So close. They had been so close to being reunited. So close to being in each other's arms again. Gabriël couldn't fathom what had happened. How could Joan have stepped through the same portal everyone else had and not arrive in the Vale?

"Can you tell me anything else, Hypatia?" he asked the Egyptian Nephilim mage. "Anything at all?"

"No, I... I don't understand how this..." Hypatia's voice faltered. "Richard and Thomas, a-and Anne and Tepes... Even that boy Joan was with. They're all here, and she's..."

Richard pulled his wife to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She buried her face against her chest, sobbing quietly. 

"The portal worked, Gabriël," said Richard. "This is not the first time Hypatia has created one; there is no reason to believe this is her fault."

"I'm not blaming Hypatia, Richard. But you just told me that the woman I love, the woman carrying my child and apparently close to giving birth when she's only a few weeks pregnant, vanished without a trace. So forgive me for trying to find an explanation of how that happened."

An eerie silence fell amongst the four people gathered in the apothecary. Raphael was still tending to Michael, Anne, and Thomas, so it fell to Hypatia, Richard, and Tepes to inform Gabriël of what had occurred during their mission. All were shaken up by their fight against Bathory and Joan's disappearance.

"What is Peter's theory?" asked Tepes then.

"He believes someone created another portal within the one Hypatia conjured to pull Joan out of it," said Gabriël.

"To perform such a feat, one needs immense power, not to mention control."

"That rules out Borgia. Lucifer ordered him to go to the Dream Realm when he realised my ploy, but he doesn't possess magic. Unless he had help. Bathory?"

"No, impossible. She couldn't have done this whilst using her magic on Anne and Michael. And she was wounded as well. Opening a portal within an existing portal requires the utmost concentration."

"Who then?" asked Richard.

Gabriël groaned as it dawned on him. "The only other person Lucifer would trust and who can travel between realms undetected — his son."

To think Joan was with that monstrosity... Gabriël could not bear it. He hoped Margaret was with her as well. Samael might have taken his mother for personal reasons, but it was no coincidence Margaret was also a patron to all who faced the dangers of childbirth. Neither was Isabelle going missing — apart from Raphael, she was the best physician in the Vale.
If anyone could guide Joan through this, it was her mother and her best friend. But it wasn't enough. She needed to be brought to the Vale as quickly as possible if there was any hope of her delivering a celestial being safely. Gabriël had to find her. He had to get to her, one way or another.

God, if You can hear me... If You have ever cared for us, Your children, please help us now. Keep Joan and our child safe until I find them. I put my faith in You. Do not forsake me again.

The door to the apothecary opened, and Raphael entered. Hypatia and Richard immediately greeted the physician, who gave them a weary smile. He looked absolutely exhausted, but nothing in his expression said he had lost a patient. Gabriël sighed in relief. It was something, at least.

"They pulled through," said Raphael. "Thomas used a massive amount of magic, so he'll still be out of it for a while. We've unfortunately had to amputate his arm just above the elbow, but Da Vinci is already working on a prosthetic for him. It wouldn't surprise me if he could shoot a grappling hook out of it or something of the sort.
"Anne was more difficult to treat. Whatever Bathory did to her, it was magic of the darkest sort. If Michael's grace hadn't affected her when he protected her with his wings, she wouldn't have made it. We had to tap about three-quarters of Anne's blood out to take the curse away. It's being transfused back into her body now. The healing magic we've put into her blood will fend off any darkness left inside her until Michael is strong enough to use Heaven's Fire and eradicate it fully."

"Can we see them?" asked Hypatia.

"Of course. They're in a room together at the end of the hallway." Raphael next spoke to Tepes, "I have two of my healers waiting for you."

"That isn't necessary," objected the Wallachian. "Apart from a few bruises and scrapes, I am not wounded. I don't require healing."

"Physically, no. But you've spent several centuries in the Circles. Michael's rune may have preserved a link to us and protected you from the worst of it, but the darkness has still become a part of you. If you are to stay with the Nephilim, I, for one, want to make sure the beast that is Dracula truly remains a work of fiction and is kept at bay. Until Michael can do what he has to, you will let my people treat you, and you will follow every instruction they give you to the letter, or so help me God, you'll wish you had stayed in the Circles."

Raphael's steely look did not allow contradiction. Tepes turned to Gabriël. His brow was raised in silent question, and he regarded Gabriël as a soldier awaiting orders would his commander. Gabriël nodded, and the Fallen Angel conceded to Raphael's demand, following Richard and Hypatia out of the room. Alone with his friend now, Gabriël prepared himself for the news Raphael obviously meant to be for his ears alone.

"Eleven wounded, six severely, including an Archangel. Sixteen dead, three of which died here and not in the Circles." Raphael's voice cut like a razor, and Gabriël cringed at the terrible toll the day had brought. The physician continued, "I told you I had faith in you, Gabriël, and I do. But I need you to grasp the cost of your actions. I know what Cate told you, and I understand you want to find Joan. But your stunt in the Circles demands retribution. So I implore you to stay here and prepare the Vale for what will come if you do not want that body count to grow."

"Rafe, she needs me. Hypatia said Joan was already heavily pregnant and can give birth at any moment."

"You know Lucifer will not harm her or your child. He first struck a deal with you, then Joan, promising to provide for their safety, and he will honour that, despite what happened. But that doesn't change that he is still impulsive when things do not go his way. You attacked him where he thought himself untouchable. You're proving he has severely underestimated you, and he will not hesitate to launch a full-scale attack to get back at you. Look at what Michael's rescue has already cost us. Is Joan truly worth the entire Vale?"

Gabriël hung his head, lips pressed together. To him, Joan was worth everything. But Raphael was right; he couldn't risk it all just for her. Not again.

"How is Michael?" he asked.

"His body has healed," answered Raphael, "and so have his wings. I've advised him not to use them just yet, though."

"Advised him?" Gabriël looked back up. "Is he —?"

"Awake. He wants to see you."

See him... The last time the Archangels had spoken face to face had been in Resia. So much had happened since then. Gabriël took a deep breath and mustered all his courage before letting Raphael guide him to Michael's room. For some reason, leading the attack on the Circles had felt less daunting.

***

The sensation in his back was the oddest Michael had ever felt. It was a quaint tingling, like being tickled by a thousand feathers. He wondered if everyone touched by Heaven's Fire had the same experience. Maybe he should ask Gabriël about it — if he agreed to see him, that is. 
After waking up, Raphael questioned Michael to ensure he hadn't lost his memory. But Michael remembered perfectly well who he was, what he was, and, more importantly, what had happened. Once Raphael was satisfied Michael was well enough, he informed him of everything that had occurred in his absence, from Joan leaving Resia and the Nephilim being driven from their homes to everything Uriël had revealed. The underlying bitterness in the Archangel's tone had been hard to miss.

When Raphael left to find Gabriël at his request, Michael carefully rose from his sickbed and walked over to the window, barefoot and with a blanket draped over his naked shoulders. He gasped when he saw the ominous grey clouds in the sky and the hustle and bustle of the angels running and flying about outside. His breath caught when his eyes then fell on the Villa. He hadn't thought he would ever see his home again.
Someone approached, and Michael turned to find Raphael and Gabriël on the threshold. The physician moved to the chair beside the bed and sat with his arms crossed, but Gabriël remained where he stood. His clear blue eyes, intense and pure like lapis lazuli, gazed at Michael, making his heart skip a beat.

She really has his eyes.

"Michael... How, um... How are you feeling?" Gabriël asked.

"As well as I can be." Michael gave him a weak smile. "Raphael told me what you did. What you risked saving me. And how you have handled things while I was... away. Gabriël, I —"

"Don't. Don't thank me, don't..."

Gabriël pressed his lips together and averted. Then he crossed the room and threw his arms around Michael. If the pain he had gone through earlier hadn't convinced Michael he was back in the real world, the feeling of Gabriël's body against his certainly did.

"I'm glad you're safe," Gabriël said under his breath. "I'm sorry it took so long to find you."

"No, do not be sorry." Michael clutched him, needing Gabriël to ground him to the here and now. "You have done nothing but follow your heart. I forgot what it was like to have one. Everything I haven done —"

"Just... do better. Make amends."

"I will, I swear it."

They parted. The sense of absolution nearly made Michael cry with joy. To first have Joan grant him forgiveness, and now Gabriël... He knew he was unworthy. And he would make amends, starting with reuniting the pair and ensuring nothing happened to their daughter.  

Raphael cleared his throat, interrupting the reconciliation, and said, "If we're truly letting bygones be bygones, and if you two idiots are going to go through with this insane plan of fighting Lucifer and Samael head-on, then perhaps you should tell us what happened to you, Michael. The more we know, the better. We might discover the actual endgame here."

"Yes, of course."

Michael walked back to the bed, drew in a deep breath, and began to tell his story from the moment he met with Samael. He left out the more private details but was forthcoming about what Lucifer made him see whilst trapped in Morpheus' Dream Chamber, from deeply buried memories to recent events at the Castel Sant'Angelo. When he finished, he looked at the other two Archangels. Raphaelreclined in his seat, exhaling slowly and running his hand through his hair, clearly impressed by Michael's ordeal.Gabriël, however, was already past that point. He squinted at Michael, giving him a pensive look.

"This other Archangel you mentioned, who was she?" he asked. "Another prisoner of Morpheus?"

"In a way." Michael hesitated. "She was there because Joan was. She... Dear God, there is no easy way to say this. Gabriël, the other Archangel was your daughter."

Raphael made a choked gasping noise and nearly fell off his chair. He kept himself from hitting the ground, and sat back up, wide eyes flashing from Michael to Gabriël. The latter stood paralysed, unable to form a coherent word, "I-I'm sorry, did... did you say sh-she is my... my...?"

Gabriël stumbled to the bed to sit, breathing heavily. His eyes glazed over, and he stared into nothing. Michael rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Your daughter saved me, Gabriël," he said. "I promised her and Joan you would be reunited with them, and I intend to keep that promise. My actions already broke one family, but I will not permit yours to be ripped apart as well. I will see you together, and I will see your daughter in her rightful place as the Angel of Death. I vow to be her guardian for as long as she needs me."

"The... Angel of... She's..."

"Yes, the real one. It is how I spoke to Azrael. My position as Lord Protector links me to your daughter, and her destiny as the Angel of Death ties her to the previous one."

"So Uriël was right," spoke Raphael slowly. "It was never supposed to be Samael. He took Azrael's power for himself and got rid of her. My God... How could we have let it come this far?"

"Samael has inherited his father's ability to twist the truth and lie," said Gabriël bitterly.

"No, Lucifer does not lie," reacted Michael. "He is many things, but not a liar. If anything, he uses the truth to get what he wants. But you make a good observation about Samael. It is obvious Lucifer has been working with his son for some time, but I am convinced he does not know half of what Samael has done or what he truly is."

"Michael, you're not suggesting Samael is the man behind the curtain?" questioned Raphael.

But that was exactly what Michael was suggesting. Lucifer had not been the one to imprison Michael in the Dream Realm. Lucifer had not been the one who was last seen with Azrael. And Lucifer had definitely not been the one to send the Horsemen after one of their own.

"Raphael, you told me earlier that Uriël revealed Samael also had a rune," said Michael.

"Yes, but he couldn't recall the shape, only the words."

"So, you think it too, then?" Gabriël looked at Michael. "That Samael sent the Horsemen after Uriël so that he couldn't reveal the truth to us."

"It is highly plausible, yes His most obvious motive would be his own vengeance if he believed Lucifer's wasn't enough, but I believe something else is at play. What were the words?"

"'Child of Light succumbed to darkness, the power of Death he shall hold. By the grace of the Fallen One, the strayed son shall be freed.' But that may not refer to his title as the Angel of Death. Samael took Death's hand. And Death wants it back. So much so that the Horsemen are prepared to give up the souls they have reaped if I deliver it to them."

"You struck an agreement with the Horsemen?"

Gabriël huffed. "I had no choice, Michael. Death's hand for the souls of all those unfortunates and the lives of the Nephilim seemed like a fair deal to make. I did what I had to."

Michael nodded in understanding and averted, musing over the rest of the words that Uriël had spoken in prophecy for Samael.

By the grace of the Fallen One... the Fallen One...

Michael knew what he suspected was utterly ridiculous, but he also knew what he had seen and felt in the Dream Realm. Not all was lost. 

"I know I have no right to ask this of you, Gabriël," he said, "nor of you, Raphael. But you must allow me the chance to save Lucifer. If I fail, I will end it myself, I promise. But for now, I need you both to trust me in this. Lucifer's vendetta is against me, not the Vale. All the memories he used were from here. He could have attacked the Vale when I was in his grasp, but he did not. I do not believe he wants to destroy what was once his home. And... I believe he felt Azrael die, which would not be possible if we were not... If he was not still... There is still light within Lucifer. So maybe, if the father can yet be saved, so can the son."

Michael expected Raphael and Gabriël to yell at him for even suggesting this, but much to his surprise, they merely exchanged glances. Gabriël then sighed and licked his lips.

"Lucifer used Heaven's Fire on me when Death touched my wing," he admitted reluctantly. "Your sword did most of it, but he mentioned he yet had a spark left because of... his bond with you."

A bond? Then I did sense Lucifer when Heaven's Fire healed me.

"It might work," continued Gabriël. "If we're to believe Uriël's prophecy for you, I mean. 'Retrieve the one to darkness lost. Heaven's Fire, Heaven's Light.' It could be your destiny to save Lucifer. And having the Devil out of the equation and away from the Circles will certainly make the fight against the darkness a lot easier."

When Michael and Gabriël looked at Raphael to ask his opinion, the physician simply threw his hands in the air and got up from his seat. He muttered something like 'stupid Uriël' and 'stubborn fools' and walked to the window, burying his hands in his pockets. Then he halted, his hand pulling out a paper wad. He looked down at it and then whirled back around.

"Uriël's last vision!" he exclaimed. "With the attack at the Castel, the raid on the Circles, and Isabelle going missing, I-I completely forgot about this. Here, here."

Raphael pushed the crumpled piece of paper into Michael's hands. He smoothed it out as best he could and read the words. 

βօɾղ ąէ էհҽ çɾąժӀҽ, ʂէօӀҽղ ҍվ ժąɾҟղҽʂʂ.
Ͳհҽ Ӏìցհէ ʍąվ վҽէ ɾҽէɾìҽѵҽ, օղçҽ ѵìɾէմҽ ąղժ çąɾҽ ҍҽçօʍҽ Ꭰҽąէհ'ʂ էɾմҽʂէ ղąէմɾҽ.
చհҽղ էɾմէհ ìʂ ɾҽѵҽąӀҽժ, էհҽ ժąɾҟղҽʂʂ ʍąվ ʂմççմʍҍ.
Ƕҽąѵҽղ'ʂ Ƒìɾҽ, Ƕҽąѵҽղ'ʂ Ꝉìցհէ, էաօ հҽąɾէʂ օղçҽ ʍօɾҽ ąʂ օղҽ.

Those last lines, they're from my own rune. Then this part must be... Lucifer's? And the first? Born at the cradle... and Death's truest nature...

"Eve," muttered Michael.

"Eve?" Gabriël furrowed his brow. "Which Eve? Adam's Eve?"

"No, your daughter. Forgive me; she first appeared to me in a vision of Eden, so it was the first name that came to mind. Gabriël, these words... If they are what I believe they are, she may be in danger."

Gabriël's eyes widened, and he reached for the paper. But the moment he touched it, his hand shot up to his head, and his eyes shut firmly. He screamed, his face twisted in pain. Michael quickly caught him before he fell to the floor and kept him up against the frame of the bed.

"Gabriël! Gabriël, tell me what you see! Tell me what our Lord is showing His Messenger!"

"Blood!" shouted Gabriël. "Blood everywhere!"

"Where?"

"I-I don't — Pergamum! They're at Pergamum!"

Born at the cradle... Dear God, no!

"Gabriël, is this happening now?" Michael shook him by his shoulder. "What else do you see? Gabriël, what else?"

"Lucifer and Marina! She — aargh — she's screaming! It's... Hellhounds! God, Isabelle, no!"

Michael shot Raphael a warning look not to come any nearer when he saw the physician move toward them from the corner of his eye. God was in direct communication with Gabriël. If something or someone pulled him out of the vision before it was done, the raw energy coursing through Gabriël could burn him alive.

"I-It's Samael! A-and a woman, I- I don't — No, get away from her! JOAN, NO!" His eyes shot open, looking wildly at Michael. "T-They're taking her! Michael, they're taking my daughter!"

Michael didn't hesitate a moment longer. He snatched the shirt Catherine left for him, pulled it over his head and ran after Gabriël.

"Michael, don't!" Raphael yelled as he pursued them. "You can't use your wings yet! It's too dangerous! MICHAEL!"

But Michael didn't care about his wings. He didn't care if he lost them and never saw the Vale again. He didn't even care if he died. All that mattered was saving Joan and Eve before it was too late.
As Michael and Gabriël descended to Earth, the winds picked up, blowing dangerously about them. The grey clouds became pitch black, casting a haunting shadow over the Mortal Realm. The darkness finally swallowed the world whole.