LITMIR.BIZ

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to pace. There was no getting around it. Michael would only act offended until Gabriel apologized and he would have to listen to whatever it was anyway. Best to get it over with. He tore after Michael on the Great Mountain.

      As the ground dropped away, Gabriel cast his gaze forward again. He neared the mountain rapidly. From his elevation, he could soon see much of the inner city. The city itself was pure gold—its streets, walls, bridges—but the gold resembled transparent glass. It was a little brighter than he’d remembered. Twelve massive solid-white pearl gates surrounded the city, forming three walls. The gates were supported by pearl columns positioned directly next to each other, keeping hidden everything within the gates. All the pearl reflected light in so many vivid colors that it looked like an aurora. Taking in their splendor was almost a physical burden on Gabriel’s eyes. He typically stayed on the outskirts and forgot the magnificence of the city. With a nod to the dominion guarding the gate, he rushed through and began scanning for Michael.

      He soon caught a glimpse of Michael’s broad back. It was clearly him; Gabriel recognized the same perfect posture he was accustomed to joking about. Who walked that way?

      “Michael!”

      Michael continued on, jumping over a body of crystal-clear water. It was the water of life. This gently flowing body of water wound through the soil as if the land had eagerly opened itself up for the water’s pristine touch. Gabriel kicked a little dirt into it. Michael continued to ignore him. Although there was no sun, the water was never dark because it led straight up to the majestic throne that contained the source of the glorious light. The river ran from the throne’s residence at the top of the mountain down to its lower slopes, from both sides on the northeast and southwest through the upper tiers and homes of the angels. The trees that grew on its banks bore twelve different fruits each, which had the most perfect shapes and the purest colors. Gabriel snagged a couple of oranges off the branches. The air smelled of fresh flowers and citrus.

      “Michael, wait!” He still didn’t stop. Gabriel launched an orange right between Michael’s wings, where it struck and bounced back. Michael finally turned around with a sigh. Gabriel approached, peeling his other orange. The skin of the ten-inch fruit parted easily, in one piece.

      Gabriel took a juice-filled bite and smiled at Michael as it dripped onto the Alexandrite stone around his neck and trickled into the golden words engraved in his armor. Each of the archangels wore one of these stones around his neck, but their armor inscriptions were unique. “Have you had one of these lately?”

      “No, brother, I haven’t.”

      Michael’s face was much more serious than Gabriel expected. Something really was wrong. “What was all that about back there?”

      Michael seemed to search for the right wording and, not finding it, looked away.

      “Is this about the games? I know you’re worried about me in the air-and-ground arms spar, but you’ll make it up in the agility and concentration events.”

      “This isn’t about the games. Do you ever listen? When are you going to get out of your own little world and join the rest of us in the realities of Heaven?”

      Gabriel felt the juicy pulp slide down his forearm. “I’m not like you, Michael. We don’t all know exactly what we are supposed to be.”

      “You are an archangel just like me, Gabriel!”

      “I’m not just like you. I’m not perfect. Read your armor, Michael.” Gabriel pointed at the words Dux Bellorum engraved in Michael’s armored chest plate. “You are the war leader, not me. Did you ever think some of us are still trying to figure things out?”

      “Well, we don’t have the luxury of time anymore. The life and order of the angels are about to change.”

      Gabriel’s juicy smile slowly faded. “What does that even mean? Am I going to become one of the seraphim?”

      “I am not joking, Gabriel.” Michael’s brow furrowed in concern. “God has shown me an unspeakable event. I don’t know how it will come to be, but the end result will be unfathomable.”

      Gabriel looked around the busy city. There seemed to be more angels walking around than he remembered, and there were so many more pristine structures. Stressful. “What end result?”

      “I don’t even have the words to describe it.”

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Michael.”

      “God told me that I will soon lead the angels in this time of change.”

      Gabriel took a deep breath. “So why are you telling me if you can’t even describe what it is?”

      “Because He also spoke of you.”

      Gabriel straightened up his posture like Michael’s. His wings felt heavy. “He did? What did He say?”

      “That you will play an even bigger role than I in this time of need.”

      “What?” Gabriel felt deflated. Surely Michael must have misheard.

      “He said that you will protect over half of the angels of Heaven.”

      From high on a carved-stone stage glittering with brilliant encrusted diamonds, Lucifer stared out at the millions of angels who called Heaven home. He rested on a stone mezzanine with a short waterfall cascading down its middle to a moat that surrounded the entire stage. Here in the Hanging Gardens they were just east of the source of heavenly light, the throne of God. He could barely hear the waterfall over the roars of the crowd.

      On the opposite side of the stage was Delia, the virtue angel of chastity. He smiled at her as he began to pick a riff repeatedly on the twenty-four-stringed handmade instrument he had fashioned specifically for this closing ceremony. She returned the gesture with longing in her eyes. Her teeth were so white. He was the games’ featured performer, and the angels’ cheers below vibrated the stage under his feet. He breathed in the admiration and felt even more alive than he had at the previous year’s performance. He knew he needed to humble himself.

      The band started up behind him. It featured two of the six-winged seraphim, another cherubim like Lucifer in golden armor, another virtue like Delia in a long green gown, and two thrones in decadent robes. The audience was like a pot of water before boiling. Lucifer let it build slowly for what seemed like hours, knowing full well how to cause a hallucinatory euphoria in the crowd. They swayed in unison to the beat in a trance-like state. No angel was immune.

      Here we go, he thought. He threw his instrument around his back as he sat down to his signature pipe key, and the angels exploded in cheers and applause once again. After a few minutes of intense rhythms, he cooed his first melodic praises for God. The next six hours of performing were a blur.

      When the band played their last note to a stunned audience, Lucifer stood and spread his triumphant wings to their full extent. They cast much of the glistening stage into shadow. The crowd snapped out of its collective trance, and smiles claimed their awe-inspired faces. Heaven shook from the roar that ensued, and a tingle went down his spine followed by a flush of heat. He felt truly alive. Yet a moment later the warmth turned chill, like a splash in a cold sea. The adoration he felt became hollow.

      This praise was not for him.

      Lucifer ripped his wings back in tight and turned toward the blinding light of the throne of God. “Praise Him for all His glory!” He reached his hands out with a wistful expression. “One of these years maybe He will join us down here as we sing His praises.” He walked off the stage past Delia, who smiled as she waved to the crowd. The masses began to leave the Hanging Gardens in a common flow, heading toward the Great Mountain just as Lucifer was.

      An escort of seraphim surrounded him as he flew over the gardens and up the twelve jeweled layers that made up the mountain’s base. The millions of angels in their nine separate orders followed in structured fashion based on rank.

      “What

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