1.16 Mistaken Identities

Ray knew that evil manifests only through influence and that influence is guilt. What he did not know however was the guilt that had made Stanley susceptible to evil! Could it be hatred, covetousness, sloth, jealousy? Whatever be the message of redemption was clear. Repent and surrender. Was Stanley ready to admit his fault? He better be otherwise Ray would have to face him in a battle very soon.

Ray was in seventh heaven where preparations went on to join his wife to Raphael. It was the morning of the wedding and Ray felt his heart heave with pain. Yes, she had chosen another and there was nothing he could do about it. That was when Cassandra came over to meet his father. Ray turned transparent in order to be not seen and Cassandra walked right past him without acknowledging his presence. Ray knew he had to gather all his courage to do the right thing later that day. Creatures from all over the solar system were gathering one by one to witness the union. Everyone was draped in the finest clothes. The only one who was simple in her appearance was his wife, the bride-to-be.

"Michael, it is me, Cassandra, from the sixth heaven. I need to know something." She asked.

Michael was looking through an intergalactic window into the chaos that was going on earth. He turned to listen to Cassandra. "Speak child."

"Why did you go to my rescue back on earth?" Cassandra asked.

"We did not go to rescue you, child." It was Celia who answered from behind them. She approached and faced the confused Cassandra. "Dear Cassandra, do you see the ring on your finger?"

"It was given to me by a friend," Cassandra explained.

"That friend of yours is my God-child," Celia said.

"You know Ray?" she asked.

"I have known him from the time he was a child," Celia explained. "Do you know the significance of the ring?" she asked.

Cassandra stood bowed down shaking her head in denial.

"It is the symbol of the house of Michael. Every healer who has borne an heir to this house gets to wear one. You were rescued because of the child you were carrying, the Angel of Life." Celia said.

Cassandra's eyes were filled with disbelief. Her child was born an angel!

That was the time that Ray finally managed to gather his courage and approach his wife. "It's time Cassie to join you with your so-called betrothed." There came the voice from behind her. Cassandra turned to see Ray but it wasn't Ray in how she remembered him. He was still the perfect sculpture from Michelangelo's works but he was draped in a white robe and his wings were out reflecting the light around him into a thousand hues. Ray had his hand outstretched before her to receive hers and she placed her palm in his. Her gloves were in place but that did not prevent her from feeling the warmth of his touch.

"Ray, how are you here?" she asked.

Ray smiled looking away, towards the crowd of strange faces, hoping it would prevent the show of emotions from his face. "I am entrusted to carry out your mating with Raphael in return of him returning my birth mother to my birth father. You can say it is a duty I have to perform in return of the life I have." He sighed heavily and handed Cassie over to Raphael who did not look up.

"Attention please!" Ray called out. The murmuring crowd came to a deathly quiet. Most of them were not gathered for another of Raphael's weddings or their equivalents. Raphael had many mates, each of whom he collected for certain powers and none of whom seemed able to provide him with an heir. They were all gathered to witness the heir of Michael who was to perform the ceremony. Michaela who was known as the predetermined heir of Seventh heaven was still a child and as such unlikely to be a part of the ceremony. And there he was all their expectations come to reality.

They had heard about the battles indulged in by Samael down on earth. They even knew about the tragedy of his death but they could not fathom what powerful creature was responsible for such an end. Here he stood, the creature that could end the reign of darkness altogether. Here was Alf resurrected, the angel of light.

Cassandra looked from Ray and to the figure standing beside her, her betrothed, bowed down as if in shame. She could feel the tension in the air as the entire congregation came to a standstill. The silence became deafening until Ray spoke again.

"Hello, everyone. You do not know me. My name is Ray Sutherland, Ray Michael Sutherland. You are all gathered here to witness the mating of the great Raphael, ruler of brighter sixth heaven and my wife Cassandra Sutherland. I am here to witness it too. Now you may say how this is possible. Well, this is possible through your ignorance. Do you know why God created women? The first woman was not created in heaven. She was created back on earth, where I come from. She was created as the companion of man. The earliest of angels who visited earth were all male but they were entrenched by the feminine beauty of the mortal women and they brought them over here. Yes, unfortunately, most of you standing here are half breeds. There is a small part of you that is always human, no matter how lofty you claim to be. Now being human is not a bad thing. You have the option whether or not to embrace your human part. I have. I know as angels you are next to God but as humans, we are loved by God. Now in that merciful nature of God, he may allow my wife to realize her mistakes and hence we are gathered here to unite her with this Angel so that she may realize that God has joined her to me for a purpose."

"I can't do it", Cassandra spoke out. Then she turned towards Raphael. "I know that this is what my parents wanted. But I am in love with Ray. I cannot be with you," she beseeched.

Ray looked at Raphael looking down and away and smiled. "Cassie, I already told you that if you cannot accept me without my position I am not interested in you. You have to prove to me that you love me without my place in your world. You will have to return to earth with me," he announced.

"I will," Cassandra confirmed. "Just let me be yours, Ray," she asked him and he reached out her hand for her.

The entire crowd gasped in horror as Raphael looked up. He had a sneer on his face that gave him away. "You really don't stop meddling in my affairs, do you Michael?" he asked. "If you want Ariella back you have to give me Cassandra," he announced.

"At the price of my son's happiness I do not want my freedom, brother," Ariella announced. "I will continue to be your bonded slave for the rest of my existence if need be. But you are not allowed to have any other mates in my lifetime," she charged.

"But you are not my mate," Raphael pointed out.

"No, I am Michael's. Yet you try to keep me bound to you and you threaten others with that bond," she brought up.

There was murmur in the congregation regarding all that was discussed.

"We assumed you to be a just ruler, worthy of the throne of Amadiel, the first Raphael. For your sake, we even tolerated your demand of handing over half the planet to your twin brother. However under these circumstances, we have to reconsider," spoke an older Angel whom everyone knew as Gabriel. He was the angel without a planet, the vagabond of the lot. he was offered the twins as mates whom he turned down in favour of his bachelorhood. Ariella's story, however, filled him with guilt. He could have done right by her.

"You have abdicated your right to speak on her favour a long time ago," Raphael pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I cannot speak the truth," he countered.

"Silence," Ray called out. All the assembly stood at attention from his word. "I choose my mother. She has been wronged enough. You cannot mate with Cassandra against her will. Let her remain on your planet. When you realize that your efforts are fruitless you will come to me to hand her over," Ray spoke.

Cassandra looked at her husband and realized that this was the test she just got through to prove to him that she really loved him. She bowed her head in submission when the room went pitch black. The ground shook and everyone was afraid.

Suddenly they all felt a presence. An angel stood in their midst, the most handsome Angel that ever was formed. "Alf, what brings you here?" Ray questioned the stranger.

Everyone gasped in surprise. Alf was supposed to be dead. "I am here to take back my prisoner who escaped," he announced.

"You promised not to come back," It was Michael who spoke.

"I am not breaking any promise. I need to take Samael back," Alf answered.

"Samael is dead," Ray said.

"No, I teleported him to my world so that he couldn't do more harm. The light dagger signalled me to him. However, Raphael used his twin connection to trace him down. Samael infected Raphael with his darkness and escaped. Raphael is still recuperating and this one you have here is actually Samael," he explained.

By the time they turned to find the culprit he evaporated in black fumes. "And he disappeared again," Alf added. Alf disappeared soon after and Ray followed.