Leaving Serenity alone with that guy had taken every ounce of strength I had. With the way Gabriel acted right before the knock it’s obvious that the evil he mentioned had to be coming from the guy on the other side of the door.
Ryan. That’s what Serenity called him. It may have just been because I had an angel floating around inside of me, but just the sight of the guy gave me an uneasy feeling I couldn't explain. I didn't trust him.
It has nothing to do with jealousy, though I can't deny that there had been a bit of that when I'd seen him standing there. I could tell from her reaction to him that something happened between them. I just couldn't be sure what. Knowing there’s another guy period is enough to make my head want to explode. I don't want anyone else around her.
Sure she hadn't exactly told me I was forgiven for the past, but given the way her body melted into mine, I’m pretty sure that’s where it was heading. It may have been hit and miss before, but now is different. Now it’s our time. I’m back.
“Father has been trying to determine where the darkness originates and given the way you are reacting to the sight of Ryan McGregor, I think we can safely say it comes from within him.”
“I can't be sure what I felt man. I'm probably just jealous, but since I can't tell her what you're thinking, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do about it.”
“Now is not the time. I need to speak with my father and brother. They will be able to give me more information than we can obtain on our own. It seems that if this does originate with Ryan, we will need to speed up our timetable.”
“Are you able to tell if she's in danger right now?”
“She is not. He is there in a capacity that has nothing to do with evil. While he may be shrouded in darkness, he is not planning on using it. I have not been able to garner that information before now, which means there are abilities he may possess that I need to look into.”
I feel better knowing that for the time being, the guy I left with Serenity meant her no harm. If anything happened to her because I walked away, I would never be able to live with myself.
“Graham, I know how unpleasant the act of joining was for you the first time, so I need to give you the choice of what to do now.”
“About what?”
“As I said, I need to speak with my father and brother. I can either separate from you or you can join me there, where I will take control of you for the duration of my visit. I will not make the choice without your input.”
The choice is a relatively easy one for me given the way it felt when I became his host. How I had gone through that as a teen and not remembered is beyond me, but it’s definitely not something I’m itching to repeat. If he had to go to Heaven, then I guess he was bringing me along for the ride.
“You know my choice. Do whatever you have to do.”
Gabriel
“Well little brother, you're looking mighty human today.” Michael announces as I make my entrance through the gates.
It’s obvious that I had been right and they bared witness to what had taken place below. Michael standing guard awaiting my entrance can only mean that my earlier instincts, as well as those of Graham himself had been on the mark. There really is cause for concern.
“Oh Michael, if only you realized how much I miss this.”
“Sarcasm does not become you little brother. Maybe you should store that until you're back with the humans where it can be more appreciated. You are planning on habitation there from now on, are you not?”
Leave it to Michael to get right to it. If what Father said is true and Serenity really is my beloved then that would mean in order to be with her I would have to also remain human myself. Meaning I would indeed have to live life on the planet. It also meant Graham and I would remain one entity.
“What happens once the undertaking has come to pass I have no idea, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“As you wish. Father is waiting for you.”
“I assumed as much. As happy as I am to see you, I do believe that things are quite time sensitive, so how about we store further conversation until later?”
“I would like nothing more. We have learned quite a bit since you were last here.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“It's not good, Gabriel. While we still do not know all there is to know, which puts us at a serious disadvantage, what we have managed to ascertain is horrible in its own right.”
Walking the rest of the way to our father in silence, both of us deep in thought over the immediate danger that is to come, I wondered whether or not this is something I could handle on my own. Even with as powerful as I am in my true form there might be a level of darkness that I would be unable to control.
“It is my hope that Michael explained to you that we have learned much since your last appearance my son.”
“Yes Father he did.”
“It is far worse than we originally thought.”
“What have you learned?”
“The darkness that we felt, we have since learned it is a demon. A powerful one, which is why he was able to go so long undetected. As it would appear, he finally lowered his guard enough for us to be able to catch on to him.”
“Ryan is a demon?”
“It appears that way. He is unlike any demon I have ever bared witness to. There is still much to learn about just how strong his abilities are.”
I should not have been surprised that my deepest fears where Ryan were concerned had been validated, but I was. Given the course of events and the timing of his appearance, it all fell on me. Had I not listened to Father, leaving Serenity vulnerable then he may not have been able to get as close as he now is to her.
“This was not your fault, Gabriel. This demon would have made contact regardless of what happened. You must not blame yourself. The time for that has passed.”
“What do we do?” I asked, no longer wanting to hear about the problem but focus on the solution.
“I know I said that you needed to keep your distance and take things slow where Serenity is concerned, but this news calls for immediate action. You must go against the original plan and make yourself known to her again. This time in your true form. You must inform her of everything.”
“Everything? Or just about me?”
“You must tell her everything. She must know her true purpose. Her destiny as well as your own. She must know who you are once and for all and you must ensure that in the end, she chooses our side.”
I’m confused. What does he mean by making sure she chooses our side? What is he holding onto that I am not aware of?
“What other choice is there for her to make? Hasn't she always been destined to aide Heaven in creating a better existence for us all?”
“She has, but it would seem there is an obstacle to reaching that. You must ensure that she remains on her current path. Proceed in whatever manner you need to. Forget that she is your beloved and remain focused on the task despite what your human body wants.”
He is being vague with me. There is still something he is not telling me and there is no way I could consciously go back without hearing it. How could I expect to protect Serenity when I was not aware of all the facts?
It also did not help that father had spoken of my human body. Is Graham going to be a problem in the future? While I believed myself to be turning at least partially human, especially with my reactions, that had nothing at all to do with Graham and his position as my host.
“There is something you're not telling me, Father. I can tell. I am afraid I cannot do what you ask, if you are not completely honest about what is really going on.”
“You will find out in due time. As it appears, Ryan is going to be shedding more light on who and what he is any minute now. He wants to be the one to break the news to her. To reveal the master plan of the darkness. You must not allow that, Gabriel. She must not choose to side with the demon or we will a
ll suffer.”
“He is going to tell Serenity everything?”
“It would seem that Serenity, though gifted with the strongest of heavenly abilities very much relies on her humanity. She has spoken to Ryan on one occasion already about you. He has made his own determinations and they happen to be correct. She is aware of you and what you are, though she has yet to come to terms with it.”
She is aware of me and what I really am? How had things happened this way so quickly? Why had the option been taken from me?
I wanted to be the one to tell Serenity everything, both about her destiny and who I really am and now it looked as though it was all stripped from me, by a demon no less.
“You must think and act like the warrior that you are, Gabriel. You must not allow the way you are feeling to override the main objective. We are doing this for them even more than we are ourselves. You must remember that as you return to your position.”
Mulling over everything I just heard, I realize he’s right. I’m an angel, one of Heaven's highest and I had to start acting like one. As much as I have been changing for Serenity, it is time that I realize my true place. I had to do things the way Father wanted because in the end I had to see the undertaking through to the end.