The Mirror Dimension, huh? It explained why everything looked backward—inside out. Even the wards protecting the preachers' house had disappeared. Could I enter their home through this world and appear in front of the couple in my world? The possibility made my fingers twitch with excitement. I'd love to snoop around their house and see what they were hiding.

"You're beautiful, Binti Nasra," Archangel Uriel said, taking me out of my thoughts. She stared at me from head to toe. "Your face... The white tattoos on your skin... Your curves... Damn."

That didn't take long. I sighed.

Uriel loved humans more than anything. Her fascination with us created a deep desire that birthed the Deadly Sin of Lust. Heaven had banned her from interacting with mortals for eternity after the events in Sodom and Gomorrah.

The clergy had lied when claiming homosexuality caused the cities' destruction.

The truth was, while living with the humans, Uriel had failed to notice her nymphomaniac behavior corrupting them. When Archangel Michael had heard about the ongoing events in Sodom and Gomorrah, he sent angels to heal the citizens. But the heavenly beings had met a wicked mob that killed them and burned their corpses, revealing their inhospitality and deep-seated violence, forcing Michael to annihilate them.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

Uriel moved closer to me, our bodies touching. Her body produced heat like that of a human. Sometimes I wondered if God modeled us after angels. But the high-ranked ones didn't share humanity's morals and rules. If they wanted something or someone, they got them no matter what.

"I want to talk to you." She interlaced her fingers with mine, mischief swirling in her eyes. She wanted to do more than talk, but she seemed to hold herself back.

I moved away from her, earning a frown. "I don't have time for this."

"Time doesn't pass in here. I'll return you to the moment you left your world."

As an occult detective, it was my job to know everything about the supernatural. But I always hit a roadblock with archangels. The little information I knew about them came from Mawu, and she only answered my questions after I mastered an ability. Damn that Goddess!

"Weren't you banned from talking to humans?" I asked.

"Only magicless ones." She grinned.

She found a loophole. Gahdamn it! "What did you want to talk about?"

Turning away from me, she flicked her wrist and a large blue tent materialized in front of us, followed by two blue sofas and a red cooler between them. She sat on one and opened the cooler, taking out two soda cans—orange and cola. "Sit."

After I sat, she handed me the cola can.

"Why do drinks that harm your body taste the best?" she asked.

"Do they harm you?"

"No. You?"

"Poison doesn't affect me."

"So, no?"

"Yes."

"English is such a disgusting language."

I chuckled. "It is." Opening the can, cola's intoxicating smell filled my nostrils, sending chills up and down my spine like a yo-yo. I took a long sip, burning my dry throat. "Why do you eat and drink when you don't have to?"

Uriel gave a half shrug. "It's fun."

That was all? Wow. To humans, eating was only fun if you were among the lucky few who quickly digested food or didn't easily gain weight. "Can all angels create a mirror dimension?"

"Only The Arcs." She finished her orange soda, then took another from the cooler and opened it. "Unlike me, my siblings prefer to be invisible and walk among the humans rather than sit in their dimensions and watch."

"Watch what?" I observed the empty world.

She snapped her fingers. A large screen appeared in front of us—floating in midair—and a remote in her hand. Turning on the screen, she switched to different channels, each showing various parts of Africa. "I can observe anyone on this continent. I just have to think about a subject, and the channels showing them will appear."

"Subject?"

"Stealing, Fighting, Sex, Death, Sickness, Praying, etc. Whatever you humans do, I can watch you do it." She snapped her fingers again, and the screen vanished.

"Even me?"

Uriel scoffed. "Mawu hides you from everyone. You know that."

I smiled. It was true.

"I only knew where you'd be by following Esther, who led me to Hussein, who led me to you."

"Esther Bennet?"

"That is her name, yes." Uriel finished her soda, taking another can from the cooler. "Did she leave you any messages?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Tell me what she said first."

"This city will be mine soon, and there's nothing you can do about it." I took another sip from the can.

Uriel chuckled.

"What's funny?"

"That message wasn't for you. It was mine."

I raised my brow. "Yours?"

"Yes." She took a sip from her can. "Remiel wants to take Africa from me."

"What?!" My mouth hung open.

"Remiel hates humans, and I love them. You see how that puts us on opposite ends?"

"Yes." They were like fire and ice, shoes and sandals, coffee and tea, hands and legs, and other opposing nonsense. "She's also the one backing Esther."

"I know. Why do you think she left the messages with you? She knew we'd meet and wanted to remind me of her plan."

"Taking Africa from you?"

"That is what I said."

Prick. I finished my soda. "But why?"

"She thought Earth was our promised land. So, she's trying to take it. But before she gets the planet, she has to prove to Michael she's worth it by taking moon magic from you."

"Wait. Michael?" I choked on my spit. "How's he involved in this?"

"He has sided with The Antichrist."

"What!" How was I just hearing about this? Why hadn't Lucifer told me? Didn't he trust me? "When? Why?"

"You sided with Lucifer, planning to help him take Heaven's throne. The Antichrist is Michael's backup plan to stop you in case Esther fails."

"What's The Antichrist getting in return for helping Michael?"

"Fulfilling his prophecy of ending the world."

The Antichrist had a sad story: a child born to destroy the world and die. He couldn't have a normal life. Not allowed to. It reminded me of prodigies who dedicated their lives to improving their skills and talents instead of enjoying their youth.

Uriel went on. "But if Esther takes moon magic from you, then the sun and moon magic users will be on the same side. Lucifer won't stand a chance if that happens."

"Kill two birds with one stone."

"Are the birds you and Lucifer?" Uriel finished her soda and took another can from the cooler.

"Yes. What about Remiel threatening you? Where does that come into play?"

"After Michael helps The Antichrist destroy the world, he'll give the planet to Remiel. She'll remake it in her image."

"What if Esther fails?" She would fail. Like I'd let the necromancer beat me in my own backyard.

"Then Remiel will lose Michael's support, having to fight me alone."

"And that's a good thing, right?"

"Definitely." Uriel stared at the sky and took a deep breath. The air in this world smelled nice. The lack of pollution showed the potential of ours, though that'd never happen because of greed.

"Which side are you on? Lucifer or Michael?"

Uriel finished her soda. "I'm undecided."

"Michael and Remiel want to hurt you, and you're still undecided?" This archangel was tripping balls. I swear!

"Lucifer wants to restore Heaven back to its glory days. This nonsense of reincarnating souls is Michael's doing."

"Lucifer has done the same thing with Hell."

"If Heaven reincarnates souls, Hell does too—to maintain order. Lucifer didn't have a choice."

"Why Lucifer though?" There were better candidates than the devil. I could think of seven.

"He's the oldest." Uriel sighed.

I never knew that. I always thought it was Michael. "What's the birth order?"

"Lucifer, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Me, Saraqael, Raguel, and Remiel."

"Four males and females."

Uriel smiled. "Yes, but it changes. If I want to be a male, then a current male will have to become a female. To keep balance."

Balance and order; two words used to hurt others.

"I won't side with Lucifer unless you win," she added.

Lucifer getting backup from one of his siblings and increasing his chances of claiming Heaven's throne relied on me beating the necromancer? Great. Fucking great.

"He may not tell you this, but he needs you as much as you need him."

I flicked my hair. "I know." I lied.

"Good." Uriel snapped her fingers, and the white door reappeared. "You can go now."

I stood. "Anything you can tell me about the preachers' case?"

"Just be careful. Who you think they are, and what there are, are two different things. The veil people wear for preachers shatters whenever they find out what they've been hiding. Yours might have cracks in it, but it'll shatter by the end of this case, and you might hate them even more. But you're an occult detective, it's time you know the truth."

That scared me. I'd keep my eyes open and make sure nothing took me by surprise. "Last question: were you the one who influenced them to ask for my help? Preachers hate sorcerers. Only a miracle would make them call me."

Uriel smiled. "It's time you know the truth." Was that a yes or no? Archangels and their mind games. Mxiu!

"Alright." I turned to the door.

"See you," she added, making me cringe.

Thankfully, I didn't have to worry because Mawu hid me from Peeping Uriel.