Epilogue

Effortlessly he held Claudia close to his chest and flew. His wings were wrapped gently around her, blocking the wind from disturbing her sleep. Safe in her room was where she would be, he told her, and that was where he took her. Her long auburn hair rippled down along her face like a waterfall, as he cradled her in his arms, not wanting to let go.

Gently he laid her down, and as he pulled the blanket to tuck her in, he spotted the T-shirt he had given her to wear when they went hiking. He smiled; surprised that she had kept it.

He backed away, giving her the space she needed as she rolled onto her side. Her hand reached for something, and when it found the T-shirt, she drew it close to her, hugging it like a teddy bear. Her chest rose up and down and she let out a soft sigh of relief. Michael stood there watching, smiling, envious of his own T-shirt, wishing it was him instead. He could have easily switched positions, but he knew better. He was running out of time and would be late for a debriefing in regards to Aden’s death.

He lovingly looked at her and realized how proud he was of her. This delicate half human, half angel with no powers to defend herself was strong enough to endure all that she had. She didn’t ask to have the Holy Spirit’s soul; it was her destiny, one she could not erase. Regardless, she was brave and accepting of this out-of-the-ordinary circumstance. How he wished he could take all the craziness away for her, but then, he would not be a part of her life. Undeniably, he needed her. He wanted her in ways he knew he couldn’t; it was forbidden, but he couldn’t control the human emotions he felt for her. He loved her too much, and it didn’t matter if he would be punished for loving her. Knowing her was all that mattered to him.

“Dream of me,” he whispered into her ear, and then kissed her cheek, barely touching her skin so he wouldn’t disturb her.

Standing up, he took a step back and watched her sleep. He took in a long deep breath, let out a heavy sigh, and as always, felt tormented and empty knowing he had to leave her. As he turned his back toward her, he noticed the silver moonlight seeping through the cracks of the half-drawn blinds. She had called him Superman once, but she had no idea of the powers he possessed.

He was always worried about what she would think when he did things that weren’t normal by human standards. As he reminisced about the things she said to him, he chuckled lightly to himself. She was everything to him. To him, she was his guardian angel. With these thoughts in mind, he faced her, memorizing her face one more time, as his back made contact with the wall.

“Te Amo,” he said in Latin. He slowly opened up his wings and disappeared. Out in the crisp, cool air, the beating of his wings was too soft for human ears to hear. He flew upward and then disappeared before he could blink. The light was his guide as he traveled through a tunnel of different hues. Soon after, the light faded and he stepped onto the dirt road where he had first seen Claudia. But this time he was on the other side. He was about to enter, crossing over to Halo City, when Davin stepped out.

“Hey,” Davin said.

Michael returned the greeting with a smile.

“You okay?” Davin asked.

“I don’t know. But don’t worry, I can figure it out myself,” Michael grumbled as he kicked a pebble far into the clearing.

“Let me help you, Michael,” Davin said sincerely.

“No! I mean…” His tone of voice was softer. “I can’t ask you to lie for me.”

Davin started laughing lightly. “What do you think we’ve been doing? We’re keeping your secret a secret.”

Michael nodded, realizing what he had allowed his friends to do, and it broke his heart. “I’m sorry,” Michael apologized, unable to look Davin in the eye.

“No need to apologize. Don’t feel bad, Michael, you would have done the same for me if the roles were reversed. Anyway, she’s quite adorable…funny…nice.” Davin’s brows arched thinking of other words to say.

Suddenly Caleb and Vivian stepped out.

“Were you eavesdropping?” Michael asked.

“Yeah, something I learned from Davin,” Caleb teased.

“Hey! Sometimes I do,” Davin said with a sly smile. “Not all the time.”

“Did you clean up the lights and the candles for me?” Michael asked Caleb.

“Yes, but seriously, you needed all those lights and candles?”

Michael chuckled. “Sorry, but yes. It wouldn’t have had the same effect without them. Anyway, thank you for taking care of it for me.”

“Anytime. They don’t call me the sweeper for nothing,” Caleb said lightly.

“Claudia, is she okay?” Vivian asked changing the subject.

“Yes. Safe for now, but I’m afraid there may be more fallen, demons, and who knows what after her,” Michael replied.

“What are you going to say at the meeting?” Vivian asked. “If I tell them the truth, I may never see her again. She would be safe, and our world would be safe, but who is to say there aren’t any more like her?” Michael said, torn and confused.

“Whatever you decide, we will be on your side,” Davin reassured him.

“I know, but I’m asking too much from all of you,” Michael replied.

“Don’t worry about us,” Caleb said, surprising Michael with his words.

“I appreciate your honesty. We better get going,” Michael said hesitantly, not wanting to cross over to Halo City. He was torn between what he wanted and the right thing for a guardian angel to do. Could he give up Claudia? It was the right thing to do, but he would feel like he had betrayed her. In the end, he had to do what was best for her.

“After you,” Davin said to Michael, waiting for him to open the field and cross over.

As Michael parted the field, they walked through one after the other. Before closing the field, Michael took one last look to where Claudia had stood the last time he had seen her there all grown up. He never expected her to ever cross over, nor did he expect to fall so completely in love with her. He couldn’t help the way he felt. It was so natural and easy because of the way she made him feel, the way she made him laugh, the way his heart felt full when she was around. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of his name.

“Right behind you,” Michael said. “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered under his breath.

Michael, Davin, Vivian, and Caleb entered the meeting room. Phillip, Margaret, and Agnes were already seated along with the two other alkin officers, Ruth and Paul. After they exchanged greetings, they found their seats at the round table. It was silent until Phillip spoke.

“Michael, why don’t you start by debriefing us about Aden’s death? And then we will ask questions if needed.”

“Yes,” Michael said, clearing his throat. His words had to be precise and clear, to the point. He couldn’t lead Phillip to think he might not be telling the truth, for Claudia’s sake or for his own. “To make a long story short, Aden thought Claudia had the soul of the Holy Spirit.”

There was a hushed commotion among them, until Margaret cleared her throat and spoke. “That cannot be. All of Isaiah’s descendants are with the Royal Council. We do not make mistakes,” she said proudly.

Michael continued. “I think Aden was so caught up with revenge that after Claudia entered our world, he thought she had the soul of the Holy Spirit. He first sent Julia, and since Julia couldn’t help him, he gathered the fallen. Not only that, he killed Lucy Reed, one of the Earth angels. So we had no choice but to take his life when he tried to take ours.”

“It must have been difficult for you,” Margaret consoled. “Even though he was lost in his ways, you did care for him a great deal once.”

“Yes, but I had to do it to keep us safe. I only feel bad that I had to kill our own, someone who was once my superior,” Michael replied.

“Then Claudia is safe?” Phillip asked.

“For now. But I’m afraid that the other fallen or the demons may be after her,” Michael said carefully.

“Demons?” Phillip raised his voice. “What do you mean?”

“Somehow the demons escaped by Aden’s doing. We were not successful at eliminating all of them. I don’t know how he got them out,” Michael said, thinking of Alexa Rose. He couldn’t let her take this fall. He could blame it on Aden. “I’m afraid that there may be fallen and demons seeking revenge for Aden’s death. She may still be in grave danger.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Phillip said. “But what puzzles me is what possessed Aden to think that she had the soul of the Holy Spirit, besides her crossing over? He must have other explanations. Do we need to investigate this further? Do I need to bring this up with the Royal Council?”

“I think revenge was all that was on Aden’s mind,” Michael answered.

“I see,” Phillip said. “Let me know if you need more assistance. If you are outnumbered by too many fallen and demons, you need to let us know. We may have to take matters into our own hands. When this is all over, we need to erase Claudia’s memory of all this so she may go back to her normal life.”

“Yes,” Michael said. Whether or not he would follow Phillip’s order, the decision would be made when the time came.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me?” Phillip asked.

“No,” Michael replied. “I’ve told you everything I know.”

“Very well. This meeting is adjourned. We are sad to see one of our brothers leave our world without a soul. It will be as if he never existed, but you had to do what was in the best interest for all. I know how hard it must have been for all of you. Be safe. Hopefully this will be the end of it.”

They all stood up. As soon as they left, Davin grinned hugely. “Glad that was short.”

Michael felt relieved beyond words. The tension in his muscles relaxed, and his heart beat steadily now. He knew this was the right thing to do. He felt it in every part of him. But he had withheld information, and for this, guilt set in. The Royal Council didn’t know, so he too, would pretend he didn’t know that Claudia had the soul of the Holy Spirit.

“Do you think Phillip was convinced?” Davin asked Michael.

“I hope so,” Michael replied, hoping he had said enough to satisfy Phillip and the others.

“Speaking of unprotected, Claudia doesn’t have any powers,” Davin reminded them. “Are you sure she has the soul of the Holy Spirit?”

“Yes,” Michael said. “I saw her birthmark, and Gamma wouldn’t have protected her the way she did if she wasn’t sure.”

“But she can’t do anything,” Caleb said quickly.

Michael shot him a “don’t say anything negative about her” look.

“I meant, she doesn’t have any powers like us.”

“I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. Her powers will come when she is ready. Don’t discuss this with her. She’s gone through enough. She doesn’t need to worry about not having powers.”

“When do we get to see Claudia?” Vivian asked.

“She needs some time to grieve. She needs some time to be with her mom, her friends, and to leave all this behind her. We’ll give her some space for now. I’ll let you know when the time is right,” Michael said. “I need to check up on Alexa Rose.”

“As you wish,” Davin said. “We’ll go with you.”

They headed out the door side by side. Their friendship was not just bonded by who they were, but also by having the need to protect Claudia. In their eyes, Claudia was just human because she had no powers to defend herself. Until her powers emerged, whatever they might be, she was still vulnerable. She was also a friend they had grown fond of. After all, they could relate; she was half human and half angel.