“Jordan, you have to understand that there is a hierarchy among the angels. We are all equal in spirit, but the truth is that Michael is one of the most important archangels in existence. Like all of us, he is brave, diligent, and obedient, but he is also the most vulnerable of the angels because of the little time he spent on Earth. Michael needs love and guidance, more than what my brother and I or even our Father can supply. He needs someone like you to help him reach his potential.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words. “Well…if it’s not too personal to ask…why haven’t you or Raphael ever considered the Marriage of Souls?”
He paused, seeming as if he hadn’t expected the question. “I suppose it’s because of how he and I view humans. To me, you are more like children—not that you are immature or incapable, but I tend to feel more fatherly love than romantic love for mankind. Raphael sees you like brothers and sisters, and so he too does not love you in the romantic sense. I think that because Michael believed he was human for such a long amount of time that he was able to care for you as a lover. There are literally millions of angels serving alongside the human race, but none of them have his heart and, if you don’t mind me saying so, none of them have ever met you.”
He smiled a bit when I blushed. I cleared my throat, trying to dispel the sudden bout of shyness. “So…do you think I can handle this kind of responsibility?”
“That, I am afraid, I cannot answer. Only you can.”
I took a deep, slow breath. After a moment, he reached over and held my hand, making me meet his kind eyes one more time.
“Jordan, I have known you for years. You are kind and strong and impressively resilient. You don’t need to doubt yourself. Whatever you feel you should do in this situation, do it. No matter what happens, I have faith in you.”
He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead, in the same spot as always, and squeezed my hand before standing and saying goodbye. I watched him go as the wind caressed my face, my hair, my shoulders, and I felt just a little bit taller.
I had been in the kitchen for around ten minutes, about to make myself a chicken salad sandwich in order to keep busy, when the doorbell finally rang. My stomach plummeted into my feet. I set the food aside, walking over to the door. My heart drummed a frantic rhythm inside me as I went.
Michael stood on my welcome mat with his hands in his pockets. His hesitance bubbled around him as he cleared his throat. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” I said, standing aside. He walked in and I shut the door, going back to the kitchen. He trailed behind me, a silent but tense presence. I couldn’t imagine what sorts of things were going through his head right now.
“I…understand if you need more time to think about this,” the archangel began, sounding regretful. It was so unlike him. “It isn’t an easy decision.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. I talked to Gabriel. He told me what happened to Uriel.”
His green eyes went wide, but I couldn’t tell if it was fear or surprise.
“Oh. Well, at least you’re making an informed decision,” Michael replied, a weak smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
I nodded. “I am.”
He inhaled slowly. “And…what decision is that?”
This was it—the moment that decided everything. There were so many feelings flowing through my body all at once, nearly making me dizzy. Then, I took a deep breath and spoke from the heart.
“Michael…you’re smug, self-righteous, overprotective, and hardheaded. You make me feel as if everything I’ve learned over the course of my life is fleeting. You snore. You drink out of the carton when you think I’m not looking. You’re way too fond of those band groupies and you’re constantly telling me what to do.”
I took another slow breath and smiled at him. “And if that’s all I can come up with for reasons not to be with you, then I think we’ll be alright.”
He went completely still. “Jordan, what are you saying?”
“What do you think I’m saying, idiot? I’m in love with you.” I grabbed a handful of his shirt and jerked him down to my height, stealing a kiss that made warmth crawl down my spine and envelope my entire body. It wasn’t his lust or mine—it was the culmination of our very spirits, our energy, his and mine, somehow separate, somehow together, somehow whole.
He wrapped those strong arms around my back and held me steady as the kiss deepened, until we were both breathless and shaking. I broke from his lips, opening my eyes to look up into that gorgeous face.
“That reminds me. Should you be kissing me before our souls get hitched?”
“Point taken. Well, there are two important things you should know about the marriage.”
I arched an eyebrow. “And those are?”
“One, with your soul bound to mine, no demon will ever be able to touch your skin without being burned. It’s a side effect of becoming part of me.”
A flood of relief went through me. “And two?”
“Two,” he said, dropping his voice to a sultry tone. “The marriage is only effective after we’ve…consummated it.”
A great thrill traveled up my spine, but I hid it with a nonchalant shrug. “How ever will I survive?”