Arella looked in horror, her wide eyes fixed on the inferno that consumed the beautiful pair of white wings. The angel who they were attached to was screaming bloody murder as he flapped his wings in an attempt to put the fire out. All that did was make the flame grow as it licked on his beautiful white feathers and headed very steadily for the skin that was underneath.
"Stay still, Gariel!" A smaller, low-tier two angel, Dria, screamed at him. She had a large pool of water hanging over his head, ready to drop it once he stopped moving. That was hardly the worst of it all.
All around them were angels in pandemonium. Some were burning from a holy fire, while others were being chased by flame creatures that prowled through the wreckage.
In this mess, one of the slightly higher-ranked angels ran over to Arella and said, "Do something, Arella." His white hair had been burned to a crisp, and his blue robe was in tatters, leaving only the white underrobe that all angels wore to cover him up properly.
"What do you want me to do?!" Arella asked, her eyes wide.
"You're the one that started this mess; fix it!"
It wasn't on purpose; that was one thing that she could say with certainty. However, even if she did, he would not believe her. Everyone was of the opinion that she was mad at him for marrying another angel who was not her. Even himself!
Arella almost laughed at the preposterous thought, "Do you think that I did this on purpose?"
The angel Abbadon, was not bad-looking, just like all angels. He was tall, had bright blonde hair, and deep ocean blue eyes. However, that was where Arella's appreciating went. He was far from her type, even though everyone seemed to think that she was infatuated with him. He lifted his chest upon hearing her question, "Why not?" You have always been jealous of Eloa. It has been evident, and everyone knows how bitter you are about her marrying me. Do not think for a second that I believe this to be an accident."
Arella's jaw went slack, and her eyes widened. She could not believe that there was an angel who was so full of himself. She was almost tempted to take a rock and bash him in the head with it. He was utterly insufferable. Granted she did not want to spill blood; it would be good for humans as well if an angel as stupid as himself died.
She took in a deep breath, pinching her nose very tightly. 'Don't hurt him. Don't hurt him.' She all but chanted in her head.
She looked back at Gariel and Dria. She had managed to finally get him to stand still while she doused him with water. "You better than anyone should know that there was nothing going on between the two of us."
Even if everyone else was waiting for some good face slapping, mainly because nothing interesting ever happened in heaven, Abbadon would know better than them all that she held no feelings for him. She looked back at him, only to realize that his face was flushed a very bright red. "Wait, did you really believe the rumors as well?" her jaw dropped once more. It was a very stupid-looking expression. "You seriously think I would torch heaven out of jealousy?" she snapped at him.
Then, just as quickly, her face contorted in disgust. "Ew, surely you jest. Our mothers are sisters. Don't flatter yourself, cousin."
Although it was not uncommon for angels to marry their cousins, mainly because of their small number in the first place, it was not a trait that Arella liked or thought of. If she failed to find someone she liked, someone who was out of her gene pool, then the obvious thing she was going to do is to stay single, like someone with a good mind. "You're denying it?" he countered her. "Everyone was saying it. It was going around how everyone can see that you envy Eloa; it seemed foolish not to believe it."
"Nyeviwan was nyaying nyit…," she mocked in a low voice, "Well then, I will tell you now, everyone is apparently blind." She ran a hand down her face, "I have no interest in you, Abbadon. You are not my type, nor are you strong enough to marry me anyway. You have stayed ranked as a low-tier one angel for centuries now. I would rather marry a demon than marry you. I came here to wish you happiness because we're cousins."
The crimson flush that spread across Abaddon's face was almost satisfying. Arella almost wished that the place was quiet so that the other angels could hear her words, "Eloa seems like a good angel, even though the two of you are also cousins. Such an arrangement may fly in heaven, but I would rather stay single than marry within my family tree."
Eloa wasn't her cousin though. She was related to Abbadon through his father's side, while she was related to him through his mother's side. Every day, she thanked the lands her parents had good of a mind to not force her into a marriage she did not want. Even though angels said one got used to their partner the longer they stayed together, Abbadon was not someone she saw ever getting along with.
He was just too stupid.
She sunk her hand into her robe pocket, took out a small, dainty, elegantly wrapped box, and shoved it into his hands. "I got this for Eloa; it should match her eyes. I wish you both a happy marriage." With that, she turned on her heel and walked to the archway that led to the garden. Before she walked out, she turned to the stupid cousin of hers and his stupid cousin of a wife, who had just walked to him, and all but shouted, "Oh, do remember, no one wishes this marriage to last more than I do. May it be long and prosperous, because if it ends, and you're looking for a second wife, I'll be the last angel volunteering."
If it failed to last and he needed a second wife, she may very well be the first to be picked. That was the last thing she wanted.
She turned her palm to face the sky, and a stream of holy light spread from the tips of her fingers to the sky. In just a few seconds, water was dripping from the sky to the ground. The fires smothered instantly extinguishing even the flame beasts, and the injured angels' wounds began to knit themselves closed.
With that, she walked out of the garden, not wanting to see the stupid look on his face even further.
"Using holy water to clean up your messes, how ingenious." A voice spoke up once she was out of the garden.
Adrea was not even startled by it and did not bother to turn around. "Not now, Castiel." She took in deep breaths, still worked up over the events at the party.
Castiel stepped into view, his massive white wings folded neatly behind him. He wore the normal angel robes, which were a very pale white in color, adorned by his blue sash and blue cuffs.
He was her older brother by three hundred years. It was almost unheard of for an angel couple to have more than one child, so it was a shock to many angels when her mother had announced her second pregnancy. The low birth rate was the main reason that angels were so few in number.
Even though there was a huge difference between their ages, their relationship had a dynamic of weary familiarity. He was the ever-responsible older brother, and she was the whirlwind of chaos that he trailed after.
Castiel was always cleaning up after her, and in turn, she was always watching his back, from any cousins of theirs who wanted to marry him.
She could not stomach even the thought of her brother marrying someone who was related to them. The only problem that remained was the way there was a small pool to choose from. However, if their parents could do it, so could they.
"I just don't want Mother to hear of this."
"I am afraid it is too late for that." He raised his hand, which held a white letter with gold edges. Those gold edges made her know who the letter was from almost immediately.
She groaned, snatching the letter from his hands.