Page 11 of Azriel

The room blurred as his eyes filled with tears. Why couldn’t he just be like everyone else? He’d tried so hard to pack everything down and pretend it didn’t happen so he could be normal, but he always messed up. He barely noticed Vali had moved until he was right in front of him. He flinched as Vali reached for him.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not mad or anything. I’m just…I’m a little freaked out because I have an angel in my house, and you’re telling me I’m half one too. So…it’s not a joke?”

“No! I swear!” Azriel stepped back and swiped at his eyes. “I promise. I saw your eyes, and figured out why your hair is that color. It’s an angel thing, and nephilim alway have two different colored eyes. I’m sorry I said anything. I thought you should know, but…”

Vali bit his lip as he tilted his head. “Why are you crying? I’m not mad.”

Azriel’s breath hitched in his chest when he remembered the hit to his ribs that had broken a few. Unvern’s cruel words had followed, and he told Azriel it was his fault because he couldn't shut his damn mouth.

Vali stared at him for a moment. “Do you want to come to my room? I don’t think my Mother is going to come home early, but still…it’s safer, and I think you should sit down.”

“I should go…”

“No. I want you to sit down and try to calm down. I’m not mad because you told me. Please?” Vali walked by him and paused. “Come on. My room’s safe. Besides, I don't think going outside is a good idea for you.”

Azriel followed him upstairs as he tried to stop crying. As soon as Vali’s door was closed, he turned to the angel.

“I’ll ask my Mother later because…don’t worry about that. Is it supposed to be a secret? Is that why you’re upset? Is God going to get angry at you?”

“No, but you didn’t know.”

“Shouldn’t I?”

“Maybe you were happier not knowing, and I ruined that.”

“I’ll ask my Mother. She’s honest. Maybe not entirely if she hid that, but if Iaskher anything, she’ll tell me, okay? I’m not mad.”

Vali looked like he was thinking his Mother would say he was human, and he’d believe that. He didn’t fully believe Azriel, but he didn’t look pissed or anything.

“Here, sit on my bed. Er, do you want water or something?”

“I don’t need it.” Azriel perched on the edge and tried not to think of what he’d done to Vali there.

“I should have figured since heavenly beings are above that stuff.” Vali waved a hand as he sat next to Azriel. “I’m not trying to be too pushy, but I don’t think you’re upset because you told me I’m a nephilim or whatever. Are you in trouble? Is God mad at you? Did demons trap you here?”

Azriel sniffed. “Huh? Why would demons trap me here?”

Vali scratched his head. “Don’t demons and angels fight in a way? I thought they fight to get souls and stuff like that.”

Azriel shook his head. “No. I’ve never been to heaven. I live…somewhere else…”

Vali gave him an expectant look. Of course, he’d want to know all about it. Azriel should have guessed that.

“Er, we call it the Fallen realm.”

“The Fallen realm?”

“Because our ancestors fell from heaven. It’s partly in the Bible, but they left most of it out. God doesn’t care about what I do.”

Vali’s eyes slid from his face and down his body. “Er, if you’re a fallen angel, shouldn’t you be all hideous-looking with giant claws and fangs or something? I thought demons often had red skin and hooves for feet. They always look horrible in paintings.”

“I’m not ademonjust because I'm a descendant of a fallen angel.” Azriel tucked his wings closer to his back. “And they don’t all look like the monsters from your books and paintings.”

Vali gestured at him. “You have white wings! All you need to do is trade the horns for a golden halo, and if you went outside, the townspeople would think God Himself sent you to save their souls. They’d all be prostrating themselves in the street and praying to you.”

Azriel almost laughed at the complete absurdity of that. He couldn’t even save himself, and if the humans knew how much filth had been ground into him, they’d despise him. “The demons you’re thinking of might look like that or not. I can’t say, but they fell with Lucifer back in the beginning. My kind is different because we fell later. The Bible doesn’t tell everything.”

Vali seemed to think about that for a moment. “So we're not supposed to know about you?”

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