The Meeting

Uriel

I continued to squeeze through the crowd, not paying attention to Queen Parisa standing on the balcony. The cake looked so delicious to be ignored, and no one was even looking at it. My wings tucked close to my body still hit someone gently on their shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. My wings shuttered, I was too nervous about pulling them inside my body, but the large man in front of me looked down with bright blue brilliant eyes. "It's quite alright. Are you okay?" This man was really muscular, wearing a light tan suit and flowing white hair that graced his shoulders. The white stubble on his face was a shade darker than the hair on his head. His hands steadied my shoulders, looking me in the eye.

"You look familiar," he tilted his head. "Yet, I have never seen you before. I know all the angels and gods. What is your name?" I bit my lip, trying to back away.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you," his eyes softened, putting his hands away. "You just remind me of someone, someone I used to care about." The white-haired man's shoulder slumped, the nicely pressed suit now holding wrinkles.

"My name is Uriel," I put my hand out for him to shake. I had seen it many times before on human shows, and it was a sign to greet someone new. He chuckled, engulfing his large hand in mine.

"Nice to meet you then; I'm Zeus." I smiled back at him, nodding my head. "Great to meet you, but I have to go now. That cake looks delicious!" I went to leave, but his hand didn't let go of mine. "Who are your parents?" He questioned before letting go.

"Hera and Michael," I chirped. Zeus' face paled, and he immediately turned to walk away. I bit my lip, thinking I should go after him and make sure he was alright, but the new tray going by with sweet honeysuckles was calling my name.

I can check on him later.

I tiptoed around everyone, hovering close to the ground so my wings wouldn't get in the way. Once I reached the table, the speech was over, and many people talked amongst themselves.

There were so many treats. Spongecakes, dark chocolate, which is nasty because they don't put enough sugar in it, honeysuckle flowers, cupcakes, and many things I was unsure of. Meats of different kinds, vegetables, I internally gagged at those. If only I could bring a few back with me just to feed the pet Pegasus at our neighbors' house.

As I looked down at the last table, I saw an entire roasted pig. I slapped my hand over my mouth from screaming. The head was still on it, turning on a table and the demon beside it smiling with his fangs sticking out. I turned my whole body, holding my plate of honeysuckles with extra honey. Now seeing I was face to face with Queen Parisa.

She was the same size as me! So far, everyone was so much taller, but we almost matched! I giggled at that.

"Hello, I'm Parisa; I don't think we have met before," the Queen was dressed in a beautiful black gown with beautiful gems in the bodice; they were so sparkly it was doing everything I had not to touch them. Her hand was still outstretched. My mind quickly zoomed back to the present, and my hand went to meet hers.

"Hi, I'm Uriel," my voice came out sweet. I wanted to make friends, so I had to make a perfect impression. "I've never been to one of these functions before, so I don't really know anyone here." My voice and head dipped low. It was rather embarrassing, really. I didn't know anyone other than Athena, and she was talking to her other friends across the room. Everyone had friends here, and I was just here by myself. I gripped the plate tighter, putting my other arm around my waist for comfort.

"But I'm here now, and it is the best party I can honestly say I have ever been to!" That would make her feel happy because it really was the best party I have ever been to. The only party, but she didn't know that.

"I'm glad to hear that," Parisa beamed up the King of the Underworld. He had a concerned look on his face. He studied me, which made me shrink back a little. He still held the baby, so he couldn't be all that bad, right?

The baby made a cooing noise, and his attention was diverted back to the swaddle in his arms, giving me a moment of relief.

"Are you with your parents?" Parisa pried. "I would love to meet them and demand why we haven't met such a lovely lady like yourself before!" She giggled, nudging King Hades. I noticed a drop of honey falling off my plate. Grabbing it with my finger, I scooped it up and put it right in my mouth, and scraped it with my teeth, leaving a popping sound as my finger traveled out.

"Oh, they weren't able to come, so they said I could go." I smiled back. My thoughts go back to the big Zeus man and his reaction to hearing my parents' names. Would they do the same? One way to find out.

"The Goddess Hera and Arch Angel Michael are my parents." Hades pulled a bottle from his suit pocket and gave it to Lillith, the tiny little girl in his arms. I stood up on my tiptoes to see, but Parisa's questions kept interrupting me.

"How old are you, dear?" Parisa's voice wasn't as friendly but now more curious.

"Twenty-four," I hummed, still looking at the baby. "Mom and Dad are at home waiting for their baby," I said, giving out more information than needed.

"Hera is pregnant? Again?" Parisa said excitedly.

"Pregnant?" I questioned, tilting my head. "No, no, they are waiting for the stork to bring me a brother or sister. I have to wait in my room every night because they think I will scare the stork off," I laughed, putting the honeyed flower in my mouth.

Hades' eyebrow raised, looking at Parisa. A silent conversation went between the two was happening, but I wasn't sure how. Maybe they could mind-link like wolves can.

"What are you, the Goddess of exactly?" Hades spoke to me. The power oozed from his body, having me stand perfectly still. I bit my cheek, trying not to cry at his scowling face.

"Innocence?" I muttered.

Hades looked at me, his eyebrows raised again, pulling Parisa off to the side for a conversation. Hades whispered harshly to Parisa, "don't do this. It will be nothing but a mess right now!" I shrugged my shoulders, not understanding and not wanting to be a part of whatever they were talking about.

I wasn't feeling very welcome anymore anyway. My mind went back to the puppies outside. Maybe there was a garden to go look at, too.

"This will be a shit show!" Hades hissed. He was really loud. Another bad word! Dad said that word before, and mom threatened to wash his mouth out with soap. I would never say such a word because tasting soap would be disgusting.

"Mother," a deep voice whipped through the air and to my ears. It was velvety smooth, with a hint of roughness around the edges.

Lucifer

"Come down here, please, Luci," my Mother's voice traveled through the link. She was standing alone with her father, an angel with her back turned toward them. I swear, if she is trying to introduce me to a girl, I think I might throw flames, breaking my promise to have a smooth sailing party. Several wolves at the bottom of the landing watch every stride I take to the stairs. They start to giggle incessantly.

I take my deep breaths, the breathing exercises I continue to try to calm the boiling blood in my body. When I think all is lost, I catch a sweet floral smell of gardenias. I hadn't smelled those since we visited the Night Crawler pack when I was a child.

Mother had taken us to celebrate Christmas, and with Persephone's powers to help spring to grow, she willed the flowers around my grandmother's house to grow all year despite the cold winter temperatures.

I had always been attracted to the smell. It reminded me of my youth, my innocence that I had lost so long ago. My blood came down to a dull roar in my ears, the fresh sweet smell now calming the beasts inside my soul.

"Mother," I spoke to her. She stared right up at me like I was a miracle to behold, but I was beyond that. "Honey, I want to introduce you to someone." Here it goes, she going to try to have me make a friend. She wouldn't dare introduce me to my mate in the state I was in, would she?

Then again, she didn't know how bad off I really was.

My jaw tightened, father continuing to tell me to be calm through our link to each other. "Calm, calm yourself. You are doing great." his encouraging words help me stand up straight, loosening the grip on my tightened fists.

The girl in front of me was short, just like my Mother; something about that had me sigh with relief. I liked that look on a woman, someone shorter than me. Her dark hair flung across her shoulder, hitting me with a wave of that glorious floral scent. It wasn't overpowering; it was just the right amount of her and gardenia.

"Hi!" She spoke happily. "I'm Uriel!" Her face was pale, with no hint of sun rays on her porcelain skin, while mine held the tan from the bright fires of Tartarus.

My parents were holding hands tightly beside me. I could feel my father's anxiousness roll into waves. My breath hitched at her beauty. No other woman has made such an impression on me such as this. Her long hair tickled the tips of her hipbones, her wings sporting beautiful golden tips. Her wings were not as large as an angel's but still suitable for flying. Losing my words, I continued to stare into her blue eyes.

I reached into her mind, trying to pull ill-intention of future sins, and I could find none. She had no ill-intent towards anyone; no sins or deeds warrant punishing. She was purer than anyone in this room.

Her head tilts to the side, waiting for me to answer.

"Fuck, son, give her your name." He spoke to me. I cleared my throat.

"I'm Lucifer." Uriel put the plate down full of honey on the table and rubbed her bare arms together. My body reacted in an instant. I wanted to warm her body; she looked so cold. Fuck.

"I'm the Goddess of Innocence. Everyone has been asking me that today, so I thought I could ask you. What are you the god of?" I was cursed with destruction, to destroy everything. Part of me liked it, but I did not like the lack of control that had filled me. My body stiffened, but the fire did not fill my fingers.

I was embarrassed for the first time in my life. I didn't want to tell her.

"That's Okay! You don't have to tell me!" She quickly spoke. "I'm going to go outside in the garden and see the puppies," Uriel's hand went to mine and shook it frantically. "Woah!! You tickle!" she lightly snorted. After she dropped it, I looked at my hand, the warmth and the fire instantly leaving my hand. I had already missed it.

Fuck, she was my damn mate.

Uriel waved to me and then to my parents, her hips sashaying through the crowd and close to the door.

"That went well," Father grumbled, now burping Lillith on his shoulder. Mother was grinning. She was bouncing foot to foot. I didn't want to break my stare out the door where Uriel had just left. My body was pulling me towards her, the strange girl-woman that piqued my interest.

I wanted to know more about her. Despite my decision to go to Tartarus tomorrow, I wanted to know what she was like and what I would miss. One foot in front of the other, the crowd parted, not wanting to touch the God of Destruction. Athena caught my eye. The pensive look on her face was that of amusement while she rubbed her chin. Her body turned, now going straight to my parents.

The clicks in my shoes echoed through the room. The she-wolves from my Mother's pack watched with steady eyes as I left them through the garden door, following the white-dressed angel that was supposed to be mine.