The Archangel's Search

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering - Poe

Seraphina

She laid awake in her bed as she contemplated what she had just done; she talked to the prisoner called Michael, the very one who her husband hated. Seraphina heard the other gods and goddesses around her in their restless sleep, always dreaming of another time or place from far away. It irritated Seraphina and at the same time, it scared her. Being the queen of the underworld didn't give her the comfort as one would suspect; she still slept in the gods and goddesses' domain on small beds, lined against the wall with thin bedsheets that made it unsuitable for winter nights.

For some reason, she didn't feel at all cheated from her rights. For her, Seraphina wouldn't have it any other way. Movement and a gasp next to her told Seraphina that Aaron just woke up from his dream. He rapidly sat up and felt for the glass of water next to his bed that the servant placed for each of the gods before their sleep. In his desperation for water, Aaron knocked his glass over and swore colourfully at the mess that he made. With a heavy sigh, he used his powers and immediately, the water dried up from the heat coming from Aaron's hand. For a moment, Seraphina saw black steam coming from the ground instead of clear ones but she brushed it aside as part of her over-excited imagination.

Pushing herself on her elbow, Seraphina asked, "Was it the same dream again?"

"Yes", Aaron answered softly and painfully. "Always that prisoner. Always."

"Mmmm"

"Did you dream of that stranger?" Aaron asked softly for fear that the walls might be listening. He turned to face Seraphina who avoided his eyes.

Finally, she sighed and whispered even softer, "Yes...he revealed his eyes tonight and they belonged to that blonde mute." She waited for Aaron's response but nothing came, so she added, "The crazy one that Lucifer is fascinated with."

Finally, Aaron uttered, "That is so fucked up."

"Mmmm"

"I need some water", Aaron said. "Can I have some of yours?"

He turned to take Seraphina's goblet and Seraphina was about to let him.

Don't drink it.

For some unknown reason, Seraphina stayed the cup and said to Aaron, "Let's go to the well. I tire of the water that the servant gives us. It feels very artificial."

Aaron nodded, not bothering to question a thing and dried up the water in Seraphina's goblet. He went to retrieve an empty jug and together they walked as quietly as possible to the well. While Aaron was pulling up the bucket with water, he muttered, "The water has a strange twinge to it."

Seraphina agreed. To her, it tasted a bit like sea water and for a while, she thought that the water had medicine in it for their headaches but the headaches never stopped. The 'medicine' water was a placebo to the gods, she believed but Lucifer didn't want to believe it and encouraged her to continue to take the medicine. It is the best and I've had men search far and wide for it, Lucifer would say. Are you trying to say that my effort have been for naught?

Aaron poured a cup of water for himself and Seraphina and in silence, they drank the refreshing water and sighed happily.

"The others will be waking up soon. We should get some for them", Seraphina said and Aaron nodded, before he started to fill the jug.

"The dream was different this time." Seraphina couldn't hide that from her second man and as expected, Aaron stopped his task as he stared at her in disbelief.

"Mine never change', he whispered urgently. "What happened?"

"He said to me, 'Remember me, remember us'", Seraphina replied. "And also 'don't drink it'".