Prologue

"Maybe you shall fall and be just like me, hm?"

"I'll never be like you."

"Ah, the plea of the stubborn. You've climbed so high, brother. You've got so far to fall."

To the outside observer, Uriel had not just awoken from a nightmare. In reality, though it felt that way, he really hadn't been dreaming. To the outside observer, Uriel simply blinked. He crouched, perched on one of his many favourite spots: The statue's atop the Paris Opera House. He'd always liked it up there, particularly at night when he could focus on the city of lights, not the blinding visions of millions always reaching at the back of his mind. He'd learned to control it, his gift, many years ago but when the whole world was playing in the back of your mind it was easy to lose yourself.

Uriel was dressed much like any other human: Jeans, a white button up, a black jacket, black boots. You never noticed it until he moved, but a black cross hung from his neck, always peeking out from between his buttons. He could have been a regular Joe: except he wasn't. The first giveaway was his bow, a great black thing with the engraving of a cross on the left hand side. It wasn't made of any materiel you could easily name, not wood or metal, and the string seemed to be made of a silver that released a high, beautiful note with every arrow sent. The quiver of arrows rested on his back, positioned perfectly over his left shoulder so he could reach the arrows. But the quiver was positioned strategically for another reason.

"Uriel." Raziel's faint voice pierced it's way though the fog in his mind.

"On my way." Uriel had never been slow to respond to any call, but definitely not a call from Raziel. As he stood, the white wings unfurled themselves from the dip between his shoulder blades, the quiver undisturbed between them. He didn't extend his wings all the way, so as not to draw attention to himself. Human's only saw what they wanted to see, but it wasn't them he was worried about.

He pushed off the roof and flew straight into the sky, without a sound and no outside observer would have ever known he was there.

They'd met in a dozen inconspicuous buildings in the last year alone but having just come from the Vatican, Gabriel was in no good mood. He stood in the dusty, abandoned apartment complex in his tailored suit and waited patiently for his brothers to arrive.

Raziel was waiting by the window, her face unreadable but Gabriel knew her enough to know she was worried. And he was too. It was part of the reason he was in such an insufferable mood, Ezekiel was missing. And you didn't go missing, not from Angels. And if the Eyes of Heaven couldn't find him, they were in serious trouble. It was possible they'd find him in a mere matter of minutes, once Uriel arrived so Gabriel did his best to wait patiently.

Raphael watched Gabriel pace in front of him, fighting the urge to show his own anxiety. As long as they were waiting for Michael and Uriel, someone had to remain calm. He heard Uriel seconds before he landed next to Raziel, his wings pressing into his back and almost disappearing. The angels could always see the faint outline and humans could too: though they saw it as a ghost, a shadow in the back of their eye. Humans only believed what they thought possible.

At the same time, Michael entered. Michael wasn't conceited when it came to his appearance, he'd just always been concerned about neatness and the way you present yourself. Which was why the wrinkles in his black pants and white shirt were so unusual. He nodded at each in turn.

"Brothers, sister, we're here because of a troubling matter." Michael began. "Roughly an hour ago, Ezekiel vanished."

Gabriel fought the urge to punch the wall and the action was noticed by all his companions.

Uriel immediately got that far off gaze in his eyes, meaning he was scouring for any trace of Ezekiel. Finally he looked at Michael and gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.

Michael took a deep breath. "Very well. Gabriel?"
Gabriel took a moment to compose himself before turning back to his companions. "Ezekiel was in Afghanistan, as a doctor to help heal the wounded. We believe he went through a transformation and since then he's been completely off our radar." He gestured to Uriel.

"Obviously, we have to find him right away. There can't be any good reason he's disappeared." Michael said, easily slipping into his role as the leader.

Raphael looked up, or rather down, at the eldest brother. "You believe Lucifer is behind this, don't you?"

Michael didn't reply, and that was answer enough.

"What are we going to do?" Raziel asked, matter of fact like always. Only her brother's knew that she was as worried as they were.

"Raziel and I can begin scouting." Uriel said. "Start in Afghanistan and work our way outward. I'm sure with the entire Host we'll find him shortly."

Michael developed a sad look. "It's just us this time."

"What?" Gabriel didn't hold back, he punched the wall and a chunk of the dry wall went flying, punching it's way through the other walls.

Raphael put his hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "I can understand it just being us for a simple mission but Ezekiel is gone, Michael."

"Father knows what he's doing." Michael said, and that was all there was to it. He looked to Uriel and Raziel, they would follow him no matter what, he knew that. Raphael would fight the urge to argue their Father's orders like he always did but just like Gabriel, the desire, the need to find Ezekiel would win out.

One by one they all nodded.

Michael allowed himself a brief smile. "Good. Don't worry, no one can hide forever."

Uriel gave a barely imperceptible wince and Raziel was the only one to notice. Her eyes flicked to him in worry but he didn't acknowledge the action. He knew differently: there was one man, or rather angel, he had never been able to find.

"You've got so far to fall, brother." The words rang in his ear one more time and he didn't know if it was a memory or not…