Fallen Ch. 30

"Alright; I get the message."

"And also don't forget... soon you will have Astaria too. When she comes you now have the means to keep her with you for eternity. You have the freedom to walk the spokes with her; to explore the universe. Your future laid out before you is a glistening web and the paths that lead from your feet are loaded with possibility. Your destiny is yours to steer again and so are those in your charge."

"I'll do my best but I have never been good at taking care of the people I love. Look what happened..."

"No, it's time to stop looking back and start looking forward. We have both lost so much but look at what we've gained."

"I know, but it's hard; especially now, it's hard."

Rapha'el sighs. "We have come full circle, Lumi'el. Once we stood on opposite sides of the fence and I watched your soul torn out. In that moment I hated humanity; hated Astaria: hated them because they took you away from me. Over the years I have realised that it wasn't humanity that separated us but prejudice and I have defeated that in me. Now here we are, on the same side. You have the humans in your charge to care for and I have the rest of the world. It feels good to be in harmony Luma."

"We were always in harmony; it was others who broke the music."

"Yes, it was always others." He looks so very sad.

"Rapha'el, can I ask you something. It occurs to me, looking over these last few days... When you first revealed yourself to me as Seraph you told me a story..."

Rapha'el flinches and turns his head away. When he turns it back there are tears in his eyes. "Yes, it was him; it was Tazi'el." He closes his eyes and bites his lip. "His 'sin', the reason he was... ended, was Taz. They discovered he had found and bedded his human wife and that a son had been born. They would have killed Taz too if I hadn't helped his father take him and hide him. When I broke out of prison I headed straight for you, after picking Taz up on the way; because I knew we would be safe with you."

"Safe? I..."

"We have been safe here, Luma."

"I... Yes, I suppose you have. You, of all of them always have."

"I love you Luma and I always will. I will never leave you. I will always be here for you. I will always be watching and I will come whenever I can. I am your guardian angel after all."

"I know. I'll be watching for you."

Rapha'el wraps his strong arms around me and I feel safe and loved. We kiss deeply and then my feet touch the earth and he releases me.

"Farewell friends," he says simply and then the strange shimmering rises around us again.

"No. Wait," Bridge cries, "Don't leave; not yet. I don't understand. I don't know what to do next. Wait."

But there is no response from the incandescent air.

"Please." Bridge repeats. But the mist fades and with it The People, Taz and Rapha'el. We are alone.

"But... I don't understand." Bridge says with tears in his eyes.

"You will," I murmur as I take him into my arms burying my hands in his glorious hair. "One day, when the time is right, you will." And then I kiss him and there is no space for speaking in the kiss.

Hands touch me, stroke me, massage me. Lips caress my body. Bridge's lips are replaced by others and I hear Bridge moan and sigh as someone else takes my place with him. I feel myself falling backwards, tipped by many hands and then I am lying on the cool, green grass looking up into a circle of faces while I listened to the sounds of Bridge's pleasure nearby. I find two points of aqua, like stars in a night sky and, as they draw closer I close my eyes and surrender.

In that moment the past present and future came together in a way they never had before and we were truly free. One day we would leave this place, we would travel the universe in search of adventure but this place will always be our home, it's occupants our family and we will always come back.

THE END