Chapter 100: Heaven's Judgement (Part 1)

Rachel seemed to be watching someone or something approach as Lorelei spoke. Alex could read on her face that she was becoming anxious. She seemed to have a bit of trouble getting her next words out: "Alex," she said quietly, "close your eyes for a second."

"Huh?" he asked.

"Please. Just a second."

He did so. When he opened them again, he saw a hand pulling away from his face. It was a woman's hand, and the woman herself stood directly in front of him. She was tall and blonde, dressed much like Rachel but appearing to be a good twenty years older. Like Rachel, she was very beautiful. Also like Rachel, the woman had large, white wings that grew from her back. There was boundless kindness in her eyes.

"Hello, Alex," the angel said with a soft smile.

There was an odd note of familiarity in her voice. "Do you know me?" Alex asked.

She tilted her head to one side a bit. "I did once, a very long time ago, though you did not know me. I am Hannah." She paused. "I am sure you have been told many times how little there is that can be explained to a mortal, but I will say that it is very nice to finally speak with you after so very long."

Hannah's gaze turned to Rachel. Alex saw that his lover looked to the other angel with an expression of sincere, obvious respect, but also nervousness. "Is it time?" Rachel asked.

Hannah nodded. "We have been ready for a short while. No one was certain whether you meant to merely speak with Alex and Lorelei here before coming inside or not. After awhile the waiting became a bit awkward."

Rachel shrugged. "I'm ready."

"May we accompany her?" Lorelei asked.

The angel frowned. "We considered that this might be your intention. It is highly unusual for an angel to show herself to a mortal as I have to Alex just now, but I thought it understandable and ultimately harmless. He has seen so much already. But to bring him inside for such a congress might perhaps be going a bit far. And as you have already no doubt sensed, the cathedral is not exactly welcoming to one such as yourself... though be assured that no angel here will do you any harm, Lorelei. You have certainly proven yourself to be an exception to the rule among your kind."

Alex felt himself bristle at that a bit, but Lorelei merely tilted her head in something of a bow. "I am honored," the succubus said simply.

"Rachel shouldn't have to face this alone," Alex frowned.

"She will certainly not be harmed, and the matter will be resolved quite swiftly," Hannah assured him. "This is neither a trial nor an inquest. There is no need for a lengthy and dramatic debate. Angels differ in opinion, but they are not wont to obfuscate or misdirect. Those who sit in judgment are ready to announce their decisions as soon as Rachel enters."

"She doesn't even get to say anything in her own defense?!" Alex blinked.

"They already know everything they need to know," Rachel shrugged quietly. "I did what I did."

"Indeed," Hannah agreed. "There is not much to discuss, merely for Rachel to face the judgment of her actions by her peers and superiors."

"All the more reason for those who love her to stand beside her," Lorelei said.

Hannah blinked. She did not lose her composure, but the statement clearly caught her attention. She looked from one face before her to the next. "You love her, Lorelei?"

"I do," Lorelei replied simply. "Much as I love Alex."

Hannah fell silent for a long moment. Again, she looked to each of them thoughtfully. "For Alex, this would merely be inappropriate. For you, however, this could be acutely painful. Are you sure?"

"It is still far less than what Rachel and Alex both faced on my behalf last night."

"It is less at that. Rachel's life is not in danger, nor is her freedom," Hannah pointed out. "The situation is not at all so grave. Again, I expect the cathedral will prove to be a place of great pain for you. I would have you understand that before you decide."

"I have already decided," Lorelei said.

"You don't have to do this, Lorelei," Rachel whispered.

"I do," Lorelei replied to her lovingly.

The angel then looked to Alex. "Tell her not to go in there. Please."

"I can't do that," Alex shook his head.

"You can totally do that. You rule her. She gets hot when you boss her around. She'll obey you."

He shrugged. "I'm not that kind of master." After a moment, he added, "Let's face it. We're all wrapped around each other's fingers."

Rachel looked pleadingly at each of her lovers again, then back up at Hannah with something of a helpless expression. The older angel simply nodded.

"Very well," Hannah said. "Please come with me."

"You can't seriously think you won't catch shit for this," Rachel said to her as her lovers followed.

"I'll simply attribute it to your very terrible influence," Hannah smirked as she led the three of them to the cathedral. "Alex, you will find that much of what you see will not stay in your memory long. This is natural. Do not be alarmed when your recollection of this day becomes a bit cloudy. As it stands, what will happen here will likely seem very disjointed and confusing to you because you will lack a great deal of context."

Alex frowned a bit. "Awesome. I'm confused already," he deadpanned.

"That's the spirit," Rachel snorted. She gave his hand a squeeze, then let it go.

As they came close to the cathedral's doors, Alex saw hazy shapes fade into his vision. The closer he got, the more they looked like people, until finally he realized he was standing among angels. They were of every ethnicity and a range of ages, from young adults like Rachel to those who looked much older than Hannah. The only unifying factors were that they were all healthy, vibrant, dressed all in white, and seemed rather surprised as Alex, Lorelei and Rachel approached. Some even looked a bit awed.

Hannah faded right through the doorway. Rachel half-frowned and half-smirked as she grabbed the doorknob and opened it.

As she came to the steps of the cathedral, Lorelei took in a sharp, audible breath. Both Alex and Rachel looked back to her. Alex immediately took her hand. Rachel reached out to do so as well, but Lorelei waved it off. "I will be fine," Lorelei said in a strained, quiet voice. "We are with you."

The angel frowned. She didn't like it, but she kept walking a few steps ahead. As much as she wanted to reach out to Lorelei, neither woman wanted there to be any ambiguity as to who held whose hand for support in front of the other angels. Rachel glanced at Alex, who merely nodded and stuck close to Lorelei. Then she turned and moved in to the cathedral.

As Alex followed, he felt Lorelei tremble and tense. As before, she maintained her poker face, but Alex was beginning to learn how to read her. She walked with much the same stiffness as she had the night before. There were no boils upon her, nor burns on her skin as Rob Gorge had suffered, but she was clearly in a lot of pain. The succubus kept her gaze fixed on Rachel's back. Alex kept walking with her.

They passed through the foyer. Alex saw that it was full of angels, most of them talking amongst themselves until Rachel walked through. That caught their attention and silenced conversation. When Alex and Lorelei followed, however, there were open gasps of disbelief.

The main chamber of the cathedral took Alex's breath away. As he followed Rachel inside, he found the entire space positively awash in the bright white light of several hundred angels. There were so many of them on the floor that dozens more hovered above in the space offered by the vaulted ceiling. Part of him wanted to run away and hide. Part of him felt very, very small and insignificant. Part of him wanted to sink to his knees and beg forgiveness for every misdeed in this life and anything he could remember from the scattered memories of his former selves.

The part of him that could not bear to let down either of the women he so dearly loved kept him walking.

There was conversation in the cathedral before, as there had been in the lobby, but it all hushed in a ripple of silence as Rachel entered. Angels in the aisle parted for her. Rachel walked slowly toward the altar, where half a dozen angels stood like some sort of committee. They all looked up at her gravely.

Then they saw the mortal and the demon at his side.

"Blasphemy!" shouted one of them. Vincent's face screwed up in rage, and he immediately drew forth his sword. It was larger than Rachel's, burning with a bright flame. An orb of light glowed brightly in the pommel. "That wretched thing does not belong here!"

"She comes in peace," Hannah replied as Vincent strode forward, "and in love. She is also under my protection here. You will not harm her, Vincent. Put away your sword."

"You go too far, Hannah," Vincent growled.

"Hello, Vincent," Lorelei said coolly. It cut off the retort that Rachel was about to throw out. She turned to the succubus with her jaw hanging open. Alex felt a bit surprised, too, but he didn't exactly know why this seemed any more odd than anything else that was happening.

"You know him?" Rachel blinked.

"Yes. Well. Not in a Biblical sense," Lorelei added with a small grin made all the more enigmatic by her sunglasses. "But we have met." She was still looking at Vincent, whose face remained gripped with anger yet he no longer moved forward. "I am unsurprised he has never mentioned this to anyone. His advances were rather oafish and comical."

Vincent's face screwed up in even greater indignation and rage. "One more word from your foul mouth in this space and I will--!"

"Stop this!" shouted Lawrence. He stood at the altar, looking on with disapproval. "Hannah," he said more calmly, "why have you brought us to the sight of this mortal? Why have you brought this demon among us?"

Hannah did not answer right away. She looked calmly at Vincent until he glanced over to her, then held out her hand in a gesture to walk with her to the altar. At length, he did just that. Rachel followed, standing before the steps to the altar. Alex and Lorelei followed Rachel in turn, but stopped between the first pews.

Once she stood among the rest of the council of angels, Hannah said simply, "You might ask them that yourself, Lawrence."

The bald angel's eyes narrowed. He looked to the pair standing in the aisle and asked, "Why have you come?"

"We love her," Alex answered simply, gesturing at Rachel. Once more, there were assorted gasps and murmurs of disbelief. "She's apparently in trouble with you guys. We wanted to be here for her."

"Your love for Rachel and for the succubus is as plain as day to us, Alexander," Lawrence replied. "It is also much of the reason why Rachel stands here today. Rachel should not be known to you at all, but such was beyond her control. To be loved is not a crime; your feelings toward her are not at all at issue. Yet her feelings for you are inappropriate to a guardian angel, and moreover, her actions in following those emotions are a transgression of the practices of Heaven."

Alex frowned. "I'm told I'm gonna have to take your word for that."

"You will," Lawrence replied flatly.

Alex paused. He was, after all, standing in a cathedral packed with angels. "Okay," he gulped.

"To hear this claim of love from a succubus, though, is curious."

"It may be curious, but it is true," Lorelei said. "Our time together has been limited, certainly, yet I find myself falling in love with Rachel as I have with Alex."

"What would you know of love?" Vincent scowled.

"As much as anyone might through observation and self-education," Lorelei answered, more for the assembly than for Vincent. "It should come as no shock that I have gone through the motions of love many times in my past. I have worn it as a mask. I have used it as a weapon. Yet in recent days I have come to find love in my own heart for Alex, and for Rachel. He has taught me so much, and would never have had the chance but for her decisions as his guardian."

"Demons lie," Vincent sneered.

"Not on holy ground, they do not," Hannah noted softly. "Not this one."

Lawrence and the other angels looked at Lorelei for a long, silent moment. Finally he turned to his fellows at the altar. There was nothing said, merely nods -- from all except Vincent, who himself seemed somehow left out. "Let us dispense with the matter of the prisoner first," Lawrence said.

Alex frowned. He would have rather had them move on with Rachel's issue first rather than dragging things out for her. She looked over at him and Lorelei, seeming a bit sad, then back down at her feet.