Catching the closest clerk outside the courtroom, Angel sternly inquired about Sera's whereabouts. Nervously, the small angel informed him that the Seraphim had returned to her office. Expressing his gratitude with a sincere smile and an apologetic tone, he stepped aside so she could continue on her way.
Unfolding his wings, he took to the air, flying quickly past startled clerks and lingering celestial beings, racing up the long flights of stairs toward the top level where her office resided.
During that short flight, many thoughts tumbled through his head, and it took some effort to push aside the addictive pull of meditation so he could focus on what he needed to do. Arriving at her door, he pressed the call button and heard its chime ring within. After not receiving an immediate response, he jabbed the button multiple times until the entrance finally opened.
He saw her standing behind her desk, and she did not look happy to be disturbed. "Angel." Her tone was curt and tight.
Two could play this game.
"Sera." He returned the tone.
As he stepped in and the portal closed behind him, he reminded himself to control his temper. Ease off, Kevin! You won't get answers if you're angry.
In a calmer, more businesslike tone, he continued, "You left the courtroom before I was afforded the opportunity to offer my opinion at the hearing today."
"Things deteriorated rather quickly." She sighed, turning to look out her window. "As it is, I consider the matter closed."
"Well, I don't." Walking up to the desk, he shook his head and huffed. "I had to leave the room for a moment, and I missed the part about the executions, which is shocking to hear. I'd like an explanation."
"You are not entitled to an explanation about policies above your station, Angel," she declared, her back still turned to him.
Something was up, and he had no problem calling it for what it was. "Bullshit!"
That got her attention. She turned around harshly, her eyes narrow and angry. "Language, Mr. Collins."
Her use of his surname did not faze him in the least. Instead, her challenging look sparked his defenses, and he narrowed his eyes in response. "Don't 'language' me, Seraphim. I heard a lot worse in the court today from Adam. You requested that I attend this session to offer my thoughts, and it seems to me that you were aware of these executions, so you didn't seem to be concerned about my hearing about them. How am I supposed to do my job, speak my mind, or offer my opinion when you abruptly close the matter?"
A look of consternation passed over her features, and with an exasperated sigh, she moved her arm out in a 'go ahead' motion.
He sighed; her dismissive action was insulting, but he went on unperturbed. "I want to know why we are sending armies to Hell every year to kill souls that are already damned."
"First, I never intended for this to extend beyond myself, Adam, and his army, but I knew it would get out somehow. Even if Adam had kept his mouth shut, the princess would obviously refer to it as the reason behind her desire to see souls redeemed. It was a calculated risk, which I only allowed due to the contract with Lucifer that stated that these requests had to be honestly considered."
Closing her eyes momentarily, she sighed in a way that told him this was very distressing to her. "Even so, I have a lot of damage control to do with the other High Angels in the court today. But if you must know, there are concerns about Hell's population growing at an exponential rate, with the threat of those souls spilling out past the seven rings. We had been trying for ages to find a solution to the issue. Adam, I, and others weighed in, and it was Adam's idea of culling the excess to prevent a possible uprising."
"So this was Adam's idea?" He balked, then stopped and thought about it for a moment. He knew Adam as an egotistical, self-involved narcissist, far different than what was written in scripture.
Miffed, he groused internally. That explains so much.
Sera sighed with the reveal. "In part, yes. It wasn't done without careful consideration of the consequences and with great remorse."
"I didn't sense any remorse from Adam or Lute today, Great Seraphim," he grumbled. "He was obstinate and abrasive to the Morningstar from the get-go. Are you sure this isn't somehow a personal issue? After all, didn't Lilith leave him for Lucifer?"
Her eyes glared long at him. She clipped out her words with a warning. "You are in no position to judge Adam's reasons, Mr. Collins, and you will do well to rein in your attitude. I invited you to share your thoughts on a single issue: the possibility of redemption for sinners. That's the extent of your responsibilities. Do I make myself clear, Angel?"
"Oh, yes. Very clear." He clenched his fists. The fact was, he really didn't understand why he felt so angry. He had no attachment to Hell, its citizens, or its royalty. Hell was where the damned fell, those who made mistakes or were evil, and had to pay for those choices for the rest of their existence. Why would he care about their suffering? What was pushing him to act this way?
In truth, he had a vague idea why: those souls were already suffering, and Emily's reaction to the news had affected him more than he realized. Saving souls that, according to Morningstar's own beliefs, could find their own redemption was a noble act, wasn't it? So, why not give them the chance?
She took his long silence as the cue to end this meeting. "As per the rights afforded to your position, you may present your official opinion."
Oh, that was going to be easy. "My official opinion, Great Seraphim, is that this whole situation is crap," he growled. "I did not witness it myself, but Emily told me that the princess demonstrated to the courts that a soul can change. Why not thoroughly investigate this possibility?"
"Even if a sinner regrets their past, they cannot be redeemed and receive divine judgment. It just isn't possible, Angel, and thus entertaining the princess's ideas is a waste of time." She shook her head dismissively, but her eyes were turned away.
He noticed it. Something is definitely bothering you beyond what happened today, Sera.
Swallowing his anger for the moment, he opted to try for a more gentle approach. "Sera, you've been anxious since you visited my suite yesterday. Something else is going on here. I can help if you'd just let me."
"No help is needed or desired." She kept her gaze elsewhere.
That strategy didn't work out as planned; instead, he shrugged. "Even so, my position demands that I investigate and discover everything that can disrupt Heaven. If Adam believes sinners can rise against Hell, I must find out why he feels this way. It is a part of my job description and what you assigned me to do."
"Most of the time, this would be true." She turned her eyes back to him, and her voice held no option for dispute. "But this situation is above your station, and the matter has been closed. Your opinion has been noted, Angel, and you have fulfilled your obligations. I strongly suggest you return to your suite, meditate, and let go of your feelings about today's events."
The power in her voice conveyed finality, and it was the kind of authority that a celestial being of any station had to obey, including him. "As the High Seraphim commands," he spoke through thin, pursed lips.
Turning toward the entrance, he stopped short. It was a move that surprised her, and she tensed as he turned back to face her. "There is more to this than you're telling me, Seraphim. I may not be granted permission to investigate, but I will say this: I truly hope that you will consider the princess's request for the sake of all of Heaven."
The pull of meditation was growing stronger, which only infuriated him more. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke through gritted teeth. "Because to me? Adam killing souls is the mark of a monster, not the virtuous First Man that the stories claim. If this continues, then I truly fear for Heaven's stability. Consider strongly permitting me to look for other ways… before Hell really does break loose." Without waiting for her reply, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Sera was stunned. No celestial being had ever spoken back or dared challenge her commands—never. Her eyes instinctively looked up. His presence was mandated from above, for reasons she remained unaware of, and he possessed a stubbornness she had only witnessed in one other figure.
The issue was that a plan was already in motion, one intended to protect Heaven from a power that rivaled that of… She shook her head to dismiss that thought before it consumed her. The executions arose from necessity, not blind cruelty, but Adam had twisted and perverted it into a form of self-gratification. In the end, though Sera mourned his death, his recklessness had invited his own demise.
Now, for the first time since Kevin Angelus Collins had arrived in Heaven, she questioned whether he was destined for something even greater. The problem was that she didn't know what it might be, placing her in a terrible, morally questionable position: to let things unfold naturally, or to find a way to remove him. Permanently.