《The Ascended (The Saving Angels #3)》


 Page 1

    Chapter 1


    The darkness that surrounded me was as oppressive as ever. I could feel it seeping into my every pore, growing heavier and thicker with each passing moment. I was too scared to move, afraid I would run into some kind of obstacle, or worse yet, step off into some unseen void. I clamped my eyes tightly closed and rubbed them with my knuckles, trying to decipher any kind of light or outline, but it was no use. The blackness continued its unforgiving assault on my senses, making me shrink in the vast nothingness. The hair on the back of my arms stood on end as a cold bead of sweat trickled its way from the nape of my neck all the way down my spine. Suddenly, I had the feeling there was someone¡ªor¡ªsomething in this dark cavern with me. Maybe it was just my own paranoia...this kind of pitch black really screws with your head.


    "Who-o-o''s th-there?" I finally stuttered out in a near whisper.


    I jumped at an abrupt onslaught of noises coming at me from multiple directions. My mouth opened to scream, but no sound escaped as fear tightened its grip around my throat. I was completely disoriented from the darkness and became lightheaded as I spun around trying to protect myself from a possible attack from behind. As I stood in place, trying to regain some kind of control, I suddenly realized that the noise was merely an echo from my own voice.


    Relief flowed through me, as I worked to slow my breathing and calm my heart that was beating like a race horse in my chest.


    Cautiously, I placed my right foot in front of me while I kept the majority of weight on my back leg in case I encountered air instead of solid footing. My relief grew as my foot hit solid ground. I raised my left foot to take another tentative step, using my outstretched hands as a guide. Before I could complete my forward motion, I heard a soft sinister chuckle close to my ear. Pulling back quickly, I stumbled in my haste to distance myself from whoever was lurking in the darkness. My feet tangled together making me land in heap on the hard ground.


    I wrapped my arms around myself, cowering in fear as the single chuckle turned into multiple laughs from every direction. Choking on my fear, I tried to scoot away from the laughter by sliding across the surface on my bottom. The noise bounced off the unseen walls of the space I was in, closing in on me from every direction. I gasped in terror as a cold dead hand grabbed my arm.


    "No-o-o!"


    I woke choking on a scream that never seemed to find the power to leave my throat in the dream. After having the same nightmare for the last eight weeks, you would think I would lose the panic that gripped me each and every night, but instead it only seemed to multiply over the last few weeks.


    Sitting up on my bed, I scrutinized my room, using the pale dawn light streaming through the windows to make sure I was indeed alone. Every morning, I awoke scared that the Daemons from my dreams had followed me into reality.


    Shivering in my sweat drenched t-shirt, I grabbed a fresh stack of clothes out of my bottom dresser drawer and hurried to the bathroom to take a hot shower. I cranked the knob to the hottest setting and perched myself on the side of the tub, knowing the decrepit water heater in our house always took a few minutes to get the water good and hot.


    When I stepped into the shower, the water cascaded over me like a warm blanket washing away the last of the cold sweat from my body. Once I felt sufficiently thawed out, I finished the rest of my shower in a hurry.


    Mornings were by far the worst time of the day for me. My one goal was to get up and moving before my thoughts could take over my mind. In the last eight weeks, I had become the queen of finding ways to keep my thoughts at bay. Having people around helped. I craved the endless chatter of my friends and family to help keep my mind busy. Between my part-time job at the bookstore and extended family time at home, my days were full for the most part. As long as I could avoid the nagging reminders of what happened, I was okay.


    Feline was waiting for me when I opened the bathroom door as the steam from the enclosed space behind me billowed out.


    "Hi bud," I said, scooping him up in my arms. My restless sleep over the last few months had driven him from my bed and onto the rocking chair that sat in the corner of my room. I missed his presence, but looking at the tangled mess of sheets I woke up to each morning, I couldn''t blame his mutiny.


    "Let''s get some chow," I chattered to him as I descended the stairs two at a time. He purred his approval at my attention. Talking to him had always been second nature to me, but recently my endless stream of babble pleased him to no end. He loved the interaction although I knew he understood none of it.


    My mom was already at the table sipping a cup of coffee when I made my way into the kitchen. "Hey mom, what''s up?" I asked, giving her a quick peck on the cheek on my way to the cabinet to grab a bowl.


    "Not a whole lot," she said distantly, in a voice that a few months ago would have broken my heart. Obviously she was still mad about our fight from the night before. Well, more like her fight, since I really didn''t yell. I merely stated what I wanted to do and that I wouldn''t be swayed. I knew my attitude aggravated the crap out of her, but since that fateful night, when my whole world had been flipped upside down and inside out, I had allowed a chasm to grow between us. I knew the indifferent attitude I had assumed around her in the last two months hurt her, but I also knew in the long run it would make things easier.


    My days at home were coming to an end and she was upset by the many decisions I had made without consulting her first. To say she was pissed when I finally worked up the nerve to tell her I had withdrawn my enrollment at U.C. Santa Cruz, and applied to the University of Colorado instead, was putting it mildly. What she still didn''t know however, was that I had no intention of actually starting school like she thought. I had enrolled in college, but it was all just a ploy to give me an excuse to leave Santa Cruz without her questioning where I was at.


    I had decided two months ago when I stood on our beach with my heart in shreds, that one way or another I was going after Mark. I harbored the smallest bit of hope that he could be saved, that he was merely a Forgotten Soul and not a Dark Angel like his father. I would not give up until I knew for sure.


    "There are chocolate chip muffins in the pantry," she said, not looking up from the book she had resting against her coffee mug.


    ''''No thanks," I replied, pouring Raisin Bran cereal into my deep ceramic bowl.


    I had lost my desire for chocolate two months ago, when the love of my life''s eyes had changed from the warm delicious chocolate brown I had loved so much, to a color I no longer recognized. My addiction for that particular sweet just no longer mattered. My mom had been trying to coax it back out of me the entire summer, but it was like it had lost all its appeal.


    She sighed and resumed drinking her coffee. I felt a brief twinge of guilt for upsetting her yet again, but knew it was all for the best. My attitude change and indifference would make it all easier for her to deal with when I left. I would much rather her view me as a bratty teenager than some mystical being that was going off to search for the one who had rejected me. I was sick of pretenses, and I wanted to have enough distance between us that I could finally embrace who I was without also having to worry about playing the "human role."


    In the beginning, after Mark left, she had tried to encourage me to let my grief out, but after my heartbreaking moment on our beach, I had locked the rest of my sadness away, pulling it out only when I was alone. Mark leaving me felt like getting a limb amputated. When we first moved to Santa Cruz, my dreams became altered as he was ripped from my arms every night, but at least I knew he would be there again the next night. Now the loss of not having him in our dreams has been as awful as our actual separation. My soul just can''t seem to grasp the absence of something that had been with me for as long I can remember.


    "I have to work in an hour, can I use the car or do you need me to bum a ride from Sam and Shawn?" I asked, standing up to wash out my empty cereal bowl.


    "You can use it. I plan on finishing my painting today for the downtown art show," she said, also standing so she could dig out the keys from her purse. She handed them to me without a word and headed toward her art studio.


    My chest tightened as she closed the door firmly behind her. I wanted to burst through the doors and throw myself in her arms like I used to when I was little, and weep in her embrace until not a tear remained, but I fought back the urge. Instead, I grabbed my backpack off the back of the chair and headed for the door, reminding myself that the distance between us was necessary for now.


    The ride to work passed in a blur as I drove on autopilot with my thoughts floating around. Now that my mom knew about my change of plans for college, I could start to focus on my plan to go in and find Mark and his dad. Haniel had let it slip several weeks ago that Victor''s hideout was located on some mountain called Shasta. I tucked that bit of information away to be pulled out again when no one else was around. In the last few weeks I had educated myself so much on Mt. Shasta, I was sure I could give the locals a run for their money.


    I was fully prepared to go after Mark on my own, but I knew that my friends, Sam and Lynn, not to mention my brother Shawn, would never allow it. I knew for a fact that Haniel had already gleaned my thoughts of a rescue mission from my head, but had yet to mention them. Over the last two months, Haniel and I had grown close and I realized Mark was right when he had stated that Haniel liked me. He was different than a typical father figure. He was every person you could ever need rolled up into one: Father, brother, mentor, and protector. I can only imagine how the last two months would have been without him around.


    I pulled into my usual parking spot behind the Book Nook where I work, and snatched up my backpack off the floor before I slammed the stubborn car door behind me.


    "Hey Krista, how are you doing this morning?" Joan, my boss, asked as I re-locked the staff door behind me.


    "Good Joan, how about you?"


    "Not bad. This past weekend''s sales were fantastic, which means I can now afford our extravagant end of summer employee bash I have planned."


    "You mean for all three of us?" I joked, opening up a box of books the UPS guy had delivered while I was off over the weekend.


    "He-he, yeah and that''s if Martha feels like going out after her normal six o''clock bedtime," Joan added laughingly, referring to the elderly woman who worked part-time on the weekend shifts with Joan.


    Martha was by far one of the most colorful people I had ever met, displaying a kind word for some, but having a bite to her for others, like her daughter for example. At seventy two years old, she only worked to get out of the house and away from her "crazy daughter"- her words not mine- that liked to drag her out for weekend excursions.


    "I''m seventy two. I''ve seen all the flea markets, garage sales, and overpriced shopping malls I want. I would rather spend my weekends surrounded by what I love the most," she had told me when I first met her, indicating the books around her.


    "Yeah, our big bash tonight will have to be the early bird special," I teased, breaking down the box I had just emptied.


    I tossed the flattened box aside and reached for the second box of books. I worked the edge of my thumbnail under the tape and grasped the lose piece I had worked away from the cardboard, pulling the rest of the tape off the top of the box. Joan preferred the boxes to be opened without a sharp box cutter and I completely agreed with her. The thought of accidently cutting into the beautiful spine of a brand new book made me just a little bit nauseous.


    I pulled the flaps of the box apart and sighed with pleasure when I saw the newest book by my most favorite author. I gently extracted one and gasped with pleasure at the lovely cover. I had already seen the picture on-line, but it just did not give the cover its due justice. Not being able to resist, I opened the book turning to the first page.


    "No way," Joan said, snatching the book out of my hands. "You know the rules. You can''t start it without me," she said, lightly placing two of the books on her desk.


    "Aw man, no fair. You know you wouldn''t even be reading this series if I hadn''t pointed it out," I said, pretending to pout. In all honesty, I was completely psyched that she enjoyed the same books as me. Discussing the books and the characters in them had become a welcome distraction for me on the days I work, and I love when we playfully argue over who we thought was "crush worthy." I had chosen not to tell Joan anything about Mark, and I found it oddly refreshing to be around someone who just thought I was a regular teenager and not someone who had lost her very purpose in life. Pretending to crush on a hottie from a fiction book was a welcome distraction, though no matter how the author described the characters attributes, in my mind''s eye, it was always Mark''s face I saw.


    "Rules are rules," she said playfully as she punched the code into the mini-refrigerator sized safe that sat on the floor.


    She pulled the heavy metal door open, extracting the cash till for the register. "I''m going to go boot up the register and start the coffee maker. Do you need help with that?" she asked, indicating the last box of books on the floor.


    "Nah, I got it. You know me, I like to ogle at the covers before I place them in their new home," I said, docking my iPod onto the radio Joan kept in the stockroom.


    Joan smiled at me and headed out the door as the new Katy Perry song blared out of the mini speakers. Keeping music on when others were not around to distract me was a definite must.


    Bopping a bit to the music, I picked up the last heavy box of books off the floor and unpacked them onto the book cart with the others, sorting them by genres as I worked. When I started in June, Joan had allowed me to organize the books in the store in a more manageable system. It was a monster task, putting every book in appropriate genre sections, versus the standard alphabetical system Joan had used for years. All the hard work was well worth it though. Now when a customer has a specific book in mind, but can''t remember the author or title, I can help without losing my mind.


    I finished unpacking the last book when my current favorite song started playing on my iPod. It was an older song that I had discovered by chance shortly after Mark left, and it was as if the singer knew every emotion I was feeling. I cranked up the volume and sank into the chair at the desk as the music filled my head. I knew I was a glutton for punishment for even listening to a country song about lost love, but I couldn''t seem to help myself, something about the lyrics spoke to my now empty soul.


    Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to summon up Mark''s image. I had once heard that when a person lost a loved one that they would often have difficulty recalling what they looked like as their mind began to distance itself. For me, it was the exact opposite. On the rare moments like these when I would allow myself to indulge in thinking about him, his image was so vibrant and strong, it was as if he was standing directly in front of me. I could see every hair on his head that I loved to run my fingers through, the sexy grin that melted me from the inside-out, and the sparkle in his eyes that made my whole body hum. It was on these occasions that a small ounce of hope would creep in. Surely, somewhere inside him, some of these same feelings for me still remained¡ªor maybe I was wishing for the impossible.

 Page 2

    My chest began to heave as my emotions finally got the best of me. A lone silent tear welled up and escaped beneath my closed eyelid, followed by a cascade of tears streaming fast and warm down my cheeks.


    Pull it together Krista, I thought, trying to calm down.


    I knew I needed to get a grip on myself. Joan could walk in at any moment, and explaining my torrent of tears was just something I didn''t relish doing. Of course, knowing I needed to get a grip and actually doing it were two different things, especially while sitting here listening to the words of this stink''n song¡­"You left me all alone in love, and now I desperately long to feel your touch."


    I need to stop torturing myself like this, I thought again.


    The song came to a close and I swiped the last of my tears away. Pushing the chair back, I stood up reaching to turn the volume back down so it was merely background noise. I turned around, intending to hit the bathroom to do damage control before Joan caught a glimpse of my swollen face.


    I gasped when I saw the tall imposing figure standing in front of me.


    "Holy crow Haniel, you scared the crap out of me!" I said, trying to calm my racing pulse.


    He raised his eyebrows at my words, but remained silent.


    "Well sheesh, if you don''t want me to swear you need to stop sneaking up on me like that!" I said, embarrassed that he had most likely caught me crying. Like most things in life, crying in front of others had always embarrassed me, especially in the presence of someone like Haniel. Besides, girls that used their tears as a tool had always annoyed me, and I shuddered at the idea of being lumped together with them.


    "You are sad," Haniel said as more of a statement than a question.


    I sighed trying to think of how I would explain to someone outside the human realm that the music had initiated my tears.


    "The music just made me think about him," I said, deciding to give it to him bluntly.


    "I see. Well, music is a powerful force," he said, obviously understanding who him was.


    "Yep, it is," I said, thankful that he didn''t push the matter further. "Why are you here? And how did you get in here without Joan seeing you?" I asked, puzzled that he had sought me out at work.


    He raised an eyebrow at me, which looked silly on him, but was something he and I had been working on to help him appear more humanistic, as Sam and I liked to put it. We had made it our pet project to give him lessons on hand gestures and facial expressions, which he was starting to use appropriately. Joking, on the other hand, still fell flat with him, and Sam and I finally gave that one up as a lost cause.


    I knew Haniel only indulged in my efforts to modify him as a means to keep my mind occupied and keep me moving forward each day. He wasn''t the only one though that worked to keep me busy. My friends were equally guilty with the activities they had implemented, like Sam''s sudden fascination with rollerblading or Lynn''s new fetish with the mom-and-pop music store we had discovered downtown. Every other day or so, Lynn would drag me there to listen to countless new and different artists, which ironically, was how I had stumbled onto the country song I had just cried my eyes out to. Shawn had even gotten into the action by deciding that it was almost sinful to live in California and not fly a kite at least once every couple of days. He now had a growing collection of brightly colored extravagant kites that he and I would fly on the beach when the wind was blowing at its most optimal condition.


    Even though their ploys were obvious, I was still grateful that they all cared so much that they would come up with ways to occupy me. I valued the alone time I got with each of them. Group outings were nonexistent now, and I knew it was because they didn''t want me to feel like the odd man out. I appreciated their consideration though. Moving on was tough, and seeing my friends with their Links was painful, not because I was envious, but from the indescribable sorrow of losing Mark.


    I was a rarity, being the only Guide in over five hundred years that had survived the severed bond that my Protector and I had shared.


    "Ok, so, what are you doing here?" I asked, getting his silent message that as one of the most powerful Angels ever, he could go anywhere without being seen.


    "I feel we need to discuss the plans you have been making," he answered simply, not needing to clarify.


    I felt my knees give out from under me at his words as I sank into the chair. "I''m going after him Haniel. I have to." I whispered, not wanting Joan to hear me.


    "Why?" He asked.


    "Because I''m empty without him!" I said louder than I intended. "I have no purpose on earth with him gone," I added in a quieter voice.


    "Krista you''re wrong. You don''t yet understand the extent of your purpose. Your place on earth surpasses any soul that has ever crossed my path," Haniel replied.


    "Can''t you understand how it feels Haniel, loving someone that no longer loves you back? I have to know why." I said dejectedly, knowing an Archangel couldn''t possibly understand what I was talking about.


    Much to my surprise, Haniel simply nodded at my words.


    "Does that mean we can go?" I asked, not daring to believe.


    "Yes Krista, we can go, but it will be on my terms, with stipulations of course," Haniel stated.


    Chapter 2


    "Like what?" I asked, not really caring what kind of stipulations he had. I would walk barefoot across broken glass for the chance to see Mark one last time. If his soul was indeed gone, all my plans would be dashed, but if it was just buried, I could use my gifts to save him. My fear though, was that even if his soul was savable, it might not change how he felt about me. I just wanted to try. Even if only to keep Mark from turning out like his father. If I could set his soul free it would be worth it, even if it meant I would have to live without him.


    "I will explain it all when we join the others," he said. "You need to come with me now."


    "Haniel I can''t leave now. Joan needs my help today stocking the new books in," I said, indicating the cart of books I had loaded up.


    "I will take care of your boss."


    "Oh no, you''re not going to do the mind-melt stuff on her, are you?" I asked, feeling terrible about the idea of manipulating poor Joan.


    "Krista, do you want to go after Mark or not?" Haniel asked.


    His point was clear. Why the heck was I worrying about a temporary mind lapse when we were finally setting a plan in motion? Priorities Krista, priorities, I silently reminded myself.


    "Do I need to go check in with her?" I asked, unsure of what exactly he had planned for Joan''s mind to believe.


    "There is no need for that. She will have no recollection that you were here today. As far as she knows, you stopped working here last week. She will be under the assumption that you are on your way to your next learning establishment."


    "So, I don''t even get to say goodbye?" I asked sadly, glancing toward the door.


    "Time is critical and goodbyes must be put aside," he said. "I will meet you at the dwelling of your friends," he added, exiting the stockroom through the swinging door that separated the sales floor from the stockroom.


    I glanced toward the doors one last time, regretful that I couldn''t say goodbye to my new friend, but I was suddenly anxious to leave and start what I had been waiting two months for. I scooped up my backpack along with one of the novels Joan had set aside on her desk. I had already prepaid for it, but for some reason I still felt a little guilty as I shoved it into my bag. I was halfway toward the stockroom door when I remembered my iPod that was still on the docking station. Rushing back to the desk, I grabbed it and hurried out of the stockroom, locking the door behind me. I would have to remember to drop my key in the mail so that Joan could give it to the summer help next year, I thought as I started up my mom''s Focus.


    My nerves kicked into high gear as I navigated the streets. Haniel had mentioned "stipulations," and though I curious on what that might mean, nothing could stop the adrenaline that rushed through my veins. I wanted to go now, this instant.


    The scenery passed by in a blur in what seemed like the longest drive ever, until I finally pulled into the apartment complex my friends were sharing. The exterior of the complex was older and a bit dated, but the management at least did a good job at keeping up with the grounds and such. The inside had been renovated in the last few years so each rental was updated with new appliances, carpeting, and bathroom fixtures. The space was half the size of Mark''s house, but was all we could afford by pooling our money together.


    I used my key to let myself in to find my motley group of friends already assembled and waiting for me with Haniel.


    "I thought you two worked today," I asked Sam and Robert as I plopped down on the second-hand sofa next to Sam.


    "We did, but Haniel caught us in the parking lot of Pizza Pete''s after he came to see you," Sam said, smiling at me as she reached over to grasp my hand in hers.


    I felt the calming affects of her touch instantaneously as my frazzled nerves began to calm down. My extended family was well aware of the fact that I had been waiting for this moment, and they also knew exactly how I was feeling. They had all grieved over Mark''s betrayal of our group, but had remained stoically supportive of any decision I made.


    "I have agreed to assist Krista with a rescue mission," Haniel said, answering the question of why we were all gathered here.


    I smiled in relief, but I didn''t even need to use my ability to read emotions to see the mixed feelings coming from my friends. It was obvious from the looks on their faces. Shawn''s emotions were the strongest, running the gambit between angst to concern for me. I knew he missed his best friend, but I also felt his stubborn determination to stop Mark at all costs if he had turned dark like his father. That was Mark''s biggest fear when we were together. He had confided his disgust regarding his father''s blatant disregard for the sacredness of human life to Shawn and me. I just hope I''m not making a huge mistake and that he still feels that way now.


    "With stipulations," Haniel continued, breaking into my thoughts.


    "What kind of stipulations?" I asked apprehensively.


    "You will not be alone on your quest. The other active bands will join you, as will I."


    "What?" Sam asked incredulously. "I thought the livelihood of humanity will be put at risk if you were to help fight with us."


    "The agreement has already been breached. Victor would not have been able to control and dominate so many Daemons without the direct help of The Dark One. The Light has given me the authority to make whatever decisions are necessary. Victor has been hard at work rebuilding his army, and his forces have grown."


    "So, you''re telling us that the battle we endured two months ago was like a chess match?" Robert asked.


    "Chess match?" Haniel asked puzzled.


    "Like a game," Sam said, trying to explain Robert''s analogy.


    "Ah, yes. Victor orchestrated every aspect of the last meeting. All except one," he said, looking at me pointedly.


    I blushed at Haniel''s words. My friends had been awestruck at the power I was able to emit that saved us all that night. Haniel had told me weeks later that in all his years training Guides, he had never seen any stop so many Daemons at once. I knew he believed it was because I was special, but in all actuality, I knew it was something else. When Victor had stripped everything from me, something inside of me snapped and I was able to somehow harness all my power and use it against the Daemons we faced. I wasn''t anything special, unless you counted the fact that I was the only Guide that had survived the separation from their Protector, and I wasn''t sure if that could be counted as a virtue or a serious character flaw.


    I pulled away from my errant thoughts when Haniel continued. "Krista, you are allowed to accompany us on our journey, but are instructed to stay behind in the camp when we move forward."


    "Are you kidding me? No way, I''m not staying behind¡­"


    Haniel raised his hand, cutting off my rant. "Then you stay here," he stated, leaving no room for argument. "The Dark One will be able to use your vulnerability against you with those he has turned," he added, making his implication clear. If Mark had indeed embraced his father''s dark side, he could use it against me. It seemed surreal to think that Mark would use my love and the bond we had shared against me, but I knew it was a distinct possibility. Haniel had told me not long after Mark had left me, the exact circumstances that had transpired when Victor had changed. How he had turned the love of Mark''s mother against her. I knew that if Mark was forever lost, he could kill me as easily as his father had killed his mom.


    True evil was a force to be reckoned with.


    "Fine," I agreed stubbornly. "What do you mean stay behind at the camp though?" I asked as the rest of his words finally registered through my head.


    "As you are already aware, Victor has chosen to seclude himself on Mt. Shasta. His facility is nestled deep in the heart of the mountain. He has also used the mystical reputation that Mt. Shasta has acquired through local folklore to his advantage. He uses Daemons in their true form to scare away any unwanted visitors, which has only fueled the superstitions that surround the mountain."


    "Mt. Shasta? I''d never heard of it before you mentioned it a few weeks ago," Lynn finally piped in. "Is it in California?"


    "It is located five hours north of the area you call San Francisco."


    "It makes sense that Victor would choose such an obscure place," Sam said quietly. "If he''s building an even greater army, he''d need a spot where he''s least likely to get unwelcome visitors."


    "What''s he planning Haniel?" I finally asked, moving past my initial excitement of finally doing something, to being a little concerned. The fact that Haniel had consented to intervene and be a part of my mission was enough to sound an alarm in my head.


    "It would seem that Victor has decided the world would be a much better place with less human interference. It has come to our attention that he is now taking greater advantage of forgotten souls by resorting to possession. Their thoughts, feelings and any emotional attachments are wiped clean while he uses them for his bidding."


    "How is that any different than when a Daemon possesses a human?" Lynn asked.


    "When a Daemon possesses a human they can only use one host at a time. Victor is able to possess multiple forgotten souls at once."


    "How is that even possible?" I asked with disbelief coloring my voice.


    "The Light did not share his insights with me. My duties were handed down to me by one of The Light''s most trusted Angels. We do not question The Light," Haniel said, making it clear that even the thought of doing so was ludicrous.

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    I looked at him in dismay. I get it, the Light was all powerful and the very reason for our existence, but to not be able to ask questions seemed insane to me, especially in a situation such as this.


    "It is the way it should be Krista," Haniel said, reading my disgruntled thoughts.


    "The Light knows the outcome of every situation you will ever face, but it is your freewill that gives you the opportunity to change the outcome of everything you encounter. The explanations that you seek will only inhibit your very essence of being. To question The Light, would be to know your future."


    "I get that, but surely a little heads-up could only help in a circumstance like this," Robert said, jumping into the conversation.


    "It is neither my place nor yours to question The Light," Haniel said, closing the door on any further argument. "We leave for our journey in the morning," he added, heading for the front door.


    "Wait, what about the others? Are we leaving without them?" I asked.


    "They will be here by morning," he said, closing the door softly behind him.


    "Frick, that annoys me so much!" I grumbled, sinking back against the worn cushions of the couch we had picked up at a garage sale. The musty cushions emitted a faint scent of pipe tobacco as I rested my head back. Shawn had volunteered to clean them, but Sam and I had both protested. For some reason the smell was comforting to the both of us.


    "He''s got a point Sis. If The Light answered every question we asked, we would never make a decision on our own. It would change the course of our lives," Shawn said, perching on the arm of the couch next to me, as he reached out to ruffle my hair affectionately.


    I ducked to the side trying to save my ponytail from looking like a cyclone had wrecked havoc on it.


    "Stop!" I protested, giggling as he used his long arms to maul my hair one last time.


    "So, how are things between you and your mom?" Sam asked, bringing down the mood again.


    "The same. She was upset when I told her I wanted you and Shawn to drive me to the airport, but I''ve been distancing myself from her so much the last few months, that her protest seemed feeble. I know she''s hurt that I''ve changed so much lately, but I''m so sick of pretending I''m something I''m not. The whole human charade has become a big fat pain in the neck," I said defensively, trying to hide the real reason I had begun to cut myself off from my mom. The pain over losing me this way would be much easier on her than if I were to die.


    "Krista we''re not judging you. We know how tough all of this has been on you," Sam said, sinking next to me to grasp my hand.


    Sudden moisture filled my eyes as my friends all looked at me compassionately. I knew they could see through my ploy. "I''m just trying to make it easier for her," I mumbled, willing the moisture back.


    "We know Krista, but we''re not going to allow anything to happen to you, no matter what. You understand? We are not letting you go," Shawn said, his voice shaking with emotion.


    "You guys just don''t understand," I said standing up. "I''m an empty shell without him. I would say I ache, but there''s nothing left inside me to ache. If I''ve lost him forever, what will fill that void he left behind," I said with my voice rising slightly.


    I was grateful for the silence that now followed my rant. I did not want to be pacified. I just wanted them to understand how I felt.


    "I''ll see you guys tomorrow," I said after my angst dissipated. I headed toward the door, keeping my eyes averted from the worried looks that followed.


    Chapter 3


    The next morning I dragged myself out of bed exhausted. My mom and I had stayed up late as she made a final attempt to change my mind about her going with me to Colorado to check in at school. I knew this was all taking a toll on her, and I hoped to be able to make it up to her someday, but I held firm that this was something I wanted to do alone. After a fountain of tears she had finally consented and we hit the sack on somewhat of a truce.


    I could hear her moving around as I gathered my bags together. I looked around my room one last time to make sure I had everything. My heart broke as I watched Feline snoozing on the rocking chair in the corner of my room. I approached him sadly, and sank down on my knees in front of the chair.


    "I will miss you my wonderful furry friend," I said sadly, scratching him under the chin. I knew these goodbyes were inevitable, and I thought I had prepared myself, but as Feline let out a loud purr of approval, hot tears streamed down my cheeks. It''s times like this that I wish my heart would turn to stone, making me immune to heart wrenching goodbyes.


    "I love you buddy," I said, dropping a kiss on the top of his head.


    I stood back up, slung my backpack over my shoulders, and grasped the handles of my two suitcases as I prepared to head downstairs. I swept my eyes around my room one last time, drinking in the space. My winter clothes from Montana sat in the far corner of the room in three cartons that were ready to be sent when I was ready. I opened the door and was startled to see my mom sitting in one of the Lazy Boys in our mock library.


    "You all ready?" She asked sadly, eyeing the bags at my feet.


    "Yeah, Shawn and Sam should be here in a few minutes," I said as the feeling of grief was pressing hard on me. My grand plan to distance myself from her had seemed like the best solution to all the madness that surrounded me, but looking at her drooped shoulders and red eyes, the guilt was becoming more than I could bear.


    I dropped my backpack at my feet and stumbled over my suitcases as I rushed into her waiting arms. "I''m sorry mom. I just need to get away from this area for a while," I mumbled, throwing up the only excuse that would make sense to her.


    "I know sweetie. I just feel like I lost you somewhere between our move from Montana and now," she said stroking my hair.


    "You haven''t lost me."


    "I know you miss him, but don''t lose yourself while you''re away," she said, cupping my face so that she could peer into my eyes.


    I nodded my head and placed my own hands over hers. Using my God-given powers, I shifted some of her anguish aside and replaced it with the small amount of joy I felt the previous day after Haniel accepted my plan to find Mark.


    "I love you Mom," I said, giving her a quick peck as the doorbell rang from downstairs.


    "I''ll help you with your bags," she said more lightheartedly than she had been in weeks. My nudge of emotions had worked their magic on her and hopefully they would linger for awhile after my departure.


    She grabbed one of the suitcases I had abandoned in my doorway and headed for the stairs. I glanced around the comfy haven we had created one last time. My emotions were like a kaleidoscope mixing together. I was anxious and excited to begin our journey and to finally be able to leave the human charade behind for a while, but I also felt so sad to leave the one person that had always been there for me. I slung my backpack over my left shoulder with one of the straps and grasped the handle of my fuchsia suitcase.


    The wheels of the suitcase thumped down the stairs behind me as I made my way to the foyer.


    "Here I''ll get that," Shawn said, bounding up the last few steps to grab the heavy suitcase from me. He scooped it up like it was as light as the feather pillow on my bed.


    "Sheesh, must be nice to be freakishly strong," I muttered for his ears only.


    "I''m Hercules baby," he said, leaping down the last three stairs.


    "I can get that Mrs. Miller," he said, grabbing the second suitcase from my mom''s hand.


    I had to stifle a groan when I saw the astonished look on my mom''s face. Shawn was about as subtle as a Mack truck. He forgot sometimes that not everyone had strength that would rival a superhero from a comic book.


    "I promise I''ll call you tonight," I said to my mom, hoping to distract her from Shawn.


    "I''m holding you to that. If I don''t hear from you by nine o''clock your time, I will catch the next flight out, do you understand me?" she asked, dragging me in for a tight hug.


    "I promise, but I won''t make it there if you squeeze all the life out of me," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. "I love you," I added softly.


    "I love you too Sweetie," she said in a voice thick with tears.


    I pulled away gently, not wanting to open that can of worms again. My plan was to get out before her tears swayed my resolve.


    "I''ll take care of her Mrs. Miller, don''t worry," Sam said giving her a quick hug.


    "I trust that you will, no matter what," she said, looking at Sam sternly, making it clear that she knew more was going on in the situation than I had led her to believe.


    I grabbed my favorite sweatshirt off the banister and threaded it through the strap of my backpack so my hands would be free to give my mom one last hug before we headed out the door.


    "I''ll call you, I promise," I called behind me as I climbed into the used Explorer my band shared. I closed the door behind me and rolled down the window to get one last unobstructed view of the house that had changed my life forever. My eyes took in the wooden porch swing that Mark and I had sat on so many times, discovering our shared connection.


    My mom leaned against the wooden pillar, waving, just as Shawn slowly pulled the car away from the curb. Her face was etched in grief and I felt ashamed being the cause of her heartbreak. I couldn''t help thinking about how disappointed my dad would be in me. I just hoped that if he was observing us from heaven he would understand my reasons.


    As Shawn accelerated, leaving my house behind, I closed my eyes and let the wind blowing through the window wash over me as I regained control of my emotions. As effortless as this had become for me, I still found it nothing short of extraordinary. Haniel had recently commented on my astonishing control of not only my own feelings, but also those around me. I had discovered after a trip to the mall with Shawn and Sam one afternoon that I could filter the emotions of those around me without even having to work at it.


    Sam had been awestruck. "You''re like a Disney character. You turn weeds into flowers as you walk by." She joked. "How are you doing it?"


    "I don''t know," I answered honestly. "It just seems like second nature to fix them."


    Haniel was closemouthed about my new gifts, but I had heard him telling Shawn and Robert that surviving the pain Mark had inflicted on me has turned me into some kind of hybrid Guide, but he did not get specific about what he meant. I scoffed at the idea, but knew he was right about my new gifts. I had been careful not to use them on my mom or my friends, but I finally caved when things heated up the night before between my mom and me. I employed a touch of them to redirect some of her anger.


    "You okay, Krista?" Sam asked from the front of the car.


    I opened my eyes to see her peering at me intently.


    "Yeah, I''m fine. I''m just ready to get started."


    "We know you are, but we''re concerned about how you''re going to handle this situation."


    I didn''t need to ask what she meant. I was well aware of the fact that they all thought that Mark was not merely a Forgotten Soul like I was banking on, but that he had turned dark like his father. The subject had been closed for discussion around me, but it was obvious I needed to give them some kind of reassurance.


    "I know it''s likely that Mark can''t be saved," I said quietly. "But if that''s the case, then I''m doing exactly what I should be. Mark''s worst fear was becoming like his father. If Mark is ''black-hearted'' like his father, then it''s up to us to stop them."


    "Krista do you really think you could just stand by idly while the Protectors destroy him? I don''t even think I can, and I know for a fact that Shawn became nauseous at the thought," she said, looking at Shawn for confirmation.


    I understood exactly what she was saying, and maybe I''m just living in denial when I act like I can handle it, but what else am I supposed to do. If it comes to that, it has to be our band that takes care of it. "It''s what the Mark we knew would have wanted," I said plainly, turning my gaze back out the window. I caught Sam and Shawn exchanging a look out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored it.


    "So, Kieran''s band showed up early this morning," Sam said, obviously deciding a change of subject was necessary.


    "They did?" I asked as excitement raced through me. Our brief time spent with the other band, before the horrific events that transpired, had left such a lasting effect on me. I had grown attached to all of them, but my real attachment had been with Grace and Kieran. My heart pinched painfully as I thought about how empty their band would be without Grace, their "sunshine," as I had come to think of her. Her death had hit me the hardest out of the four band members that were lost in June.


    Today was already looking brighter though. I was glad Kieran was here. She had been a godsend in my darkest hour.


    "Haniel said the other band should be here by noon and then we''ll be heading out," Sam continued.


    I nodded my head absently¡ªmy mind still preoccupied by the task that lies ahead.


    Chapter 4


    Sam and I jumped out of the car before Shawn shifted into park. "Holy crap guys, where''s the fire?" he groused good-naturedly.


    Sam and I ignored his playful jibe, taking the stairs up to the apartment two at a time. We burst through the door together, startling the ten Links inside the room. Sam and I skidded to a stop in the doorway and it was obvious by the strained silence that our exuberance had interrupted a serious discussion.


    "What''s going on?" I asked. My strong emotional gauge made it clear I was the object of their gossip which didn''t sit well with me at all. How typical that I finally escaped the gossip-laced hallways of high school, only to have it follow me into adulthood.


    "Nothing," Kieran said, rushing forward to give me a long hug. I remained stiff in her arms, still a little irritated, but after a moment, I finally returned the hug. I had missed my new friends dearly, and who was I to blame them for talking about me. I was a novelty in our species. I had powers none of them had ever seen or felt. Under normal circumstances I might feel flattered by their admiration, but I would trade it all to have Mark back again.


    I knew I had to shake this melancholy though. The whole woe-is-me attitude that seemed to follow me around like a dark cloud would do nothing to help get him back.


    "We''re just concerned sweetie, don''t hate us," Kieran said, understanding why my emotions had shifted around so rapidly.


    "I know," I said apologetically.


    "Krista, it''s good to see you," a husky voice said before I was drawn into a tight bear hug.

 Page 4

    "Hi John, it''s good to see you too," I said, allowing myself to sink into his embrace. If you would have told me two months ago that I would consider John one of my closest allies, I would have scoffed at the idea. Especially since he had once berated me in front of everyone for falling in the ice cold ocean at the most inopportune time. All of that was forgotten though once he and Kieran returned home and made it their personal mission to see who could text me the most in one day. What started out as daily antidotes quickly turned into long humor filled messages about pranks he and Kieran would play on each other. When I first met them shortly after graduation, I had no idea they would turn out to be so witty. I loved my band members dearly, but John and Kieran had become my sounding board, always willing to lend an ear.


    I moved out of John''s arms and slid into Amelia''s embrace next. "I''m so glad to see you looking so well," she whispered quietly in my ear. I nodded my head, knowing I didn''t need to answer.


    "Hi Krista," Jenna said as I finally turned to her. Unlike the others, she waited to give me a hug, choosing instead to study me critically for a moment, much like Lynn would do. Their uncanny similarities made me smile. Jenna returned my smile before giving me a quick hard hug.


    Paul and Keith, who were Amelia and Jenna''s Links, were the last to pull me in for bone-crushing bear hugs. I giggled at their apparent happiness to see us.


    "So, what''s the plan Haniel," Paul asked once all the greetings were out of the way and we were all sitting on the oddly matched furnishings scattered around the room.


    "When Jacob and his three other band members arrive, we will load up the provisions and sleeping gear that Robert and Shawn informed me you would need," he said in his typically formal way.


    "Yeah, we kinda figured that. My question leans more toward what our plans are once we head out."


    "The journey in motorized vehicles will take approximately five hours. I will be joining you there," he said, never being one to travel by traditional human methods.


    Sam giggled. "Wow Haniel, talk about being a diva."


    Haniel''s expression at her words made us all burst out laughing. Picturing Haniel as the classic stereotypical role of a diva was comical.


    Haniel had learned enough from hanging out with Sam and I over the summer to understand that Sam''s remark was less than flattering, which made it even more hilarious.


    "Haniel the diva, oh my lord, my side hurts!'' Kieran chirped between the laughter bubbling out of her.


    All seven plus feet of Haniel waited patiently while we finished laughing ourselves out. After several moments our mirth finally dissipated.


    "Can I continue?" He asked Sam pointedly.


    "Um, sure, sorry about that Hannie," Sam said in a tone that made it clear she really wasn''t.


    "Once we all convene at the location I have indicated on the parchment," Haniel said, indicating the map behind us on the dining room table, "We will set out on foot. The Dark Angel has chosen his headquarters wisely. There are no roads or trails that lead to Victor''s headquarters. We will have to create our own path through the rough uninhabited terrain of Mt. Shasta"


    "Then how does Victor get to his Lair?" Shawn asked.


    I grimaced at Shawn''s choice of words.


    "He uses the motorized flying machines that seem quite popular with your military," Haniel said, clearly searching for the proper phrase.


    "Helicopters," I provided, giving him some help.


    "Ah yes, he uses helicopters to enter into his secure location. A word of caution however, once we are on the mountain, Victor will be aware of our presence. He will use whatever means necessary to deceive or destroy us. It is essential that you understand that Victor now possesses greater strength and ability than any of you have ever seen. He is no longer a mere pawn for the Dark One, but an ally, and is treated as such. His powers will equal mine in many aspects.


    "What do you mean?" Sam asked, all joking gone from her voice.


    "He will have many different resources available to inhibit the success of our mission."


    "Like Daemons?" Sam asked.


    "Daemons like you have never seen," Haniel answered without elaborating.


    "Will they be worse than what we''ve dealt with before?" Sam asked, gnawing on her lower lip.


    "Dude seriously?" Shawn said, clearly aggravated that Haniel had Sam worried.


    "It''s okay," Sam said pulling out of Shawn''s arms. "I don''t need it to be sugarcoated. What kind of Daemons?" She continued, turning toward Haniel for clarification.


    "Daemons come in many different forms. To describe them all goes beyond my abilities."


    "What else will we be facing?" I asked, noting an undercurrent in Haniel''s vague explanation.


    "It is impossible to know precisely what means Victor will use. For now, you should prepare yourselves for attacks in many different forms."


    "Shawn and I purchased netting for us to surround our campsite with, per Haniel''s instructions, to help give us some kind of barricade against any attack. The netting won''t keep them out, but at least it will serve as a warning," Robert said, making it clear none of this was new information to him or Shawn.


    "What about when we''re hiking?" Jenna asked in a shaky voice, clearly not a fan of anything that could creep up on us either.


    "Don''t worry honey. We''ll be on high alert as we hike up the mountain," her Link Keith said looking fierce.


    An uneasy feeling suddenly curled its way through me. This would be another sad example of the fact that I was the odd man out. Of course, how could I complain about the absence of my Link in a situation that just the other day I was prepared to do alone?


    "Ugh, I hope we don''t run into spiders when we''re hiking," Jenna mumbled.


    "What spiders?" I practically screeched. Daemons I could handle, but if a spider fell out of some tree and landed in my hair, I would lose it completely.


    "I got your back Sis, don''t worry," Shawn teased. He had experienced my bug phobia firsthand when we were picking out furniture together at a garage sale and a big fat hairy spider crawled across the arm of an old recliner we had been contemplating. Needless to say, my screeches could be heard in the next county. After that, I flat out refused to even consider the recliner, convinced that a nest of them was hiding beneath the cushions.


    "Thanks," I said, grateful I could always count on my brother.


    "So apparently, we have multiple obstacles to face," Shawn said, doing a spectacular impression of Haniel.


    His words broke the tension that had enveloped us all since learning that Victor would have multiple Daemons and who knows what else at his disposal.


    Shawn''s little joke started everyone talking at once. We all seemed to be in fairly good moods considering the uncertainty of the situation. When Jacob''s small band arrived, we were all laughing and joking. Haniel of course, took his customary meditative position in the corner of the room. Once again, I was passed around in warm embraces. After the hugs had been issued, I found myself surrounded by my fellow Guides as we chattered about mundane things, steering clear from any subject that was off-limits. I could sense their keen interest in me and knew they had discussed my hybrid powers, but was relieved that none of them asked about them. After a half-an-hour of chitchat, we got ready to head out.


    The guys got to work loading up the back of the Explorer with all the gear. They laid the second and third row seats down to maximize space. It was decided that Shawn and Robert would drive the Explorer and the rest of us would ride in the passenger van that John had rented from the airport.


    Lynn gave Robert a searing kiss before she climbed into the last row beside Sam and me. The other Guides and Protectors piled into the second and third rows while John and Jacob sat in the driver and passenger seats.


    It was a long scenic drive to the Cascade Mountain Range, where Mt. Shasta was located. After several hours, our tired crew finally pulled onto the narrow dirt road that Haniel had marked for us on the map. The trees encroached on the vehicles from all sides with many of the branches trailing along the exterior of the cars. After a quarter of a mile, the narrow lane ended, disappearing into the vast denseness of the mountain terrain. "Amelia''s Paul," as we called him, since Jaime''s Protector was named Paul also, slid the door open. We all took turns filing out of the large vehicle and standing in the narrow gap of empty space between the van and the forest that threatened to swallow us whole.


    "Well this ought to be fun," Lynn muttered to Sam and I as we studied the woods beyond us.


    Sam and I both shot her grimacing looks, causing her to burst out laughing which got a questioning look from Robert as he opened up the hatch of the Explorer.


    "I wonder where Haniel is," I said to my friends.


    "I see you made it here after all," Haniel said, stepping out from the forest in front of us. "I believe the journey should have taken less time to travel," he continued pointedly, looking at the new hiking boots that incased my feet.


    I grinned at him sheepishly. "You couldn''t expect me to trek through this terrain with my tennis shoes on," I said, trying to defend myself.


    "Evidently not," he responded in a way that would have sounded sarcastic coming from anyone else but him.


    "Besides, everyone decided that boots were the only way to go," I said, indicating the boot covered feet of all my friends. The whole crew had immediately jumped on board when I noticed a billboard advertising the REI store on the way here. We all made quick work out of finding the right boots and heavy-duty socks. Even the guys, with their tough attitudes didn''t want to have to deal with bugs climbing in their shoes.


    "I see. A wise decision," Haniel said, dishing out rare praise.


    "Exactly," I said impishly before heading off to help my friends divvy up the supplies.


    The weight of the food, water, tents and backpacks filled with clothes was distributed evenly between the Protectors. They left the lightweight sleeping bags with shoulder straps for us "delicate Guides," as John put it, to carry. The wise crack of course earned him a firm sock in the arm from Kieran.


    "I''ll show you delicate," she taunted him, dancing away from as he tried to grab her. "No, way, I''m much too delicate for a big strong man like you to touch," she added, using her supernatural speed to keep herself at arm''s length.


    "Okay guys, we got a change of plans. The girls will get the heavy stuff," John joked, making a grab for the sleeping bag I had cradled in my arms.


    "Uh oh, no way am I lugging all that stuff up the mountain. I''m a delicate girl for sure," I said laughing.


    "Me too," Sam chimed in, raising her hand in the air.


    "Um, smart move girls," Kieran said, finally stopping long enough for John to catch her. "Whatever would I do without my handsome stud to carry my heavy belongings," Kieran said from the security of John''s arms in a voice dripping with southern charm.


    "Playing with fire there my dear, you know I can''t resist that sweet honey-filled voice," he said huskily before dipping his head down to claim her eager lips.


    I turned away quickly, telling myself it was rude to intrude on their intimate moment, but to tell you the truth, I felt a little jealous. Not because I had a thing for John or anything like that. I lusted after the tender, intimate embrace they shared. My friends had been careful about their displays of affection when I was around over the summer, so seeing Kieran and John locked in each other''s arms made my knees threaten to buckle. I closed my eyes and forced my emotions back under control.


    When I opened my eyes again I saw that Sam was studying me, well aware of what I was feeling. I turned away and pretended to sort through the rest of our provisions.


    "Hey, Haniel, how about you teleport our stuff up to the campsite for us," Shawn joked as he threw one of the oversized backpacks onto his back. The two small aluminum pans we had hooked to the side clanged together as he adjusted the straps so the pack would set flush against his back.


    "Teleport?" Haniel asked, clearly confused.


    "Yeah, you know that whole beam me up Scotty thing."


    "Scotty?" Haniel asked, more baffled than ever.


    "Shawn, isn''t that way before your time? As a matter of fact, that''s almost before my time too," Jacob added laughing.


    "You wish old man," Shawn said, pretending like he was walking with a cane. He chuckled when Jacob let out a fierce growl and tried to snatch the invisible cane from Shawn''s hands. "Kidding man, seriously though, I''ve been a "Trekkie" for ages. Of course, the last movie didn''t do the classics their due justice."


    "Hey, I liked the newest one," Sam said, raising her eyes suggestively. "Captain¡­ whatever his name was is hot," she added mischievously.


    "I''m sure," Shawn said, swooping her up into his arms.


    Sam giggled as he dangled her upside down. "Stop," she gasped, trying to keep her shirt from sliding up.


    "Shawn, we could use your help when you''re done screwing around," Jacob called from the back of the van where everyone had finished loading up the gear.


    I adjusted the straps of the sleeping bag on my back and pulled my iPod out of my pocket. I slipped on my headphones, letting the music drown out my friend''s voices. I was overjoyed to be with all of them, but after almost four hours in a van, I craved some space and this was the only way I knew how to get it while being surrounded by so many people.


    Chapter 5


    It took us most of the day to hike to the temporary campsite Haniel had chosen beforehand. The hiking wasn''t as bad as I had originally anticipated although the throbbing blisters on my heels would beg to differ.


    The terrain of the mountain slowly changed the further we hiked. The trees now seemed larger and more forbidding. There was a tranquil beauty to the vast wilderness that surrounded us and yet, an eerie feeling that something unexpected could happen at any moment. Strangely though, the weight that had been sitting on my chest for the last two months began to ease and I wasn''t sure what to make of it. Was I getting closer to Mark? Within the cloud of unease that had each of the Guides on edge as we trudged along, I could pick up the slightest flicker of pure goodness shining in the midst of it all. Maybe it was coming from our missing pair, but somewhere in my heart of hearts I wanted to believe it belonged to someone else.


    Haniel stayed by my side the majority of the afternoon and after several hours I removed my headphones so I could chat with him.


    "You are done with your instrument?" He asked, indicating my iPod Touch.

 Page 5

    "iPod Touch," I corrected. "Yeah, I love music, but after a while it begins to give me a headache."


    "I see," he said. "So, tell me what you have learned about this mountain," he continued, making it clear that my recent research hadn''t gone unnoticed.


    I smiled at him sheepishly before plunging in with the details I had come across. "The legends go back many years. The townspeople believe that hidden beneath the mountaintop is an entire sunken continent called Lemuria. They believe it is inhabited by mystical beings, even to this day. I''m sure Victor has used the legend to take control of the mountaintop. The townspeople believe the dark and evil undertones of the mountain come from the inhabitants of the lost continent as a warning to stay away. They respect the legends and treat this mountain as sacred ground."


    "Very good, Victor has found the inner catacombs of the mountain and has been using it for his purposes for many years. The Light has informed me that The Dark one plans on using Victor and this mountain to try to take over what The Light has created. They will be stopped."


    "What is Mark''s role in all of this?" I asked quietly, hoping my friends couldn''t hear.


    "His plans are murky at the moment. It is unclear what path he will ultimately decide to take."


    "So, there is hope?" I asked.


    "Krista, there is always hope. At one time even Victor stood on the pinnacle of hope before he leapt into the darkness he shrouds himself in," Haniel said, making his point clear. There was always a chance of hope, but the question was, could that small chance of hope ward off the evilness that was eagerly waiting to suck it in?


    "Then I choose to hope," I said stubbornly.


    "That Krista is one of your greatest virtues. You put your heart and soul into what you believe."


    "Yep, I''m a regular cup half-full kinda girl."


    "What cup are you referring to?"


    "Never mind, it''s just a phrase we use to show when we''re optimistic."


    "Ah yes, well, optimism is good."


    "Haniel, Is this the spot you marked on the map?" John called from the front of our pack.


    I was startled to see that Haniel and I had allowed a gap of about a hundred yards to grow between us and the others. Picking up our pace, we finally stepped into a small flat clearing where the rest of our group was waiting. We had been hiking up a fairly steady incline the entire day, so it was clear why Haniel chose this relatively flat spot for us to make camp. The clearing was unobstructed by trees, leaving a clear view of the majestic snow-covered peak. Judging by the dark ominous looking clouds starting to roll in, it was clear we could be in for some heavy snow. The temperature had definitely dropped the higher we had climbed. I untied my hoodie from around my waist and slid it over my long-sleeved shirt.


    "This is the location," Haniel said. "It is imperative that you set up camp immediately. Victor is undoubtedly aware of our presence and you will need to prepare for what could come. I must now meet with The Light," he said, stepping out of the clearing into the dark woods beyond. "Do not tarry," he added before disappearing into the trees.


    "Sheesh, talk about trying to freak us out," Jaime grumbled, dropping the double-sized sleeping bag she had been carrying onto the ground.


    "It''s fine babe, we''ll have the tents up and nets around our campsite in no time flat." Paul said, pulling Jaime in for a quick hug.


    "I''m not worried," she said, clearly offended. "I was just pointing out that after spending thousands of years with humans, you would think Haniel would have a little more tact. Especially with the youngins'' around," she added jokingly, knowing it bugged the guys to be called that.


    "Ha, that''s so funny," Robert said sarcastically, dropping his pack to the ground.


    Within minutes we had all the supplies lined up on the oversized tarps that we brought to cover the ground. The guys made quick work of erecting the three tents and then went to work stringing up the mesh netting that Shawn had reassured me would keep out most of the creepy crawlies.


    Kim, Kieran and Sam set up a mock kitchen area and started preparing dinner on the campfire that John had started. Since it would have been disastrous if Lynn, Jaime, Jenna and I helped in the kitchen, we instead unrolled the sleeping bags and got busy placing them in the appropriate tents. I couldn''t help crinkling up my nose as I crawled into one of the tents dragging a sleeping bag behind me. The smell of the nylon material triggered unpleasant memories from my childhood when I had gotten the flu while camping.


    "Ugh," I muttered as the smell crowded my senses.


    "That''s right, I forgot you hated "tent smell," Lynn said, climbing in behind me. "Are you going to be okay sleeping in here?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be fine, besides I''m not sure how much sleeping I''ll be doing anyway. The nightmares so don''t make sleeping worth it," I said, smoothing out the second sleeping bag.


    "Nightmares?" Lynn asked concerned.


    "Yeah, I pretty much have them every night," I said, aggravated that I had let it slip out I was having them.


    "What are they about?" Lynn asked with concern laced through her words.


    "They''re always the same. I''m in some kind of pitch black chamber. I can''t see anything and I''m petrified to move because I''m afraid I might fall into oblivion. Then, when I finally work up the nerve to move, I realize I''m not alone," I said, shivering slightly as I recalled the terrible oppressive darkness and voices from my dreams.


    "Krista, have you told Haniel."


    "No way, I just know he would have used it as an excuse to make me stay at home," I said defiantly.


    "I''m not so sure about that," Lynn said, smoothing out one of the sleeping bags with her hands.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked curiously.


    "Well, let''s face it Krista. We all try to act blas¨¦ about it, but there''s no denying you got some serious kickass powers now. We all know it, including our see-all-know-it-all Archangel. We definitely need you here. Haven''t you noticed how protective Haniel is of you, like, hiking beside you the entire afternoon?"


    "I thought he was just doing that because he didn''t want me to feel like the odd man out," I said, trying to analyze her words. My new powers were no secret, but were they really all that spectacular?


    "I don''t know Lynn. So what if I can now change over Forgotten Souls without even trying anymore. I''m not sure how that skill will be able to help us in this situation, especially if Victor is using nothing but Daemons¡­"


    "Hey, why wasn''t I invited to this party?" Sam asked, crawling under the flap of the tent to join us and settling on the stretched out sleeping bag beside me.


    "What, you didn''t get the secret party vibe I was trying to send your way?" Lynn mocked.


    "I must have missed that one. Anyhoo, I agree with Lynn, your powers are something else."


    "Oh great, can anyone else hear us too?" I asked self-consciously, not crazy about everyone in camp knowing about my bad dreams.


    "Nah, it was just me. I was moving all our packs of clothes closer to the appropriate tents and I caught Lynn talking about your steroid powers," she quipped.


    "Nice, steroid powers?" I asked, giving her a nudge.


    "Hehehe, yeah, that''s what I call them! You put the rest of us ''Olympians'' to shame," she said, still giggling.


    "Well, I would prefer to be like the rest of you," I said, quietly picking at a stray string that had pulled free from the material of the sleeping bag I was perched on.


    "Dinner." Kieran called, interrupting any further conversation.


    Sam, Lynn and I crawled out of the tent and joined the others around the campfire. The guys had dragged boulders and downed tree trunks for all of us to perch on while we ate. Super strength was a definite perk when camping, I couldn''t help thinking as I sat beside Sam and Shawn with my loaded plate balanced on my knees.


    "Wow, you girls outdid yourself," John said between a bite full of beans.


    I had to agree with him as I took a big bite out of my burger. How they constructed such great tasting hamburgers in the middle of nowhere was beyond me. I had thought they were crazy when they were packing up the insulated backpack cooler with meats and condiments, but I was so glad they had insisted.


    After I finished my meal, I stood up completely stuffed. I threw away my plate and noticed the bag of sour cream and onion chips had been accidently knocked over. I bent over and picked them up, placing them in the trash receptacle we had sat up beside the netted wall. Still a little nervous about bugs, I ran my fingers along the netting, testing its tautness. I was relieved of course to discover that the guys had outdone themselves making our campsite as secure as possible.


    The rest of my friends finished their dinner and we spent the next hour discussing what all the other Band members had been up to.


    "How''s Timmy doing?" I asked Jaime while the others chatted.


    "He''s doing well. He still asks for his mom and dad a lot, but Logan and Ruthie have instantly taken to him and have helped take his mind off his loss. He prefers to hang out with Reagan, Kieran''s little girl, but we all know why that is," she added with a small laugh.


    "So Reagan will be Timmy''s Link?" I asked, trying to understand the logistics of how we were created to complete each other.


    "Yes, hopefully they''ll be saving Forgotten Souls just like us one day. I feel for my poor Logan though," She added sadly.


    "Why?" I asked confused.


    "Because, Grace was three months pregnant with his Link when she was murdered."


    I gasped in horror at her words. The loss of Grace had been hard on all of us, but I was particularly grief stricken at losing her. I was so upset that had never thought to consider the impact her death would have on what we were created for.


    "What will happen to Logan?" I asked with dread, knowing that Protectors could not survive without their Guides.


    "He won''t die," she said in quick reassurance. "He was too young for the link to work that way. Haniel said he will always miss what he never had a chance to cherish, almost like missing a limb, but Haniel said her soul will always belong to Logan. One day when he joins her in the Other World, it will be as if they were never separated."


    "Jaime, I''m so sorry. In my own selfishness lately, I never considered the full-impact Grace''s death would have on all of us, but most of all your own family."


    "Thanks Krista, but it''s okay, this is what we we''re created for," she said, sounding sadder than I had ever heard her.


    I reached over and gave her a hug, getting a barrage of images from the pain she was in. My emotions sifted through her pain in rapid succession, and I poured the right amount of peace into her, taking away her melancholy and sadness without even thinking about it.


    "Wow, Krista how do you do that?"


    I shrugged my shoulders, slightly embarrassed by the awestruck look that covered her slender face. "I''m not sure, it just happens on its own accord now."


    "That''s amazing. Haniel told us your gifts had accelerated, but holy cow that''s insane. I know that I should still feel bad, but I can''t seem to find an ounce of sadness in me now. This is the first time in the last few months that I don''t feel like I have the weight of the world resting on my shoulders. You are truly blessed."


    "I''m glad," I said. For the first time since discovering them, I didn''t resent my new abilities. Jaime''s peace gave me hope that maybe I wasn''t some kind of freak after all.


    "All right first crew, it''s time to get some shuteye," John said, rising from the log he had been sitting on. We decided it would be best to sleep in shifts so the camp would be protected.


    "I better get some sleep while I can. Thank you Krista for helping me for the first time in¡­well, I don''t know how many nights, but I know I''ll be able to go to sleep right away without worrying."


    "I''m glad," I said sincerely.


    "What was all that about?" Shawn asked watching Jamie walk away.


    I gave him the lowdown on what Jamie had told me, but glossed over the depression she had been feeling before I helped her out.


    "Wow that totally sucks. Since none of us have kids yet, I never really thought about what happens to the future Links if one of us died or some¡­." He broke off looking at me apologetically. "I''m sorry Sis, I wasn''t thinking."


    "Me either, but it''s fine," I said, getting the gist of his thoughts. If Mark and I were done forever, what would happen to the children they were meant to link with. Would they then link with others instead? It was mind boggling to try and make sense of the logistics of our species. Would The Light really condemn innocent Guides and Protectors to a lifetime of heartache or would he spare them that pain. It was something my band might have to face in the future. One thing was certain, I will be talking to Haniel about it, with his infinite wisdom I''m sure he would know.


    "Don''t worry about it Sis," Shawn said, slinging an arm across my shoulders. "It''s all going to work out."


    "I hope so," I whispered, resting my head against his shoulder.


    Lynn and Robert looked concerned as they listened to our quiet conversation. I closed my eyes briefly, hoping to escape the questions I knew they yearned to ask.


    Sensing my inner turmoil, Sam changed the subject and started talking about the briskness in the air. Soon the others got into the discussion of whether we would see snow while we were staking out the mountain. I listened to them with my eyes closed, trying to sort through everything I had learned that night. What would happen if Mark was forever lost? Would generations of Guides and Protectors feel the impact of his abandonment, and if so, would it ultimately affect my relationship with my new family? Finally frustrated at not knowing the answers, I decided to shelf my countless questions until I could corner Haniel and make him answer them. Once I decided to put it to rest for now, my mind slowly began to drift as my friend''s voices droned on in the background. The effects of a lack of sleep were beginning to hit me hard. I tried my best to fight it, but this was a battle I was going to lose. My eyelids suddenly became steel traps and refused to open.


    The same dark chamber greeted me as always, but that didn''t make it any less frightening. Panic immediately set in as I felt nothing in front of me with my outstretched hands. I followed my pattern from the previous nights by dropping to my knees so I could crawl toward a possible way out. Cold smooth cement lay beneath me as I slowly began to inch forward. I heard a sound to my left that sounded like soft chuckling and I pivoted my head around, trying to peer through the blackness. The sound grew louder and I realized it wasn''t chuckling, but the sound of something or several something''s scurrying across the floor. I froze in mid-crawl as the sound grew even louder deafening out my own rapid heartbeat. The scurrying was coming from all sides surrounding me completely. I felt something crawl across my right ankle, followed by several more. I kicked my foot out, trying to knock whatever it was off of me. I began to shriek as hundreds more began to crawl all over me.

 Page 6

    I awakened, startled by my own shrieking. I sat up a little confused and saw that the campfire was almost completely out. I squinted my eyes, trying to see through the dim light and after several seconds, I could make out the sleeping silhouettes of my friends. There was a strange buzzing sound that sounded like a radio on a station that had a low frequency.


    "Sheesh, we make the worst lookouts," I muttered, sitting up straighter to work out the kink in my back. Shawn sat up next to me looking puzzled.


    "Sorry, I fell asleep too," he mumbled, looking down at Sam who had fallen asleep with her head resting on his knees.


    "I guess we all did," I said, standing up to throw another stick onto the fire and watched as the flames reignited and lit up the area. I gasped when I noticed that the net was gone and blackness surrounded our campsite. It was as if someone had snuffed out the moon and the stars.


    "Hey where''s the net?" I asked my friends, taking a groggy step forward. I reached out my hand, confused that the entire net had disappeared on us. I went to take another tentative step forward when I was jerked backward by a hand grasping my arm.


    "What the heck?" I asked, aggravated at my brother who had gripped my arm so tightly. I turned to see his horrified expression as he peered out into the darkness beyond me.


    Unease flooded through me like I had been doused in ice water. I turned around cautiously, scared that the eyes of a Daemon or something would greet me. I squinted in the darkness, trying to understand what had alarmed my brother. My eyes finally began to adjust and I was puzzled to see that the blackness around us seemed to pulsate as if it was alive. I took a terrified step backwards, finally realizing that thousands and thousands of bugs had filled the night sky around us.


    My terror induced scream filled the night air when I realized that the net wasn''t gone, but was completely covered with the squirming bodies of every bug imaginable. The weight of their bodies made the netting bow in around us.


    Shawn grasped me by the shoulders, pivoting me around to face him as my scream continued to slice through the night like a banshee.


    My nightmare had somehow seeped into reality.


    Chapter 6


    "Krista, Krista it''s okay! They can''t get in!" Shawn said, shaking my shoulders.


    My scream cut off and I looked at him, too scared to look anywhere else.


    "A-r-re y-you sure?" I asked in a trembling voice.


    "It looks like the net is holding them at bay," John said, coming over to give me a quick pat on the arm as he and the others joined our group.


    "Why are they crowding the net?" Sam asked, voicing the question all of us were afraid to ask.


    "Victor," I said clearly, knowing without a shadow of a doubt we were facing one of the obstacles Haniel had warned us about.


    John nodded his head looking at me.


    "They''re so disgusting," Kieran said, standing as close to John as she could get without climbing into his arms, which looked like a distinct possibility.


    "I know babe, but they''re out there and you''re safe from them in here."


    John and Shawn''s confidence in our shelter reassured me and I finally worked up the nerve to scan the perimeter of our camp. I let out a pent up breath when I saw that they were right. The ground beneath our feet was clear of anything that crept or crawled. I glanced up above our heads and an involuntary shudder raced down my spine. It was freaky as crap to see the netting bowing under the weight of what looked like millions of bugs. Their chattering and chirping had swelled to a deafening pitch, making it hard to hear what the others were now saying.


    I turned to Robert and Shawn who both look concerned, studying the area behind our tent. "What''s the matter?" I asked, stepping closer to them.


    They exchanged looks, obviously contemplating whether to tell me or not. Finally, Robert shrugged his shoulders in defeat.


    "We think they found a way in," Shawn said, pointing to the darkness behind our tents.


    I peered into the darkness where he pointed. "No, I thought you guys secured the netting back there too!" I said, unwilling to believe.


    "We did, but I could swear I saw something moving just beyond our tents a few seconds ago," Robert said, pulling Lynn close to him as per the instincts of a Protector. I watched as the other Protectors, who were on high alert, followed suit, all but Shawn who struggled with his dilemma of protecting the other half of his soul and me at the same time. I made the situation easier for him by stepping behind him next to Sam.


    Sam smiled grimly at me as we darted our eyes back and forth, looking for any kind of movement. After several seconds, I began to think maybe Robert was mistaken. I slowly started to relax until I noticed John tense back up in front of Kieran. I peered around Shawn trying to see the cause for alarm. Suddenly, our tents were completely engulfed by a mass of squirming, crawling bugs that was steadily making its way toward us.


    My group backed up in one fluid movement, putting the fire pit between us and the oncoming mass. Shawn reached down for one of the branches we had collected for the fire. He pulled off his hoodie and jerked off the t-shirt he wore underneath it. He quickly wrapped it around the end of the stick and dipped it into the fire, creating a torch. The rest of Protectors quickly mimicked Shawn and within seconds they all held torches out in front of them.


    My heartbeat was erratic as the distance between us and the insects closed to less than ten feet. The fire from the torches made it easier to see them now and I felt bile rising in my throat as I could make out the long hairy legs of tarantulas crawling over the hard-shelled bodies of the smaller bugs. It was as if the gateway to Hell had opened up and the end of time was now upon us.


    I could hear Amelia panicking and gasping for breath to my left on the other side of Sam and Lynn. How ironic that we had spent the previous day discussing our hatred of bugs while we tried on boots together. Never in my wildest imagination did this scenario even seem possible. I was disappointed that Haniel had disappeared again, just when we needed him the most.


    The gap between us closed to less than five feet and I watched in horror as some of the bugs and insects crawled right into the fire as if it wasn''t even there, burning themselves alive. Black smoke rose around us as the bugs began to make the fire smolder from the multiple bodies piling up. The fire slowly snuffed out as if a bucket of water had doused it as more bugs crawled over the remains of the charred bodies. Terrified, I backed up even further, taking care to keep a safe distance between my back and the bowed-in netting behind me.


    Our Protectors lowered their torches to ground level, keeping the fire close to the dirt in an attempt to force the bugs back, but I could tell they knew their attempts were futile. The insects didn''t appear to have any sense of survival left. Victor had instead turned them into mindless pawns that would all burn alive trying to get to us, and by the sheer number of them, it was going to happen.


    "Shawn by your foot," I yelled, watching as a group tried to make their way between the narrow gap of Shawn''s feet. Several escaped his torch and began to crawl up his legs. Sam reached down, knocking them away with her own hands. Shawn shot her a silent look that spoke volumes and I felt tears fill my eyes, their bond was undeniable. Looking around, I was dismayed to see that the insects had found ways around the torches and were now freely climbing over and between the Guides.


    Amelia shrieked beside me as several started the journey up her boots and legs. Without thinking, I dropped to my knees, trying to knock them off her. I realized my mistake instantly as my dream from earlier crept in. Kieran stumbled into me, trying to stomp on the bugs at her feet and sent me sprawling face first into the dirt. Panicked, I frantically tried to get up as pandemonium took over our campsite. I could hear my friends screaming and Robert yelling for Lynn. I tried to raise my head to search for her, but saw nothing but the horde of bugs crawling toward me. Sickened, I curled up in a ball with all hope disintegrating like dust in the wind. I wrapped my arms around my head, trying to make myself as small as possible. I felt millions of tiny legs crawling over my body. All sound was drowned out by the chirping noises coming from the insects that covered every inch of us.


    I felt multiple pinchers stinging me through my thick clothing and gasped as fiery heat raced through my limbs. The tender unprotected skin of my hands felt like they had been doused in acid. I heard a muffled scream off to my left and my heart went out to my friends. It seemed ironic that after facing true evil in the face, mere insects would be the downfall of us all. Though my body burned and I was terrified that I was being eaten alive, I found the willpower to cast out my very last blanket of emotions to my friends. I could at least give them comfort in our darkest hour, I thought to myself as I shifted my focus off my pain induced state and instead on easing my friends pain and grief.


    Summoning enough of my new power to help all my friends wasn''t as effortless as it might have been under less dire circumstances, but I was still able to assemble more than I would have thought possible. I couldn''t help wondering briefly, as I cast it out with all my might, if The Light had bestowed my extreme gifts to me for a situation such as this. Was it his plan to make my final act one that would at least bring peace to those that he held in such high esteem?


    I realized after several pain filled moments that my body had gone numb while I was focused on my friends. I could no longer feel the weight of the insects the covered me nor could I feel their painful bites. The end must be near and my only regret was that I would not see my love one last time.


    I felt a tugging on my arm that was firmly wrapped around my head. Horrified, I pictured the monstrous bugs chewing their way through my arm and carting it off to the dark forest to never be seen again. A whimper built up in my throat and spilled out of my trembling lips. The pressure on my arm increased and before I could comprehend what was happening, I was hauled to my feet.


    Strong arms encircled me.


    "How the hell did you do that?" Shawn asked me incredulously, giving me a bone-crushing hug.


    "Do what?" I asked confused. I pulled out of his arms and saw that everyone had encircled me, awe-struck. Lynn and Sam reached out and grasped my hands in theirs. "Where did they go?" I asked in a trembling voice, scanning the area around me, frantically looking for the loathsome bugs.


    "You drove them away," John said, looking at me in disbelief. "I felt it when you cast it out. I swear I felt the ground move."


    "So did I," Jaime piped in, standing close to me like she was drawn to me.


    "I don''t understand," I said, sinking down on one of the logs around the fire pit. "I was just trying to send comfort and peace to all of you."


    "Well, you most certainly did that," Paul said with a laugh. "By ridding the camp of the bugs, you definitely brought peace and comfort to Amelia and me," he continued, dragging Amelia into his arms.


    "So you guys think that I¡ªwas somehow able to use my gifts to drive all the bugs away?" I asked, my tone making it quite clear I thought they were all a little crazy.


    "How else do you explain what happened," Sam asked, joining me on my rough seat.


    I shrugged my shoulders as I fought the impulse to weep. My emotions were a mess from the energy I had exerted and the relief I felt that all my friends were safe was tangible. The whole experience felt like a dream if not for the multiple bites that covered my hands. I studied the bloody mess for a minute, sickened that chunks of skin were missing from my knuckles and the soft flesh that made up the back of my hand. I looked up at my friends and saw similar angry bites on the exposed chests of the Protectors in our group.


    "When you expelled all that energy, what results were you trying to achieve?" John asked, not bothering to hide his intrigue.


    "I only had one thought, which was to give all of you peace before you died," I said apologetically, realizing how morbid it sounded that I had contemplated their demise.


    "Amazing," John said, deep in thought. "Obviously The Light felt the best solution to bringing us peace, short of killing all of us, was to use you."


    "You are correct," Haniel''s deep voice said behind me.


    "Haniel, dude, your timing really sucks. Where were you like five minutes ago?" Shawn asked, not bothering to hide his disgust.


    "I believe my whereabouts are no concern of yours," Haniel said, making the chain of command quite clear.


    Shawn opened his mouth to retort, but thought better of it, snapping it back shut. He glared at Haniel though, making his distaste obvious before sinking down on one of the logs with Sam.


    Haniel returned his stare before finally answering him. "My duties were to get all of you to this destination and to deal with Victor directly. Any further assistance goes against my instructions from The Light."


    "So, we''re just supposed to fend for ourselves," Sam asked quietly.


    "You are not by yourselves. You have a Gift," he said looking pointedly at me.


    "What?" I sputtered. "Not again with the gift?"


    "Krista, how can you keep denying that?" Lynn asked me.


    "Because it all seems so ridiculous. Why am I the one that''s been "blessed" with such extraordinary gifts when I''m only going to be here for a short while?" I asked, clearly fed up with all the hero worship.


    "What do you mean ''short while?" Shawn asked, standing up to glare at me now.


    Crap, I had let my emotions take over and wound up showing my cards before I was ready. "Come on guys, surely you know I can''t carry on with any of this after we''re done. If Mark can be saved then I''ll spend the rest of my life thanking The Light, but if he has to be destroyed¡­" my voice broke and I had to swallow several big gulps of cool air before I could continue on. "If he has to be destroyed, there will be nothing left for me," I finally finished flatly. I turned away from their stares that had shifted from horrified to pity.


    "How do you know?" Sam asked in a voice filled with thick tears.


    "Because Sam, it''s what we we''re created for," I said, all fight gone from my voice. "I don''t want to be special. I just want my Protector back and if I can''t have him, I have no purpose," I said, turning from my group and striding purposefully for the tent. The fact that I now possessed extra abilities and could stand up to Victor''s dark powers didn''t bring me joy, instead it only seemed to widen the gap between what Mark and I had once shared.


    I pulled the downy-filled sleeping bag up over my ears, but I could still here the mumbled voices of my friends outside. Craving peace, I pulled my iPod out of the pocket of my hoodie. I scrolled through my playlist and picked a song that was sure to drown out all background noise. After placing the earbuds in my ears and closing my eyes, my friends'' voices were gone and I was alone to ponder my own solitary thoughts. My last coherent thought before I let sleep lure me in was how desperately alone I truly was.

 Page 7

    Chapter 7


    I woke several hours later feeling slightly disoriented. The sunlight streamed through the nylon of the tent, so it was obviously morning. It had been a while since I was able to sleep that soundly. Oddly, the nightmares that had plagued my dreams for so long were absent. I sat up, slowly pushing the heavy sleeping bag off of me. The sun beating down on the tent made the interior of the tent toasty warm making the sleeping bag unnecessary. My friends were still dead to the world, so I quietly crawled out the narrow flap trying to avoid their legs on my way out.


    The campsite was surprisingly quite as I looked toward the fire pit. Jaime, Kieran, Kim and Jenna were sitting around the blazing fire drinking what smelt like coffee. A breeze blew through the campsite chilling me through the material of my hoodie. I rubbed my arms vigorously, instantly missing the heat of the tent. The fire looked inviting and I yearned for its heat, but embarrassment over my outburst last night had me looking back at the tent.


    "Krista, come on, pull up a log," Kim said, clearly sensing my dilemma.


    "Yeah, come join us," Kieran said, warmly patting the spot beside her. "What''s your poison, coffee or hot cocoa?" She asked, indicating the two different kettles on the metal grill that perched on the rocks over the fire.


    "Um, coffee would be sublime," I said, grateful that they were trying to act normal.


    "Where is everyone?" I asked, cradling my steaming cup of "liquid gold" between my hands.


    "The Pauls are gathering firewood over there," Jaime said, laughing at the duo of their names.


    "It''s a good thing you''re from different Bands or that would get very confusing," I said, trying to keep the mood light.


    "I know right," Jenna said laughing. "The rest of the guys went out to scout the mountain and Haniel will be back by dusk."


    "Did he say when you guys are going to go find Victor''s lair?" I asked, casually studying the rich coffee in my mug.


    "In a couple days. He wants the guys to map out escape routes down the mountain in case things go wrong. He has instructed each Protector to grab their Guide and separate from the group if it looks like Victor is defeating him," Kieran said in a scared voice.


    I couldn''t blame her. It seemed insane to even be contemplating a contingency plan. Was it even possible for Victor to defeat Haniel? A brief mental picture of Haniel''s lifeless body thrown to the side of the mountain flashed through my head and my heart pinched just thinking about it. Haniel was my beacon of light, thinking of him being snuffed out was enough to make the hot coffee in my stomach swirl around uncomfortably.


    "I guess that makes sense," Jenna piped in, seeing the delicate shade of green my face had taken on.


    I nodded my consent. It was important that the Links use whatever means necessary to continue on.


    "So, how are all the kids?" I asked, steering the conversation away from the painful path it had taken.


    "They''re growing quickly," Jaime said enthusiastically. "Here, I will show you some pictures on my phone before it officially dies."


    I oohed and aahed over the pictures of the kids at different stages of play. Without knowing any of them personally, I could clearly pick out who was linked to whom. My heart ached at one picture that showed a darling brown haired, brown eyed boy perched on a swing. He was gazing toward the sky as if he was trying to understand the mystery it held.


    "That''s my Logan," Jaime said, quietly peering over my shoulder.


    "What a cutie," I said in a choked voice. I felt a keen connection with him. We had both lost a very precious gift.


    Not wanting to upset Jaime, I flipped to the next picture and smiled when I saw Timmy standing next to the most precious little girl I had ever seen. She looked about two and yet, her hair hung halfway down her back in great big ringlets. She and Timmy were holding hands and whoever took the picture caught them in mid-giggle so both their faces were lit up and their eyes shined with mirth. The picture reminded me of the cute black-and-white style that had been popular with greeting cards for a while.


    Jaime laughed when she spied the picture too. "That''s Reagan. As you can tell, they''re two peas in a pod. They''re never far from each other''s side if they can help it and boy are they both mischievous," she said fondly.


    "They''re so cute," I said, still studying the picture.


    "They are, and both are so good-natured except for their mischievous streaks of course. Like I said last night, Timmy still misses his parents, but it''s almost like their bond is stronger. I''ve been exposed to this life and our connections my whole life and yet, their bond even surprises me. Even at only two years old, it seems to me and the others that Reagan already knows how to dissipate Timmy''s pain. It''s truly amazing," she said, swiping away a stray tear.


    I finished scrolling through the pictures and finally handed the phone over to Jaime as the battery finally gave out. "Oops, sorry, I used the rest of your battery."


    "That''s okay, Paul bought me one of those cool portable chargers. I''m going to go try it out," she said, heading toward her tent.


    "So, Krista, how''s your mom? I didn''t get a chance to ask you yesterday." Jenna asked.


    "She''s good," I said, trying to gloss over the turmoil I had left behind.


    "Really?" Jenna asked in her uncanny way of knowing when she wasn''t getting the whole truth.


    "Okay, maybe not good, but she''s adjusting. I called her last night like I promised which seemed to help. I had to lie to her to get here, but I''ve become quite proficient at that," I added sarcastically.


    "I''m sorry it had to come to that Krista."


    "Me too," I added, quietly studying the ground at my feet. Talking to Jenna was a lot like talking to Lynn. They both seemed to be able to get to the root of a situation without even trying.


    "Krista, I know you hate talking about these new powers of yours, but I want you to know we are all extremely proud of the way you''ve handled yourself."


    "Thanks," I mumbled, feeling ashamed of myself. Here I was, paranoid of being the subject of their gossip that I had kept them all at arm''s length.


    "I just don''t want to let you guys down," I finally admitted. "I know my hybrid powers are insane, but I just don''t want everyone to count on them." I said, expressing my greatest fear.


    "Krista, we''re not expecting you to protect all of us. We would never put that kind of pressure on you," Kieran broke in, reaching for my hand. "I will admit I''m selfish though. I don''t want to lose you. I know it''s cruel of me to say that since I didn''t lose my link, but we all love you so much that your absence would probably be the biggest blow any of us have ever felt."


    "How can that be? You guys have lost Links from your own bands," I asked warily.


    "Their deaths were staggering to all of us, but you''re our Gift," she added, holding up her hand as I tried to scoff. "Deny if you must, but it''s true¡­."


    Any further conversation was cut off as my friends staggered out of the tent joining us as the others returned from their scouting trip. Soon our small campsite was buzzing with activity as breakfast preparations began. I noticed for the first time that the netting that had surrounded our campsite was gone. I looked at Shawn questioningly.


    "Haniel told us it would no longer be necessary. Victor won''t employ them again now that you defeated them," he answered.


    "Oh," I said, feeling pleased about my powers for once. "It''ll be nice not to have to worry about icky bugs," I said, feeling myself flush slightly at Shawn''s knowing look. "Okay, being a freaky hybrid has it perks," I admitted as he busted out laughing.


    "Now you''re talking. We''ll have you admitting how cool you are in no time."


    "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Smalls," I said, mocking his oversized build.


    I giggled as he exaggerated his walk making himself appear even bulkier.


    "Hey Krista, you want to go with me to the stream to get more water," John asked, carrying the two oversized jugs we had brought along.


    "Sure," I said, jumping to my feet enthusiastically, happy to have a chance to chat with him.


    The stream was about a half-a-mile up the mountain from our campsite and John and I hiked the distance in silence. Once we got to the small stream that was really nothing more than a trickle slowly making its way down to the base of the mountain, we sat on a downed log so we could talk.


    "So, I''m guessing you''re pretty freaked out about the whole ''Gift'' thing," he said, shooting me a sideways glance.


    I laughed at his statement. In our steady flow of texting, John now knew me like an open book and knew how much I detested all the attention I was getting lately. "Yeah, that''s putting it mildly," I said, still laughing.


    "You still discovering new music?" John asked, switching gears which was a specialty of his.


    "Yep, with a lot of help from Lynn. She''s really got great taste in music. I like most of the stuff she suggests, but sometimes she can give me something that''s a little out there."


    "Yeah, I can see that from the way she dresses."


    "Yep, she''s got her own style that''s for sure," I said, unscrewing the lid off one of the jugs so I could dip it into the clear ice cold water.


    "John can you hand me the other jug?" I asked, reaching my hand behind me expectantly.


    "John?" I said, turning around to get his attention and discovered he was right behind me with his back to me. I gasped in pain when he took a step backward and stepped on my boot-encased toes.


    "Ow," I complained, hoping around on one foot. "You stomped on my foot," I continued to gripe until I realized John''s attention was focused on the shadowy forest to our left.


    "What is it?" I asked, all humor gone.


    "A black bear," John said, never taking his eyes off the woods.


    "Are you sure?" I whispered as if that would keep it from noticing us.


    "Positive. If you look close enough you can make out its massive shape just beyond the tree that seems tilted."


    "Do you think it''s a coincidence or is it a puppet of Victor''s?" I asked, still whispering.


    "Oh, it''s a puppet for sure. Otherwise it wouldn''t be stalking us like this. If it was seeking water it would have come lumbering out. Same goes if it was hungry."


    "What''s it waiting for then?"


    "I don''t know, maybe to see if we''re going to run."


    "Are you kidding me?" I asked not wanting to believe.


    "I wish I were¡­" He started, only to be interrupted when the bear stepped into the narrow clearing.


    The sheer size of it was staggering as it reared up on its hind legs and roared its displeasure.


    "Krista, when he charges, just run. Don''t look back. Get to the camp and prepare the others.


    "You''re insane, there''s no way I''m leaving you."


    "Krista, do as I say," he demanded in what I was sure was his dad voice.


    I crossed my arms stubbornly. "No John, I''m not leaving you. I''ve already lost someone I care about by leaving."


    "Krista, it''s not your fault you were knocked unconscious. You can''t keep blaming your¡­" John was cut off as the bear roared one last time before charging toward us.


    Time seemed to stand still for me as I watched the beast lumbering toward us. Its hindquarters seemed to move in a blur as they propelled him across the small clearing. Its deadly teeth gleamed in the morning light as it jumped on John with one mighty leap.


    John screamed at me to leave one last time as the bear used its huge paw to knock him to the ground. I watched in horror as blood began to bead up on John''s face where the long claws had made contact.


    John stumbled to his feet looking dazed from the blow. He struck the bear, aiming for the softer flesh of its belly. The bear roared its pain and displeasure. John moved closer and used his closed fist to hit the bear on his snout. This time the bear roared with such anger, I swear the ground shook. In retaliation, it struck John again. This time its massive claws scraped across John''s chest, tearing effortlessly through his t-shirt. John staggered back and fell to his knees as blood began to gush from his chest wounds. I gasped as he slowly teetered backwards.


    "No!" I shrieked as the bear clamored on top of John, pinning him to the ground. The bear turned its head in my direction. If I didn''t know any better I would swear it understood what I had said. I focused intently, not sure if my powers would work on a bear the way they did on humans. As it turns out, the bear was a mom. I could clearly see her irritation at being awake and away from the two cubs she left behind. Seeing inside her was a surreal experience and I knew exactly how to direct her.


    "Go back to your babies," I directed in a loud voice, trying to be as stern as I could to a gigantic black bear that could tear my head off.


    She looked down at John one last time before loping off through the forest, relieved to have escaped the voice that had ordered her away from her babies. I could feel her anticipation to be home as the sound of her crashing through the forest quickly faded away.


    I sank to my knees beside John as the blood continued to drench the ground beneath him. I pulled my hoodie off hastily and pressed it down on his chest, remembering another time not long ago when I was forced into a similar situation. He was deathly pale and his blood soaked through the heavy material of my jacket, running warmly over my fingers. I pressed down harder, trying to staunch the flow.


    "Don''t you die on me John," I ordered, using the same tone I had on the mother bear. I could hear movement in the trees and knew my friends were on their way. I could feel their turbulent emotions as they raced toward us. Kieran''s panic was more prevalent as she raced ahead of the others using the speed The Light had given us to its fullest potential. She knew her Link was fighting for his life.


    "Kieran''s on her way," I told John, glancing away from his now ashen face.


    The words had barely left my lips when Kieran burst through the trees looking disheveled with leaves and debris tangled throughout her wavy hair. She raced to my side and without pausing to think, she placed her hands over mine, trying to stop the blood that still seeped through my fingers.


    "Krista?" She said, looking at me with glistening eyes.


    "It''s okay Kieran. I''m calling Haniel now," I said closing my eyes. I used every bit of concentration I could muster and called for our Archangel.


    "How Krista? How can you call Haniel?" She asked, openly crying now.

 Page 8

    "I don''t know how it works, I just know I can do it now," I said simply, looking up as Haniel strode purposefully through the clearing. The others poured out of the woods as one and stood in a loose circle around us.


    Without a word, Haniel knelt beside me and placed his hands over mine, giving me a nod. With awareness like I had never experienced, I knew exactly what he was silently asking. I removed my hands from John''s gaping wounds and pulled Kieran to the shallow water''s edge with me. She came with me willingly, knowing that at the moment John was literally in the best hands possible.


    "I don''t understand," she said more confused than ever as we kneeled on the pebble strewn ground.


    "We''ll explain later," I said, giving her a sideways hug of reassurance, feeling like the adult. My encounter with the bear had opened my eyes and I now understood my hybrid status completely. In the span of the two minutes during and after John''s attack, my understanding was now clear.


    "What if he dies?" Kieran whispered, changing the subject.


    "He won''t, I promise."


    "Kieran, John''s asking for you," Jenna said, kneeling beside us.


    Kieran whipped around, surging to her feet in one fluid movement.


    I stayed at the water''s edge, washing all traces of John''s blood away. I felt Haniel''s presence without having to turn around.


    "You understand now?" He asked frankly, placing his hands in the water next to mine.


    "Yes," I said, turning toward my friends so I could check on John. I was surprised to see that my friends were already assisting him from the small clearing. Paul and Jacob had his arms around their shoulders, helping him navigate the uneven ground.


    "Will he be okay?" I asked, watching them disappear from sight.


    "Yes, although his body will need to recuperate from the trauma he suffered. He would have perished if not for you."


    "I didn''t do anything but call you," I said.


    "Yes, you used your Gifts to summon an Archangel."


    "Do you mean I could have paged a different Archangel?" I asked skeptically.


    "Paged?" he questioned before answering me, filing the new word into his ever expanding human lingo base. "Yes, you have been gifted with the power to contact any angelic being in the Heavenly Realm."


    "Any?"


    "Yes."


    "Wow that''s insane," I said, squatting down on my heels. "Where were you when I sent you the message?" I asked.


    "I was in the presence of The Light."


    "Whoa, that''s crazy. Did The Light give you permission to heal him?" I asked curiously.


    "No, those decisions are mine alone."


    "Then why didn''t you heal the others after Victor''s last attack," I asked reproachfully.


    "I cannot heal a demon attack Krista. If so, I would have done so many years ago," he said with more passion than I had ever heard him use.


    His passion and strange exhibition of emotion rendered me speechless. I leaned back on my hands, reclining backwards as I digested his words. He had always carried himself so regally and standoffish that it was unnerving to think that he had once lost someone he had cared about.


    "Who?" I asked bluntly after several minutes passed.


    He turned to look at me with penetrating blue eyes that bore through me. Just when I thought he was going to ignore my question, he finally sighed heavily. "One of your kind. She is someone who once belonged to another. It is wrong for me to exhibit feelings for her."


    "Why? Is she still with the other person?"


    "No, that bond was broken many earth cycles ago. It is wrong because I was not created to feel human emotions."


    "That''s crazy. You''re supposed to exist all these years without ever feeling something for someone else?" I asked indigently, mad at the injustice of it.


    "It is my place Krista."


    "Place smace," I grumbled. "So, what happened to the Guide you were in love with?" I continued, not wanting him to stray far from the subject at hand.


    "How do you know it is love?" He asked earnestly, seeking an answer that even with his infinite wisdom seemed to elude him.


    "Because of the way you talk about her. Usually, you''re so stiff¡ªno offense, but for the briefest of moments, you seemed almost normal," I gently teased.


    "I cannot be certain that what I feel for her is love. I was not created to recognize such feelings."


    "Do you think of her at least once an earth day?"


    He nodded slightly.


    "More than once a day?" I persisted.


    Once again he nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Do you yearn to be near her?" I continued.


    This time his nod was more pronounced.


    "Wow Haniel, does she know how you feel?"


    "I have not spoken to her in the Heavenly Realm since her light joined us."


    "What?" I asked astonished. "She''s in heaven? For how long?"


    "Over sixteen earth years," he said, looking at me expectantly.


    I gasped. Is he saying what I think he is? I thought.


    "You mean she was one of Victor''s victims?" I asked, realizing he was talking about one of our moms. How heartbreaking for Haniel, to be in love with someone who was linked with another.


    "Her Link was severed," he said, picking my thoughts from my head. "Her soul is now free to choose."


    "Her Link was cut?" I asked, digesting his words and their true meaning. I knew my link with Mark had been cut also, but I had never considered the fact that my soul was now free to pick someone else. The thought made me slightly nauseous.


    "Yes, Victor broke her heart before he silenced her earth life."


    "Oh my God, it was Mark''s mom?" I said with sudden tears welling up in my eyes.


    He nodded his head, not bothering to answer.


    "Holy Crow Bear Haniel, you love Mark''s mom," I said relishing the words. Just because my love life was in shambles didn''t mean I wasn''t still a diehard romantic. "Does she know?"


    "I am unsure of love. How would one know such things?" He asked, clearly confused. His uncharacteristic vulnerability touched me like nothing else had in a long time.


    I reached over and grasped his hands and was taken aback, reading a mix of swirling emotions that were obviously foreign to an Archangel. "You could tell her." I said earnestly. "Is she in some part of Heaven that you''re not allowed to enter?"


    He flashed a rare smile at my Heavenly ignorance. "Krista, Heaven is not sectioned into classes like Earth. It is a paradise for all the souls that reside there."


    "Then why have you waited so long to talk to her?"


    "I felt she was entitled to grieve her loss," he said, clearly searching for an excuse.


    "That''s reasonable for the first year, but sixteen?" I said sarcastically. "I mean seriously, for an imposing Archangel, you sure can be a wimp," I teased.


    "Coming from a mere Guide, I do not take that as an insult," he teased which shocked the heck out of me.


    "Was that good old human sarcasm?" I asked, laughing hysterically.


    "Was that not an appropriate time?"


    "Heck yeah it was, but The Light''s not going to let you keep hanging out with me if I''m corrupting you," I said, still laughing.


    He shot me another rare smile. "You are similar to her in many ways you know," he said.


    "I am?" I asked, all laughter gone as I got a rare insight into Mark''s mom.


    "Yes. She was filled with light, just as you are. Always quick to smile and laugh, but could get¡­ sassy, as you call it," he continued, trying out the new word I had taught him a couple days ago.


    "Hey, I''m not sassy," I said smirking at him. "What else was she like?"


    My question sparked a floodgate of enthusiasm from Haniel. Suddenly, he began to talk non-stop about Mark''s mom in a tone more animated than I had ever heard from him. For the first time ever, I forgot that he was some mystical being that had been mingling between the earthly and heavenly realms for centuries. Seeing an Archangel talk about something with such passion was an experience in itself. His very essence sparkled like a diamond and the pure joy radiating off him was overwhelmingly contagious. His love was tangible and I drank it in like a tonic, awakening the section of my heart that had been numb for so long. There was none of the lost and lonely feelings of jealousy I seemed to feel around my friends lately. Instead, I was somehow inspired and completely drawn in by Haniel''s display of affection.


    Chapter 8


    "We better join the others," he finally said, looking at the setting sun.


    "Wow, what time is it?" I asked, glancing at my watch. "Oh my gosh, it''s almost five o''clock," I said, shocked that we had been talking for hours. I felt guilty for leaving my friends for so long. I hadn''t thought about poor John once the entire afternoon.


    "He is well," Haniel said, picking the words from my head.


    "Okay good. I still feel bad though. I should''ve been back at the camp helping out."


    "Your help was unnecessary. They have been busy strategizing tomorrow''s attack on Victor''s compound."


    Suddenly I was irritated. Had Haniel betrayed me by deliberately keeping me away from the others the entire afternoon?


    "Krista, I do not use ploys," Haniel said quietly. "Today was rare for me. If anyone neglected their duties, it was I. I allowed myself to interact like a human, forgetting my responsibilities."


    "Haniel, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it like that. I''m glad we talked today. Acting human is okay, believe me," I said, feeling ashamed of myself. Haniel had opened up and I corrupted it with my own selfishness.


    "I understand your frustrations Krista, but you must understand, ''The Light'' only wishes to protect you."


    "Why did he let me come then?"


    "Your Gifts were necessary to protect the others."


    "So, I''m like some kind of shield now?" I asked sarcastically.


    "Yes," he answered, not bothering to sugarcoat it. "Would you have preferred to let your Band handle the situation themselves?" He continued, making his point clear.


    "No," I answered quietly. Without me, my friends would have died the previous night, and even if they had somehow survived the bug swarm, John would have surly died from the bear attack.


    We walked the rest of the distance in silence as the responsibility of my Band members settled on my shoulders. We were just about back to the campsite when I finally asked the question that had been bugging me. "If I''m supposed to protect them then why am I being excluded from the rescue mission?"


    "The Light is unsure of the situation surrounding Victor''s compound. The Dark One has shrouded the entire site in darkness and The Light does not want to risk your life when we go in blind."


    "So, my friends and family are indispensible?" I asked indigently.


    "Not indispensible, but their lives are less precious than yours," he said in his normal spare-no-feelings kind of way.


    "That''s ridiculous," I said, stomping ahead of him.


    My sour mood lasted only about as long as it took to arrive back at the camp. Seeing my friends sitting around chatting warmed my heart, especially John and Kieran who were lost in each other''s arms on the far side of the campsite.


    "How''s he doing?" I asked Shawn and Sam as I sat down next to them on one of the rough logs.


    "Much better. You''d never guess he was mauled by a frikin bear earlier," Sam said, not even bothering to hide her awe.


    "So now you can walkie-talkie with Archangels too?" Shawn teased, nudging me.


    "Yeah, I guess so. It''s more like a paging thing. I just called for him in my mind and I knew he was on his way."


    "That''s freaking awesome Sis."


    I shrugged my shoulders, trying to be blas¨¦, but I had a hard time keeping a straight face.


    "Nice try, but even you can''t deny it''s way cool," Sam said, laughing at my attempt.


    "It is pretty cool, and it did help today," I said, looking at John meaningfully. "So, Haniel said you guys are heading in tomorrow night," I said, changing the subject.


    "That''s the plan. Haniel will accompany us once we hit the base of Victor''s lair."


    "I wonder what his plan is for me," I speculated.


    "You''re supposed to head back to the cars. That''s our rendezvous point in case anything goes wrong," Shawn said.


    I nodded my head. It made sense. "What about the campsite?"


    "Once everything is over, we''ll hike back up here to break it all down if we''re still alive," Shawn said.


    His words hit me like a truck. It was insane to think that by the time tomorrow night ended, I could be all alone.


    The injustice of the whole situation made me so angry. It wasn''t supposed to be this way. What good are my so-called gifts to my friends if they''re going in alone? I thought with a burning rage that consumed every available piece of my soul. First, Victor takes Mark, and now my friends may lose their lives also? How am I supposed to continue living if that happens? My hands began to shake uncontrollably and all I could see were blurred images.


    "Krista, can you hear me, what is it?" I could hear the faint sound of Sam''s voice and felt my brother''s hand on my arm. "Ow, damn!" He jerked away as I was finally brought back to consciousness from Shawn yelping in pain from the blazing touch of my rage infused skin.


    And just like that, the fire was gone. As quickly as it had engulfed me, I was able to snuff it out.


    "Damn Krista. What the Hell was that?" Shawn asked, cradling his sore hand.


    I didn''t answer him, but instead turned to Haniel who was studying me intently.


    "Another side effect of my hybrid status?" I asked confused. He simply nodded without saying a word.


    "That was bad ass," Shawn said, still shaking his hand.


    "Sorry about that. What did it feel like?" I asked curiously.


    "Like I had been burned by an iron, but look, you left no mark," he said, holding his hand up for me to inspect.


    I stepped closer, reaching out to grab his palm. My feelings were hurt when he stepped back away from me. "I have it under control. I won''t hurt you again," I said quietly.


    "Sorry, it''s just reflexes," he said, ruffling my hair. "What was all that about?" he asked, directing the question to Haniel.


    "Krista''s body is rapidly changing to accommodate her new gifts. Her emotions are now expressed differently than others."

 Page 9

    "Great, you mean now every time I feel any kind of emotion it''s going to be like a bomb going off or something?" I griped.


    "Not exactly; however, your influence can be felt by a mere touch of your hand. Humans only have the ability to express the superficial effects of their emotions. Such as, crying when you are sad or shouting when you are angry. Your gift, Krista, is an ability to express your emotions as a tangible force, the effects of which can be measured physically. Judging by Shawn''s reaction when touching you a moment ago, it is safe to assume you were angry. This is a virtue, Krista, not a punishment. When you realize the positive impact you are capable of with your gifts, you will fully understand your potential."


    I nodded my head, understanding his point.


    "When will I stop getting new gifts?" I asked, feeling like a freak.


    "You are not receiving new gifts, only discovering what you have become."


    "What do you mean what she has become?" Jaime asked, stepping up to stand beside me. "Isn''t she a Guide like the rest of us?"


    "No, she is no longer a Guide. She is now what The Light refers to as Ascended. She ascended from her role that she was created for into what she has become."


    "So, I am a freak?" I asked in a strangled voice.


    "Freak?" Haniel asked, rolling the foreign word off his tongue.


    "Like a leper," I said, trying to paint a picture he could understand.


    "A leper?" He asked in an alarmed voice. "No, Krista, you are not a freak or a leper. As I have stated before, you are a gift. As an Ascended, you are only one Heavenly Realm below an Archangel, which is why your powers are similar to mine."


    "Well, I don''t have the whole mind reading thing," I pointed out.


    "That is incorrect. This is merely another gift you have not yet realized."


    "You mean she''ll be able to read everyone''s minds?" Lynn questioned.


    "When she chooses to fully accept what she has become, yes."


    "That''s so frikin'' cool, Krista," Lynn said, looking at me like I had sprouted angel wings.


    "Yeah, I guess," I said, not entirely sure how I felt about my new status. Reading minds sounded cool, but did I really want to know what everyone was thinking.


    "It''s totally awesome," Sam said, practically jumping with glee. "Too bad we''re still not in school, we could have had some serious fun with that," she continued mischievously.


    Her words made us all laugh and soon everyone else was throwing out their own suggestions, each one becoming more and more outrageous. I watched from the corner of my eye as Haniel quietly left the camp. I was tempted to call him back and ask him the one question that still lingered inside me, but I fought the urge, scared of what his answer would be.


    Dinner was more quiet and subdued as we ate the most delicious stew I had ever tasted. It had been slow cooking over the fire the entire day. I wolfed down two bowls before my friends'' had finished their first. Skipping breakfast and lunch had left me famished and the savory flavor and heartiness of the stew filled my grumbling stomach.


    I watched my friends closely while I ate. I could feel their gambit of emotions over what they would be facing the following night. I used my new powers to smother out their erratic feelings and calm the mood. My interference did the trick and all the tension seemed to float away. Lynn smiled at me gratefully, knowing full well I was responsible for lifting the weight off their shoulders. I returned her smile, rising from my spot to rinse out my bowl with the water we had stowed in jugs and stored by the campfire.


    Sam and Lynn joined me with a stack of bowls they had collected. We made quick work rinsing them out and drying them off.


    "You girls ready?" Robert asked grabbing the clean stack of bowls from Lynn''s hands.


    "Yep, I''m bushed," Sam said, yawning exaggeratedly.


    "Me too! I woke up way too early this morning," I said, stifling my own yawn. It had been decided that our group would sleep first, that way I could be on hand during the middle of the night in case Victor sent in another attack. My accelerated powers gave us a sense of security since they had proven to be highly useful.


    I lifted the flap of the tent and crawled in first. After pulling my boots off, I slipped comfortably into my down sleeping bag. I was half asleep before my friends could get in their own sleeping bags. Sam mumbled a good night, but I was already halfway into a dream.


    My eyes blinked in the bright light. I could tell I was dreaming from the familiar haze that surrounded me. Everything else about the dream was foreign though as I took in my surroundings. Over the last few months, my dreams had been filled with an oppressive darkness that filled me with dread and threatened to smother me. And before that, my dreams had always taken place at dusk with the soft sand of our beach beneath my toes and the smell of the sea air tantalizing my nose.


    This dream was filled with bright sunlight and rough grass that tickled my feet as I walked. Looking down, I saw that I was wearing a long flowing white dress that wrapped around my ankles as the wind blew it back and forth. My hair whipped around my face making it hard to see. I reached back, dragging it over my shoulder and gathered it together in my hand, holding it into place. With my hair no longer a hindrance, I was able to take in my surroundings and realized I was standing atop a cliff that I could have sworn was the same one that held the hotel we had attended for prom. I turned in a slow circle, looking for the hotel, but it was as if it had been plucked off the cliff and placed elsewhere.


    As I finished my slow observation around, my heart lurched when I saw a lone figure standing at the edge of the cliff in front of me. The broad shoulders and windswept brown hair was as familiar to me as my own hand. My heart began to beat erratically, leaving my pulse racing when he turned to me and smiled the crooked grin that I loved so much. I knew with every fiber of my being that I was dreaming, but none of that mattered as I raced across the short distance to get to him. He gathered me into his arms, swinging me off my feet. I sighed in pleasure as his scent filled my senses. I buried my head into his neck relishing in the heat of his skin.


    "I''ve missed you," he said, startling me.


    "I''ve missed you too," I said, tilting my head so I could gaze into his eyes. "I''ve missed the way you feel and smell," I added, burying my head into the crook of his shoulder.


    "I''ve missed the way you feel too, but something seems off. You feel different somehow," he said, sounding puzzled.


    "What?" I asked, confusion clouding my voice. "Why?"


    "I don''t know, it''s like there''s no connection between us," he said, taking a step back to study me.


    I glanced behind him at the churning waves that beat relentlessly against the side of the cliff. His backward motion brought him inches from the cliff''s edge.


    I opened my mouth to warn him, but before I could get the words out, he took another small step backwards. In slow motion, I watched as he teetered on the edge, his arms flailing around trying to help recover his balance. I raced forward, reaching for his hand, but grasped only air as gravity pulled him backwards away from me. In an instant, he was gone, snatched from me once again. I stood at the edge of the cliff searching frantically for him, but to no avail. Tears burned a path down my cheeks and without hesitating, I stepped off the cliff. My scream tore its way out of me as I plunged toward the threatening rocks and waves below.


    My scream filled the small confines of the tent, waking my friends. I placed a hand over my mouth to muffle the sobs that ripped through me. The heartbreak of being separated from Mark, even in a dream state, was devastating.


    "Are you okay Sis?" Shawn asked, switching on the flashlight.


    I nodded my head, afraid that if I opened my mouth to speak, the screams I was so desperately trying to hold back would rise to the surface.


    "You sure?" He asked again, concerned. I nodded again, lying back down as I turned to face the nylon of the tent with tears running hot and fast down my cheeks. Shawn clicked the flashlight back off and the tent was once again immersed in darkness. I could hear the rustling of sleeping bags as the rest of my Band settled back down to get a few more hours of sleep.


    Soon, the sound of soft snoring filled the confines of the small dome tent. Eventually, my tears ran out and I could feel them drying on my cheeks. My dream shouldn''t have surprised me. I suspected when Haniel had made his announcement earlier that day about my new status of being Ascended, that Mark and I would never be the same. Even if the outcome of the battle my friends faced swung in my favor, my link with Mark was gone. For months, I had been trudging along, waiting for the moment that I could look into his eyes one last time and see if he really was Victor''s puppet. All my hopes and dreams had clung to the slim chance that it all could be fixed. My new role now had changed all that. Even if I was able to Guide Mark back to our side, he would no longer belong to me. By surviving our separation, I had ruined any chance of us ever belonging to each other.


    Chapter 9


    My own chattering teeth woke me up before dawn. I pulled my sleeping bag up to my chin, trying to ward off the chill. Squinting in the dim light I could see Lynn and Sam snuggled tightly in their sleeping bags also, but Shawn and Robert were nowhere around.


    I wonder why no one woke me up for my watch shift. I thought to myself, curiously. I grabbed my hoodie out from behind my head where I had been using it as a makeshift pillow. The heat from my head had kept it relatively warm and I sighed with pleasure as some of the morning chill dissipated when I slipped it on. I pulled my cheapo mittens out of the front pocket of my hoodie and stuck my icy fingers into them.


    My rustling around and chattering teeth woke Sam who was lying closest to me. "You okay?" She asked.


    "Yeah, just freezing my butt off," I grumbled. "Where are the guys?"


    "I know right. It''s flipping freezing. They took watch themselves. Shawn said we looked like we needed a good night''s sleep."


    "Oh, that was nice of them. I guess you didn''t put up much of a fight, huh?" I added teasingly.


    She grinned mischievously at me. "Heck no, it''s warmer in here."


    "I''m surprised they haven''t been in here yet to wake us up though," I said.


    "Good morning sleepy heads," Shawn piped in through the unzipped flap of the tent.


    Sam and I giggled together at his words. If I didn''t know him better, I would think I somehow influenced him to pipe in at that moment. But no, that was just my brother being a wise guy.


    "Hey, be a good boy and come in here and give me a kiss," Sam teased.


    "Good boy? What am I a dog?" He crawled into the tent and kneeled over her, using his tongue to lick her face.


    "Eww gross," She yelped.


    "I''m just giving you a taste of what it would be like to kiss a dog," he teased.


    The goofy expression on his face made Sam and me laugh as he let his tongue lull off to the side of his mouth like a dog would.


    "Sheesh, could you quiet down over there, some of us are still trying to sleep," Lynn mumbled in her usual morning cranky tone of voice.


    Sam and I laughed harder as Shawn nodded his head with his tongue still lulling off to the side.


    "Ugh," Lynn groaned, throwing her small travel pillow at us.


    The pillow bounced harmlessly off Shawn''s head, but not one to fall out of character, Shawn retaliated by sending a mock growl her way. He grasped the pillow between his teeth, shaking his head.


    Sam shook with laughter as he whipped the pillow back and forth, growling deep in his throat the entire time.


    "Okay stop, my side hurts," she managed to spit out between giggles. She reached up to pluck the pillow out of his mouth, but Shawn growled over his prize like a dog would.


    Lynn, and I, and now Robert, who poked his head in through the opening of the tent, howled with laughter as Shawn and Sam proceeded to have a tugging match over the pillow.


    "Enough," I said holding my own side that ached from my belly laughs. Shawn dropped the pillow and lavished one last slobbery kiss on Sam''s upturned face.


    "Fine, come on though, everybody''s up," he said, sauntering out of the tent.


    The four of us looked at each other and busted out laughing again. "Wow, I''m so jealous I''m not multi-talented like Shawn," Robert said helping Lynn to her feet.


    "I don''t want a dog babe, I prefer the whole angel rock star thing," Lynn said, shooting him a steamy look.


    I looked away uncomfortably at the sudden sexual current that had developed between them. Ugh, picking up that vibe with my new powers was definitely something I could live without, I thought to myself as I grabbed my boots and hastily climbed out of the tent, suddenly anxious to be outside.


    My dream nagged at me as I pulled on my boots outside of our tent. It was wonderful to see Mark again in my dreams, but to have him once again, snatched away in such an extreme manner, hurt. I would have sunk to my knees in agony if not for the fact that I was surrounded by an audience.


    "You okay Krista?" Jenna called out, spotting me by our tent.


    I plastered a smile on my face and headed toward where they were gathered.


    "Yeah, I was just pulling on my boots," I said shivering as a breeze blew through our campsite. "Holy Moley-Cannolie, it''s freezing out here," I griped.


    "It''s much better by the fire. Come sit over there with us," Jenna said, coming out of her tent with a small throw blanket. "I''ll even share my blankie with you."


    "Sounds good," I said as another shiver ran through me, making my scalp tingle. "Wow, those look like some serious snow clouds," I added, observing the ominous clouds that seemed to blanket the entire mountaintop.


    "Yeah, John thinks we''ll definitely see some snow today," Kieran said.


    "How is John this morning?" I asked.


    "Fit as a fiddle. Not a mark on him, and he said the ache he felt the majority of the day yesterday is completely gone. I can''t thank you enough for getting Haniel there so fast Krista," she said earnestly, grasping my hand between both of hers. "I know you''re unhappy with the changes you''ve had to undergo. I also realize what your biggest fear is, but I will always be grateful that you were there when John needed you the most," she added, giving me a quick hard hug.


    I nodded my head, not trusting myself to answer as unshed tears clogged my throat. I knew she was right, the changes my life had taken had allowed me to save our lives. I had been so focused on my own selfish pain and what I had lost, that I''d forgotten to look at the bigger picture. For months, my one goal was to get to Mark and find out the truth. Everything hinged on that moment alone. I would either have him with me or I would give up and let myself go. All of that had changed now. How could I deny what I had become and how could I put my own selfishness above my friends? I might never again experience a fraction of the love I had shared with Mark, but I was given a role that I could no longer ignore.

 Page 10

    "It''s what I''m made to do now," I finally answered Kieran, pulling my mind back to the conversation.


    Kieran looked at me closely, obviously trying to gauge how I was feeling, but I deflected her attempt without an effort. I was not ready for anyone to know the rollercoaster ride my emotions were on as I sorted through my new priorities.


    "Is Haniel around?" I asked, changing the subject before she could pry any further.


    "I haven''t seen him this morning. Do you need him for something?"


    "Yeah, I have something I need to run by him. I guess I can always page him," I said, shooting her a smile. My mind sent the message before the words could even leave my lips and within seconds, Haniel was striding through the woods toward our campsite.


    "Did you require my assistance?" He asked, stopping in front of me.


    "I was hoping we could go for a walk and talk," I said, making my point clear. My friends had stopped all their morning rituals at Haniel''s appearance and were all studying me intently. It became abundantly clear by their expressions that my nightmare the night before had woken more than just my friends in our tent. By the looks they were shooting my way, it was obvious they were expecting some kind of nervous breakdown from me.


    "I''m fine guys," I said, trying to reassure them. "I just need to iron some stuff out with Haniel."


    My words seemed to ease their stress a little, but I could still feel their stares boring into my backside as Haniel and I left the campsite behind.


    Instead of walking up toward the stream like the previous day, Haniel and I walked down the mountain until we hit another small clearing not too far from camp. The clearing was empty except for a lone boulder that was roughly the size of one of the cute Mini Cooper cars I loved. The boulder was smack-dab in the middle of the clearing and was covered with a soft blanket of moss that begged you to sit down. I scrambled up the side of the boulder and perched myself on the flattest spot I could find. The height of the boulder allowed me to make eye contact with Haniel from where I sat, which I felt was crucial for what I had to say.


    Haniel''s face was a blank slate and he watched me without saying a word. His blue eyes turned guarded as I finally turned to him.


    "Sooooo," I said, dragging out the word. "I guess you could say things are starting to look a little clearer for me today. For months now, in the back of my mind, I''ve held on to the fantasy that Mark allowed his father to alter his feelings to protect me. I thought all he would need to do is see me again and I would be able to help him find his way back, but I''ve come to realize that even if that proved to be true, our relationship will never be the same again." I said in a rush, trying to get all the words out before he could interject. "Because, I''m no longer a Guide, right?" I asked.


    Haniel nodded his head, letting me continue.


    "And Mark is no longer my Protector, right?"


    "That is correct."


    "If Mark can be saved, will his soul link with another Guide?" I asked, ignoring the phantom hand that seemed to grip my heart.


    "Your link was severed when Mark left with his father, eliminating what you were both created for in that instant. Mark is no longer a Protector; therefore, his soul will not link with any other Guide."


    "If I have become some mystical Ascended being, what has Mark become?" I asked, finally getting to the root of my questions.


    "That is yet to be determined. The Dark One has cloaked Victor and Mark well, leaving us unable to know their futures."


    "So, if Mark can be saved, he will be something else like me?" I probed.


    "Yes."


    "And that something could be very bad if we are unable to save him, right?"


    "That is correct."


    "So, in order to help the outcome tonight, I have to come with you." Haniel tried to reply, but I held up my hand. "Wait, let me finish. I understand why you and The Light may have felt cautious before. You were concerned that my feelings could jeopardize the lives of all the Links, I get that. But Haniel, this has become more important than just Mark and me. If Victor really has become what you say he is, I can''t let my friends risk their lives in that kind of danger without me. I could never live with that, and you can''t expect me to. If I have become an Ascended, they need me there," I said, finally laying all my cards out on the table.


    Haniel studied me appraisingly for a moment before answering. "You may accompany us," he said decidedly.


    I thought I misunderstood him at first, ready to pitch a fit if need be. His sudden consent threw me off, I had an entire second part to my speech all prepared about "how I could help save the lives of the Links while he dealt with Victor." I never expected him to cave so easily.


    "I can?" I asked in disbelief.


    "Krista, The Light has just been waiting for you to embrace your new role in this earthly realm. Your acceptance to whom and what you are was something you had to handle on your own. The Light knew if he allowed you to join the battle before you acknowledged who you are, the repercussions would have been disastrous."


    "Why?" I asked.


    "The Light believes that Victor would use your love for Mark against you if you went in there denying what you truly are."


    "Haniel, if Mark wouldn''t have gone with his father, would I have still changed into what I am now?"


    "Not in the sense you are asking. You were special, even as a Guide, and your powers exceeded the others, but you would have remained a Guide if Mark hadn''t left you," he said, sidestepping what I was truly asking.


    "What I mean is, did The Light make Mark leave me so I could ascend?" I asked.


    "Krista, The Light does not make individuals do anything. Remember when we discussed freewill?"


    I nodded my head.


    "Your freewill gives you the power to choose your destiny. Some things were written centuries ago. I cannot truthfully tell you if this was your destiny all along. I have not sought out the answer from The Light. I do not think knowing the truth will help you. You ascended because you survived where others have not. Always remember, you are not being punished, ascending is the greatest gift The Light could bestow on any soul."


    I pondered his words for a few minutes. For years, Mark''s presence in my dreams had given me peace and a sense of rightfulness. When those dreams turned to reality, my feelings increased tenfold. My heartbreak over losing him was crippling, but I wouldn''t trade the moments I had with him for anything.


    "So, this may have been our destiny all along?"


    He nodded his head.


    "Okay," I said, climbing off the boulder. "I still want to save him even if he no longer belongs to me. Not to mention the missing Links, taken from our band so long ago," I added.


    Haniel nodded his head and together we worked out a strategy for the upcoming night. An hour later, we had a solid plan in place.


    "We should convene with the others so we can help them prepare," Haniel finally said after we had exhausted every detail possible.


    "Sounds good," I agreed as I brushed the debris off my bottom from my makeshift seat.


    Haniel and I arrived back at the campsite and saw that the guys had been busy taking all the tents down and packing our gear. They had taken the oversized tarp that our tents had sat on and strung it over the fire pit, creating a shelter for all of us. I looked up at the sky and noticed it had become even more ominous while Haniel and I had been chatting.


    "Everything okay Krista?" Lynn asked as I joined her and the others under our temporary shelter.


    "Yeah, Haniel and I were just ironing out the details for tonight. He has agreed to let me come with you guys."


    "What?" Shawn asked, shifting into his big brother role. "I thought we all agreed it would be too dangerous for her to join us," he said, drilling Haniel with a glare as if I wasn''t there.


    "Hey, I''m standing right here, Shawn. You can direct your questions to me," I said, using a voice of authority that suddenly seemed second nature to me.


    I could tell by the shifting and sudden change in the emotions around me that my friends could clearly see a difference in me. By accepting the role as an Ascended, I had left the status of Guide behind and changed my Heavenly ranking. I could feel the difference and knew without a shadow of a doubt I had been created to lead the individuals in front of me.


    "Okay then, so what''s the new plan?" Shawn asked with all traces of anger gone.


    I glanced at Haniel. He nodded his head, giving me his approval to continue my new leadership role.


    "We''ll proceed as originally planned with one exception. Now we''ll split off into two groups. Jaime, Paul, Jenna, Keith, Lynn and Robert will go with Haniel. The rest of you will be with me. Haniel and I believe that the majority of the Daemons will be protecting the two Links Victor has kept hostage. Our plan is simple enough. Get in, grab them, and get out. Haniel says the Daemons Victor is using this time are the real deal. They''ll no longer be using humans as hosts, so they may be harder to defeat."


    "How do we do that?" Robert interrupted. "Are they like ghosts or something?"


    I turned to Haniel so he could answer Robert''s question.


    "No, they will have substance to them; however, they will not resemble anything you have ever seen before. Their outward appearance to an angel is appalling and grotesque. They come in all shapes and sizes, just as humans, but that is their only similarity. Daemons will use any means necessary to bring you down, they will try to gauge out your eyes, bite through your flesh and use their claws to rip through your skin. They will sneak up on you and attack when you least expect it. Your Guides will use their skills to pinpoint the Daemon''s locations for you; however, this is far more difficult when there are multiple Daemons in the vicinity."


    The panicked looks on my friends'' faces was evident as they digested Haniel''s somber words.


    "That''s why we''re splitting up," I said, trying to reassure them. "My powers will help deflect the worst of the attack towards my group, same goes for those of you that will be going with Haniel. The difference will be that your group will ''destroy and conquer,'' while mine will be on more of a ''rescue mission.''


    "How come Victor doesn''t need to use human hosts anymore to carry out his dirty deeds?" John asked, standing behind Kieran with his hands on her shoulders.


    "The Light believes that Victor has offered The Dark One something he deeply desires?"


    "And what is that?" Sam asked.


    "A part of a broken link," Haniel said quietly.


    I kept my face impassive as all of my friends looked at me horrified. "Yes, they believe Mark has also Ascended or I guess you could call it Descended," I said, looking at Haniel for confirmation.


    He nodded his head in agreement.


    "So, you think Victor has promised Mark to The Dark One? Why doesn''t he just create his own Descended spawn?" Sam asked, clearly disgusted.


    "Even The Dark One does not have such abilities. The Protector-Guide link, and subsequent Ascension for some, is an ancestral inheritance from one generation of Links to the next, not something that The Dark One can emulate. Control of a Descended soul would be a valuable treasure," Haniel explained.


    "Why doesn''t he just use Victor?" Kim asked in her usual soft voice.


    "Victor has his own agenda which is a possible explanation as to why he did not have complete support from The Dark One when he originally kidnapped Krista and Mark. The Dark One demands complete loyalty, without freewill. Had Victor already offered himself as a Descended to the The Dark One, Krista would not be standing here today."


    "I wonder why Victor would do that," Sam mused.


    "Do you not know the answer?" Haniel asked looking at her intensely.


    "Because Victor wants to be his own boss," I answered. "He doesn''t want to have to answer to anyone, not The Light or The Dark One. He is selfish and offered up his own flesh and blood so he could continue to prosper."


    "Krista is correct," Haniel said.


    "So, while Krista is leading us in to rescue our missing Links, you will be destroying Victor and his Descended?" Shawn asked, carefully skirting around using Mark''s name.


    "That would be correct." Haniel said without hesitation.


    Sam came over to stand next to me. She placed her arm around my shoulder, offering moral support at Haniel''s words.


    "I''m okay," I said. I hope he can be saved, even if we aren''t Links anymore.


    "What?" Robert asked, clearly confused.


    "Our Link was broken the moment Mark sealed his soul from mine," I said looking at Haniel for confirmation.


    Once again being of little words, he merely nodded his head.


    "So, all hope is lost?" Sam asked as her shoulders slumped.


    "One can always hope, Sam. That is the privilege that all those in the earthly realm are given. Hope is a powerful emotion that should never be given up on," Haniel affirmed.


    "Well, I don''t believe it," Sam replied stubbornly.


    "Sam, even if Mark isn''t a Descended, our Link is gone. We no longer belong to each other."


    Sam''s eyes filled with tears at my words, but I kept the wall I had erected around my heart firmly in place. "It''s fine guys. I''ve accepted my responsibilities as an Ascended and that''s what matters now. It''s my job to get us in there and rescue who we can," I said, addressing the group as one.


    My words seemed to open the flood gates and for the next hour we discussed strategies. I could tell my Band still wasn''t overly crazy about my part in the whole mission, but I stoically ignored their exchanged looks of concern.


    By lunchtime we were famished, but at least we had a solid plan in place. Kieran and Jenna made a mountain of sandwiches out of the last of the bread and supplies. I loaded up my plate with chips and one of the thick sandwiches, before I settled on one of the logs. I balanced the plate on my knees just as the first snowflakes began to fall.


    Glancing up at the sky beyond our protective tent, I could see that the heavy clouds had moved in over us and were rapidly dropping oversized snowflakes. The temperature drop from the night before made it so that flakes began to stack up on each other instead of melting, blanketing the area around us. I couldn''t help wondering whether this was a gift from The Light or a curse from The Dark One. I could see the perks of leading our attacks that night when Victor might have his defenses down, although a frozen snow covered mountain would prove difficult for escape if the battle took a turn for the worse.


    The conversations around me dwindled down as we finished our lunches, keeping our eyes on the snow that continued to fall. Each flake was roughly the size of a cotton ball making it tough to see much beyond our temporary shelter. The others did not voice their concern, but I could feel their mixed emotions rolling through the camp. Taking my new role to heart, I tampered their mixed emotions back easily and filtered them instead with courage and peace. The task was as easy as breathing to me and it felt second nature to do it.

 Page 11

    I had discovered the night before that it was almost painful to be surrounded by conflicting emotions. Unanswered questions swirled around in my head. Did Haniel feel the same pain I did from negative emotions? If so, does that mean I''m now more a part of the Heavenly Realm than the Earthly one? What would all of it mean when the night came to a close?


    Chapter 10


    The afternoon slowly drifted into the evening. As the clouds finally parted, the moon and stars shone brightly down on the snow that was more than a foot deep. The snow made the night lighter than it normally would have been from the whiteness that surrounded us.


    Haniel arrived as we were making our final preparations. He glanced at me appraisingly, obviously getting a feel for how I was feeling about the situation I would soon be facing. It amazed me how well I could read him now. I would have called it an out-of-body experience, but truthfully, I had never felt more in control of myself than I did at that moment. My heart still ached painfully for the love I had lost, but other things seemed bent on crowding that ache away. My love for my friends and their safety dominated every cell in my body. I could feel it radiating through me as the time of our departure loomed ahead.


    Haniel flashed me a rare proud smile as he read my thoughts.


    "The time has come," he said, addressing all of us.


    His words triggered a flurry of activity as the Protectors swiftly removed the tarp above our heads and wrapped it around the backpacks we had piled up near the campfire. It was decided that the only commodity we would carry were flashlights and pickaxes for protection. The rest of the supplies would only weigh us down.


    Once the packs were securely covered, Robert and Lynn came over to join Sam, Shawn and me. Lynn gave Sam a quick hug. "Be careful okay. Don''t go off on your own like you''ve been known to do."


    Sam blinked back tears. "I won''t, not like Shawn would let me even if I tried," she said, trying to lighten the mood as she stepped back and turned to her brother.


    "Stay safe," she said, choking slightly on the words.


    Robert nodded and pulled her in for a gentle hug. "We''ll see you soon," he promised, using his thumb to wipe away a tear from Sam''s cheek.


    Sam gulped back a half sob, burying her head in Shawn''s shoulder.


    Lynn turned to me, giving me her usual hard penetrating stare. "We need you," she said fiercely, giving me a hard hug. "Don''t forget that," she added, making her point abundantly clear.


    "I know, I promise this isn''t a suicide mission for me. Maybe a couple days ago it was, but all of that has changed now," I said, finally coming clean.


    She gave me one more probing look that softened when she could see the resolve on my face. Turning toward Shawn, she gave him a quick hug. "Take care of my besties," she said in an uncharacteristically strangled voice.


    "I will," he said solemnly, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.


    Robert pulled me in for a long hug without saying a word. I could feel his turbulent emotions as he glanced at us one last time before he and Lynn joined the other group. Sam''s eyes stayed locked on them as we watched the other Bands say their own goodbyes. Haniel and I had decided to split the Bands to help preserve the lineage of each group as much as we could. The chances of all of our members being completely decimated were slim, but the likely hood that all of us would survive was a pipe dream as well. Preserving even a small fraction of each Band was better than nothing.


    Haniel joined my group before we headed out. "You have the power," he said, looking at me intensely.


    I nodded my head. "I won''t let you down."


    "Follow Krista''s lead. She will not lead you astray," he told my group before he departed with his own group.


    We watched him and our friends trudge through the deep snow away from the campsite until they disappeared from sight. Their journey would take longer than ours since Haniel planned on taking them around the mountain to the back entrance of Victor''s lair. My group''s journey would be much easier with a straight path right up the mountain.


    "I guess we should head out," I told everyone, stomping my feet in hopes that the movement would get a little blood flowing to help the numbness.


    The Protector''s led us out of the campsite and the Guides and I fell in behind them. Jaime and Sam flanked my sides while Kieran and Amelia moved to the rear of the group.


    Hiking through the thick snow made talking difficult and within a few minutes we were all breathing heavy. "Sheesh, obviously super lungs isn''t part of my new powers," I gasped as I tied my windbreaker jacket around my waist and pushed up the sleeves of my hoodie.


    "Yeah, because being able to read minds, save people, and have an Archangel at your beck and call isn''t enough," Sam teased.


    Jaime laughed at her words. "Sam''s got a point Krista, besides if you''re so bent on wishing for new powers, I would wish for the ability to fly, that way you would already be there," she joked. Her remark made all of us girls burst out laughing.


    "Perhaps breathing would be easier without so much chatter," John said, using his voice of reason.


    Kieran mimed his words behind him, making us laugh even harder. It felt good to let go of the sadness we had all felt at the campsite.


    Our laughter wound up winding us though, so any further talk was put on hold as John led us up the mountain at a grueling pace. Thirty minutes later, we entered a pass that was somewhat flat and allowed us to catch our breath.


    "I would give my left arm to a starving zombie for a drink of water," Sam huffed as she worked to even out her breathing.


    "Suck on some snow," Kieran said, scooping up a handful.


    "Eww that''s gross," Sam said, wrinkling her nose up in disgust. "Who knows what you might be munching on."


    "Spoken like a true city girl," Paul joked. "Believe me, there have been many times that I''ve been hiking in Utah and have had to rehydrate with some good old-fashioned snow. It''s no different than drinking rainwater. Both come from the same sky."


    "I guess," Sam said, still looking slightly disgusted at the snow in her cupped hand.


    "He''s right Sam, my dad and I used to eat snow all the time in Montana. You just want to stay away from yellow snow," I teased.


    "That''s disgusting," she said before finally popping her handful of snow into her mouth.


    I giggled, getting a kick out of her expression. Suddenly, something felt wrong. There was something dark and evil close by. It felt like I was being submerged in water as my ears began to hum, sending my senses into overdrive. I scanned the perimeter of the pass with one glance, seeing nothing yet, but I knew they were there.


    "Over there to the right," I pointed. "They''re coming quick."


    The Protectors herded the Guides together, forming a tight circle around us. My stomach twisted as I recalled a similar time we had circled up like this and had failed. I quickly readjusted so that the guys formed a line in front of us instead. "This way you have more room to maneuver," I reasoned.


    "Krista, are you sure they''re coming? I''m not picking anything up," Kieran asked.


    "Absolutely sure, they''re coming from the east," I said, pointing to the trees in front of us.


    The guys tensed up at my words, waiting for the Daemons to enter the clearing.


    My senses tuned into the beasts that stalked us and I could feel their bloodlust as they got closer to the pass.


    Sam gasped beside me as she and the other Guides finally sensed the oncoming Daemons.


    My own breathing quickened when they entered the clearing. I swept the beam of my flashlight over each of them, shocked by the grotesque figures in front of me. Haniel had been too kind in his assessment of them. To say they were horrific looking would have been putting it mildly. Their heads were covered in multiple horns that rose grossly from their heads. Outwardly, they had a red tinge that I had always associated with what a demon would look like, but as they made their way toward us, I realized the reddish tint was more of an oozing bleeding mess. It was as if all their skin had been melted or peeled off. As grotesque as they looked, it didn''t come close to the stench that permeated the air around them. The only features that came halfway close to what I was expecting were their menacing glowing eyes that distorted their features even further.


    "Holy crap," Sam said next to me.


    "Pretty sure there''s nothing holy about them," I said dryly from the corner of my mouth.


    We all stood ready as the trio of Daemons approached my group. Their hoofed feet made the snow sizzle and melt where they stepped. My stomach turned as I realized that the offending stench they were emitting came from the smell of the burned skin that clung uselessly to their shapes. I couldn''t fathom how it remained there without completely falling off.


    "Protectors-s-s-s," One hissed, eyeing John, Paul, Shawn and Jacob. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve tasted human flesh,¡± another growled. They paced back and forth, eyeing us eagerly as if waiting for the command to charge.


    "Demon trash," Shawn countered, making the one closest to Jacob spit what looked like green slime in the white snow. The snow sizzled from the acid-like slime that melted its way down to the ground below. Sam and I exchanged horrified looks.


    ¡°Ooh, tough guys-s-s. Let¡¯s see how tough you are when I¡¯m sharpening my teeth with your bones-s-s. Or you,¡± it said, pointing to Sam. ¡°I will wear your intestines around my neck, prettiness-s-s.¡±


    The Protectors shifted around apprehensively in front of us, waiting for an oncoming attack. I could feel the slight panic and anxiety of our group like pins pricking me all over my skin. These Daemons were different than anything any of us had ever faced before. I had to do something or this mission would be over quicker than we thought. I closed my eyes and concentrated to filter the negative emotions I was feeling from my friends. I could feel the fear and doubt swelling up inside me as I focused, redirecting the pent-up energy towards the trio of on-looking attackers.


    The Daemons jerked back as if they had been electrified.


    One of them glared at me through the gap between Jacob and Shawn. "An Archangel?" It snarled apprehensively.


    "No!" I retorted without thinking. Instantly, I kicked myself, wondering if they would have left if they thought they were facing an Archangel.


    "Then what?" The Daemon furthest from me snarled.


    I clamped my mouth closed this time, stubbornly remaining silent.


    We watched in disgust as the three of them snuffed the air with what we could only assume were their noses. Each one protruded from their monstrous faces in a different size and shape, making it hard to decide which Daemon was the least attractive. As if to accentuate how disgusting they were even further, one of them reached up with its long talon covered fingers and scratched the side of its gourd-like nose. The razor sharp talon sliced through the skin on its nose, making it ooze a horrific burnt orange colored substance. My stomach turned over as it wiped the goo on the back of its hand and then licked it off with its long forked tongue.


    I could feel the fear and tension of my group rising again, and worked to filter their emotions with confidence.


    "You lie Angel girl. No mere Guide possesses that kind of power," the Daemon in front said, raking its claws across its forehead as if to wipe away sweat, but instead managed to slice through skin instead. ¡°Why does it matter what she is, we are superior,¡± another said belligerently.


    Sam snorted beside me.


    I looked at her astonished.


    "Seriously?¡± Who are they trying to fool? They don''t even know how to scratch their noses without maiming themselves," she laughed like I had never heard her before. The Daemon¡¯s red eyes burned even brighter as they hissed their distaste at her words. I was confused why she was egging them on, and could tell by the way that Shawn stiffened up, he was equally as shocked. I wanted to filter confidence into our group, but this was pushing it. Sam looked at me imploringly, nodding her head in the direction of one of Daemons.


    "Run along little doggies, I''m sure The Dark One didn¡¯t mean for his pets to get out," she said, taunting them more. Her words incensed them further, making them gnash their sharp teeth together, causing more liquid to pour from their mouths where their teeth pierced the scaly flesh.


    The more Sam taunted them, the more they tore at themselves in some sort of self-mutilating fit of rage. Now I understood what she was up to.


    Shawn finally understood too, ¡°You must not rank too high in the pecking order to be out here against mere humans,¡± he prodded, joining in on the mockery.


    "We are an asset to The Dark One," The Daemon on the left of me said in despair, jerking one of the horns off its head in frustration.


    "I''m sure you''re right, even The Dark One needs a gofer," John said condescended, joining in on the act. His words set the three Daemons in front of us into a frenzy. I watched in dismay as they gouged at their faces, scrapping their talons across the skin leaving a ragged mess behind.


    Their self-mutilating actions made my stomach twist and turn and I began to feel pity as I watched them shredding their faces. "You know, I think I actually feel sorry for you," I said kindly, trying to stop their pitiful downward spiral.


    "You dare speak to us with pity," the Daemon closest to me demanded. "You Angel wannabe bitch!" It spat at me enraged, taking off in a full sprint towards our group. Shawn acted quickly, jumping forward with his pickaxe already in hand. With accurate precision, he threw the ax, burying it in the charging Daemon¡¯s head, sending it sprawling backwards. The remaining two Daemons were sent completely over the edge, tearing themselves completely apart until only a mess of their former selves remained. The leftover body pieces smoldered in the snow in front of us, emitting a smell that burned the inside of our noses.


    My friends and I stood around the smoldering mess, astonished. After a few moments the pile was reduced to nothing but ash. A breeze blew across the clearing sending the black ash swirling away from us, swallowed up by the night sky. The demise of their glowing bodies plunged the clearing back into darkness requiring all of us to use our flashlights to see.


    "Talk about wacked-out," Shawn said, retrieving his ax from the burnt marks on the ground the trio left behind. "Surely killing Daemons can''t be that easy."


    "We can only hope, although you¡¯re pretty handy with that ax." John said.


    "Yeah, you looked like Roger Clemens, the way you whipped that in there,¡± Jacob commented.


    "I think they were just a test, things will get tougher." I said, breaking into the guys'' chatter.

 Page 12

    "What do you mean a test?" Amelia asked.


    "I think The Dark One is trying to figure out if I really am an Ascended. I''m guessing the next attack will be a lot different than that one. Now he has the information he was seeking," I said matter of fact.


    "How do you know all that?" Sam asked curiously.


    "I''m not sure, but I just know. Ever since becoming an Ascended, I see certain things with insight and clarity. I only have to think about something for a moment before I can completely see into the situation."


    "Wow, that''s intense," Sam said, awestruck.


    "Tell me about it, having everything laid out so completely in front of me is a surreal feeling."


    "We should get moving," John said, using the beam of his flashlight to illuminate the forest in front of us.


    "I would avoid eating that snow," Shawn teased Sam as we walked around the spot where the Daemons had self-mutilated themselves.


    His teasing made all of us crack up.


    "Ya think," Sam said, giving him a light nudge in the back of his knee, making his leg collapse out from under him. It was hilarious watching Shawn trying to steady himself so he wouldn¡¯t land face first into the undesirable spot.


    "Sorry babe, I couldn''t resist," Sam said, still chuckling.


    "Well, you know what they say about payback," he said, shining the flashlight on his face, making himself look sinister.


    "I''m holding you to that," Sam said solemnly.


    Her words jerked us back to reality as Shawn returned her look intensely.


    "You can bank on it honey," he said huskily, reaching back to squeeze her hand.


    After a moment he turned back around, stepping back in line with the other Protectors. Sam''s shoulders slumped as she let her worry settle back in. I reached over to grab her hand and gave it a small squeeze to comfort her.


    "I will get you two out," I said quietly, for her ears only. Haniel and I had gone over worse case scenarios earlier that morning and we had decided that if things got hairy, I was to save whatever linked pair I could. I loved every Guide and Protector, but I could not choose any of them over my own brother and Sam, who I loved like a sister. Haniel had given me an escape clause that could be used in the direst of circumstances, but I would only be able to take one linked pair with me. I was skeptical at first when he laid it out for me, but everything Haniel had told me up to this point had been proven true.


    Sam opened her mouth to ask how, but I cut her off by a small shake of my head. She clamped her mouth closed, but I could see the turbulent thoughts floating around in her head. She was worried for Robert and Lynn. I could see their faces among her thoughts. I had already gone round and round earlier with Haniel over this issue and knew that this was the only way. I loved them all dearly, but I had to make a choice. My struggle with the decision was the reason Haniel had decided splitting up the Bands was the best course of action. By keeping Lynn and Robert with him, I would not be forced to choose if it came down to it.


    We continued on, hiking in silence, keeping the beams from our flashlights pointed to the ground to help guide us over the treacherous terrain. The air around us carried an evil essence that shrouded the mountaintop. The moods of my friends began a downward spiral as it began to eat at them the higher we climbed. Instead of controlling their moods, I instead focused my attention on shielding them from the essence. I found this method much more to my liking. Filtering their emotions was fine, but actually keeping the evil from ever touching them was a more acceptable approach for me. In the beginning, I worried that the negative energy I was fighting would sap my own energy supply away, but I realized that the closer we came to our destination, the stronger I felt. Fighting evil was clearly what I was created for.


    I was jerked away from my thoughts when I ran smack into the backside of my brother. The impact sent me sprawling backwards into the powdered snow. I had been so lost in my thoughts and keeping my eyes on the path in front me that I had missed everyone coming to an abrupt stop.


    "Sheesh Krista, I thought you were like some graceful celestial being," Shawn ribbed me as he reached out a hand to help me up.


    "Obviously, I missed that memo," I grumbled, brushing the snow off my backside before it could melt further. "Why did we stop?"


    Instead of answering me, Shawn merely cut his eyes to the left. Following his gaze, I could see we had finally reached Victor''s lair. To say it was disappointing was an understatement. I had been expecting a massive industrial-style building, much like where Victor had once held me hostage. Instead, Victor had used a natural cave to build his fortress in. The entrance was a nondescript, heavy, metal door that was obviously custom made to fit in the space it occupied. The exterior of the door was painted in a type of camouflage pattern to help it blend in with the rest of the surrounding area. Of course, the small helicopter that occupied the only flat surface around made that a moot idea. Lurking outside the door were four fiery creatures, obviously waiting for our arrival.


    "What do we do?" Sam breathed into my ear.


    I shook my head. Something about the way the Daemons held themselves made in clear that we would not get off so easy this time around.


    "Come out come out, we know you''re there," one of them boomed in a voice that echoed off the mountaintop.


    Before we could respond, two of them left the small clearing. They split off in separate directions, one on the right of us, while the other entered the woods to our left. These Daemons were clearly smarter than the three we had reduced to ash in the woods, and far from the mindless human host occupying Daemons that we had faced in the past. These four had a plan. They were herding us together.


    Chapter 11


    Shawn stepped out from seclusion, facing the Daemons, while keeping the Guides hidden from sight. John, Jacob and Paul disappeared into strategic positions among the trees to protect us from some kind of flanking attack.


    "All of you," the second Daemon growled.


    "I don''t think so," Shawn retorted.


    "You dare defy us Angel," the first one sneered belligerently, stepping closer to Shawn.


    I cringed when I saw the difference in their heights. For months, I had been surrounded by the oversized builds of the Protectors, so seeing one of them being towered over was discerning. Their forms were much like what we had faced in the clearing, although their massive bulk made them even more intimidating. I admired Shawn''s fearless outward appearance, but I couldn''t help the shiver that raced up my spine.


    "You heard me," Shawn said, looking up at the Daemon, unafraid. Sam gasped beside me, and I placed a restraining hand on her arm when she took a step forward.


    "Watch your tongue boy. You will kneel in our presence."


    "I don''t see any wings. I only kneel to those that have wings," Shawn mocked.


    The Daemon raised its long scaly arm, striking Shawn on the side of the head. Shawn staggered forward unsteadily, but remained on his feet. The other Daemon made a coughing noise that took me a moment to figure out was actuality a laugh. The first Daemon moved in closer and grabbed Shawn by his hair, forcing him to his knees. Sam gasped beside me and it took all my strength to hold her back.


    I had a firm grasp on Shawn''s thoughts and knew this had been planned.


    "There you see. It wasn''t so difficult to kneel after all, was it?" His cockiness prevented him from seeing the knife Shawn had pulled from his boot. Shawn used the Daemon''s grasp on his head to his advantage, plunging the knife deep into its stomach. Blackish liquid poured from the exposed wound. The Daemon released its grip on Shawn and dropped to its knees, roaring in agony. Shawn moved forward and buried the knife into its head. The other Daemon reacted, moving toward Shawn, but was stopped in mid step as a knife flew from the trees, burying deep into the back of its head. Jacob stepped out from the trees and pulled the knife from the wound. He swiped it across the Daemon''s neck, sending its head rolling aside. I felt bile rise in my throat that I had to swallow back as I watched Shawn decapitate the same Daemon he had just taken down.


    I released my hold on Sam, letting her and Kim race to Shawn and Jacob''s side. Jacob maneuvered his body in front of Kim, shielding her from the gruesome sight on the ground.


    Kieran, Amelia and I walked out from the cover of the trees, joining them.


    "Do you think John and Paul are okay?" Amelia asked anxiously.


    "I''m sure of it, but I''ll look for them if they don''t show back up in the next few minutes. They wanted to draw the other Daemons as far away from you girls as they could." Jacob said, watching the dead bodies of the Daemons begin to burn on their own. Haniel had explained that they would burn before they were reclaimed by The Dark One. We watched in morbid fascination as the flames grew, and then as swiftly as it began, the fire was extinguished and the bodies were gone.


    "Nice plan," I finally said, looking at Jacob and Shawn.


    Yeah, but next time I don''t want to be the bait," Shawn said, gently touching his blistered cheek where the Daemon had hit him.


    I gasped when I saw the angry burn mark across the whole left side of Shawn''s face.


    "He burned you?" I asked appalled.


    "Yeah, Haniel told us their touch is like liquid fire."


    "When did he say that?" I asked, mad that I had been kept out of the loop.


    "A couple nights ago when we first headed out. I guess he figured we would be the ones physically fighting these things, so we needed to know."


    "For good reason," Kieran said, anxiously shining her light into the dark forest beyond us.


    "I''ll go look for them," Jacob said, seeing Kieran''s worried expression.


    "Look," Sam said, pointing toward the beam of light that was moving toward us.


    John and Paul exited the forest together, but it was obvious by the way Paul was hunched over holding his side that he had been hurt. We raced toward them as Paul sank to the ground in pain.


    Amelia laid Paul''s head onto her lap while I carefully opened his jacket. The guys shined the flashlights on him so I could see his injury. Amelia gasped and started crying earnestly when she saw his stomach laid open by four deep gashes that were each over a foot long. Kieran knelt beside her, placing an arm around her quaking shoulders.


    "Should you call Haniel?" Sam asked me, her eyes swimming in tears.


    "It won''t do any good, Haniel can''t heal Daemon wounds. That''s why he couldn''t help us in June," I said, trying to keep my voice low so Amelia wouldn''t hear.


    "Will he die?" Amelia asked, hearing me after all.


    "I don''t know," I answered honestly. "Shawn, run over to the helicopter and see if you can find a first aid kit. John and Jacob, try to move him over there to flatter ground," I pointed.


    I followed behind them, rolling up my sleeves as they carried Paul gently to the spot I had indicated. Sam and Kieran used long bushy branches to clear away some of the snow before he was laid down. Shawn joined us with a first aid kit and a bottle of water he had found in the helicopter.


    "Shine all the lights on his stomach so I can get a good look at what I''m doing," I ordered, once again stepping into my leadership role naturally. I peered down critically at his shredded belly, preparing for the worst. Shawn poured the water over the tattered flesh to wash away the blood and debris as much as possible. Paul¡¯s arms flailed, connecting with my left cheek and sending me backwards on my butt. My vision blurred from the impact and I shook my head trying to gather my bearings.


    ¡°Krista! Oh, my God, are you okay?¡± Sam asked, running to my side.


    "Crap that hurt!¡± I said, climbing back up on my knees. ¡°Um, I think maybe you guys should hold him down while Kim, Sam and Kieran hold the lights," I said with a shaky voice.


    "Are you okay, Sis?" Shawn asked.


    "I''m sure yours hurts more than mine," I said, indicating the bubbled skin on his left cheek.


    "Okay, let''s try that again," I said, making sure Paul''s arms and legs were firmly held down before I dumped the remaining water over his wound. The vise like grip of the Protectors kept him from thrashing around and I was finally able to get a good look at his wounds. I smiled in relief when I saw that although they were ugly and ragged, they were not nearly as bad as the mauling John had taken from the mother bear attack. Where John''s wounds had flowed copiously until Haniel healed him, Paul''s wounds leaked only trace amounts of blood. Peering closer, I could see that the skin in most places had cauterized itself closed. The fiery touch of the Daemon had actually saved Paul''s life. I opened the first aid kit and pulled out the tube of antibiotic cream. Using it liberally, I squeezed it onto the sections of his injury that still oozed blood and pus. Once the tube was completely empty, I instructed the guys to hold him up off the ground so Sam and I could wrap the roll of gauze around his abdomen.


    Once he was settled again on the ground, I turned toward to Amelia. "I¡¯m no doctor, but I think he''s going to be okay," I said, giving her a quick hug. "His blood loss looked minimal since the heat of the Daemon¡¯s claws actually cauterized the injury as it slashed him open. We just better keep an eye on any infection before we can get him to a hospital."


    "Oh Krista, are you sure?" Amelia asked, afraid to believe.


    "I''m positive," I said, reassuring her. "Guys, let¡¯s carry him to the bench seat in the helicopter so he''s off the ground. Amelia, you should stay with him until we take care of Victor. If anyone¡ªor¡ªanything goes through that door, besides us, make sure you duck down and hide. If morning comes around and we''re not back, use the radio in the helicopter to call for help," I instructed her before giving her another hug, replenishing her mixed emotions with peace.


    John and Jacob helped get Amelia and Paul settled while the rest of us waited by the door, silently.


    "Sis, you are one badass," Shawn finally said, breaking the silence.


    Sam giggled next to me. "I was thinking the same thing, she''s like a mini Haniel."


    "Oh hush," I said, flushing slightly in embarrassment.


    "She''s right. The way you take control is amazing. If I didn''t know better, I would have thought you were a medical student, the way you knew how to take care of Paul," Shawn boasted.


    I shrugged my shoulders. Everything seemed so second nature to me now that I hadn''t even considered how I had known exactly how to deal with Paul''s injuries. It was like my mind had a direct pipeline into an information bank.


    "Ready to go?" I asked, still slightly embarrassed as John and Jacob joined us.


    "After you boss," Shawn teased, ruffling my hair. "Kidding. You may be a badass, but you still have to walk behind us," he said protectively.

 Page 13

    "Aye aye captain," I said, falling in line with Sam, Kieran and Kim.


    ¡°So, how are we supposed to get in?¡± John asked, staring at the large imposing door in front of us.


    ¡°You know what, just try opening it¡ªcarefully though,¡± I said suspiciously.


    John cautiously pulled the huge metal door, surprised to find it unlocked.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± I said. ¡°He knows we¡¯re here so he¡¯s screwing with us. Everyone be ready for anything.¡±


    I blinked my eyes in the sudden brightness that greeted us. After using flashlights as our only light source for the last few hours, stepping into so much light was unsettling. I peered over Shawn''s shoulder at the long industrial hallway in front of us.


    "Um, that''s a little creepy," Sam said, eyeing the long empty expansion in front of us.


    I had to agree with her. Everything was quiet¡ªtoo quiet considering Victor knew we were here.


    "What you were expecting, dungeons or something?" Shawn asked.


    "That would have been more appealing than this," she said, running her hand over the pristine white walls.


    "It takes time and manpower to build something like this, so I''m wondering where all that manpower is hiding," I questioned.


    "I''m guessing that way," John said, indicating the space beyond the hallway.


    "Yeah, I gathered that much,¡± I said sarcastically, ¡°but I''m not overly crazy about us walking into an ambush."


    "What choice do we have?" Shawn asked.


    "I know, I''m just saying," I said, cutting my eyes back toward the door.


    "Come on, let''s go," I said, taking control over the situation.


    My command prompted the group forward with the Protectors slowly leading us down the long hallway. I focused all my attention on trying to get a feel for the space in front of us. I could make out the presence of multiple Daemons in the vicinity, along with a dark evil essence that I hoped was only Victor. It was stronger than it had been in June, so either he was seriously more powerful, or I was sensing someone else with him, someone with the same dark emotions. My heart lurched slightly at the thought that it most likely belonged to Mark. Shrouded by the dark cloud of evil, I could also feel something else. Something like a beacon of light amidst a dense fog. It was faint, but it was definitely there.


    It had to be the missing pair from our Band, I thought in satisfaction. Our rescue mission was not a waste. We would be saving what was stolen from us so many years ago.


    I can handle this, I thought just before all the light above our heads went off.


    Chapter 12


    Sam screamed next to me as the massive door behind us slammed closed with a resounding bang. The darkness was so immediate, it left us all frantically trying to turn on our flashlights, but to no avail. For some reason, they wouldn¡¯t work.


    "What the Hell!" Shawn said loudly, making me jump.


    His words acted like a catalyst in the hallway. Warm bursts of air moved rapidly around the space where we stood, bumping us from all sides. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as Sam screamed again.


    "Everyone be quiet," I commanded, trying to get a gauge of what kind of evil surrounded us. "They''re poltergeists," I told my friends, trying reassure them.


    My words ceased the movement around us. "How do you know this angel girl," something breathed in my ear.


    "What else would use these kinds of parlor tricks to try to scare us," I taunted.


    My words triggered the response I was hoping for. The dark hallway filled with glowing light as the ghosts made themselves visible in front us.


    "Parlor tricks indeed. How I would love to get inside that body of yours. Care to let me in?¡± he asked as if trying to be charming.


    I cringed when I caught a whiff of his rank fiery breath.


    "Try it and I¡¯ll fry your already dead soul,¡± I said, trying to sound threatening. I wasn¡¯t even sure my powers would work on a poltergeist.


    "Ooh, still tempting,¡± he said, flying around the room, bouncing off every wall.


    I focused heavily on the ghost as he sauntered around the room. What I was sensing was different than the emotional energy of living souls, but still something I felt I could manipulate.


    "The Dark One would be angry for sure,¡± he sang as he pranced around in circles. ¡°Oh, but this is too good to pass up,¡± he continued.


    He was moving so quickly, it was difficult to maintain a read on his energy.


    ¡°No guts, no glory,¡± he said, flying up into the air in a summersault before making a beeline straight for me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!" I screamed, putting my hands up in front of me to try and protect myself.


    The poltergeist came to a dead stop in mid-air, inches from my face. He was hanging there helplessly, unable to move. I moved my hands and stared directly into his translucent eyes.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he griped, trying to break free from the unseen force keeping him bonded. I continued my focus, using my power to keep him frozen. There were no human emotions to focus on, but I could sense a change in his force. The more I concentrated on that force, the brighter he illuminated.


    ¡°Noooooo!" He blared as he lit up like a bolt of lightning, disappearing into nothingness, leaving us in darkness once again.


    "I wonder where the rest went," I asked, expecting my friends to answer. ¡°Guys, are you okay?¡± I asked, getting no response. I was so wrapped up with the poltergeist, I hadn¡¯t noticed where my friends went, but they were definitely missing. A cold dread suddenly gripped me. Some Ascended I was, I thought. I had allowed my friends to be snatched right out from under me. I sank down to my knees as the full impact of it hit me. I was utterly alone in the dark hallway. I started to hyperventilate when I realized the connection between my current predicament and the dreams that had been haunting me for months. The air around me thickened and I could feel the darkness pressing down on me.


    After several minutes, I was finally able to get a grip on myself. This was different. I knew the dimensions of the hallway and also knew that I wouldn''t fall into some unseen abyss. Sure, I didn''t know what awaited me at the end of the hallway, nor did I know what had happened to my friends, but I was also a different person now.


    I pulled myself up off the ground and slowly started walking forward. I kept my hands out in front of me to help alert me to any obstacle I might encounter. My pace was slow and cautious as I continued to proceed down the long narrow space. I used my gifts to see if I could sense the location of my missing friends, but felt nothing. This was not the way the plan was supposed to go. We had allowed ourselves to walk into an ambush. The question is why had Victor left me in the hallway alone? And why did he feel the need to mess with me?


    "Because I can," his voice whispered in my ear, making me shriek in fright. Whipping around, I stuck my arms straight out to ward off a possible attack.


    "Where are you, coward?" I yelled, angry that I was once again at his mercy. I turned back around and raced down the hallway, away from the voice, back where I knew there was a way out. I allowed panic to get hold of me and in my mad dash to get away I crashed headfirst into an unseen obstacle.


    My head reeled from the blow as I slumped down into unconsciousness.


    A bright light shining in my face finally pulled me out of the black oblivion I had sunk into.


    "Why is it I''m always the one knocked unconscious?" I griped to myself, attempting to sit up. My head spun and my stomach threatened mutiny. I closed my eyes briefly to gather my bearings.


    "What the heck," I muttered, finally able to focus my attention on my surroundings. My eyes widened in disbelief as I took in the room I was in. I had seen this space months ago on a monitor in Victor''s lab. This was where Victor kept our missing Links. I swept my eyes around the space, taking in everything in the room. My eyes skittered over the delicate furnishings that sat on the elegant oversized Oriental rug that highlighted the antique look of the room to a tee. The fact that it was hidden within a mountain was another story. The room was actually beautiful if not for the overwhelming sense of evil emitted throughout. I continued to scan the room, taking in each elegant detail. My heart jumped to my throat when I spotted two individuals on the far side of the room, studying me. I instantly recognized them as the Links I had seen on the monitor in Victor''s lab. What a relief to find them not only safe, but also in obvious good health. I had harbored gruesome thoughts at the torture Victor was possibly inflicting on them. My relief was short lived when a third individual partially stepped out of the shadows on the far side of the room. A face as familiar to me as my own peered at me from the shadows.


    I had dreamed of this moment for months as my eyes greedily took in his appearance. His hair was longer than before and he looked too lean, but other than that, his appearance was just as I had remembered it. I longed to search his eyes, but the shadows where he stood prevented me from seeing them. I couldn''t help sending my emotions toward him, searching for the link we had once shared, but my emotions were deflected back almost instantly. I swallowed back tears. I knew our link was gone, but I had so hoped that I would somehow be able to reach him. It was obvious now by the way he deflected my emotional probe that he was forever lost to me.


    I now knew why I felt the presence of pure evil in the room.


    Mark was a Descended.


    Standing up, I ripped my eyes from his and moved them to the pair of links we had come to save. I met the kindhearted eyes of the brother Lynn had never met. I smiled, hoping to reassure him. Finally, I turned my attention to Mark''s sister. For months, my focus had been on saving her once we lost Grace and Faith. It had become crucial that we save at least one of the softhearted Guides that The Light had blessed each Band with. My eyes met hers, expecting the same warmth her Link held, but was shocked when I saw the calculating look in her eyes.


    "For a supposed, Ascended you''re awful slow," she said in a hard voice that didn''t match her appearance.


    Realization crashed into me as I used my new gifts to study her.


    Someone was indeed evil in the room and it wasn''t Mark.


    Chapter 13


    I swept my eyes back toward Mark and could clearly see what I had missed. Mark was not standing in the shadows avoiding me, nor was he blocking his emotions from me. I could just barely make out the metal cuff that surrounded his ankle. It had to be attached to some kind of power source that kept him from leaving the area.


    "You blocked my emotions from him?" I asked incredulously, still reeling in shock.


    "Of course I did stupid. I didn''t want to miss out on watching you figure it out. I do have to admit, I¡¯m a little disappointed at how long it took you to put the pieces together. The way father has been singing your praises, I expected something more," she said, eying me disdainfully.


    "Now now dear, I''ve told you before, cattiness is not a human trait I admire," Victor said, stepping into the room. "Well Krista, look at you all grown up in your new leadership role. If I was partial to those still in the Heavenly Realm, I would say it looks quiet lovely on you," Victor said, eyeing me in a way that instantly made my stomach curdle.


    Victor had always been a power freak and his shallow admiration towards me wasn¡¯t so shocking.


    I heard a growl of outrage behind me as Victor continued to drink in my presence.


    Though it was irrational and the worse possible moment, but I could not contain the surge of joy that shot through me as the growl of disgust filled the room. Turning around I saw that Mark had moved out into the open as much as his electronic jail cell would allow.


    My heart crashed violently inside me as I finally searched into his eyes which were nothing like the last time I had looked into them. Gone were the dead, lifeless eyes that haunted my waking moments. Instead the liquid chocolate brown shined brightly back at me.


    "Well isn''t this heartwarming," Mark''s sister said.


    "Tsk-tsk, Harmony, cattiness," Victor admonished her gently. His affection for her went against every conceived notion I had of him.


    "I am capable of affection Krista, after all, she reminds me so much of myself at that age," Victor said, picking my thoughts from my head.


    I cringed and securely closed the door surrounding my thoughts to stop any further intrusion.


    "You did this to her?" I asked, sickened by his words.


    "This was my wish for all of you," he said, eyeing Mark with obvious disgust. "Imagine the power I would have held.¡±


    "You would give your own flesh and blood to The Dark One?" I asked, not bothering to hide my disgust.


    "It¡¯s an honor," Harmony said, sneering at me.


    I shook my head, looking at her with pity. She was just another pawn that The Dark One and Victor were using.


    "Don¡¯t give me your pity Krista, I¡¯ve spent years perfecting my gifts. Haven¡¯t you even wondered why you haven''t been able to connect with your precious Link all these months? That was my doing. I¡¯ve blocked every attempt either of you have made, cutting both of you off. I broke your Link just like father requested," she said gleefully, gloating in her deeds that had destroyed my link with Mark.


    I expected anger to well up in me at what she had done, but my pity for her only increased as I clearly saw the disillusions Victor had been feeding her for years.


    "Oh my God, I said I don''t need your pity, Angel whore," she said, spitting the words at me.


    "Harmony dear, you mustn''t let her get to you like that. Come along my dear. We shall leave her alone with something that no longer belongs to her," he said, indicating Mark in the far corner.


    I felt disgust flowing through me at his referral of Mark, like he was nothing more than an innate object or something.


    "Mason, here," Harmony commanded. I watched with shocked curiosity as her link rushed to her side like a puppy, shooting me an almost apologetic smile.


    The door slammed closed behind them, leaving me alone with Mark for the first time in months.


    I slowly turned around, cautiously eyeing him. Unanswered questions burned through me. If Harmony had been blocking our emotions for all these months, did that mean Mark regretted his decision to leave me? And if he did, how did he feel about our Link being broken?


    Without meeting his eyes, I slowly walked toward him. I knew that I should be using my time to reach Haniel and figure out where my friends were, but for the moment I shut all of that out. I was just an ordinary girl seeing her ex-boyfriend for the first time since a terrible break-up. I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans as I stood a foot from him. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally worked up the nerve to lift my gaze to meet his. My heart constricted as his chocolate brown eyes drank in my appearance. I was dying to know what he was thinking and knew that I could have picked his thoughts from his head effortlessly, but I did not feel right invading his privacy that way. Our Link was completely gone and yet, I found myself drawn to him like never before. I smiled at how wrong Victor had it. He had always assumed that as a Guide and Protector, you lost all your freewill, but here I stood, no longer a Guide, and I was still taken with the boy that stood before me.

 Page 14

    "Krista," he said, lifting a hand as if to touch my cheek, but jerked back as an electric shock raced through him.


    I stepped forward to help him, but was knocked backward on my butt as my hand encountered an electric current.


    "What the heck is that?" I said, standing up to rub my sore bottom.


    "It''s an electric cage," Mark said, pointing to the voltage boxes lining the perimeter. "As long as this is turned on," he said, indicating his ankle bracelet, "I can''t leave and no one can enter."


    I moved closer to his space, eyeing the voltage boxes warily. He sat down on the floor as close as he could get without getting shocked. I did the same sitting directly in front of him.


    "You''ve Ascended," he said, after a few minutes of silence.


    I nodded my head, not wanting to admit that we had all assumed he had Descended.


    "It suits you well. You''ve never looked more beautiful."


    I grimaced at his words, since I was sure I pretty much looked like pond scum. I had dried Daemon blood on my pants and who knew what else.


    "You left." I said, no longer able to contain myself.


    He studied me for moment before finally answering. "He told me you believed I left you on my own freewill, but I didn''t believe him. I could have never left you. How could you believe that? Didn¡¯t I show you countless times how I felt about you? I didn''t break our Link Krista. You did by buying into his lies."


    I jumped to my feet indignantly. "I didn''t break our Link, you left me." I said, louder than I intended. "You told me you were doing what was right, that we all should have our own freewill."


    "Krista, I never said any of those things," he said quietly.


    "Yes you did, everyone heard you," I said, choking on a half-sob.


    "Krista, I didn''t say those things because I was no longer there."


    "What?" I asked, sinking down on the floor as an awful truth began to creep over me. "Tell me you¡¯re not saying what I think you are." I pleaded in a whisper.


    He nodded his head.


    The room began to spin. How had I let this happen? Mark never said those things because he was not in possession of his body. Victor had used the time I was unconscious to use Mark''s body as a human host. The lies that left his mouth had been orchestrated by Victor. He was right, he didn''t break our Link, nor did Harmony. By believing Victor, I alone had broken our Link.


    I bowed my head as sobs racked though me. I had done this.


    "Krista, look at me," he pleaded.


    I lifted my tear streaked face. "Krista, I think it was all meant to be. Haniel had spoken many times about how special you are. How you would do great things. I believe The Light always planned for you to be an Ascended."


    "But, what about you?" I asked, sickened by what I had done.


    "I don''t know," he said, sounding defeated for the first time. "Harmony hasn''t allowed me a moment alone with my emotions for the last two months. By keeping me contained though, it¡¯s only served to make her stronger. I''m surprised they''re allowing even this, but I''m sure my father has some hidden motive."


    "I need to contact Haniel and see what¡¯s happening with the others, but I think Victor is able to block me somehow," I said, remembering my duties.


    "You can do that?" Mark asked, clearly impressed.


    "I can do all kinds of cool things," I said, falling into the easy banter we had always shared.


    His mouth pulled into a smile that was always guaranteed to turn my insides to melted butter. I mourned the loss of our Link, but I relished in the way we still seemed drawn to each other. It seemed like an impossible situation, but for the moment I enjoyed the presence of the boy I had loved my entire life.


    "Like what?" He asked, smiling broadly at me.


    And just like that I was lost. I filled him in on everything he had missed while he was gone, including the escalation my gifts had taken. I told him how I had faced my fear of bugs and saved our friends in the process. I gave him all the gory details of John''s attack by the bear and how I had been able to redirect her. I talked non-stop, telling him every last detail.


    "Wow, you''re like Wonder Woman," He said, awestruck.


    "No, I''m not. Everyone keeps saying I am, but I''m still myself. I just have new clarity. It''s like how they say if we could tap into more parts of our brain, we could accomplish so much more. I guess as an Ascended, I''m able to use all my brain, no matter how small it is," I said making a joke of the situation. ¡°Besides, my new powers aren¡¯t doing me a whole lot of good at the moment, are they?¡±


    He chuckled at my words. "You''ve been hanging out with Shawn too much, that''s something he would say."


    I smiled and was about to respond when the door opened at the far end of the room. Startled, I surged to my feet as Sam and Shawn were dragged into the room by four huge Daemons. I rushed to their sides as the Daemons unceremoniously deposited them on the floor and slammed the door behind them.


    "Shawn what happened?" I asked my brother, shocked by the dazed look on his face.


    "I don''t know. They dragged us off from that hallway and when I woke up, the other Links were gone, and Sam was still unconscious. I think those bastards hit her too hard. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth. I tried to clean her up," he said, rolling Sam over onto her back.


    I gasped when I saw Sam''s blood-soaked face.


    "I tried mopping it up, but I only had my hoodie to work with," he said, indicating his saturated jacket that was riddled with holes.


    "What happened to your jacket?" I asked as I hurried to the sink on the opposite side of the room from where Mark was being held.


    "Those Daemon-Asses have fiery touches is what happened," he reminded me as I mopped up Sam''s face with a wet cloth.


    "They do," Mark said from obvious personal experience.


    Shawn whipped around, startled at Mark''s voice.


    I watched as conflicting emotions passed over my brother¡¯s face. He went from looking hurt to confusion and finally anger.


    "What are you doing here?" he barked, looking at me to gauge my reaction to Mark''s close proximity.


    "He can explain," I said to my irate brother as I continued to mop up Sam''s face. "But you''re going to have to wait for that explanation because I think Sam is hurt worse than we thought."


    Shawn pivoted back around to face me in one fluid movement, completely forgetting about Mark. "Why? What''s wrong with her?" He all but yelled in my face.


    "Hey watch it," Mark said, stepping as close to the barricade as feasible.


    I glanced over and saw that he was fuming at the tone of voice Shawn was using with me. My pulse fluttered as I looked into his eyes and saw his emotions clearly reflecting in them. I was instantly flooded with the countless memories we shared.


    "Krista," Shawn pleaded, jerking me away from my walk down memory lane.


    "Because, she''s bleeding from her nose and ears," I said, tilting Sam''s head to the side so he could see the small trickle of blood that had pooled on the elaborate Oriental rug. "Plus, her pulse feels really weak. I''m not sure what they hit her with but they did a lot of damage."


    "It wasn''t the Daemons, it was Harmony," Mark said quietly.


    "What do you mean? Who the Hell is Harmony?"


    "My sister," Mark said heavily, as he sat on the only chair in his makeshift jail. "She''s a Descended, which means she has all the power Krista does, but she also has The Dark One in her corner. She can control the emotions of multiple subjects around her, just like you can Krista," he continued bitterly. "Of course she uses her gifts to get in your head, to control your mind. I''m guessing that while you were knocked unconscious, she was tearing into Sam''s brain."


    "How do you know that?" Shawn demanded, still not ready to believe anything Mark uttered.


    "Because, I''ve seen her do it too many times to count over the last few months. My father convinced her to break her link, that¡¯s how she became a Descended. Now she controls Mason¡¯s mind to be her lackey. She uses just enough mind control to keep him docile. I don¡¯t even know if he even realizes they¡¯re no longer linked."


    "Okay, so how do we help Sam," Shawn asked.


    "I don''t know if you can. I''m guessing by the fact that she¡¯s bleeding from her ears that her brain is swelling. If she doesn''t get medical attention soon, her brain will most likely bleed out. I''m sorry man," he said once again, bowing his head in defeat.


    "That''s not true Krista, you can save her. You have like superhero healing abilities," he said, pleading with me.


    I shook my head as hot tears burned their way down my cheeks "You know it doesn''t work that way Shawn. I can''t heal supernatural injuries," I said, holding Sam''s lifeless wrist loosely in my hand so I could monitor her pulse.


    "We have to do something. We¡¯re not going to just sit idly by and let her die!"


    My heart broke as Shawn openly cried over Sam''s deathly still body. Just a few hours ago, I had assured Sam I would get her and Shawn out of this mess, but that was before I discovered Mark would also need to be saved. I looked down at my friend''s face, recalling the first time I had seen her standing above me on the grassy grounds of the private school we attended. She was so full of life and like no one I had ever met before. Looking at her crumpled body on the ground, with my brother weeping over her, I knew I needed to make a decision quickly.


    "I might be able to help her," I finally said, making the only decision I could.


    "You can?" Shawn said, not daring to believe. "What do we need to do?"


    "Not we, but me," I said, feeling heartsick as I glanced at Mark. Haniel had been clear on the rules. I would have one opportunity to pull this off. If it worked, my energy supply would be completely sapped.


    "What?" Shawn pleaded as I continued to gaze at Mark.


    "Haniel told me if things became too crazy and I feared for my life, or saw no other way out, I could transport myself and two others somewhere else."


    "Seriously? How?"


    "I have to focus all my energy on a certain place and hope that I have enough adrenaline running through my veins. I won''t be able to come back." I said, looking directly at Mark.


    "Why would you have to? Haniel is here somewhere and besides, up until this morning, you weren''t even supposed to be on this rescue mission. I''m glad you''re here and maybe things were changed so you could be here to save Sam," he pleaded. "You wouldn''t let her die."


    "I can''t come back," I whispered, trying to get Shawn to grasp the significance of my statement. If I saved Sam and him, I was condemning everyone else including Mark.


    Shawn finally got the reason for my hesitation. "Krista, you''re concerned for him? He left you. He stomped on your heart and walked away, not even bothering to wipe the blood off," Shawn said bitterly.


    "You don''t understand, he had his reasons," I said.


    "Krista, I don''t give a rat¡¯s ass if he had his reasons. You could have died. He left you to die¡­." Shawn''s words were broken off as Sam started convulsing.


    Together we held her down so she wouldn''t hurt herself while her body shook uncontrollably. After several minutes, the last of the involuntary shudders left her delicate body.


    "Krista," Mark finally said from across the room. I looked up at him uncertainly. "You have to get her help now, she''s dying. Shawn''s right, this is your job."


    I stood up and walked toward him. "I can''t come back," I said, heartbroken.


    "I know and that''s okay. You have a higher purpose now."


    "Krista," Shawn called across the room, jerking my attention from Mark.


    I whirled around and saw that Sam was convulsing even more violently than the first time.


    "Krista, you have to take them now," Mark said.


    "Why is it we always seem to be saying goodbye to each other," I said, swiping a stray tear away before I turned on my heel and raced back to help my brother.


    I grabbed onto Shawn''s hand firmly with one hand and Sam''s with the other. The whole idea that I could transport myself and others to another location was ludicrous. Although the idea seemed right out of a sci-fi novel, I believed Haniel without a shadow of a doubt. I chose the only location that made sense and gathered all my energy to the task at hand. I definitely didn''t need to worry about having enough adrenaline, I could feel it racing through my body as all my focus honed in on the location I was aiming for. I looked at Mark as warmth like none other started from the top of my head and traveled down the length of my body. Mark''s eyes were the last thing I saw before white sterile walls blurred out his image.


    Chapter 14


    I expected us to hit the floor of our destination like we had fallen from the sky, but we arrived in the busy ER of the hospital in the same position as when we left Victor''s. Every bone in my body seemed liquefied and I slumped back against the closest wall.


    A nurse that was hurrying down the hall tripped over Shawn and gasped in shock.


    "I''m so sorry, I didn''t see you there¡­." she started to apologize until she saw Sam convulsing in front of Shawn."Oh my word," she said, racing to the counter. "I need a doctor stat," we heard her yell at the receptionist before she raced back to us. "What happened?" she asked, grabbing Sam''s wrist to check for a pulse as she finally stopped the God-awful tremors.


    "She hit her head," Shawn said vaguely as I used the wall to prop myself up.


    "When?" she said, prying Sam''s eyelids open so she could peer into them.


    "Yesterday," I finally piped in. "She seemed fine, but today she got a nose bleed and passed out," I said, ripping an excuse off a TV show I watched with my mom. I was too worn out to come up with a more legitimate excuse.


    The nurse nodded toward me, but any further questions were delayed as several doctors and a gurney arrived to whisk Sam away. Shawn tried to follow them, but the nurse firmly closed the door in his face after giving him directions to the ER waiting room.


    "You okay?" He asked me dejectedly as he joined me against the wall.


    I nodded my head weakly. I would have wept from the ramifications of the decision I had made, but I didn''t have the energy to even muster that up. It was like I was a hollow shell. Haniel had warned me this would happen and told me that it would be several hours before I started to feel somewhat normal, and a full twenty-four hours before I could even think about transporting again, if then. There was no way I could get to my friends before the night was through. I had made my choices and now I would have to live with them.

 Page 15

    "I know you feel bad leaving Mark in that cage, but just because his father treats him like some animal doesn''t mean he deserved to be saved."


    "Who are you to decide who should be saved? Who made you God? You have no idea how it feels to have to choose. Would you have chosen me over Sam if the choice was yours?" I asked, suddenly angry. I braced my hands on the wall behind me so that I could pull myself to a standing position. I swayed on my feet as my head began to swim. Shawn grasped my arm to help steady me. I wanted to jerk it free, but I knew I would have hit the deck if he''d let go of me.


    Shawn helped drag me down the hallway toward the waiting room. I collapsed in one of the hard chairs that were kept bolted to the floor. I always found it comical that hospitals bolted down their seats, like they wouldn''t be able to catch someone stealing a chair if they tried to carry it out the double doors right past the receptionist. It really annoyed me when my dad had his heart attack and I wanted to sit off in a corner by myself, but couldn''t.


    Shawn sank down in the seat next to me. "Krista, you know there''s a huge difference between the choice you had to make a few minutes ago and me having to choose between you and Sam. He left you Krista," he said, repeating his words from earlier.


    "You don''t understand," I said, resting my head on the back of hard molded plastic seat, closing my weakened eyes.


    "So help me understand, enlighten me with whatever lies he fed you," Shawn said sarcastically.


    "Seriously? Because you doubt my gifts suddenly? You think he somehow hoodwinked me when I have the power to see all that dwell in a person''s soul? And really? You question my gifts after I just whisked you and Sam away from harm''s way? For someone who''s so smart, you sure don''t act like it," I said in a huff, using my limited air to berate him.


    "Okay, okay," I get your point. So, explain it to me."


    I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Mark didn''t break our Link, I did. Well, his sister Harmony didn''t help the situation, but ultimately it was me who severed the tie," I said heavily.


    "What are you talking about? I watched you beg for him not to leave you and I also watched as he left you and all of us with a houseful of Daemons?"


    "He actually left us with one less Daemon to deal with than we originally thought. Mark didn''t say those hurtful words, and he didn''t leave me on his own accord. Victor used him as a human host while I was knocked out. I never saw the Daemon enter his body because I was unconscious. I should have known though. I should''ve seen it. The complete one-eighty his soul took should have clued me in, but I was so quick to believe he had turned into his father. I''m the one who lacked the appropriate faith. I should''ve believed in him. Victor used my insecurities against me and gave me exactly what I was most afraid of."


    "Then why didn''t Mark try to contact you once he regained control of his body?" Shawn asked. I noticed his skin had taken on a delicate shade of green at my words.


    "Harmony has been running interference with his emotions and his thoughts. She prevented either of us from being able to contact each other."


    "Well mother of crap," Shawn said, resting his head in his hands. "And your Link is broken for sure?"


    "Oh yeah, most definitely. Our souls no longer have that puzzle piece feel."


    "So, you feel bad for leaving him because you feel guilty for believing he betrayed you?" Shawn asked, trying to make sense of things.


    "No, I feel bad for leaving him because I still love him. It doesn''t seem to matter that we''re no longer Guides or Protectors. I felt more drawn to him than ever before. And now it''s too late."


    "You don''t know that Krista. Haniel is still there and the other Guides and Protectors are there. They''ll get him out."


    "I don''t think so. Harmony is a force to be reckoned with on her own and Victor is practically Satan. Haniel would be able to take Victor out no problem if Harmony wasn''t part of the equation."


    Shawn looked as defeated as I felt when the ramifications of my words finally sank in.


    "Can you try to reach Haniel?"


    I shook my head. "I can barely sit here without falling over. My gifts were rendered useless after the transporting sapped so much out of me."


    Guilt filled Shawn''s eyes as he finally understood all my frustration and could clearly see why I had struggled so hard with the decision.


    We lapsed into silence after that, watching the second hand slowly move its way around the large circular wall clock that advertised some new drug. It was just barely 9:00 p.m. and we had been in the hospital less than a half an hour, yet it seemed as if an eternity had passed. I let my mind dwell on what was happening back at Victor''s in our absence. Had Haniel discovered who the true Descended is? Had he found Mark yet or was he busy battling Victor?


    Shawn was unusually silent too as he struggled with his own worries and guilt. I could feel the heavy emotions flowing through him until his mood abruptly changed to excitement.


    I looked up expecting to see Sam''s doctor in front of us, seeing no other reason why he would suddenly have a spurt of excitement, but the waiting room was as empty as before. I looked over at him, confused by the emotions radiating around him.


    "I have an idea," he finally said, sounding animated.


    "I gathered that," I said dryly.


    "You said before that you could transport by having enough energy, right? What about adrenaline?"


    "Like an adrenaline shot?" I asked, sitting up straighter as hope kindled inside me.


    "Exactly. What if we can get that here," he said, standing in front of me excitedly. "We''re at a hospital after all."


    "Shawn, that¡¯s brilliant, but how will we get it?" I asked, not daring to get my hopes up too high.


    "Leave that to me," Shawn said, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.


    "Wait, you could get in a lot of trouble if you''re caught."


    "Seriously Krista? Our species is facing extinction and you''re worried about me getting in trouble?"


    "Okay, good point," I said, realizing how silly I had sounded. "Do you want me to go with you? Maybe I can be a diversion."


    "No, I think you should stay here and rest. Maybe by the time I get back, your energy level will be on its way back up."


    I nodded my head, agreeing with him. I slumped back in my chair, watching Shawn as he raced off down the hallway. The truth is I was already starting to feel a little better. The ache that had filled my heart earlier was slowly starting to disperse, and I felt like I was getting my legs back. I closed my eyes, hoping that by shutting off my senses, I would be able to refill my energy reservoir. I allowed myself the luxury of drifting back to Mark''s face. His hair was a little longer than the way he normally wore it, but I still liked it. I would have loved to run my fingers through it to test out its suppleness. My mental stroll moved from his thick luxurious hair, down to his glistening, brown velvet eyes that absorbed my appearance like he was dying of thirst. His eyes were like a window to his soul and I could have gazed into them for eternity without ever losing interest. I continued on to his face that had always turned me to mush, with just the right combination of boyish good looks and manly ruggedness. I felt my pulse quicken, dwelling on the soft inviting mouth that had explored my own lips countless times.


    "Krista, Krista," Shawn called my name, shaking me out of my reverie.


    "Did you change your mind?" I asked, disappointed he had given up so easily.


    "No, I got it," he said, flashing the small glass vial of clear liquid.


    "Wow, that quick?" I asked shocked.


    "Quick? I''ve been gone over an hour. I thought you were going to strangle me for taking so long."


    "What?" I asked shocked, looking at the clock on the wall. I was dismayed to see that it was already almost 11:00 p.m. I had been ogling over Mark''s face for almost an hour and a half.


    "Holy crow bear, I must have zonked out," I said, ducking my head so he wouldn''t see my slightly red cheeks. It had been so long since I had been embarrassed, I forgot how uncomfortable it was.


    "Right," Shawn said, looking at me like I had sprung an extra head. "Anyway, I can''t give you a shot here. I got a lay of the land once I snagged the adrenaline, and I have a spot picked out. Can you walk?" He asked, helping me stand up.


    I expected the same weakness and dizziness from before, but I felt surprisingly stronger. My dream-fantasy session with Mark must have rejuvenated me more than I thought. I could even feel excitement beginning to race through me. Shawn''s plan may be nuts, but at least we were doing something.


    "How''s Sam?" I asked, feeling guilty that I hadn''t asked before.


    "She''s still in surgery, so I''m not sure," he said, worry clouding each word.


    "She''s going to be okay, Shawn," I said, reaching out to grab his hand. I yearned to fill him with peace, but knew I needed to conserve as much energy as I could.


    "I hope so."


    Shawn led us down the rest of the hallway in silence. We passed several doors before stopping in front of a room marked, closed for repairs. We glanced either way down the hall to make sure no one was around and went inside, quickly closing the door behind us. Shawn flicked on the light switch of the bathroom within the room, wanting to remain as inconspicuous as possible. The room looked like it was serving as more of a storage unit than a place being repaired. Boxes and medical supplies were piled up on every surface available. Shawn maneuvered me toward the hospital bed that sat in the center of the room and started pushing the junk stacked upon it down to the floor. I glanced at the door warily, worried that someone would hear us.


    "Don''t worry, we¡¯re too far from the nurses'' station for them to hear us," Shawn said, noticing my apprehension. "Here lay down," he said, indicating the now empty bed. "I think it¡¯ll be better if you''re lying down."


    "Why?" I asked, feeling slightly confused.


    "Because, I have to give you the shot in your heart."


    "What?" I squealed, feeling slightly nauseous at the thought of a needle going into my heart.


    "How else is it supposed to work? Don''t worry, I Googled how to do it on my iPhone.¡±


    "You Googled it?" I asked astonished.


    "Sure, you can find anything on Google. Now lay down."


    "Jesus Shawn," I said, relenting uneasily.


    "Alright, you''re going to have to pull your shirt up. Here, you can cover up with this," he said, shoving a folded sheet my way.


    I pulled the sheet up over me, mortified that my brother would see me in my bra. Silly, based on the situation, but what can I say.


    "Are you ready?" He asked, looking green in the face once again.


    "Yeah, let''s get this over with. If this works, tell Sam I love her," I said, trying to say my goodbyes.


    "Krista, this isn''t goodbye," Shawn said, looking at me uncertainly like he was changing his mind.


    "Of course not," I said, not wanting him to back out. "Do it now," I coaxed him.


    He hesitated for a second, but then pulled the vial of medicine out of his pocket. He handed it to me while he unwrapped the sterile syringe he also swiped.


    Once the syringe was filled with the dose of adrenaline, he turned back to me. "Are you sure you¡¯re ready?" He asked.


    I nodded my head, shutting my eyes. Shawn adjusted the sheet so he could plunge the syringe in at the right angle. I kept my eyes shut and focused on gathering all my energy to one location. I felt a sharp pain as the syringe pierced my heart. The adrenaline hit me instantly, causing me to jump like I had been launched from a cannon. My hair tingled and a warm sensation began to creep down my scalp, filling every surface on its way down my body.


    The comfortable bed vanished out from under me as I slammed into Mark¡¯s rock hard body, landing on top of him.


    "What the Hell?" He said, startled. I finally opened my eyes and found myself peering at his face. It was amusing, looking down into his eyes as he took in my sprawling half-dressed appearance on top of him.


    Chapter 15


    Mark''s amusement faded to something else as he appraised the smooth flat skin of my stomach. I watched as his eyes traveled over me.


    I gave a nervous laugh that came out more like a grimace as my body tried to recover from the second transport in one evening.


    Mark''s desire abruptly burned out as he looked at me with concern.


    "Krista, are you okay?" He asked, sitting up and holding me in his arms.


    I nodded my head weakly. "It just takes its toll," I said, trying to keep my words short so I wouldn''t lose the last of the remaining air in my lungs.


    He pulled me up closer to him so that I could rest against his hard chest. "Krista, I thought you said you wouldn''t be able to come back," he said, stroking my head. His touch felt heavenly, but lacked the healing touch he used to be able to offer.


    "Shawn had a plan," I said, trying to adjust my shirt so that I wasn''t flaunting so much skin.


    "A sentence that starts with ¡®Shawn had a plan,¡¯ is never a good sign," Mark said with a chuckle.


    "If I didn''t feel like a bus just ran me over, followed by a Mack truck, I might argue with you," I said, trying to find the strength to turn my head to look at him.


    "Then why did you risk it?" He asked, angling my body so he could peer down into my eyes. "To help the other Guides and Protectors?" He probed.


    "You know why," I said, feeling flushed. What if I had misread the situation? What if he had no feelings left for me now that our link was gone? I looked down at my hands, mortified. I was so stupid. Why hadn''t I transported somewhere else, somewhere useful, where I could have helped the others? Instead, I let my feelings override everything else.


    "Krista look at me," he pleaded quietly.


    I shook my head no as my face burned out of control.


    "Krista," he said again, using two of his fingers to lift my chin. I tried to avoid eye contact, afraid of the pity I would see there. The pad of his thumb swiped away a lone tear that had escaped without me noticing. He moved his thumb further down until it gently caressed my bottom lip.


    "Krista, you have to look at me," he said more urgently.


    "Why?" I whispered.


    "Because, I need to look in your eyes before I kiss you," he murmured.


    I pulled my eyes up finally and was lost as he lowered his mouth to mine. I kept my eyes locked on his until the last possible moment. They finally fluttered closed as he kissed me like never before. We had always had our share of passion from the supernatural link we shared, but this made every other kiss feel like child''s play as Mark plundered my mouth with his own. I gasped as he nipped on my lip, encouraging me to open completely to him. His mouth was familiar in so many ways and yet I could feel multiple layers that had never been there before.

 Page 16

    Mark pulled away and I couldn''t help my small moan of disappointment as I latched my mouth back on his.


    "Krista, we need to stop for a minute," he said, pulling away, holding my head firmly between his hands.


    "Why?" I gasped, working to get oxygen flowing through my foggy kiss-induced state.


    "Because, you¡¯re having a hard time breathing sweetheart. You don''t have the appropriate energy to kiss the way I want to kiss you. We''re on unfamiliar territory here, my kisses no longer replenish your needs."


    "Um, yeah they do," I said, still gasping for breath.


    He chuckled. "I mean like they used to. We no longer have the power to heal each other."


    "I know," I said as grief for what I had destroyed threatened to crash over me.


    He tilted my head back and was able to read the grief on my face. "Krista, this is the way it should be," he said gently. "Look at what you can do. Your gifts exceed everything we could ever imagine, tenfold."


    He leaned down and lightly kissed the sensitive skin high on my cheekbone, right below my left eye. I closed my eyes, shivering by the sensations his kiss had stirred inside me. I heard him chuckle quietly and knew that even without being able to read my mind, he could read me like an open book. He moved his lips to my eyelids where he placed an equally sensitive enticing kiss on the closed lids. I murmured my pleasure, letting my body relax completely in his arms. I knew I was shirking my new duties, and I was sure my wanton ways would deeply disappoint The Light, and my mentor, Haniel, but I couldn''t seem to find an ounce of care in me. I knew I was acting selfish and letting my new gifts go to waste, but as I lay curled up in Mark''s arms, I felt I was exactly where I should be. I had lost him once¡ªI would not let that happen again.


    "Well, well, well, as sweet as this was to watch from the monitors, I really must break up this happy reunion," Victor said, strolling into the oversized room with a disgruntled Harmony tagging behind him. "Krista, it loathes me to admit it, but you truly are a remarkable being. It''s a shame you bought into the Ascended facade though. You would have made a spectacular addition to my following. Harmony shares many of your gifts, yet your ability to transport to another location seems to elude her. Unless, perhaps she''s not applying herself appropriately," he continued in a biting tone that contradicted the genial outward appearance he was shooting for.


    Harmony muttered something derogatory under her breath. Victor turned on her with lightning-quick reflexes, firmly wrapping his hand around her slender throat. "Don''t think for one moment that your newfound relationship with The Dark One will save you from my wrath," he said, tightening his fingers around her neck, making her skin take on a bluish tinge.


    I pulled myself to my feet, wanting to do something to stop him, but the electronic cage kept Mark and me at bay. I wondered why Harmony didn''t use her gifts to break his hold on her throat.


    "She is not insolent like you and Mark," he snarled at me, pulling my thoughts from my overworked brain. I would have tried to block him, but it took all the energy I had to stand. "She knows her rightful place and respects those that have created her," he said, shaking her by the throat to emphasize his point.


    Tears of pain leaked down her cheeks and after a moment he released his hold on her. I watched, sickened as Harmony fell to his feet gasping for breath.


    "I''m sorry father," she said. "Please forgive me," she begged, pulling on his pant leg much like a toddler would.


    "I know you think you''re sorry my dear, but you must learn to respect those that give you life," he said, pulling her to her feet.


    "I will, I promise," she said. Her relief over his forgiveness was glaringly obvious.


    "Now, where were we? Oh yes, we were discussing Krista''s ability to do something as a newborn Ascended, that you as a full-fledged Descended have been lazily unable to accomplish," he said to the now remorseful Harmony.


    "I don''t know how she does it father," Harmony said in a plaintive voice.


    "Then perhaps we will have to search for a solution that will give us insight into this gift of yours," he said, directing the statement toward me.


    "I would rather cut my tongue out than help you further your sadistic plan," I said, stepping back away from the electric field.


    "Once again Krista, your insolence tests my patience. I believe with the right motivation you will be a little more compliant," he said, turning on his heel. "Come my dear, let''s go see how our other guests are doing."


    My stomach dropped as I watched Harmony and Victor leave the room. His point was clear. For the third time in a handful of months, I was once again at Victor''s mercy. Even with Haniel''s help, we had somehow allowed Victor to get the upper hand. And I sure didn¡¯t help by transporting into this electric cell rather than help my friends. I couldn''t help thinking that maybe The Light just wasn''t strong enough to avoid an eclipse by The Dark. Good versus evil had been battling it out for years and we were merely pawns in the whole scheme of things. I sank back down on the ground, no longer having the will or inclination to stand up.


    "Krista, it''s going to be okay," Mark said, sinking down next to me, rubbing my arm to comfort me.


    "How?" I asked. "Our extended family is being held captive somewhere in this labyrinth of a building. I''m scared of what he has done to them, but most of all I''m scared of what he has done to Haniel," I continued quietly.


    Mark paused halfway up my arm. "Krista, do you have feelings for Haniel?"


    "Of course."


    "I see," Mark said, pulling away.


    Puzzled, I looked at the withdrawn look on Mark''s face. "What?" I asked confused.


    "Nothing," he mumbled, sinking back.


    Confused and hurt at his sudden mood change, I allowed myself a small peek into his mind and nearly laughed out loud with relief.


    "You dork. I don''t love him like that," I said, smiling at him.


    "Are you sure? Every time you talk about him your voice takes on a different quality. I know you two have been spending a lot of time together and you believing that I had betrayed you might make you turn to someone else."


    "I could never turn to anyone else. It has always been you, and only you," I said as he dragged me back in his arms. His lips smothered out any further talk as he made it clear I was only his. I returned his kiss with fervor, feeling my energy coming back in small measures.


    "Dang," I said, pulling back slightly to replenish my lungs with air.


    "You could say that again," Mark said with a small laugh, resting his forehead against mine.


    "Dang," I said lightly, making him chuckle before his lips reclaimed mine once again. This time though, the passion still flowed around us. The kiss was gentle and tender as he cupped my face gently, holding it in place.


    I laughed, standing up reluctantly. "As nice as this is, we need to find a way out," I said.


    "I know," Mark said also standing.


    "Let me look at your ankle thing," I said, sitting on the edge of the small couch in the makeshift jail.


    Mark pulled up the cuff of his jeans so I could inspect it closer.


    I lifted his bare foot and placed it on my lap. His foot was tanned and smooth to the touch. I ran my hand over the top of it and smiled when I saw the look that passed over his face. Shelving that tidbit for another time, I focused on the task at hand. The contraption around his foot was clasped on tightly, making it impossible to slide it down off his foot. The hardware itself looked simple enough, but I could see that only a key would work to remove it, unless of course Mark and I were talented at picking locks, which we weren''t. I looked around for some kind of device to pry it open with.


    "There''s nothing," Mark said automatically, knowing what I was searching for.


    "Okay, well that won''t work," I said, moving on to a different solution. I approached the unseen barrier and cautiously stuck out my finger in front of me. I felt a red hot surge of electricity race up my hand, making my hand and wrist go numb. I winced in pain, stepping away.


    "Krista, don''t do that," Mark said, cradling my hand in his.


    "So, as long as your ankle thing is on, we''re trapped here," I said, stating the obvious. "Can we try to short it out?" I asked, looking around for water.


    Mark shook his head. "I''ve tried that. It doesn''t work. The electrical mechanism must be waterproof.


    "Okay, so we can''t short it and we can''t get it off. What if we ignore the pain and charge the barrier?" I asked.


    Mark looked at me skeptically. "What about the monitors? My father will just send in Daemons to take care of us."


    "I''m not so sure about that. I have a feeling Victor had all of them engaged in other activities."


    "What about your weakness?" He asked, trying to be the voice of reason.


    "I''m already starting to feel better. I don''t think I could pull off another transport anytime soon, but I was able to read your thoughts not too long ago, which means some of my energy has been replenished.


    "Oh you did," he said, shooting me a sexy smile.


    "Maybe just a sneak peek," I said, smiling also.


    "Okay, so we test the boundary," Mark said, dragging me back to reality. "I''ve done it one other time and it hurts like Hell. Plus, it takes several minutes to get your nerves to recover the assault. Last time I did it, my father had his goons in here within seconds because of the alarms I set off. If no one comes rushing in, we know you''re right about him being busy elsewhere."


    "I say we do it together. I¡¯ll try to use my gifts to help protect you. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, it won¡¯t hurt you that much."


    "That sounds good, but what about your pain. I¡¯d rather have it the other way around," he said bitterly.


    "No offense, but I¡¯m hoping my gifts are going to protect me too," I said, trying to lighten the mood.


    "Funny. Just one of these days though I¡¯d like to be the one to save you okay?" he said, kissing me lightly on the tip of the nose.


    "Fine by me, I could use the break," I said, giggling at his mock growl. "Okay let''s do this."


    He reached over and grabbed onto my hand. "I think if we step back and take it at a run, it will help."


    I nodded my head. "I''m ready when you are," I said, gathering the emotions together that I planned to use to distract Mark from the pain.


    Mark tightened his hold on my hand as we stepped as far back as we possibly could get without standing on the furniture. We looked at each other one last time before we raced toward the invisible boarder. I used all the energy my worn out body could muster, sending it all Mark¡¯s way. The electrical current was more intense than I was expecting and I fought the urge to jerk back. An instant later we were through, tumbling to the ground as the current continued to race through my body. We carefully stood up on the other side of the barrier as the alarm wailed throughout the room. I looked frantically around for a weapon in case Daemons charged through the door, but saw nothing of use.


    After several tense seconds with no recourse, I turned to Mark and smiled, finding him peering at me oddly.


    "What?" I asked.


    "That was incredible," Mark said appraisingly.


    I giggled as a blush slowly crept up my face.


    "Are you sure you¡¯re okay, how did if feel going through the barricade?" I asked curiously.


    "Your gifts are truly amazing. I didn''t feel a thing."


    "Yay, I''m glad," I said, feeling more lighthearted than I had in a long time. Standing on the other side of the makeshift jail made all the difference.


    "How about you? Did you drain yourself protecting me once again?" He said, all laughter gone.


    "I feel fine. Matter of fact, I feel oddly energized. It''s like the electrical current recharged me or something. Maybe it worked the same as Shawn shooting me up in the heart with adrenaline."


    "He gave you the shot in your heart? He and I are going to have a serious talk if we make it out of this alive," Mark said, striding across the room toward the antique wing chair in the corner of the room.


    I watched in amazement as he flipped it over like it weighed nothing. He pulled off two of the legs of the chair at once, like he was pulling weeds outside. He placed the two of them to the side and pulled off the last two legs before joining me.


    "Here, it''s not much, but at least it''s something," he said, handing me two of the legs to use as weapons.


    I looked down at them admiring his handiwork. He had pulled them off at an angle so they each had the small piece of wood they had been mounted on still attached, giving it the look of a wooden hammer.


    "Good idea," I said, giving him a small smile as we headed toward the door. I turned the knob, expecting it to be locked, but it turned easily in my hand. I looked at Mark puzzled.


    "I guess my father never thought I would make it this far. Before you guys showed up tonight, Harmony used her warped gifts to keep me compliant. I haven''t had a thought or emotion that was completely my own until tonight. He wasn''t taking any chances of me Ascending and being able to fight Harmony off."


    My heart twisted at his words. I felt awful that he had suffered so much over the last few months at the hands of his sister and his father. "I''m surprised you even made it," I whispered, knowing full well what normally happened to Guides and Protectors when they were separated.


    "I think I did because I knew you loved me. Any time Harmony wasn''t playing her sick games with my mind, I would recall moments you and I had shared, and I think that helped. Once you Ascended, Harmony tried to use that against me to make me turn, but it only made me hang on to the memories even tighter."


    "I''m so glad you did," I said, humbled that he had put more faith in our love than I had.


    "Ready?" Mark asked, pushing the heavy mahogany door open.


    I nodded my head.


    Mark stepped out protectively into the bright hallway. I followed behind him as he slowly moved down the hallway in front of me. I felt secure having him here, even with my new gifts. I had worked hard not to be envious of my friends and the bond they shared with their Protectors, but watching them over the last few days had been tough. I knew that Mark was no longer obligated to protect me, but it made me melt a little that he still embraced that role.


    The hallway was well lit and as stark white as the one my friends and I had seen earlier. Several doors broke up the space of the long hallway. We paused at each one so we could check them out and I was surprised that they were much like the room we had just left. We passed another living type room and a large, oversized state of the art kitchen with every modern amenity available. We grabbed a couple of butcher knives to wield with the makeshift clubs from the chair Mark demolished. We moved past each room once we discovered they were clear of Daemons and showed no sign of our friends.

 Page 17

    Several doorways later, we stopped at a room that turned my blood to ice. The room itself wasn''t intimidating, it was the objects inside it. For appearance sake, it was the most elaborate master bedroom I had ever seen. The space was easily the size of the entire bottom level of my mom''s house. A large king-sized bed made of rich maple wood sat on one side of the room across from a wall made up of nothing but flat-screen TV''s. Each TV was turned on and I could see they were monitors for multiple areas around Victor''s lair. I saw multiple Daemons roaming around on the majority of the screens, obviously standing guard in each section. Victor had been well prepared for our attack. Scanning each monitor carefully, I gasped when I finally saw John, Kieran, Kim and Jacob on one of the monitors. It looked like they were being held captive in a large laboratory. Kim and Kieran looked to be unconscious on lab tables much like I had occupied in Victor''s other lab. Oddly, Paul and John sat idly by like they didn''t have a care in the world.


    "What''s wrong with them?" I asked, shocked by their vacant expressions.


    "My sister," Mark said bitterly. "I''m sure my father is using her to keep them docile. She¡¯s quiet gifted at making you forget things that are important."


    "So, I need to take her out," I muttered, studying the monitors intently one last time. I didn''t know if I should be relieved or terrified that I didn''t see Haniel or his group anywhere on the monitors.


    "That¡¯ll be the only chance we¡¯ll have," Mark said as we exited the room.


    "Do you know where the laboratory is?" I asked as we made our way down the hallway at a faster pace than before.


    Mark shook his head. "No, I wasn¡¯t given much freedom to move around."


    "Well, this hallway has to lead somewhere," I said, increasing my speed. Seeing my friends in peril had spurred my new role as an Ascended into high gear and I once again took charge of the situation.


    "I wonder why your father didn''t bring us here when he abducted us last spring," I speculated as we veered off to the left to a different hallway.


    "Because he wanted to be able to keep an eye on the other Guides and Protectors in our group. I think at the time, he truly thought he would successfully be able get at least half of us to Descend by destroying our relationships, especially after the progress he made with Harmony."


    "How did he break the link between Harmony and Mason¡­" I started to ask when I felt the intensity of evil closing in on both sides of us. I stopped in mid-stride and pushed open the first door we came to. Mark followed my lead and did a quick survey of the room before gently pushing me in before him. The room was empty, but felt eerier than the hallway we had just exited. I shuddered from the waves of darkness that swirled around us in a thick fog.


    "They''re almost here," I told Mark as we faced the door.


    He nodded his head grimly and leaned over to drop one of his makeshift clubs at his feet. I followed suit, knowing it would be less awkward for me to handle only one at a time.


    "You have to slash the bigger Daemons across the throat to kill them," I said, raising the large butcher knife just as the door in front of us burst open.


    Chapter 16


    Three Daemons lurched at us through the doorway. I gulped back a scream as Mark pushed me behind him so he could face the Daemons alone. Using the wooden chair leg like a bat, he knocked one of the Daemons in the head, sending him to the ground with a resounding thud. Without pausing to think, I straddled the dazed Daemon, feeling the intense heat of its skin through my denim jeans. I sliced the blade of my knife across its neck, spilling its acid-like blood down its chest. I had to jump off as quickly as I had jumped on to avoid being burned. The Daemon had already started to burn from the inside out as I whirled around to assist Mark who was trying to hold off the remaining Daemons at once.


    I noticed his movements were sluggish from lack of use over the last few months. I stuck the knife in my back pocket and grasped my club in both hands as firmly as I could. Both of them were so intent on finishing Mark, they didn''t see me approaching from behind. I hit the closest one to me on the back of the head with as much force as I could muster. Momentarily stunned by the blow, it staggered on its feet, blindly swiping at me with its long claws. Dodging the claws, I swung the club again, this time smashing the Daemon across the face, spraying its disgusting green blood everywhere. He crashed to the floor at my feet and I couldn''t help the triumphant smile that crossed my face as I watched Mark polish of the third Daemon.


    I grabbed the knife from my pocket and turned to take care of the Daemon at my feet when white heat burned across the thigh of my right leg. Confused, I looked down and saw that the Daemon had regained consciousness and had used my cockiness against me, swiping at me with its razor-sharp claws.


    Mark growled behind me as he spotted the free-flowing blood from the four slash marks that had left my jeans in a shredded mess. He leapt onto the Daemon, removing its head from its body in one swift move.


    Breathing heavily, I stepped back from the two Daemons that were now smoldering at our feet.


    "Holy frik, that stings," I muttered, sinking down on the ground so I could study my injury closer.


    Mark sat down next to me. He studied the injury for a moment and cursed under his breath when he saw how deep the claws had dug into my leg. He ripped off his pullover sweater and jerked off his white undershirt revealing lean hardness that even in my pain-induced state had me catching my breath for a whole new reason. I watched as he methodically tore the white shirt into usable strips. His taut stomach muscles tightened as he tore though the cloth making it hard for me to tear my eyes away.


    "Don''t worry, I''m going to stop the blood from flowing," he said, misunderstanding why I looked dazed.


    "Okay," I said, grateful for the first time that he could not read my thoughts anymore. I''m sure gawking at the lean muscles of a guy was some kind of faux pas in a situation like this.


    Mark used the holes in my jeans to his advantage, ripping the bottom half of my jeans completely off of my injured leg. He made quick work, wrapping the pieces from his shirt around the oozing mess my leg had become. Once the injury was completely covered, he pulled the bottom half of my jeans back onto my leg. I admired his handiwork and resourcefulness. I was grateful that I had worn my favorite boot cut jeans since there was no way my skinny jeans would slide up over my injury without cutting off the circulation.


    "Nice job," I said, struggling to stand up.


    Mark reached down and hauled me to my feet effortlessly. "Can you put weight on the leg?" He asked, supporting all my weight.


    "I think so," I said, balancing on one leg as I slowly eased weight on my injured leg. The sudden pressure made my injury burn, but I knew I could power through it.


    Mark held me by the elbow as I adjusted my weight so that my good leg would take the brunt of the work.


    "It stings, but nothing I can''t handle. We should move on," I said, limping toward the door.


    Mark kept a hand on my elbow as we continued our journey down the hallway. I could tell we were close to our destination by the swirl of evil that enveloped us the further we progressed into the heart of the mountain. I had to work to keep my composure from the bombardment of dark emotions emanating around.


    "How did your dad get the money for all this?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the source that was making me sick. "I know he was involved in shady dealings, but this goes beyond that," I added.


    "I''m not sure, but I guess when your buddy, buddy with The Dark One, money isn''t an issue."


    "We''re almost there. I can feel a large group of Daemons up ahead of us." I finally said, trying to fill him in on what we would be facing. "Your sister and Victor are waiting for us also."


    "So, you''re trying to tell me we''re walking into an ambush," he said with a small smile, obviously trying to lighten the mood.


    "Exactly," I said, lacing my fingers through his as we approached the double-wide doors. I fought the temptation to flee with him in the opposite direction. The thought was irrational. I knew that if we left our friends behind, we would never forgive ourselves.


    Mark placed his hands on the door handle and pulled the large door toward us. The essence of evil in the space beyond us was staggering, causing me to take a wobbly step backwards, trying to adjust to it. I fought with my own emotions, pushing it back to protect Mark and me as we entered the oversized lab space.


    "Sheesh, what''s with your dad and his mad fascination with labs?" I gripped sarcastically to Mark.


    "I''m pretty sure it has something to do with his God complex," Mark piped in as we studied the obscure scene in front of us.


    Kim and Kieran were still unconscious on the lab tables, just as we had seen on the monitors earlier. John and Jacob must have become a little harder to handle since they both were tied against two of the pillars that ran from the floor to the ceiling in the center of the room.


    I fought the urge to run to my friends, fearing that they suffered similar injuries as Sam from Harmony''s brain manipulation. Anger built up in me as I eyed their prone bodies and the dazed look of their Protectors. Without turning to face Harmony, I gathered my emotions together, feeling them grow stronger than ever before. I pushed them out away from me, blanketing John and Jacob before moving on to Kieran and Kim. I cringed, feeling the evil that Harmony was subjecting them to. Their every emotion was nothing but grief, despair, and hopelessness. I focused my concentration, taking in every negative emotion and replacing them with my own positive energy.


    Turning from my friends that were now safely tucked under my emotional protective cloak, I turned to face Harmony.


    "I see you made it back," she said snidely.


    "And I see you''re still daddy''s little toy," I answered, sweeping my eyes around the room to gauge where the biggest threat was. I observed most of the Daemons hanging back on the far wall, surprised they had yet to try to apprehend Mark and me. Confused, I moved my eyes beyond them before finally resting them on Victor, who was eyeing me appraisingly. Using my gifts, I delved into his mind without any effort and pulled the thoughts from his head. I could see that he had been waiting months for the moment that Harmony and I would face off with our gifts.


    My protection began to clear John''s and Jacob''s heads and I could hear them off to the side as the realized their Guides were somehow in harm''s way.


    I wanted to help them, but we were in a standoff, with each side waiting to see who would flinch first. I knew that a step in their direction would be the the catalyst Victor was waiting for. So, I ignored their pained voices as they worked to loosen the knots around their wrists. Their pain was mine as they anxiously tried to rouse their Guides on the table. Harmony shot me a sinister grin as she read my inner turmoil.


    "You see why being an Ascended is subpar? You''ll always have others pulling at you, wanting, needing. Always taking your gifts for themselves," she mocked, pushing back on my protective blanket, making me work harder to keep it in place.


    "That''s where you''re wrong Harmony. That''s the very best thing about being an Ascended. There''s no other feeling in the world better than knowing your gifts have helped someone. You''re wasting your time. I''m not letting you mess with them anymore," I said, indicating my friends.


    "I''m bored with that game anyway. I''d much rather show my father that you''re not half as talented as he thinks you are," she said, pulling back from my friends abruptly.


    Her attack came at me in an instant. Blackness encircled me and everything went dark as she thrust her evil energy straight for my soul. The force of it knocked me flat on my back before I had the chance to protect myself. My mind struggled to sift through the darkness that tried to burrow through it. Images of mass destruction flooded my thoughts making it hard to breath. I could feel it channeling into my brain much like I had seen once in an alien movie. Its tentacles worked to tangle into my every thought, taking over. I began to succumb to the images, forgetting everything that was important or that I cared about.


    My perspective changed and I could feel myself being pulled to Victor. Suddenly, I could no longer remember why I had fought so hard to reject him. He was right all along, I knew that now. I could feel him urging me to my feet, to accept my rightful place.


    My feet began to move on their own as I slowly limped away from the person that was trying to anchor me to him. I could hear him pleading with me, but his words no longer made sense. I jerked my hand from his, turning back toward the voice that beaconed me forward.


    I paused when another presence finally weeded its way through the darkness, stopping me in my tracks. The presence was everything the dark wasn''t and I could see its bright light as it slowly began to unravel the tentacles that clung to my mind. I pulled away from the dark, swiftly resenting the intrusion and embraced the light. As I pushed the darkness the rest of the way from my mind, I was finally able to see the light clearly and the person it belonged to.


    Mark had Ascended.


    Chapter 17


    I could faintly hear Harmony''s snarl of displeasure as she reached the same conclusion as me. Tuning her out, I turned to Mark who was smiling broadly at me.


    "You did that?" I asked in awe.


    He nodded.


    I limped back to his side, grasping his hand. I could feel his newfound power flowing through him and the joy he felt from it. I allowed myself a moment to glimpse into his soul and had to control my gasp at the purity of it. With the exception Haniel, I had never seen a soul as crisp and clean.


    "See, for once I get to be the one coming to the rescue," Mark silently teased, finally able to read my thoughts once again.


    I turned and smiled at him in surprise, overjoyed to have him in my head again.


    "Father he''s an Ascended," Harmony shrieked, stating the obvious.


    "I''m well aware of that my dear. It would seem once again that you''ve failed me."


    "It''s not my fault, I couldn''t manipulate everyone''s minds at once," she said, defending herself.


    "You are correct dear, it would be wrong of me to hold you responsible for your faults," Victor said condescendingly.


    His mocking tone struck Harmony like a slap and I watched in morbid fascination as her eyes darkened and the anger inside her built to a boiling point. She lashed out, directing all her misguided anger at Mark and me, driving us to our knees in agony. Her anger was worse than the darkness that had previously tried to take over my mind. It stung every nerve ending in my body, making it impossible to know how to fight back. I had glimpsed into people''s souls many times over the last few months and none held an ounce of the anger Harmony had flowing throughout her entire body. I tried to process through and filter it like I had been trained, but it was never-ending, leaving me lost where I should start. The pain from her anger strike made my bones weak like I would melt into nothingness. Through the pain I felt, I began to see the pictures in Harmony''s soul that had turned her into the monster she was. I saw her crying for her mother as a little boy tried to comfort her. I felt her pain as the little boy was forcefully snatched from her. I could see her agony and loneliness as she grieved for a father who had caused her so much suffering. The pictures of her life moved in rapid sequence as I saw her pain change over time until she began to believe the lies she had been fed. My heart wept as the sweet little girl that had been so filled with sunshine changed into the monster she now was. With a wrench of pain, I felt the pictures being jerked away from my grasp. Harmony''s anger intensified as she realized I had gotten a glimpse at something she had long ago buried.

 Page 18

    Her anger pinned me to the floor as it worked to destroy my will. I could feel it eating away at me fueled by a source greater than my own. I tried to fight back, protecting my mind the best I could from her intrusion, pulling everything I had into a protective shell. I could feel my strategy beginning to work, a moment later her trespass into my soul and mind were completely blocked.


    "NOOOOOO!" An angry shout rang throughout the room.


    Finally able to focus again, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw Harmony lying in a pool of blood. Victor and Mason stood where she lay. I took in the enraged look on Victor''s face as he lifted Mason up off the ground with one hand wrapped around his throat, using strength beyond any I had ever seen. The bloody scalpel Mason clutched in his hand clattered to the floor. Confused, I tried to sort through what I was seeing. I watched horrified as Mason''s air supply began to run out. Time seemed to move in slow motion as I watched his face take on a peaceful expression, losing the dazed look he had worn before. I reached out with my emotions and could feel the tangible peace Mason felt as I finally peered into his soul. His thoughts were much like the ones I had glimpsed in Harmony, but instead of manifesting into anger, he remained pure, always believing in The Light, despite being surrounded by so much darkness. I could see how he had struggled against Harmony''s oppression over the years, but lacked the support of a superior being. My heart wept for the boy that had been left alone to fend for himself amongst so much evil. Within moments, I had a glimpse into his entire life. I pulled my emotions together and sent all the love I could gather his way, showering him with more caring than he had seen since his parents had been brutally murdered so many years ago. His eyes met mine, accepting the only gift I could give him as his eyes glazed over and time resumed its normal speed.


    I was watching him so intently that I never saw the person that rushed by me until he crashed into Victor and Mason, knocking them both to the ground. Bewildered, I realized it was Mark that had rushed to the aid of Mason. Within seconds, every Daemon in the room rushed to the aid of their earthly master. Three of them grasped onto Mark pulling him away.


    Victor pulled himself to his feet, looking at the two lifeless bodies on the floor. There was no need for me to seek out his emotions, I could feel the rage that surrounded him. For the first time since I met him, Victor was no longer the controlled, dominating person I had come to expect. He kicked at Mason''s body one last time with little respect.


    "You did this," he said, practically spitting the words at Mark. "You and your whore of a girlfriend," he continued, striding toward me as I backed away. My injured leg threatened to buckle out from under me as I tried to keep distance between us.


    "Stay away from her!" Mark yelled, still struggling against his Daemon restraints.


    Victor ignored him, continuing to stalk me. His eyes glowed brightly red and I shuddered, realizing he had finally accepted The Dark One into himself. He had Descended. I was shocked to realize that the death of his lackey was the straw that had broken the camel''s back. I couldn''t help wondering what was so special about Harmony that her death would make him become something he had rejected for years.


    "Why?" I finally asked him as I bumped into the concrete wall, running out of space to retreat.


    "Why what?" he snarled.


    "Why would you do all this," I said, sweeping my hands out to indicate the lifeless bodies of Harmony and Mason. "Now you decide to Descend? Why torture your own flesh and blood if all you were going to do was Descend in the end? Why turn her into a monster?"


    "She was NOT a monster, she was a work of art!" He yelled in my face, showering me with his rancid saliva as he backhanded me.


    Reeling from the blow that lifted me off the ground, I worked to hold my footing. I could hear scuffling behind him, but I could not see around Victor''s bulk. I cringed as I thought about what the Daemons were doing to Mark. I raised a hand to my cheek, feeling the swollen skin that stretched from my lip to the corner of my left eye.


    "Is that the best you got?" I mocked, using a tone I was sure would get under his skin. I fought back a small smile as my words had their desired effect.


    "You are as foolish as you are insolent, standing there so proud. Are you expecting some kind of miracle? Perhaps you''re wondering where your Archangel is. He won''t be swooping in to save the day. He cannot enter this area. It''s sacred," he said, wrapping a hand around my throat much like he had Mason. "You have to be invited by a greater being, and just put it this way, I won''t be calling your Angel in anytime soon."


    "Sacred?" I asked, not understanding.


    "I chose this space for my lab specifically. It is centered directly over a gateway The Dark One himself uses. The folklore surrounding the mountain is true, although instead of aliens like the locals believe, it is The Dark One and his loyal servants that inhabit this space."


    "If that''s true, why would he allow you to build this monstrosity on his sacred ground?" I asked, trying to make sense of his words.


    "Because my dear na?ve girl, I have given him what he craves the most over the years."


    "What?" I asked, dreading the answer.


    "Forgotten Souls."


    "Forgotten Souls?" I asked as bile climbed its way up my throat. "You give him humans that are still alive?"


    "Well, just put it this way, they''re no longer human once they make the journey through the gateway," he said, using the same mocking tone I was completely sick of by now. His fingers tightened slightly around my throat, limiting my air supply. "Would you like to see what Forgotten Souls feed on when they come back?" He asked, shifting our bodies so I could see the mayhem behind us.


    The Light inside me extinguished as I reached out with my emotions and discovered the Daemons were feasting on my friends'' souls.


    "NO!" I shrieked, trying to squirm out of his hold.


    His fingers tightened further, "Yes my dear. They take what they have lost, their souls. They may not be the sharpest tacks, but they are loyal servants, and will follow me wherever I choose to go."


    My oxygen level declined as I scraped feebly at the back of his hand, trying to break free. My vision began to cloud, and for the first time since we had entered the mountain, I called out in vain for Haniel. I knew all was lost and my only regret was that Victor would continue to wreak havoc on the earthly realm once we were gone. I closed my eyes, praying the end would come quickly.


    "Let go of her!" A voice thundered across the lab.


    My eyes flew open in time to see Victor''s incredulous expression as he released his deathly grip on my throat.


    I slid down the wall, trying to catch my breath. The ground beneath me began to shake and shudder as Victor turned toward the voice.


    "How are you here?" Victor asked, sounding confused for the first time.


    "I was invited by someone far greater than you," Haniel said, looking at me briefly. "She holds more power than you could ever dream realize."


    "You think you can defeat me?" Victor asked, glaring at Haniel with hatred.


    "You are already defeated. I am merely here to send you home," Haniel said as the quaking beneath our feet intensified.


    I watched in amazement as the concrete flooring in the center of the room gave way, sinking into oblivion below it.


    Join the others, I heard Haniel''s thoughts in my head.


    I glanced at my friends and was relieved to see that Haniel''s appearance had spared them from the Daemons onslaught. John and Jacob clutched their unconscious Guides, dragging them to where Mark stood on the far side of the room. Using the wall for support, I slowly crept along the perimeter of the room as the flooring in the center of the room continued to sink away.


    "You think I will just jump in there willing?" Victor asked belligerently, inching toward the doors that led to the lab.


    Knowing his intention, I reversed my direction and headed toward the doors to ward off his escape. I was so intent on my mission that I gasped when a hand snaked out and grasped my own. Glancing down, I saw Mark''s long lean fingers wrapped securely around my wrist.


    I don''t think so, his thoughts flashed through my mind. Haniel has this.


    Looking up, I saw he was right. Haniel continued to stalk Victor, closing in on him.


    "You are nothing Angel," Victor said as he finally reached his destination and grasped onto one of the door handles behind him.


    I wanted to shout out a warning to Haniel, but saw he was one step ahead of me as Victor pulled on the doorknob in vain.


    "You will not be leaving the mountain that way Victor. The Light has made a deal with The Dark One," Haniel said, continuing his slow advance.


    "The Dark One does not make deals with The Light," Victor said, looking scared for the first time.


    "He made an exception this time. You see, he feels that someone like you must be stopped from ever walking in the earthly realm again."


    "What could The Light possibly offer The Dark One that he couldn''t obtain himself?" Victor asked.


    "The Angel that watches over his most treasured celestial beings," Haniel answered, finally reaching out to grasp Victor.


    Haniel''s words took a moment to sink in.


    "No!" I screamed, trying to break Mark''s hold on me so I could race to Haniel''s side. How could The Light offer up Haniel for us?


    Mark''s grip on me tightened, holding me in place.


    "No, no," I said again as tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I struggled against Mark, trying to use my new gifts against him to break his hold, but realized his gifts matched my own. I could not break away from the one person who was equal to me. I watched Haniel with grief-stricken eyes as he slowly dragged Victor across the floor.


    Haniel''s eyes met mine as he held a vice-like grip on Victor''s flailing body.


    "It is the only way Krista," he said sincerely before he jumping into the empty space, dragging Victor with him.


    Victor''s screams slowly faded away, but mine remained as I watched Haniel disappear into total darkness.


    Mark released his hold on my wrist as I sank to my knees sobbing. Disbelief flowed through me as Haniel''s death pierced through me like a sword. How could The Light value Haniel''s life so much less than ours?


    Through dazed eyes, I watched as Mark, John and Jacob used their strength and Mark''s new powers to shove the Daemons down the gaping hole in the floor. None of them put up much of a fight, confused that their master had disappeared on them. Within seconds, only our group remained in the huge room. The floor began to shake and shudder again as the hole in the center of the room began to grow. I approached the hole in the floor, wanting to jump in myself.


    Mark jerked me backwards just as the floor collapsed where I had stood. "Dying won''t bring him back!" He yelled over the deafening noise of the building caving in around us.


    I looked at him blankly, trying to make sense of what The Light had done.


    "We have to leave!" Mark said, shaking my shoulders.


    I nodded, knowing he was right. Even if I jumped in the hole that took Haniel, it wouldn''t change anything.


    I saw John and Jacob scoop up Kieran and Kim into their arms, sprinting along the perimeter of the room toward us. Mark grasped onto my wrist and pulled me from the room toward the double doors. He used his broad shoulders to ram into the doors, flinging them open as we ran. John and Jacob sprinted behind us, cradling their Guides in their arms. Glancing back, I saw that the floor continued to crumble away, nipping at our feet as we raced down the endless hallway.


    "Hurry," I yelled at Jacob, finally coming to my senses as I watched him struggle to keep up.


    My words seemed to give him the burst of speed he needed as he caught up to us just as we burst through the heavy door, depositing us into the early dawn air. The door behind us collapsed as the mountain sealed itself away, leaving nothing but rubble behind.


    Victor''s lair had disappeared into where it rightfully belonged, taking the monster that had haunted us for so many years with it.


    We sat on the ground that continued to rumble, trying to catch our breath. Glancing around at my friends, I was relieved to see Kim and Kieran starting to come around in the arms of their Protectors.


    "Krista?" A voice called out behind us.


    Turning around, I saw Lynn and Robert stepping out of the woods approaching us with their entire party still intact.


    Jumping to my feet, I limped toward them as fast as my injured leg would allow.


    "Are you okay?" Lynn asked, openly crying.


    "Yes, are you?"


    "Yeah, we never made it into the mountain. We got to the back entrance, but Haniel couldn''t enter. He tried everything and finally disappeared for a while to confer with The Light. When he came back, he said we needed to wait until you called for him. He said once that happened, we were to make our way to this entrance and wait for you," Robert said. "Where is Sam?" He continued in the same breath.


    "She''s at the hospital with Shawn. I''m sure she''s okay," I said, trying to ease his anxiety.


    "Krista, where is Haniel?" Lynn asked, looking around anxiously.


    I shook my head, unable to answer her question. Hot tears tracked down my cheeks as the impact of his death hit me full-on.


    "No," Lynn said, unwilling to believe. She turned to John for a more suitable answer, but he merely nodded his head, confirming what I had been unable to say.


    I closed my eyes as my friends expressed their anguish.


    "What are you doing here?" I heard Lynn demand.


    Opening my eyes, I saw her studying Mark harshly.


    I started to explain, but Mark held up his hand. "Let me," he said, pulling me into his arms, giving me the comfort I so desperately needed. I sank back into his arms gratefully.


    Mark plunged into an explanation, highlighting everything our group had missed. I watched the play of emotions cross their faces as they realized Mark had never crossed over, along with their pain when he explained the sacrifice Haniel had made for all of us.


    We were here because Haniel had given his life for us.


    Mark''s words stalled as an imposing figure stepped out of the woods. For the briefest moment, I thought it was Haniel and my heart leaped to my throat, but to my dismay I could see it was a different Archangel.


    "Krista, Mark," the stranger nodded, "you are to accompany me. There is someone who wishes to seek your acquaintance," he said formally, sounding much like Haniel had when we first met him.


    My heart wept as the pain of losing Haniel hit me acutely.


    "Why?" Mark asked.


    "That is a question only he can answer," he said, waiting for us to join him.

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    Mark glanced at me. I shrugged my shoulders, grasping onto his hands. Was it even possible to say no to an Archangel? Stepping away from our group, Mark and I joined him as he reached out with his hands. Together, Mark and I grasped onto them as he slowly lifted our feet from the ground. I glanced back at my friends as we slowly Ascended away from them, toward what awaited us beyond the earthly realm.


    Epilogue


    There is no sense of time in the heavenly realm. When Mark and I returned back to our friends, we had no earthly idea that several days had passed. We weren''t surprised though, to find them in the place that had drawn us all together.


    They greeted us exuberantly as we suddenly appeared on the sand just beyond where they were all lounging. They jumped to their feet, taking turns embracing us as we were passed from one set of arms to the next.


    "What are you guys doing here?" I asked, laughing in delight. "Oh Sam," I said, squeezing her in my arms. "How are you feeling?"


    "Fit as a fiddle," she said smiling.


    Shawn grabbed me up in a bear hug, spinning me around. I laughed out loud at his joy. "It''s the only place that made sense," Sam said, finally answering my first question as Shawn gave me one last crushing hug.


    "Sis, where have you been?"


    "Oh you know, hobnobbing on the heavenly realm and such," I joked good-naturedly.


    "That''s insane," he said, grinning at us.


    "I know right," I said, sinking down on the sand with Sam and Lynn, who both wrapped their arms around my waist, anchoring me to them.


    "We were with Haniel," I said, dropping the bombshell.


    "What! How?" Lynn asked, confused.


    "Haniel made a deal with The Light. He sacrificed himself as an Archangel if it would save us. Once he dragged Victor to The Dark One, The Light gave Haniel his deepest desire."


    "And what is that?" Sam asked, enthralled with our tale.


    "That he spends all of eternity with his one true love," I answered smiling.


    "What?" Kieran asked, clearly shocked. "Haniel was in love?"


    "Well, that''s a whole other story," I said knowingly.


    "So tell it," Kieran said, sinking between John''s legs on a big oversized towel.


    It took Mark and me several hours to fill them in on Haniel, and what we had learned and experienced once we had left the earthly realm. We tried to give them every detail we could remember. Finding the right words to explain what we had seen proved to be a challenge. Heaven was unlike anything I had ever imagined. I had always pictured it as dreamlike place with Angels bouncing from one cloud to the next. I remembered when I was eight and still struggling to control my emotions, my parents had taken me to Sunday school. The day had been a disaster as I tried to fade into the background, only to have the overly friendly teacher call on me frequently, hoping to draw me out of my shell. By the time my parents picked me up, I was a mess, but I could still recall in the lesson how the teacher had told us the streets of heaven were lined with gold and everyone lived in a mansion. Neither of those assumptions proved to be true.


    "It was like entering what I can only imagine the Garden of Eden was like. Lush plants and vegetation grows abundantly everywhere. Animals and people roam the land together, neither harming the other. The air is always the same mild temperature, neither hot nor cold," I said, trying to explain it the best I could in a mishmash of words.


    "Why did Haniel want to see you?" John finally asked the most important question.


    I glanced at Mark before answering. He nodded his head, smiling at me. "Haniel wanted to see us so he could appoint us to our new job!"


    "Job?'' Sam asked bewildered.


    "Yes, we have been appointed to take over for him," I said.


    "Like, as Archangels?" John asked, trying to make sense of our words.


    "No, as the first Ascended Angels," I said, shooting Mark a small smile.


    "Mark Ascended too?" Sam gasped beside me.


    "Yes," I answered.


    My answer opened a floodgate of questions and Mark and I answered them the best we could. We were a little unsure of our duties, but Haniel had promised he would contact us soon through the same Archangel that had guided us to the Heavenly Realm.


    "So, Haniel has been in love with your mom all these years?" Sam asked.


    Mark nodded his head.


    "That is sooooooo romantic," she said, sinking back into Shawn''s embrace.


    "What comes next?" Jaime asked after several moments passed.


    "I don''t know. It seems so crazy, not having to worry about Victor anymore. I guess we wait for the next bad guy to come around. But in the meantime, I say a family reunion is in order. I''m dying to meet a certain little boy named Logan. I have a secret for his ears only," I said, shooting Jaime a smile.


    My friends continued to pepper us with questions. After we had exhausted every detail, I finally stood up and walked toward the water''s edge. The peace I felt was unlike any I had ever experienced. It was hard to believe that six months ago I had stood on this exact spot, confused and lost. I could hardly remember the girl I had been as I tried to recall how unsure and insignificant I had felt. Surrounded now by the ones I loved, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Mark joined me at the water''s edge and wrapped his arms around my waist. I tilted my head back to look into his eyes, losing myself in the arms of the person that had chosen me over all else.