Suddenly she raised her head. Wiped her tears. Ramael would be in the council room tomorrow by midmorning, according to the note she had found. Perhaps her best course would be to simply wait. If she could avoid detection until Ramael arrived, then she might have a chance for a few words with him before she was hauled to the dungeon.

In the far corners of the portico, columns supported the roof. Behind either column, she would be hidden from those marching in the square as well as from anyone who ventured onto the portico. Adryel crept to the column on her left and sank behind it. She tucked into a ball, making herself as small as possible, and she soon fell asleep.

Adryel awoke with a startle as the first light shone in the sky. She was hungry, but she'd dropped her bag of fruit and her water flask on Earth when she had run from the guard. Good thing she was not out on the plain. Still, it was better to be hungry than to be a prisoner. She stretched to relieve her stiff muscles.

She had no mirror, but she could imagine how she must look, hair disheveled, face smudged from hiding in the tent during that last day on Earth. The hides piled in the tent had reeked, and she recoiled at her smell. She shook her head when she surveyed her dingy, stained robe, comparing it in her mind to the sparkling white ones that the others would be wearing.

Appearing as she did, it was quite possible she would not be immediately recognized. . .

But before long, she heard talking.

Lord Michael had arrived.

Other voices mingled with his, Gadriel's and two of the archangels. . .perhaps Gabriel and Jophiel. When she heard Dariel's raspy voice, it sent a shiver down her back. She sat for what seemed like an hour, hearing them speak but unable to make out their words. At one point, Michael and Gabriel strolled onto the portico and gazed down on the square.

"Dariel is quite intent on finding her," Gabriel said. "Any idea where she might be?"

A soldier walked out onto the portico and whispered something in Michael's ear.

Was that the messenger? Was Angi's news just now reaching Michael?

As the soldier saluted and strode away, Michael resumed his conversation with Gabriel. He shrugged. "Dariel has no idea where she is, none at all, although he insists he has made a thorough search."

"Is her capture worth the effort?"

Michael paused before answering, glancing around the portico. Adryel plastered herself against the column and watched through half-closed eyes. She caught her breath as Michael's gaze seemed to linger as it reached the column, but he turned back to Gabriel.

He must not have seen her. If he had, if he knew she was there, surely he would arrest her before she could do more harm.

"Yes and no," Michael said. "Another of Lucifer's angels will undoubtedly take up her mission to torment the humans, so arresting her will not save them." He turned his head, briefly, in her direction again. "As an example to the others, well, she could be quite useful."

"How is Ramael handling it?"

The sound of his name captured her attention fully. If she could only speak to Ramael. . .

"How would you expect?"

"Not well."

"Not well at all," Michel said. "I know he doesn't want her to be found, and I've tried to convince him he doesn't need to be involved. He attends meetings only when he feels he must, and he contributes little to our discussions."

"Will he be coming this morning?" Gabriel asked.

Adryel clapped her hand to her mouth to cover her gasp. She had not considered Ramael might not attend the meeting. What would she do if he didn't appear?

"I'm not sure," Michael said, "but I sent him a message. I asked him to attend, and. . ." He turned to exit the portico and, reflected in the window, Adryel noticed a tiny smile cross Michael's face.

". . .I hope he does."

The two archangels walked back into the palace, and Adryel took a deep breath. Surely Michael hadn't seen her. Surely it had been nothing more than her imagination. He would have summoned Dariel if he'd seen her.

"Are we ready to begin? I've other work to do this morning."

Adryel sighed in relief as Ramael's voice boomed through the council chamber and out onto the portico. Silent tears stung her eyes-love, hope, and fear mingling together.

"What could be more important than finding and extracting this thorn in Adonai's side?"

Dariel. Adryel despised him.

"You've had the use of an entire battalion for over two months, Dariel, and you've come up empty," Ramael said. "What more do you want?"

"The third legion. We must search every cave, every crevice, every tree on Earth if necessary."

The babble of voices made it impossible for her to understand what was being said. Finally, Ramael's rose above the others.

"It's a waste, Dariel. You won't find her if you take the entire army of heaven and scour all of creation. . .She is dead. We all know it." His voice broke, and Adryel wanted to go and comfort him. Michael truly must not know she was in the city. He certainly would have told Ramael, wouldn't he?

Twice she stepped forward to enter the room. Twice she stepped back. Her stomach was churning. She felt like dashing through the council chamber, pushing past any guards, and sprinting down the steps to the bas.e.m.e.nt. She could be gone before anyone realized what had happened. Once she stepped through the portal she would run as fast and as far as she could and never look back.

She shook her head.

No. She wouldn't run. It was time. . .time to talk with Ramael.

Her hands were trembling, and her chest was so tight she doubted she could speak. Finally, she drew a deep breath, crossed the portico, and forced her legs to step into the room.

"I know nothing of the kind." Dariel was shaking his finger in Ramael's face. "She could be anywhere on Earth. Holed up in the darkest jungle perhaps, or hiding in a snow cave beside the sea of ice. . ." he turned his head as Adryel entered, "or. . .or. . ."

A pin dropping to the floor would have sounded like a roll of thunder. Adryel felt lightheaded, as if she had left her body and now hovered above, gazing down on herself and the others. The angels she had admired, the one she had loved, those who were her enemies, all stared, speechless.

Only Lord Michael did not seem surprised.

Dariel dropped the scroll he was holding, and it clattered to the floor, unrolling as it fell.

Ramael stepped toward her.

She reached out to him.

"Ramael. . .Ramael, I love you. I. . .I'm sorry. . .I never meant. . ."

The words sounded so trite, so contrived.

"Arrest her." Dariel pointed and then shouted, motioning to two guards who stood at the door. "Now," he screamed. "Seize her. Bind her. Don't let her escape."

The guards started to obey, but Michael held out a hand to stop them. Dariel opened his mouth to complain, but Michael turned his palm to him.

Adryel took the opportunity and continued pleading. "Can you forgive me, Ramael?" She reached out to him again, willing him to take her in his arms, to make all of her problems disappear.

"Forgive her?" Dariel screeched. "There can be no forgiveness for one like her. Eternal punishment. . .Guards, do as I say."

Adryel turned to Michael, tears running down her cheeks. "I am your prisoner, Lord Michael, but I need to know, I need for Ramael to tell me."

"She cannot talk her way out of this," Dariel screamed as he tore around the table, his hands stretched out toward her.

"Dariel, halt," Michael commanded.

Ramael stepped between Dariel and Adryel, lowering his shoulder and plowing into him. Dariel crumpled to the floor and looked up to find Ramael standing over him, his sword drawn.

"Lord Michael said to halt," Ramael growled through clenched teeth.

"You're a traitor, Ramael." Dariel glared at him, fury spread across his face. His arm shook as he pointed his finger accusingly. "You've known her whereabouts all along, haven't you? You've conspired to hide her from me. You've led me astray, you've. . ."

As Ramael raised his sword, one of the guards looked up and turned his head, seeming to hear a noise. "Adonai."

All in the room fell to the floor, their foreheads pressed against the cool marble. In the silence that followed Adryel lifted her head and peered through half-open eyes. Wisps of cloud floated through the door and swirled about, moving across the room in her direction. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. After several moments, she looked again.

The brilliant cloud, shining with a light of pure white, had entered the room and rested directly before her. Six seraphim hovered behind the cloud, chanting quietly. It was just as she remembered. The cloud rotated slowly and thousands of tiny lights, like strings of diamonds...o...b..ted the cloud, without beginning and without end.

Everything but the cloud seemed frozen in place, as though time itself had stopped.

"Adryel, why have you come?"

As before, there was no sound, but she clearly heard Adonai speaking.

"She wants her pair to know she loves him." Dariel's sarcastic voice rang out, breaking the silence before she could answer.

The cloud slowed, almost ceasing to turn. "Truly? You love him?"

She bowed her head. "I thought he was dead. I. . .I never would have gone. . .I never could have left. . ." She could not continue and, finally, she simply nodded.

The tiny lights began to move more rapidly, and the cloud seemed to turn to face Ramael now. "Do you love her?"

Adryel dropped her eyes and shook her head. She knew the answer would be no.

Ramael raised himself to his knees. He tipped her head back, and looked into her eyes. She tried to avoid him, ashamed of what she had become, knowing what he had to say, but his gaze held hers, and it seemed as if he stared into her very heart, recalling their life together, all of what she had once meant to him.

Finally, he nodded. "I do. . .Yes. . .I can't help myself. . .I love her."

Adryel placed one hand over her mouth as she stifled a cry. She'd not even allowed herself to think this might be true. With her other hand, she reached out and caressed his face.

Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she dropped her hand to her side.

Adryel sensed that Adonai was smiling.

"I love her too," he said.

The cloud seemed to glow even brighter than it had before, and Adryel began to cry.

You will find that love never ends, he had told her so.

"And she wants to be forgiven," Dariel screeched. "After all that she has done? She is evil. Forgiveness only goes so far. She must-"

A low rumble came from the cloud causing Dariel to stop in mid-sentence.

"You ask forgiveness, Adryel?"

She tried to speak, but again the words would not come. She dropped her eyes and swallowed hard. "I. . .I was wrong. I was lied to, and I was misled, but the decisions. . .they were all mine. What I did was my fault, my own shameful fault. . .and I'm sorry. I. . .I wish I could turn back time and. . .I renounce Lord Lucifer and all. . .all of his works and plans and schemes." Adryel's voice began to shake and she gave in to tears. "But I'm not worthy of forgiveness. I asked it of Ramael." She shook her head. "I dare not ask it of anyone else."

Even the seraphim ceased their chant. Adryel imagined the silence could not have been greater when Adonai had existed alone, before the angels or any of the host of heaven.

After a moment, Adonai spoke, his voice both booming and non-existent at the same time. "Michael, can you forgive her?"

Michael nodded, a smile playing around his lips. "I can."

Dariel rose to his knees. "No," he wailed. "No forgiveness. No forgiveness."

He sprang to his feet and rushed toward Adryel, poised as though he would attack. She held her breath and braced herself, but Michael sprang up, reaching out to seize him.

"Dariel, stop!"

"Restrain him," Gabriel shouted.

One of the guards seized Dariel's arm and wrestled him to the floor. The other one leaped forward and together they grasped his arms and legs, lifting him off his feet. Dariel struggled against them, twisting in their arms, kicking, striking out. As they carted him from the room, he screamed for help. He cursed Adryel.

As the sound of Dariel's cries died away, Adonai's cloud drew nearer, finally resting so close that Adryel could reach out and touch it, had she dared.

All of creation seemed to pause and wait.

"You, Ramael, can you forgive her?"

Adryel's body tensed. She needed his forgiveness. After that. . .

"Can one forgive the Mistress of h.e.l.l?" Ramael searched the faces of those near him, a look of confusion on his face.

Adryel felt her cheeks burning. Of all she had done, becoming Lucifer's mistress was how she had betrayed her pair.

Every face turned toward Ramael.

In the silence that followed, Lord Michael placed his hand on Ramael's shoulder as though encouraging him to say what he truly felt.

Ramael looked to Michael, then to Adryel. Tears forming in his eyes, he again faced Adonai and nodded his head. "I can."

Tears filled Adryel's eyes now-tears of happiness.

"I do," he added in a voice so quiet that Adryel was not certain she'd actually heard it. She gazed up at one of the seraphim, who seemed to be whispering to Adonai. The lights that circled the cloud began to emit an iridescent glow.

"I forgive her, too." As Adonai spoke, the seraphim smiled.