Gabriel spared me a sympathetic look. “Very well. Two years ago, the Spear of Longinus—that which pierced the side of the Son and killed him—was discovered and brought into this city for an auction. Father knew what a dangerous weapon it is and therefore sent Michael to retrieve it so it would not fall into the hands of evil. The night of the auction, Michael disappeared.”
“How could he disappear? Shouldn’t one of you have been able to find him?”
The blond archangel shook his head. “No, Jordan, you don’t understand. When I say he disappeared, I mean from existence.”
I stared at him. “What do you mean from existence?”
“Before you brought him in here, I had no recollection of the archangel Michael. When I saw his face, everything came back to me at once, like some sort of shockwave. This is the work of something powerful, something that was able to bend reality so that history did not hold a record of Michael. It was only broken now that I’ve seen him with my own eyes.”
I raked my fingers through my hair, sinking into the chair by the table. “But what the hell could do something like this? Make everyone in Heaven and Earth forget that Michael even existed?”
“I suppose we’ll find out when we recover the Spear. In theory, it may have been the cause of all this because it holds so much power.”
“You said you didn’t want the Spear to fall into the hands of evil. Is there anyone specific you’re talking about?” I asked.
Gabriel’s pale eyes narrowed. “Satan has long coveted the Spear. It’s been lost since the death and rebirth of Christ. Mankind has no idea the sort of might that rests inside that accursed object. There’s no telling what the Fallen One could do if he got his filthy hands on it.”
“Well, apparently he did because I’m dead. I’ve been this way since Thursday night.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You’re not dead. Angels cannot die. Your soul has been displaced. Despite whatever happened, your body was not destroyed. You were sent in a special body that allowed you to use all your powers rather than just some of them, like the one I am inhabiting.”
I turned my head to look up at Michael. “Is any more of this coming back to you?”
He nodded. “I’m starting to remember my life before this happened. Not much, but it’s there. I remember the auction and winning the Spear. I was leaving with it to report back to Heaven when someone attacked me. I hit my head pretty hard when I fell. I woke up in a hospital and couldn’t remember anything. Since I couldn’t remember I was an angel, I never used any of my powers or tried to contact Gabriel.”
“Yes. Apparently, you believed you were human and therefore your soul didn’t give off the aura of an angel, making it impossible for us to notice you,” Gabriel said.
I frowned as another question came to mind. “Why didn’t God tell you where he was? He’s omniscient, right?”
“Father will not directly interact on Earth. He feels that humanity and the angels will reach harmony if we face our problems without His help. Aside from His orders, He will not act if it interferes with human lives.”
The urge to frown was enormous. “I don’t mean to blaspheme, but that’s pretty messed up, Gabe.”
He spared me a small smile. “I would like to agree, but I don’t want to be disavowed of my rank.”
That almost made me feel better. “Can you remember who attacked you and stole the Spear?”
Michael shook his head. “Not exactly. It was night. I couldn’t see well. All I can say is that it was a man dressed in black.”
Something clicked in my mind. “Did he have dark hair?”
“I think so.”
“Michael, you mentioned a strange dark-haired man when we were walking yesterday. Maybe he’s the guy that stole the Spear. Maybe he’s the guy who kicked you out of your body. Gabriel, is that possible?”
“Yes. However, I am not entirely sure of why a demon would want an angel’s body. They can’t kill him. It’s virtually indestructible. I get the feeling there is a larger scheme in the works. If that demon saw the two of you yesterday, then he has surely been trailing you and knows where this apartment is.”
Fear climbed up my throat and made my mouth dry. “What should we do?”
“Don’t panic,” he assured me in a kind voice, causing a relaxing sensation to fill my body until I could breathe normally again. Gabriel strode over to the door and muttered something in another language under his breath, tracing his fingertips over the wood in the shape of the cross. He did it to all four sides of the door and to each of the windows in the apartment.
“I have blessed all the entrances to this apartment. Demons cannot enter a place that has been blessed by an angel. No matter what happens, you will be safe here.” He touched the side of my face. I felt a little better.
“However, I would advise you not to leave until we’re able to find out what this demon wants with Michael’s body and where it is—”
“I can’t stay holed up in this apartment, Gabriel,” I insisted. “I have work tomorrow.”
His face took on a more stern edge. “Jordan, I do not want to place your life in danger.”