Dear Setheus Angel,

Slumber

The Prince told me. There's something about the Prince that makes me want to turn and run when I see him, but he said Ishrael's name, and Ishrael is the most important person in the world. His name is Xyn. He knows Lamia, and Lamia scares me, and Xyn has never done anything bad to me but he scares me, too. Xyn said that Ishrael was sick. My dear friend; a fever, he said. I had to go to Ishrael. I had to help him. Something is terribly wrong with Ishrael, he cringes away from everything, he doesn't say what hurts him, but whenever I'm near him my chest hurts and there's a knot in my stomach and I know it's what Ishrael is feeling, too. Nehemiah said that I feel what others are feeling because I am something called an "empath".
Ishrael was still at the inn where I saw him last time. I was too forward and I came to him and smothered him in an embrace, he didn't look well, I pressed my hands to his face and he flinched away. I flinched, too, because feeling him hurt me, because he hurts in his soul, but it doesn't matter if it hurts me, I have to be strong for him; I thought I could take his pain, I thought I could make him better. He wanted to tell me something but he couldn't. I gave him medicines for his fever, and something else, a special brew, something I learned from a secret friend, a tincture. Only a few drops will make you sleep deep and dream of peaceful, pleasant things. You cannot have nightmares when you take the dreaming potion. I thought it would help.
Ishrael went to his bed, he was very tired, the medicine worked fast. I wanted to be near him when he woke up, so I went outside, and spread my blanket on the ground under the porch of the inn, and slept.
Ishrael was still sleeping when I woke up, so I waited. And waited, and waited. He was taking too long. He should have been awake and refreshed and feeling much better by now. I wanted to see him wake and smile and eat something finally, because he never eats and he is too thin, even thinner than me. I crept into his room. He was asleep still. I called to him, but he didn't answer. I pushed his hair out of his face and shook him gently, but he didn't wake up. I cried out, but he didn't move. I put my head against his chest. His heart was beating still, but it sounded so far away. My tears made a cold, soggy puddle on the front of his shirt.
What have I done? What have I done to my dear friend?

Heavenly Host

I have met a man with wings like a dove and the kindest of smiles. His name is Mister Setheus Angel, but he asked me to call him "Just Seth". Miah told me that I should always be respectful to everyone no matter who they are, and especially to my elders, and I'm pretty sure that Setheus is my elder, so I should be extra polite to him. But he also wants me to call him by an informal name, so I am confused, and besides I only ever nicknamed my twin Nehemiah. Miah would know the right thing to call my new friend Setheus Angel, if Miah were still here, even though Miah said there's no such thing as angels, but I know that's what Setheus is because he told me that angels exist if I believe in them. So I do believe.
But Mister Setheus has great big soft wings, like a bird, and birds are my favorite because they are never cross or mean or sad, they just are, and they always sing even when bad things happen. Setheus has one twitchy wing and I caught a feather that fell off of it. I don't know why, maybe his wings looked so soft and pretty that I wanted to keep part of them for myself, but I didn't want Setheus to know that I had taken one of his wing-feathers, so I tucked it very fast into my pocket and didn't offer it back. I feel very bad about it now, I guess I should tell him that I have it in case he's missing it, I don't think he will be mad. He is very kind and even took me to a restaurant in Paris that never lets me have even their scraps, and he gave me a whole meal, all to myself. I haven't eaten so much in a long time.
I hope Ishrael can meet my new friend soon. Maybe Setheus Angel will be able to help Ishrael. Angels can do magic, right?

Lost & Found

I found Ishrael. I saw him at the inn of a small desert town on my way to the apothecary. I'd only gone there for some ingredients for my medicines that are hard to come by elsewhere. Only very occasionally do I venture out into the heat and sand for these supplies. But there he was, my dear friend, lost for so long, standing right there, close enough to reach out and touch. I came in to get out of a the hot afternoon storm, and he was right there, and I almost couldn't breathe.
I didn't recognize him at first. He used to be a warm smiling face, always. Now, he wasn't smiling. He didn't seem himself. His eyes were full of hurting, and I felt it too strongly, and sometimes I had to look away because I was afraid I would cry for him. Miah used to say it happens to me this way because I have an "empathic link". I wanted to hug my long lost friend tightly and not to let go, but he did not seem to want to be touched, he was far away and too far into his pain, so I had to pull away. Miah said that sometimes I am too forward and that people don't always want me to try to heal them, or to tell me what's wrong, so when Ishrael wouldn't really answer my questions, I didn't press, because I didn't want to make him feel worse, even though I wanted so badly to know what had gone wrong for him. I used to feel safe and peaceful when Ishrael was there, because I knew he would protect me. Now I think that Ishrael is the one that needs protecting, but I am not strong, what could I ever do to save him?
I'm so scared for my friend. What's happened to him? How can I help him?

I wish Miah were here now. Miah would know what to do.