Thousands of years ago, Mesopotamia

Sariel

“Brother, what brings you here again?” Gabriel’s question holds a hint of accusation, and I know exactly why. He’s worried.

I am not certain I should tell him, but in truth, I know he has been watching me closely. He already knows.

Then the woman I cannot force from my mind appears, her long, dark hair coiled high on her head, cheeks flushed from the heat of the day. If I were a human man…

Gabriel sighs and shakes his head. “Do not approach her, Sariel. You know we must remain cloaked unless we are doing Father’s work.”

This warning does little to assuage my need. She draws me to this place. I feel it in my chest. This ache can only be eased by her presence.

“I want her to see me. Every time she looks through me, it hurts. Why do I feel this way? I have never looked twice at a human, but this woman—”

“We are archangels, Sariel. This is forbidden, and you know it. Please do not make me mind you as though you are a child.”

The beauty stares straight at me, as though she can see me. A rush of an unusual feeling courses through my body, making me hot and cold without warning. She tilts her head slightly and narrows eyes so gray, they could be carved from flint. When she begins to close the distance between us, my heart gives an alarming lurch. It is impossible for her to see me, but the way her gaze is trained on my face makes me wonder.

The pressure of Gabriel’s hand on my shoulder pulls my attention from her. He shakes his head, and with a flash of light, we are both transported from the small village we’d been visiting. Now, we stand in a barren desert, nothing but sand to hear our words.

“Michael asked me to reassign you, but I had to see this behavior for myself first.”

“Reassign?” If he does this, I’ll be kept from her. I have to see her in order to feel whole. “No, Gabriel, do not do this. You don’t understand.”

He sighs. “Your attachment to this human is troubling and unnatural. I did not want to tear you from your station, but after I witnessed your reaction to her, I agree that this is the best course of action.”

Squaring my shoulders, I grit my teeth against a wave of anger. How easily he forgets my strength. Sliding away from him, I pull my focus inward until my presence is temporarily hidden from his awareness.

In moments, I stand in front of three women who hold my fate in their hands. I will them to see me as I kneel before them. Collective gasps escape them as I come into view. My luminous wings spread wide, casting a shadow over the women. The three link hands and stand strong even in the face of an archangel, gazes trained on my form.

“Witches,” I command. “I call upon your service.”

The tallest of the three steps forward and nods. “Angel. How may we serve?”

“I require a spell to cloak my presence from all my brothers who seek me.”

She cocks an eyebrow and smiles. “The price will be steep.”

“A gift, then? Knowledge? Power?” I can only hope my desperation isn’t obvious to them.

“What power can you give?”

With a flare of my grace, I manifest a ball of light and pass it into her hands. “Foresight.” I’m walking down a dangerous path, but I need something to shield me from the vision of my brothers…and my Father.

Her eyes dance with excitement as she glances at her companions. “Shall we oblige, sisters?”

The other two nod, and with one short chant, I know Gabriel and Michael cannot find me when I enact this spell, at least until all its power is gone.

Thanking them, I return to the market in my favorite village, but my beauty is no longer there. Disappointment settles atop my shoulders, but I know I will find her again. She cannot be far, and I will not be kept from her.

* * *

I should not have done this. I’ve never hidden myself from my brothers. But with every passing day, I know I have to be with her. I can feel her presence as she nears the riverbank. The temptation of her soul pulls me closer, almost without thought. My blood sings the moment she steps around the large tree she so frequently passes the afternoons under. I want to lift the veil between our worlds so I can step into hers and touch the skin I’m certain will be soft and smooth. But I can’t. Temptation is the road that leads to destruction. I have to hold on to my will, my duty, and remember the reason my Father made me. I watch. This obsession is forbidden. But why?

She sighs and dips a cloth in the water before running the rag over her forehead and cheeks, down across her neck and the slightly exposed skin of her chest. Her hands linger over her shoulders as she tips her head, letting her hair fall down her back in a cascade of shining dark waves. A heavy ache takes hold between my legs, making me shift where I stand. What is this feeling? I want to know her the way a husband knows his wife. I’ve never felt this. Never. But now, I want nothing more. Not Heaven, not my wings, not my immortality.

Guilt settles over my entire body as I continue to observe her innocent moments of solitude. She settles at the base of the largest tree and tilts her face up to the canopy of leaves, eyes closed, brow knitted. Something has upset her. Her breathing slows until it’s deep and even, the calm of sleep claiming her. I can’t resist her softness. I need to be touching her, soothing the ache I feel radiating from her. Closing the distance between us, I kneel until I’m inches from her. This is not the choice I should be making, but I want the only expression on her face to be joy. And that joy must be mine to possess.

Reaching forward, I allow myself the barest touch of her hair before I pull back. I know I can’t have her. But deep down, I also know it’s too late.

It is done.

I am already hers.