“That’s true but there’s a catch,” we turned around and saw Raphael, “Ariel didn’t tell you but all of you can’t go together.”
The four of us exchanged looks, like we’re not agreeing on getting separated. Not again. Raphael saw the way we looked at each other, “okay, I know you don’t want to do this without the other but the only ones who can pass through are an angel and a human. Merikh is a demon, he can come and go to Hell as he pleases, but the only ones who can save souls are angels and God.”
“But technically, Mia’s an angel, right?” Collin asked.
“Yes, that’s correct. But since she’s half-human, she can still pass through,” Raphael explained then paused. His gaze turned to Azriel, “are you okay with that vessel of yours or do you want the old one?”
Azriel immediately looked at his brother, “I…I can get my old vessel back?”
Raphael nodded, “we kind of sewed his arm back together and healed it. He’s still alive, actually. Your sword only killed Lucifer, and he’s been asking for you.”
“Wait, his vessel is asking for him?” I was confused, “so you guys are possessing some poor bastard?”
“Angels can only possess a vessel with their permission,” Raphael explained, “they’ve told you that before, right?”
I nodded. Azriel took a moment before looking back at his brother, “if he can still be my vessel, where is he?”
“He’s healing in a safe house. We kind of healed his spine too. You hit some nerve and there was a possibility of paralysis. James might not say yes to you anymore if he finds out you made him a vegetable.”
“James is?”
“My old vessel,” Azriel replied.
Raphael and Azriel disappeared for a couple of hours and the three of us were left behind in Mr. Roth’s house. We were in the living room, sitting in different couches. Collin is sitting on the armchair, Merikh’s sitting on the other end of the couch, and I on the other. There was an awfully awkward silence between the three of us, and I don’t even know what to do with it. I don’t know how to make it less awkward until Merikh suddenly started clicking his tongue, creating some kind of beat. Then suddenly, Collin started humming. They were both creating music. My head was turning to them, then Collin added some drum beats by tapping the armrest of the chair while looking at his phone. 
“What is this Pitch Perfect?” I heard Azriel say, standing on top of the steps leading to the couches of the living area. The both of them stopped their own little music when they heard Azriel, I turned my head and just beamed with joy. I immediately stood up and ran to him, giving him a tight hug, “oh my God! I can’t believe it!” I stepped away from him and took a good look at him, “you got your vessel back!”
I missed seeing those green eyes and that dimpled smile. “Yeah,” he replied, “Raphael helped me transfer to him. Thankfully, he said yes again.”
“Azriel?” Merikh walked up to us and I moved aside. He chuckled and hugged his brother, “good to have you back, brother. I’m really not comfortable with that other vessel. Blonde hair and blue eyes didn’t really suit you.”
“Oh, you’re just jealous.”
“Why would I be jealous?”
“Uh, have you seen me? I was Abercrombie & Finch model beside your,” he gestured at Merikh’s outfit, “your Converse.”
Merikh rolled his eyes and hugged his brother again, “I miss you too, asshole.”
Azriel chuckled and hugged him back. After Merikh moved aside, it was Collin’s turn to give Azriel a hug.
“Okay, so,” Azriel said clapping his hands together, “are we all done with this chick flick moment? ‘Cause we got somewhere to be.”
I know we can teleport anywhere but we decided to take the truck, leaving the stolen car behind. As we walked towards the truck, Azriel stopped and looked back at the house. When we noticed he stopped, we stopped as well. “You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I just thought, maybe we can turn this place into our hideout. Get Rory and Russo here instead.”
“That’s actually a nice plan,” Collin commented. Azriel smiled and before we left, he placed protection sigils, prayers, and spells to the big house, “that should do it.”
Collin got off the phone as he walked towards the truck where the three of us were waiting, “I called Rory and Russo, they’re on their way here and I also gave them the spell to let them enter as per Azriel.”
I nodded, “thanks, Collin. Azriel, too.”
We went on our way back to Warren, Ohio. When we got there, the four of us gathered for a moment then Raphael appeared. “Have you thought of who’s gonna go and who’s gonna stay?” he asked. We looked at him like we’re some deer flashed by headlights. He sighed, “I’m gonna make this easier for the four of you. Mia and Azriel, you go with Merikh. Collin, you stay here and man your vehicle.”
“Why am I manning the truck?”
“Because you’re new. You can’t really just wing it when it comes to your angelic powers, you can get stuck in Purgatory, or worse, you can die,” Raphael paused, “alright. You got 12 hours to get them. But be warned, if you die in Purgatory, you stay in Purgatory. So, don’t get yourselves killed. Bring a weapon, you’re gonna need it.”
With just that, he disappeared again. I went to the back of the truck and got my machete. “You guys ready?” I asked them, Azriel and Merikh nodded. Collin sets up his timer, then he turned to the seemingly empty road and said an incantation in Enochian. Only Merikh and Azriel understood it, too. When the rift opened, it was like water. It was flowing from the sky to the ground.
“Okay, I will start the timer the moment all three of you walk in. I will open the rift again when the 12 hours are up. I’ll be here when you get back.”
Azriel walked in first, followed by Merikh. I stopped for a moment and thanked Collin again, then I walked in. 
It's darker here than outside. Like eternal darkness. If there were parts of the world that don’t have nighttime, Purgatory doesn’t have daytime. I looked back to the rift and found nothing but trees. We continued walking, then we heard a growl. We looked around and we can see eyes glowing from behind the trees. Not only did we see red eyes, but we also saw some yellow and orange, too.
“Shit,” I whispered, “I think we just got surrounded.”