Fallen Angel

Chapter 34.2

The moment Joan stepped out of the bright light of the portal, she knew something was wrong. She didn't see Richard or Thomas, though they went through first. Ragazzino wasn't with her anymore. And she certainly wasn't in the Vale.
She stood alone in the dead of night, in the middle of a Roman or Greek city in ruins and carved into a mountainside. Wherever the portal had brought her, she wasn't anywhere she'd ever been before. She turned around, wanting to step back, but there was no trace of the portal left.
Joan cursed silently, wishing Michael hadn't used her baslard since she was left with nothing to defend herself. She searched for a weapon, but there was nothing apart from a few cracked ceramic plates, jugs, and broken pieces of stone. Those wouldn't do much damage against a seasoned demon warrior or hell beast. And close combat was certainly not an option in her current condition. 
A soft rustle drew Joan's attention then. She turned around and gasped when she saw one of her best friends coming out from behind a tree.

"Marina? What are you —?"

"Oh, you're finally here!" Margaret pulled Joan in for a fond embrace. "I was worried sick. It's so good to see you again."

She let go and placed her palm flat on Joan's belly. The baby moved a little to her touch.

"I can't believe how much you've grown in so little time," said Margaret as she looked up at Joan. "You don't have to worry about anything. Your mother and I will take care of you now."

"My mother? Marina, what the hell is going on here?"

"I'll explain everything in a moment. There's someone I want you to meet first."

She moved aside. A tall man in a grey suit stood a few feet away, silently watching the reunion of the two friends. Joan had seen many terrifying creatures as an angel of the Vale, but none had ever taken her breath away like this man.
The right side of his face was absolutely beautiful. Smooth skin with a light complexion, an enchanting green eye and copper locks that somehow shone in the rising moon. The left side, however, was harrowing. Not a green eye, but a white one, with no iris or pupil, and his flesh was contorted in a crude landscape of scars. It seemed impossible to forget such a distorted face. Yet Joan was certain she had seen this man before. But where? And when?

"Joan, this is Samael," introduced Margaret. "My son."

"I'm sorry, you want to repeat that last bit again?" Joan's eyes flicked back to her friend.

"Samael is my son. Mine and Lucifer's."

"But... But I thought... he died? That's what Lucifer told me. And Gabriël, and —"

"He did. He did die, Joan. But God saved him for us. He has been with us this whole time, but we never knew it."

Samael stepped forward and took Joan's hand. The moment he touched her skin, her flesh crawled, and her blood chilled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last," he spoke cordially, seemingly unaware of the effect he had on her. "I have heard so much about you."

He brought Joan's hand to his lips. The baby gave a violent kick, making her double over in pain. Samael quickly pulled back from her.

"What is it?" he asked in a panic. "Mother, what did I do?"

"It's all right." Margaret came to Joan's side. "Probably just a kick. She's closer to her due date than you and your father told me."

"Morpheus' doing, no doubt. He's been known to speed time along in the Dream Realm." Samael's jaw clenched in suppressed anger. "Dammit, I shouldn't have pulled her through the portal like that. Father insisted I bring her here now. I-I didn't mean to —"