An Angel Amongst Us

By Raysa Santos

What happens when an angel surrenders its heavenly beauty and powers to experience love and lust as a human on Earth? Thus begins the story of Zara. Although a traumatic event strikes her early on, she has a good life - a good education, a great job, the perfect gay relationship. Things seem idyllic, until she is brutally killed. God is faced with a difficult decision: should the angel be brought back to heaven or allowed to die as a human? This steamy gay fantasy is a page turner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667849775

Book preview

cover.jpg

Copyright © 2022 by Raysa Santos

An Angel Amongst US

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,

recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or invented,

without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer

who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written

for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

Print ISBN: 978-1-66784-976-8

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66784-977-5

Printed in the United States of America

I want to dedicate this novel to my brother Luis and my mother Emilia who died before I finished the work. Their unconditional love will always propel me to be grateful for as long as I have a heartbeat.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Part I

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Part II

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Part III

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Part IV

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

An Angel Amongst Us was in the making for years. I had a few false starts and then would get preoccupied with work and family obligations, and the writing would be put aside. Then came COVID-19. Life as I knew it, stopped; all distractions went away and I was able to finish the novel in two years.

I want to thank my editors, Krissa Lagos and Vidya Sury for all their help. I always said that this story constantly played like a movie in my mind but putting it in writing was a colossal task for me as English is not my native language. Their professional insights were tremendous. I also want to thank my friends Colin Nicholson, Mary Venetton, Barry Kushner and Catherine Constantino for their kindness in offering me their time to read the first draft.

Their feedback gave me a lot to think about, and the manuscript changed for the better. Last, but not least, I want to thank my partner Aliza Stern for her guidance, support and inspiration. On a personal note, I’d like to say that when Aliza and I first met, I had just started writing the novel. It just feels so right that two years later, the first book is finished, and we share a beautiful home together.

Prologue

Arklenn: The Angel’s Guardian

The angel stood at the top of Heaven’s highest mountain, surveying the lush green valley below. Her mind was filled with thoughts about a conversation she had started the day before with her creator. She had made an unprecedented request and now she had to face Him. After rehearsing the reasons for such a request in her mind over and over, she spread her large wings to capture the breeze before jumping into the open azure blue sky above the clouds. As she descended, her body glistened under the sun’s rays. When she touched the ground, her translucent body became pure white again and her wings retracted out of sight behind her back. Nervously, she took a deep breath and walked purposefully toward a rose garden to meet with the Almighty Father.

Good morning, Father, the angel said as she bowed respectfully.

Good morning. Please tell me more about your desire to be reborn as a being of flesh and blood, God anxiously began to explore this unnatural request from His angel.

Father, the angel kept her head low, but her voice was firm, I love the heavens, but my observation of the human race has made me exceedingly curious. I want to experience the beauty and transcending desire that people feel when they are in love.

You must understand that by doing such a thing, you will be surrendering your heavenly powers. Is there anything else you would like instead? Knowing well the imperfections in humans and how cruel life on Earth could be, God feared the worst for His angel.

I am aware of what I’m giving up. I have agonized about this decision long and hard, but it is my desire to become human. Can you please make that possible for me?

Unable to convince her to stay in heaven, God embraced His angel child and tenderly kissed her forehead. She fell into a deep sleep and her body floated next to God as He started walking towards Heaven’s court.

***

God summoned a couple of His archangels and asked for their advice. They surrounded the levitating body shaking their heads and looking at each other in dismay.

Father, let her be, said archangel Uriel, after much thought. It is the angel’s decision to become human and she needs complete freedom to realize her dream.

Michael, what do you think? God asked His most powerful archangel.

I understand Your concerns; why would an angel want to do such thing? However, I agree with Uriel. Let her go.

Reluctantly, God held the angel’s body and transformed it into a tiny seed. With His right hand, He took the human cell through the clouds to reach Earth, where He tenderly planted it inside a newlywed woman living on a Caribbean Island.

***

Still worried about His act, God went to His kingdom’s garden for a walk. It was His favorite place to meditate and be alone with His thoughts. The birds were singing His favorite melodies to please Him, and the breeze brought with it the scent of magnificent flowers and eucalyptus. In the distance, He saw young angels play with each other on the big lawn. It made Him smile. They were so innocent and unaware that one of the angels had deserted heaven. A few of them noticed the Almighty’s presence and waved at Him and He responded in kind.

Just as He started to walk towards them, God felt an uncomfortably familiar combination of cold air and the strong scent of burnt frankincense behind His back. He stopped and closed His eyes; then He quickly turned around to confront Lucifer.

What do You want? He asked.

I heard about Your little angel. Do not think I’m going to let You get away with this, Lucifer said with anger in Her voice. We didn’t discuss the release of one of Your angels, and as per Our Celestial Treaty, We both have to be in agreement when breaking the natural laws.

You are right. God admitted. I wasn’t happy to do it. He sighed, realizing that He hadn’t fully comprehended the consequences of His decision to allow His angel to go to Earth. It never occurred to Him that Lucifer would care or intercede.

Allowing one of the angels to experience Earth as a human being is a transgression and You have to pay for it, Lucifer spat, What are You willing to concede?

God felt defeated. Not only was He against sending the angel down to Earth, He now had to defend His action. I will not interfere with the angel’s life while on Earth. I stripped her of all her innate powers, so she can live like a normal human being. That is my punishment.

That’s not enough! Lucifer shook Her head. You breached the rules. Now, We need to reach an agreement together.

What do You propose? God asked wearily.

We both need to keep an account of what this angel does as a human.

All she wants is to experience love in the flesh, God protested. She didn’t go to Earth to perform miracles or speak to humans on My behalf. Leave her alone!

You know I don’t trust You. Lucifer thought for a moment. I’ll tell You what . . .We can ask Azrael, the Angel of Death, to choose a guardian angel to protect her while on Earth. Azrael is the only archangel who obeys both of Us equally; I trust he will do right by both of Us.

God, now pensive and full of suspicion, asked, Why do You care? What’s in it for You?

Well, since You asked . . . Lucifer walked ahead of God and leaned down to smell some of the magnificent roses in the garden. I want to make sure You don’t gain one on Me. And, if for any reason, the guardian angel fails to protect Your little angel and she dies, You have to promise Me You will not bring her back to Heaven.

God frowned. Will the guardian angel always be by her side until she finds love and fulfills her carnal desires?

Of course. I just want to make sure You don’t resurrect her like You did with Jesus to score more points with humans.

Jesus is My son! I had to bring him back. God snapped. He took a big breath to calm Himself; He knew He didn’t have a lot of leverage. Fine. I will accept Your proposal. As long as she gets to realize her dream of experiencing true love and lust on Earth. If she dies, she will cease to exist, just like any other human. There will be no resurrection.

Lucifer used Her talons to cut one of the roses from the garden. As She did, a thorn punctured Her finger and brilliant red blood dripped down the stem. She turned around and gave the magnificent flower to God.

You have Yourself a deal.

***

Archangel Azrael met with both divinities and after careful consideration, they chose Arklenn to be the little angel’s guardian.

Arklenn was summoned to Heaven’s court to receive his assignment. His armor-like wings retracted behind his back as he walked on the soft surface of God’s quarters. He was curious about the idea of guarding a deserting angel, even though the task was beneath him. Every angel in Heaven knew Arklenn was archangel Azrael’s understudy and the ultimate equalizer bringing death to any and all without discrimination or regard. Now God wanted him to descend to Earth and become a guardian angel? He then remembered when God had sent the archangel Gabriel to announce to the Virgin Mary that she would be with child and give birth to the Son of God. Thinking that perhaps the Almighty had bigger plans for this angel, Arklenn’s attitude changed, and his chiseled face broke into a smile when he was finally in God’s presence.

Father, why have I been chosen to be by the little angel’s side? I was told she left Heaven to become one of them, expressed Arklenn in disgust.

I need you to trust Me and be patient while caring for her. It was her will to experience love in the flesh and the only way to do that was as a human being. She gave up everything for it, so we have to respect her decision.

Arklenn could not understand what was going on but reminded himself of the times in the past when God had to do things that could not be understood at first, but later, they would become clear and just.

Thy will be done, said Arklenn as he bowed down to God and flew away.

***

Arklenn knew that Lucifer was also involved with the decision to guard the angel and wanted to know Her side of the story. He descended to Hell, and as he walked towards Her quarters, he couldn’t help but notice how some individuals were being tortured in individual cells. He recognized a few faces and kept on walking knowing that justice was being served. He felt an intense cold air wrap around him as he approached the princess of darkness.

Why me? Arklenn asked Lucifer as She surrendered a luscious smile.

We picked you because you are unbiased. Your role will be to guard the little angel until she satisfies her carnal desires. I want to make sure God has no other intentions for her.

Do you think God would use this angel as another prophet to send His message to humans and change their way of life? Arklenn asked knowing that humanity was in chaos once again.

I’m not sure, but there’s always that possibility, Lucifer explained. Be with her at all times. If the angel shows any signs of doing the work of God, I need to know immediately.

I will do what You ask of me, Arklenn replied. He then unfurled his magnificent wings and left Her presence.

Part I

Chapter 1

THE TWO LOVERS managed to throw Zara’s limp body overboard just as the sun was starting to set on the beautiful San Francisco Bay. Painstakingly, they had tied heavy weights to each of her limbs to stop the body from floating back to the surface. They both watched Zara’s body submerge.

***

Zara jumped out of bed that morning in complete excitement. She looked at her spouse, Alejandra, still asleep, appreciating the delightful contrast her nude, mocha-colored body made against the white linen sheets. This was not a typical morning for the couple as it marked the first day of their long awaited thirty-day vacation.

However, Zara was too much of a workaholic to miss out on one last chance to check on things in their vineyard. She rushed into their luxurious bathroom and turned on the hot water for a quick shower to avoid being tempted to go back to bed. She could see the sunrise framed by lush hills from her floor-to-ceiling window, and she thanked God for her good fortune. She had it all.

Zara turned on the surround sound speakers in the bathroom and queued one of her favorite songs from her Eagles playlist, Hotel California, and started to sing along in the shower. By the time the guitar solo was playing at the end of the song, she was already out of the shower and started playing air guitar in the nude. She was so into it that she failed to hear Alejandra’s voice coming from the bedroom.

Can you please keep the noise down? Alejandra sat up in bed and threw one of the cushions in Zara’s direction.

Ha, ha, I’m sorry honey. I didn’t think the music was loud enough to wake you up, Zara apologized as she picked up the cushion and brought it back to bed and leaned in to kiss Alejandra.

You knew I was going to sleep in, Alejandra said as she turned her face to avoid the kiss and pulled the covers over her body.

How can you be in a bad mood today? Zara asked knowing that her spouse had a bad temper, but in her mind, today was a glorious day and the beginning of a fabulous adventure.

There was no response