Some time later, Lee was staring at the ceiling, seeing her and Cindy's bodies reflected in the glass. Cindy was completely tuckered out, clinging to Lee as she snored softly. It was interesting to her how she had gotten to this point. She had never planned to become Cindy's first lover, after all.
She had changed the girl for Cole's benefit, but now, more and more, it felt like Cole was perfectly able to enjoy sex despite her fetish. Well, there was still time. But it still served to illustrate how unpredictable humans could be, and how no carefully thought out plan seemed to survive contact with them.
She smiled, hoping that her Creator was just as frustrated at times. It was a petty thought, but it amused her all the same. She still had a few pans in the fire, however. Snaring Alison's soul wasn't immediately necessary, as things were progressing quite well on that front.
Trent was dealt with, though now she had to include Marion in her plans. She was a very attractive woman, and one who was dealing with immense heartbreak. On the one hand, this meant it would be a perfect opportunity to seduce her and snag her soul- but on the other hand, that felt unfair.
Still, the faster she could induct Marion into the little family she was creating, the better. Cindy would be happier not having to lie to her mother, and Alison would likely feel the same. She was curious about their aunt, Sarah, and her lover Andy as well.
It would be complicated if she or Winrya became directly involved. She was going to add another servant to the household anyways, so she would have to consider carefully her choice. If Marion was staunchly heterosexual, she'd need to add a male to the mix.
But she doubted it. Perhaps a peek into the woman's dreams was required...
She had other concerns, however. The identity of Cole's father, whether or not she would have to include Cole's mother and stepfather into her plans, the identify of whoever it was that put Cole into her path to begin with, and now, the mystery of who had manipulated Trent.
It could be the same person, of course, but it didn't feel right. It was too clumsy.
And of course, there was the matter of Heaven being involved in her affairs, and how to deal with a loose cannon like Jophiel. She needed to contact Heaven, but she couldn't do it directly.
Gemory. Of course! If the other demoness was in a similar situation as her, then perhaps she would be amenable to an alliance. Carefully separating herself from Cindy, she rose from her bed and put on her nightgown.
She phased through the floor into the basement, where she had prepared a conjuring circle to bring others of her kind here if needed. She drew Gemory's sigil in the air and sent out a mental call.
'Wha...huh...Dantalyon?' The demoness sounded half-asleep. Since her kind didn't really need sleep, she must have expended a lot of energy.
'Greetings, Gemory. Is this a bad time?'
'No, what is it you require of me?' Gemory quickly became more alert. It wouldn't do to show weakness, even if the two Fallen were not traditionally enemies.
'I would rather meet face to face, if that's alright. I am willing to go to you, if you want.'
'Uh. One second.'
Dantalyon was intrigued. Gemory was usually quite decisive!
'Ok, come on through.' A red ellipse tore itself into existence, seeming to crackle with black energy.
She would be vulnerable if Gemory had decided to ambush her, but she'd have to take her chances. She stepped through the rift.
She found herself in a bedroom. It was smaller than her own, and she got the impression this was a townhouse. Sitting in bed was Gemory, delightfully tiny at about Cindy's height, and looking quite adorable. She was sitting in the lap of a taller girl- a little shorter than her at the moment, with blonde hair and pretty green eyes.
The girl was mortal, but at the same time, there was a power about her, so Dantalyon decided not to underestimate her.
Gemory was wearing a silk teddy, while the other girl wore rather boyish pajamas.
Dantalyon bowed. “Forgive the intrusion, Duke Gemory and...consort? I am Dantalyon, Duke of Hell.”
“Oh yah? I was expecting a more impressive entrance.” The green eyed girl said.
“Actually, I agree. This is a new look for you, Dantalyon.” Gemory frowned thoughfully.
“It's a long story. I seem to recall you being much taller as well. I'll cut to the chase- it has recently come to my attention that the both of us are currently involved in mortal affairs on Earth, and that has Heaven worried.”
“I didn't know you were also around, to be honest.” Gemory admitted. “Are we likely to be working at cross purposes?”
“I don't believe so, but I would like to propose an alliance. I was lured to Earth by a summoning- the girl who called me here turned out to be very unusual.”
Gemory blinked. “...I was also lured to Earth in such a manner.”
“Care to exchange notes? My summoner is a girl named Cole. Someone made sure she would find a book that would let her successfully summon me, and not merely one of my servants. Though mortal, she proved to be stronger than one might expect- the Angel I encountered confirmed that she is half-Nephilim. Since then, I've encountered a few other very intriguing mortals.”
“A Nephilim? And Heaven missed that?!” Gemory was surprised. She hated surprises, at a matter of course.
“Indeed.” Dantalyon watched as Gemory and the other girl exchanged glances. The mortal girl nodded. 'Interesting. Gemory is treating her like an equal.' Dantalyon was very curious now.
“Ten years ago, someone made sure a mortal boy was able to summon me to Earth. The circle was left active, and eventually Danielle here blundered into it. Stuff...happened...” Gemory looked chagrined. “I swear, if you laugh I'll smack the taste of your mouth.”
Dantalyon raised an eyebrow. “What happened, precisely? As I fear for the status of my 'taste'.”
Gemory glared at her a moment, then sighed. “I fell in love.” She held up one hand, showing a ring on it. The other girl, Danielle, also rose her own hand. “I'm engaged to marry Danielle.”
“I'm happy for you.” Dantalyon was sincere. “I myself do not know how to love another in such a way. Even though I sometimes wish I could.”
“We're all broken.” Gemory nodded. “Well, basically, the first mortal, Tony, had wished for the power to make women fall in love with him. He annoyed me, so I killed him and dragged his soul down to Hell. When Danielle summoned me, I thought it would be amusing to make some mischief on Earth by granting Danielle the power Tony had asked for. Until the wily bitch used it on me.” Gemory didn't seem all that upset about this turn of events, all things considered.
“It's true. I thought she was kind of devious, so it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. But...it made us both happier, in the end.” Danielle turned her fiancee to face her, and kissed her softly.
“Normally I would chide Gemory for being careless, but an ordinary mortal wouldn't have the power to force their will upon a Fallen. What makes you so special, Danielle?”
Gemory spoke up. “She's descended from Cain.”
Dantalyon's eyebrows rose in surprise. “She has the Mark?” She opened her unseen eyes and yes, there it was. Not as blatant and noticeable as the Mark of Cain himself, but undeniably powerful regardless!
“Yeah. I didn't think to check. It's probably for the best, I think whoever brought us together was hoping I'd trigger it.”
“I don't know that whoever put Cole in my path was so actively malicious, but earlier this evening I encountered a mortal who had a seed of hatred placed in his mind- if I hadn't of intervened, two of the other mortals I've taken an interest in would have been greatly harmed, or even killed.” Dantalyon couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.
“Oofta. Are they ok, Dantalyon?” Danielle stumbled over the demon's name, but she could forgive that.
“Call me Lee. It's the name associated with my current form. Lee Dante.” Lee grinned.
“Ope, I get it. It is easier to say though. Just like I call her Gem.” Danielle put her arms around Gemory possessively.
“Well, I'm not opposed to an alliance, but I should tell you, I'm in contact with some angels as well. One of which has inveigled herself into my household, another who has become an ally, and a third that seems to want to meddle in my affairs.” Gemory leaned into Danielle's touch.
“She means Amielle, Angel of the First Order, Second Class, who was sent to spy on her. The ex-Valkyrie, Mist, and Amielle's new boss, the Archangel Raphael.” Danielle explained.
“Raphael!?” Dantalyon was surprised.
“Yes, and she hasn't changed a bit.” Gemory grouched a little.
“In that case, I need you to either send her a message, or arrange a meeting. I'm very worried about the state of my spy.” Lee then told them about her meeting with Jophiel.
“Jophiel...I never would have thought she would fall that far.” Gemory frowned. “Yes, I will contact Raphael and see if she's willing to meet with you. Someone with her power, and in her state, is a big problem.”
Lee bowed. “In that case, it was nice to meet you, Danielle. I'll leave you and your fiancee to continue to enjoy each other's company.”
“Thanks, Lee. I hope we can meet again soon.” Danielle smiled.
“She wants to know more about what it means to be a Duke of Hell.”
“Well I would be happy to instruct you, Miss Danielle. Also, I hope I get an invitation to the wedding.” Lee then bowed, and returned to her home.
“Well, she seems nice.” Danielle said to her lover.
“She's usually kind of a cold fish. Dantalyon is more of a bookworm, and has studied the way humans think extensively. We're kind of rivals in the demon matchmaking department.” Gemory then turned to face her fiancee. “But enough about her. I want to get back to enjoying your company, now that you're awake again.”
“Ope.” Dani smiled and lay back down.
Morning found Raphael outside the wall that surrounded Dantalyon's property. She had taken on her normal use-form; that of a cute fifteen year-old with brown hair. She was still considering making this form younger on a regular basis, but she wasn't sure how she should approach Dantalyon.
She was aware of Jophiel being around somewhere, and was doing her best to hide her presence. Raphael was more powerful than Jophiel, but they each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Stealth was not Raphael's, as her halo was unusually bright. This was more something she'd want Gabriel or Uriel for.
She stood outside for several minutes, not wanting to announce her presence. Eventually, a Succubus came out to greet her. The girl had short orange hair, and was very underdressed for being outside- she had on a pink shirt that only came down to her midriff, and a matching pair of panties.
The Succubus made a production of checking the mailbox, but her tail made a beckoning gesture as she turned back to the door. Raphael followed along. She couldn't help but notice that the Succubus had an unusually high amount of purity- either she was very very new to being a demon, or she had an interesting tale to tell. The Angel of Love could tell that the Succubus had suffered great tragedy, but also...that she was in love. Actual love.
That made Raphael smile. She firmly believed that love had great power to change hearts and minds, and seeing it among demons could only be a good sign.
Once inside, the demon girl turned to her. “Lee says you were trying to stay hidden, which is why I didn't say hi. I'm Winrya.”
“Hello Winrya. I'm Raphael. You're quite cute for a Succubus, if you don't mind my saying so.”
Winrya grinned. “I was going to say the same about you. Anyways, I better change, people are starting to wake up, and not everyone is used to me being in my true form. Just follow the smell of breakfast, Lee is cooking.” With that, she scampered off.
Gemory had mentioned that Dantalyon was using the name Lee, so Raphael understood the girl's meaning. And she had to admit, whatever was being cooked smelled divine...probably not the right word to use, but things that smelled infernal were generally not very tasty.
Suddenly, Raphael had to sidestep to avoid a collision with a pretty blonde girl of about 11, who ran around the corner. “Woah there!” Raphael balanced on the ball of one foot, narrowing her profile.
“Oh! Uh, sorry!” The girl blinked, noticing Raphael's pose. “You have really good balance!”
“Thank you!” Raphael made a big production of slowly raising her other leg before setting her other foot on the ground. “I'd become an Olympic gymnast, but it wouldn't be fair.”
The girl applauded. “Very good! What else can you do?”
Raphael had never shied away from the limelight, so she did a backflip, landing on the palm of one hand, finishing her movement in a handstand, easily supporting her whole weight with one arm (it's a little-known fact that Angels do not weigh very much). “Ta-daa!”
The girl was obviously impressed. “I wish I could do that! Oh um, I haven't met you yet. I'm Alison!” Then, lowering her voice, “are you a demon?”
Raphael put her other palm on the floor, and flipped onto her feet in a quick, fluid motion. “Not at all, I'm an Angel.”
Alison's eyes got big. “No way!”
Making sure no one else was watching (she'd been warned that not everyone here was aware of her kind), Raphael made her wings appear.
“Oh...wow...they're so pretty...can I touch them?” Alison asked.
“You may.” Raphael smiled kindly. “I'm Raphael, by the way.”
“Like the Ninja Turtle?” Alison gently stroked Raphael's feathers.
“Oh I like Raph, but he's much angrier than I am.” Raphael giggled. “Actually it's more like, the painter was named for me, and he was named for the painter.”
“Oh, so you're like, super old, then? I mean...you look great for your age!” Alison held her hands up in a warding gesture.
“Well I can be as old as I want to be. For example...” She shrunk herself down to the same age as Alison, her -mostly- adjusting to her new height (Raphael rather liked the effect of someone shrinking being left with baggy clothing- or shrinking out of their clothes entirely, though she didn't think it was proper to expose herself at the moment).
“Wow. I wish I could do that.” Alison sounded wistful.
“Oh, you want to be younger? Or stop aging entirely? Or did you want to be older?”
“I think all of those things could be cool. If I could do that, I'd change my age all the time to mess with people.” Alison grinned.
Raphael resumed her 15 year-old appearance, putting her wings away, and placed an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. “I think you and I are going to get along just fine.”
The two of them entered the kitchen, where Dantalyon (in her assumed identity of 'Lee') was cooking, with help from an older version of Alison, who could only be the girl's mother. Despite being her late 30's, the woman was a real beauty, and it was easy to see Alison was going to be a real heartbreaker someday.
“Hey Lee! I found a friend of yours!” Alison announced.
Lee turned and several emotions crossed her face, before she settled on a friendly smile. “Raphael, it's good to see you.”
Raphael nodded her head respectfully. “Likewise. So what's for breakfast?”
Lee and Marion (Alison's mother) served breakfast, and soon they were joined by a younger version of Lee called Tara (actually Winrya), another blonde girl who was obviously related to Marion and Alison named Cindy, and a dark-haired girl with mismatched eyes and glasses named Cole.
Cole was the one who had summoned Dantalyon, but the demon had also claimed Cindy's soul, Raphael could tell. They seemed fairly happy about their circumstances, so Raphael reserved judgment until she knew more.
“So Raphael is a relative I haven't seen in awhile”, Lee explained. “She just got into town. Will you be staying long?”
“I can, but only if I'm wanted.” Raphael replied.
“You can remain as long as you wish.” Lee bowed her head.
“Great!”
Raphael ended up making small talk with Marion, who asked her about her family and where she was from. Raphael smoothly bent the truth, while keeping the facts essentially the same. As an Angel, she couldn't outright lie, but she was a past master of circumlocution. Marion was very sad, and the Angel of Love could tell she was suffering from a broken heart.
Having been there herself once upon a time, she was happy to talk with her. The other girls had to get to school, but Marion's daughters were concerned for her.
“I can stay with her, if that's ok?” Raphael volunteered.
Lee gently touched Raphael on the shoulder. The simple gesture spoke volumes. “We'll talk soon.” She whispered.
Raphael nodded.
Marion didn't seem to know what to do with herself. She'd taken personal time off of work, but she had real no chores to attend to, as Lee's house was immaculate. Raphael helped her with the dishes and putting away the leftovers.
“I'm sure you don't want to be spending time with an old woman like me.” Marion said.
“Nonsense! You don't look a day over 25!” Raphael beamed at the other woman. “Besides, what else would I do? I mean, unless you want me to stop bothering you?”
Marion managed a smile. “You're a liar. I feel like 250 today. But thank you. You're a sweet girl.”
“I try. So what shall we do?”
Marion sighed. “I'm not sure. I should go home, but I didn't drive here...and I'm not sure I should be driving right now.”
“Do you need a hug?”
The woman nodded, and Raphael wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist. She gave the -best- hugs, after all.
Marion started crying. “Oh, I'm sorry...”
“No, don't apologize. You're hurting. I don't know why, but I want to help. Why don't we sit down?” She guided the woman to the couch, then curled up with her while Marion had a good cry.
“Oh, I think I soaked your shirt.” Marion said.
“It's alright. Do you feel better?”
Marion patted Raphael gently on her head. “Yes. You have a gift for comforting people.”
Raphael nodded. “I've been told.”
Then Marion started to talk about how she met Trent. She talked for awhile, the good and the bad. How he'd given her two wonderful children. But how there was a darkness in him.
“I remember when my cousin got married. Cindy was always a real tomboy, and she'd gotten dirty playing with the boys. This was before they all got bigger than she did. The poor thing just stopped growing one year. Until then, she was a real athlete...anyways...she came up to me crying, but wouldn't tell me why.
Trent just looked angry. Later, I got it out of him. He said he was embarrassed to have a daughter who didn't act like a girl. That he'd told her that she wasn't a boy, and never would be one. And she needed to learn how to act like a woman.”
She started crying again. “And do you know what I did about that? Nothing! Oh Cindy...I'm so sorry...”
“Shh.” Raphael pulled the woman into her arms. Marion wasn't really all that tall of a woman, maybe 5' 1” or 5' 2”. Still, she made herself slightly bigger, not enough that the mortal woman would notice, but enough to make it easier to embrace her. “You didn't fail your daughter. Other than the obvious, she seems happy. And Alison, if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have realized anything was wrong.”
“Alison...she's a strong girl. But I watched her try to stab her father with a knife. So I know that there's a part of him in her. And Cindy...that mark on her neck...Trent tried to strangle her. She...she fought him. Tiny as she is, she tried to protect us.”
Raphael stroked the woman's hair. “You raised two wonderful daughters.”
“I could have done better by them. I know that ever since she was born, Cindy has been watching over her sister. She doesn't even have a boyfriend. I know she wanted to try out for sports, but...Trent wouldn't have it.”
“What about a girlfriend?” Raphael asked.
“Oh. Oh God, I don't know. If so, she'd never tell me. Trent...he'd have gone insane. For years he's been asking me to stop talking to my sister, Sarah. Because she's bi, and in a relationship with a woman. But I've met Andy, she's so good to Sarah...”
“So you never told Trent.” Raphael's senses were telling her something.
“I...what do you mean?” Marion's voice sounded small and young.
“That you're bi as well.”
The woman gasped. “How...how do you know that?”
“I have really good hunches. That and I saw you sneaking glances at Lee.”
“Oh my God, the girl is less than half my age.” Raphael could tell Marion was blushing.
“She is very pretty though.” Raphael -could- outshine just about anyone in the looks department, and for a long time, she had very few rivals among her kind, save for Jophiel or Lucifer. But she'd realized that made some people apprehensive about her, so she'd settled on her current appearance- still quite pretty, of course, but quite a bit less intimidating.
“Yes...and the way she takes charge...last night I was a total wreck, we all were. But she got everyone settled, and dealt with Trent. She's a very mature young woman.”
“She is that.” Raphael smiled. She probably shouldn't encourage Marion from developing a crush on Dantalyon, since that would inevitably put her soul at risk- but she was the Angel of Love, and this was something Marion needed right now.
She'd have to have a chat with her 'sister' though.
“I'm just a silly kid, so feel free to ignore me, but I think you should tell her how you feel. Also, and perhaps more importantly, you should come out to your girls.” Raphael advised.
“They'll hate me for being a hypocrite.”
“No, they love you, I could tell just from how they didn't want to leave you. You were in love. It just turned out it wasn't enough. Sometimes it happens that way. Love conquers all, but it has to be mutual. Trent's hatred was stronger than his love.”
Marion nodded. “You...you're right. You sound a lot older than you look.”
“Well, I had to grow up fast.” Not precisely a lie, Raphael had literally been created as an adult. She'd been meaning to take a vacation and have a proper childhood for centuries now, but something was always coming up.
“I'm sorry for that. I'm sure Lee would laugh at me. Actually...do you think she and Cindy are...?”
“Hm. They seem to be really good friends. They may have fooled around some. Even possibly had sex, I don't know for sure, but Lee isn't really the girlfriend type. Lots of people love her, but she doesn't feel that way herself. She's...fond of some people. Likes to adopt strays. But she's only felt that kind of love once.”
“Oh no. What happened?” Marion asked.
“It's not my story to tell. Let's just say that there was someone who meant the world to her. And one day...they weren't in her life anymore.”
“Her parents? She said they died.” Marion gasped.
Raphael considered that. She supposed God counted as both father and mother- and certainly her Creator could be multiple people! “Yes. She only wanted to make them proud of her. She studied hard, and was a very good girl. But then...there was trouble, and she found herself very alone.”
“Tara must have been very young. She seems...a little sad, but only if she thinks you're not looking, other than that, she's a wonderful girl.”
“Tara has her sister. It's not unlike your daughters. I'm sure Cindy is the center of Alison's world.”
“She is. I wish I could be jealous, but she was...a better parent...” Marion choked back a sob.
“It won't do you any good to blame yourself for the past. You have the rest of your life to make it up to your girls.” Raphael pointed out.
“Yes...you're right. I really should call my sister. She'll be mad that I haven't done that yet.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Have her come pick you up. I'm sure she could offer better advice than me.”
Marion turned and kissed Raphael on the cheek. “I doubt that very much.”
After a short phone conversation, Sarah made it to the house in a very short time. Raphael thought a land speed record had been made. Sarah was also a veritable clone of her sister, though shorter, being about an inch taller than Cindy. But her personality was completely different, she was energetic and feisty, and was alternating between screaming about Trent and hugging her sister.
Raphael made herself scarce- this was a personal moment between sisters. The two of them eventually left to go to Marion's home, leaving the Angel alone.
She opened her hidden eyes and began to wander around the house. One of her abilities was the ability to perceive psychic impressions left by strong emotions. Pretty quickly, she was able to figure out the social dynamics of the group.
Dantalyon was at the center, of course. They all loved her, but sadly, she didn't really love them back. She was certainly very fond of her surrogate family, and one couldn't argue that her emotions weren't strong- but it wasn't really love.
Winrya was very much in love with Dantalyon. She reminded Raphael of Toni, but there was a faint sadness about her, and she was more mature emotionally. She was developing strong feelings for Cole and Alison.
Cole had a strong bond with Dantalyon, and was developing one with Winrya. She had complicated feelings towards Cindy.
Cindy, naturally, was protective of her kid sister, and to a somewhat lesser extent, her mother. There were strong, but mixed emotions regarding Dantalyon. The two had definitely had sex last evening, and it was very likely Cindy's first time.
Alison had a serious crush on Dantalyon and Winrya, but her heart truly belonged to her older Sister.
And Marion, other than her developing crush on Dantalyon, loved her children more than the others.
“Whew. I'm going to need a spreadsheet if I hang out for awhile.” Raphael shook her head.
She then decided it was as good a time as any to make her report.
Raphael reoriented herself and phased into Heaven, taking flight. She waved to some people she knew, and made her way to Diane's office. Normally, she would report to the Dominion directly, but she decided there was no harm in keeping Diane in the loop.
To her surprise, there was a sign on the door saying “Out to Lunch, be back soon”.
Though there was an even bigger surprise when she realized someone was already waiting.
“Yahosua?!”
The Son smiled at her. “Hello, Raphael. Please, call me Jesus.”
“I'm sorry, just...what are you doing here? Waiting, I mean? If Diane knew you were in her waiting room, she'd faint dead away!”
Jesus patted the seat next to him. “Sit down. Haven't you heard patience is a virtue?”
Raphael sat down next to the Son. “Who has the time to be patient?”
“Yes, things are getting quite hectic on Earth, aren't they?” He smiled.
“How much have you heard? I was just with Dantalyon- we're supposed to talk more later.”
“How is Dantalyon?” Jesus asked.
“Good, I think. Still has people falling in love with them left and right. But isn't able to love them back.”
“That concerns you.”
“A little bit. You know, me, I'm a love freak.” Raphael smiled.
“You and me both. I know Father has plans for the Fallen, but I'm not privy to them. I hope it's something good. Even with the terrible things they have done, they are all suffering in their own way.”
“Some more so than others.” Raphael frowned.
“Something else is troubling you.”
“Yes, the reason Dantalyon reached out to me.” She told the Son about Jophiel.
He looked very sad. “It's not right. Why there aren't more like her, I'm not sure I understand.”
“Well, there's Michael.”
“Yes, but Michael is just very depressed. It sounds like Jophiel might do something to make her Fall. A great loss for Heaven. But a greater one for her.”
“I could use some advice.” Raphael admitted.
“The Angel of Love is asking me for advice?” He seemed amused.
“Well, you might have some 'divine insight'.” Raphael shrugged.
“Just do what you do best. Listen, care, and meddle.”
“I don't meddle that much!” She paused. “Do I?”
“Yes, but your heart is in the right place. And you do have a good success rate with matchmaking.” He smiled gently.
“I just hope I don't screw this up.”
He patted her on the arm. “We can only do our best, and trust in God.”
He rose then. “I think I can come back later. Don't tell Diane I was here.” He waved and left.
Raphael wasn't sure if he'd been her to see Diane...or her. She was reminded of a quote from Futurama.
“When you do things right, won't be sure you've done anything at all.”
Diane returned in a little while, looking a little flushed, with a young Angel in tow. Raphael had never actually met Love (though she was amused by the girl's name), and, for her part, Love seemed rather starstruck by the Archangel.
She hoped their relationship would work out, Love seemed like a sweet kid. If not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.
“...and that's all I have for now, until I talk to Dantalyon.” She finished.
Diane frowned. “This is getting really complicated. I knew Jophiel was jaded, but this...should I recall her?”
That the Principality was asking for an Archangel's advice was telling. Diane was out of her depth. Raphael didn't take her to task for it. As a Principality, Diane had never been on a field mission in her existence.
Things were chaotic on Earth, after all. Nothing like the orderly bureaucracy of Heaven.
“In my professional opinion? Someone is orchestrating these events. My gut, and I know, this isn't coming from logic, is that we have one person enacting a grander scheme, and that someone else is meddling with it. There aren't many who could orchestrate these events.”
“You think that this is part of The Plan, then?” Diane adjusted her glasses.
Raphael shrugged. “We wouldn't know if it was. That's always been how God works. But if so, our actions have been taken into account. We can't second-guess ourselves now. The die, as they say, is cast. We each have our parts to play.”
“I'd be happier with stage instructions.” Diane grouched.
“Who wouldn't?! Now as to who could be meddling..to manipulate a Duke of Hell, let alone two of them? One of the Kings. Lucifer, though this isn't really his style. Yahosua, but more of the same.
That leaves...Lilith? Or...Her.”
Diane's eyes darted to Love. “Love, honey, can you go type something?”
Love nodded so energetically she resembled a Bobble Head. “Sure thing!” She chirped, and dashed out.
Raphael adjusted her estimation of Love's intelligence. The girl had good common sense. “Sorry. I forgot.”
“It's...understandable. Love has a tendency to fade into the background.”
“You're having problems with her?”
Diane sighed. “I'm trying so hard to be good for her! But she never complains, she rarely asks questions, she's just so...accepting!”
“It's probably natural for her to be submissive to you.” Raphael pointed out.
Diane looked torn. “Can you keep a secret, Raphael?”
“Of course, Diane.”
In a hushed tone, the Principality admitted something she'd never dared to before. “I don't want her to be.”
“Oh. This is new.”
Diane took off her glasses (she didn't need them anyways, but they suited her). “I screwed up with Amielle. She was happy with me, and I never told her once that I appreciated her. Now she's fallen for a Succubus, of all things.”
“You miss her.”
Diane nodded. “I didn't think I would, but I do. I don't want to make that mistake with Love. She's...she's good for me. But it's too easy for me to fall back into my old habits.”
“So you think if she was...dominant...you will have a stronger relationship?” Raphael chose her words carefully.
“You can tell me it's stupid.” Diane sighed.
“I could if it was. But it's not. Diane, you've never really cared about anyone before. You have God and your duty, and at best, you felt a general sort of fondness for your subordinates, like Amielle. But you suddenly realized you want more than that. You want to love and be loved. That's not a sin, or against the rules. You know what Yahosua would say?”
“Worship God above all others, and, second to this, Love is the greatest commandment. Amielle said that in her report. It's...stuck with me.”
“What if we have it all wrong? What if we were meant to love more than just God? I know, sounds heretical, but never once did God say we could not love others. They just don't want us making Nephilim willy-nilly.”
“There has been no ruling about Amielle and her child yet.” Diane frowned again. “That bothers me. Is it alright, or isn't it?”
“No News is Good News.” Raphael quoted an old Angelic adage. “We can only speculate. I have a theory though. The existence of that Cole girl got me thinking about it. What if the Nephilim weren't the problem themselves, but that the time wasn't right for them?”
“You mean...they do fit in The Plan, but it was too early before?” Diane contemplated that. “It...it could be. I don't know. I'll bring it up to Mazarine when I meet with her next.”
“Mazarine?” Raphael raised an eyebrow.
“The Dominion.”
“Oh I know, I'm just surprised you're on a first name basis.” Raphael grinned.
“It terrifies me. I think...I think she wants us to be friends.”
“Why is that terrifying?”
“I don't know how! I don't really...have friends.” The Principality admitted.
“Ah. Well, she probably doesn't either. Follow Love's lead. I think she's wiser than she lets on. And as for your other problem...tell her what you want. If she accepts, lay down some ground rules. Obviously, at work, you're the boss. And have safe words.”
“I should be taking notes.” Diane produced a notebook and a quill and scribbled down Raphael's words.
“Good luck! I'll be in touch if there are any new developments!” Raphael waved.
As she exited the office, she saw Love typing away on her keyboard.
“So, Love, is it?”
“Oh! Archangel! Yes, that's the name I was given! I hope that doesn't upset you, since I'm the Angel, Love, and you're the Archangel of Love. It could be confusing!” The girl was more animated than Raphael had seen her to this point.
“It's alright, Love. Personally, I like your name. What are you typing up there?”
Love blushed. “Ah, promise you won't laugh?”
“May the Creator Smite me if I do.” Raphael pledged.
“I'm writing a novel.” The Angel admitted.
“Oh really? What's it about?”
“Uh, well, you know what they say, write what you know? So it's about a young girl who gets a job at a big company, working directly as an assistant to a department head. She's trying to do her best, and she has a crush on her boss...”
“Is she named Diane, by chance?”
“Oh no! Artemis!” Love nodded.
“Oh I see. So how does it end?”
Love sighed. “I don't know. I think Artemis has feelings for her assistant, but she doesn't communicate very well. She's on the rebound, her last girlfriend left her for a slut, and she thinks it's her fault.”
“Can you amend that for me? I've met the 'slut'. Yes, she's sex-crazed and kind of a freak in bed, but she really cares about the girlfriend.”
“Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't know. It's just...Di...Artemis is really hurting over it.”
“I know. Well, if you can keep this between us, the truth is, Artemis likes her assistant a lot, she thinks she's a sweet girl, but she doesn't want to make the same mistakes. She's never been in a fulfilling relationship before. It's always been purely sexual.”
“Oh...does that mean we shouldn't have sex?” Love asked.
“No no, have all the sex! Sex is fun, sex is good, not everybody has it, but everybody should!” Raphael quoted George Michael.
“Oh good. I like the sex. Well, what can the assistant do?”
“Artemis is going to ask her assistant to do something for her. It's going to be a tough assignment, but I think it's the best thing for her. For both of them. It just comes down to whether or not she can do it.”
“I'd do anything for Diane! I mean...uh...Artemis...oh heck. You know what I mean.” Love blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.
“You really are cute, Love. Look, I can't tell you what she wants, she swore me to secrecy. It's going to be a new experience for her, but you'll need to be tough.”
“I can be tough! Grr! Let me at 'em!”
Raphael had to resist the urge to grab the angel and steal her away. She had a real weakness for cute things, and Love was too adorable for words! “Good girl. If you need advice, here's my personal number.” She handed one of her business cards to the angel.
“Oh thank you so much!” Love leaped from her chair and glomped Raphael, who hugged her back. She still gave the best hugs, but Love was quite good herself.
She gave the younger Angel a kiss on her forehead. “Oh, and one more thing. I think Mazarine wants to have a closer relationship with you both. Diane is clueless, so you'll need to take charge.”
Love nodded. “Mazarine is very pretty. I think that'd be great! Don't worry, I got this!”
Raphael patted the angel on the head. “I believe in you.”
As she left, she decided she really needed to know who had decided to give Love her name. She really should have been named Ahava or Davina or something...