The Guardian

Chapter Thirteen: An Angels Love

"Zethos. Come. It's time to come back home."
  Zethos shook his head and held Ivy tighter.
Chamuel sighed, and rubbed his face.
He knew the pain that Zethos was in. He knew how much Zethos loved his human girl.
Zethos, while on earth, was gaining a reputation amongst the Angels in Heaven.
They said about how he was the angel who loved one singular human with all his celestial existence. They said he loved this human girl more than God.
Personally, Chamuel did not see that as a sin.
And he planned on defending this young, inexperienced angel as much as he could. That's what he intended from the very start.
"Zethos, please. You need to come home."
"Why, so you can just punish me?" Zethos snapped, looking up at him with bloodshot, puffy eyes and blotched face. "I'd rather set myself on fire then leave her."
"Zethos, I don't want to hurt you. Please, just come home."
Chamuel held out his hand, and Zethos sniffed.
"It's time, little brother."
Zethos looked down at Ivy's face.
He didn't want to give up. He couldn't give in. But what was he to fight for now? He had no reason to stay on earth now that she was gone.
Kissing her one last time, he gently placed her down on the ground again and stood up.
"We can't leave her here like this." Zethos croaked.
Chamuel smiled gently, and nodded.
"Of course. I will get some Principalities to take her body to her family."
Zethos nodded, and leaned on Chamuels shoulder. In a flash of white and silver, they vanished, and reappeared in the white purity of Heaven.

Zethos knelt before a golden throne in a space of white and clouds.
The constant sweet melody of the Seraphims floated everywhere, the lyrics beyond Zethos' understanding.
"I am pleased that you are back, my son." Gods voice boomed.
"Zethos. But you have committed great sin, and you cannot go unpunished."
Zethos swallowed, and nodded.
"I understand, Father." He said, his voice monotone and not at all understanding.
Chamuel was standing by, and Anpiel was singing beside the throne.
"Do you know what you have done wrong, my son?"
"Yes."
"Why do you lie, child?"
Zethos swallowed, trying as hard as he could to hold his tongue.
"I don't lie, Father."
"Again, another lie. Please be honest Zethos."
Zethos swallowed again and looked up.
"All I did was what you asked. Love humanity. I fell in love with one particular human. How wrong can that be?"
"My commandment was to love humanity, yes, but to never love any other creature as much as you should love me." Zethos lowed his head again. Chamuel remained silent.
"What shall your punishment be?"
"Just kill me now." Zethos mumbled.
"Why is that, child?"
Zethos looked up again, and laughed.
"She's not alive anymore. I can't see her on earth, and I'm not allowed to see her in her Heaven either. She was the only reason why I lived. She was the entire meaning of my existence. And now that she's gone.."
Zethos throat tightened, and he fight back tears.
Chamuel spoke up. "If I may speak Father, I have a suggestible sentence for Zethos."
Zethos looked at Chamuel, and Chamuel winked.
"And what may that be, my son?"
Chamuel cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Zethos is only young, and hasn't had much experience in this universe. My suggestion is to rip his wings off and send him down to earth as a human."
Zethos eyes went wide with horror at his older brother. Chamuel's face was completely calm.
"And why would Zethos be willing to do this?"
"He might if recently deceased Ivy Grey be revived and sent back to earth."
Zethos terror was replaced with hope.
"Would you be willing to go through that much pain?" God asked him.
Zethos nodded quickly.
"I would go through that pain 100 times if you revive her. Please Father. I promise I'll live my human life without sin. All I ask is that Ivy be alive and well and happy. I just want to live to make her happy."
Zethos' words pleased God, and God agreed.
"Very well. This shall be your sentence."
Zethos whooped with joy, and Chamuel shot him a look.
He straightened himself up again, and coughed into his fist.
"I thank you, merciful Father."
"There is a catch, however."
Zethos' head snapped up, eyes wide.
"What? What's the catch?"
"I erase all memory of Ivy's knowledge of the angels and the recent events that she has witnessed, including knowing you."
Zethos went quiet.
"Do you agree on these terms?" God asked him.
After several minutes of thinking, Zethos nodded.
"Yes. I agree."
Zethos was ordered on his hands and knees, and Zethos braced himself for the pain that was to come.
As an angel, having your wings ripped out would be the worst pain ever imaginable. As Chamuel, unwillingly, teared his wings out, Zethos bit down so hard his tongue bled.
He screamed so loud the noise drowned out the heavenly voices of the Seraphim. Every angel in the throne room cringed at the blood and feathers falling from their siblings back.
The pain that shot through Zethos' shoulders hollowed out his bones.
He screamed when the bones of the wings snapped, and when the wings were removed from the shoulder blades, the explosion from Zethos holiness escaping his body in a flash seared Zethos bare back and burnt scarlet patterns onto his skin.
Blood warmed his back, and the open wound stung so bad.
Throughout this draining, burning, agonising pain, all Zethos thought about was Ivy. He thought about her smile, and her laugh, and her scowl and growls, her wing tattoos and the scars on her arms and legs.
'This will all be worth it.'
He thought, grinding his teeth.
'She is worth it. Always.'

It was just another ordinary Monday. Ivy had arrived to school in her Mustang she received for her birthday, and her so called 'friends' swooned over all the boys she attracted because of the gift.
Ivy had forgotten about some homework that the teachers had given her, and she spent all morning working on it. Even when the bell went she continued to work, until the librarian asked her to leave and go to class.
Now running late, she ran to her locker and quickly gathered all her books. Slamming the locker shut, she rushed to her classroom, only to crash into another hurrying student.
Ivy fell to the ground, books and papers scattering all over the floor.
Swearing, she grabbed at the mess on all fours, and looked up at the boy she ran into.
Green and hazel eyes met yellow and silver, and Ivy's heart almost stopped.
The light haired boy in front of her had a silver cross in his right ear, and he wore a grey hoodie, denim jeans and sneakers. He grinned.
"I'm sorry. Did I distract you with my blindingly good looks?"
Ivy frowned, and her temper simmered up at the boys arrogant air. She went to open her mouth to say something but the boy cut her off.
"I'm a complete moron, idiot, imbecile, asshole, arrogant air headed feathery brained bastard who needs to get my head out my ass, aren't I?"
Ivy blinked, and the boy handed her her books and papers he'd gathered. The boy smiled.
"I've been called much worse, you know."
Ivy felt a small smile creep onto her lips, and she stood up, taking the neat pile.
"Thanks. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I'm sorry, I guess."
The boy grinned, and Ivy sighed, shaking her head. The boy then shrugged his shoulders and picked his own few books up.
"It's ok. It's not the first time I've been late before."
He held out his hand for Ivy to shake.
"I'm Zeth. And you are?"
Ivy took his hand and shook it. With their hands joined, a spark run up from her skin all the way up her arm to her heart. This was meant to be. She was sure of it.
"I'm Ivy. Ivy Grey." She smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Zethos."