35

~Ali~

Time has been a blur since my return. I have experienced things that I never dreamt were in the realm of reality, let alone possibility.

Jack was never summoned back to The Kingdom after our victory over the Fallen - he still had unfinished business guarding Jaz in a world that she can now live worry-free - even with her Gift. The Throne was impressed at Jaz's faith and devotion to the cause and as a reward allowed her to retain her memories of us and the events that unfolded, knowing she would keep them safe. I continue checking in on Jaz from my small corner of the Heavens and sometimes, I think she knows I am watching.

But not everyone involved was as lucky as Jaz to come away so unchanged. Quite often I find myself awake on those long summer nights when the stars are bulbous and all the other angels have long settled down. I locate my childhood home through the clouds and watch my parents milling around the house or dozing on the couch together or doing something banal like sweeping the floors. Suddenly all of the mundane household tasks become my favourite movie and my heart constricts each time I see myself in their faces, even if they do not see me back.

Zachriel - the Angel of Thoughts and Memories - was, with my reluctant permission, sent to my parents' home. He performed a special service for them - one that does not completely wipe their memories of me but numbs them like a permanent local aesthetic to a specific corner of their limbic system. Now, as the midnight breeze drags my hair around my face, I silently watch my parents as they barely recall me. It has been explained to me that their awareness of me is there, but it is hazy and dream-like; a sweet, fleeting moment that is distantly remembered but not thought of much after. But on Sunday mornings I never fail to craft the most spectacular sunrise possible, hoping that one day my father will look to the rainbow sky and remember my face.

The repercussions of eradicating the Fallen have rippled further than just protecting the Gifted. Without their being hunted, the Elders have risen from the shadows of Lucifer's desires, free to finally venture further than their safe houses. Thessaly reconnected with the Elders in her area and is establishing a small, select community of surviving Elders to relocate to the foothills of Scotland. It is here where the history of the Elders will restart.

I worry myself with all the people from my life on Earth and Ethan only concerns himself with me, coaxing me to embrace life amongst the angels as an angel. It takes some time but I come to terms with the physical and lifestyle changes. With my friends and family safe, there is no need for me on Earth anymore but I am needed here, so I visit them less and less, focusing more and more about transitioning into my role as Princess of the Heavens.

I have learnt that there is a perfect balance of give and take in this realm, even between the distinct roles and divisions in power. I have relearnt the basic rules surrounding everyday life and the fine details entailing my Princess heritage.

When Ethan is not teaching me, spending time with me or sleeping, he is found with his core group of high-ranking friends. It appears they greatly missed one another's company when Ethan degraded himself to a Guardian angel after my death and they make up for lost time in full.

In the moments I do not spend with Ethan, I seek out a new friend of mine - Laylah. She is a delicate work of art with a stick-like figure and a hulking heart of gold. Laylah has been particularly good at explaining the various roles of angels and their distinctions to me, helping me understand the workings of The Kingdom. She thought the best place to start was with the ranking system - the most fundamental method of organisation and identification of the angels.

"It is like a pyramid," she said with a radiant smile, pressing her two thumbs together and closing the triangle with her index fingers. "If we take out The Throne we have the Prince and the Princess of the Heavens - you and Ethan - at the top." She tapped her two index fingers together, indicating the top of the triangle. "Under you are the Seraphim - they are the scary guys with the six tiered wings. But they are not as bad as their reputation makes out to be, just a little pretentious because they have wings that light up with fire. They think it makes them special or something." Laylah scoffs good-humouredly.

Ahh, those guys, I recall. I didn't even see a Seraphim for a good few weeks into my arrival - apparently they keep mostly to themselves - but when one did cross my path, I was hypnotised by the dangerous beauty of their six, fiery wings; amber and carmine and apricot flames licking the air with a sharp, clean tongue.

"Next," Laylah continued, "are the Cherubim. These guys are identified by their four, beige wings. They are kind of, oh, what is that mortal word..." Laylah pondered frustratedly. "Ah, yes, police! The Cherubs are like the police officers of our realm. They guard the Holy domain and put a stop to any acts of sin and corruption.

"Under the Cherubim are the Dominions - they look like pretty much like you and I. Their job is to regulate the duties of the other angels and ensure that The Throne's wishes are carried out.

"Then there are the Virutes who bring The Throne's blessings to Earth. You would know them as 'miracle workers'. Archangels are below the Virtues. And finally," she emphasises, "there are the Guardian Angels. But I think you know them well enough." Laylah winked suggestively and I knocked her across the shoulder.

A week or so has passed since that particular encounter and I have been casting all the information she offers me to my memory until I can recall the first sixteen ranks and roles without prompting. I am quite proud of this.

Today I find myself with Laylah again, while Ethan settles some business I am yet to concern myself with. The two of us are sitting in a fruit tree alcove a short flight from the concourse - the place where I have spent most my time amongst the heavy crowds. Poor Laylah nudged me the entire flight out here as I flew like a lopsided fledgling, too scared to venture far from the ground. I am yet to grasp the knack of flight.

The alcove overlooks a sheltered meadow sprinkled with miscellaneous flowers and summer grasses. The sky is powder blue, the breeze swirling a sweet fragrance. It is Laylah's voice that pulls me back to the present and away from the expanse of perfection splayed before us.

"... and Dumah, the Angel of Silence, well ironically that girl just will not shut up! I mean seriously, you have a duty - start acting like it." Laylah laughs at her own jokes and casually leans back onto two hands, staring across the wildflower meadow with me.

"So there really are angels for basically everything?" I muse under the soft shade of the small apple grove.

"Oh yes! There are more than you can think of; there is Ariel, Angel of Protection - she is very strong minded with definitive morals. There is of course Azrael, the Angel of Death - despite his role Azrael is an incredibly gentle soul. Omael is the Angel of Fertility - I think his duty speaks for itself, but he also meddles in marriage fidelity when he sees fit, even though I tell him he should those matters to Raguel. Oh! Kokabiel is Angel of the Stars - when he was arranging the constellations, he thought it be comical to hide various shapes and creatures into his galaxies." Laylah pauses to giggle and blushes rose at the thought. "He created an oversized puzzle for the humans to discover and what you might not know is that there are many still uncharted by humans. And might I say, in his early stages he did depict a few less-than-appropriate constellations in the night sky. Feel free to look but I warn you once you find them you can never un-see them." Laylah continues to babble on about Kokabiel, her quickly strung words and far-off look telling me much more about her thoughts than her words do.

And because I have gleaned this information, I cannot pass up the opportunity to tease my awkward friend. "Tell me, is the Angel of the Stars as beautiful as his constellations?"

"The most beautiful..." Laylah breathes whimsically. I burst out laughing and her blush deepens tenfold. "No, no, what I meant to say was that he... His eyes... No, he's like..." She gives up and huffs pink-faced, ruffling her caramel wings in frustration.

"I see," I taunt, dragging out the words playfully. She waves me away flustered and smooths out her pale grey skirt. "So what kind of angel are you?" I ask, guiding the conversation towards safer topics while she regains her composure.

"I am the Angel of Childbirth," she states proudly, all embarrassment washing clear. "I suppose that is why Omael and I get along so well. My role isn't for everyone but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I get to -"

"Princess Angelina!" Gabriel, our most esteemed archangel, interrupts as he hastily picks his way through the grove.

"Please, call me Ali, Gabriel." Sure, Angelina was my name but I have changed since I was last here. Ali has the unique perspective of both the mortal and immortal realms, which I hope will make me a better Princess than I would have been without.

"Of course, Princes Ali. My apologies," he corrects respectfully. "And you know you can call me Gabe," he offers kindly in return.

"What is your message, Gabe?" Laylah buzzes curiously.

"The Throne requests your immediate presence at the concourse, Ali." I furrow my brow nervously. "All angels are invited to witness The Throne's wishes." Laylah seems confused as we stand and dust ourselves off.

"Thank you, Gabe. We will be on our way," I respond and nudge Laylah along as I take a jogging start, flapping my large wings to lift myself from the floor. Even with Laylah's smaller, toffee wings, she bypasses the running start and rockets straight into the sky. Show off.

The concourse is not far although with me flying, it takes longer than expected. When the crowds appear below us, I dip and land ungracefully in front of the two stone thrones. Ethan spirals downwards from above, gently touching down beside me as the gathering of angels thicken.

"What is going on?" I question, neatly folding my wings behind my back.

"Let's find out." He takes my hand in his and leads us closer to the marble stairs. I look over my shoulder and see Laylah stepping back into the crowd, smiling encouragingly.

"Come on," Ethan smiles and tugs me along further. We reach the base of the stairs and I am reminded of my first day here, dirtied and afraid.

"Prince Ethan Hamon and Princess Ali Hamon, I have called forth this congregation to bestow a gift of my appreciation upon both of my two angels. Kneel," The Throne commands, his light intensifying and dulling in a pulsating pattern. Ethan and I fall obediently to our knees and he squeezes my hand as my breath comes in short, anxious puffs.

It is okay, Princess. I am right here, Ethan muses in my head. My eyes flicker to him and I smile gratefully.

You can still talk to me like this? I ask excitedly through my mind.

Of course, he says, this is a gift that will never leave us. And he takes all of his love for me, bottles it into little starlights and threads it through my mind, hanging it across our connection like a string of fairy lights so I never have to forget.

"Angels from across the classes and families, I call you forth to witness a day of history in the making," The Throne booms, his voice reaching the farthest corner of the concourse without having to shout. "Not only has our Princess returned to us safely, but our Prince has surpassed all expectations during his time in the mortal world. Prince Hamon repeatedly braved his own safety for our angel brethren and most importantly, for his beloved.

"I would like to thank and congratulate the both of you. Firstly, we thank you for abolishing the baneful Fallen and ensuring the safety of countless mortals on earth through your courage and fortitude. I also congratulate our Guardian Angel Jack Jezael and his assigned mortal Jaz Sparks in their critical roles during this battle.

"And lastly, my angels, congratulations on not only a victorious ending, but for overcoming the impossibility that was your reunion. You have not only surprised yourselves with this blessing, but you have astonished all of your angels, including myself," The Throne praises. "Prince, step forwards." Ethan stands and climbs the first two steps, rising above the congregation. "For the reasons stated and countless other overlooked daily accomplishments, Prince Ethan Hamon, I entrust you to the privilege of this gift."

The Throne's light shoots forwards and veils Ethan in a thick cocoon of golden light. It pinches the tips of his silvery wings and stretches them outwards for the crowd to see. The golden flecks of light dance across his steely wings, congregating at his back and sides. The light intensifies and many turn their heads from the sting of brightness. I grit my teeth and stare through the light, watching as his white wings discolour under the glow. The base of his wings stain a deep charcoal colour, which spreads with the shifting light like a spilled well of ink across his feathers, consuming the whiteness in a beautiful midnight black all the way to his wingtips.

Ethan stands amazed, twisting his body each side in awe at the transformation. I am breathless as I take in my angel with his newborn raven wings - the ultimate respect an angel can receive. The crowd gasps behind us.

"Prince Hamon is gifted with the Ebony Wings to symbolise his worthiness as he bravely saved our Princess and our Angelic population from the threat of the Fallen. Hamon, take pride in your black wings for they are an outward reminder of your power within." Ethan bows respectfully, his eyes shimmering with fulfilment as he steps back down.

"Princess Ali, please step forwards." I gulp, taking my attention away from the dark beauty of Ethan's wings and stepping up as Ethan did. "I bestow upon you my gift of the Silver Wings; for your pure heart and astounding resilience in times of hardship."

My wings are pulled outwards on their own accord, lifting high and proud as they begin to shimmer and glitter in the soft light. My whiteness is bathed in a metallic glow, glittering with a dove-grey silver coating. My wings tingle happily as they shift and change, and when the colouring is complete, the soft, metallic ring of my wings looks like they were carved from a sheet of purified silver. Ethan is by my side in a flourish, cradling my waist, holding me close. There is barely contained emotion surging behind his gaze and I can feel himself holding back on unleashing it's full potential, but a leak bursts through as his hands come to rest in the hollow of my spine.

"I fell in love with you the moment my soul touched your own and fighting that realisation is my life's greatest regret. I wish to spend the rest of my eternal life trying to love you the way you deserve. But one thing is for certain and it is that I love you more than I did yesterday but not as much as I will tomorrow." He cries, folding my closer into his warmth, tucked into a soft pocket I wish never to rise from. His fingers brush beneath my cheek and I am shocked to see they come away wet with tears.

"I didn't fall in love with you, Ethan, as much as I flew into it." I bring one of my hands to the side of his face, distantly aware of the crowd around us and unquestionably doubtless that this exact moment will never lift from my memory; his words will be the echo I hear in the silence of breath and mine in the thrum behind each beat of my heart for as long as it will pulse.

"Ladies and gentlemen," The Throne announces in his most captivating voice yet. My grin is reflected in Ethan's tenfold as we step away from each other to face the congregation. "Here to serve side by side, once again, I present to you, your Prince and Princess of the Heavens." Ethan takes my hand in his and we step forwards as all the skies rejoice in our return.

And here, suspended in the silky skies beside the man I love, I have found myself. Because this is my destiny.

This is my becoming.