“No. Let me enjoy an evening with my family before I get my wings ripped off.”
“He’s not going to do that.”
“Wanna bet?” Mia spat back. “There’s not only me to think of when it comes to Michael’s loss of control.”
“Go and talk with Sariel first. Have him weigh in,” Ted insisted.
“I’ll think about it,” Mia said and stomped off.
Ted turned around, surprised to see Cid and Lazar standing there. “What are you guys doing here? Find another show to watch,” he said and followed Mia upstairs.
“We were just doing dishes, minding our own business,” Cid said under his breath.
“Tense times. He doesn’t mean it,” Lazar pointed out.
“I know, but sometimes he’s his own worst enemy,” Cid said.
Lazar pushed these thoughts away. He dropped his crutch and hopped back into bed. He’d better get some sleep so he could be alert if there was trouble.
~
Mia headed to where she knew Sariel patrolled. She called out with her mind, knowing that the angels were as cautious with Mia as the fallen were after her fight with Ruax. “Kill one fallen, and they all get their feathers in a twist,” she vocalized too soon after she called for Sariel.
“Hey, Mia, hello to you too,” Sariel said, hurt.
“I’m sorry, I’m in a bad mood.”
“Then go home,” he advised.
“I think I need to see Michael, but I know it’s not going to go well.”
“Then go home.”
“But there is some information he needs to know that I just found out about.”
“That shouldn’t raise his ire,” Sariel said. “Besides, these days it’s Altair in the doghouse not you.”
“Great. Maybe I should go home.”
Sariel came up quickly and held on to her and looked her in the eyes. “I can tell you’re in turmoil. You haven’t even dressed to see him. How can I help?”
“First, can you tell if the demon is back?”
“Why would you suspect it was back?” he asked, moving his hands over Mia, reading her cellular structure. He stopped and pulled her into a tight embrace before pushing away from her just as quickly.
“That’s why.”
“Lucifer’s spawn! How did this happen?”
“Short story, I was pulled back in time into my body of twenty years ago. There was a demon residing with me, if you remember. Well, it may or may not have hitched a ride back.”
“Or you could be fertile,” Sariel said. “You’re sending off signals that are positively primal. Let’s get out of the between before you attract your uncle.”
“Ew.”
“He’s not a direct relative,” Sariel said. “You would make mighty children together.”
“Stop, please stop.”
Sariel started laughing. “So you’ve been fighting them off, have you?”
“No, not really, but my own actions and thoughts are very disturbing.”
“Mia Cooper Martin, have you been thinking naughty things?”
“I don’t know why I look up to you?” Mia said, shaking her head.
“We’re going to stop someplace before I take you to Michael. You have to put on something less sexy.”
“It’s a Bears jersey?” Mia questioned. “I only wore it because I was mad at Ted.”
“Why?”
Because he’s a Chiefs fan.”
“No, why were you mad at Ted?”
“Because he told me to come and talk to you.”
Sariel turned sideways and studied Mia’s face. “I’m not a monster, Mia.”
“No, you’re not, but I didn’t want to get you involved.”
“I’m a big boy, Mia. Tell me about Altair.”
Mia’s eyes opened wide, but she said nothing.
“Work on your poker face,” he advised. “Here we are. It’s kind of a celestial truck stop. Grab something off the rack that is as prim as you can find.”
Mia did as she was told. All that was offered to her was very Greek in style. She flipped the dress around so the vee was in the back She tied the sides together with her gold chain. “Shit. Abigor’s chain,” she realized. “Well, it’s too late now. Great, when will you think before you fly?” she scolded herself.
Mia sat in the corner of a busy lobby waiting for Sariel to return after he explained what he knew to Michael. He came back down and nodded for her to follow him. Mia lifted the long garment and did her best to keep up with the long-legged archangel. He led her to a room with a spectacular view of an ocean. Mia frowned. She had no idea which ocean that was or where she was for that matter.
“I’m going to leave you now. My advice is to hold nothing back.”
“Will you let Ted know how I died?”
“Mia, you have to have a little faith,” Sariel scolded. He walked out and shut the door behind him.
Mia walked over to the window and calculated how long the drop was to the sea.
“What are you doing?” Michael asked.
“Right now, holding my breath,” she said, turning around.
Michael was dressed in armor so luminous it brought tears to Mia’s eyes. “Whoa, where are my sunglasses when I need them?”
Michael tried not to smile. He found Mia hilarious but would never admit it to anyone living or dead. “It’s good to see you. It’s been a long time,” he said and strode over to a table laden with wine and food. “Wine?”
Mia looked around, thinking someone had come in behind her.
“Yes, you.”
“Please,” she said. She walked over and accepted the chalice from Michael, being very careful not to touch him.
He noticed that. He noticed everything. “Mia, what is it I can help you with?”
“First, I wanted to tell you about a man I’ve known since childhood. I think he can see angels or their wings but doesn’t realize he can do this. It comes out in his art. Yesterday, he sketched me with my present wings. After I left, I realized that maybe he’d done that before in
