Chapter 4 The Angle who couldn't take a joke.

Gabriel pointed his spear straight at the bookstore, his eyes scanning across the narrow street. “Bring me the hybrid and burn down everything else,” he roared.

Sable looked out from the window, her heart beating faster than expected. The sky was full of hundreds of angels and their wings blazed with golden light, their swords were drowned. All together it looked like the end of the world had decided to start on a Tuesday morning in a small town.

“That’s a whole lot of angels,” Poppy whispered. She was crouched behind the counter, clutching a stack of romance novels like a shield.

Vladimir stepped right in front of Sable, his fangs were out and his hands were coiled into a tight fist. “We can take them,” he said.

“No, we can't,” Nathaniel said. He pressed his palm against the window frame. His golden eyes had already widened with extreme fear. “That's an entire third order and even I can't fight them all.”

Just then, Carmilla crossed her arms. She looked out from the window, her eyes already reading boredom. “Sad, this is quite inconvenient, I was supposed to have my afternoon tea some hours ago.”

Immediately, Sable turned to her father who stood, weak in action. “You said you had until sunrise.”

Nathaniel took a deep breath. “...I …. Was wrong,” he said, admitting. “Gabriel does not wait for sunrise, I mean , he never has.”

Sable's mind raced , she looked at the angles hovering outside, turned to her friends, scanned through the kitchen door behind her and then she remembered the midnight rise seating in the counter, the pastry she made the night before, that particular pastry that made Carmilla cry.

The whole situation was already getting overwhelming but she was determined to put things under control. She grabbed Nathaniel’s arm. “You said angles eat manna, and flavorless clouds, is that true?”

Nathaniel blinked. “Yes , yes, yes. It's all that they have beaten for millennia. Why do you ask ?”

Sable smiled. The smile depicted a wild desperate smile. “Because I do have an idea.”

Vladimir groaned. “And why do your ideas always involve baking?”

“Simply because I am a baker,” Sable said. She turned around to Poppy. “Poppy , please I need your help with something, you will help me. We will have to make a whole lot of pastries as much as we can, right now!!!!!”

Poppy's eyes went wide and narrowed all at the same time. “Right now ??? With an angel army on the outside??”

“Oh yessss, but why are you sounding pathetic?” Sable gasps.

“Never mind, but they are going to break down the door” Poppy cried in a low tone.

Sable softened her eyes. “That would mean we will have to work fast.”

“Well, if you say so.” Poppy said in agreement.

Sable quickly ran into the kitchen and Poppy followed through, while her eyes were still on her romance novels. Vladimir and Nathan stood by the window to guard it for any attack while Carmilla settled into a purple armchair, while watching the chaos in mind amusement.

Back inside the kitchen, Sable brought out all the ingredients she had in items of: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate, cherries, and moonlit vanilla. She worked so fast and her hands were moving like lightning. She whispered warning spells into the batter until her voice hoarse.

Outside the window, Gabriel raised his spear and all the angels began to chant: a low rumbling hum that shook the windows.

“Miss Vance!!!” Gabriel shouted. “You do have just one minute to surrender!!”

But sable didn't care, she gently poured batter into the tins and slid them into the oven and set them on timer.

“One minute,” Gabriel shouted again.

The oven dinged, and Sable quickly pulled out the tray of pastries. In it, they glowed with golden light and smelled like heaven.

She placed them on a silver platter and took them to the front door. Vladimir grabbed her arm.

“What are you doing?” He asked, using a hissing sound.

But Sable blinked and gave a reassuring smile. “Trust me ,” she said.

She opened the door, and Gabriel stood at the bottom of the porch steps. His spear was raised and his eyes were cold. Behind him, the angels hovered in the sky like a flock of furious birds.

“Sable Vance,” Gabriel says. “ You are under arrest by order of heaven, so you will come with us.”

Sable swallowed hard and held up the platter. “Try one,” she said.

Gabriel blinked twice. “Wah….what ?”

“Try one of these , it's a pastry and it's fresh and warm and I assure you it's the best thing you'll ever taste.”

Gabriel gave her a stern look like she had just asked her to dance. “Are you offering me a pastry?”

“Oh, yesss.” Sable said with a smile.

“Well, I am not here for all of this , I am here to execute you,” He said.

“Of which I do know, but you should eat something first, you look hungry.” Sable said , trying to sound polite.

“And I will tell you for free that this is a trick,” he said.

“I protest. This isn't a trick but a scone and it's made from Midnight rose. But the scones are in the back , I can bring those too if you prefer.” Sable said in response.

“Gabriel's hands began trembling as he lowered his spear down. “Young lady, I do not understand you. Why would you offer me food ? I am your enemy.”

Sable shrugged. “Everyone deserves a good meal, even the bad guys .”

Gabriel's eyes twitch. “Well, I am not a bad guy, I am an enforcer of divine law with a full stomach.”

The angels behind Gabriel began to murmur, some of them leaned forward and some sniffed in the air. One of them said something to the angel next to him. And the one word ‘chocolate’ floated through the air.

Gabriel looked at the platter one more time and something flickered in his expression. For a moment, it felt like an execution and the other , it felt like a man who skipped his breakfast.

He reached out and picked one of the pastries, he brought it to his lips and took a bite and the whole world around him went silent.