted their hands towards Michael. "You are thus expelled from the Hollow ground."
Michael screamed as he flew backwards with such force out of the graveyard. The gates closed behind him, and a barrier formed around the gates.
The spirits turned their heads towards Uriel. "This is the last time we will help you, 'voice of the Creator'."
Uriel bowed his head at them. "Thank you."
They vanished from his view. Uriel turned his attention to Christine, who was stirring. He got up from the ground, going to her side.
Uriel whispered in her ear. "You cannot wake up yet."
Uriel gently stroked her head. "You have to sleep a while longer."
Uriel saw Christine's breathing evening into a peaceful slumber. He kept stroking her hair, and he looked at her face lovingly.
Uriel began to sing.
*"Goodnight,
Tomorrow morning isn't far. . .
It will be interesting,
When you're alone and feeling bored
I watched a city cry; I thought I lost you in the fall -
I thought of everything, and I cannot lose you anymore -
So won't you stay? I'm drowning in the rain. . .
Darlin' say the words, and I will stay the night -
I'm just the trouble that you need,
I'm just a year away from when the future swallows me. . .
And when you're left behind. . .
It takes a lifetime to be seen -
'cause something happened here
Somehow we're younger in our dreams. . .
So won't you stay? I'm drowning in the rain -
Darlin' say the words, and I will stay.
You're different, and all the rest are the same. . .
Yes, you're different, and - all the rest are the same."*
Uriel placed his left hand on his cheek. He did not realise that he was crying. He stood up. Picked up Christine, placing her left arm around his neck, his right arm scooping up her legs.
Uriel opened his wings, spreading them wide. "Let us go home."
Uriel took flight, flying toward their apartment building. He will never confess his feelings; he knew Gadrial thought of him as a brother and not an equal.
Uriel lowered when he saw their building, and he landed on the roof softly. Yes, she must never know the secret in his heart, and she was Lucian's - there was nothing he could do about it.
He opened the door that led down from the roof, opened Christine's apartment door, walked to her bedroom, gently shifted her to his left arm, and with his right, he opened the covers and laid her down gently on the bed.
Uriel took the cover, pulling it up; he made sure that he tugged her in snuggly. "Goodbye, Gadrial, may the Creator bless you with sweet dreams."
Uriel bent down, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, and he tugged a stray strand of hair from her face before leaving her apartment. His feelings sent his thoughts in all kinds of directions.
Gadrial's face still haunted his dreams, and her pale blue eyes widened in terror as he drove his sword through her heart, sealing her contract, the scream that never came as she disappeared from the Kingdom of Heaven.
Uriel entered his apartment, which was across from Christine's. He stripped his clothes while he walked to his bathroom. He opened the shower's cold water.
Uriel climbed in, and a gasp escaped his lips when the cold water hit his body. It was the only way to clear his head from any thoughts of Gadrial.
*Song: Love and Longing by Stellastarr