"She's up," glancing at the clock. "She should be out here shortly. Other than that...." Amber shrugged. It was hard to explain what Esmeralda was going through - not only had she lost her mate; she had lost the mate she'd had every expectation of sharing eternity with.
"And how are you?" Charisma asked compassionately.
"I'm fine," Amber replied brusquely. "Saphira was only my sister - she was EVERYTHING to Es."
Charisma cleared her throat again. "I can only imagine how devastated Es is because I have never seen two people as much a part of each other as they were; they had something amazing together. But I know that if something like this happened to one of my brothers, I'd still feel the loss very sharply. So please don't feel you need to downplay your own loss in this situation." She hesitated, then took a deep breath to continue. "I know we really don't know one another, but I counted your sister as a friend, and if you want to talk...."
Amber nodded rapidly. "If you'll excuse me," rising from her seat, "I'll go check on Es." She spun around and knocked on the door behind her before letting herself in. Charisma turned to Ruby who patted her hand.
"Don't worry about it, Sen... Charisma. She's trying to deal with something she never expected to. I'm sure she'll appreciate the offer once she has the chance to think about it."
"It's fine, Ruby," Charisma offered with a wave. "It's not like we actually know one another. I just... feel so helpless. I wish there was something I could do."
Ruby stared into her coffee cup and shook her head. "We'll be there for them, Charisma - it's all we can do... sad as that is to say."
"Will it be enough, Ruby?"
This time Ruby shrugged. "I don't know," she replied honestly, lifting the mug to her lips. Before she could take a sip, there was another knock on the door and Ruby set her cup on the table and rose with a quiet excuse. Charisma frowned as she glanced at her watch. Surely her time wasn't up already. Then she heard two sets of steps headed towards the kitchen and turned to find Matilda walking in behind Ruby carrying a box. Charisma immediately rose and took the box from Matilda when Esmeralda crossed the threshold into the kitchen. Matilda opened her arms and Esmeralda stepped into her embrace, though she made no effort to do more than give Matilda a polite hug. Matilda frowned and released her, but before she could comment on Esmeralda's lack of participation, Charisma had maneuvered around her to offer Esmeralda the same. After only a moment, Charisma eased back as well, her expression confused.
"Es?" wondering where the grief-stricken woman of the day before had gone. She almost preferred the outpouring of emotion - even crippling grief - to the apathy she and Matilda were facing now.
"Charisma," Esmeralda answered softly. "It's nice of you to come. You too, Matilda, though you needn't have brought anything with you. I'm sure we have plenty."
Matilda cocked her head. "Es? Honey, I had to do something, and this is what I'm good at," motioning to the food Ruby had emptied from the box. "I promised Saphira...."
Esmeralda's eyes blazed. "You promised Saphira?? What the hell does that mean??" her profanity causing eyes to widen as much as her anger. "She promised me forever!!" She gulped in air and her eyes flashed fire. "Promises are just empty words - they don't mean anything!!"
"Honey...."
"NO!!" Esmeralda closed her eyes; when she opened them, they were once more flat and gray. "No, I appreciate that you feel some sort of obligation to be here, and you're certainly welcome to stay. But we're not going to talk about Saphira... at all."
"Es...."
"I mean it, Charisma. As far as I'm concerned, we can sit quietly. After all, silence is my new companion; I suppose I should get used to it."
Matilda and Charisma exchanged glances, and without another word, they took a seat at the table, hoping to think of something Esmeralda might be willing to talk about. Unfortunately, with Saphira off limits as a topic, there wasn't much they had in common to talk about and it didn't take long for the weather to be exhausted.
As the silence lengthened and became uncomfortable, Charisma looked between Ruby and Matilda. "Matilda, Ruby - would you mind if Es and I excused ourselves for a few minutes?" Ruby and Matilda both answered in the negative, and Charisma rose, holding out her hand to Esmeralda. Esmeralda studied her for a long moment, then accepted the proffered hand, allowing Charisma to pull her to her feet. Together they walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, unaware of the drama already playing out in that room.
************
Amber had done as she'd said - she had checked on Esmeralda and let her know that Charisma had arrived and was waiting for her in the kitchen. But when she left the bedroom, she'd gone out the hall door with the intent of going up the back stairs to her room. Instead, she'd run straight into Michael, and it was only his hand over her lips that kept her from crying out. She glared and jerked her elbow out of his grasp, eyes widening and jaw dropping when she realized just who stood in front of her.
He held out his arms, wings spread wide behind him and she clasped his hand, pulled him into the living room and closed the door behind them. Whatever had brought him here, it was a good bet no one else was supposed to be aware of his angelic presence.
"Michael?? Is this the start of a coup or something?? I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be here."
"I'm pretty sure you're right."
"Then why...? Why risk? Weren't you the one that told me...?"
"Yes," he said with a long-suffering sigh. "But this is important." He took a deep breath and met Amber's eyes. "Amber, it's Saphira's fault she died."
Amber instantly frowned. "Michael, Saphira's death was an accident caused by a child."
"The circumstances of her death may be accidental, but her death itself isn't."
"Michael, you're not making any sense."
Michael ran his hand through his hair and sighed deeply. "Can we sit? This may take a few minutes, and I feel like I'm running on empty." Amber took a good look at his face and nodded. She hadn't seen him this exhausted since Lucifer had been tossed. Michael sighed again in relief as he sat, feeling his body relax a little. Amber sat down beside him and covered his hand with her own.
"Michael, what's going on?"
"Do you remember when He cast Saphira and Esmeralda from Heaven? Do you remember His conditions to allow them to come home again?"
"Of course - Saphira had to admit that her actions were wrong and she had to sincerely mean it," Amber replied without hesitation. Michael nodded, but didn't elaborate and Amber frowned again. "Michael, what does that have to do with anything??" Michael continued to remain silent and Amber gasped. "She didn't!"
"From what I have been able to find out, Saphira went to the Father several months ago."
"Then why...?"
Michael placed a finger over her lips and Amber quieted, though she gave him a look that should have turned him to cinder. "Let me finish. Apparently Saphira went to the Father and confessed her wrongdoing with the understanding that Esmeralda be healed from whatever was plaguing her. She was dying, Amber." Amber parted her lips and Michael glared. Amber sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, motioning for him to get on with it. "In asking for forgiveness, Saphira's punishment was over. But Es still has a job to finish."
She waited, and when he didn't continue, she jumped from the couch. "Are you telling me Saphira has been called back home? That her death is a hoax??"
Michael shook his head. "I don't know where Saphira is. There's no trace of her in Heaven, Hell or on Earth. It's like she no longer exists."
"This just gets better and better," Amber mumbled. "Michael, do you understand how detrimental Saphira's death has been to Es? She's dying, Michael... AGAIN. Whatever bargain Saphira made was useless, because this is killing Es just as surely as before." She dropped her head into her hands and propped her elbows on her knees. "Even if she survives long enough to finish this assignment, she's not going to live... she's going to exist. And I wouldn't put odds on her existing much beyond the conclusion of the mission. Es is broken, Michael, and if she finds out that Saphira's actions are what caused this...." Amber let her thoughts trail off and silence reigned for several moments. "Do you think Saphira knew about this? Do you think she expected this outcome when she capitulated?"