Page 80 of Crimson Promises
His body did a full shudder. He removed my arm from him, and I thought that was it. Then, I remembered all those times I felt abandoned or alone and wished someone apart from my dad cared enough to stick around.
So, I gathered the minimal scraps of what I had left of my pride and tossed them in the proverbial wind. Here goes nothing.
“Something else is going on here. I’m not here to judge. All I want is to know what’s happening,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, scared any sudden movements or raised noise levels would bring those barriers back up.
Ben didn’t respond at first, but he moved. His hands whisper soft at my waist.
Then finally, he murmured, "Okay."
ChapterEight
Bennett
“Do you believe good people are capable of horrible things?”
Aurora scrunched her eyebrows together and said, “For a long time, I saw a clear definition between right and wrong. But the older I get, the more I believe that things are not always black and white. A lot of things live in the gray. Actions and decisions are blurred by reasons and choices.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, a gesture she did whenever she felt nervous or unsure. “You know my secret. There have been times when I felt guilty for not using my abilities to heal people—if I can even consciously do that—for fear of what others would do to me or how I would be treated. So, while I don’t know what you’ve been through, I’m not exactly in any position to judge.”
How had I been so careless? Aurora had always been brilliant, but I didn’t expect her to string any of my slip-ups together.
Aurora had demanded the truth. She somehow knew how to press every single one of my buttons to unleash the restraint that had served me well for hundreds of years. I revealed my wings like a toddler angel who was first learning control. My heart urged me to spill everything, but my brain knew that I had sworn an oath to Michael, and breaking that would mean the end of everything. I had to tread carefully.
“I don’t know where to begin,” I said.
She sat back against the couch, crossed her legs, and placed one of the throw pillows onto her lap. “The beginning is normally a good place to start.”
I rubbed my hand against my jaw. The stubble had grown out more than I usually let it. “The mortal world has a unique depiction of where I’m from.”
“Mortal?” Aurora gripped the pillow tighter.
“Mortal,” I confirmed. “You may have made the connection already, but I’m not human like you. I’m an angel. I was born in Heaven before Adam and Eve took their first breath.”
Aurora’s jaw dropped open. “Heaven’s real?”
I felt a bit like an echo chamber, but I couldn’t really blame here. The versions of Heaven have been depicted differently on Earth over the years. With each new generation born, the commitment to faith and religion dwindled, and I couldn’t blame them.
“How did you—? Why are you?—?”
“Let me explain everything like you asked, and then I’ll answer your questions. If I’m going to start at the beginning, you’re going to have to let me.” I smirked.
She pressed her lips together and nodded.
“What I told you that day we went to Perk & Pour was true. I never knew my dad. He was never around. Before I get into that, you should know something about how Heaven is structured,” I backtracked. “God is Heaven’s king, ruler, leader, however you want to label Him as. He was never voted or elected to power. It is not a democracy. He is the Almighty Power. His word is law. God is Heaven’s Julius Caesar, if you will. Beneath him, societies are divided into hierarchies, much like some of your world systems."
Her gaze lingered, intense and probing, making me feel as if she was seeing beyond my mere appearance.
“Heaven’s entire paradigm wasn’t built on love, peace, or acceptance. It was built on power, how to obtain it, achieve it, and keep it. If you had it, the system worked for you.” I blew out a breath. “If you were like me, it felt a lot like a gilded cage. If you want the entire story, you need to understand the foundation for how this has shaped my life.”
My movements were measured and assured as I took precise steps across the floor.
“The first level of hierarchy underneath God consists of ten individuals: The Archangels, imbued with unlimited heavenly power. Surely, you’ve heard of Michael or Gabriel. All archangels sit on The Council. They are responsible for enacting God’s will and ensuring his commandments are followed. Each archangel was accountable for their own areas of society. For example, Michael is Heaven's General and responsible for leading its army. A spot in The Originals cannot be passed down to any other angel. If something happened to one of the archangels, that seat on The Council would remain empty.”
Aurora raised her hand like she was in class.
“Yes?”
“I know I’m supposed to wait, but just for the sake of clarification, are The Council and The Originals the same thing?”
“Sort of.” I snorted. “The Council is a sub-governing body of God; it’s similar to a Department of Justice. The Originals consist of the group of archangels that make up The Council. As they were one of God’s first creations, they are often called The Originals. God only created ten archangels. Archangels are virtually indestructible.”
