She grabbed my hand. “I’m bringing you anyway.”
“Laila…”
She ignored my protests as she pulled me along with her. The guard led us to a set of doors made entirely of mother-of-pearl that every angel knew better than to try to walk through uninvited.
I was going to be very lucky if I made it through the evening without being stripped of my heavenly fire and banished to Earth. This was the definition of stupid, but I’d promised to be her partner in all things, to never leave her.
Beyond the doors was the great hall Laila had told me about. Part of it did look a lot like the one in Lucifer’s palace, but the Devil had utterly failed to re-create the true splendor of this room. Angels with golden wings and people milled around the room and ate together at the long table that cut through the center of the room. An angel played the harp in one corner, but the music I heard sounded nothing like harp music.
Laila didn’t pause to take in the scene or talk to anyone as she made her way to the white double doors that led to the receiving room. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on our backs. We stuck out like a sore thumb—both of us covered in dirt and dressed in total black and combat boots. Laila still had the dagger strapped to her thigh, for goodness’ sake.
And then we were in the receiving room and the doors closed between us and all the curious stares from the great hall.
A man sat alone at one of the long sides of the large rectangular table in the middle of the room. He looked human—dressed in the same plain white pants of all the humans and angels in the great hall—but power radiated from Him. I could feel it, how special He was. My gaze got momentarily stuck on the band of scars that ran across His forehead.
“Welcome,” He said. “Please sit with me.” He gestured at the empty seats around him with a wounded hand.
I swallowed hard, dropping to my knees and bowing my head. “My Lord.”
Hands grasped my arms, pulling me to my feet. “Welcome home.” His embrace did feel like home, and I couldn’t help the sobs that shook my body.
“I’m sorry,” I choked out. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know. Your sins are forgiven, Joriel. Remember them no more.”
I shuddered at the sound of my name on His lips.
“How?” I asked. “How did You reclaim my soul?”
He laughed softly. “I didn’t. Your faith did that. Who owns a soul has more to do with actions and belief than contracts and agreements. When you agreed to give your soul to Lucifer, you did so willingly, and you kept giving it to him with your beliefs. When you chose to give me your heart and service instead, you robbed the Devil of his power over you. It was your faith that made you whole. I was just waiting for you to reach out.”
I stepped back, watching as Laila and Jesus embraced like old friends.
“I’m so proud of you,” He murmured.
“I’m assuming it would’ve ruined things if You’d let me in on the plan?” she asked.
“There is power in trusting even when you do not understand how everything fits together. Without that power, you might not have had the strength to do everything you needed to.”
“What happens now?” She reached back for me.
“We eat.” He returned to His seat, giving me a view of the scars that covered his back. Unlike mine, His hadn’t faded to near obscurity. “Please sit and eat with me. We have much to discuss.”
I walked with Laila to the table in a daze. It still seemed impossible that I was really sitting here in Heaven’s palace, sharing a meal with the Son of God.
There were a million questions I’d thought I’d want to ask if I ever got to stand in front of Him, but now that I was here, only one thing really seemed important.
“Will I be allowed to stay with Laila?” I blurted out.
“I have no plans to keep you from each other. You are eternally bound in holy matrimony. Regardless how this conversation goes, you will not be parted.”
“Thank you.” I didn’t really care where we ended up or what we spent the rest of our lives doing. I trusted God and I trusted Laila. I was at peace with whatever the future held for me.
“I have a job for you two. It won’t be easy. There will be challenges and moments when you feel like I was crazy for believing you can do this, but Idobelieve that you can.”
Laila and I both nodded.
“I want you to minister to the Fallen, to find the lost and bring them back to me. I want you to help me prove to them that I will never give up on them.”
