Until Fate

Prologue

After a third of the angels Fell, I stood before my God and then knelt at his feet. I recognized no fear. Being at his Right Hand, I also knew the betrayal I was about to ambush him with. The Right Hand angels were distinguished by their golden wings and the Left Hand by their shadowy wings. I was ranked Alduin's first Right Hand, the one who oversaw all angels in both sectors. I knew that my Falling would be the greatest betrayal of them all.

I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out.

"I already know what you're going to say." Alduin's voice boomed. It sounded like a symphony of pleasant sounds in one, but I couldn't get a read on his emotions. He ranged from merciful to arrogant and deceptive in one sitting. His volatility no doubt caused by the Love and War titles he bore, passed down from his mother, the Fae Goddess, Artemisia.

Being a faery God meant Alduin possessed the tricky, cunning nature of the fae the Atlantean pantheon created. As his angel I was born with that same nature. After all, fae blood runs in my veins.

In the distance, I glimpsed sight of a golden Egyptian-esque city rising gloriously into the sky. It amused me to no end that he designed the city in his realm after the Egyptians. Especially considering their pantheon despised us Atlanteans.

Lush rolling green hills surrounded the city, wrapped in forests. Waterfalls cleansed the woodland. A light shimmery fog hovered above the terrain. This place was heaven.

"Then you know why." I stated.

As a Guardian, I belonged to the sect of angels tasked with the Watching. We were assigned to a family bloodline and would spend eternity protecting and guiding them, unbeknownst to that human family. But once an angel crosses over into earth's atmosphere, we're constantly exposed to the emotions of humanity. Pure angels who haven't Fallen do not possess human emotions.

"Nicklaus." My God muttered, his pleasant voice irritated yet mildly humored. Hearing my best friend's name, I bit my lip to stifle a smile. He wasn't wrong. Klaus *was* partly responsible for why I wanted to Fall.

When the three respected and revered Fates decreed that thousands of angels from each pantheon would participate in what would be known as the Fall, Klaus was on board. He argued that it wasn't fair that humans could have emotions and free will, but we could not. But he had another reason why he wanted to Fall. Klaus had developed full blown human emotions and fell in love with a woman.

The sparkling light encasing Alduin's body was blinding. Everything the light touched sprung forth life. I couldn't see his face. Very few ever did see it. But I was one who had.

"I'm going to admit something to you, Cael. My angels have always had the ability to develop human emotions. Even before you Fall." He disclosed.

*What?* I grappled to form a coherent sentence. Confusion was my current companion.

He continued, "All of my angels are protected under my pureness. When you're on earth Watching over the humans, it shields you from possessing their fierce emotions. Whenever you're called back to me, those emotions are gone. But, if one so chooses, an angel could possess those emotions before Falling."

I was taken aback. My voice was clear and harmonious as I spoke, "But why would you allow us that option?" I clamped my mouth shut, realizing I was teetering on the edge of questioning a God.

"Despite what other Gods and Goddesses do with their angels, I didn't want mine to be mindless slaves if they didn't want to be. My angels are infused with compassion, which allows you to care, in a way, for the humans. That small amount of compassion is a gateway to unlocking other emotions, before Falling." He explained.