Evenstar (45 page)

Helion pointed.
 

Uriel’s eyes went wide.
 

Belial tackled Uriel.
 
“Uriel!”

He jumped to his feet.
 
“Belial?
 
What is this?”

Belial twirled.
 
“The Primangel of matter did it to me!”

Helion tried to wrestle with him.
 
Uriel pushed him away, disinterested.
 
He took Belial’s hand, touched her skin, and sniffed her hair.
 
She laughed.
 
He smiled and pulled her close to him.
 
“This is different.”

She hopped from foot to foot.
 
“She will make you this way too if you ask it of her!”
 

“I do not know if that is what I want.”
 
He ran his eyes over her body.
 
He did not know what he wanted, but he wanted something.
 
He touched her wings.
 
Her eyes went soft and she purred.
 
Beside her, Helion stumbled.
 
Uriel gasped and pulled her to the ground.
 
He pressed her into the grass.
 
She laughed and did not resist.
 
Uriel’s breath hitched, and he rolled on top of her.

Andrealphus picked Uriel up by his wings and tossed him at Berith.
 
He enfolded Belial with his arms and lifted her to her feet.
 

Uriel pushed off his brother and ran back.
 
He reached for Belial.
 

Andrealphus pulled her out of his reach.
 

Uriel and Andy’s smiles faltered.
 
They stared at each other in confusion.
 
Belial looked at Andy and Uriel, baffled by their behavior.
 
She wanted to
play
.
 

Helion swept down, grabbed Belial, and pulled her away from both of them.
 
He landed behind Berith.
 
Berith stabbed at the ground with his stick, unaware of what had occurred.

Andrealphus leaned towards Uriel.
 
“Odd.”

Uriel’s eyes followed Belial and Helion.
 
“I
want
.”
 
The feeling made him sway.
 
He had felt nothing like desire before.
 
Until now, he had been content, happy.
 
He watched her, uneasy.
 

Andy’s eyes snapped back to Uriel.
 
Fear and possession battled for dominance.
 
He did not want another wanting or having her.
 
“She is
mine
.”
 

Helion watched the two warily.
 
Belial frowned at his feelings.
 
He buried them, hiding his feelings from his twin.
 

Belial smiled and laughed.
 
She jumped on Berith.
 
Berith picked her up and tossed her into the air.
 
He was unaffected by her appearance, treating her as he would any young angel.
 

Ignoring this, Gabriel and Paimon conversed.
 
The duo were absorbed in plants and the special relationship they had with dirt.
 
Paimon’s world had returned to a logical, comfortable place.
 
The brothers organized seeds and roots together.
 
They concentrated on the important things, the facts, raw information, and data.  

A soft melody slipped inside their numbers and order.
 
They turned and tracked the source of the noise.

Furcas sat by himself on the grass and weaved flowers into a halo of plants.
 
He sang a song without words.
 
Flowers were braided into his hair.
 
He smiled at the colorful petals, touching and smelling them one by one.
 
He found a new flower and wove it into the crown.
 
He existed in his own world of beautiful things.

Dahlia laughed.
 
Look at you!

I was simple and as stupid as a stone.
 
Furcas sighed.
 
I wish I could go back and smack myself.

I think it is darling!
 
You are adorable!

Paimon got up and walked over, trailed by his brother.
 
He pointed to the flower halo.
 
“What is that?”
 

Furcas blushed and stammered, “The—they are fl—flowers, Archangel.”

“Why?”
 
Paimon looked at Gabriel, but his brother was as mystified by Furcas’ behavior as he was.

Furcas placed the halo on his head with shaking hands.
 
“Pretty.”

“What is pretty?”
 
Paimon’s eyes locked on Furcas and the crown.

Gabriel reached over and poked at the halo.
 
“What does it do?”

Furcas looked between the brothers.
 
To him it was self-evident what beauty was and the purpose it held.
 
He held up a pale blue flower to Paimon.
 
“It does not do.
 
It is appealing to the senses.”

Paimon looked between Furcas and the flower.
 
“Pleasing to the senses is
pretty
?”

Furcas nodded and handed him the flower.
 
Paimon took it, smelled it, and licked it.
 
The flower had a design, a lifespan, and a function.
 
The color or shape had no meaning outside of those things.
 
Any other attribute was not quantifiable.
 
He did not like this concept that the boy spouted, this idea of
pretty
.
 
Paimon ate the flower so that it would go away and it did.
 
This pretty thing no longer existed with its incomprehensible purpose.
 
He eyed Furcas in the same manner.
  

Furcas did not notice the look.
 
He mourned for the vanished flower.
 
“Lost.”

Gabriel looked between Furcas and his brother.
 
He did not understand the conversation.
 
He picked up a handful of earth and put it in Paimon’s hand.
 
“Explain.”

“Yes.”
 
Paimon’s attention left Furcas.

 
Furcas scooted back from them.
 
He took his flowers with him.
 
He moved quietly, hoping to attract no further notice.

Paimon examined the dirt, but found his eyes drawn back to the flowers in Furcas’ hair, to Furcas himself.
 
He tried to focus on something else, but could not.
 
He could not make sense of the dirt.
 
He scowled.
 
He turned and leapt at Furcas.
 
He pinned him and held him down.

Gabriel jumped to his feet and backed up.

Furcas froze in shock.
 

“Pretty, pleasing to the senses.”
 
Paimon tore out the flowers in Furcas’ hair and tossed them away.
 
He put his hand to Furcas’ throat.
 
“Pretty has no reason.
 
Things without reason should not be.
 
They have
no value
.”
 
He took the flower crown from Furcas and tossed it to the side.
 
“Pretty is a distraction, it is
unneeded
.
 
Pretty is
unwanted
.”
 
He looked at Furcas.
 
“You are
pretty
.”

The young Furcas on the ground trembled.
 
“I am Furcas.”

Paimon let him up, turned away, and walked back to his brother.
 
“
You
are extraneous.”

Furcas scrambled to his feet and ran without looking.
 
He bumped into a sleepy Ladriam.
 
Her mass knocked him back.
 

Startled, Ladriam dove for Furcas.
 
She helped him sit and took a seat by him.
 
She saw the flowers on the ground around him.
 
“Lovelies!”
 
She picked up the discarded halo of flowers and placed it on her head.
 
She smiled.
 
“You made this?”
 
Furcas nodded cautiously.
 
Ladriam hugged him.
 
“It is beautiful!”
 

Furcas smiled along with her; the sting of Paimon’s words faded.
 
He picked up the discarded flowers and wove them through her hair.
 
Ladriam laughed and did the same to him.
 

Lucifer watched them and smiled.
 
He understood beauty; he understood appeal, desire, and love.
 
He touched Ladriam’s flower laden hair and grabbed Furcas’ wrist.
 
Furcas stared at Lucifer’s hand in terror.
 
Lucifer smiled warmly.
 
“Please find more, young one.”

Furcas nodded and got up.
 
“Yes, Primangel.”

Belial’s eyes fell upon Furcas and Ladriam.
 
She ran over, arms wind milling.
 
She plowed into Furcas, sending them both sprawling in a heap.
 

Furcas kicked his feet.
 
“Belial!”

“Sorry!
 
I want to help!”
 
Belial grinned.
 
Helion helped them both to their feet.
 
The trio ran off to gather flowers.
 
Uriel trailed them.
 
Andrealphus followed.
 

The flapping of wings accompanied the arrival of Archangels Michael and Barachiel.
 
Barachiel held on to his register, keeping it in front of his chest like a shield against the world.
 
This place was strange to him, and his face showed his unease and uncertainty.
 
He was jumpy and twitched at the sound of Berith’s rumbling laughter.
 

Michael was not hesitant.
 
Thoughtful, his eyes took in the riot of colors and activity in this new place.
 
His eyes met Lucifer’s and he smiled.
 
“This realm is different, bright, and appealing.”

Lucifer nodded.
 
“A second home.”

Michael saw Ladriam on the ground.
 
His stance shifted from casual to tense.
 

Lucifer brought Ladriam to his side.
 
“Primangel Ladriam, meet Michael, he is my second.”

Michael’s nod was clipped, and his words short.
 
“That is new.”

Ladriam grinned at him.
 
“Nice to meet you.”

Furcas, Belial, and Helion returned with armfuls of flowers.
 
Ladriam’s eyes lit upon the flowers and she left Lucifer’s side.
 

Lucifer caught Michael’s eyes and swept his arm out.
 
“Ladriam and I created this place together.”

“You two,
together
.”
 
Michael looked at Lucifer for answers.
 
“You and her?
 
She is not one of us.”

“She is my other half.”

“
I
am your second, why—”

“Primangel,” Barachiel interrupted them.
 
“The young, the angels, need to return to Heaven.
 
They have responsibilities there.”

Lucifer nodded and looked at the group.
 
Ladriam watched Furcas and learned how to make a flower crown from his deft fingers.
 
Belial followed along with her.
 
Her tongue stuck out between her lips, and her brows furrowed in concentration.
 
Furcas helped her, moving back and forth between the two.

Lucifer pointed to Furcas.
 
“Furcas stays, for Ladriam has need of him.
 
I will send him back later.”

Paimon glared at Lucifer, but said nothing.
 

Michael nodded, accepting what Lucifer ordered.
 
He looked at Helion, Gabriel, and Uriel.
 
“Return now.”

Uriel’s eyes fixed on Belial with longing, but he got up, obedient.
 
Gabriel looked between Furcas and Paimon.
 
He wanted to stay with his brother and his friend.
 
He called to Furcas, “You will be back soon?”
 

Furcas nodded, unsure of why he was allowed to stay.
 

Helion waited until Uriel was with Barachiel before leaving Belial’s side.
 
He waved to his sister and took off into the air.