Page 406 of Castings & Curses

Loki's defeat didn't come without casualties. Thankfully, Melinda and I, and Raphael and Gabriel, weren't among them. By the time the stress of the battle had worn off, the sun was already rising to mark the start of a new day.

We had won, and yet I had a bittersweet feeling. It would've been better if none of this had ever happened. I wouldn't want to have never met Melinda, though. She'd become the light of my life. I wasn't sure exactly when that had happened, but I was glad beyond words that she was safe now. But was she? I wasn't sure, but she was certainly safer than she had been before.

MELINDA

I couldn't getpast the feeling that this was in some way my fault. I knew it wasn't — not even remotely — but from my inability to help Misha, to the fact that it was a remnant of Loki… what? He resented my use of the powers for the angelic hierarchy or for good rather than evil ends? He wanted them for himself? It was hard to say. I had no choice but to accept that I wouldn't receive an answer about his intentions.

I was lost in my thoughts, many of them dark and foreboding, when Aurelia held my hand. I took great comfort from the feeling of her hand in mine, and knowing that she was here with me.

She led me back to her rooms, and I was relieved for a chance to escape to somewhere more private. I just didn't want to be around people — I was counting angels as people — with the exception of her. Somehow, her presence felt different to me. Better.

"There isn't anything more you could've done," she said as she sat down on the end of her bed opposite me. "We can only do what seems like the best option at the time."

"I know," I told her, glancing into her eyes.

I almost felt ashamed somehow, but I also knew there was no reason to be.

Aurelia looked wiser than I remembered her being. She wasn't really as young as she appeared, and every so often I felt like a hint showed through of something revelatory in her personality. I wasn't even sure I knew how to describe it. It made me feel like I knew why the angels had chosen her to be one of them. It wasn't just her words of comfort — it was as if a part of her nature shone with light. Her kindness was healing, or maybe it was the warmth that she brought to the world.

I think that might have been why they chose her. And it didn't seem so strange a thing when she was an angel. I never felt like I'd quite fit in around them, despite having the best of intentions.

"Now that I've regained my powers, I don't want to give them up again, Aurelia. I think my time serving the angelic hierarchy is at an end."

"I was afraid you might say that," Aurelia replied. "I'm not surprised, though. It's not for everybody, and even if you don't work with us anymore, there's no reason we can't still see one another.

"You saved an archangel's life. That has to stand for something."

I'd forgotten about that, but Aurelia obviously hadn't. I still remembered the expression of surprise on Gabriel's face, like it was the last thing he expected of me. I wasn't sure if I should feel insulted about that or glad I'd had the opportunity to show him the truth about me.

"You've done a great service for heaven, you know?" Aurelia smiled at me. "And you have for me, too."

"I have?" I asked, not really sure how.

Yes, I'd helped protect her, but she'd done the same thing for me. If anything, she'd done more for me than I had for her.

"I'm just sorry I couldn't stop them taking you away to the security office," she said, her expression turning apologetic. "I didn't know you were in that degree of danger there. I used to work with Joanne. Even after she was seen near Misha's home, I never would've expected she'd pose a risk like that to you."

"It's alright," I told her, clasping her hand. "We only did what we could, and we're still here. That piece of Loki is not. What I don't understand is how he survived all of these years. He must've been completely insubstantial or living inside other people, possessing them. There's a lot we don't know about where he's been and what he's done."

"There could be more threats out there that he had a hand in," Aurelia said, grimacing slightly. "I don't think we should dwell on that too much today though. We've had a win, and we should take that for now, and deal with anything else that comes up later if or when it happens. Which it might never do."

As much as I wanted to rush out there and investigate further, I wouldn't have known where to start.

"Wait a minute. When we came up to heaven, someone was following us and trying to catch up with us mid-flight. If it wasn't Joanne, or Loki possessing her, then who was it?" I asked.

"I don't know," Aurelia replied, "but you make a good point. Maybe the angelic patrol found something. Then again, maybe not."

"We'll find out," I told her as I sank down fully on her bed.

First though, I wanted to rest and clear my head. My thoughts were in disarray, and I was so tired, I could barely think. It must've been from the magic I'd used.

Aurelia let me rest, and she did the same, relaxing beside me. I don't know how long we slept for, but many hours must've passed before I awoke to a knock on the door.

I saw Aurelia rise into a sitting position beside me, and she looked as sleepy as I felt.

She got up and walked through to the living area, then opened the door. By that time I'd sat up on the bed and tried to look a bit more presentable. I probably wasn't succeeding, as my clothes were torn and scorched, and I could still see dirt and dust on my hands. My face probably looked as bad.

"Raphael," Aurelia said, loud enough for me to hear.

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