1. Cassius

Cassius sat outside his coffee shop, safely ensconced underneath the overhanging canopy, looking at the softly misting skies. The light rain, if it even qualified as rain since it was barely enough for an umbrella, gave everything a halo, and the air was still brisk—winter wasn't quite ready to give up yet—but it wasn't so bad that Cass felt the need to head back inside the shop just yet. He needed a bit of fresh air after the hectic morning.

The lunch bustle had died down, and they'd hit a blessed lull before the after work rush. The shop was almost empty, and he had left Steph to work the counter in case anyone came in, but for now she had her head buried in a textbook studying for one of her college courses, and all the patrons seated inside seemed happy and absorbed in work or their phones. Steph had tidied up the coffee station and they were stocked on baked goods, so he didn't mind when she got some work done in their rare down time.

Cass sat in the rather cozy shop chair (he prided himself on having comfy furniture), his phone on the table, upside down, one earbud in his ear, tapping his fingers impatiently on a manila folder sitting on the table in front of him. Across from him sat a full figured matriarch wearing a 50s style dress, complete with large, bright yellow roses. She had brown curly hair and a perfectly made-up face, and she usually looked kind and comforting, but at the moment she was staring at him disapprovingly.

"Must you really have that thing out all the time?" she asked, gesturing towards his phone. "You know how I feel about technology," she sighed.

Cass sighed as well. "You know it's necessary, Aunt Ro."

"I suppose so," she muttered. "Who are you meeting today? I can't imagine you're sitting out here just for the enjoyment of the weather."

Cast looked around, enjoying the sight of his little main street town, watching the occasional car drive by and seeing the bustle of people coming in and out of shops. "I love the rain. There's something calming and soothing about it. Besides, it drives away the throngs of people."

Aunt Ro chuckled. "Doesn't quite drive all of us away, though, does it?"

Cass sighed again. "Yes, dear Aunt, not all of you. So why have I been blessed with this unexpected visit? What is it I can do for you?"

Aunt Ro sighed dramatically. She always could be a bit dramatic, but Cass loved her anyway. When their grandmother had died, Ro had become the unofficial matriarch. She had kept them all close and watched over everyone in the family. She'd fulfilled that role all her life, and it was a job she couldn't seem to let go of.

"Well," she replied, "it seems your cousin Ana might be having some trouble. The new man she's dating. He has a look about him."

Cast looked sharply at his aunt. "What kind of look are we talking about, Aunt?"

"The look of a man who goes to clubs after he drops her off and hooks up with random women. I highly doubt Ana is aware of such things. She isn't the type to share," Aunt Ro sniffed.

Cass sighed. "She might not take it well," he offered.

Aunt Ro pursed her lips at him. "Nevertheless, she ought to know. What she does with the information is her business."

"Ok. I'll take care of it, Aunt," he promised. He hated getting involved in anyone's love life, but better him than Aunt Ro, that was for sure.

Cass noticed Michael heading down the street walking toward him. The cop—well, former cop now, he guessed—was solo for once, although he knew that Ari wouldn't be far behind. As he made his way toward the table, Cass wrapped up his conversation.

"Well Aunt, it seems my morning meeting is here. I'll have to let you go. I'll talk to you later." And with that he took his earbud out, placing it firmly on the phone.

Aunt Ro stared at him, giving him a bit of a stink eye. "I hate when you do that," she replied.

Cass only smirked in response. He watched as Michael sat down in the chair that was currently occupied by Aunt Ro. She took on a hazy appearance for a moment before popping up and giving a disgruntled harumph. Well, he had given her warning. It's not like she had to get sat on.

Ghosts did not like to occupy the same space as people, but it was her own fault. With a final harumph, she disappeared. He was sure she'd be back though. She loved spying on the family and making sure he fixed any issues that arose.

With that out of the way, he glanced at Michael. The former police officer, who was apparently now a private investigator of some type, had often come to him for help over the years. Cass had no idea if Michael understood how exactly Cass was able to help, but Cass certainly wasn't going to explain his sight, and Michael had never asked. He'd just treated Cass normally and taken any tips he'd given, which Cass appreciated. Not everyone in the police department was so helpful—his quirkiness seemed off-putting to most normies.

Cass also wondered if Michael knew that he had angelic ancestry, or that he was dating and apparently tied to a demon. Cass's eyes had always been able to see the faint outline of transparent angel wings behind Michael, but after he'd started dating Arioch, the outline had gotten more distinct and visible. Michael's angelic blood was probably centuries removed, but something like that never fully went away.

Cass had always seen Arioch, Michael's current boyfriend, exactly as he was—horns, tail, and wings included. Sometimes he had to stop himself from wincing when he thought those wings would knock something over, but of course no one else could see them, and they weren't corporeal when Ari was in his human form. He often wondered what possessed him to hire the demon for the short stint that he'd worked in Cass's shop, but demons weren't usually much trouble, and Arioch had just been so damn friendly.

Something had happened between Mike and Ari, though, because they were inextricably linked together now. It was like thousands of almost invisible shining threads bound the two of them, and even now Cass could see those threads reaching out, down the street and into another shop, where Ari was no doubt causing some type of chaos.

The threads were beautiful, and Cass had to stop himself from staring.

"Hey, Cass. You called?" Michael questioned.

Cass slid the manila envelope over to Michael, grimacing a bit. "I know it isn't technically your job anymore, but Keats is working the case, and ever since the missing girl incident I really try to steer clear of him."

Michael snorted. "He's an idiot," he said, flipping open the folder. "You told him where the kid was. He's just bitter because he didn't want to listen and someone else ended up finding her and stealing his moment of glory. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with him anymore." Michael looked up at that. "Not that most of the force is like that, Cass. We've always appreciated any information you give us."

Cass smiled. "I know. I just figured that you passing this along might go better than me doing it," he said, gesturing again toward the file. It held information about an insurance policy that a certain dead person was sure the police were unaware of. Cass had promised to bring it to their notice.

Michael closed the folder, tapping it against the table. "Sure thing, Cass. I'll always take any information you can give me. You've been so helpful over the years."

Michael almost looked like he was going to ask a question at that point, probably one that Cass wasn't sure how to answer, but Ari sauntered up behind Michael at that moment, and Cass almost had to squint at the bright glow that emanated from their ties when Ari leaned down to kiss Michael's head and hug him.

That done, Ari looked over at Cass, smiling broadly. "Bruh! How's coffee shop life, my dude?"

Always so damn friendly. Cass couldn't help smiling. "Still sorting out the recipe book, Ari," Cass joked.

Ari looked crestfallen at that. "My dude, I really did not mess with it that much. And that one recipe was actually a hit, so I can't be totally faulted," he insisted, smiling again.

Cass was about to reply, but Ari was back to leaning down against Michael, saying something softly in his ear before giving him a little nibble on the neck. Michael wiggled a bit, and those threads between them flared brightly again.

"Ok, ok, you two, off with you. I gave Michael what I needed to, and you guys obviously have plans," Cass laughed.

Ari boomed out laughter while Michael turned a shade of red, but they didn't waste much time excusing themselves, calling out thank yous and goodbyes as they went.

Cass just smiled to himself. He did like those two, and he was sure he hadn't seen the last of them. They were a totally unlikely pair, but somehow it worked for them.

His musings were interrupted as he noticed an angel in a white suit appear across the street. He had glorious white wings, pale hair, and his suit was blinding in its stark whiteness. He also looked utterly serious and not at all fun, and he had just noticed Cassius and was headed across the street.

Fantastic. Apparently his afternoon wasn't done yet. Cass picked up his phone and put his earbud in. He didn't think this one was fully corporeal yet—-he had that slightly too bright quality that probably meant most mortals couldn't see him—and Cass didn't like being caught talking to the seemingly empty air.

The angel sauntered across the street, stopping at the table in front of Cass and staring at him.

"It isn't polite to stare," Cass announced, causing the angel to part his lips in surprise. The angel looked down at himself comically, probably wondering why Cass could see him.

"Anything I can help you with?" Cass asked.

The angel brightened up a bit, and it was like the rest of the world faded out at that, and the angel suddenly had on a heavenly looking, bright white robe. Cass had the impression that most people probably couldn't see either of them at this moment.

Well, that was new.

It came to Cass suddenly that this was probably an officially sanctioned angelic message. He'd heard of such things from his grandmother when she'd been teaching him about the sight, but he never expected to get one.

"Gabriel?" he asked. "Messenger of god?"

The angel parted his lips again in surprise, deflating a bit, and the shine died down just the slightest bit. Cass almost laughed at the disgruntled face the angel made.

"You know, giving official messages never used to be this difficult," the angel groused. "You are supposed to be in a state of shock, awe, and wonder. Where is the incredulity? Where is the astonishment and reverence for this miraculous moment?"

"Eh, I've watched too much tv for shock and awe at an angel in a white robe," Cass joked.

The angel, who Cass still thought might be Gabriel, sniffed disdainfully. "I told the angelic department that deals with mortal entertainment that they were letting things get out of hand. Mortals have no appreciation for miracles anymore. Why bother when you can watch one on a tiny screen whenever you want? It's appalling," he grumped.

Cass just laughed. "We do love our entertainment. Anyway, enough of it comes from true events, so I guess you guys only have yourselves to blame," Cass added.

"Yes, well, it does rather make my job more difficult. Why, just last week I delivered a message, and the woman actually asked if maybe I could do it again while hovering above her. And then she had the gall to take out her cell phone, like she was going to film me!" Gabriel muttered in disgust. "I am not going to end up on social media, for heaven's sake."

"You would be quite the star, though," Cass joked. "They'd love you. You could be tik tok famous."

Gabriel sniffed again. "Yes, well, that isn't my job. Which is, by the way, why I'm here. I have a job to do."

Cass motioned his arm forward. "By all means, go ahead. Sorry to interrupt."

Gabriel straightened his robe, brightened up again, and cleared his throat. "Cassius Priam," he intoned. "Behold, I bring you tidings of a great task that must be performed. Do not be afraid, Cassius, for the Almighty has found favor with you, and you shall receive all the blessings of that favor in your task. You shall know the one you must help by his appearance, and together you will bring balance back to the afterlife."

The angel cleared his throat, and then he lifted an eyebrow, obviously waiting for a reaction.

Cass was not impressed. "That's it? That isn't very much to go on, you know. Never mind that if a stray angel or demon comes looking for help, of course I'll help."

Gabriel deflated a bit. "Mortals. You guys are never happy. No respect for the old ways. Look, a gray angel is going to end up crossing paths with you, and you'll need to help him. I don't have any more information than that, and I don't even know if he knows you'll be assisting him. I am, unfortunately, just the messenger," he sighed.

"Ok. Thanks, Gabe," Cass said, smiling. He could respect that the guy was just doing his job.

"It's Gabriel," the angel harrumphed, and with that, he was gone, and Cass was finally, blessedly alone.

A meddling ghost aunt, an ex-police officer of angelic ancestry paired up with a demon, and now a heavenly message about helping out another angel who was apparently gray—Cass thought of that saying about living in interesting times. It really was more of a curse than a blessing.

As he mused on that, he noticed that more people were walking down the sidewalks, and he figured they were about to get hit with the start of the afterwork rush. Ah well, gray angels and afterlife mysteries would need to wait until everyone got their afternoon lattes. With that, Cass headed back into the warmth of the coffee shop.

Mortals might not be impressed with heavenly messages, but they were quite enamored of their peppermint mochaccinos.