Clapping her hands in excitement, Leila turned to Michael. “Oh please, can we take the elevator? I’ve never ridden in one and I’d love to try it!”
Glancing at each other over Leila’s head, Michael and Uriel exchanged amused looks. Oh to be newly discovering the human world, every experience like a shiny gift waiting to be unwrapped. Looking back down at Leila, Michael took on an indulgent tone. “Of course we’ll take the elevator; however, compared to flight, you will find the experience less than exhilarating.”
Leila looked unconcerned. “That’s fine. As we’re taught, every experience is of value.” With that she skipped off toward the door of the machine room, trailed closely by her companions.
They entered the machine room and walked down the short flight of stairs to the elevator door. Michael reached out and pushed the call button, chuckling to himself as Leila practically vibrated with excitement. A few moments later the call light stopped glowing and the elevator doors opened with a ding. The trio stepped in and Michael pressed the button for the fourteenth floor. The elevator doors slid shut and it began its descent. The floors counted down on the LED screen near the door as Michael cringed at the awful easy-listening music that filtered through the hidden speakers. Finally reaching their destination, the elevator dinged again and the doors opened onto a long hallway that was a study in beige. Feeling the pull of the spell, Michael turned right, followed by Leila and Uriel. As he neared the correct door, he felt pinpricks of energy all over his body like tiny needles. He’d always hated that feeling, like there were insects with sharp spiny legs crawling all over him. Raising his hand, Michael knocked on the door and adopted his most annoyed expression for the benefit of the human who’d had the gall to call on him. It wouldn’t do for this to become a regular occurrence. Moments later the door swung open to reveal a slightly dishevelled man who looked as though he was in dire need of a nap.
“You called?” Michael said, using his most bored tone.
The man let out a heavy sigh and waved the small group into the entryway, closing the door behind them. “I realize you’d rather not be responding to my summons, but thank you for coming. I’m Sergei, by the way.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Sergei. Michael, Uriel, and Leila at your service,” Michael replied, gesturing at each angel in turn. Uriel nodded in greeting, Leila gifted Sergei with one of her brightest smiles. “Now, what do you want?”
Uriel turned to Michael. “Can you at least pretend to care? We wouldn’t want to develop a general reputation for rudeness; it doesn’t seem very angelic.”
Waving his hand in dismissal, Michael ran his tongue over his teeth in annoyance and replied. “Obviously we care about humans, but this one has taken it upon himself to call me away from my duties with a forced summoning, so the least he can do is spit it out.”
Sergei ran his hand through his hair for what must have been the umpteenth time given its appearance. “Look, I would never have presumed to summon you if it wasn’t important. A friend is in a bind. She’s not human, Satan wants to get his hands on her, and I have a living room full of demons and fallen. We need your help to keep her safe. Trust me this was not how I envisioned spending the last twenty-four hours.”
Frowning, Michael shook his head. “If she’s not human and she’s not disturbing the balance, then you've called us here for nothing. You’ll have to talk to the council that regulates her species. What is she?”
“That’s just it.” Sergei sighed. “We don’t know.”
His curiosity now piqued, Michael turned to look at Uriel. “Bringing you was probably a good idea, a scholar with your depth of knowledge should be able to shed some light on what she is.”
Uriel nodded. “I do have an encompassing knowledge of demonic species.” Turning to Sergei he continued. “Take us to the her. At the very least we can leave her with the knowledge of her lineage.”
Sergei turned, motioning to the angels to follow him into the living room. Conversation ceased as they entered the room, and Michael and Uriel locked eyes with Samael, then Baal, their fallen brothers. It had been millennia since they’d been in a room together, divided now by time and their fall. Being the smartass that he was, it was B who finally broke the tension in the room, pointing at Michael’s tailored white suit. “You’ve come a long way from the girly robes. Or are you headed to an audition for GQ after this?”
Amir snorted, then thought better of it, and turned it into a cough. Sam hid his smile by looking down at the floor.
“Still a joker, I see,” Michael said to B with sad smile. “I’m glad you haven’t changed.”
B’s smile faltered for a moment, then returned full force. “Yup, still the same.”
“And how are you, Samael?” Michael asked.
“Getting by — same old, same old,” Sam replied, not
