The Fall For Love

Chapter 10: The Goodbye

Twenty years had passed for Lilith on Earth. She had survived on her own, thanks to her strength and intelligence. Mostly she continued on in the hope that she would see Lucifer again.

When she had first left the garden, she travelled as far away as she could.

In the last few years, she felt a pull back to the garden for a reason she could not fathom. She had spent those years attempting to find her way back. Her advanced age as well as the difficult journey took its toll on her. She was tired and weak.....but she would not give up.

Lilith was awoken suddenly. She sat up and looked around, but there was no one there.

"Hello?" Her voice came out as a croak as it had been so long since she had spoken. From nowhere a thought entered her head.....she knew how to get to the garden. Scrambling to her feet, she grimaced at her aching joints, but that would not stop her. She gathered her meagre belongings and began to walk.

*

The rule of Heaven fell to Lucifer's remaining brothers. The Father had locked himself away in the palace shortly after Lucifer's fall. Adam and his new wife, Eve, had broken their promise by taking fruit from the apple tree, so they had been sent away from the garden. The Father had felt both those failures so deeply so he would not leave the palace. No one in Heaven had seen him since.

The brothers were all gathered for their, now daily, meeting.

"Do we have any other business brothers?" asked Michael, stood at the head of the table.

Whilst the others struggled with the running of the kingdom in The Father's absence, Michael seemed to take to it all too well.

"If I may...." Raphael spoke up, "I fear some of the angels are beginning to feel some unrest. Many are still very upset by the absence of The Father. There is only so much I can do to help them all."

"They are not the only ones who have lost him." snapped Michael as he slammed his hand down on the table with such force, it almost broke.

The tension between the brothers was becoming unbearable. Once all so close, they could feel the cracks appear between them. Uriel in particular spent most of his time away from them all now. He still felt resentment for the way Lucifer had been treated and promptly forgotten by the others.

"Michael, I am only saying....I thought you might want to be made aware, but if you do not care for the kingdom then-" Raphael was cut off midsentence as Michael grabbed him by the throat.

"How dare you tell me I do not care for this kingdom, I am the one who had to step up and take over when Father left us!" seethed Michael. Gabriel stood between them and removed Michael's hand from Raphael's throat.

"Fighting will do us no good my brothers. We must stand together."

Uriel gave a humourless laugh and stood staring at Michael. "Or else we might find ourselves sent to Hell, right?"

"You cannot keep blaming me for that Uriel, he got what he deserved for once." said Michael.

"You cannot even bring yourself to say his name!" shouted Uriel as he leapt across the table to get to Michael, but this time Raphael held him back.

"Please brother." begged Raphael as he gripped Uriel's shoulders, "it is not worth it, we are all still hurting."

"Oh really? Michael gets rid of Lucifer, then takes over.....I am sure he is quite pleased." snarled Uriel as Michael's face contorted in rage.

"How dare you?!"

"STOP!" The brothers all turned to Gabriel, stunned by the familiar voice that came from his mouth. "YOU WILL ALL COME TO THE PALACE NOW."