One year later

It was another beautiful morning. It had rained all night, so the plants and trees hiding the cave from sight were vibrant with life. Water dripped onto the ground, nourishing the soil. The sunlight peered through the thick cover of leaves, waking up the creatures of day and guiding those that thrived at night to their homes.
Uriël stood at the entrance of his earthly home, breathing in the fresh air the dawn brought along. His blindfold was in his hand. The visions weren't as bad anymore, so he took it off more often. He raised his eyes to the sky. There was finally enough peace in his mind that he could appreciate the little things about him — a morning like this being one of them.

"A wonderful day You are granting us today. Any special occasion for it? Hmm? Ariëlle asked You for it? My, my, don't tell me You're going soft now, Father." A breeze picked up, and Uriël chuckled. "All right, all right, You're not getting soft. But You have to admit You're not as... let's say strict, as You were."

Uriël returned inside and poured some tea. As he sipped his drink, a vision of the Angel of Death appeared to him — light chestnut hair with a few dark streaks, her mother's fair features, and her father's deep ocean blue eyes. She sat in front of Gabriël on his palomino horse, listening to his instructions on how to ride. Joan watched from a distance, laughing at her teenage daughter's funny faces. Uriël smiled at the joyous sight.

"Ariëlle grew again. She's becoming a fine young woman."

In those first days of her life, Ariëlle proved to everyone that she truly was a miracle child. Azrael and Michael aided her in guiding the souls the Horsemen had returned to their rightful place. When they then declared it was time for Azrael to move on, the little girl wept for days on end, experiencing what it was like to say goodbye to a loved-one. Her parents had helped her through this, and with her mentor's final blessing, Ariëlle became the new Angel of Death just three weeks after being born.
It was unsure whether it was her own power or her mother's that decelerated her ageing when she reached the physical appearance of a twelve-year-old, but it was a good thing it did. She had already been through so much and would undoubtedly have an arduous road ahead of her. Having her age one year every two months did not seem like much of a reprieve, but the girl herself barely noticed the changed and waltzed through life with a radiant smile on her face.
There had been some concern about Ariëlle becoming like her predecessor, but everyone soon discovered that fear was ungrounded. Though Ariëlle felt the pull of the Circles every time she went down there, she was strong enough to turn away from it. She treated it the same way she treated the scar on her face — she ignored it.

"Yes, she truly is something." Uriël took another sip and tilted his head when he heard the Lord's voice again. He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know You take pride in her creation, as You should, but can we please not forget that she is who she is thanks to the people who care for her? Forgive me for saying it, Father, but had You done things differently with Samael, he would not have been unlike Ariëlle. I swear, You can be such a mule sometimes."

A crack appeared in Uriël's cup. He scowled at the chink. Such petty behaviour for one who was supposed to be a supreme being.

"I would very much appreciate it if You did not break my pottery, Father. It takes time to find the right material and make these things. Besides, You know I'm right."

He waited a moment for a reaction, but none came. He looked again into his vision of the happy family by the lake. Joan had her sleeves rolled up, revealing the runes on her arms. Every rune of every Archangel was etched into her skin. Her own symbol of the six-winged sword, drawn above her heart, was hidden by the collar of her shirt.
Uriël initially had doubts about Joan becoming a Seraph, but she had been the right choice all along. The trials of her life and afterlife made her strong enough to embrace her true destiny as Guardian of the Lord and His light.

"You never told me what Joan said when she met You. I hope You weren't Your usual self." Uriël burst out in laughter at God's somewhat reluctant reply. "She said what?! Ha-ha, cheeky girl. Well, I suppose You had it coming. Could have been worse."

Uriël returned to the vision. Michael landed next to Joan. He greeted her kindly and then called out to Ariëlle. When the Angel of Death saw her dearest friend and godfather, she jumped off Gabriël's horse and ran to him. They hugged, and Michael kissed Ariëlle's cheek. He told her something that made her pout her lip, but Gabriël gave her a stern fatherly look that told her not to contradict them.
Ariëlle sighed, unfurling her grey, brown-tipped wings, and waved to her parents and Michael as she flew off, soaring like an eagle in the sky. The three Protectors of the Vale then entered the cottage Joan and Gabriël lived in together now. Ariëlle moved to her own home across the lake a few days ago, the same her mother used to live in. 

"Tell me honestly; did You bend the rules because of them? Or did You just have a change of heart?" He listened attentively and smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. I never agreed with those cockamamy laws You pulled out of Your hat."

Uriël remembered with fondness the day he left the Vale eleven months ago. It had been such a happy day for everyone. Joan, Gabriël and Michael had gathered all the angels and Archangels at the Agora to announce that from that day forward, no angel would be cast out on the grounds of finding love. They could stay in the Vale or join the Nephilim willingly if they longed to have a family.
Archangels were requested to remain prudent since they had the special ability to give life when true love was found, but so far, there had been no new pregnancies in the Vale. They could even have a lover on Earth, as long as they took precautions that no hybrid was conceived and the person they chose to be with never discovered who or what they truly were.
Many had openly declared their secret relationship then and there, the most surprising couple being Raphael and Catherine of Alexandria. No sooner had Joan's words been spoken than Raphael marched right up to Catherine and kissed her in front of everyone. It shocked all present, but it had also assured them that if another Archangel could confess his love without fear of reprisals, anyone could.
Michael had married Joan and Gabriël that same day, and Raphael and Catherine two months later. The latter had also taken in the Romanov children as their own. Thanks to Joan's new powers, Alexei was no longer plagued by his visions, and Michael helped him age into a strapping young man whom all the angels swooned over. But he rocketed into the habits of his adoptive father and found himself fascinated by little else than medicine, plants and herbs and chemistry. With her sharp and keen mind, Anastasia trained under the Protectors to be a tactical analyst (though the former Grand Duchess also visited the Scola to be part of debates, practice her music, and pose as a model for the artistas). 

The Nephilim who had been forced out of their homes stayed a while longer at the Castel Sant' Angelo, ensuring all demons and beasts that rose from the Circles were sent back whence they came. Then, faction by faction, they had relocated to new Sanctums, aided by Vlad Tepes, who preferred to travel and go where he was needed instead of settling down somewhere, to fulfil his promise to God.
The Resia Nephilim had returned to the place they'd called home for so many years, not wanting the tragedy that had occurred there to overshadow all the wonderful memories. They placed a memorial in the hall to remember Juan and the others of their family who had so brutally been taken from them and looked ahead to a bright future.
Anne and Thomas were once again expecting a child. They prepared for the arrival of their son whilst helping Olympe take care of her precious little girl, conceived but days before Juan's death. Richard and Hypatia would soon discover that they, too, would find the joy of parenthood at long last (Uriël was certain Joan had something to do with that blessing).

Thanks to the new regulations, these new children would all have a choice. They could become Nephilim and stay with their parents to fight for the Lord, or they could go out in the world and build a life for themselves as their brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and so on had done before them.
Esperanza and Fleur had returned to Paris, taking little Remy with them. They adopted the boy officially and doted on their son, but ensured he would never forget his actual mother, Adeline. Coraline, who had lost her twin and mother, moved in with Alejandro and his father. The two teens had grown towards each other in the Castel Sant'Angelo, and it would have been cruel to tear them apart. The girl received a prosthetic (same as Thomas) and was the inspiration for a new study Carlos wanted to explore with dolphins in his marine life center. 

Yes, things had gone well for most. Though... not for everyone.

"Do You think Michael and Lucifer will ever open their hearts to each other again?" 

Uriël waited for an answer, but God remained silent. He sighed. Those two would always be a sore topic. 

"Maybe... if You could speak with them?" God's eventual reply had Uriël rolling his eyes again. "Yes, I know they have to work it out themselves. But what they did to each other will never stop haunting them unless You help them understa—"

God abruptly interrupted him. The Seer scowled, his expression darkening as he leered up at the ceiling of the cave. 

"Can You please take some responsibility?" He said in a piqued tone. "Had You been honest with them from the very beginning, none of this would have happened. Lucifer lost his wife and son, and Michael lost Lucifer to the Circles — again. Oh, don't tell me it was Lucifer's choice to go back down there; I bloody-well know it was! At least the Devil is trying to make amends for what he did. What are You doing, huh? You're letting them have a moment here and there, waiting for them to 'work it out.' That will not be enough, and You know it! And I'm not even getting started on Messalina! You're damn lucky Lucifer agreed to keep her contained in the heart of the Circles; else You would have to deal with a whole other problem!"

The cup in Uriël's hand burst, and the rest of the tea spilt on the ground. Whether he had just held it too tight out of anger or God had done it to shut him up, he couldn't tell. Either way, Uriël gave an exasperated sigh and brushed the broken pieces off his robes.
Suddenly, he felt a chill run over his spine. That sensation... He walked to the entrance and peered outside toward the sunlight. He put his blindfold back on and stumbled back when the vision hit. Uriël kept himself upright with a firm grip on the wall. His hand slid over a carted edge, cutting through his skin. He grunted in pain. Blood dripped down the rocks. It gathered in a pool at his feet.

"So, is that how it must be? Can the conflict between good and evil not finally end?"

Uriël stayed perfectly still as he listened to his Father's words, looking at the blood through his blindfold. Of course... How could he have thought it would be that easy? The game was far from over. This was simply an intermission.

"Despair?" He chuckled. "No, I don't think I will. I will hold on to hope, as I always have. Hope... and love. It crushed the darkness once; it can do so again. But perhaps this time, the saviour should be born amongst the mortals. Perhaps this time, we are to search for that one heart that beats the strongest and purest of all. The one heart that might just be worthy."

And thus, you have reached the end of this epic adventure. Thank you so much for reading all the way through. Please consider leaving a small review on my website to support me (link provided inline), as I'm hoping to get this book traditionally published. 
And don't forget to check out the character profiles ;-)