Chapter 12 – March 2026

Nuriel

It’s a well-known fact that demons are bad, and angels are good. But is that the whole story? Is that all of the facts?

I certainly thought so. I knew my place in Creation. I was with the powers of good and always would be. Because I was an Angel. To be truthful, a fairly lowly Angel, certainly no Archangel, and nowhere near being a Seraphim, but I was happy with that. I gloried in my seat so close to our Father. But I also loved watching humans; I just didn’t understand them or God’s purpose for them.

But everything changed when I became one of them whilst still blessed with Celestial knowledge.

The first few weeks of high school were a baptism of fire, and I don’t mean that in a good way. But I had only myself to blame: my feud with the demon known as Lamia reached its nadir with a stupid, foolish, and prideful bet: which of us could persuade humans to good or evil without the support of any Celestial powers on my part, or demonic powers on hers. Of course, Lamia was not to be trusted, and so I had learned the hard way that one did not make a deal with devil—or his minions—without consequences.

But I was also learning to be honest with myself, and saw that Lamia understood humans all too well and far, far better than I. And, oh yes, she certainly loved to lead them astray. She loved that our Father had given humans Free Will; she reveled in the fact that people made bad choices—and the more frequently she could persuade them to make those bad choices, the better. She saw nothing wrong in what she did; it was all a game to her, and being a demon was fun.

I, on the other hand, longed for nothing more than to return to my Heavenly home.

But to mend my prideful ways, our Father had condemned me to a year on Earth, during which time, I had to learn how to be human. I regretted that ridiculous bet every single moment of my being on Earth. And yet … and yet, my flawed and imperfect mind still longed to prove that good will prevail.

However, humanity had proved more complex and interesting than I had ever considered. I had much to learn.

But first, I had to attend the high school’s winter formal, the so-called ‘Blizzard Ball’. This event would have filled me with fear and loathing even before our Father had warned me in a vision that ‘winter was coming’.

I still wasn’t sure what He had meant by that, but at least now I would be on my guard.

Lamia

Before I got this gig, I’d just been one of Lucifer’s worker bees, a grade 2 minion, slaving away in the call center that was Hell. You have no idea how busy we got. I, personally, was taking at least a thousand calls every stinking day. Ya know, the kind of whining you hear on the bus or in a café, pretty much anywhere and everywhere in the world. She’s so much more popular and pretty than me, I wish she got a zit before the school photo, or someone shaved her hair off, or she broke her leg before the pep rally. Or, I can do that job so much better than my boss, I wish he’d get caught with his hand in the till … or in the pants of that slutty secretary he’s always having ‘meetings’ with. Or, I hate that guy so much, I’d kill to be as rich and entitled as he is, I want to punch him in the face, I wish he’d just die!

That last one I particularly enjoyed. And I clocked more successes than any of the other grade 2 minions. But just lately, I’d been feeling bored. Unfulfilled. Wars spilled out across the world, discontent bloomed everywhere, and each day blood was spilled. But when you’ve seen a million nights and a thousand wars, it’s hard to get excited about anything. Work in Hell had just become your average day of tedium and misery. I’d been filing my talons, waiting for the phone to ring, when I’d glanced up through the smoke and flames of Hell and been summoned by the Managing Director, Lucifer himself. And he had a special assignment for me.

When I heard what it was, I laughed with delight and earthquakes rippled through 12 countries. But up in Heaven, unaware, and supremely happy and sure of himself, Nuriel had no clue that he was about to have a really bad day … and an even worse year.

And the winter formal high school dance was just about to up the stakes.

Pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth: so hard to pick a favorite. But I was pretty sure that I’d get see each and every one of them at tonight’s Blizzard Ball.

Bring it on!

Nuriel

Forrester had been a good friend to me. He had ensured that I was dressed appropriately for the Blizzard ball in a black tux, white shirt and black bow tie. He had arranged for us to drive there in a preposterously large car, a limousine, and when we stopped outside the house of his date, Peggy, he revealed that he had purchased a wrist corsage for her, delicately interwoven with fragrant jasmine and tiny blue forget-me-nots.

“Man, that is the exact blue color of her eyes,” he said dreamily. “I’m so gonna get some tonight.”

“Get some more flowers?” I asked, puzzled.

He sighed.

“Never mind. Did you get a corsage for Esther, ‘cause she’ll be expecting one.”

“Yes, I familiarized myself with the rituals of this event,” I nodded.

“Well, okay,” he said, as he stepped out of the car. “Wish me luck, buddy!”

“Why do you need luck?” I called after him.

I peered out of the window, frowning. Peggy’s house was large in the Spanish style, with white walls and a red tiled roof, a green lawn sweeping down to broad gravel driveway, framed by elegant palm trees. I couldn’t see any reason why he would need luck.

The driver craned his neck around and whistled.

“That’s some place,” he said. “He’s punching above his weight.”

I recognized the sporting metaphor but didn’t understand how it applied in these circumstances.

“How’d a little punk like your buddy score a date with the kind of girl who lives here?” he asked, a mean smile spreading across his face.

“By being fair and just, a good friend with a kind heart,” I replied.

The driver rolled his eyes and made an unseemly sound with his lips.

“Nice guys finish last,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Have you been talking to Lamia? Because that sounds like the kind of thing she would say.”

“Don’t know the broad,” he said, sounding bored.

“Nice guys do not finish last,” I chastised him. “I presume you have heard of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Yeah. Ain’t he the guy who got nailed to a cross?” and he laughed loudly.

“And now he sits at the right hand of Our Father.”

“Oh, great,” he muttered to himself. “A religious nut.”

I was tempted to end the conversation, but mindful of Lamia’s baleful influence, I tried once more.

“Why is it easier for you to believe in the bad rather than the good?” I asked, adjusting my tone so as not to antagonize him.

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

“That’s just my experience, kid.”

“Then I am sorry that you have suffered,” I said quietly.

“Whatever.”

I sat in silence waiting for Forrester to return with Peggy. He was gone a long time and when they finally appeared, I could see that he was sweating profusely.

“Forrester, are you unwell?” I asked, concerned.

Peggy laughed.

“Dad grilled him for ten minutes about his ‘intentions’ towards me.” She kissed Forrester on his cheek. “I’m just glad he didn’t grill me about my intentions towards you, babe,” she said with a wink.

Forrester gave her a horrified look.

“He said he’d shoot me if I lay a finger on you. Man, he didn’t look like he was joking!”

“Don’t worry about him,” she purred. “He’s a pussycat really.”

I wondered if it ran in the family.

We drove through the twilight to Esther’s house, much smaller than Peggy’s, but cheerful in primrose yellow and well cared for.

Forrester slapped me on the shoulder.

“You’re on! Go get her, stud.”

I didn’t bother to ask him what he meant.

I knocked on the door, expecting Esther’s mother or father to open the door, but it was Esther herself who opened it.

My mouth fell open and I was silent.

“Does that mean you like the dress?” she asked with a quiet smile.

“The dress?”

In truth, I had barely noticed it, but now that I looked, the pale fabric draped around her making her look like a Greek statue come to life.

“Yes, the dress is very nice, but you are beautiful.”

Her cheeks shone as brightly as her cinnamon-colored hair.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

I pulled my handkerchief out of my jacket pocket and carefully unwrapped it, presenting the corsage to her.

Her eyes flicked from the corsage to my face.

“You made it?”

“Yes, from wildflowers that grow on the cliffs above the sea.”

“It’s amazing, Nuriel. Thank you!”

She pressed her lips to my cheek, a soft touch, no more, but my body ignited like wildfire. At that moment, I truly understood desire and why humans are driven to madness because of it.

When it seemed that I was incapable of movement, she took my hand and led me to the limousine where she greeted Peggy and Forrester.

“I can’t to wait to get on the dance floor,” said Peggy, bouncing excitedly on Forrester’s knee.

For once, I understood the mixture of pain and pleasure that spread across his face because I was similarly tormented by the scent of perfume on Esther’s warm skin.

“Do you like dancing?” she asked, turning to smile at me.

“Dancing? I do not know,” I replied.

“You don’t know if you like dancing?” she laughed.

“I have never danced.”

They all stared at me, and I even saw the driver’s shocked gaze reflected in the mirror.

“What the hell, man?” said Forrester. “Like, never danced?”

“There was no dancing in … where I come from.”

“But … dancing is allowed in the Bible,” Esther said gently. “In the Book of Samuel it says, ‘And David danced before the Lord with all his might’.”

“That was to honour his Lord, not to indulge in self-gratification,” I pointed out.

“Dancing for pleasure isn’t a sin,” she laughed. “You’ll see.”

I nodded cautiously, but in my heart, I knew that my thoughts were not pure.

I suspected that tonight would be torture for me.

My suspicions were confirmed when the first person I saw (and I use that term lightly) was Lamia.

She was glowing, a halo of light surrounding her, highlighting the curve of her cheek against the deep auburn of her hair.

“You are looking very … shiny this evening,” I commented, not wishing to fight with her tonight.

She laughed delightedly and winked at me.

“Evil is always attractive,” she said with a smile. “Didn’t our Father teach you that?”

And she walked into the high school.

Esther tugged my hand.

“Come on, don’t let her spoil our evening.”

She led me inside and I was stunned by the noise and colors: as loud as the ocean in winter, and as bright as the meadows in springtime.

It was so strange to see my fellow students garbed in formal clothing but acting like the last days before the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah.

“Looks like they started the party without us,” Esther said, her expression wry.

Forrester was hauled onto the dance floor by Peggy. I had no idea that she was so … bendy.

“Do you want to sit this one out?” Esther asked kindly, but I heard the longing in her voice as she watched the rhythmic and overtly sexual contortions of Peggy and Forrester.

“You will have to show me how to … dance,” I said, doubt coloring my voice.

She smiled brightly, and I finally understood why Shakespeare would compare his love to a summer’s day.

We walked to the edge of the churning dance floor and Esther placed her hands around my neck, gently pulling my willing body towards hers.

“Put your hands around my waist,” she whispered.

I was close to being in a state of rapture, but her words made me glance around at our fellow classmates and I copied the way the men held the women. Her flesh was warm and pliable beneath the silky fabric of the dress, causing heat to shoot through my body.

We stood there, swaying softly as volcanic forces threatened to explode inside me.

“Listen to the music,” she whispered, her breath warm on my neck. “Feel the music.”

But by then, I was feeling more than the music, and the pressure, although not entirely unpleasant, was also uncomfortable.

Her words sought to steady me and I soon found a hypnotic rhythm in the music, but still, I was ashamed as lustful thoughts caused my blood to boil.

After we had danced some time, Esther and Peggy walked to the bathroom together, arm in arm, flushed and happy.

Forrester went to get drinks for all of us, but I warned him away from punch because I could smell the alcohol in them. Besides, I needed the purity of cold water.

“Riiiight,” said Forrester. “Good call. And stay away from Shawna, man. She’s been stalking you all evening, looking at you like you’re her next meal. You don’t want to let her get her claws into you.”

“She has claws?” I asked, alarmed, wondering if Lamia was not the only demon in the high school.

“You have no idea,” said Forrester, shaking his head.

I really didn’t.

So, I headed outside to get some fresh air, but feeling oddly drawn to see the night sky, as well.

The stars were like my youngest brothers and sisters, created after the angels, and I stared up at them, remembering the days our Father had breathed life into them. I had born witness to that, and now I was here, nothing more than a grain of sand on Earth.

I saw a bright light in the sky, wondering briefly if I was seeing a shooting star, but the light grew brighter, coming closer, and I realised with joy that I was seeing a Celestial being coming closer.

With great astonishment, I recognised Zophiel, one of the golden Chrysolite angels.

“My brother!” I cried out. “It is so good to see you!”

But then he raised his arm, striking me across the face.

My lip split and I flew backwards, striking the ground and knocking the breath from my body.

Warm blood spilled across my face and I felt pain.

“I am not your bother, mortal!” he roared. “You are part of this pestilence! And you shall die.”