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Prologue
The air thickened with a cloying heaviness. Piercing light and the scent of honeysuckle filled the room, nearly driving Thelial to the floor.
“Thelial?”
“Here I am, my Lord.” Thelial dropped to one knee as his King approached. Before Thelial ducked his head, he caught sight of Joseph trailing behind Adonai. His King bore the face of a youth, not male or female, but a mix of ethereal, flawless beauty. It was the countenance Adonai usually wore in Theo’s presence, but when a sputtering Joseph reached them, Adonai turned, his face changing to that of an older man with close-cropped hair and a short beard, both shot through with streaks of silver. His clothes remained as they were, layers of gauzy ivory robes.
“Abba—”
Adonai’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he held up a hand, stopping Joseph’s mid-stride. “You had a vision, did you not?”
“Yes, Abba, but—”
“Your visions are mine to deal with as I see fit, correct?”
Joseph pouted. “Yes, but—”
“Are you upset I’m choosing Thelial?”
Choosing?Thelial clamped his mouth, unwilling to make a sound. It wasErev Channukkah, the first night of Chanukah on Earth, and for the past two years, his King had chosen a mate for one of his angels. He offered them a chance over the eight nights and days of the Jewish holiday to win the heart of a human selected by Him.
Joseph’s eyes widened. “No! I just… He’s… an angel. Of love.”
“And…”
“I just don’t see how…” Joseph’s shoulders sagged under Adonai’s stern gaze.
“Yoseph, am I correct in assuming you don’t believe an angel whose heart overflows with love can deal with a single human seeking redemption?”
Theo’s gasp brought Adonai’s and Joseph’s gazes to bear down on him. After nearly two millennia as one of Adonai’s angels helping others fall in love, was he finally going to have the chance to be the one falling?
Adonai’s visage morphed back to the one of eternal youth: the beard withdrew, his hair lengthened and lightened to a burnished golden hue. The waves of curls made him appear as though an overgrown cherub.
“Thelial…”
“Here I am, my Lord.”
Adonai folded his hands together in front of him and gave him a wide smile. “How does Atlantic City strike you?”
Thelial grinned. He loved the city. Loved even more that many of his friends now called “Monopoly City” home. “Delightfully. It’ll be good to see Leo, Ari, and Judah again, along with their chosen halves.”
“Excellent.” Adonai clapped his hands and paced in a circle around Thelial. “Joseph has seen a soul on the cusp of falling from evil’s grasp. His heart has found a spark, and he needs our help—your help.” Adonai’s fingertips swept the ridge of Thelial’s wings. “I believe if he can learn to love not only himself but another, and if we bring him under our umbrella of goodwill, he will find the strength to turn away from the forces of evil forever.”
Another…Thelial slumped, disappointment spearing deep. What was he thinking? Of course, Adonai would choose another human for the man. “Whom should I point him toward, my Lord?” Thelial asked, bowing his head, his mind already working through several potential scenarios of how he could chance a meet-cute between this soul seeing redemption and whomever Adonai had chosen for him.
When no further information came, Thelial looked up at Adonai and found his Lord rocking toe-to-heel, his hands tucked behind his back, and a playful smirk on his lips.Thelial’s brow furrowed. “Who is it, Great King?”
Adonai spread his hands, a bright light blooming around him, and Thelial knew he’d have no reprieve of time to prepare. Only when the light grew too bright, forcing him to close his eyes, only then did Adonai speak a single word. The one word Thelial had hoped for but never thought he’d hear:
“You.”
On the First Night of Chanukah
Saturday: Sunset
Daniel
Just another cold, lonely Saturday night in Atlantic City. Daniel blew out a long huff of air, watching as the fine mist curled and disappeared into the ether. He hummed, thinking of his sister and niece and the quick visit he’d had with them earlier in the evening. Enjoying a rare, entire night off from work, he ambled along the sidewalk on his way to Club Haven, glancing into the storefront windows decorated with twinkling lights and tinsel for the holiday season. When his gaze caught on the single lit candle and shamash of an electric menorah, he came to a standstill as the memories from a year ago, on the eighth night of Chanukah, flashed through his mind.
