I fear you are not fully invested in the role you’ve been given. However, events have taken place that make this assignment necessary.”
Naomi dropped her hand at the seriousness of Gabrielle’s voice. She wasn’t ready to take on something like this. “Maybe it’s better to send someone else.”
“Michael made specific instructions for you to carry this assignment, and Jeremy is to go with you.”
“I hope you don’t mind the company,” he said, his dimples flashing as he smiled at her.
“N-n-no. It’s just...uh, well, after last night, I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea.” As angry and hurt as she was with Lash right now, she didn’t want to make things any worse. Although Lash appeared to have made peace with Jeremy, even asking him to give them permission to go down to Earth, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Lash still had a problem with him.
“You have no choice in this matter,” Gabrielle snapped. “Jeremy is to accompany you. He’ll serve as a mentor to you as well as taking care of his own assignment.”
Naomi glanced at him. With Jeremy going with her, maybe she could search for Welita. If it were Gabrielle, she’d never be allowed to do it.
“Okay,” she said as she reached for the envelope and pulled out the card containing information about her assignment. “When do we—holy shit! This isn’t...this can’t be...”
She slapped a hand across her mouth, mortified.
Gabrielle’s face turned a bright red. “We do not use such foul language here.”
“Aw, come on, Gabrielle,” Jeremy said. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thrown around a cuss word or two when Lash was around.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Never.”
“Cut the girl some slack. She’s just in a bit of shock.”
“It is her first assignment, Gabrielle.” Raphael added, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Her face softened. “Fine, just mind your tongue, Naomi.”
“I’m sorry,” Naomi said. “This just isn’t someone I expected to ever have to watch over. So, when do we leave?”
“We’ll need to head out right away,” Jeremy replied. “We can stop by the Room of Offerings so you can say bye to Lash before we head out.”
“Why would you say bye to me?”
Naomi spun around at the sound of Lash’s voice. His face was a mask. The pain in her chest resurfaced, and she found it hard to breathe. She turned away, unable to look at him.
“Michael has given Naomi an assignment,” Raphael said. “Jeremy is to accompany her. They’re leaving at once.”
Naomi could feel Lash’s eyes on her. She wanted to look at him. She wanted to forget everything he had told her. She wanted her Lash back. But, she couldn’t take those words away.
“I see.” Lash’s voice was cold.
Taking a deep breath, she looked to Jeremy. “I’m ready.”
“Don’t you”—Jeremy’s eyes bounced between her and Lash, puzzled—“uh, okay then, come with me.”
She stared down at his hand as he held it out to her. Her head turned slightly, fighting the desire to see Lash one last time before she left. She couldn’t look at him, not now, especially if she wanted to focus on the assignment she’d been given. Slowly, she placed her hand into Jeremy’s, and then they were gone.
It took every ounce of strength for Lash not to cry out to Naomi as he watched her place her hand into Jeremy’s. He kept repeating to himself that she’d been given an assignment, that Jeremy was just doing his job as an archangel. But with what Raphael had said about Jeremy wanting Naomi so long ago, and the way he’d looked at her last night, he couldn’t forget it.
“Lash, I would like to speak to you in private,” Raphael said. “Gabrielle, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course. I’ll be with Michael,” she said and then disappeared.
Lash slumped on the bench. “Did you know about this?”
“I was told about it some time ago. I didn’t think it would happen this soon. Something must have changed to speed up the events.”
“You knew Jeremy was to go with her? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Raphael gave him a stern look.
“Right. You archangel, me lowly seraph. You’d think I would’ve learned that by now.”
Raphael let out a breath as he sat next to him. “You told her about saving the girl.”
“She didn’t take it very well, and now she’s gone.” Lash leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees. “She couldn’t even look at me.”
He dropped his head against his chest, not wanting Raphael to see the tears forming in his eyes. The look of pain and betrayal on her face was seared into his mind. She didn’t have to say goodbye to him—her silence said it for her.
“My son, she is not gone forever. She’s merely off on assignment. She will return to you.”
“I know she’ll come back, but will she come back to
“Naomi loves you, and I have faith in her.”
Lash shook his head. He wanted to believe in her love. He wanted to so badly. He just couldn’t shake off that look.
He felt Raphael’s hand pat his back. “Think of it this way: she’ll have time to think this through, and I know she will understand that you meant no harm.”
“I don’t know if I can do it, wait so long without going crazy.” Even though time went faster in Heaven than Earth, each second seemed like hours to him.
“How did you do it, Raphael? How do you make it through all that time without seeing Rebecca? The thought of being away from Naomi for even a day leaves me breathless.”
Raphael swallowed thickly. “It is...difficult.”
Lash looked up at Raphael and wondered if he should tell him about seeing Rebecca. Would it hurt him more if he did?
“Son, you’ll be with her again soon,” he continued. “Mark my words. And once you are, she will need you to be there for her. Just as you were tested, she too will be tested in her faith and loyalty to her Heavenly family.”
“Naomi is strong.”
“That may be, but I fear that Naomi and Jeremy’s assignment will test her limits. And she has been here for such a short time.”
“She gets along with everybody. I don’t think she’ll have a hard time with it. Who’s her assignment?”
“You and I know her well. You may know her just a bit more so than I.”
Lash’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You have carnal knowledge of this person.”
“Who?” he squeaked.
“Megan. Megan Dalene.”
8
Jane Sutherland tapped a pen against the desk as she read her tenth newspaper that morning. She scribbled on her yellow note pad furiously as she read the opinion page. Each paper she went through bashed her position on environmental policies. Most of them even dared to claim that she didn’t care for families or the community and instead sided with big business. Being a senator, she’d thought she would get used to being questioned about her voting record. She even accepted the fact that she’d be scrutinized because she was a close friend with Luke Prescott. Regardless, it still stung to read what people thought of her and her closest
