Arrival of the Beast (Lucifer's Clock Series, Book 2)

Broken Heart

It had been two months since Angelica had last saw Michael. After two days, of no sign of him, she had tried summoning him, but he hadn't showed. She really wasn't sure how summoning worked, but if she had done it while she was drugged, it couldn't have been that hard.

She had decided to make Raphael her guinea pig and summoned him. He had appeared with no problem, which meant Michael was blatantly ignoring her. She had asked Connie and Gabriel about his whereabouts, but all they said was he was out on important business.

Couldn't he at least have had the decency to tell her something? She was going crazy. She couldn't eat, sleep, or barely concentrate on school. This was so unfair. She would never have thought Michael would leave her, and like this.

Didn't she at least deserve a goodbye?

She had been staring at the same question on her Calculus test since the test had begun fifteen minutes ago. She tried focusing on the question, but the tears that were blurring her vision made it impossible.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. When Angelica looked up, she was surprised to see Raphael.

"Can I give you some advice, Angelica?" he asked softly.

Angelica didn't know how to respond. She hadn't said much to Raphael since he had been around. She didn't want to. She wasn't ready to accept another guardian angel. If she did accept him, she felt like she would be betraying Michael in some way.

Then again, hadn't Michael left her? He was the one who had betrayed her. She nodded yes to Raphael's question.

He kneeled beside her desk, so that he was on eye-level with her. Angelica could see his eyes were filled with warmth and concern, and not the contempt and disdain she had seen when she had first met him.

"When I first met you, I expected you to be this horrible, evil, but beautiful, little shit just like your father."

Angelica smiled at his use of profanity. He was the last individual one would expect to use it.

"Now that I have been around you, I see that you are not at all what I expected. I can't blame Michael for falling in love with you. If I had to spend sixteen years with you, every day of your life, I would probably be in the same boat as him." Angelica blushed at his compliment.

"But the truth of the matter is, you deserve so much more than what I or Michael can offer you. We were created to protect the innocents, not love them or disturb their well-being. You deserve to live a carefree, teenage life. I have heard it goes quickly and as much as you would like to relive it... you can't, so enjoy it now."

"An innocent's life is significantly short, and while we don't know what your life span will be, you don't want to gamble with it, either. So, forget about this supernatural crap, forget about your father and who you are supposed to be and, most of all, forget about Michael. In the words of your generation, YOLO."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Angelica found herself smiling. He was by far the coolest angel she had met so far.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Angelica watched as he went back to his post by the window. She didn't know if his words made her feel better or worse. What they did do, however, was put things in perspective for her. She wanted a normal life. That's why she had begged to go to school in the first place. Now that she had it, she was squandering it and letting it go to waste.

Raphael was right; she should be embracing this. Who knew what was in store for her down the road? She might as well enjoy this chance while she could. She loved Michael, but she couldn't let her love for him dictate her life, especially when he wasn't letting it dictate his.