On Broken Wings

Chapter 25

"I can't believe we're doing this," Sana said, staring at the endless expanse of the Garden's stone walls.

"Me neither," I admitted. It still felt surreal to see the Garden of Eden in person. It was once nothing more than a myth, a legend. Now it was a reality.

"Are you sure you feel well enough to help? You only just recently were able to walk without the cane."

It has been a few days since that conversation with Michael and Gabriel. I explained the idea of cleaning up the Garden, which surprisingly, they all thought was a good plan, including Michael. Lucifer reached out to Actche and her centaurs, asking for help, which they agreed to. Angels and centaurs alike milled around the area, some carrying large pairs of shears, others with shovels and buckets to carry the upturned soil away.

"I feel better," I said honestly. "It's like the Falling never even happened. Although, I still need to build up strength in my wings. I can't wait to fly again."

As if on impulse, Sana stretched their wings out. Smudges of black dotted the otherwise white feathers, as they did to all the angels who suffered from the Falling. No two pairs of wings were the same, very much like the prints on the fingertips. Sana suspects the remaining black spots were scarring from the disease.

"I think that everyone is out of practice. No one in the village has flown in ages," they said.

Malik slipped up to Sana's side, two empty buckets in his hands. "All in due time. The village will be swarming with flying angels soon. We simply must be patient and wait for our strength to build up once more."

Indeed, every angel that I saw had their wings out, flexing and stretching and flapping; some managed to fly in short hops across the ground and glide down from the tops of tall trees they climbed. There were some new faces among the familiar ones I had gotten used to—angels from the Holy Lands who descended on their own to accompany their loved ones who did not wish to return above. Those who were able to fly were marked by their spotless white wings and helped those who were struggling.

The community was growing, and not because of the Falling. Houses were slowly being repaired to accommodate both the new and old angels. The overgrown Garden of Eden was being taken back to its former awe and beauty; even the outer stone walls were elegant, carved with gentle swirls and stars and the occasional scene of an androgenous angel doing everyday tasks from fetching water from a well to playing a leisurely song on a lyre. It made me wonder who carved those patterns, who painstakingly placed each of those stones, who organized where each tree and flowering bush would be planted. It made those ancient angels who walked the world before us seem more real.

Malik and Sana said a quick farewell before wandering off to find someone in need of assistance. I stayed behind, walking slowly without support from the cane. My skin was pleasantly warm from the setting sun that peeked through the trees; I closed my eyes and titled my face towards it, letting the beams spill across, soaking it up. The bustle of movement fell silent around me until an arm slipped around my waist.

"Hello, my love," I murmured, resting my head back on his shoulder, opening my eyes.

Lucifer kissed my cheek, my neck. "I have something to show you," he whispered.

"Something good?"

"Something great." His eyes glittered with excitement. "I want you to be the first person to see it." He took my hands in his, leading us to a more secluded part of the Garden where they had not begun to work on it yet. Following the wall, we rounded the corner, the side complete void of anyone.

"What is it?" I asked. I knew he would not tell me.

"A little further down. I promise it is worth it," he urged.