Circles and Wings

Chapter 38

*Raph*

She returned to the library after a long time, holding Lust's hand. Her hair was down and flowed over her shoulders and she looked relaxed. I could guess what they were doing. She approached Wrath, who was sitting with Jasper at a table, each of them reading through one of Emily's journals and began to speak with them. Lust wrapped his arms around her waist and she leaned into him as he leaned on a table.

What the hell is that?

"Jealousy is not a good look on you, Raph." Gabriel laughed, coming beside me. I stood by a shelf, looking over spines of books that all looked the same.

I looked at him. "Mind your business, Gabriel." I said.

"I'm just saying," he came closer, whispering, "let her be drawn to you if she's to be drawn to you. Of not, let her be happy."

I looked him up and down. "I'm trying." I bit out. I watched her as she broke away from Lust, looking up and smiling, whispering to him before coming towards me.

"Hi, Raph." She said sitting cross legged on the table nearest to us. Hunt came and plopped his head in her lap. "How's it going?"

"I'm good." I said, "How are you?"

She looked at me, "Mediocre, but getting better all the time." I laughed lightly at what I hoped was a joke. She glanced at Gabriel, "Can we have a sec?" Gabriel nodded with a grin and joined the others.

"What's up, Scarlett."

"Raph..." she patted the space next to her. I sat down, running a hand over Hunt. "What do you know about Incense and Mirth?" She asked after a moment.

I looked at her, she wouldn't meet my gaze. "Only what everyone knows. They're God's favorite romantics." I paused for a moment. She looked tired. Her cheeks were slightly more sunken and her eyes had a little less life in them. Two days in Heaven and she was already fading away. "Why do you ask?"

She shook her head, "Would they ever go... against God's orders?"

"No..." I said cautiously. "They're bound to his law." I watched her shoulders sag, "But they've been known to find loopholes..." Her gaze snapped to mine. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, "Just curious."

"Ok..." I said. "What do you think of Heaven?"

She laughed and shook her head, "It's great, it's bland... it's full of innocent people who constantly find themselves on the wrong end of the system."

I looked at her, a grin forming on my lips, "You've pretty much summed it up. What do you think we should do about it?"

She shrugged, "I don't think my complacency plan is going to work. There are too many things that get under my skin. How am I supposed to lull them into a sense of false security when I can barely get a handle on my own dreams? And I can see it's getting harder for Wrath and Lust to sit and watch..."

"What do you want to do?" I asked. "How can I help?"

"What can you tell me about how Heaven was made?" She asked. "I know how Hell was made, and how power was won... I know how the earth formed... but no one ever told me about heaven..."

I looked at her, "I can tell you that Heaven was the second realm to be formed, after Earth. It was made as an after thought."

"How did God come into power?" She asked.

"I don't know." I said, "The one who would is the old scholar in the sick bay, who's... incapacitated."

She sighed... "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Do you think you can wake him up?" I asked.

"I don't even know how he was made to sleep." She said. Then she looked at me, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Wanna take a field trip?" She asked, glancing to the others, "I'm sure they won't notice. I'm pretty sure they're discussing the best way to handle me right now."

I nodded, "We can sneak out the back way." I stood, helping her off the table. Hunt followed, "Your mom put a bunch of passageways in here that could only be opened by blood..." I grabbed a letter opener off a table and pricked her finger, taking the drop of blood and making sure it landed on a medical journal. The shelf opened up and we slipped through before anyone could stop us. Hunt followed as we walked the short way to the next door.

It opened up into an office of white walls and dark wood furniture. Benny was seated at the desk, writing on paperwork. He looked up when we came through, and smiled. "I see you've discovered the passages." He stood and took Scarlett's arm. "Are you here for Jenkins?"

"I am." She said.

"Emily could never let someone suffer either." He smiled.

"Do you know how he became unconscious?" She asked.

Benny shook his head, "I just found him in his room one day, I brought him here." He leaned in closer, "What's he going through in there?"
She looked at him, "You don't wanna know."

"Are you here to try again?"

She nodded as he led her to Jenkins. This time, when she sat on his bed, she sat cross legged on the end and held out her hand to me. "Raph, I need you to ground me please. It'll help it not be as bad when I come out of it..." I took her hand and she pulled me to sit next to her. "Don't be scared Raph."

"I'm not scared." I assured her. "You got this."

She nodded. "I got this."

Then she looked at Jenkins and her eyes went blank.

"She's in." Benny said softly. "Don't let go of her."

"I won't." I said.