and lifeless touch on the warm skin of his arms and back.
And then they were not pushing him anymore and a silence unlike any he had ever known surrounded him. The darkness was like a living being, clinging to him and suffocating him. Nothing, he was alone, yet not alone. Something lurked out in the darkness. Something he could not see. Something he could not defend himself against because he was chained.
A soft hissing laughter reached him through the darkness.
“I remember you, Gideon.” The voice crooned, running a shiver up his spine. The voice echoed, and he could not locate the speaker no matter where he looked.
He circled slowly, straining eyes and ears. Yes the presence remained and he did remember him. Lucifer, first angel. First one cast down and yes He had wept for him. He had wept for Lucifer.
“You are a beautiful thing, still shining with His light. What incredible blue eyes, so useless here.” A hand reached out of nowhere, touching his eyes like brands of fire and blinding him.
Lucifer laughed as Gideon cringed back in pain, covering his eyes.
“They’re not blue anymore.” Lucifer smiled and again circled the angel.
So naïve, so innocent, so completely childlike, yet a fearsome warrior. Such strange creations were angels. And he should know. He had been one of them, the best of them, the brightest of them.
He was suddenly beside Gideon, mouth inches from his ear, causing his skin to crawl, the darkness that he was embracing them both.
“Do you miss Him, Gideon? Do you miss His light and warmth?”
Gideon remained silent, but his heart ached like knives were twisting in its midst.
“Everyone ends up here, you know.” Came the hissing voice. “Even the saints find their way to me.”
“You forget who I am, Lucifer. I have witnessed more souls into the light then you could fathom. And of that light there is no end.” Gideon’s voice was low yet firm.
“So you still believe in Him even after what He has done to you?”
“I may be Fallen, but even I know the truth.”
“Ahhh, but that fades in time, Gideon, as your brilliance already has. In time you will no longer know His mind, or hear His voice, or see His light in your memory. Your light will fade and you will be darkness like us.”
“Never. I will still serve Him, even here.”
“Why, Gideon?”
“He may not love me any longer, but I can not stop loving Him. I have no choice. I was created to love and praise Him. I have no choice.”
“We all have choices, and you made the wrong choice when you took the lives of those humans.”
“They were lost even before their lives ended.”
“How do you know that?”
“They were judged and sent to you.”
“Ah, yes. And so were you. An angel fallen from His light into the pit. I have been waiting for such an event. You make me very happy, Gideon.”
“Then that is my greatest sin.”
“Oh, you have yet to really sin, but in time you will have broken each of his laws.”
Gideon fell silent because that was his fear. To sin was the greatest fear of all angels. And already he had lived to experience the greatest punishment. He had fallen from grace.
Lucifer laughed because he could read his pain and grabbing the angel by a handful of hair dragged him into a deeper pit of despair.
They beat him, taunted him, branded and blinded him. They mocked him and locked him away into an impenetrable darkness. And through it all he didn’t fight back, he didn’t resist a one of their tortures. Why? Because even in Hell he obeyed Him. If it was what He wished then so be it. His will be done.
“The sun has closed its eye. Why? Where are all of my angels, which of them weeps?”
“It is Gideon, my Lord. He has been taken by Lucifer. He has been betrayed into darkness.”
“Who has betrayed a son of light? Who could? Stand forth all angels, look into the light and prove your kinship and faithfulness to your brother Gideon.”
All of Heaven’s host stepped forward, with golden wings and glowing skin. Even her. Even the treacherous Lilith.
“What, Lilith? It was you? You betrayed an Angel into the dark?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was ordered by my lord.”
“Your lord?”
“Yes, the angel Lucifer.”
“Then you are the true fallen one Lilith. Tell me where Gideon is.”
“Never.”
“Then go to your master and forever remain.”
In a flash of holy light she was swallowed by her judgment as her screams streaked the heavens.
“What of Gideon, my Lord?” Michael, leader of the Heavenly Hosts asked.
“I will find him. A son of light, whether angel or man is mine. I will find him and bring him safely home.”
“But the danger, my Lord.”
“What danger, Michael? I am the I am, the Alpha and the Omega, I have created all. What should I fear?”
Angels get weary, angels get weak, angels feel pain and even angels can lose hope. But no angel can lose faith, it is something they are created with and it only gets stronger when put to the test. So even in the midst of blackest hell, Gideon’s light shone strong, even if his eyes could not see it and they lied and told him it had faded. Time stretched on unending for Gideon. He could not see, only hear and feel the vile creatures that surrounded him and the anguished screams of the condemned. He lost hope, he lost strength and he even began to wish for the oblivion of death. Which like everything else, was denied him.
The sun in heaven still refused to shine and the earth felt in a small way the icy chill of his pain.
Then He came in all His glory and charged the gates of Hell. The ghouls and demons screamed shrinking back into the pit because they feared it was the Judgment day.
Only Lucifer, with eyes downcast, challenged Him at the gate. “Leave! You have no dominion here!”
“Do not provoke my wrath anymore then you have. Return to me what is mine.”
“All here you sent to me.”
“Return to me my angel Gideon or Judgment Day will be released before its time.”
“You cannot break your word.”
“I can do all things, Lucifer; forget not to whom you speak.”
Lucifer hissed and shrank away; no matter how powerful that he thought he was he knew he was no match for Him.
“Bring me my angel!”
The walls of Hell trembled with His wrath. And even Gideon felt the vibrations in his cell in the deepest corner of hell. Suddenly there was a slathering of feet on the floor and rank and putrid hands dragged him up and through the winding blackness of Hell. They beat him and kicked him on the way up until he spat blood and felt it on his skin.
Then they felt His light and with shrieks of fear released the angel and fled. Leaving him kneeling before the Light of Heaven. Lucifer too fled to the shadows of his home so none witnessed the reunion of the angel and his lord.
Gideon bowed his head in penance, at once his heart filled with pain and joy at His presence. But it was not the thundering voice of wrath that spoke to him. No it was the still small voice of a shepherd comforting his flock.
“What have they done to you?” He whispered and a gentle hand, like the touch of a breeze brushed over the torn and broken wings. And warm tears found escape from blinded eyes. “I’m sorry. I would take your pain if I could.”
“Why? It was I who sinned and fell from your grace.”
“No, you will never fall from my love, Gideon. What is mine is mine forever. There is no end to that.”
The glow brightened, cleansing bruises from his skin, healing broken wings and warming a lost heart.
“Lilith betrayed you to Lucifer. I’m sorry that I did not know. Please come home with me. Come home to Heaven.”
Where Lucifer’s hands had blinded, His hands restored, transforming dulled lifeless eyes to the rich, rich blue
of Heaven.
Gideon looked up into His face and saw that He was crying for an angel.
The End
About the Author:
Arrvada is a freelance writer in beautiful Northern California. Her passion for writing has been a constant since birth.
An avid reader, her writing has blossomed inspired by the books she read, from the classics like Robin Hood, Ivanhoe and Treasure Island. She grew up with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and found a love for the written word at a young age.
She completed her first full length novel at fifteen and her publication came at 19 years old with Legend of Cauterhaugh.
“Writing is my passion, my addiction, my drug. Words paint my soul and they are the window into me.”
Connect with me online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArrvadaWriter?ref=ts
My Blog: https://arrvada.com/
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends