Rebellion

* UNEDITED AND SUBJECT TO CHANGES *

Prologue

Arabella De’liato, an angel of middle ranks and in favour with The Creator, sat in the shadows of a sapling tree by the river with her bare feet dipped lazily in the water. A youngster in angelic years, Arabella was already well-known among her kind for her natural innocence and her beauty, an artistic streak that was unrivalled and for her unreserved and brazen attitude when it came to speaking to The Creator. Many among her thought her reckless and naïve, but there was a hidden strength inside Arabella that they had yet to see, yet to understand, and when her time came, her name would go down in the history books for that strength and unrelenting belief in who she was, what she believed in and what she wanted from life.
She sat now, crushing freshly picked berries in a small stone pestle and mortar ready to make the paints for her newest painting, one she was doing because it had taken her interest, not because it had been asked of her. Her long, unbound hair, the colour of rich red wine, blew in the gentle breeze as she hummed quietly to herself as she worked, her fingers stained purple on the ends where she had been foraging.
So involved in her task, she didn’t notice the incoming angels until they landed virtually behind her, their view of her having been impeded by the tree she had taken shelter under from the midday sun.
‘My apologies,’ a deep, masculine voice apologised when she jumped, startled by the sudden whoosh of air from their landing, and scrabbling to catch some of the left-over berries that scattered and started to go running down the embankment and tumble into the water with a gentle splash, ripples scattering away quickly.
The noise they had brought with them while laughing freely with each other had her turning to find the offending angels standing just a few paces away, ‘We didn’t mean to startle you, I was unaware there was anyone out this far from the settlement.’
Arabella looked up to meet coal black eyes looking down at her and sucked in another startled breath as she stared up into the eyes of none other than Lucifer Morningstar, the Archangel of Worship.
‘My apologies,’ she breathed out, scrambling to stand and dropping into a gentle curtsey, ‘I didn’t know you'd be out here.’
Lucifer cocked his head and gestured for her to stand and looked her over as she stood straight again, his eyes seeming to burn along her skin as his molten gaze roamed her slight figure. She glanced from him to his companion, a short female angel with porcelain white skin and shiny black hair streaked through with fiery red that matched the blaize around her iris’. Another archangel if she wasn’t mistaken, though she wasn’t sure of her name of title. The air around them seemed to crackle with their energy and authority adding to the feeling still licking across her skin.
Keeping her head bowed in respect at finding herself in the presence of the archangels, she awaited what he had to say next, planning on collecting her things and making a swift exit as soon as he dismissed her. Hanging around in the presence of an archangel uninvited wasn’t exactly good angel etiquette.
Instead of the dismissal she was expecting though, Lucifer asked her a question, startling a small gasp from her lips.
‘What is your name?’ Lucifer asked eventually, glancing back at his companion who gave him a confused but gently encouraging look.
‘Arabella, Archangel,’ she replied, glancing up to meet his eyes now that she had been spoken to directly, ‘Arabella De’liato.’
‘Arabella,’ Lucifer repeated, and Arabella felt a ripple of excitement run down her spine at the sound of her name on his lips.
‘Archangel, I can be out of your way in just a few moments,’ Arabella said, turning to gesture at her belongings scattered behind her, ‘I just need to collect my paints.’
‘Your paints,’ Lucifer replied, glancing behind her at the collection of berries and other ingredients behind her, ‘Arabella, you're the painter.’
Arabella’s eyes widened at the understanding that he knew who she was.
‘You painted that exquisite piece of Samael Boon and his sisters,’ Lucifer’s companion stated, speaking for the first time.
Arabella looked from Lucifer’s captivating gaze into the smouldering eyes of the female angel that had landed with him.
‘I did, that’s my work.’
‘The name’s Blaize, by the way, as seen as Lucifer here doesn’t seem to have any intention of introducing me,’ she said, nodding her head and holding out her arm in greeting.
Arabella stepped forward nervously and slid her hand gently around Blaize’s wrist, gripping it firmly, feeling the archangelic energy crackle where their skin met and nodded in response before turning back to look at Lucifer who still hadn't taken his eyes off of her.
‘You know my work?’ she asked him, ‘If you don’t mind my being so bold as to ask.’
‘You may speak freely,’ he replied without hesitation and Arabella’s eyes widened again at the familiar invitation with an archangel she had only just met.
It wasn’t like Arabella was unaccustomed to being in the presence of the archangels, she had worked with several of them, and had regular contact with The Creator himself, it was Archangel Lucifer that she had never been in the presence of, not many had in any personal way, only dealings alongside The Creator. He had an air of superiority about him that kept many at bay. He was The Creator’s right-hand angel, making him out of reach of many angels, but Arabella had caught the attention of one of the archangels with her paintings when she was barely more than a cherub and had since then been in The Creator’s favour.
‘And yes, I'm familiar with your work, I believe my mother has one of your paintings in her home.’ Arabella took a sharp intake of breath.
‘Angel Lilith has one of my paintings?’ she questioned, unable to believe the words coming from his mouth. Lucifer nodded once. ‘May I ask which one, it wasn’t one that was done for her, I'd remember that,’ she asked.
Lucifer smiled then and Arabella felt her heart rate increase as she wondered what it would feel like to have his mouth on her, that strong jaw covered in a light dusting of stubble against her skin. She took a deep breath and looked up to meet his eyes awaiting his answer.
‘She has one of the meadow pieces that you painted many moons ago. They were auctioned off if I remember rightly and she was determined to take home that piece, no one else stood a chance,’ Lucifer explained, and Arabella nodded along.
‘The one with the daffodils,’ Blaize added, and Arabella nodded more confidently, she knew exactly which piece it was.
One of her paintings hung in the home of Lilith Morningstar. Her day had just surpassed any other of late by finding out that the mother of the Archangel of Worship had one of her paintings. It was barely believable. She couldn’t wait to tell her own mother the news.
‘I’ll be getting out of your hair,’ Arabella said gently, turning to pick up her things.
‘You don’t have to leave on our account,’ Lucifer stated as she began to put her paints into the small bag she’d been foraging with, ‘We only landed for a breather, we’ve been airborne for some time.’
Arabella stood, clutching her belongings, and smiled up at him politely.
‘Thank you, but honestly, I have somewhere to be, and I have to tell someone that Angel Lilith has one of my paintings before I explode with excitement at holding it in,’ she admitted honestly, colour rising in her cheeks at how juvenile she must sound.
Lucifer smirked at her words and Blaize openly laughed before smiling and nodding, turning her back to head down to the river and sit on the banks.
‘Then I shall bid you goodbye, Arabella De’liato, and I look forward to seeing your next work of art,’ he said, gesturing to the bag that she was clutching as if it was a shield.
Arabella smiled then turned to leave, her smoky grey wings tipped in the same wine red as her hair rustling with the excitement as she hastily made her way through the meadow on foot, turning back for one last look of Lucifer Morningstar sitting side by side with his companion by the river, before taking to the sky far enough away that her flight wouldn’t disturb them.
The ideas for her newest piece of art disappearing with the image of Lucifer sitting beside Blaize burning into her mind.
She was going to need to mix up some new paints.

‘She was pretty,’ Blaize said as Lucifer sat silently beside her, watching the water flowing by in the stream below their feet.
Blaize slid her bare feet into the water and sat silently waiting for Lucifer to respond.
‘You’ve seen more of her work?’ Lucifer asked instead of responding to Blaize’s line of questioning.
‘I have, they're all stunning. She’s incredibly talented for an angel so young.’
‘How old is she?’ he asked, turning to her for the first time since Arabella had left their presence.
‘Young enough,’ Blaize replied with a smirk, ‘But not too young that you couldn't pursue her.’ Lucifer scowled at Blaize’s bold response and then smirked.
‘And why should I want to pursue her?’ he asked, running a hand up Blaize’s leg and cupping her hip possessively.
‘Oh please, I can feel the passion burning in you already, and it is not for me, Lucifer,’ Blaize replied, pressing in close enough that their wings entangled, and she let out a small gasp of breath.
‘You openly encourage me to make a move on a cherub?’ Lucifer mumbled close to her ear, pressing a kiss to the exposed skin of her neck when she tipped it back to give him access.
‘She’s no cherub,’ Blaize replied, slipping a hand into Lucifer’s black hair and tugging him away from her skin, ‘And there would be no stopping you if you set your sights on her. The poor girl doesn’t stand a chance.’
‘I can still feel the buzz of electricity in the air from her presence,’ he replied eventually, pulling away to sit beside her once more, ‘It’s like it’s a bubble inside my chest.’
‘That’s passion, Sweetheart,’ Blaize answered confidently, ‘That’s what I deal in. I can feel it in you too.’
Archangel of Passion, Blaize Seraphine knew what she was talking about.
‘I have to have her, Blaize,’ Lucifer said, sure of himself.
She looked up to meet his dark gaze and nodded. ‘I know,’ she replied, already aware of the shift in his feelings from the moment he’d laid eyes on the young artist sitting under the tree.
She knew many things, as an archangel she was privy to more than most, but as a dealer in passion, she felt what others could feel, sometimes even before they felt it themselves. Her role was to nurture and nourish relationships of all kinds, but the true, passionate love stories were always her favourites, and she could taste the happily ever after in this one already.
‘Go get her, Lucifer,’ Blaize said, pressing a kiss to his lips that she knew would be her last.