Miracle

Pt. 3

Alexander's POV

What in the cosmic hell just happened? My mind reeled, replaying the bewildering scene in the coffee shop. She didn't just see me; she spoke to me. After millennia, after countless clients, this was unprecedented. My perfectly crafted existence, my very understanding of my angelic nature, had just been shattered by a woman with captivating brown eyes and an inexplicable pull.

"I need to talk to the High Council about this immediately," I thought, picking up my pace, a cold dread twisting in my gut. Lily was a magnet for misfortune, accident-prone as hell even before I became her guardian. The faster I got answers, the sooner I could resume my true duty and ensure her continued, newfound safety. I couldn't risk leaving her alone for too long.

I stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk, the city's sounds fading into a distant hum. Closing my eyes, I focused, the familiar surge of energy coiling deep within my core. A warm, brilliant light enveloped my form, an instant of pure, blinding white, and then I was no longer on a busy street. I stood within the hallowed, impossibly pristine halls of the High Council's administrative complex, the air thick with the faint scent of ozone and ancient parchment.

The angel receptionist, her silver hair pulled back into a perfect high ponytail with a shimmering halo resting like a crown, sat at a futuristic-looking desk. Her wings, folded neatly behind her back like pristine white cloaks, barely stirred as her fingers flew across a holographic keyboard. A headset clung to her ear, a constant stream of voices chirping through it.

"Demons and spells, line one, please hold... prayers going haywire, I'll direct you to line seven, please hold... asteroid hurtling towards Earth, hold please..." Her voice was a rapid-fire monotone, rattling off celestial crises with an alarming lack of urgency. It sounded utterly maddening.
I strode purposefully towards the desk, my impeccable white suit a stark contrast to the receptionist's more formal, yet still pristine, attire. "Excuse me," I interjected, keeping my voice even. She didn't even glance up, her focus absolute.

My jaw clenched, a flicker of frustration igniting. "Excuse—" she held up a perfectly manicured finger, not breaking rhythm with her typing. "One moment, sir. I'm very busy." Her dismissive tone grated on my nerves. Heavenly bureaucracy, I thought, could try to be a little more welcoming. I waited, fuming, for another minute, then another. This was unacceptable. Lily was out there, vulnerable.

"Fuck it, I don't have time for this," I thought, the last shred of my patience snapping. I slammed both hands down on the polished surface of her desk. The sharp crack echoed through the otherwise hushed hall. Her posture stiffened, and the snowy feathers on her back ruffled like startled doves.

Finally, her head snapped up, those perpetually busy eyes widening in genuine surprise.
"Now that I apparently have your attention," I said, my voice sweet as honey, though my eyes, I knew, were starting to burn. I tilted my head, a predatory calm settling over me. "I would like to speak to the High Council of Angels. Now, please."
She stammered, "W-well, do you have an appointment?"

It took every ounce of millennia-honed discipline not to roll my eyes. "No," I replied, my voice a low growl, "but I have a very important matter I need to discuss with them. And the longer you sit here wasting my time, my client could be in grave danger. If she dies because of you..." I leaned over her desk, my form subtly expanding, casting a shadow that deepened the lines of fear on her face. My eyes, I let them shift, the glacial blue melting into a terrifying, blood-red glow. "Have you ever met an angry Guardian Angel before?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, yet it seemed to vibrate through the very air. "There wouldn't be a feather left of you. Do you understand me?"

She gasped, her eyes wide with terror, and instantly pointed a trembling finger towards a large, ornate door behind her. "Right... right that way!" she choked out, her voice barely a squeak.
"Thanks, honey," I said, my smile blindingly white, the redness receding from my eyes as I straightened, smoothing the lapels of my suit. Without a backward glance at the trembling receptionist, I strode to the door.

Pushing it open, I stepped into an enormous, cavernous office. Three figures, emanating an ancient, formidable power, sat at three immense, celestial wood desks arranged in a semi-circle. They were the High Council: Victor, Amanda, and Christopher.

Though their physical forms appeared no older than thirty, I could feel the immeasurable weight of countless eons emanating from them. I hadn't stood before them since the moment of my own death, eons ago, when they had chosen me to become a Guardian Angel.
The one in the center, Victor, his face serene, looked up. "Ah, Alexander," he said, his voice deep and resonating. "What brings you here for this unscheduled visit?"

"My apologies, sirs, ma'am," I said, my gaze respectfully fixed on the polished floor, never daring to meet their eyes directly. "But I have a problem, an anomaly, that requires your immediate explanation."

"If you have a problem, you should have made an appointment," Amanda, the female council member, stated flatly, her tone sharp as honed crystal.
My teeth ground together, but I forced my voice to remain even. "I apologize. I did not intend for a client to be able to see me and speak to me, ma'am. Next time, I'll be sure to call ahead."

All three council members ceased their work. Christopher, the third member, leaned forward, his expression unreadable. "They can see and talk to you?"

"Yes, sir," I confirmed, lifting my gaze briefly to sweep across their faces before dropping it again. "Even though I had myself fully cloaked, she could still perceive me." the three exchanged silent glances, a flicker of communication passing between them that only beings of their power could share. Victor finally stood, his towering form seeming to command the very space around him. "We have much to discuss, Alexander. Please follow me to the Library of History Past."

He turned and moved towards another grand door, and I, a mere Guardian in comparison, followed in his powerful wake.