Fallen Angel

Chapter 11.1

Michael gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. His stance changed slightly. He kept his eyes on Gabriël, who stared blankly at Raphael. There was no telling how he would react to what the physician had just revealed.

"You're... No, you're lying," he uttered. "It's not... You're lying!"

"I'm not," said Raphael. "We've run the test several times to make sure, and the results were all the same. Joan is pregnant."

Gabriël gasped and released Raphael. He slowly shook his head in disbelief, then froze and turned his attention to Michael.

"Did you know?" he demanded. "When you found us in the caverns, did you know then?"

"I need not explain myself to you, Gabriël," said Michael.

"DID YOU KNOW?"

Michael held out his sword to keep Gabriël at bay as he approached. The rage burning his ocean eyes terrified Michael so that his voice trembled slightly as he said, "Yes, I knew."

"You bastard! You know it's pure torture when an angel's wings are taken away! What if something has happened to the baby? To my child?"

"Joan is safe," Raphael said quickly. "She's with the Nephilim. They will care for her."

A brief glint of relief crossed Gabriël's expression. As he kept his gaze on Michael, a hard, defiant gleam appeared in his eyes then.

"Take my wings."

Michael stiffened. He felt as if Gabriël had gutted him by speaking those three words. A knife twisted inside, shredding him to pieces. 

"Didn't you hear me?" asked Gabriël angrily. "I said, take my wings. Now!"

"You would give all you have up?" whispered Michael. "For her?"

"For them."

Not again. Not another one. No!

"That will not happen, Gabriël," Michael said, regaining his senses. "I will not allow the collective to be weakened."

"Do not compare me to him, Michael! I will keep fighting for our cause, you know that. I will join the Nephilim she's with now. But you cannot keep me away from my family."

"We are your family! Not that girl and the abomination she carries!"

Gabriël lunged at Michael like a roaring tiger at its prey. He pushed Michael onto his back, hands around his throat. The sword clattered to the ground, lying just out of Michael's reach. Raphael rushed toward them and tried to pry Gabriël off, but the latter pushed him away. Left with no other option, the physician took up Michael's sword and pierced it through Gabriël's right shoulder. The Archangel screamed in pain, releasing Michael from his death grip.
Gasping for breath, Michael rolled away and stumbled up to Raphael's side, his face horror-stricken at the sight before him. Gabriël was on his knees, holding the double-edged blade of the sword. Blood dripped from his fingers. He raised his head, revealing a pair of demonic, obsidian eyes.

"It's not nice hurting your friend like this," Gabriël chuckled in an unholy, raspy voice. "You wanted to see him bleed? To see him in pain? You've succeeded. See before you what will happen to all the Archangels. Their blood will be on your hands, Lord Protector."

His malicious laugh echoed through the catacombs, chilling Michael to the bone. 

"What are you waiting for? Do it now!" Raphael pushed him forward.

Shaking, Michael grasped his weapon with one hand and forced Gabriël's head down with the other.

"In Dei nomine, ego voco super Ignem Caeli."