Authors: Debra Anastasia
Ignoring him, Emma began. “First, I would like to point out that Satan has brought a kidnapped victim to the proceedings.” Emma pointed to Jason with both her hands because they were lashed together.
“Pish. If I remember correctly, the Devil is afforded the protection of a companion any time he’s commanded to enter Heaven. That’s Jason, my pal. He’s a half-breed minion, and they’re scum.” Everett pulled Jason closer to the circle of angels.
Wings rustled as the angels scrambled away from the half-breed as if he had a contagious disease. Emma’s heart skipped at the forlorn look on Jason’s face. If her plan worked, she reminded herself, he would be okay too.
“Second, I would like to postpone proceedings until God is available to sit in the judging chair.” Emma stopped herself from motioning with her hands again. She didn’t want to call any more attention to her handcuffs.
Seraph Gabriel seemed flustered by her professional demeanor, so she knew she was doing exactly what she needed to.
Finally he answered her request. “Denied. God is handling an influx of souls from a natural disaster. The presence of Satan forces me to expedite the hearing so as to remove him from Heaven as quickly as possible.”
Emma nodded and felt her soul deflate a bit. She’d really been hoping for God. But she forged ahead.
“Okay, as you’re God’s emissary today, I’m sure He told you of His promise to give me back my wings someday. Well, today is that day. I would like my wings before I’m judged.” Emma felt everyone’s eyes on the back of her head. What she was asking was unheard of.
Gabriel was obviously torn, as Emma knew he would be. A seraph would be forced to tell the truth, but he didn’t want to grant the accused such a huge honor.
“I am unable to grant that request, as you well know,” he finally replied. “If God had promised you, you’d have your wings by now, I do believe. He’s far too busy for our petty disagreement.” Gabriel nodded and waited expectantly for her to start her testimony.
“I find your answer unsatisfying, Seraph Gabriel. Surely you aren’t submitting to your own fear of Satan’s presence. Justice must be served.” Emma stepped closer to Gabriel, daring him with her words.
“I do not fear Satan. If you want your wings back, I suggest you take a moment to pray. If God sees fit to answer, He will.” Gabriel shrugged and waited.
Emma nodded and bowed her head, but she knew she was lost. If God had wanted her to have her wings they would have emerged when she first set foot in Heaven. She tried not to think about the time she’d begged for her wings during Everett’s attack on Jason’s family. She glanced up and caught the half-breed’s eye.
Jason couldn’t speak, so he mouthed his words. “You are an angel.”
“Thanks,” Emma whispered. And she tried not to let what she was about to do kill her any more than it already was.
Dear God,
I’m sorry to interrupt you, as I know you’re doing important work right now. The only way I can save Jason, Jack, and Claudette is if I have my wings. I promise I will only do good with them, and I’m pretty sure I’ll lose them again soon anyway. I’m not sure you’re even listening to me anymore, but I can’t regret what happened with Jack. I love him. And even if I’m not to be granted this blessing, please know I am forever your servant, no matter where I dwell.
Love always,
Emma
The crowd had gone quiet, respectful of prayer — except for Everett, who kept snickering.
There was nothing. At first she just listened to the Heaven around her. It didn’t matter if she had wings or not. She intended to tell the truth.
She prepared to do so when it started from the ground — the love, the embrace. She kept her eyes closed, but she knew it would be phenomenal. God was with her, even though He was handling the whole world. He trusted her with wings. He believed in her. She knew then she would be successful, because He’d heard her after all.
The wings were beautiful, and being an angel again was glorious. She opened her eyes and saw the awe in the audience’s face. They might have doubted her, but God didn’t. And neither had Jason, despite what he’d heard. She smiled at him and heard the handcuffs clatter to the ground. No seraph would be bound in Heaven.
She turned to examine her wings. She could tell from the breadth of their extension and the pattern in the feathers that she was indeed still a seraph.
Seraph Gabriel cleared his throat and addressed her. “Seraph Emma, God has granted your request, which surprises me. Of course you know you cannot lie.”
Emma heard Jack cursing again. She nodded in Jason’s direction and released him from Satan’s coffin. The half-breed stumbled a bit, but then stood strong.
Emma addressed the court. “Pardon me if the rest of you can stand by and watch, but I can’t have an innocent soul suffering in front of me as long as I have my wings.”
Even Gabriel looked abashed.
“And yes, Seraph Gabriel, I fully intend to tell the truth.”
Emma fluttered her wings for the pure joy of it. It was magic. She turned and smiled at Jack again, and he had to smile back. Her joy was catching. She was completely confident now, for the rules were written in actual stone. She could not fail.
“I did enter Purgatory with the aid of Claudette,” Emma began. “I did enjoy the pause button, which she must have pressed. I was a party to the disabling of the timing mechanism.” She refused to leave anything out or duck her head in shame as she told the next part. “And I made love with Jack during that pause.”
Again there was a cacophony of gossip and talk. Emma stood straight. She could have left that out — it wasn’t part of the charges — but Jason deserved the truth, and Jack deserved to have someone proud to be with him. Emma didn’t have the heart to look at Jason now. He had promised her so very much.
She waited until the last of the noises had calmed. Then she continued. “Seraph Gabriel, as I’m sure you are aware, each punishment you dole out will be according to, but not exceeding the crime. Jack will be sent to Hell, and Claudette and I shall be stripped of our wings and demoted to ghosts.”
She waited as Gabriel motioned for the stone tablets to be brought to him. He was careful to check her words, and he was probably doing it slowly because he was starting to dislike her wise demeanor. However, eventually he had to agree, for it was the law.
Everett began rubbing his hands together and wiggling his eyebrows at Jack.
“And you will further note that a seraph may take the punishment of the accused at any trial onto herself, if she so chooses.” Emma paused, as Gabriel looked confused.
Jack began shouting. He’d put it all together, and Emma discreetly made a fist to hold his voice. He then fell silent because he had to.
“You’ll find that in the Seraph law book if Josephine would be so kind as to bring it to you.” Emma refused to look at anyone, instead searching the clouds with her gaze.
Everett sat on the edge of his seat looking too scared to even hope he would get to have Emma all to himself.
After more slow perusal of the antique pages, Gabriel nodded. “If any seraph should want to assume the guilt of an entity, she may do so in Heavenly Court.”
Emma had seen it done once and had read that very law aloud. Of course, the infraction had been very minor — that seraph had saved his angel brother from a loss of power for three years.
“I would like to accept the punishment for Jack, Claudette, and myself.” Emma looked down so Gabriel would feel the choice was his, but of course it wasn’t.
Seraph Gabriel debated with the other angels for a moment, but Emma felt their decision before he spoke.
“Very well. You are well versed in the laws of the Court, and that’s testament to your dedication and years of service here in Heaven. The Court will adjourn briefly as I construct an acceptable sentence for Seraph Emma.” Gabriel stood and stepped behind his judging chair.
Everett began wolf-whistling, and Emma pointedly ignored him. She had but a few brief moments to set up the people she cared about.
She flew to Claudette and immediately set the tearful angel at ease. “Claudette, you did the right thing. I’m very proud of you. As a seraph, I grant you Earth privileges.” Emma bent her head and touched Claudette’s shoulders with her wings. Claudette looked confused but accepted the honor.
Emma stepped in to hug her and whispered quickly, “Jason will need safe passage back to his home, and I don’t trust anyone here but you to treat him with respect. Jack will be returned to Earth as a human, if I get my way, so transport him as well. I need you to take me from Jack and Jason’s memory. Let them live like men. Do you understand? This couldn’t be more important.” Emma looked anxiously into the pretty angel’s face.
“Seraph Emma, you honor me with your trust, and I am humbled by your selflessness. I will be a servant to these words you speak for the rest of my existence.” Claudette looked teary but fierce, and her promise would have to do.
Next Emma flew to Jack. He was furious — like an angry bull with no outlet for his rage.
Emma blocked out Heaven, Jason, and Everett and touched his face. “Forgive me, my love. I couldn’t see you in Hell again.” She tried to soothe him with her hands. It didn’t work. She kissed his angry mouth, letting him have his voice again.
The angels still held Jack tightly, despite his human condition. She hugged him, imagining his boots and leather jacket on his body, and her wings fluttered vigorously in his captors’ faces. Jack smiled a bit at their discomfort. She patted his pocket and filled it with cigarettes. It was her gift of the drug she disliked so much that made him realize he would never see her again.
His eyes grew wide. “Let me go to Hell. Life without you will be worse. Please. Don’t make me miss you, Emma. Love feels amazing. Go ballistic! Fly with me from here. Do anything — do something!” His voice was harsh and desperate.
She refused to cry, though she wanted to curl up with this man and sob into his chest. She had to be brave.
Jack tried again. “Emma, Everett has the Hallway. I can’t disable it from here, like this. I won’t let you go back there.”
He began fighting the angels, who happily used more force to hold him. Emma stole his voice again, keeping her personal Devil quiet for the remainder of the proceedings.
She had a serene look on her face now. Perhaps no one else understood, but she knew this was the only choice.
Seraph Gabriel returned to his throne, and Everett seemed to be using all his control to remain sitting. He was happily clenching and unclenching his fists.
Emma pulled her chin up. She would hear her sentence with her head held high. God would expect nothing less.
Gabriel couldn’t meet her eyes. “Seraph Emma, you have admitted to sins and have agreed to take the punishment of the other accused entities as your own. I sentence you, with the power invested in me by God, to serve a tenure in Hell for the period of one thousand years.”
Emma blinked at the harsh number, picturing the white heat of the invisible fire. She needed to be strong. Tears would make it hard on the others. Despite her best intentions, her vision took on a golden sheen and she felt the moisture of her fallen tears. She knew her cheeks would be streaked with telltale hints of gold.
Everett began hooting and hollering like his favorite football team had won the Super Bowl.
“Your wings will be torn from your back and destroyed. After the period of one thousand years, if your spirit still exists, you shall spend the rest of eternity as a ghost in the cemetery close to your human house. Do you have any last request or words?”
She had to take a few breaths. She didn’t want her voice to crack. “Who removes my wings?” She bit her lip. It was a petty question, but she just didn’t want Everett to take Heaven from her.
“I do, of course, my sweet honeysuckle.” Everett popped out of his throne and rubbed his hands together.
Seraph Gabriel stood as well. “Stop, Satan.”
Everett’s feet were frozen in place.
“Whoever volunteers may remove Emma’s wings.” Seraph Gabriel sent a gracious hand over the audience.
Emma looked out over her angel witnesses. Their numbers had doubled, maybe tripled, since her trial started. No one would accept the offer to maim another angel. It was against everything in them, and they didn’t like to be reminded of the pain it was possible, however remotely, they could actually endure. But they would certainly stand there and watch as Everett gleefully did it.
Emma was tempted to beg — to point to angels and call their names — but her pride refused to let her. She looked just over the top of Everett’s head. His smile was blinding. She knew it without focusing on his face.
After a reasonable amount of time, Gabriel nodded. “No one offers? Very well then. Satan, you may — ”
“I’ll do it.”
Emma gasped quietly in her relief. Jason stepped forward, so brave in this unknown world.
Everett’s feet had been freed by Gabriel’s permission, and he now stepped closer to Emma. But Jason stepped between the Devil and the angel. He pushed on Everett’s chest to make room in front of Emma. Everett was immediately ready to fight. Jason assumed a defensive posture, and Emma knew he would fight them all for her — Everett, Seraph Gabriel, any and all of the hovering angels — if that’s what it took.
Seraph Gabriel was embarrassed by the lack of order in his court. “Satan, to your seat!”
Everett was pulled as if by a string and slapped back into his throne.
When Jason felt certain Everett was going to stay put, he turned to face Emma.
He repeated his words quietly now, just for her. “I’ll do it.”
She nodded, unable to thank him, though she desperately wanted to.
He reached up and wiped away her tears. “Don’t cry, beautiful Emma. Don’t let them see you sad.”
Instead of pulling off her wings, he faced Seraph Gabriel. “I’d like to address the Court.”
There had never been a half-breed at a Heavenly trial before. Seraph Gabriel had to set a precedent. He certainly didn’t want the Devil allowed to commit violence on a seraph in Heaven. It seemed wrong. The judge decided to placate his unusual volunteer. Gabriel nodded. “Keep it brief, half-breed.”