Know Me By Name

I stood still as a young angel learned about the Fall. Every time someone mentioned it, I became the one to gawk at. No one quite understood what I'm not more like my mother. I felt it had everything to do with Kaylee. She was and always will be my rock. Being one half of the Original Love was difficult enough, throw in the fact that I was Lucifer's son, and every one wanted to stare at me.

This little one in particular wouldn't leave me alone. I knew I shouldn't do it, but I flexed my back and popped out my black wings. It was like a magical spell as all the young angels immediately turned and flew away. They may have been intrigued by my backstory, but they all still feared the angel of death. Who didn't?

"Matthew." Her soft voice chided me. "Stop scaring the little ones. They're just curious is all."

My angel brushed my wings as her muted blue eyes stared at mine. It was hard to not feel guilty when those eyes met mine. It was like looking into the ocean and seeing only the good of it staring back at you.

"Sorry, my love. I don't like being the circus freak." I folded my wings down as I brushed a few strands of hair off her cheek. She didn't understand even though she tried her best to. Her mother didn't betray Him, mine did. Despite what Kaylee kept saying, some of Lucifer's blood flowed through my own.

"You are hardly a freak." Her hand trailed up my chest. "Excluding your stature, that is."

Kaylee paused as her eyes closed. She sucked in a breath as her senses connected with the earth and explored to find what was causing her pull. Her eyes popped open, a bright blue edged with white.

"Matt, I am being called down to Earth. It seems my fellow guardians are struggling with someone important."

I nodded, feeling a pull myself. "I am being called too. It seems my reapers have found one of the fallen... Obadiah. "

A small gasp escaped my love's lips. Her fingers traced my tree until she saw the very name I had spoken. It was glowing orange, a good indication that my reapers had found the person they needed to be found. Kaylee's glowing eyes met mine.

"I know what you are thinking, my love. And yes, he will die."

"Why? Why must be die? Because he disobeyed? Have we not all disobeyed His will at some point? Shouldn't we all die by your hand, Matthew? Even God Himself has sinned." Her blue eyes pierced my own. When it came to Kaylee and her guardian ways, I have learned to develop a way to handle her.

"There are different degrees of disobeying. Those who choose to follow Lucifer and her demon ilk, in a sense, deserve my supposed wrath. We are shepherds of God, and they have strayed from His way."

"But--"

"My love, they lack compassion for Man. We are meant to love all, and they only love themselves." The words hurt coming of out my throat. So many angels sought hate now that I felt like a hypocrite. He wanted us to love everyone, but instead, we found ways to hate. If angels couldn't even love, how did He expect Man to love? The war and terror that the world faced made my heart grow cold.

Kaylee, of course, saw through my thin veneer. Obadiah taught me a lot before he chose to fall. I doubted he actually chose it sometimes. But it was impossible to make someone Fall.

"Oh, Matthew." Her arms wrapped around my waist. "I know how much you cared about him. He was your mentor in so many ways."

I ruffled my wings, adjusting them in a way Man would adjust their clothes. "It happens, my love. But this one will hurt."

I gestured to my list of names. Most had faded to black, a few were bright red, others orange and yellow. Only Kaylee's name remained white. She was branded on my heart forever, and I really did love her.

She brushed a hand across my face. "Is there any way you can save him?" That was the guardian in her; she always was willing to see the best in everyone, even Lucifer.

"No, He gave me my order, and I must follow through."

Though His law was tough, it was the law. It pained me to have to pass judgment on my mentor. I just couldn't figure out why so many angels were falling. The laws were designed to give us freedom, within His reason. So why were we still falling so quickly?

"It will still hurt, my love." Kaylee's voice pulled me out of my head. Her blue eyes connected with mine. She was always a calming force in my life, always would be. That was what the Original Love was about.

"I know," I said quietly. My wings ruffled at the thought of killing Obadiah. He was such a loyal son. I just didn't understand it. "Something is happening, my love. I just have to find out what."

"I'm sure you will, Matthew." Kaylee stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "Now, a soul is calling my name." She flashed away from me, back to Earth where a soul desperately needed her.

Notes

Updates, updates, updates. Man, it's weird re-reading old writing and re-vamping it.