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

Black Widow

Raphael was sitting at the kitchen island, eating an apple, when Angelica stumbled in the next morning, still groggy from sleep.

"Good morning," she said with a yawn, going to the refrigerator.

"Morning," Raphael said with a mouthful of apple.

"I thought your kind didn't eat?"

"Just because we don't need to eat, does not mean we can't. We can taste food just like you, it just does nothing for us."

"So, you can eat empty calories all day and look like a God. Nice," said Angelica, plopping down in a chair across from him with a jug of milk and a box of cereal.

Raphael smiled. "You obviously have never seen the Creator before. We are but a fraction of the beauty that encompasses the Creator."

"I have met the Creator, and he or she is not at all what I expected."

Raphael cracked another smile, "The Creator tends to have that effect on innocents."

"So, how is it?"

"It's crispy and a little sweeter than I expected," he said, looking at the apple.

Angelica shook her head. "I'm talking about Heaven or Caelus, as you call it?"

"Ah. It's indescribable. Imagine the happiest day of your life, multiplied by ten. There are no worries, pain, sickness or sadness. There is nothing but pure happiness. Caelus evolves into each individual's wants and thoughts. Whether you prefer to be on a beach all day or sit beside a warm fireplace in a cabin in the mountains, your wish is granted."

Angelica imagined all the exciting possibilities, and she hated that each and every one of them included Michael.

"If everything is so peachy up there, why do you have a division of warring angels?"

"We have two purposes in our existence: to serve the Creator and to protect the innocents. Once your father was cast out of Caelus, he took his vengeance against the innocents. You see, when an innocent die, they are supposed to go back to Caelus and live as one of us."

"Innocents become angels when they die?" Angelica asked surprised. She thought that was just a happy thought or an idea for humans to cope with death.

"Well, that is the plan. Once Lucifer learned this, he interfered and began stealing the innocents' souls. The Creator dispatched guardian angels assigned to each innocent at birth. Lucifer then resorted to deceiving and tricking innocents with fame, money and anything that would lure them to him."

"That's when the war between the realms began. Innocents that do not fall into his traps make it to Caelus. Others are led astray to Abyssal, while some are driven crazy by his madness."

"It doesn't sound like your side is winning the war," Angelica said between spoonful's of her cereal.

"This is why you are so important. Depending on which side you take, you would be a major factor in this war. Do you know which side you're on, Angelica?"

She hadn't really thought about any of this. She had a hard-enough time trying to decide which outfit to wear. She didn't need any additional decisions.

"No, I didn't know I had to pick a side. Why can't I be like Switzerland and be neutral? I'm all about the peace," she said, throwing up a peace sign as she drank the milk from her bowl.

"Make sure you tell your dad and his minions that when they come for you." He chuckled to himself and threw the apple core into the trash can.

"I don't want to be in the middle of this. I don't want anyone to get hurt, and I damn sure don't want to get hurt," she said, putting her bowl in the sink.