Gabriël kept his eyes fixed on Joan. He could hardly believe she was standing before him at last. His heart raced in his chest. Neither had spoken since Anne reluctantly left. There were a million things Gabriël wanted to say, but he didn't know where to start. When he stepped forward, Joan instantly recoiled. Only then did he finally notice the apprehension in her amber eyes.

"Keep away," she warned him.

"Joan, it's me." Gabriël took another step closer to her.

"I said, stay the hell away from me!" 

He was bewildered by her reaction. What had got into her? Why was she acting like he was some beast come to devour her?

"You're... You're not Gabriël," she rambled and sobbed frantically. "You're not him. He's not here. He's in the Vale. Michael would never allow him to come to me. And why would he? It wasn't real. None of it was. All of it was a lie!"

Now Gabriël understood why Anne had been hesitant to leave them alone. She had warned him. She'd explained that Joan genuinely believed everything between them had been a straight-out lie. He had to convince her that was the actual lie.
Gabriël moved swiftly, catching Joan unawares, and his fingers closed around her arms. She tried to pull free from him, but he held her in a firm grip.

"Listen to me, listen! I am Gabriël! I am here!" She turned away, shaking her head wildly, but he made her look at him. "Please don't turn from me, Joan. Look at my face. Look into my eyes."

Joan stopped resisting him as she gazed up at him. She blinked a few times, but her doubt was still evident. Gabriël let go of her arms and cupped her face.

"My love," he whispered to her. "I am here. No tricks, no deceit. Joan, please tell me how I can convince you. How can I prove that I -?"

"I'm not giving it up," Joan interrupted in a firm voice.

Gabriël was taken by surprise. He tilted his head to her, raising his brow questioningly. 

"Give what up? What are you -?" His eyes widened as he grasped her meaning. "The baby?"

"There's no other reason for you to be here. And I don't know if I can trust you to be Gabriël or not. Any Archangel can enter the Sanctum, but there's only a handful that Michael would send to deal with this. So, whoever you are, I'm telling you now; you will not take my child from me. If you want it, then you'll have to cut it out of me."

"Okay, first of all, and this is the last time I'm saying this, I am Gabriël. And second, what in God's name gave you the idea that's why I'm here?" Gabriël grasped Joan's hands in his. "You listen to me now; I would never ask such a thing. I am not Michael or any other Archangel you want to name, but your friend, lover, and father of that baby growing inside. Everything I have done in the days we have been apart, I have done to get to you. To get to my family. So you have to believe me when I say I want this, Joan. I want us to be together. To raise our child together. If you want me to leave, don't expect me to do so without a fight. Don't expect me to just sit back. I love you, and Heavens be damned; I will never give you up. Nor our child."

***

Joan let his words sink in. Her heart screamed at her mind to stop being a fool and believe that the man in front of her was Gabriël. The way he looked, the way he spoke... There was no reason to think he wasn't Gabriël. Yet the nagging voice in her head warned her to be cautious of him. Michael wouldn't have let him leave the Vale, meaning he had to have escaped somehow. That was the part that worried her. If she was to discover the truth, though, she had to play along.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I thought you were here because you were ordered to..."

She placed her hand protectively over her belly. Even though it was still early, there was already a small swell at her abdomen. It baffled her she hadn't noticed it before.

"Michael won't give anyone else the pleasure of that; you can take my word on it."

Gabriël sounded bitter. Angry even. It felt out of character somehow. His expression softened when his eyes fell on her belly. 

"May I?" he asked, his hand slightly raised to show his intent. 

Joan pressed her lips together. How would he react if she said no? Was there anything he could do to the baby, simply by touching her there? There wasn't any malice in his eyes, though. She nodded her consent, adjusting her hand slightly.
Gabriël gingerly stroked the tip of his fingers against her belly. Joan gasped silently as a jolt ran through her at his touch. Moved by the sensation, she took hold of his hand and placed the palm flat against her. A familiar warmth coursed through her. She met Gabriël's gaze. All she saw in those piercing ocean eyes was love. For her. For their baby. He leaned in. Once more, her cautioning mind reeled back her lurching heart as she drew back to prevent him from kissing her. 

"What happened? After I... left, what happened?" Joan inquired, her voice unsteady.

Gabriël frowned at the question, but didn't continue his pursuit for a kiss. For that, she was grateful. 

"They put me back in the catacombs," he answered. "After a few days, Michael and Raphael came to burn the poison and the demon away with Heaven's Fire. I learned of your pregnancy then as well."

"Did it work? Is that thing gone?"

"The poison is. I feel stronger now. Almost reborn even."

"And the demon?"

"He revealed himself to me," explained Gabriël. "It wasn't Borgia's blood used in the poison."

"Who then?" 

"Do you recall the story I told you after we slept together that morning I went to the training room?"

Joan's heart leapt at the memory. No one else could have known about that moment between them. Unless Gabriël told someone. But why would he?

"Yes, I do. Wait, are you saying the demon and that Archangel are the same?"

Gabriël nodded. "We always assumed LightBringer was destroyed, but he plummeted into the Circles instead, thus becoming the first Fallen Angel in history. When Michael used Heaven's Fire to 'cure' me, it didn't burn everything away. A mental link remained, though I can't feel it anymore. It's how he spoke with me and convinced me Michael was not to be trusted."

"We're still talking about a demon here. Why believe anything he told you?"

"I confronted Michael with the story. He tried to deny it at first, but eventually, he admitted it was true. Joan, he's been lying for years, for centuries. Marina was never under anyone's control; that's just what Michael told us to make it easier on himself. He's holding on to his own lies. The Archangel in question was Michael's... well, everything. Lover, friend, confidant, you name it.
"But LightBringer also fell in love with Marina. Michael couldn't cope with that. When he discovered she was carrying his lover's child, he lost it. He convinced me that Marina was an innocent girl under the LightBringer's control, against her will, and that the only way we could save her was to destroy him. Back then, I could only see Michael's pain. It never occurred to me to check the other side of the story. Michael banished our friend, killed Marina's baby in the womb, and erased all happy moments from her memories. I feel ashamed now that I helped him in all of this, that I couldn't see through his lies."

For a moment, Joan forgot her doubts about the man in front of her. Rage boiled inside her. 

"That bastard tricked you," she retorted. "He tricked all of us! I knew there was a reason I didn't fully trust him, but this? Does anyone else know?"

"Raphael and Peter were present when I escaped. Peter will keep the secret. A lot of angels come to him for guidance. Even I asked for his advice on... something. He knows when to keep quiet. But Rafe was outraged. He'll make sure they all know the truth."

"The Heavens will be in chaos if he speaks up," mused Joan aloud.

"You'd have him keep silent?" Gabriël asked.

"This could have all come out long ago. Why now? They must be up to something down in the Circles, and it would be to their advantage if they attacked when the angels turn on their own and Michael isn't there for them. He might be a son of a bitch, but he's still the Lord Protector and will never forsake that duty. Michael built up our defences, our army, and our entire battle plan. With him gone, the Vale is doomed."

Gabriël sighed and raked a hand through his messy hair. Joan noticed sand falling on his shoulder as he did so. Her suspicion grew. There was no sand in the Vale. This suggested Gabriël - if it was really him - had been somewhere else before coming here. Where? And why? 

"You're right," he said. "As much as I hate Michael, the others shouldn't have to pay for his mistakes. I'll send Raphael a message through Peter. Anne told me he's been in touch with her since your arrival."

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go."

"Hang on a minute. There's something else you need to know."

Joan ignored Gabriël's spluttering objections and dragged him along. Whatever else he had to tell her, it would have to wait. If the Vale fell in disarray because the Archangels turned on Michael, it wouldn't matter, anyway. Nothing would matter then.

***

Raphael had been pacing up and down the apothecary for over an hour now. He tried to convince himself that gathering the other Archangels to reveal Michael's deception was the right thing to do, but another side of him urged patience. He knew the last thing they needed was for Michael to be disposed of when he was the only one who had the power to keep the Vale and the Heavens safe. But should that be the only reason he shouldn't face the consequences of what he had done?

"Raphael, please sit down. You're making us dizzy."

He nearly jumped at the sound of Isabelle's voice. The old woman and Catherine were seated at the table, watching him. Had they really been there the whole time?

"I'm sorry, I just... I don't know what to do with all this mess," said Raphael. "The other Archangels will no longer accept Michael as Lord Protector if I speak of what I know. But if the Circles were to find out of this, and I'm certain they will, they could wipe us all out. We lose Michael, we lose the Vale, then all the Heavens. It's that simple."

"You're really suggesting covering for Michael, then?" asked Catherine. "After what he's done?"

"I don't like it any more than you do, Cate. But we need to choose the lesser of two evils here. Better to stay with the evil we know than the evil that is certain to destroy us all."

"What of Marina?" asked Isabelle. "Shouldn't we be discussing this with her as well?"

"Discussing what with me?"

They all turned their head toward the door as Margaret walked in with an inquisitive look. Her fine brow was raised over her slightly squinted emerald eyes. Raphael took in her appearance. He knew he sometimes failed to pay attention to others, but he was fairly certain she had not been wearing a dress and cape before.

"Where did you run off to?" Catherine crossed her arms over her chest as she addressed her friend.

"Nowhere in particular," Margaret answered airily. "Just needed to clear my head. What did you need to discuss with me?"

"We were just speaking of Michael," said Raphael. "And of what we should do."

"Ah, I was going to talk to you about that. I don't want you to do anything."

Catherine scoffed, eyes flashing from Margaret to Raphael and back. 

"You're joking, right?" she said. "Why would you say that?"

"There are still too many questions and theories about what's been revealed," said Margaret. "I'm just saying I want definite answers before something gets out. This concerns a very private matter for me, and I don't want to be the centre of rumours."

"My dear girl, I understand your fear," said Raphael. "But what Michael has done is simply unforgivable. Even for me."

"He's kept every one of us safe for all these years."

"And that is why the betrayal is so much greater. Marina, why are you protecting him? What makes you think you can still trust him?"

"What makes you think you can still trust Gabriël?" Margaret faced the Archangel. "He spent weeks under the influence of a powerful demon. That thing in his head could have messed him up so badly that he can't even tell true from false."

"Heaven's Fire -"

"Maybe it was too late for that. We're all assuming that he went down to Earth to find Joan. And I hope he did; truly, I do. But what if he went further down? Can you seriously say you don't even consider the possibility that Gabriël has been so tainted that he has a new master now?"

"For God's sake, Marina, listen to yourself!" Catherine jumped up from her chair in a fury. 

"No, you listen to me," said Margaret sternly. "We need to make sure that what Gabriël told Raphael is true. Or are you willing to risk it all for a lie? Gabriël said I was pregnant, and Michael has already confessed to me I was, but he also said that an Archangel loved me. That, I know for certain, is a lie. Because everything I remember from that time is pain and hatred. No love. Nothing at all. That's why Michael shielded me from the truth. He didn't want me to feel that pain anymore. And then there's still the matter of Joan being pregnant. Gabriël claims Archangels can give life if they love and are loved in return, but I wasn't. That demon inside Gabriël could've done something that made Joan gave in, same as with me. So, I ask you again, are you willing to risk it all because you believed Gabriël without fault?"

Raphael didn't know what to say. He had already been torn apart to reveal Michael's deceit or stay silent, and now Margaret's words sowed even more doubt. Had Michael not taken Joan's wings, he could've examined her and the baby. He could've discovered how... well, just how.
He remembered Gabriël's words and the way he had looked that morning. There'd been no reason not to believe him. With Heaven's Fire cleansing him, Gabriël was no longer under the poison's influence. Still, he could've been persuaded to join the dark before that... Archangels were strong; they could withstand demons longer than any normal angel could. But LightBringer had been an Archangel himself. His former kinship and demonic powers could have been too much for Gabriël to handle.
Raphael turned to Catherine and Isabelle. Both remained silent. They expected him to make the call. Whatever it was, they would support him. Everyone always saw Raphael as the wise one. But he didn't feel wise right now.

"Very well," he said. "I won't say anything to the other Archangels for now. We keep this amongst ourselves until we know more."

"Thank you." Margaret smiled. "Well, it's been a long day for everyone. To bed, I think."

She waved goodbye and left the apothecary. Catherine followed her to the door, peeking through it and then turning back to the room as soon as her friend was gone from sight.

"Michael got to her. Filled her head with craziness."

"Je suis d'accord avec toi, Catherine," said Joan's mother.

"Nonetheless, there was logic in the things she said," admitted Raphael.

"Do not ask me to believe Gabriël did not go to be with my daughter!"

"Of course not, Isabelle. But none of us has the power to read minds. Who knows what Gabriël's thoughts are, and more importantly, if they are still his own? I am a realist above all else, and right now, I have to face the fact that Marina speaks sensibly."

"So we do nothing?" exclaimed Catherine in outrage.

"I never said that, Cate. All I promised was that we would keep silent for now. I fully intend to sort this out. But I will need your help. And yours too, Isabelle." Both women nodded and stood by the Archangel as he continued, "The three of us must work together to discover the truth. Cate, you watch Marina and make sure she does nothing foolish. Isabelle, go to Gabriël and Joan's homes if you can manage. Search for anything that could offer another explanation for your daughter's pregnancy than what Gabriël told me. If this demon forced him to manipulate things, there must be some evidence of that. I'll deal with Michael and see if I can get a message to the Nephilim. Keeping open communication with them will be to our advantage. And please, stay on your guard when performing your task. We cannot afford to lose anyone else. Either to darkness or to our Lord Protector."