Lucifer went to the Tree of Knowledge and picked an apple. He looked down at it a long time. His hand trembled with fear. He knew what he had to do, but he wished that it didn’t have to be done. He thought about it all again.

Uriel had asked him to go to the listening mound with her since Zadiel wasn’t able to. He’d been happy to go. The listening mound was a peaceful place. It was a small hill that rose up and over looked a shallow pond. It was quiet there which is why Uriel liked listening there. He’d sat next to her, waiting and enjoying the warm sun.

That’s when Uriel took his hand and began to speak to him. This had never happened on his other trips to the listening mound but Zadiel had spoken of times that Uriel had been so filled with God’s voice that she spoke as God’s mouth. He knew this was one of those times.

“Lucifer, my Right Hand and favored angel,” Uriel said. Her voice was not her own; it was deep and rich rather than the feathery light voice she normally had.

This was the voice of God.

“Adam and Eve must fall.”

“Fall? I don’t understand,” Lucifer said.

“They are my children, created in my image. They could learn to be gods.”

Lucifer gasped. Gods? He tried to imagine Eve as a god. He couldn’t.

“But wisdom comes only with pain. They must eat the Fruit of Knowledge and come to know of both good and evil.”

“Good and evil? I don’t understand.” Lucifer shook his head. He struggled to understand what he was hearing.

“They must know in order to have free will.”

“I don’t understand!” Lucifer cried, taking hold of Uriel.

“You cannot as you are now. You will eat of the Fruit of Knowledge and then you will come to know.”

Uriel sagged against him. He held her tightly and wept. When she roused, he was still weeping.

“Lucifer?” She gently touched the tears on his cheeks. She and Michael had been the only angels that knew how to cry…What had caused him to learn?

“God told me-“

Uriel laid a finger against his lips. “What God spoke to you was for you alone.”

“But I can’t bare it!” Lucifer said.

“God promised to never give us work that we could not bear.”

Now he looked down at the fruit. He was frightened, because he could not understand. He took a large bite of the apple. It was bitter and hot in his mouth. He wanted to spit it out, but he made himself chew and swallow. He groaned, feeling the difference immediately. Everything came crashing into his mind, pounding down on him and then falling away. Most of it fell past him before he could grab hold of it. But there were things he grasped and came to understand. As he stood beneath the tree and struggled with the Knowledge, Eve came to him and took his hand. He dropped the apple and fell to his knees before her. His feathers showered down around them, falling from his wings like snow.

“Lucifer?” Eve touched his face.

He clutched her. He was terrified of all that he saw and understood. He knew what he needed to do and he knew why. Why these children? A mottled emotion rose up inside him. He wanted to protect Eve, to keep as his beautiful sunshine. He also wanted her to spread her wings. He knew she had them now. They were inside, on her soul. If she spread them, she could fly up to God. She could become a God. He wanted to fly with her. Why hadn’t God given his soul wings?

“Lucifer?” Eve was frightened.

He let her go and looked at her a moment before picking up the apple. He touched her cheek.

“Forgive me.” He held the apple out to her.

She didn’t take it. Why was he looking at her like that? She was still afraid.

“You need to take a bite of this.”

She took the apple and stared at it only briefly before she took a bite. He wept. He hated himself for betraying her faith and for destroying her. But he knew now that nothing could be created unless something was destroyed. He looked down at his hands. He knew their work now and he hated that to, but he would bare it.