《Forgotten Souls (The Saving Angels #2)》


 Page 1

    Chapter 1


    I curled my toes deep into the cool sand and watched the water as it gently lapped at the tide line. I had been here so many times, I felt as if I knew every grain of sand. The breeze was as gentle as always and the subtleness of the sweet salty air filled my lungs. I couldn''t think of anywhere else I''d rather be. I shifted to a more comfortable spot waiting for Mark to join me. My heart started beating a little faster as anxiety began to creep in. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed to be taking longer than usual to get here. It''s a good thing I didn''t wear a watch, otherwise I would have been nervously checking it every five seconds. What if today he didn''t show up?


    I shook my head trying to calm my breathing. Of course he was coming. We had overcome that obstacle. I knew I was just being ridiculous, but I scanned the horizon more anxiously. After nearly losing him once, I couldn''t control the panic that slowly dug its claws into my frantically beating heart.


    Finally, he appeared in the distance, his silhouette walking toward me at what seemed to be the slowest of snail paces. Using my newfound skills, I leaped to my feet in one fluid movement, bolting the remaining distance that separated us and threw myself into his strong arms. He clasped me tightly against him, but only briefly, releasing me before my erratic heartbeat could calm itself. He rested his hands on my shoulders in a soft caress. I tilted my head to the side resting on the back of his knuckles. His hands slid across my shoulders making me shiver as they slowly crept toward my slender neck. His touch was like heaven on earth.


    I turned my gaze to his face, drinking in his handsome features. My eyes traveled up his neck, past his well-chiseled chin, briefly resting on his soft, kissable lips and finally, sliding up to his enticing brown eyes that never failed to draw me in.


    He looked back at me disdainfully, like I was a gnat bothering him by buzzing around his head causing me to take a cautious step backwards.


    Gone were the warm, inviting brown eyes that melted my soul each time I looked into them. Instead, they resembled the dull grey mud you would find on the side of the road. I gasped in sudden shock when I saw the hint of red in the center of each pupil. His hands instantly lost their soft touch. Instead of the gentle caress that made me shiver with need, they had become a vice holding me in place.


    I opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong when his features began to shift before me, and I found myself facing the monster that had haunted most of my recent waking moments. His hands tightened into a death grip, cutting into my windpipe, stalling the process of airflow through me. A scream bubbled up inside me as I tried to pull away, frantically trying to put distance between us. Mark''s dad grinned back at me as blackness took over with the red in his eyes burning into my very soul.


    "Krista!" I woke with a start at my name being called impatiently. Sitting up confused, I tried to shake the last of the nightmare away and gather my bearings.


    "Krista," the voice said again with enough sarcasm laced through it that I knew I was in trouble.


    "Are you kidding me? You decide to take a nap on probably one of the most important shopping days of our lives?"


    Before I could come up with a coherent excuse, my best friend turned to our other bestie Lynn, who was leaning against the wall uncomfortably, clearly wishing she was anywhere but here.


    I would have giggled if Sam wasn''t so worked up. The fact that she had turned to Lynn to help berate me over my poor shopping etiquette was comical. Nothing about Lynn''s appearance could be considered "fashion guruish." Standing with her scuffed converse sneakers crossed at the ankles, hands stuffed deep in the pockets of jeans that had seen better days, with more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. Between her rock shirt, multiple piercings and short Goth haircut, she looked like a groupie at a concert. All that was missing from her ultra cool look was a cigarette dangling between her slender fingers. I knew for a fact though, that was one rebellious act Lynn would never succumb to. Of course, being asthmatic made the choice easy for her.


    Once again, I had to clamp down a giggle, here we were practically Angels and poor Lynn was forced to carry an inhaler around with her.


    "Can you believe she was napping?" Sam asked shrilly.


    Before she could continue her tirade, I cut in, feeling slightly embarrassed as other shoppers stepped closer as if they were expecting some kind of cat fight.


    "Sam, I wasn''t napping. I was just resting my eyes," I lied, not wanting to delve into my nightmare before I could analyze it myself and try to make sense of it. We''d had enough drama lately and I wasn''t ready to throw my dreams back into the pot.


    I cringed as the tell-all blush gave away my white lie.


    "Resting your eyes? Sure I believe you. Not." Sam muttered, shifting the stack of dresses in her arms. "And I''m flying my private jet to prom. Can you at least pretend that you''re a little interested in your prom?"


    "Sam, I''m interested. I just still think it''s crazy that everyone''s making such a big deal about it when we have so many other pressing issues to deal with." Once again raising the same objections I had been voicing for the last few days.


    "Mark just got released from the hospital. I''m sure dancing and partying is not the kind of recovery regiment his doctor has in mind."


    "Right, because I''m sure you and Mark are going to party like animals. I mean give me a break. I''m sure we''re going to have to drag your butt out on the dance floor. Or maybe you have other ideas where the night might lead," Sam added, raising her eyebrows at me suggestively.


    Lynn sniggered behind me. Turning around, I shot her a look. I was pretty sure that she had much more experience in that category than I did. My stance had always been to wait until marriage. The fact that we found out we were some kind of celestial beings made it even harder to jump into bed with Mark, no matter how smoking hot he was. We might not have all the facts of our origins yet, but I''m confident more was expected of us than letting our raging hormones get in the way.


    Lynn returned my stare, balefully getting a sense of what I was thinking.


    Ugh, I loved all of them, but it was hard being an open book to so many people now. I felt my face redden slightly, but fought it off like a pro. At least having my emotions in check was nice.


    "Kidding," Sam said also picking up my conflicting emotions. "We just want to go to prom so we can say we did it. We all know Mark''s not quite up to par yet. Plus you have to admit the venue is pretty swanky."


    Sam was right. St. Briggets had spared no expense on throwing a bash that would be talked about for years. The prom committee, led by none other than the dreaded Lush Trio, had conducted every possible fundraiser imaginable. That, combined with the deep pockets of the overindulgent parents and this year''s prom was being held at the exclusive Swan Resort, which was located smack dab on the cliffs of the beach near Aptos. The whole school had been buzzing for weeks, since typically the clientele for the ultra-swanky Swan Resort was a who''s who of Hollywood A-Listers looking to tie the knot.


    Sam had been crowing about seeing the inside of it for weeks.


    Not that I didn''t want to go to prom, I really did. Sure, dancing in front of all those people was enough to test my emotional gauge, but I just felt we had more important things we should be doing. Number one on our list was finding and taking care of the man who had tried to kill and destroy our very race, not to mention locating the missing pair of our mismatched group.


    The short video of them I saw while being held captive remained vividly in my head. At the time I had only one concern, which was to get Mark and me away from the monster that was holding us hostage. Now that I was removed from that perilous situation, I had been thinking about them a lot and was haunted with the image of Mark''s dad (or Mr. Russo as I had come to think of him, wanting no connection between him and Mark) torturing them and doing similar experiments on them that he did on me. Just the thought of the other pair suffering like I had, made bile rise in my throat.


    "Krista, what do you think?" Sam asked, breaking into my thoughts.


    "Looks good," I said automatically, embarrassed that I had become distracted again. Truthfully, Sam did look smashing in the dress she was modeling for us. I got up to stand beside her and adjusted the spaghetti straps of the midnight blue dress. The dress came to just above her knees with a full skirt that flared out around her. The dress cinched at her narrow waist while the top tapered in, showing off all of Sam''s assets.


    "Actually, you look ridiculously hot," I added. "Shawn may have a stroke when he sees you in this."


    "Well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing I have some crazy healing touch," Sam quipped mischievously.


    "Oh, he''ll want your healing touch somewhere," Lynn piped in, coming up on the other side of Sam and linked her arm through hers. I did the same on the other side. We studied our reflection in the trio of mirrors and started giggling.


    We couldn''t have looked more different if we tried. Lynn all decked out in her Goth gear, Sam with her fancy prom dress, and me with my customary shorts, Roxy t-shirt and ultra comfortable Reef sandals. We were the oddest bunch ever.


    Still giggling, Sam turned to me, thrusting an armful of cocktail dresses she had set on the back of one of the chairs into my arms. "Your turn. Get in there and find the perfect dress. We''re not leaving until you have the best dress," she said with a smile, shooing me toward her now vacated dressing room.


    Sighing with what I hoped sounded like great reluctance, I trudged into her dressing room, closing the door hard behind me to show I wasn''t happy. In all honesty, I couldn''t help the giddiness that raced through me as I hung up the beautiful gowns on the hook on the wall. I took a moment to clean up the tangled mess of dresses Sam had left in a heap on the floor.


    This time I did sigh for real. Sam and I shared many traits, but messiness was not one of them. I was perpetually neat and couldn''t stand trampling through clothes on the floor.


    Once I had Sam''s discarded pile hung up on the proper hangers and right-side out, I placed them on the hook on the opposite wall. Finally, I turned to the lovely dresses waiting for me to try them on. I ran my fingers over the fine material, trying to decide which one to try on first. I chose a mint green one that looked like a dress I had seen in a movie, when I was younger.


    After stripping down, I slid the dress over my head, adjusting it as it slid into place. I turned around and looked in the mirror. Ugh, the green material of the dress washed all the color from my face, making me resemble an asparagus. The bodice of the dress definitely called for someone more endowed than I was. I quickly jerked the dress off and reached for the next one. By the time I hit the fourth dress, I was ready to cry. Being flat chested was not a benefit when trying on dresses that called for humongo boobs.


    "Krista, come on we want to see them," Sam said, knocking on my door.


    "Forget it, I''m not going," I said, cracking the door open an inch. "You have to have some kind of Hooter''s chest to wear any of these," I said, thrusting my discarded pile into her hands.


    "Okay, I knew most of those were a no-go, but I wanted to give you a selection. Honestly, the only dress I want you to try on is the light pink one," she said, pointing to the last dress hanging on the now near empty hook. "Go on, try it on," she continued, pushing me back into the changing room. "And you better come out and show us."


    I turned to the last of the dresses and dug out the light pink one that had enthralled Sam so much. There was no denying it was a beautiful dress, but the question was, would it remain beautiful on a ruler like me? I slid the satin dress over my head, relishing the feel of it on my skin. It was by far the softest piece of clothing I had ever tried on. The bottom of it swished softly against my ankles. I turned around with trepidation, hoping it looked half as good on me as it felt.


    I was shocked when I saw my reflection in the mirror. I looked like I belonged in a different time period, waiting for my carriage and prince to show up. The lighting of the dressing room, which had made all the other dresses look harsh on me, seemed to enhance this one. The slight padding in the chest gave me the curves God had neglected to give me. The two inch shoulder straps held the dress in place and gave me the reassurance that the dress would not slip off. My favorite part, though, was the airy skirt that floated around my ankles.


    Glancing one last time in the mirror to reassure myself that my eyes hadn¡¯t played tricks on me, I opened the door slowly and stepped cautiously out. I couldn''t help the smile that spread across my face as Sam and Lynn squealed in delight.


    Grinning more broadly, I joined them at the trio of mirrors and once again was amazed at how the dress seemed to have transformed me.


    "You look beautiful," Lynn said, giving me a quick hug.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to go too?" I asked, suddenly completely on board with the whole prom thing.


    "Ugh! No way. I didn''t even go to my own prom. Why would I want to go to yours with kids I don¡¯t even know? No offense."


    Sam and I tried to protest, but we all had our painfully shy moments, and neither one of us would have relished the idea of spending an evening with a bunch of kids we didn¡¯t know either. By the defiant look on Lynn''s face, I knew there was no way we would change her mind.


    Sam and I changed and paid for our gowns. After that, we hit the shoe department and in a short time, both of us found shoes to die for. Sam wanted to linger at the perfume counter, but Lynn had exceeded her shopping patience by then.


    "Come on. We told the guys we would meet them in the food court over an hour ago and I don''t know about you two, but I''m flippin'' famished," she said, rubbing her flat belly.


    At her words, my belly gave a resounding groan as if it understood. Laughing, we linked arms and headed off to join the guys that were supposed to be trying on tuxes, if they made it out of the game store, that is.


    We reached the food court only to discover the guys were well on their way to gluttony. We spotted them first, but as if sensing us, they turned to watch us as we approached, anxious to be reunited.


    I sighed with relief when Mark''s yummy chocolate eyes met mine. Through the shopping extravaganza, I hadn¡¯t been able to shake the nightmare I had during my brief nap outside the dressing room. Sure, I was tired with all the schoolwork and searching we had been doing lately, but except for the dark turn our dreams had taken before we moved to Santa Cruz, I''ve never had a nightmare my entire life.


    I reached out and grasped Mark''s hand in mine, relishing in the liquid heat that spread through me. His touch sent my heart racing in so many directions, that at times I had to laugh at the sheer joy of it. I glanced up to receive my customary kiss and gasped in horror when I saw red reflecting in his left pupil.

 Page 2

    "Hey, what''s wrong?" he asked as I took a step back.


    "Krista, what''s wrong?" he asked again, taking a step toward me, the red disappeared from his eye.


    Feeling like a fool, I realized the red was a reflection of the neon lights from the burger place on the other side of the food court.


    "Nothing," I said, feeling stupid. This was Mark for goodness sake. He wasn¡¯t going to suddenly turn into the demon from my dreams. I reached out and grasped his hand in relief and caught his look of confusion as he picked my thoughts out of my head.


    Crap, crap. I forgot to block my thoughts. The stupid dream had left me so disoriented, that my whole plan to keep it from him had obviously gone awry now.


    "You had a nightmare I turned into my father?" he asked, emphasizing father like it was a nasty taste in his mouth.


    I nodded my head. "It was crazy, but it means nothing. I''ve just been super stressed trying to get school squared away and helping both you and my mom with your recoveries. Now that you''re out and my mom will be released on Monday, I''m sure my stress level will go down majorly."


    "I know. I didn''t mean for that to come out that way. I just don''t want you to start having nightmares that I''m that monster. I know you''re running yourself ragged trying to take care of everything. Once your mom''s settled at home and you''re on a normal schedule, things will mellow out," he said, brushing a reassuring kiss on my forehead.


    I felt bad mentioning my mom''s recovery. I knew Mark harbored a lot of guilt over her accident. His dad had not been satisfied to just hold us hostage, he also had arranged for my mom to be involved in a hit and run, landing her in the hospital for the last three weeks. I could completely understand why he didn''t want an inkling of a connection between him and the mad man.


    "Let''s forget it and eat lunch," I said, glancing back at the suddenly anxious group behind us.


    Great, nothing like everyone knowing something was wrong, I couldn''t help thinking as we joined the others.


    Several hours later, we pulled up to Mark''s house, exhausted and ready to veg.


    Piling out of the SUV, Sam and I grabbed our dress bags while the guys carried in the rest. There was no reason for me to take my stuff home. I had been staying at Mark''s house with my brother Shawn while mom and Mark were in the hospital. It was decided that I would stay until my mom was released. The thought of being at my house alone made my skin crawl, not that the guys would have allowed it anyways. Things would change when my mom was released, which depressed me, but it wasn¡¯t like we could play house forever. Soul Mates or not, she definitely would not tolerate it.


    Mark reached over and grabbed my free hand as I walked up the crushed seashell walkway. I still felt guilty that he had found out about my dream. It was one thing for me to worry about it, but it wasn''t fair to his recovery to dump it on him. Blocking my thoughts from him had been something I had been working hard on and was now a piece of cake for me. I was disappointed in myself for letting my guard down.


    "Hey Krista, more sprints after dinner?" Shawn asked with a grin.


    "Are you sure your ego can handle another trouncing?" I asked with a giggle in my voice. My newfound speed had been a constant topic since the guys discovered it. I had assumed it would leave me once I wasn''t in mortal danger anymore, but if anything, I seemed even faster now. It was just another part of our mysterious past that we hadn''t totally figured out yet.


    "Hey, we''re gaining on you!" Robert said, giving me a mock punch on my upper arm, but took a hasty step back when Mark stepped toward him.


    I giggled again. Ever since the whole kidnapping incident, Mark has been just a wee bit overprotective of me.


    "Yep, you guys are getting faster, but that just makes me have to kick it into turbo ''cool chick speed," I mocked.


    Lynn and Sam sniggered behind me. "Even with superhero strength, it''s funny how guys think they have to be better at everything," Sam said, taking a playful swipe at Shawn while dancing aside as he tried to encircle her wrist.


    She darted ahead of us, swiping Mark''s keys from his hand on her way up the two shallow steps to the front door.


    We all laughed at her antics. Having Sam''s positive energy around always helped keep our spirits high. I couldn''t help wondering if that was just another part of God''s plan for us. All of our personalities seemed to mesh perfectly, like we were created to be a group. Once again, I felt a tug at my heart for the two that were missing from our group. I now wondered for the first time what their personalities were like.


    "I know. So do I," Mark said, quietly picking up my thoughts that I didn¡¯t even try to block. We had beaten the subject to death, consumed with trying to come up with a strategy that would help us rescue the missing Protector and Guide pair.


    "Sam, don''t let Feline out," I said as Sam opened the front door. Feline liked his temporary home a lot, but was itching to try out the beach. I''m pretty sure he assumed the sprawling white sand he spied from the massive windows in the beach house was one great big cat box.


    "Sam, stop!" Lynn said in a strained voice, all laughter gone.


    Her words were unnecessary though. Sam and I both got the same vibe that Lynn did at exactly the same time.


    Someone was in the house and they were working hard to hide their emotions.


    Chapter 2


    I could only think of one person that would go to the trouble, Mark''s dad. Maybe my dream in the dressing room was a warning? I had been worried about this since we escaped his clutches, and voiced my concerns that his dad could come after us anytime he wanted.


    Mark had disagreed with my assessment. "Even if you were at your own house, he would be able to find you. He knows where you live. It''s not like we can go into hiding with you and Sam still in school," he had said. "Plus, my house is bigger, with room for all of us so we can stick together and have safety in numbers. Besides, I''m sure he needs to re-group before he even thinks about attacking us again."


    Glancing at him now, I could see he was thinking the same thing by the tightening of his jaw.


    Shawn was in front of Sam in an instant while Robert and Mark flanked Lynn and me.


    I focused my mind, trying to get a gauge on what awaited us beyond the door, but was frustrated at the shield the individual had thrown up to ward us off.


    Mark twisted the doorknob slowly, easing the door open silently.


    Feline made a mad dash out the door. Snagging him by the scruff of his neck, I hauled him up into my arms as the guys stepped over the threshold into the house.


    My friends and I exchanged uncomfortable looks following closely behind the trio.


    I had hoped that once we entered the house my emotional gauge would pick up more of what was lying in wait for us, but that proved to be a futile wish.


    The guys in front of us abruptly came to a stop, making Sam, Lynn and I crash into the back of them.


    Reaching their hands back, they steadied us without a word. The wall their bodies created made it next to impossible to see around them.


    Finally slightly frustrated, I slid my hands between Mark and Shawn''s shoulder trying to pry them apart so I could get a glimpse of who had trespassed into our safe zone.


    Giving in to my insistent touch, the guys parted allowing us to see for ourselves.


    Sam gasped, and my own mouth dropped open in surprise taking in the stranger that stood before us.


    The individual in front of us was by far the most imposing individual I had ever seen. He easily stood at nearly seven feet tall and was all muscle. His hair was so golden that the sunlight streaming through the window made each strand dance. His eyes could rival the bluest of oceans with a startling intense shade that seemed to bore through your very soul. He may be the most beautiful person I had ever seen. By his mere presence, the room seemed to glow with an intense energy that I could feel throughout my entire body. Every loop of the lush carpet glistened where he stood, while the walls shined brilliantly and almost iridescent. The room resembled what I could only imagine Heaven looked like.


    It was apparent our Archangel had finally decided to grace us with his presence. I guess two weeks late didn¡¯t matter much to him.


    He smiled at me with what I could only call a knowing smile as he easily picked the thoughts right out of my head. My frustration was evident as it wasn¡¯t that long ago that another individual had surged into my thoughts without my permission.


    From the gasps behind me and the way his smile took each one of us in turn, it was obvious my thoughts weren¡¯t the only ones he had gleaned. I opened my mind to take in Mark''s thoughts and could see his bitter objections mirrored my own.


    "I see you are recovering well from your recent foray," the beautiful being in front of us said in a deep bass voice. "Come in, there is much to be discussed."


    "Now you care about our injuries? Where were you two weeks ago?" Mark finally asked, voicing all of our thoughts. "You let us go through that nightmare with that Demon alone." Mark continued spitting out the words. "You risked all of our lives and now you decide to show up with your infinite wisdom to tell us we''re some kind of celestial beings called "Protectors and Guides?" Well guess what you''re too late; we got to hear it first hand when that madman tried to kill us," Mark continued, all but screaming as he stepped forward from our united front.


    I was shocked at Mark''s rant. Of course I felt the same way, but it seemed wrong to raise a voice at the individual in front of us. I could tell Shawn felt the same way when he rested a hand lightly on Mark''s arm, as if to rein him in. I grasped his other hand in mine and poured all the soothing emotions I could muster into him. I could feel his rage and was taken back at how quickly it had consumed him. For the first time since we realized we could sooth each other, I felt my energy drain as I worked to calm him.


    "Enough," the being said with a quiet yet stern tone that instantly blanketed the rest of Mark''s rage, leaving only confusion behind. I could see just a glimpse of his inner turmoil before he swiftly closed the link between our minds.


    I felt a little hurt that he shut me out so thoroughly. Before I could dwell on it, though, the stranger beckoned us into the room, gesturing to the couch, obviously indicating his desire for us to sit. Had the situation been different I may have giggled as all six of us squeezed onto a couch that was intended for four at the most. Sandwiched between Mark and Sam, I caught both of their conflicting emotions as I grasped their hands in my own.


    "I did not intervene two weeks ago because that was not my task. I was instructed not to contact any of you until all of you had hit eighteen cycles of your life," he said in his soothing voice that could only be described as enticing. It appealed to every sense I had and made me wish that I could listen to it forever without pause.


    "Um" I said reluctantly breaking into his speech. But, before I could get the first syllable out, he held up one of his massive hands. Sheesh, even his hands were beautiful, I thought, admiring the smooth skin that any girl would die for.


    "Just because your adopted family led you to assume your birthday was the sixth day of the fifth month, does not mean they were correct. You celebrated your eighteenth cycle of life today," he said addressing me.


    I was surprised by his announcement, but of course he was right. I had always known my birthday was a rough estimate, but it had just seemed so trivial until now.


    "My job is to communicate what your duties are and to prepare you for your future assignments. I have seen enough of your thoughts to know the false lies The Dark Angel offered you as an explanation. Much of what he said is essentially true. You are what The Light calls The Chosen Ones. You were created and paired to help save the souls that would otherwise be forgotten if not for you," he said looking pointedly at Sam, Lynn, and me. "You were created to use your power of emotional transfer to return the souls that are so easily swayed to the right side, into the light and away from the dark. Your Protector is there to keep you safe from those that wish to reject you and bring you harm. The Dark Angel made it his duty to try to convince you that your gifts are a curse, but his dark soul has forgotten what he was truly created for. The Light doesn''t view you as pawns, but more as beloved Chosen Ones. The Dark Angel allowed evil to alter his view, choosing to resent what he was created for."


    My head raced at all the titles he threw out at us. It wasn¡¯t hard to distinguish who The Dark Angel was, but I felt it was odd that he referred to God as The Light, and the Devil as The Dark One. I would have expected Satan, Demon, pure evil, but The Dark One seemed so blas¨¦. I have to admit, though, that I felt honored that we were considered The Chosen Ones. After spending my life thinking I was abandoned and unloved by my real parents, it was kind of nice to think that I was picked for something.


    "If we''re so important then why did you wait so long to visit us?" Mark asked in an oddly subdued voice.


    I couldn''t feel any more anger radiating off of him, but I also couldn''t quite make out his mood. It was like looking into a melting pot of different ingredients, every emotion seemed to have merged together. I couldn''t help feeling worried. I was so used to seeing his loving and kind emotions, that it was a little disconnecting to not be able to locate them.


    "My job is to show the Guides how to use their gifts, and to train the Protectors the proper ways to use their skills," he continued as if Mark had not uttered a word. It was obvious who was boss at the moment. "Guides need to train as well, because they possess gifts that exceed those of the Protectors. Their primary job of course is to try to sway the lost souls with their emotional gifts, but by now I''m sure you have also discovered one of your other gifts?" he asked directing the question at me.


    "Um, yeah. I think it¡¯s the above average speed," I said tentatively.


    "Correct. Guides are given the gift of speed for one reason. To get them far from a situation that might bring them harm. However, The Dark Angel did mislead you on some aspects. The life bond requirement only holds true for the Protectors. You cannot live without your Guide, but a Guide can survive a separation if properly trained. For example, when Krista was near death she found a way to persevere."


    "No, that''s not true. Mark healed me in our dream," I stammered, more than a little confused.


    "Incorrect. The dream itself gave you the strength you needed to fight back. Guides control the dreams. You mapped your dream the way you wanted it to go. You felt yourself slipping away and used the dream to give you what you thought you needed which, was the healing touch of your Soul Mate."


    "But how unfair is that to the Protectors? They have to keep us safe and then oh yeah they die if we die, but if they die, we can still live." The injustice of it made my voice stronger than before.

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    "My dear child, it is not an ''injustice,''" he said, picking the word from my thoughts. "It is an honor and a privilege to be matched with souls as beautiful as a Guide holds, and to be given the important task of keeping them safe. No Angel in Heaven would feel otherwise," he said, now looking at the guys with intensity. Both Shawn and Robert nodded their heads instantly in agreement. Mark delayed, almost as if an invisible hand was forcing his actions.


    I couldn''t blame Mark that much. It seemed grossly unfair and made it all so much clearer why his dad had turned dark. What if Mark someday decided it wasn''t worth it?


    Mark squeezed my hand. I''m not my dad, he said, finally allowing a thought to slip outside the gate he had erected in his mind. I should have felt relieved from his reassurance, but I felt oddly dejected.


    "So, what do we need to do?" Shawn asked, breaking the silence that had settled over our group.


    "We start training. Usually it would be up to your parents to help you with the technicalities. That job is now mine," he said.


    "What kind of training?" Sam asked intrigued.


    "The Protectors must prepare in combat training, while the Guides will learn to filter the emotions of those who need your gifts the most."


    "Filter?" I asked puzzled.


    "Yes. Your ''emotional gauge'' as you refer to it, is better described as an emotional filter. Over the years you have learned to shy away from the emotions of others as a defense mechanism. Your gift requires you to embrace the negative emotions of others and to filter them back, void of the negativity."


    "Emotional filters?" Lynn mused next to me, not sounding completely excited about the idea.


    I couldn''t blame her. The idea of sucking the negative emotions inside of me instead of blocking them made my stomach turn uncomfortably.


    "What do you mean?" I asked


    "For example, when your Protector was feeling animosity toward me a few minutes ago, you tried to soothe him with your own emotions, thus draining your own energy supply. I will teach you how to filter the same negative emotions without depleting your strength. When you are fully trained, you will learn to use those same negative emotions as an energy source," he said. "We start in the morning."


    Lynn groaned beside me, she so was not a morning person. I grinned for the first time since he had shown up.


    "So, what do we call you?" I asked, not trying to sound rude, but the idea of calling him Archangel or he the whole time seemed ridiculous.


    "I''m Haniel, Prince of the Angelic Order," he said with great importance.


    "The grace of God," Sam said in awe after a moment.


    "Yes," he answered, looking impressed with her knowledge.


    I turned to Sam, surprised.


    "I''ve been obsessed with the whole Angel thing since you guys were held hostage," she said shrugging. "I wanted to be prepared if that ''freak'' was right even though I had my doubts."


    I wasn''t all that surprised that Sam and the others questioned our story. I had heard the tale firsthand and even I harbored my own doubts. But here stood our proof in all seven massive feet of muscle. One thing was certain, God wasn¡¯t messing around when he created his Archangels, if Haniel was any indication of that.


    "So, why can''t we start training now?" Robert asked, standing and pulling Lynn up in one swooping motion. "Let''s get this show on the road. I for, one don''t want the girls entering into a situation they''re not ready for. If that means we train until we drop from exhaustion so be it."


    Mark and Shawn surged to their feet at his words, pulling Sam and me up at the same time. "I agree," Mark said, finally sounding like himself, as he laced his fingers through mine, briefly squeezing them gently, trying to reassure me.


    "Very well, we will use God''s playground for the training," Haniel said, gesturing toward the vast beach outside the plate glass windows. "I would think all of you might wish to change your garments."


    I smiled, looking down at Sam''s six inch platform sandals that did great things for her legs, but would be highly impractical for training. Of course, Lynn''s scuffed converse sneakers weren''t much better.


    Sam, Lynn and I scurried off to one of the extra guestrooms in the beach house that Lynn and I were sharing. Mark had offered his dad''s room, but none of us felt comfortable being in there. The room seemed to pulsate as if it held the evil essence of the man that had vacated it. Every time I passed the door, I felt the hairs on the back of my upper arms stand up and a chill would race down my spine. For the most part, we all avoided that section of the house and only risked walking by it on our way to the utility room to do laundry.


    I tossed Sam an extra pair of cutoff sweats and a St. Briggets t-shirt that I got in the mail back in Montana after I registered. Sam grimaced looking at the shirt, making me giggle.


    "Ha ha ha, you''re so funny," she said, making a face at me before a brilliant smile crossed her face and a mischievous giggle slipped out. "That''s okay, I''ll wear this. It''ll be nice to see it dirty and trashed."


    Lynn sniggered as she headed down the hall with her own change of clothes.


    Five minutes later, our group was assembled on the sun-warmed sand. The beach was deserted, which was one of the biggest perks of having your own private beach access. Gone were the sunbathers, screaming kids, and annoying litter. Most nights, all of us would head out to walk on the beach. We usually started off together, but within ten minutes, a half-a-mile would separate us. Sam and Shawn always wound up ahead of the group. Sam would taunt Shawn into chasing her and off they would go, leaving a trail of Sam''s laughter behind in their wake. Mark and I were always the stragglers of the group. I was enthralled with the all the shells that washed up on the shore each day. My collection now held court in glass vases Mark had purchased for me.


    Haniel joined us shortly after we had assembled. He wore an outfit like I had never seen before. I could only gawk when I looked at him. The clothing looked like it had been tailored just for him, accentuating every lean muscle of his body. Made from material that looked as gauzy as paper streamers you would hang up at a birthday party and giving the impression that the slightest touch would tear them to shreds.


    "Wow," Lynn muttered beside Sam and me.


    Sam giggled, raising her eyebrows at us both.


    "Oh brother," Robert muttered, pulling Lynn closer to him to whisper in her ear.


    We couldn''t hear what he had whispered, but Lynn gave him a playful slap and placed a quick searing kiss to his lips. It was obvious he was looking for a little reassurance. It was a funny to see cool and collected Robert a little frazzled, he always seemed so put together. Of course he was being ridiculous, as handsome as Haniel was; there was nothing sexually appealing about him. It was like admiring the Sistine Chapel or the Grand Canyon, both spectacular and awe inspiring.


    I shot a sideways glance at Mark and saw him studying me as he pulled the thoughts from my mind.


    "Not even the slightest sex appeal?" he asked silently.


    "Well¡­," I shot back teasingly as Mark growled and made a quick grab for my wrist. I darted around him using my extra ability to stay just out of his reach. Giggling, I hid behind Shawn, trusting that my brother would protect me. I realized my mistake instantly when Shawn snagged my slender wrist in one hand and swooped his other hand beneath my knees dangling me upside down, making me an easy target for Mark.


    Giggling now uncontrollably, I tried to keep my shirt from sliding past my midriff. Mark advanced toward me with a wicked grin on his face as he snatched me easily into his arms. My giggles stuck in my throat as his hand slid around my smooth, flat stomach, securing me more firmly in his arms. He could touch me a million times and I would never get used to the waves of heat that shot through me from the electricity we shared. Glancing up, I saw his eyes begin to smolder as his thoughts followed mine. Bending down, he placed his full lips on mine. I sighed and parted my lips, giving him the access we both wanted. He tightened his arms around me drawing me even closer.


    "Perhaps you can save that for a more appropriate time," Haniel said in a dry voice, breaking through my kiss-induced daze. Flushing, I wiggled out of Mark''s arms, swaying slightly on my feet as the effects of the kiss flowed through me. Mark slung his arm around my waist, anchoring me to him as we both turned to face Haniel.


    Haniel gave us a look that made it clear he thought we were acting more like a bunch of horny teenagers than Chosen Ones. It was obvious he plucked my thoughts from me when I saw the look of affirmation in his eyes. Drat! Note to self - try to block thoughts at all times, I muttered to myself.


    "Shall we begin?" he said, suddenly all business. "It''s obvious all of you have succeeded in reading the mind of your counterparts," he said, looking at us for confirmation.


    "Yep, Shawn and I just figured it out last week with Krista''s help," Sam said.


    "Good. The ability to communicate through the mind portal is one of the most important gifts The Light has given you. This will be your greatest asset in battle. I''m sure in your recent attack against The Dark Angel, you realized how very crucial this gift is?" he said, directing the question at Mark and me. I nodded my head as he continued. "The next gift he gave is the ability to sooth and balance each other. This is a gift that needs no instruction, as I''m sure you have figured out. That is the extent of your shared gifts. As for individual gifts, the Guides are given the ability to control and receive the emotions of those around them. This is by far the very essence of why you were created. The Light gave you this extraordinary talent so that you can influence the souls of the unsure. With every Abbadon that has walked this earth, they have¡­"


    "Abad¡­ what?" Shawn asked, voicing my own question.


    "Abbadon is the name we call all evil men that have walked the earth''s surface. Abbadon means destruction, ruination. Those that receive this name are out to destroy and ruin others. They are able to gather forgotten souls to do their bidding. Guides are sent to rescue these souls before they are lost forever. I''m here to teach you how."


    I looked around at the others trying to process the information he had just given us. Was he trying to tell us that men like Stalin and Hitler had been Abbadon''s and Guides had intervened in those situations? Hitler was responsible for millions of deaths, so had the Guides failed?


    "They did not fail. They were merely greatly outnumbered. Many Guides and Protectors were killed trying to save forgotten souls and bring them back to the right side," he replied, picking my thoughts out of my head again. "Most times, the Guides are successful, thus the reason these occurrences have been sporadic over the years. The Light instructs me to send you in to intervene at the most opportune time."


    "What about my dad?" Mark asked quietly.


    Haniel shook his head. "The Dark Angel will have his Judgment Day, but now is not the time for him. That situation is being monitored as we speak."


    "Well, teach us how to go in and kick some ass," Sam said in her usual exuberant way. After a brief pause, she clamped her hand over her mouth. "Oops, sorry about that. I guess it''s some kind of biblical law against cussing around you right?" she asked, trying unsuccessfully to look abashed.


    "Perhaps, in the future you could find a better way to express your assessments," he said, making himself clear.


    I flashed a smile at Sam. Obviously swearing was out. "Ooh, you''re in trouble," I mouthed silently to her.


    Sam clapped a hand over her lips, nodding her head solemnly, although her bright shining eyes gave away her merriment.


    "Let''s begin," Haniel said, ignoring my and Sam''s silent antics. "I want my Guides to stand here," he said, indicating the space behind a line he had made in the sand with his foot. "Protectors, you can stand over there," he continued, indicating the sidelines.


    Sam, Lynn, and I faced Haniel apprehensively, not sure what to expect.


    "Now, close your eyes, and instead of casting my emotions away, you must filter them. Your emotions will work like a blanket, smothering what I cast your way and replacing it with your own," he said.


    Obediently, we closed our eyes, nervously awaiting his next move.


    I felt the familiar nausea from the foreign emotions Haniel sent our way. All of my instincts pushed me to shy away from them like I had done for years, but instead I faced them head on as Haniel instructed. I was unprepared for the heartbreaking pictures that flashed in my mind. The pictures consisted of starving children, passing before me at lightening fast speed, yet each one seemed to burn through my very soul. The despair was tangible, and my head spun as I tried to help tamper the emotion as it tried to consume me.


    The emotional stress became more than I could bear, sending me to my knees, as I vomited the contents of my mall lunch. I put my hands on the sand trying to control the waves of nausea that continued to swirl around in me even after my stomach was empty. My head swam and my body continued to protest as I tried to recover from the foreign assault. I had suffered from the emotions of others for years, but I had never felt them try to smother mine like that before.


    Mark was at my side in an instant. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded my head, not yet ready to open my eyes. This was different than my normal emotional sickness which I had learned to fight, this was an emotional assault.


    I opened my eyes as the nausea slowly seeped away from my body. I was mildly surprised to see both Sam and Lynn in similar positions on the ground. They usually had much better control over their emotions than I did, and I was a little relieved that I wasn¡¯t the only weak one.


    "What was that?" Sam asked in a shaky voice.


    "That was a touch of despair," Haniel said.


    "Just a touch?" I asked incredulously. "And what the heck were those pictures?" I asked, still shaken from what I had seen.


    "When you accept someone''s emotions, you will get a look into why they are feeling that emotion. Each individual will be different. For example, some may have mental pictures of a difficult home situation, while others may harbor pictures of things they''ve done that they are ashamed of. I chose the images that you just witnessed to convey despair."


    "They made me feel awful," Sam said quietly.


    "The mental pictures are a great asset, they will give you crucial insight into the individuals you are sent in to save. Eventually, when you are well-trained, you will use these images to your advantage."


    "Well, I guess let''s go again," Lynn said with the same reluctance I felt. I wasn''t overly anxious to repeat that exercise.

 Page 4

    "No, it is time for rest. Tonight was just a test to give you a taste of embracing the emotions of others. Soon you will learn to use your own purity to filter out the negative emotions and replenish what has been taken from the forgotten souls," he said, turning away from us. "I will now train with the Protectors," he continued in his formal way which I was getting used to.


    I was relieved by his words. I didn''t want to be a wimp, but I wasn''t going to argue. I felt like a freight train had hit me, leaving behind a tattered mess. Mark helped me to my feet while Shawn and Robert did the same for Lynn and Sam. Walking like gimps, we hobbled to the side of a sand dune and sank back down gratefully next to each other.


    "Well, that sucked big time," Sam muttered as the guys walked away.


    "No kidding. I feel like I lost an arm or something," Lynn said, rubbing the tender part of her chest, where mine also ached.


    "I sure hope Haniel is right and the next time doesn''t suck so much or he might be getting a few more choice words to report to his boss," Sam said, sounding more like herself.


    Despite the pain, I had to giggle. The mental picture of Sam cussing out an Archangel was just too much to resist. Lynn and Sam joined in, and before we knew it we were clutching our sides with one hand and leaning against each other for support. Glancing up, we saw the guys looking at us as if we had lost our minds, which sent us into a fresh onslaught of laughter. Finally the giggles receded and we returned our focus to the training in front of us.


    Haniel had Shawn and Robert against each other while pairing Mark with himself. Observing Mark next to Haniel, their differences in stature were unmistakable. I had always liked that Mark was so much taller than me, enjoyed standing on tiptoes to link my arms around him, but watching him next to Haniel made it seem as if he had shrunken a few inches. I felt a wave of apprehension knowing that Mark was still recovering from his hospital visit and I knew for a fact sparing was out.


    "Um¡­.," I said starting to stand up. Sam tugged on my hand trying to pull me back down before I could intervene.


    "He knows. See, he''s using Mark as an example so Shawn and Robert can do the actual sparing," she said, pointing out how Haniel was only mock sparing with Mark. I could see she was right. It was obvious that Haniel''s strength was limitless as he maneuvered Mark around, taking the brunt of each movement so that Mark''s body was not jarred in the slightest.


    I sank back down on the sand relieved. I didn''t want to bruise Mark''s ego by embarrassing him, but I also didn''t want him hurt. I was glad Sam had stopped me. I knew that Mark''s injury frustrated him and he was ready to return to normal. I also knew he still harbored major guilt that he hadn''t been able to protect me, as he put it. I felt that was a big part of why he was blocking me from his thoughts lately. At least with him sparing with Haniel, I knew he was safe but still learning the skills he needed.


    The guys continued to train for another hour until the sun began to set. Looking like we had felt the previous hour, they staggered toward us covered in sweat and sand. Mark reached a hand down and pulled me to my feet. "You okay?" I asked quietly. He smiled ruefully at me.


    "Yep, but man, I''m out of shape. I know Haniel was taking it easy on me, but damn, the moves he''s showed us are tough. Muscles I never knew I had are majorly cussing me out right now," he said, shooting me my most favorite grin.


    Impulsively, I linked my arms around his neck and planted my lips on his the soft skin giving it an affectionate nip. At times like this I just couldn''t resist the pull of our connection. Obviously feeling the same, he set his hands on my waist to anchor me in one spot while he dipped his head to place his own scorching kiss on my sensitive neck.


    "Get a room," Sam said, pulling my hair lightly as she passed with Shawn.


    "Um, how about not," Shawn mockingly growled. "That''s my sister after all, and it''s my job to keep the pervs away."


    Laughing, I grabbed Mark''s hand as we headed up the steep driftwood steps to the house. "Pretty sure I''m safe with an Archangel around," I said, glancing back at Haniel who was standing at the water''s edge in obvious deep meditation. I couldn''t help wondering where he went when he wasn''t doing his job training us Guides and Protectors.


    Chapter 3


    The next morning I woke with a knot in my stomach. Lying in my bed, I analyzed my dream from the night before although nothing out of the ordinary had happened during it. Mark and I had spent the time watching the waves wash up on the shore. We hadn¡¯t spoken, but that wasn''t unusual. We often reverted to the non-communicative dreams we had shared over the course of our entire lives up until a couple of weeks ago.


    The reason for the knot had to be something else.


    "So, are you contemplating how to get out of prom?" Lynn asked from the other bed in the room.


    Ugh, there you had it, today was our prom. That explained the knot. Once again, I wondered how Sam had even talked me into it. Yeah, yesterday the whole excitement of finding the perfect dress had clouded my perspective on it, but it now came crashing down on me. I had unsuccessfully tried to get out of it last night, using Haniel as the scapegoat, but the others had argued me down.


    "Look Krista, we already know we''re not normal, obviously," Sam had said, indicating Haniel who was still outside. "But we can at least act like we are every once in awhile. Plus, don''t forget you already promised your mom we''d swing by the hospital on the way."


    With that one statement, Sam had sealed the deal. I couldn''t deprive my mom. Being cooped up in the hospital for weeks now was wearing on her, and I knew she felt like she was missing out on my last few weeks of high school.


    "Maybe the training this morning will kill me," I grumbled, climbing out of bed. "Come on Feline, let''s go change." I said grumpily, grabbing some clothes on my way out the door. I could hear Lynn laughing behind me as I trudged down the hall. "Whatever, Lynn, keep yucking it up?" I said, a little louder than necessary.


    "What''s up sis?" Shawn asked, coming out of the second guestroom he was sharing with Robert.


    "Oh nothing," I said, not wanting to complain again. I hated it when people harped on stuff, and I didn''t want to be viewed that way.


    "It''ll be fine," he said, not having to read my mind. "We''ll stick together the entire night and don''t worry, everyone will be so busy living up their big night, they won''t give you a sideways glance," he added, ruffling my bed head before darting into the bathroom ahead of me.


    "Hey, I was here first," I said, pounding on the door and stomping my foot in frustration.


    "You can change in my room," Mark said, coming up behind me with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. My mouth began to water just looking at it. "What''s wrong? Oh you want this?" he asked teasingly as he handed it over.


    "Thanks," I said, flushing just slightly as he gave me the once over. I always felt so self-conscious when he saw me in the morning, all rumpled looking, but he recently confided in me that he loved seeing me that way. That he would love to wake up to me looking exactly like I did now.


    Knowing what he was insinuating made my body heat up each time I thought about it. The mental picture of waking up in his arms was definitely something that got my blood boiling. And by the glint in his eyes, I could see he was thinking the same thing without even entering his thoughts.


    "Um okay, I guess I''ll go change," I stuttered, backing up from the oddly intimate moment. "Thanks for my drug," I added, indicating my mug of liquid gold.


    "No problem," he replied, still watching me with his burning gaze.


    I closed the door behind me sagging weakly against it. "Hormones my butt, that guy is just smoking hot," I told Feline as I changed my clothes.


    Twenty minutes later we were once again assembled on the sand facing Haniel. Despite my jokes this morning about it killing me, I was pretty apprehensive about another round. By the looks on Lynn and Sam''s faces, I could tell I wasn¡¯t the only one. In fact the only one out of our entire group that looked relaxed was the flipping seven foot Angel that would be assaulting our emotions in a moment.


    Haniel had spent the entire night outside. I wasn¡¯t sure if he actually stayed on the beach or went somewhere else.


    "All right, let''s begin. Remember Guides, though the images may be disheartening, use them to your advantage. They are there to help make your job easier. You must focus on changing the pictures they have, thus giving them back an emotion other than the one they initially had," he said, preparing us for another round.


    I closed my eyes and focused on the task at hand. I felt the emotion that Haniel was sending slowly creep toward me. I steadied my breathing and prepared myself for today''s onslaught of pictures.


    I cringed when the first picture flashed before my eyes of a sad child huddled in a corner, only to be replaced with another of a man clutching a belt in his hand. In the next image, the belt sailed through the air. I jerked back in horror, trying to get away from the sting of the belt. My sudden movement caused me to lose my balance as disorientation set in. I tried to steady myself, but the flashes of pictures and the foreign emotions had thrown off my equilibrium, sending me in a heap to the sand.


    I tried opening my eyes, but the sky was spinning out of control. My only shot at relief was to clamp my eyes shut and focus on getting my bearings back. The pictures of the poor defenseless child huddled in the corner and the monster that clutched the heavy leather strap remained engrained in my mind''s eye.


    "Krista, are you okay?" Mark asked.


    I opened my eyes to see his anxious face hovering over mine. "Yeah," I said, struggling to sit up. "That totally sucked," I said dryly, looking around at my friends to see how they had fared. Lynn and Sam were both still standing, though they were deathly pale. "Why am I always the one lying around?" I asked, trying to make a joke of it. Mark reached a hand down and I grabbed onto it so he could haul me to my feet.


    "So, do I get an F for that attempt?" I asked Haniel as I dusted sand of my backside.


    "An F?" he asked puzzled.


    "You know, like an F for failed attempt," I said, realizing that trying to explain the dynamics of the grading system to a celestial being out of the human realm was a little difficult.


    "I am confused. You did not fail, you responded appropriately to seeing an image for the first time. How did you feel seeing the pictures?"


    "I felt sad and a little scared. And mad." I said.


    "Yes, now if you were there how would you fix the outcome?" he asked, pressing for details.


    "I would want to comfort the poor little girl and get her far away from the situation," I said, confused at what exactly he was asking me.


    "Exactly," he said. "You would want to help her. As a Guide, your gift gives you the ability to help her. She has already suffered the abuse, but you have the power to help her move on and leave the despair behind. When you encounter forgotten souls, they will be emotionally damaged. Abbadons use this to their advantage. They prey on the suffering of the forgotten souls, intensifying their anguish, making them more susceptible to evil."


    "How do I do it?" I asked, finally understanding what he was telling me.


    "You take the images you see and you change them to what you would want to see. Your soul will take over, replacing their negative emotions with your positive emotions. You will forever change the way they view that image from that day on. They will not forget their past, but they will finally be able to release it."


    "Okay, I think I understand," I said, looking at Sam and Lynn.


    "Me too," Sam said, sounding relieved.


    Lynn nodded her assent, also.


    "Very good then, let us begin again," Haniel said in what I could have sworn sounded like a proud voice. Though I knew I was imagining it. In the short time that we had been around Haniel, I had come to realize that he was a blank slate emotionally.


    I closed my eyes and mentally prepared myself for the images that were headed my way. This time I was ready for the picture of the scared little boy huddled behind the couch. My heart went out to him the instant I saw his frightened face peering around the sofa. His image was replaced by a mean-eyed drunk hurling a beer bottle toward the couch, striking the child in the head. I ran across the room, desperate to shield the defenseless child from more harm. The emotions I felt - despair, betrayal, misunderstanding - hit me one after another like arrows piercing my body. I reached down to pick up the child and suddenly the image repeated, only I was now the target. I ducked to try to avoid the oncoming bottle and felt myself falling backwards.


    I landed hard on my butt as Haniel once again retreated. "Crap, I suck at this," I said, exhausted from the mental abuse I was suffering. I glanced around and saw both Sam and Lynn also on the ground. "You too?" I asked, smiling a little at the grimaces on both their faces. It pretty much gave me an idea of what I looked like without glancing in a mirror.


    "Krista, very good," Haniel said, standing over me.


    "What," I asked, confused yet again. "What do you mean very good? I''m sitting in the sand again!" I said, letting my frustration show.


    "Krista, you were able to make contact. Your attempt was quite remarkable for such a young and inexperienced Guide. It will not be long before you will be able to erase the images altogether. You have embraced your lead role extraordinarily well."


    "Wow, you got to the little boy?" Sam asked awestruck. "I couldn''t seem to make my feet move. They felt like they were sunk in cement by the fear I felt."


    "Same here," Lynn said, clearly frustrated. I couldn¡¯t blame her. Lynn always seemed so invincible, it was hard to believe that she suffered from the same fear Sam and I felt.


    "Again?" I asked, rubbing my sore backside as I slowly got back on my feet with Mark''s assistance once more.


    "I think that you¡¯ve done enough," Mark said, brushing the remaining sand off of me.


    "That''s okay¡­." I said, starting to argue.


    "Your Protector is right. The soul of a Guide is precious, and as such, training should be taken in small steps," Haniel said, dismissing my protest as only he could. "Protectors, we will now work on your training."


    "Sounds good to me my kind sir, let me just walk milady to the house," Shawn said in the weakest Medieval impersonation I had ever heard.


    "Oh, brother," Sam giggled at his bad impersonation.


    "Really man, that totally sucked," Robert said, grabbing Lynn''s hand as we trudged along the sand on our way back to the house.

 Page 5

    Mark grasped my own hand in his and I felt his healing touch working its magic over me.


    "I''m sorry the training is so tough," he murmured into my ear as we topped the last step. There was just something about his lip touching my ear, breathing his warm air into me that made my pulse race with pleasure.


    He chuckled lightly as he picked up my thoughts. His relief that I was feeling good enough to get hot and bothered was palpable. Leaning in even closer, he blew gently in my ear, rustling the hair around it. Goosebumps popped up along my arms as a delicious shiver raced up my spine, making my scalp tingle in anticipation. I turned fully into his embrace, wrapping my arms snugly around his neck. He pressed his lips gently to my neck trailing light kisses up to my ear. My legs turned to jelly.


    "Go pamper yourself." Smiling now, he loped down the steps as I sagged weakly against the railing. Holy crow bear, he killed me sometimes.


    Sam and I spent the remainder of the day preparing ourselves for our big night out. By the time the guys were clamoring to get the show on the road, we had both given each other pedicures, dolled up our hair, and added just a tad bit of makeup.


    I felt like a bundle of nerves as I pulled the elegant dress out of the bag and slipped it off the padded hanger the sales clerk had sent home with me. I hoped against hope that it still looked as good on my stick figure body as I remembered from the day before. The satin of the dress caressed my skin as I slid it on. Stepping in front of the mirror, I gasped in pleasure when I saw the sparkling girl staring back at me. With my hair pulled up in the intricate knot that Sam had concocted, the touch of make-up, and the beautiful dress, I felt like a princess. My eyes sparkled and my mouth spread into a smile as Sam stepped up behind me adjusting her own dress.


    "Oh my God Krista, you look so flipping beautiful. Mark is going to have a coronary when he sees you," Sam said delighted.


    The excitement of the night began to grab me as I reached over and gave Sam a quick hug. "I''m glad you talked me into this. You were right, who cares what those cows think. It was crazy thinking we should skip it. Why give them the satisfaction?" I asked, echoing the same argument Sam had been making for last few weeks.


    "Ha, they''re going to die when they see how hot you look," she quipped, tucking a stray hair back up into one of the countless bobby pins on my head.


    "Well, it''s not like you don''t look pretty spectacular yourself," I said, giving Sam a once-over. The midnight blue dress could have been tailor made for her with the way it accentuated her every curve. The strappy heels she wore made the full skirt swish around her in a very flattering way. I had piled her hair on top of her head, leaving several tendrils to hang down to curl attractively around her heart-shaped face. As a last touch, Sam had added glitter eye shadow to the top of her eyelids, which could have looked cheap, but instead made her eyes sparkle and dance. Had Sam been a foot taller, she could have easily walked the catwalk as a topped billed model.


    "You guys read? Wow, you two look fabulous!" Lynn said, opening the bathroom door. "Um, you two are going to leave those three gossip hounds you''re always talking about with tongues wagging tonight," she added.


    "Aww, thanks Lynn," Sam said, giving her a smacking kiss on the cheek as the three of us strolled toward the racket in the living room. It was quite obvious the guys were getting impatient. Sam and I exchanged a knowing look as we stepped around the corner, stopping in the doorway.


    All sound evaporated from the room as Mark and Shawn finally got their first look at us.


    Lynn broke the silence with a knowing snort behind us.


    "Told you guys you looked hot," she said, joining Robert on the plush couch.


    They weren''t the only ones struck silent.


    Mark in a tux was enough to send my heart racing and my skin tingling. The cut of the tux emphasized his lean but muscular body. He was McDreamy and McSteamy all wrapped up in one delicious ball.


    "Dudes, you might want to close your mouths," Robert mocked from the couch. He roared with laughter as Mark and Shawn became aware of his teasing.


    I couldn''t help the smile that tugged at my mouth when they both seemed to shake their head as if to clear the haze. Sam giggled next to me as Robert and Lynn both openly laughed.


    "You look beautiful," Shawn told Sam, finally regaining speech as he joined us. Sam''s giggles stopped in mid-giggle as Shawn tenderly cupped her cheek and pressed a light kiss on her lips.


    I glanced away feeling intrusive. Instead, I focused on the one person who mattered the most to me. "You look unbelievable," Mark said, reaching for my hand and pulling me into his arms for a quick embrace. There was no need for Mark to kiss me, his eyes said it all. I could feel my cheeks heating up as he appraised my appearance from head to toe making it quite obvious he was pleased with what he saw.


    "You are beautiful." The thoughts he flashed in my head confirmed it as we joined the others in the living room.


    Chapter 4


    As per my mom''s request, Mark swung me by the hospital so she could admire our formal clothes. I could tell right away she was not a happy camper as we strolled into her room.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked


    "My ignorant doctor is under the impression that I need to stay an extra week in the hospital. I can''t stay laid up here another week. I have things to do. Your graduation is coming up, not to mention my poor plants are going to die," she added in an agitated voice.


    "Mom, come on, graduation is still weeks away, and really, what can possibly still need to be done. I have my graduation robe, my pictures are taken, and my class ring is on its way. It''s not like we have any family flying in. Everyone I want there is already here. As for your plants, I''ve been watering them every day. It''s not like you would be able to go home and do all that anyway. I for one am glad they''re keeping you here. That way I can make sure you really are better," I said truthfully.


    "I know. I''m sure they know what''s best, it''s just so frustrating. I feel like I''m missing too much of your last few months at home," she said, suddenly teary eyed.


    "Mom, you''re not. I''m here most afternoons anyway, right? Plus, we have the entire summer, and it''s not like I''m moving far away."


    "I know, I''m sorry. I''m an emotional wreck lately," she said, wiping the tears away with the corner of her bed sheet. "You look beautiful, by the way. That dress looks absolutely stunning on you. I should have started off with that instead of venting," she said apologetically. "All of you look great," she added, indicating the others that were lounging on the chairs by the window. "Did you take pictures?"


    "Yeah, we had Lynn take them," I said. I had recently brought Lynn and Robert up to meet her. She had a vague idea about our connection and knew that we were all drawn to Santa Cruz, but she thought it was for some unknown reason. I deliberately kept our most recent findings to myself. I was always afraid that when I visited her I was going to let something slip. She and I had been close my entire life and I was used to confiding in her about most of my fears, but these were best left unsaid.


    "We better head out," Mark said, knowing what I was thinking without having to use any mind tricks. He knew how much it bugged me to lie to her even if it was for her own good.


    "I''ll come back tomorrow Mom," I said, dropping a kiss on her cheek.


    "Okay, don''t come too early. I''m sure you guys will be exhausted after being out late tonight. No drinking and no getting in the car with anyone that has been drinking," she said sternly to all of us as we left the room. I paused in the doorway to blow her a kiss and chuckled when she made a swooning face at Mark''s back.


    The drive to the Swan Resort was short, and before I knew it Mark was handing his keys over to the valet. Swallowing back a knot of nervousness, I glanced up at the elegant building in front of me. The architecture was breathtaking and reminded me of something you would see in a movie from the Victorian era. Wide, sweeping porches graced both levels of the building with ivy running in abundance over the round pillars and railings that separated the dual porches. Wooden white-painted planters filled with pretty mauve flowers hung from the rafters and brackets mounted to the railings. It was obvious each detail had been well thought-out and added accordingly.


    Shawn and Mark helped Sam and I exit the vehicle. Mark wrapped his arm around my waist, sliding his fingers along my ribcage and pulling me tight against his side.


    "I know I''ve already said it, but you look absolutely beautiful tonight," he said in a husky voice that sent my pulse into overdrive. If we lived a hundred years together, I would never get tired of the way our connection made us so hyper-aware of each other. I loved that I could almost sense where he was at all times now. I''m sure an observer would say I was shackled to him, but it was exactly where I wanted to be.


    We could hear the party in full swing as we climbed the sweeping marble inlaid staircase toward the ballroom. I couldn''t help noticing that the small pieces of marble matched the mauve flowers that were scattered about.


    One of doormen tipped his hat formally at us as Shawn and Mark handed him our tickets. The second doorman opened the doors grandly for us, allowing us to pass. Sam and I both gasped in pleasure when we took in the sight of the wide spectacular ballroom in front of us. The room was massive with elegantly draped tables surrounding a dance floor that would have rivaled the gymnasium floor at any professional arena. Each table held glass bowls filled with floating candles that illuminated the faces of those that were seated around them. The perimeter of the room was broken up by an entire glass wall that overlooked the ocean churning beneath the cliffs. Drapery swaged the walls around us, each decorated with thousands of twinkling lights that made the walls appear to move. Instead of a tacky disco ball or a typical chandelier illuminating the dance floor, the center of the dance floor was lit up by thousands of dancing lights that seemed to drop from the ceiling. It was by far the most elegant room I had ever entered. Even the deep midnight blue carpet under my feet was the plushest flooring I had ever walked on. I fought the temptation to slip my strappy shoes off so I could sink my feet into it.


    "Wow, they weren''t kidding," Sam finally squeaked out beside me, breaking our trance.


    Shawn chuckled "I guess not, I guess this is what being rich is like, right buddy?" he said, nudging Mark.


    Mark shrugged. He had grown up with a different lifestyle than the rest of us, but he never flaunted it. His dad had obviously made his money in some corrupt way, and I knew from thoughts I had gleaned from him that Mark was torn about what to do with the large amount of money in his account. Shawn had convinced him that for the time being we should at least keep it at our disposal since we had no idea what we faced. The two of them had gone to the bank on Tuesday and moved the money to a different account that his father could not access if he chose to. Mark added both Shawn and my names to the account so we could both access the funds. I felt uncomfortable even thinking about using the money. Like Mark, I felt it was dirty, blood money.


    Mark guided us to an unoccupied table in the far corner, closest to the glass wall. I looked out the window in awe from the vantage point. From where we were standing, it looked as if we were floating above the ocean below. As beautiful as it was, it was still a little unnerving to think of how close the building was set on the cliff edge. I had yet to experience one of the earthquakes California was famous for, and I definitely didn''t want to experience one tonight. I could just imagine the building crashing into the churning waves below.


    "Well, if it isn''t St. Briggets most scandalous couple," a snide voice said behind me.


    Cringing, I turned around to face the three catty girls that had made it their mission to torment my last few months of school. Mark grasped my hand, sending me his thoughts. Just ignore the three of them, it isn''t worth it.


    "Well, if it isn''t the Lush Trio, Sam replied in a mocking voice."Where did you get those dresses, Tramps R Us?" Sam asked with just a touch of bite to her tone. Surprised by Sam''s uncharacteristic cattiness, I fought the urge to laugh at their expressions. How they could deny it, though, based on their get-up. All three wore strapless dresses that barely covered their skinny butts. Topped with what my mom would say "Hooker Heels." They would have fit in on a street corner somewhere. I knew they were going for the trendy looks that graced the covers of most glamour magazines. But what they lacked was the poise to pull it off.


    Lacey, the ringleader of the group, stepped forward. "Well at least I didn''t buy my dress in the children''s section," she said sarcastically, turning on a heel, trying to save face in front of the now interested onlookers.


    "That''s the best you''ve got?" Sam asked, snorting with laughter.


    Impulsively, I reached over and hugged Sam, feeling proud of her. The three of them had given us enough grief over the last few weeks and I loved Sam for her quick wit.


    Mark and Shawn led us to the dance floor where more than one set of eyes followed us. I guess I should have expected it. Being new to the school this year, my relationship with Mark, and the way he was let go from his intern position, made us the most infamous couple at prom.


    "Don''t worry about them, you look beautiful," Mark said, addressing the comments the dreaded trio had made as he slid his arms around me to pull me close. I looped my arms around his neck and rested my head against his muscular chest where his heart beat steadily. I had discovered when he was in the hospital that this was my favorite spot on earth. I loved to feel his heart beat against my ear knowing that it was connected to me.


    "See, this isn''t so bad, right?" he asked.


    "No, this is nice, but I''m still not doing any fast songs," I said, reminding him of our compromise from a couple days ago.


    Chuckling softly, he pulled me closer. I let my eyes drift closed as we swayed around the dance floor. At moments like these, I could imagine that this is how it would be if we were a normal couple and the most stressful thing I had to worry about was passing finals. But having the weight of using my power to change someone''s life seemed just a little more important.


    Mark stepped back reluctantly as the song ended and a chest thumping rhythmic beat began belting out of the speakers surrounding the dance floor.


    "Guess this one''s out?" he asked with a grin.


    "Um yep, this one''s out," I said returning his grin, as I made my way through the exuberant dancing around me to walk to the edge of the dance floor. We stood on the sidelines watching the other couples on the floor. My jaw dropped when I saw Shawn and Sam dancing like pros to the fast-paced song. They looked like they belonged on "Dancing with the Stars." Their natural grace made the complicated song look like a simple ballad.

 Page 6

    Obviously Shawn had inherited all the dancing genes in our family, leaving me with none, I thought dryly.


    Sam and Shawn gained the attention of the DJ as he began a commentary of their extreme dance steps. Before I knew it, the dance floor was cleared of all the dancers except for them. With the help of the DJ, the crowd started cheering them on, clapping and stomping their feet as they danced their way across the floor. I was amazed to see kids that had engaged in gossiping about us now cheering Sam along. Maybe watching Sam stand up for herself had helped us turn a new corner. Their enthusiasm made Mark and me cheer harder. Grudgingly, I had to admit that maybe going to prom wasn''t the worst idea.


    "I''m going to the bathroom," I told Mark as the DJ started another adrenaline racing song. Making my way out of the ballroom, I glanced back one last time when I heard the crowd cheering even louder as Shawn completed a series of eight flips across the dance floor. Shaking my head at the irony of my own flesh and blood having such natural grace, I went searching for a bathroom. Strolling across the marble floor, I admired the elegant artwork spaced tastefully around the lobby. Having a mother that loved art gave me the knowledge to recognize talented and expensive art when I saw it. Each piece that graced the walls here would do well in a museum where everyone could admire it. I felt out of place as I walked through the imposing space. Sure, my mom had sunk a large amount of money into St. Briggets so I could finish my high school career there, but I had come to realize I just wasn¡¯t the Prada kind of girl. I didn''t belong in this lifestyle and I felt very inadequate pretending I did. Shaking my head, I finally found the restrooms.


    There were no signs stating what they really were. The only clue indicating I had found the restrooms was the nude statue of the woman placed discretely by one of the doors, while a male bust sat next to the second door.


    Wow, I guess simple signs reading men or women were just too trashy for a hotel like this, I thought, as I pushed my way into the bathroom, pausing to admire the elegance of the room. It contained a sitting area off to the left with deep lavender plush benches to rest on. Floor-to-ceiling gilded mirrors were spaced out periodically around the room. Each sink sat atop its own pedestal with scented soaps in a glass bowl on the ledge of each one. Separate rooms with heavy doorknobs housed individual toilets, instead of traditional stalls with those uncooperative locks that you have to jimmy to keep them from opening at the wrong time. A soft light automatically came on as I stepped inside, like I had entered a sacred chamber or something. As I closed the door behind me I heard the outer door being opened.


    I groaned to myself when I heard the high pitched voices of my arch nemeses from school. "I don''t know who she''s trying to fool in the dress she''s wearing," I heard Lacey saying in her usual snotty voice.


    "I know, right? She''s still trash. I saw her outside her house one day. You should see the shack she calls home. I''d rather be dead, than caught living there," Amber said snidely.


    My face started to heat up as I realized who they were talking about.


    "Besides, who wears a dress that long anyway? Mark would have to cut it off at the knees to get to anything. Well, that''s if he''s even interested in finding what''s there. She makes Fridge look easy," Katie, the last of the trio said in her typical whiney voice that made me want to hang myself just hearing it.


    "Yeah, well one thing''s for sure, Sam is a bitch. She may act like she''s better than us, but with the way she''s flaunting her shit out there with that loser, it''s obvious her knees have been apart more than they''ve been together," Lacey said just as I opened the door.


    What I did next I would like to have said was out of my control, but I knew exactly what I was doing. Instead of trying to redirect their hostile evil emotions, I embraced them making them my own. Maybe I was using my own embarrassment that was caused by them mocking my house, but it was more the fact that they had attacked my family that propelled me from the stall in one quick movement. I must have looked like a psycho from some cheesy slasher movie, because all three backed up against the far wall with their hands out in front of them. In one concentrated burst, I threw all their hatred and my own back at them. I could feel it sliding out of me like liquid fire. The rage I unleashed was unlike any that I had ever felt, and the power of it sent them to their knees.


    Gasping for breath, they clutched their chests, losing all color from their faces. Lacey was the first to collapse in a heap. I backed up, horrified, as my concentration was broken by the bathroom door opening and a group of my classmates spilling in.


    "What the Hell happened?" I heard someone say as I fled the scene.


    "Lacey? What''s going on?" another one said before I was out of earshot.


    I raced across the lobby, sobbing uncontrollably as I burst through the doors at the same time Mark reached my side. "What happened?" he asked as he tried to read the jumbled thoughts that raced through my head. Still sobbing, I could only shake my head as I sunk into his arms.


    What had I done? Did I kill them? I was pretty sure what I had just done would strip me of my invisible wings in a heartbeat.


    "Take her home now," I heard Haniel say behind me in a booming voice.


    "What''s going on?" Sam asked, bewildered, as they joined us.


    "Go now," Haniel said again, not answering either question. "I will handle this. Get to your house and I will deal with her when I get there," he said, obviously meaning me.


    Mark shepherded me out of the room without another word. I gripped his hand in one of my own while Sam grabbed my other hand. I wondered if she would still be holding my hand if she knew what I had just done. The pale faces flashed through my mind again as I remembered their limp bodies tangled together on the bathroom floor. I felt Mark cringe beside me as he picked the mental picture from my mind. Hanging my head, I felt hot tears sliding down my checks as I climbed into his SUV. Had I not been so stressed, I would have been startled at the void of emotion left in me. I had left it all in the bathroom, with three snotty girls that didn''t deserve what I had just done. Whose worst crimes were overindulgent parents.


    Chapter 5


    Haniel was waiting for us when we returned. How he had beaten us back to the house when he said he would deal with the mess I left behind was more than my drained mind could wrap around.


    "What are you guys doing back so early?" Robert asked from the couch where he and Lynn were sharing a bowl of popcorn while they watched a movie. He broke off when he saw the somber mood of our group.


    He and Lynn stood, waiting to deal with whatever curve ball was being thrown our way. I imagined their contempt when they realized I was the new danger we faced. Me. The one that was supposed to be some super-mystical being, had just harmed three innocent humans.


    "Tell me what happened," Haniel asked in a much quieter voice than the one he had used at the hotel.


    Letting go of Sam and Mark''s hands, I sank onto the couch knowing none of them would want to be next to me when I told them the awful thing I had done. My voice was shaky and guilt ridden as I told them the whole story, not glossing over anything.


    "I knew I was using my rage and their own against them. I wanted to strip them of their emotions, leaving them blank, for at least a moment, so their harsh words wouldn''t hurt anyone else. I didn''t mean to kill them," I sobbed, burying my face in my hands.


    "Why didn''t you use your power to change their emotions?" Haniel asked in the same quiet voice. "It would have been easy for you based on what we''ve worked on. The only pictures you would have seen were their envy over the relationships all of you have. The only emotion they harbor is the desire to be loved."


    "I don''t know. It all happened so fast. I just wanted to tear them down like they''ve done to so many others with their words."


    "How did you know to use your gift that way?" Haniel questioned.


    "I didn''t know. I just wanted to turn things back on them for once. I didn''t mean to hurt them. I just wanted them to feel the pain of their words," I said as hot tears spilled down my cheeks. "What''s going to happen to me?" I asked, imagining the worst of Judgment Days. What would happen to Mark if I was cast to the side? My heart clenched inward leaving me breathless as I thought of our bond being severed.


    Sam sat beside me and grabbed onto my hand. I looked at her and was surprised that she studied me compassionately instead of with the horror I had imagined. My hot tears fell more rapidly as I felt the love she was pushing into my emotional void. Mark settled on the opposite side of me, sliding his arm around me. I glanced around at each of them, stunned that they all looked at me much the same way Sam had. Didn''t they fully grasp what I had done? I had used my power for evil and not good like we were created for.


    "Krista, you did not kill them," Haniel finally said. "Yes, you gave them quite a shock, and something to wonder about, but you did them no lasting harm. Your gift is new and is in the beginning stages. You must learn to control it, because one day you could do more harm than good if you channel it the wrong way. As Guides, you must use the moral compass you were created with to know when to use your gifts the right way. What you exhibited tonight is your final and most powerful ability that The Light has provided to you. It is to be used only in circumstances where your life is in peril and you fear for your safety. When you cast anger or animosity back at individuals that harbor these emotions, it returns to them one hundred-fold. They are shown all of their past wrongs in the blink of an eye. This flood is often staggering as you discovered tonight," he said, explaining their collapse to me. "This gift you''ve been given can only be used once in a period of time as I''m sure you have figured out," he continued, addressing me still. I nodded my head, but still felt empty and slightly nauseous. The thought of performing that same kind of burst again seemed impossible.


    "Tomorrow we will begin your training more aggressively," Haniel said, turning away to exit the room.


    "Wait," I said. "If I didn''t hurt them, what did you have to take care of?"


    "Well, just put it this way. Their thoughts are a little muddled as to what happened."


    "I didn''t think Archangels did things like that?" I asked, still confused.


    "I cannot directly intervene in matters that involve The Dark One, but in a circumstance like this, my gifts can be used to help smooth things out you might say. Mark, I will see you about your injury in an hour, after I take care of some pressing matters first," he said, closing the glass door silently behind him.


    "Wow, that dude is one cool hombre," Shawn said, sinking back onto the couch. "I can''t tell if he has a sense of humor or not, but man he''s a badass."


    "Are you okay?" Lynn asked me, perching on the arm of the other couch.


    "I''m fine," I said, flashing her a watery smile. I was relieved I hadn''t hurt them, but it still didn''t change the fact that I had let evil rule me, no matter how brief the moment was. "You guys aren''t mad at me?" I finally asked.


    "Krista, are you kidding me? Do you know how many times I''ve wanted to put the Lush Trio in their place?" Sam asked.


    "Yeah, but you didn''t act on it like I did. It''s one thing to think about doing something, but it''s a whole other thing to actually do it. You guys don¡¯t think I''m like, twisted now."


    "Don''t be a dork Sis. What did you think, that we believed you had crossed over to the dark side or something?" He teased, ruffling my hair. "You''re not that cool," he added, making all of us laugh and breaking the last of the tension I felt.


    "Come on," Mark said, tugging me into a standing position. "Let''s go walk on our beach."


    We left the others behind, joking easily, the night''s drama firmly forgotten in their minds as we headed out the patio doors. The patio was empty, and once again I wondered where Haniel went when he wasn''t babysitting us. Mark led me to the stairs and helped me remove my strappy sandals before we descended. The coolness felt like heaven as my feet sunk into nighttime sand.


    "Are you really okay?" Mark asked after we had walked a couple hundred yards.


    "I''m fine." I was lying, of course, since my heart still ached from what I had done. I had been blocking my thoughts since we left the party, so Mark was unaware of just how empty I felt.


    "I know you''re worried, but I trust Haniel that the snobs are okay," he said, wondering why I had been blocking my thoughts. He pulled me into his arms and stroked my back, giving me the comfort my body craved. "I still owe you another dance," he said, gently swaying us back and forth. I raised my arms, locking them firmly around his neck. This time, though, I looked into his eyes as we danced on the cool sand with only the moon looking down on us. He lowered his head and laid his lips on mine. All else was forgotten as I sighed and let him kiss my worries away. My void began to dissipate as his touch and kisses filled me as only they could. I laced my fingers through his hair linking us more firmly together as I deepened the kiss. He moaned against my tingling lips as we slowly lowered ourselves to the ground. Our formal clothing was forgotten as we lost ourselves in the kiss. I could feel his hand caressing my ribcage, lightly touching me as he settled more firmly against me. I could feel every lean muscle pressed against me as I threatened to erupt from the heat he ignited inside me. I wished that clothing didn''t separate us, and for a brief moment I fought the urge to giggle when I remembered the Trio''s words about my dress getting in the way.


    Mark chuckled on top of me, reading my thoughts. "I guess that¡¯s our sign to stop."


    "Talk about Divine intervention," I quipped as he helped me to my feet brushing the sand off my backside, spending a few extra moments to brush my bottom off. Laughing, I swatted his hand away.


    "What?" he asked feigning innocence.


    Giggling, I reached for his hand. It was surreal to be laughing and carrying on when just an hour ago I thought my world was ending. I felt a surge of gratitude that Haniel had been there to smooth everything over.


    "I''m sorry we had to leave the dance early," I said as we continued our stroll along the tide line.


    "Oh right, I''m sure you are. I wouldn''t put it past you to have done it all on purpose," he said mockingly. "Sheesh, the extremes you go to avoid dancing at your own prom," he added teasingly.


    "You got me. It was either dance or channel my evil side. You see how well that worked out," I said, now able to joke about it.


    "Well next time, we''ll skip the dance to spare you from going to such extremes. I couldn''t really care less about the ''Lust Trio'' or ''Lush Trio,'' whatever you and Sam call them. I just don''t want you to lose yourself in this whole craziness," he said in a more serious voice. "I don''t ever want to lose you, and you heard Haniel, Guides are given a dangerous job as it is. You have to be more careful and realize just how important you are, not only me, but to our entire group. You''re like the nucleus that holds us together. We all knew it even before Haniel mentioned it."

 Page 7

    "How am I the one that holds us all together?" I asked, confused that Mark seemed to be in agreement with Haniel. "Why am I more special than Sam or Lynn?"


    "I''m not sure how to explain it to you. It''s just the way you execute yourself. Ever since we were held captive, you have evolved into a stronger person that seems to exude knowledge and poise. What happened tonight was an example of that. Sure, you''re not supposed to use your power that way unless you''re in danger, but the fact that you did, shows that you are learning at a more accelerated rate than the others."


    "All it shows is that I can be mean-spirited," I mumbled as we headed back to the house.


    Haniel was waiting for Mark on the deck, so I headed off to find Sam and Lynn. Sam had received permission to crash with us tonight since we were supposed to be at prom until the wee hours.


    Thanks to me, that plan was shot.


    I was excited, though, that Sam was staying over. I loved it when we were all together like a family. I loved my mom and missed her while she was in the hospital, but in her absence our motley crew had forged an unbreakable bond that bridged the gap that I had experienced my entire life. It was nice to be able to feel normal and not crazy all the time.


    I found Sam and Lynn in the guestroom that Lynn and I shared. They had been busy while I was out walking on the beach. They shoved the two full-size beds in the room together, creating a massive bed with each of our sleeping bags thrown on top. This was my kind of camping out, no hard ground or pesky bugs aggravating you. They had added a mountain of at least twenty pillows to the head of the bed creating a comfy nest for all of us. In the middle of the bed was a collection of every chocolate snack imaginable.


    "It''s about time you got back. I thought your ice cream was going to melt," Lynn said, handing me an ice cream sundae that could rival anything you would find on my favorite show, "Extreme Eats." It was topped with hot fudge, cookie crumbs, whipped cream and not one, but five, cherries.


    "Holy crow bear this looks delicious, but when did you guys do all this?" I asked, indicating my ultimate chocolate fantasy.


    "We sent the boys out as soon as you left," Sam said, entering the room clad in her PJ''s and slippers, carrying several Blue-rays. "We''re having the ultimate girl''s night in. So¡­go change into some comfy clothes. I had Shawn rent us movies that are guaranteed to make us laugh, cry and scream in horror in that order. We have a comedy, drama, and a slasher film that will be sure to keep us up all night," she added mischievously.


    My eyes blurred with sudden tears as I thought of all the hard work they had gone to just to cheer me up. "Thanks guys," I said in a somewhat choked voice, grabbing a fresh pair of sweats and long sleeved thermal shirt out of the dresser I was using.


    "Hey, no tears yet. That''s not until the second feature," Sam gently chided me, shooing me out the door. "Hurry up! I''m ready for a chocolate coma and some serious estrogen."


    Several hours later, I smiled, glancing at my two lightly snoring friends. True to form, we had laughed, cried, and screamed, much to the dismay of the guys that had raced in to save their damsels in distress, only to discover we were screaming at a melted Freddy Krueger. Grumbling about crying wolf, the boys headed back for more quality time on the Xbox, leaving us to our horror flick. The remains of our chocolate frenzy were heaped on the dresser. My friends had proved to be lightweights when it came to chocolate-worshipping and had finally succumbed, as Sam had predicted, to ''chocolate comas.'' I, on the other hand, felt restless. Taking care not to wake my two friends that had both chosen to sleep on either side of me, I had felt their emotions working to fill the rest of my emotional void the entire night. I was touched at their gesture, and felt an overwhelming surge of love for both of them for caring so much. Using my sleeping bag to my advantage, I let the nylon material do the work as I slid down to the foot of the bed. Once I made it out from between my two friends, I dragged my legs from my warm sleeping bag and stood up then quietly left the room with Feline at my heels.


    After hitting the bathroom, I headed through the living room laughing silently at the guys that were crashed on the floor. The TV was still on, with the game beeping annoyingly to be restarted. I used the throw blankets Mark had added to the living room to cover all of them up and pried one of the game controllers out of Shawn''s hand and laid it on the coffee table. Still smiling, Feline and I headed out onto the patio. I knew I was tempting fate by letting him come with me, but I didn''t feel like being alone. I snagged the last blanket off the back of the wing chair in the corner and quietly shut the door behind me.


    "Little late to be up isn''t it?" asked a quiet voice behind me.


    Muffling a scream with my hand, I turned to see that Haniel was stretched out on one of the cushioned lounge chairs. "Ugh, you scared me," I complained in a shaky voice. "Sam forced me to watch a scary movie and having you sneak up on me doesn''t help my frame of mind."


    "I am not sure how I could sneak up on you if I was already here," he said lightly as I slid into the chair beside him, wrapping the blanket around me first. Feline being as impatient as ever, jumped on my legs the instant the blanket slid into place.


    "So, do you sleep out here?" I asked curiously, wondering why he didn''t just sleep in the house.


    "No, there is no need for me to sleep. I have no need to rest. My sole responsibility is to watch and train those appointed to me," he said somewhat formally as if he was reciting his resume to me.


    "Sooooo, there are others you are training right now?" I asked, trying to glean more information from him.


    "Yes. Guides and Protectors come in ten year gaps. I have three bands right now, other than yourselves, that are in active duty."


    "Are they here in Santa Cruz too?" I asked slightly bewildered.


    "No, they were drawn to other locations around the world. Every band has a predestined location that compels them."


    "Where are they now?" I asked, hungry to hear more about others like me.


    "The other Guides and Protectors are off on various assignments. The skills of Guides are needed more now than ever before. Humanity does not make our jobs easy. Freewill, however wonderful a concept, is a privilege not handled by all of humanity equally. Some simply want more out of your world than they are entitled to. This is why you were created. Humanity has many times threatened itself to near extinction through conflict and war."


    "So, if God created us to help humanity, where was he when things like 9/11 happened?" I asked.


    "Oh, he is here, but not every disaster can be avoided. He does hope each time that humanity will learn from their mistakes and ratify them. Evil is always present and for every evil person stopped, there is another more than willing to take over," he said, sounding frustrated or as close to it as he was capable of.


    "Like Mark''s dad?" I asked.


    "Yes, like Victor."


    Victor. I ran the name through my head. For so long, I had thought of him only as a monster. To have him referred to by name threw me off.


    "You were created to be celestial beings, but this does not mean The Light wanted to strip you of your own freewill. Your gifts, however blessed you are to have them, are still yours to do with as you choose. You are here to serve mankind and keep them from ruination, but as has always been the case, as a human, you have your own freewill. Unfortunately, that also makes you as susceptible to the temptations of evil as anyone else. It is rare, but Victor is not the first Protector we have lost. We are grieved with the outcome of his deeds and the actions he took for his own personal gain. Unfortunately, he had already gained the protection of the Dark One before we realized how far gone he was. Freewill is one thing, but destroying something so precious to The Light will not go without retribution. We are just biding our time for the right opportunity."


    "Do Guides ever turn?" I asked, feeling a slightly panicked given what I had done earlier that evening.


    "No, we have never had a Guide turn. It is certainly possible, however your emotional compass should always steer you down the right course. I know you are concerned about what happened earlier, but remember, you are still trying to understand your gifts and how to use them. The fact that you understand the illicitness of your actions and displayed repentance shows the beauty of your soul. You have nothing to worry about. You already show more promise than any Guide I have trained throughout the years. Saving yourself and your Protector a few weeks ago put you at an advantage over other Guides. You used knowledge that was not yet bestowed on you, and because of that you are the leader of the Guides in your band."


    "Haniel, what about the two that aren''t with our band, the ones that Victor stripped from us?" I asked, cringing at how dirty the name tasted in my mouth. "Have their souls already been compromised? Will we be able to save them?" The questions tumbled out of me in a rush.


    Haniel held up a hand to stop my onslaught of questions. "We are unsure if they have truly been turned. However, The Light feels that all hope is not lost and has not given up on them."


    "Then why don''t we go and save them now?" I asked my voice escalating.


    Haniel once again held up his hand to quiet me. This time, I fought the temptation to slap it away. Why were we idly sitting by playing war games? None of it made sense to me. First God had left me and Mark on our own a few weeks back, and now he was abandoning two lost souls or forgotten souls, whatever they were called.


    "Krista, have you not heard the words I have spoken to you? The Dark Angel has the protection of a very powerful being right now. To intervene now would mean the loss of more Guides and Protectors. The moment is fast approaching that The Dark Angel will have to answer for his choices, but now is not the time. If we sent your band in now, you would not survive. There are no second chances in this."


    "If things are so dire, then why doesn¡¯t The Light send in the Archangels to take care of it? I mean, surely you are more powerful than us lowly celestial beings that don''t even have wings?" I asked.


    "Krista, The Light cannot send us in. We do not exist on the same plane as you or humans. If we were to intervene on behalf of humanity we would be stepping into your realm, thus giving every underling from The Dark One''s command the same privilege. The Light has his Chosen Ones to do his bidding, just as The Dark One has his Abbadons and human hosts."


    "Human hosts?" I asked confused.


    "Humans that no longer care about themselves or others, can be taken over by evil spirits called Daemons. I believe you encountered several in your recent battle with The Dark Angel," he said quietly.


    All my anger dissipated and I sank back against my chaise lounge. There was so much all of us still had to learn. Daemons using human hosts seemed to be the icing on the cake. Suddenly, the weight of it all threatened to pull me under, and for the first time in weeks I had to work to control my emotions. After a few shallow breaths, I was finally able to subdue them.


    I opened my eyes to see Haniel studying me. "What?" I asked self-consciously.


    "I can see why The Light wants to protect you. You are truly a remarkable Guide and will be spectacular when you come into your own," he said as he stood. Heading toward the steps, he turned to me one last time.


    "You know, just because you cannot see your wings, does not mean they are not there. After all, you do not see mine either right?" Without waiting for answer, he walked away in his usual fashion, leaving me to ponder his words. It was quite disconnecting to have him think I was that special. And it was a whole other thing to think that if we weren''t in the human realm we would also have wings. How had I gone from freaky emotional girl to something so extraordinary in such a short amount of time?


    Feline nestled closer to me on the chaise lounge. My eyes began to feel heavy and drifted closed. With Haniel''s words floating through my mind, I fell asleep.


    Chapter 6


    The next week passed in a blur as we trained harder than I could have ever imagined. Thanks to Haniel''s healing, Mark was once again in top form, and by the end of the week he was able to out-master both Shawn and Robert. Haniel was a much tougher opponent, but for the most part Mark was able to hold his own.


    By Tuesday, Sam and Lynn were both able to protect the children in the images projected by Haniel. I had moved on from not only being able to protect them, but to also change the pictures entirely. I still struggled with holding on long enough to actually filter the emotions completely, but I felt like I had a good handle on it. I could tell, in his own way Haniel was proud of my efforts.


    Our favorite part of training, by far, was the sprints that Haniel coached us through. Lynn and Sam were quick learners and it wasn''t long before the three of us could run five miles in just under five minutes. The guys loved watching us during this training in particular. When I asked Mark why, he told me it was because we moved so fast it was as if we were flying.


    "I guess you could say you truly look like Angels when you''re running," he said.


    On Saturday morning, I woke up early and excited. Haniel had given us all the day off, and Mark and I decided that alone time was definitely on the agenda.


    Crawling out of bed quietly, I gathered my clothes and tiptoed out of the room. Lynn had made it clear she would spend her day off sleeping in.


    Heading toward the bathroom with Feline at my heels, I couldn¡¯t help walking with a spring in my step. A day alone with Mark sounded heavenly.


    Feline perched on the counter while I twisted the shower nozzle to hot. I flipped the switch for the exhaust fan and stepped into the steaming shower. I would definitely miss Mark''s oversized shower/tub when I returned home with my mom on Monday.


    I squeezed shampoo into the palm of my hand and worked the lather through my hair. I grimaced when I felt sand on my scalp. Training on the beach, though ideal, made it hard to keep my head sand free. I scrubbed my scalp as thoroughly as possible, using my nails to dislodge all remnants of the beach. Once I was satisfied it was as good as it was going to get, I finished the rest of my shower in a rush, ready to start my alone time with Mark.


    Feline leapt off the counter when I stepped out of the shower with the oversized beach towel wrapped securely around me. I felt his rough tongue licking the water beads off the back of my calf while I brushed out my hair. Smiling, I squatted down to scratch behind his ears.


    "My poor baby, feeling neglected?" I cooed at him as he lifted his head so I could scratch him under the chin also. I obliged him and was rewarded with his answering purr of gratitude.


    I stood back up and refilled his saucer with water and placed it in front of him and resumed getting ready. I pulled on the light yellow sundress I had allowed Sam to talk me into a few weeks ago that Mark had yet to see. The material was airy and flowed gently around me, making me feel more feminine than I had in a week. Training for hours every day after school was beginning to make me feel like a grunt, and very unladylike. I was anxious for Mark to actually see me dressed like a girl again.

 Page 8

    Mark had indicated that we would be spending the day outside, so I gathered my hair together and pulled it into a high ponytail on top of my head so it wouldn¡¯t become a mess after a few hours in the heat. After a light layer of lip gloss, a touch of eyeliner, and a spray of my favorite perfume, I was ready to go.


    I walked through the house quietly leaving Feline behind to finish his water in the bathroom.


    I found Mark on the patio watching the waves roll in.


    "Hi," I said, walking up behind him and placing my hands on his shoulders.


    "Hi yourself. Don''t you look pretty today," he said, pulling me onto his lap. "Not that you''re not pretty every day," he added quickly.


    "Sure, sure I got you. Believe me I know I''ve looked like death this past week," I said grimacing.


    "You could never look anything but beautiful," he said seriously, dragging his hand around the nape of my neck to pull me in for a kiss.


    After making his point clear, he finally pulled back. "You ready to get out of here?" he asked.


    "Most definitely," I said enthusiastically, hopping off his lap.


    We drove with the windows down on the way to Mark''s secret destination. The ocean breeze blew through the window filling the car with its briny smell. I inhaled the salty scent as the wind whipped my ponytail around. I loved living near the ocean.


    "Okay, sooooo where are we going?" I asked for like the hundredth time.


    "Can''t say," he said, grinning at me mischievously.


    I slid down in my seat, pretending to pout, but I couldn''t help but grin. I was so excited to be out that we could be going to the dump and I would be perfectly happy with it.


    As Mark turned up the radio, I closed my eyes and turned my face toward the window to soak up the warm rays of the morning sun. With my head relaxed against the headrest, the warm air blew across my face as the music from the radio surrounded us.


    After half an hour, Mark pulled off the highway and made a series of turns, finally pulling into a sandy parking lot. By the look of the many outdoor tables and booths in the distance, it looked like we were at some kind outdoor market.


    Jumping out of the vehicle, I took a look at the sights surrounding me. Mark came around the vehicle and joined me.


    "You remembered," I said, throwing my arms around him. Weeks ago I had expressed my desire to someday visit a year-round outdoor market. Being from the arctic climate of Montana, an outdoor market was unheard of.


    "Of course I remembered. I remember everything you¡¯ve ever said to me," he said in a husky voice near my ear making me shiver in delight.


    "I''m so excited," I said, grabbing onto his hand and dragging him toward the entrance.


    The outdoor market was everything I had imagined and more. Each seller had their own wooden stand with long tables filled with their wares. Fruits, vegetables, and baked goods lined the majority of the tables. The sweet smell of every fruit imaginable hung succulent fragrances in the air making even a chocoholic like me, water at the mouth. Vendors from each side of us offered to cut open fruit from their stands hoping to entice buyers in.


    I paused at one of the tables to try a fruit I had only read about in books. Accepting the small piece of passion fruit, I popped it into my mouth cautiously after eyeing the slimy yellow middle. I was pleasantly surprised at the flavors that burst in my mouth. I wasn¡¯t overly crazy about the texture, but aside from that, the fruit was extremely tasty.


    Moving on to the next stand, I paused to look at the pretty color of the porcelain hair clips that lined the bright, woven cloth. "How much?" I asked the old Mexican woman behind the table.


    "Six dollars each, two for ten, or three for twelve," she said in a heavily accented voice.


    Pleased at the price, I studied the hair clips and picked a pale pink one for myself, and a dark purple one that appeared black until the sun shined on it just right making the purple come alive, for Lynn. Finding one for Sam took much longer as I searched for something that she would like. I had it narrowed down to three when I finally had to ask Mark for his opinion.


    "I think that one matches her the most," he said, pointing toward the swirl-colored one I had been leaning toward.


    "I think that one''s perfect too," I said, giving him a quick peck on the lips.


    "So, are you trying for the perfect boyfriend award or are you really okay with this whole shopping thing?" I asked teasingly as we moved on.


    "I enjoy shopping as much as the next guy, but spending the day with you totally makes it worth it," he answered, draping his arm across my shoulders.


    "Well, I''ll take it," I said, moving on to the next stand where a cute little boy who looked to be about three rushed around the table to proudly show me his truck. I squatted down to admire it.


    "I think that''s the coolest truck ever," I said, praising it as he handed it over for me to take a closer look. "I love the big wheels," I said, handing his prized possession back to him. Grinning at me, he scurried back around the table, suddenly shy.


    "Sorry about that, he''s usually too shy to come out behind the stand," a pretty woman that looked to be in her mid-thirties said to me while wiping her hands on the half apron tied around her narrow waist. "He obviously knows a pretty girl when he sees one," she added, grinning at me before she turned to help a customer. I returned her smile and turned to Mark only to see him studying me intently.


    "What?" I asked, self consciously swiping at my face with my hand, making sure I didn¡¯t have anything on it.


    "You''re going to make a really good mom someday," he said, looking at me in a way that made my heart beat at an erratic pace. The picture of cradling our child in my arms filled my head and I blushed thinking about what we would have to do to have a child. Both were extremely appealing pictures. I was definitely not ready to have kids now, but the promise of someday was enough to make my soul sing.


    Mark smiled when he caught the gist of my thoughts. "Yep, definitely not ready for kids but¡­," he said, winking at me suggestively.


    I giggled and reached for his hand. Our minds were obviously on the same page on that topic.


    After several hours of shopping at the various makeshift stands, we were both famished and decided to dine at one of the countless food eateries there.


    "I want a corn dog and fries. The smell has been driving me batty since we got here," I said after a few minutes of deliberating. "Ooh and I want a yummy chocolate ice cream cone," I added, spotting the ice cream vendor across the way.


    "Of course you do," Mark said laughing as he headed off to get the food.


    All the plastic resin tables were taken, so I picked us a secluded spot under the shade of a beautiful weeping willow tree. I ran my fingers over the light branches that hung almost to my waist in some places, giving it the feel of an outdoor tent. Stooping low, I crab-walked under the long branches sighing with pleasure as I stood under the canopy. Willow trees were by far my favorite species of trees. They had a mysterious appeal about them that seemed so romantic and sad at the same time. Combining our purchases into one bag, I spread the other two out so we could sit on them.


    I sat down on my bag and drew my knees up to my chest, smoothing out the skirt of my dress over my legs. I watched mesmerized as the branches danced around me, gently putting on their own little show.


    "Hey, I almost couldn¡¯t find you," Mark said, chuckling as he parted the branches to join me.


    "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t resist the nice canopy under here. It feels magical doesn¡¯t it?" I asked.


    "It''s pretty spectacular," Mark said, handing me the tray with the corn dogs and fries on it, before he plopped down next to me with our drinks. "I figured we could get you your cone when were done eating," he added.


    "Good call, as long as we don''t forget," I said solemnly.


    "Um, Krista, no offense, but I''m not sure you could ever forget about chocolate."


    Laughing, I swatted his arm lightly. "I can''t help it. I think it''s a part of my DNA. Subject must love chocolate," I said, trying to sound serious.


    "Along with junk food," Mark added, indicating our food.


    "Oh yeah, definitely junk food too," I said, emphasizing my point by dunking my corn dog in the ketchup and mustard before taking a bite of the deep fried treat. "Although, how could anyone call something like this junk? We need to rename junk food. I say we call it ''yummy food'' or ''yum food.'' What do you think?"


    "I like ''yum food,'' that way if you want extra, you can say I want ''yum, yum food,''" Mark said laughing.


    "Oh yeah, and if you''re on an eating binge, it would be "yum, yum, yum, yum food," I said, trying to get the mouthful out without giggling as my tongue tripped over the words.


    We laughed through the rest of our meal as we tried to outdo each other with how many ''yum''s'' we could say without getting tongue tied or laughing.


    Once we were done, we gathered our trash and left our own little private oasis. Dropping the garbage in the receptacle, we headed down one of the paths we had yet to take. By the time we reached the end of the row, we both had our hands full with more purchases and were both dusty from the dirt that had been stirred up by all the people that now crowded the market.


    "Sheesh, this place is packed now," I said as we juggled our stuff.


    "I can take the stuff back to the Navigator if you still want to keep shopping," Mark said, shifting the two plants I had bought for my mom into one arm so he had a free hand for my bags.


    "Nah, that''s okay. I''m beat and the heat is starting to make me feel a little sick," I said. "But I had a lot of fun," I added, so he knew how much I appreciated our excursion.


    We rounded the next corner and headed up the long, dusty row. Our pace was faster now as we ignored the stands that lined each side of us. We were just about to the end of the row when a girl about my age, dressed similarly to how Lynn dressed reached out to hand me a flyer.


    Though she had a firm smile planted across her face, I could feel her despair three feet away from her. My first instinct was to shy away from her emotions like I had been doing for years, but as our hands made contact, I decided to try the training we had been working hard at with Haniel. I allowed her emotions to flood into me. I was instantly blinded by the pictures that flashed behind my eyelids. I could see her cringing away from groping hands and trying to clutch a blanket up to her chin. I shuffled away from her, blinded by the images, trying desperately to keep my lunch down.


    "Krista, are you okay?" I could hear Mark''s voice asking from far off.


    Shaking my head weakly, I felt Mark propelling me away from the center of the row. He dragged a white resin chair from one of the eateries near us and I dropped into it like a ton of bricks. I shut my eyes and willed the nausea back by trying to breathe only through my mouth. The smells of the market that had seemed so appetizing just minutes ago, now worked against me as my lunch swirled wildly in my stomach.


    "Krista, what''s the matter? Is it the heat?" Mark asked, kneeling on the ground to look at me.


    "No, it''s this," I said, showing him the flyer I still had clutched in my hand.


    He reached over and gently pried it out of my sweaty fingers. "It''s some kind of revival thing," he said, sounding puzzled, holding it up for me to see.


    "Not the actual paper," I said, concentrating on breathing through my mouth as I answered him. "It was the girl who handed it to me," I said, swallowing back another wave of nausea.


    Mark turned around looking for the girl that had handed the flyer off to me, but she was gone, already swallowed up by the crowd.


    "What about her?" Mark asked, still confused.


    "I allowed her emotions in. I saw her past," I said miserably. My insides were a twisted mess from the images I had seen. I wanted to hunt down the sick person that had taken something so important from her.


    "Krista, maybe you misunderstood what you felt. We''ve been training wicked long hours and you said the heat was making you feel ill. Maybe those two things combined made you a little more sensitive."


    "No, I didn''t miss understand," I said stubbornly. "Her pictures were exactly like the forgotten soul images Haniel has been assaulting us with all week. Something happened to her awhile ago and someone is definitely using it to their advantage now. Haniel said that forgotten souls are consumed by their past hurts and that¡¯s what the Abbadons feed on. They use their pain against them allowing them to only focus on the awful images instead of any good ones. Trust me, she''s being used for something," I said as I stood up on shaky legs. I was disappointed in myself for not holding on longer and filtering her emotions like I was created for.


    "Well, we still have this," Mark said, picking the thoughts from my head as he held up the orange flyer.


    He handed it over to me and I read the headline. "Feel like you''ve been wronged? Come by and hear what you can do to change that around." Beneath the words was a silhouette picture of a group of people standing side by side. Below the picture was the date and time of the event. At the bottom of the page was an address.


    "We can go take a drive over and see if we see anything. It''s probably deserted today since the next meeting looks to be tomorrow," he said, grabbing onto my hand.


    I felt a wave of relief flow over me that he believed me.


    Our mission made us walk back to the car faster than our previous pace and within a few minutes we had reached the SUV and were throwing our stuff into the cargo area at the rear of the Navigator. I climbed into my seat and was relieved as the last of the nausea finally left me.


    "You okay?" Mark asked as he cranked the air up to high and adjusted the middle vents so they would blow directly on me.


    "Yeah, I feel much better. I wish I could have helped her more, but maybe it''s not too late. Haniel neglected to tell us that leaving a forgotten soul unfiltered would leave us feeling so lost. I felt like I had climbed to the top of a mountain only to be pushed back down before I could reach the top," I said to Mark, trying to explain why I felt so mixed up.


    "Well, let''s go see what we can dig up," Mark said, plugging the address into his navigation unit.


    The directions appeared on the screen in front of us in a few seconds, pointing to a destination less than a couple of miles away from where we currently were. Mark pulled out of the dirt lot and turned in the opposite direction that we had taken to get here. After a mile, the soft voice from the navigation unit told us to take the next right. Mark turned down the dirt road and after a hundred yards the voice prompted us to turn left. Mark obliged, and after one last turn we pulled into a wide open space with signs that indicated that it was used for carnivals and circuses that passed through town.

 Page 9

    Instead of brightly colored circus tents or rides and concession stands, one lone, massive white tent sat in the middle of the empty space. A trailer was parked off to the side near the brush, but other than that, the space was a ghost town.


    Mark shut off the engine and we both cautiously climbed out of the vehicle. Mark grabbed my hand pulling me slightly behind him. I was grateful for his protection, as I suddenly became assaulted by several mixed emotions from the tent in front of us. The emotions ran the spectrum from animosity all the way down to the deepest of despair. I took in a shaky breath as I studied the makeshift structure. I couldn''t place what was going on here, but something was definitely off.


    "Do you want to wait in the car?" Mark asked me, with concern laced through his words.


    "No, I''m fine. Let''s get a little closer and see if I can pick up anything useful."


    "Okay, but stay behind me."


    Nodding my head, I trailed behind him as he approached the tent cautiously. Peering into the dim interior, we saw that several rows of benches made from wooden planks and cinder blocks lined the center of the tent, while a makeshift pulpit of sorts stood near the far wall. We spotted a handful of people working at a table on the far side of the tent, but obviously unaware of our presence, they never looked our direction.


    Mark took a cautious step inside, but pulled back quickly when we heard an engine behind us.


    Tuning around, we took a step away from the tent. I gripped Mark''s hand tightly in my own as we faced the oncoming vehicle in front of us.


    Chapter 7


    "Can I help you with something?" A man that looked to be a couple years older than us, covered in tattoos, asked, getting out of the passenger side of the vehicle.


    Mark took a casual step in front of me blocking me partially from view.


    "Yeah, we got this flyer over at the farmer''s market," Mark said, holding up the orange flyer.


    I let out a relieved breath that he had remembered to grab it out of the Navigator.


    "I see we mixed up the days when we looked at it," Mark added.


    "I''d say the times too," The man said with sarcasm lacing his voice.


    "Yeah, that too," Mark said laughing to ease the mood, but I could feel the tension flowing off of him.


    "Why don''t you come back tomorrow," the driver said in a friendlier tone. "Alan''s a real visionary," he added, lowering the tailgate of the pickup truck to unload the supplies piled up in the back.


    "Sounds good," Mark said mimicking the driver''s laid-back manner as he scooted me toward the Navigator. Opening the door for me, he used his hands to propel me into the seat and closed the door behind me in one swift movement, taking me away from any possible threat.


    I watched through the window as Mark shook their hands and came around to his side.


    "You okay?" He asked, still smiling for their benefit as he put the SUV into drive and pulled out of the dusty lot.


    "Yeah," I said, glancing out the rear window. I was relieved to see both men hard at work unloading the truck. It''s not like I had expected them to be following us, but seeing them disregarding our visit made me feel much better.


    "Did you get anything from them?" he asked.


    "Well, I was scared to let their feelings in, but they both had a similar vibe to the girl from the market," I said. "What are we going to do?" I asked after a few minutes.


    "First thing we''re going to do is sit down with Haniel and the others. This is a prime example of what we were created for."


    I nodded my head in agreement, glad that we were both on the same page.


    We arrived back home a half an hour later to an empty house. I had to swallow back my disappointment when I realized all my friends were gone. I was anxious to hash out what we had seen and what I had felt with our group.


    "Why don''t we go for a swim," Mark suggested, picking up on my disappointment. "Our day isn''t quite over and we can still make it fun."


    "That sounds good," I said, agreeing with him.


    I headed to my room to change and put away my treasures. I left the surprises we had purchased for Lynn and Sam on the coffee table on my way to my room with Feline following behind me. I opened one of the bags and tossed the catnip mouse I bought him on the bed and watched as he happily rolled around with it. I laughed as he dragged it under the bed looking loopy. "Great, I''m like your dealer," I said, watching him disappear.


    Mark was already in the pool when I joined him on the patio. I stood in the doorway for a moment watching him swim laps across the pool. The muscles in his biceps and shoulders rippled as he pulled his long lean body through the water. My mouth dried watching the water glistening on him. Seeing him in the water half-dressed was enough to make my palms sweat and send my racing heart into overdrive. Sure, over the last few weeks we had done a ton of swimming, but that was with all our friends around. The pool was always crowded and noisy with plenty of splashing.


    "You going to join me or are you going to just stand there gawking?" Mark asked, breaking into my reverie.


    "Um, I choose stand here and gawk," I said, making him laugh.


    I dropped some towels on the chair and headed toward the deep end of the pool so I could dive in. I was a huge baby about cold water and took the "all or nothing" approach. I felt creeping into cold water slowly only prolonged the inevitable.


    Taking my normal stance, I stood at the edge of the pool on tiptoes and placed my arms above my head, well aware of the fact that Mark was checking me out, much as I had done to him. Smiling briefly, I bent my knees and pushed off the side off the pool, cutting through the cold water in one movement. I swam the length of the pool and kicked off the side, propelling me back toward the other end of the pool. My lungs threatened mutiny as they burned for oxygen, but I pushed forward, finally reaching the point I had started from. I broke through the surface, gasping for breath, no longer feeling the cold water as I completed my ritual. I had learned long ago that by escalating my heart rate, the chill of the water would dissipate quicker and I could enjoy myself.


    Mark swam to my side. "You look like a porpoise swimming under the water like that," he said huskily, wiping a drop of water off my forehead with the pad of his thumb.


    I wanted to make a joke out of his comment, but his hand slid down my cheek, circling around underneath my hair until it rested against my neck. I sighed against his lips as he placed them on mine. Releasing the side of the pool, I wrapped my arms around his neck, anchoring myself to him. Our legs tangled together under the water as Mark deepened the kiss. We began to sink beneath the surface when he took his own hand off the side of the pool. Kissing him with the water surrounding us was a sensation like no other. My lungs craved air while my heart craved even more contact.


    After a few moments, my lungs won and we finally broke the surface. "Wow," I said, looking at Mark.


    "Yeah that was pretty wow," he said in a strangled voice.


    "Race you to the other side," I said, laughing at his expression. I felt extremely powerful knowing my kisses impacted him so intensely. I surged away from the side of the pool and smiled under the water when I felt the water move behind me indicating he was close on my heels. My hand reached the wall on the shallow side of the pool a fraction of a second before his.


    I broke the surface, gasping for air and laughing at the same time.


    "You cheated by distracting me like that," he said, mock growling at me as he started to stalk me across the shallow end.


    Giggling uncontrollably, I backed away from him. I climbed up the steps backwards as he closed the distance between us. My feet hit the patio a split second before he could reach me as I turned and raced around the pool, cautiously trying not to slip. Mark''s hands reached out of nowhere and grasped me around my ankles, sending me sprawling back into the water and his waiting arms.


    "I see how it works. You entice me with your mermaid-like-allure and flee when the water gets a little warm," he whispered in my ear, making goose bumps pop up on my arms.


    "Mermaid allure? Being an Angel isn''t enough? You need a mermaid too?" I teased sliding my arms back around his neck.


    "Well, mermaids are pretty hot," he teased back, dropping his head in for another kiss.


    "Cannonball!" a voice screeched out seconds before water cascaded over us as a huge weight dropped in the water right beside us.


    "Shawn!" I sputtered, spitting out the mouthful of water I had ingested from the wave he had created. "You''re such a dork," I added, heading for the steps to get out of Dodge while Mark and Shawn tried to dunk each other under the water. Robert joined the fray doing his own version of a cannonball as I exited the pool.


    "Boys, you gotta love ''em," Sam said, handing me a towel so I could wipe the water off my face.


    "How right you are, though it''s a good thing they''re cute," I said, trying unsuccessfully to sound disgruntled.


    "I''m going to go take a quick shower. See if you can corral everyone together, Mark and I have something to talk to you guys about," I said, heading into the house.


    I took a quick shower, taking only a few minutes to wash the chlorine out of my hair. I was anxious to talk to Haniel and my friends. The images I had received from the unknown girl had haunted me the entire afternoon. I yearned to erase them from her memory and replace them with new ones that would give her peace.


    Within ten minutes I was dressed in a pair of comfy cut-off sweats and one of my favorite hoodies. I walked out to the living room barefoot and was pleased when I saw my friends waiting for me.


    "What''s going on Sis? Mark wouldn''t tell us anything until you were done," Shawn said, sounded stressed.


    "Is Haniel here?" I asked, ignoring my brother''s question for the moment.


    "I haven''t seen him," Sam said, looking at us curiously.


    "We can at least fill them in and when Haniel shows up we can get his input," Mark suggested.


    "That works," I said, agreeing with him. So for the next fifteen minutes, Mark and I took turns filling our friends in on what had transpired while we were at the outdoor market. Everyone remained quiet as I told them about the awful images I had gleaned from the girl, and how bad it left me feeling when I didn¡¯t have the chance to help her.


    "It was different than when we train with Haniel. You know how the images fade as soon as he pulls back?" I asked them. They both nodded their heads. "Well, hers didn''t. They seemed to have pierced my soul and I can still feel them there," I said miserably.


    "That is because you did not filter them," Haniel''s voice said from behind me. "If a Guide does not filter the emotions appropriately they can fester in their soul, proving to be quite painful," Haniel stated in his no-nonsense way. "Untrained Guides are advised against accepting the emotions of forgotten souls inside them for that reason."


    "So, she was a forgotten soul?" I asked.


    "It would appear so," he said.


    "So, when do we go in and save her?" Sam asked in an excited voice.


    "You will not be going in."


    "What? What do you mean we''re not going in?" Shawn asked incredulously.


    "You are untrained and unprepared for dealing with a situation such as this."


    "That''s crazy. Mark and I faced worse than this less than a month ago and you didn''t care how untrained or unprepared we were then. Why the sudden concern now?" I asked angrily.


    "Krista, we cannot interfere in matters that concern The Dark One. This law was written thousands of years ago. We had no control over that situation, but this one we do. You are not ready to use your gifts," he said, turning on a heel and leaving us abruptly.


    No one said anything for a few minutes after his departure.


    "What are you thinking?" Mark finally asked me while I paced back and forth.


    "I think it''s crap. We were created for a reason. Sure we''ve just started training and its tough filtering a soul appropriately, but are we supposed to just abandon that poor girl?" I said, still pacing restlessly in front of them.


    "Then let''s go do something about it," Shawn said, jumping to his feet.


    "What?" I asked, looking at him surprised.


    "You''re right. You and Mark managed to outwit Mark''s dad a couple weeks ago which makes me believe that you both have mad skills. Who''s to say Haniel is right about this?"


    I looked at my brother incredulously. Was he joking? Defying Haniel just didn''t seem like the best idea. It wasn¡¯t like we would be able to hide it from him after all since he had access to our every thought.


    "No, but we could avoid him before we go and he wouldn''t know until after the fact," Mark said, picking my doubts thoughts out of my head as he stood up to join Shawn. "I don''t see why we can''t go to the revival tomorrow night and try to find that girl. You guys can work your magic on her and we can be out of there before anyone knows. We can deal with Haniel when we get back. Besides what''s he going to do? We''re just trying to do our job here," he added defiantly.


    "I''m in," Lynn said, still sitting on the couch.


    "Me too," Sam piped in.


    I sat back down on the couch, astonished at how quickly all my friends had jumped on board. "What do you think?" I asked Robert who had remained quiet during the whole conversation.


    "Well, I agree with Haniel that we''re probably not ready for a mission. You''re the only Guide so far that has been able to filter the emotions somewhat," he said.


    "That''s true," I said, agreeing with him.


    "But¡­," he continued on. "I do think if all three of you work together, you should be able to filter one girl''s emotions. You three won''t be going up against a powerful Archangel like you do during training."


    "So we''re going to do this?" Shawn asked, sounding excited. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised at his enthusiasm. I knew he had been itching for some action since Mark and I had been held captive. The training with Haniel had only intensified it and I knew he was ready to go out and prove his worth.


    I perched on the couch, listening to my friends as they hatched out a plan for the next day. It was decided that we would head to the farmer''s market first thing in the morning to avoid Haniel and maybe, if luck was with us, we would run into the girl also.


    "If we don''t run into her, we can hang out at the market until the revival thing starts at four," Sam said.


    We discussed our plans during dinner and by the time I headed to bed I was convinced we could do it. The guys were right. With three Guides filtering her emotions, it would be a piece of cake. I felt relieved that by this time the next day we would be able to give the poor girl some relief from her torment. Not to mention the fact that there would be one less forgotten soul that The Dark One could prey on.

 Page 10

    Chapter 8


    The next morning rolled around bright and early, and my doubts reared their ugly head once again. In the light of day it seemed crazy to doubt Haniel, who had been doing his job for so many years. Who were we to doubt an Archangel? As quickly as the doubts filled me, another, more disturbing, image took over of a young girl cowering in fear. Even if we were going to fail, could I really live with myself if didn''t at least try?


    Finally reaching a decision, I climbed out of bed and got dressed with determination. We could do this. Sure, we might not do it with as much finesse as more experienced Guides, but we could manage to save one forgotten soul, I thought to myself. Besides, I had bigger fish to fry this morning, and it started with waking the beast on the other bed in my room.


    I had been given the unfortunate and dangerous task of waking Lynn up.


    I glanced over at her and saw she was still buried in her comforter, snoring lightly, looking all sweet and innocent, but I knew it was all a ploy. Lynn was the heaviest sleeper I had ever seen, and for whatever reason she always came up swinging when you tried to wake her. The guys liked to tease her about it, saying she must be channeling her inner "Protector" when she was sleeping, but I had my own theory. I believed Lynn submerged herself so firmly into her shared dreams with Robert that she resented any interference.


    Reluctantly, I walked to her bed, pausing long enough to pick up an empty hanger off my bed. I had learned the hard way that a hanger was the easiest way to wake her. Using the rounded curve of the plastic hanger, I gently poked her in the arm hoping for the best. My hopes were dashed when she didn¡¯t even flinch.


    Great, this was going to be tough morning. I sighed and prepared myself to poke her again, only harder. This time I was unprepared for the swinging arm that seemed to come out of nowhere.


    The plastic hanger flew out of my hand from the impact and crashed into the wall behind me. Sighing, I used my own hand to shake her once, jumping back before my hand was threatened. "Lynn, it''s time to get up," I said, finally resorting to an annoyingly loud, bossy voice that I knew drove her nuts. I hated for her to wake up cranky, but seriously, enough was enough.


    "Leave me alone," she mumbled, rolling over to the other side of the bed away from me.


    Grimacing determinedly, I smiled briefly at her mistake as I placed my hands on her backside and shoved her off the bed with one mighty push. Turning quickly, I fled to the other side of the room as she sat up sputtering.


    "What the¡­?" she said looking like a madwoman. Her short, cropped haircut stood out in every direction, while her face resembled a patchwork quilt from all the lines covering it from being buried in the comforter she had slept on.


    I couldn''t help the giggle that escaped me at her ruffled appearance. "I tried to wake you gently," I said, backing out the door as she advanced toward me. I slammed the door behind me and raced down the hall, putting ample distance between us. Glancing behind me to make sure I was home free, I ran smack into Robert.


    "What''s so funny?" he asked apprehensively, glancing behind me, obviously suspecting the answer.


    "Um, good luck with that one," I said, racing toward the living room as Robert intercepted Lynn.


    "Whoa, what happened?" I heard him ask as I opened the patio door.


    "I think Krista is ready for a dip in the pool," I heard her answer as I quickly closed the door behind me, smiling with sinister pleasure.


    "What are you smiling about?'' Mark asked from the patio table, setting the book he was reading aside.


    "Lynn. She wasn''t overly crazy with the method I used to wake her up," I said, smiling even wider.


    "What did you do, dump water on her?" he asked, smiling also.


    "Um, nope. I might have pushed her out of her bed," I said, feeling a small twinge of guilt creeping in.


    Mark burst out laughing at my admission, which made the guilt switch to unease. If the guys thought it was funny, I was doomed for sinking to their level. I would have to sleep with one eye open so Lynn wouldn¡¯t be able to retaliate.


    Lynn''s revenge was put on hold as we all got busy getting ready. Haniel had planned on a training session at ten a.m., so we wanted to be out of the house before then. The guys were convinced that once he realized we had completed our mission, it would show Haniel we were ready to take on more complicated missions.


    I wasn¡¯t as convinced, but I kept my concerns to myself as we piled into Mark''s Navigator.


    The ride to Sam''s house was noisy, as the guys pumped themselves up for what we would be facing later that evening. I laughed at their antics, along with Lynn who thankfully seemed to have forgiven me for the wake-up call. Though they appeared lighthearted, I could sense the same unease that I felt circulating around the vehicle. The fact that they weren¡¯t a hundred percent confident actually reassured me. I couldn¡¯t help feeling that too much cockiness was just asking for trouble.


    Mark pulled up the SUV in front of Sam''s house and Shawn jumped out to get her. Sam, threw the door open before he could ring the bell in her usual exuberant way. She bounded down the walkway beside Shawn. We couldn''t help but laugh as she practically bounced with excitement.


    "Hey guys, what''s so funny?" she asked as she slid into the third row seats with Shawn.


    "Nothing," Robert always the pacifist of our group said, not wanting to hurt her feelings.


    "Okay," Sam said, looking at me puzzled. "Well, I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I''m ready to save some souls," she said, moving on.


    "Hell yeah I am!" Shawn said, agreeing with her sentiments.


    Their excitement was contagious, and the last of my doubts were pushed aside as I relished the thought of changing someone''s life forever. The whole Angel thing definitely had its perks.


    Mark pulled the vehicle into the same dirt lot we had parked in the day before. I had an odd sense of d¨¦j¨¤-vu as we all piled out of the vehicle. Sure, I had just been here the day before, but as my friends and I walked toward the entrance, I felt like we had all done this already. I couldn¡¯t help wondering if that was a sign that we were on the right track. Maybe this was God''s way of telling us we were exactly where we were supposed to be.


    My friends were excited about the same sights and smells that had enticed me the previous day. The market had lost some of its appeal for me as I searched for the unknown girl in vain. Sam and Lynn had to repeatedly tell me to slow down as I tried to hurry down each row. Finally exasperated, they told Mark to hold my hand so it would anchor me to them.


    "It''s fine if we don''t find her here," Mark whispered in my ear, picking up on my anxiety. "I wouldn''t be surprised if she''s at the fairgrounds helping to set up the revival. Who knows how many people are involved in the whole thing. It could be just the handful of people we saw and the girl, for all we know. Well, that and the ringleader they mentioned, of course."


    "I know," I said. "I was just really hoping to find her here this morning so we could do our thing and be back at your house before Haniel suspects anything," I added, acknowledging again the fact that I thought it was wrong that we were misleading Haniel. I had grown quite attached to our Archangel and I felt guilty for deceiving him.


    The morning moved at a snail''s pace for me as my friends "oohed" and "aahed" over each stand. I tried to keep my impatience at bay, knowing that the previous day I had been the same way. I was relieved when noon finally rolled around and we could break for lunch. Mark guided us to the same spot we had eaten at the day before, so that our large group could eat under the willow tree in peace without having to scrounge for a big enough table for all six of us.


    "Corn dog, or do you want a burger and fries?" Mark asked me once we were settled on the soft grass under the sweeping branches.


    "Burger and fries would be great."


    "I want the same," Sam said, laying her packages behind her.


    "Not me. I think I want one of those gyros from that stand," Lynn said, pointing to the stand across the way.


    "Ohhh, I want one of those too," I said, changing my order. "But I don¡¯t want any of the veggies."


    "Of course you don''t," Lynn said laughing, "That would almost be considered healthy if you got it with all the veggies."


    "Exactly," I replied, smiling at her mischievously.


    "Well, I still want a burger. I don''t know how you guys can eat a cute wooly lamb," Sam said shuddering.


    "It''s not like a burger is much better," I said, teasing her.


    "I know, I know, but I can''t give up beef and besides, I don''t know any cute cow songs like, ''Mary had a Little Lamb,''" she said, smirking at me.


    "Great, now I''m going to have that lullaby stuck in my head while I''m eating," I grumbled.


    "Not me," Lynn said. "I''m more worried about who''s handling my food than what I''m eating."


    Sam giggled at her words.


    Lynn may be all Goth, but she had a serious obsessive compulsive disorder when it came to germs and food preparation. She had major issues with eating food after it sat out too long and made waiters at restaurants bring her food as soon as it was prepared. I found the whole thing funny and teased her about it constantly.


    "I would be more worried about not having a sink to wash my hands in," I said teasingly.


    "Ha, never fear, I planned well for that," she said, pulling a package of antibacterial wipes out of her bag.


    Sam giggled and I grinned, but we both took one willingly. The thought of all the different things I had handled that day that others had touched, made even a normal person like me blanch.


    "I like these wipes better than the gel," Sam said, wiping the fronts and backs of her hands. "The gel doesn¡¯t help get the dirt off like these do," she added, holding up her dirty wipe for us to inspect.


    "Gross," I said, looking at my own grubby wipe.


    "See, you guys are loving my OCD now aren''t you," Lynn said mockingly.


    "We are, we are," Sam said, dramatically throwing her arms around Lynn. "Oh, thank you for saving the day sweet child," she added, in a long drawn out country drawl.


    Lynn and I burst out laughing at her antics.


    "What did we miss?" Shawn asked, juggling a tray of food as he maneuvered under the branches to sit next to Sam.


    "We were just appreciating how fabulously smart Lynn is," Sam said cheekily, making Lynn and me laugh again.


    "What''s so funny?" Mark and Robert asked in unison joining us in our sanctuary.


    "Obviously an inside joke," Shawn grumbled.


    His disgruntled words set us off again. Finally, after a few moments of laughter, we were able to fill in the guys between giggles. By the looks they shot us, it was obvious something had gotten lost in the retelling.


    "I guess you had to be there," Sam said, unwrapping her burger. "Any ketchup?" she asked, removing the top of her bun.


    "Pretty sure it''s against the law to eat a burger, or fries for that matter without, ketchup," Mark said, pulling a handful of ketchup packets out of the pockets of his cargo shorts. He handed several to me for my fries and I smiled at him appreciatively.


    "Thanks," I said, touched that he knew me so well.


    Lunch was delicious, and much to Sam''s dismay, both Lynn and I dug into our gyros with gusto, enjoying the tender meat and tangy white sauce that drenched the top.


    The afternoon moved quicker than the morning, and before I knew it we were storing our belongings into the Navigator and heading toward the revival. Dusk was upon us when Mark pulled into the crowded parking lot that had been vacant the night before.


    Mark, Sam, Shawn, and I piled out of the vehicle, leaving Lynn and Robert behind. They would wait to exit the SUV until we were inside the brightly lit tent. We had decided the night before when we made our exhaustive plans that they should skirt the property acting as lookouts. We thought it would look less suspicion if only four of us entered the tent together; after all, it was perfectly acceptable that Mark and I would drag a couple of friends along. Four extra friends, though, seemed to be pushing it.


    Mark reached for my hand as we slowly strolled toward the tent with Shawn and Sam next to us. We appeared to be nonchalant, but in truth, adrenaline raced through us all. I worked to keep myself as calm as possible, trying to focus on the emotions that filled the dirty massive canvas tent in front of me. My apprehension from the night before came crashing back again as I felt the oppressive weight of the emotions around me.


    Shawn reached out and pulled the flap of the tent aside so we could step into the brightly lit area. I wrinkled my nose when the smell of moldy canvas assaulted my senses. I had gone camping once with my parents when I was growing up and had gotten ferociously sick while we were surrounded by nothing but wilderness. The smell of the tent we slept in had only compounded my nausea, and to this day the smell of canvas still made bile burn its way up my throat.


    The space we stepped into was crowded, with mostly guys standing around talking. I spotted several girls as we made our way toward the back row of the rough manmade benches, but none of them were the girl from the night before.


    "Do you see her?" Shawn asked, leaning in to whisper in my ear.


    I shook my head "no" and continued to scan the crowd. The emotions of those in the tent swirled, around us in a sort of haze that I felt I could touch if I tried. I had been around despair and animosity before, but not all at once. I found myself working hard to keep my own emotions at bay as the other emotions in the room threatened to overwhelm me. Mark kept my hand firmly in his giving me the support I needed.


    After several minutes, the lights in the tent dimmed and everyone began to take their seats. A guy around our age sat next to me, and once again I had to fight back nausea. He took grunge to a whole new level, wearing jeans that I was pretty sure could stand up on their own, a shirt that was as holey as it was dirty, scuffed up combat boots that had duct tape wrapped around the toes and long, dark, oily hair that rested against his pale sunken-in cheekbones. Once I could get past the stench that surrounded him, I focused on the emotions that he was experiencing. By his appearance and glowering expression, I had expected to feel deep animosity flowing around him, but was shocked that despair seemed to fill every available space inside him. I fought the temptation to let his emotions inside me, curious about what had made such a tough looking guy feel so lost. I felt bad that I had instantly stereotyped him.


    "Don¡¯t let him in," Mark sent the thought my way after pulling my conflicting thoughts from me. "We have to get a lay of the land first before we show our cards," he added, dropping my hand so that he could pull me snugly into his arms, allowing me to feel his steady heartbeat against my shoulder.

 Page 11

    "I know. I just feel bad. I''m not sure I have ever felt so much despair from one individual."


    "Don''t worry were going to fix it, we just need a plan."


    I nodded my head slightly, showing that I agreed with him. Taking my focus away from the forgotten soul next to me, I glanced around the tent trying to gage the emotions of the other occupants. My surveying was interrupted when an individual entered the tent from the narrow opening in front of us.


    There was no need to stereotype the individual in front of me. I could feel the evil radiating off him from where we sat. I glanced at Sam wondering if she was feeling the same thing. By the way she raised her eyebrows at me, I could tell we were on the same page.


    Outwardly, his appearance was about as ordinary as you could get. He wore faded jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and non-descript running shoes. He topped of his wardrobe with a worn-out Yankees cap pulled snugly over his head. It was glaringly obvious that he deliberately dressed the way he did to draw people in. He was as unthreatening as they came, especially with the genial smile that he plastered across his face. My gifts made it easy for me to see through his ploy right away and see the monster that lurked below the innocent exterior.


    We watched him approach the pulpit and wave to some of the people in the audience like they were old friends.


    "Good evening everyone. I''m Alan, as many of you already know," he said in a welcoming and engaging voice, judging by the rapt attention he received. His voice had the opposite effect on me, making my skin crawled just hearing it.


    "I''m so glad to see so many new faces here this evening," he said, sweeping his eyes out across the makeshift room. "If you''re sitting here tonight it''s because you¡¯ve decided to take control of your life," he added as everyone around us starting clapping. We joined in reluctantly after exchanging looks.


    "Are you fed up with how the government handles your hard earned money?" More applause followed his words.


    "Do you get sick of illegal aliens coming in and stealing your jobs?" This time whistles sounded out along with the clapping.


    "Do you hate following rules and regulations that are set by people you never voted for?" Several individual stood up while they clapped harder.


    "Do you wish you could do something about it?" Everyone except for my small group rose to their feet hooting and hollering. Shawn and Mark surged to their feet, pulling Sam and me up fluidly with them so we wouldn¡¯t stand out. Everyone clapped for several minutes before Alan finally motioned for us to sit.


    Once the rowdy crowd had settled down, Alan continued, "That''s why we''re here. It''s time that the underdog finally finds his voice. How many times has life slapped you down? How many times have those you counted on the most disappointed you, yet again? You''re better than that and you can make a difference. You will no longer be the underdog anymore. I will show you and guide you to take control of your life. I will give you the incentive you need so you''re not a doormat anymore." His words resulted in more applause.


    I could now see how he had gained followers. He used the pain and suffering they had endured against them, letting it fester into something else. The grunge guy next to me was the first to applaud each of Alan''s sentiments, and yet his despair seemed to multiply with every word Alan uttered. I could not comprehend how one individual could handle so much negativity without lashing out.


    "I think that''s what Alan uses. He builds their negative emotions up and presents himself as the answer to their troubles," Mark''s thoughts filled my head as I nodded in agreement. The only question was what did Alan do to them once the emotions reached that level? We had come here to save one person''s soul, but it was glaringly obvious that we had stumbled into something much bigger. Haniel had been right, we were untrained to handle an operation of this magnitude. I wouldn''t even know where to begin, I couldn''t help thinking as I glanced around the room. We definitely needed our Archangel''s guidance and expertise on how we should proceed.


    We were going to have to convince Haniel we were needed here.


    The rest of the meeting passed in a blur and before we knew it the meeting came to an end. We watched Alan make his way through the crowd, stopping to talk to several individuals. It was only then that I finally saw the girl from the day before. I watched as Alan grabbed her hand and led her out the back of the tent.


    Mark, who was following my every thought, spotted her mere seconds after I found her. "We can''t do anything tonight," he sent me silently.


    "I know," I agreed grudgingly. Glancing around one last time as we exited the tent, I made eye contact with a massively huge guy with bad acne standing on the far side of the space. He was dressed in clothes that were a size too large for him and had obviously been chosen to camouflage his weight, but instead they only seemed to enhance it. His hair was long and covered his head like a string mop that had seen better days. The most startling feature about him though, was the hatred that not only flowed around him, but also penetrated through you when your eyes met his.


    Mark once again intercepted my thoughts and glanced briefly in his direction, but quickly looked away.


    "Let''s go," he said quietly, leading me from the tent.


    Shawn and Sam were already climbing into the vehicle by the time we walked out into the cool night. The moon was full overhead as we silently walked toward the vehicle. We kept our pace casual, although we yearned to flee the scene behind us. The oppressive emotions had grated on me and I felt shaky as Mark finally helped me into the passenger seat.


    He started the vehicle and pulled out of the dirt lot.


    "Did you guys find anything?" I asked Lynn and Robert, turning sideways in my seat.


    "Not much. We walked around the tent a few times, but all the action was pretty much in with you guys. We saw a couple guys come out and smoke cigarettes, but other than that, no one else left the tent. We wound up standing outside the opening at the front of the tent so we could hear everything that was going on. The guy in there sounded like a complete loon," Lynn answered.


    "Yeah, talk about government hate," Robert added.


    "Completely," Sam said. "You should have been inside the tent. It''s glaringly obvious that he preys on those that haven¡¯t had a break their entire life. The poor girl next to me was a mess. Her despair was enough to make me feel pukey."


    I had been so focused on the guy beside me and the freak up front spouting his words of wisdom, I hadn''t even paid attention to who was sitting on the other side of Sam. "The guy beside me was the same way," I told them.


    "What are we going to do?" Sam asked.


    "I think we need to talk to Haniel again. I agree with him. Now that we scoped out the place, we are ill equipped to handle a situation like this," Mark said as he merged onto the highway.


    "I agree also. I think we need to convince Haniel to show us what we need to do," I said, quietly pondering how we were going to talk him into it. "What do you guys think?" I asked Sam and Shawn.


    "We feel the same," Shawn said, glancing at Sam for confirmation. She nodded her head before sinking back into a more comfortable position. "Sam sensed the majority of the room was filled with forgotten souls. Did you get the same vibe Krista?"


    "Pretty much. All but one guy who I couldn¡¯t quite gauge. I noticed him watching us when we were leaving. The aura of hatred surrounding him was out of control. I can''t tell if he is a forgotten soul or just a henchman of Alan''s, but he definitely gave me the creeps," I said.


    The rest of the drive was quiet as we all digested what we had learned that night. It was a little disheartening to feel under-skilled at something. For years we had excelled at school and were used to things coming easier to us.


    Mark pulled into his driveway and the headlights cut across the exterior of the building, illuminating Haniel''s tall, imposing posture. He was obviously not happy


    Chapter 9


    None of us spoke as we filed out of the car and headed toward the front door that Haniel had disappeared behind.


    My anxiety began to claw uncontrollably through my body. I used my handy tricks to fight it back, but could only barely hold it at bay as we walked into the living room where Haniel stood. I kept my eyes on him as we all found seats on the two couches. Though his expression or emotions didn¡¯t deviate from what he normal, I could sense that he was disappointed in us. I felt sick for defying him and yet my soul ached for those we had been unable to save. It was a double-edge sword for me.


    "Did you achieve the results you set out to accomplish tonight?" he asked, making it clear he already knew the answer.


    "No, you were right. The situation was more severe than we had anticipated," Mark said, still standing. "But that doesn''t mean we''re giving up. We just need your help to prepare the girls."


    "It would take many moon cycles to prepare you for a situation such as this."


    We all exchanged looks. Haniel made it seem like he knew more about the situation than he had originally let on.


    "Yes, we have been aware of the situation for some time now, but more crucial circumstances have demanded the attention of the Guides and Protectors," he said picking the thoughts from our heads.


    "Then why don''t you prepare us?" Sam asked, jumping to her feet to pace in front of us.


    "I am training you, but we do not send Guides and Protectors into a situation that they cannot handle," he said in a dismissive voice.


    "You didn''t seem to care this much when it was our parents. Where was all this concern when they were being slaughtered?" Shawn asked in an uncharacteristically angry voice.


    My eyes filled with tears at the pain in my brother''s voice. The death of our parents was a subject we often skirted around, and I felt his pain keenly.


    For the briefest moment, I thought I saw pain flash behind Haniel''s beautiful blue eyes, but it was gone before I could be sure. "Your parent''s death was the greatest loss we have ever suffered and is the reason we proceed with caution and great deliberation before we assign a mission," Haniel said in his normally passive voice that worked its usual magic and seemed to instantly sooth the anger radiating from Shawn.


    "Haniel, how can we ignore them?" I finally asked. "My soul can''t seem to let her go. I don¡¯t think I could live with myself if we didn¡¯t at least try. We need your help, please," I begged, brushing away a stray tear.


    He studied me for a moment and finally nodded his head. "We begin tomorrow afternoon," he said simply before he abruptly left us.


    My emotions swelled at his words as hope erased the last traces of anxiety from me. We would save the forgotten souls and we would do it the right way, with the help of our Archangel.


    "You okay?" Mark asked, sitting beside me on the couch, gently rubbing my back.


    "Yeah, I''m just glad Haniel agreed. I didn¡¯t want to have to hardball him, but truthfully, I knew one way or another we weren¡¯t going to just leave them."


    "Well you certainly got through to him. I think he likes you."


    "Oh gross, he''s like a father figure to me," I said, horrified at the suggestion.


    "Not romantically, silly. I meant he likes you because you''re special," Mark said, nudging me with his shoulder.


    "I''m not any more special than any other Guide," I said, indicating my two other friends who were too busy playing the Xbox with the guys to pay attention to our conversation.


    "You''re wrong Krista," Mark said passionately. "We all see it, and one day you will too. You''re like a light we''re all drawn to."


    "That''s sweet, but you just feel that way because your heart and soul are connected to mine," I said embarrassedly, trying to take the spotlight off of myself.


    "Whatever helps you sleep at night," Mark said chuckling, letting the uncomfortable subject drop.


    School the next day was torture as I anxiously awaited the opportunity to beef up our training. Every moment that the forgotten souls remained with Alan would make it more difficult to win them back. We had exactly three afternoons of training to get into tip top shape before my mom was released from the hospital and my free time was cut drastically.


    I had mixed emotions about my mom returning home. Part of me had missed her immensely during the month she had spent in the hospital, but a bigger part of me would miss the freedom I had begun to take for granted.


    Mark and Shawn picked Sam and me up as soon as the last bell echoed through the hallways.


    "Hey, how was your day?" Shawn asked, giving Sam a quick peck.


    "Boring. No drama to keep us entertained and help pass the time," Sam grumbled, climbing into the backseat next to Shawn.


    "Let me get this straight. You hate the drama, but you missed it today?" Shawn asked incredulously as he burst out laughing.


    Sam started laughing too. "What can I say? There''s no rhyme or reason to the way my brain works."


    We all laughed.


    Mark stopped briefly at the hospital on our way home so I could visit my mom. I had skipped seeing her over the weekend and knew I was in the doghouse over it as soon as I stepped into her hospital room.


    "Sorry Mom," I said, pecking her on the cheek.


    "Where were you all weekend?" she asked, clearly upset with me.


    "Mark took me to the farmers market off of Highway 1, just past Aptos. We had such a fantastic time that we went back again yesterday with the others," I said apologetically, trying to pacify her.


    My ploy worked and she finally dropped her frown. "I guess that¡¯s reasonable, it''s not like it''s your job to keep me entertained," she said, sounding down.


    "Mom, you know I love to visit you, and FYI, it is my job to keep you entertained. It¡¯s the least I can do after you spent my entire life entertaining me," I said, trying to cheer her up. "Why are you so down today?" I asked, empathetic to her sour attitude.


    "I''m sorry, honey, I don''t mean to sound so grouchy. I¡¯m just discouraged that I''m still cooped up here. The usual recovery for a splenectomy is a couple of days in the hospital and yet I''ve been here over three weeks."


    "Mom, you''re forgetting your other injuries. You were in a major accident for goodness sake. Plus don¡¯t forget, you got that infection a couple weeks ago that set your recovery back even further. You heard your doctor. Having your spleen out is going make you more susceptible to every germ and infection out there. I, for one, am happy they''re being cautious," I said, pulling up a chair close to her bed.

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    "Alright, enough of my drama as you like to call it," she said, making me laugh. "So the farmers market was fun?"


    "It was pretty cool. I liked the idea of shopping outside. It was like visiting one massive garage sale. Once you can handle an outdoor excursion, I''ll take you down there so you can see it firsthand," I said, hoping that would help shake her out of her funk.


    "That would be great. Just like old times when we would spend the summers trolling yard sales back home," she said. "So, are you getting excited about graduation?"


    "Ugh, don''t remind me," I said, not relishing the idea of having to walk in front of the entire senior class to receive my diploma.


    "Honey, everyone will be just as nervous as you are about receiving their diploma. They won''t even notice you," she said, patting my hand to reassure me.


    "Yeah right, until I trip or something," I muttered, making her chuckle.


    "Trust me, you will be fine."


    The rest of my visit was spent discussing the final exams I was taking this coming up week. We both knew that I would breeze through them and that it was really just a formality. Having some freaky high IQ from my Angel blood definitely had its perks.


    Lynn, Robert, and Haniel were waiting for us on the beach when we finally made it home from the hospital. Sam and I headed to my room and quickly changed out of our school uniforms. I was excited as I hung my skirt and sweater up. Less than a week to go and I would be able to pack it away for good, I thought, as I tossed the white button-up shirt into my dirty clothes basket. I pulled on a pair of comfy cut-off sweats and a t-shirt and grabbed a sweatshirt on my way out the door to ward off the cool ocean breezes.


    The others were waiting for Sam and me down by the tide line in an informal circle, listening to Haniel''s instructions. Haniel had decided to mix things up by sitting the guys out and dedicating the training completely to the Guides. He explained that the guys had the proper skills and techniques they needed already in place. Instead, he would focus the next week completely on Lynn, Sam, and me. He decided to test each of us individually, so we could all have a turn to watch from the outside.


    I was anxious when he picked me to go first. I had decided the night before that the seriousness of the situation deserved a complete commitment from me. So when Haniel sent me the disturbing images, I tackled them head-on, embracing them as my own. Where before I couldn''t seem to grasp how to appropriately filter the emotions, I could now clearly see exactly what I needed to do. I wrapped my own happiness and love around the images, freeing the victims from the pain and suffering they had endured, and cast the new emotions back out for Haniel to inspect.


    I opened my eyes to see Haniel smiling at me, offering a rare display of emotion that wasn''t neutral. "Very good Krista," he said, praising me. "You now understand."


    I nodded my head. "Yes, before I couldn''t help shying away from the disturbing images. I realize now that those images should not be feared. They are crucial stepping stones to guide us down the appropriate path we need to help them," I said simplifying the process.


    "Exactly," he replied, looking pleased. "Sam, you are next."


    I watched Sam close her eyes and knew the instant Haniel sent her the images by the way she recoiled like she had been struck. Watching from the sidelines was almost as intense as experiencing it firsthand, I discovered as I watched Sam''s facial expressions. After a few moments, it became clear that Sam had failed when she collapsed to the sand on her knees. I rushed to her side to help her up.


    "I can''t do it," she said, her voice filled with anguish from the after effects of the images she had seen.


    "Yes you can," I said, brushing the sand off of her. "You have to do this, they need you. Remember, the images aren''t your enemy, they''re your friend, sent there to help you find the right path. You can do this, you''re stronger than me," I said earnestly.


    "No I''m not Krista. You''re the strongest person I''ve ever seen," she said without a trace of envy.


    "No I''m not. I''ve just become stubborn in my old age," I said, trying to joke my way out of the uncomfortable praise.


    "Yes you are, but I''m going to get this because you''re right, I need to. I will not let them, or our group, down," she said determinedly, facing Haniel once again.


    I reached in and gave her a quick hug. "You can do it. Remember the images are a helping hand," I whispered in her ear before I stepped away.


    Sam''s expression lost some of its anxiety as she faced Haniel for a second time. This time I knew instantly that Sam had taken my words to heart and was accepting the images for what they were. It took her a little longer, but when she finally accomplished the test, we all applauded and I gave her another hug.


    "I told you, you could do it," I said, linking my arm through hers while we watched Lynn prepare for her turn.


    She glanced at me briefly and I gave her a reassuring smile. "You got it Lynn. Just remember what I told Sam," I said, blowing her a brief kiss for good luck.


    She flashed a quick smile before she closed her eyes. It took her a little longer than Sam''s second attempt, but in the end, she came out victorious.


    "Well done," Haniel said, praising all three of us.


    His praise boosted our confidence, and by the time the sun disappeared into the ocean behind us, we were able to filter the emotions Haniel sent us at an insane pace. Haniel had explained that when we entered into a situation where multiple forgotten souls needed to be saved, speed was of the essence.


    "The more souls you change before you''re discovered, the easier your task will become," he said, ending our training session.


    "Mom, I''m going to head over to Mark''s now. Are you sure you''ll be okay without me?" I asked, feeling bad about leaving her when she had only been home a couple days. If the next day wasn''t the day we planned on making our move, I would have opted to spend the first Saturday she was home with her.


    The past week had literally flown by, and by Wednesday evening Lynn, Sam, and I could filter a forgotten soul within seconds of letting their images in. Haniel didn''t praise us again after the first successful night, but I could tell he was pleased with our progress, and his approval spurred me on to excel even further. Sam and I finished our last day of school on Friday and we were both ecstatic that we were officially done with high school.


    "I will be fine, honey," she said, laughing at me.


    I smiled sheepishly, realizing I had asked her the question no less than twenty times since we had gotten up that morning.


    "Sorry, Mom. I just feel bad leaving you so much after your first weekend home. I will be gone most of today and tomorrow evening," I said, reminding her of my plans.


    "I''ll be fine," she repeated. "I have all these wonderful gardening magazines you got me, a slew of HGTV shows to watch, and a stack of novels I''m dying to read. You''ve already prepared my lunch for me," She added, indicating the lunch I had stored in my school lunch bag and placed at arm''s length for her. "Besides, the doctors told me the sooner I start moving around, the better I will feel. Go have some fun with your friends. I may be old, but I still remember how exciting that first weekend was after I finished my last high school exam."


    "Okay, as long as you''re sure," I said, heading toward the front door reluctantly.


    "Have fun," I heard her call out as I locked the door behind me.


    "Ready?" Mark asked, from the porch swing where he had been waiting for me.


    "Yeah, I guess so," I said, glancing back at my house one last time as he opened the car door for me.


    "Would you rather stay home?" Mark asked concerned. "I''m positive the others won''t mind. We can fill you in tomorrow morning with the strategy we''ve come up with."


    "No, I want to be with you guys. I missed hanging out with you guys the past two days. It majorly sucks to be away from the hub," I said. "Besides, my mom all but pushed me out the door," I added.


    "I''m sure she''s looking forward to a little quiet time. Believe me, I discovered when I was in the hospital that those nurses buzz in and out all hours of the day and night. I swear I thought they were on a mission to make my stay there Hell on earth," he said, smiling at me.


    "I guess you''re right. I never even thought about that. No wonder she pushed me out the door. I''ve been hovering over her since her release. I bet she''s relieved to have the house to herself," I said, feeling my guilt melt away.


    Chapter 10


    I woke before dawn the day of our first ever Angelic mission. I watched the sun creep up along the wall across from my window with Feline at my side. The apprehension I was sure I would feel was absent. I knew without a shadow of a doubt we were ready. We had spent the previous day going over our plan of attack or "soul attack," as Shawn liked to phrase it. The details had been laid out and we were all itching to get in there and prove ourselves.


    "Of course, waking up so early wasn¡¯t part of the plan." I grumbled to Feline good-naturedly, picking up my book off my nightstand. I pulled out my bookmark and lost myself in the current vampire novel I was reading.


    Several hours later, I placed the completed book on my table and glanced at my clock radio. "Well, I guess 8:30 is better than 6:00," I told Feline as I finally climbed out of bed. He chose to ignore my hint, though, and burrowed deeper into my quilt.


    "Whatever, you bum," I said, scratching him under the chin.


    The long day that lay ahead before our mission seemed endless and I needed something to pass the time. I decided that a late spring cleaning was in order and attacked my room with gusto. I was by all means not a slob, but both my suitcases I had used to transport my clothes back and forth to Mark''s house still needed to be unpacked, along with my overnight bag filled with toiletry items. I worked through my room methodically, clearing one section at a time. My favorite music played lightly in the background from my iPod that I had placed on its docking station.


    An hour later my room was spic-and-span and I had moved on to my sitting room and bathroom. I took my time dusting the bookshelves in my sitting room, removing one book at a time to gently dust each one. By noon, the entire upstairs practically sparkled as I finally put my cleaning supplies away. Exhausted but happy with my time killer, I jumped into the shower to bathe quickly before I headed downstairs to fix lunch for my mom and me.


    "Boy, you were a busy bee up there this morning," my mom commented as I placed a plate loaded with a turkey sandwich and chips in front of her.


    "You know me, once I start a project I have to finish it," I said, after swallowing the bite of sandwich I had taken. "I figure I will tackle the living room and kitchen next, that way we won''t have it hanging over our heads."


    "Krista, I appreciate all your help, but you don''t have to kill yourself taking care of me."


    "I don''t mind," I said, speaking the truth. Keeping busy had worked like a charm at keeping my mind off what lay ahead of me that night.


    "If you''re trying for the best daughter award you already have that, hands down," she said, giving me one last chance to slack off.


    "Well, I''m just trying to make sure I have it locked in for next year too," I teased, clearing our empty plates from the table.


    "Ah, I see. Well in that case, get back to work."


    "Aye captain," I said, giving her a mock salute on my way to the living room.


    The rest of the day passed quickly, and before I knew it Mark was ringing the doorbell to pick me up.


    "Bye Mom," I said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.


    "Have fun at the Boardwalk Dear, though I''m surprised you guys aren¡¯t sick of it yet."


    "Are you kidding me? Sam and Shawn are both ride junkies, they could go every day," I said, skirting around the guilt I felt for the white lie I had fed her.


    "Okay, stay safe then," she said as I closed the front door behind me.


    Mark grabbed my hand as we descended the front steps. I was relieved to see him, but wished it were under different circumstances. We had been so busy training that our alone time lately was non-existent.


    "This is nice," I commented, looking at our joined hands.


    "Very nice," he replied, pulling me into his arms for a quick kiss before he opened the car door for me.


    "Hey guys," I said, addressing my extended family.


    Their greetings rang out through the vehicle as I fastened my seatbelt.


    "Everybody ready?" Mark asked, backing out of my driveway.


    "Heck yeah, let''s go save some souls," Shawn said in an awful imitation of a tough guy. The tension floating around the vehicle was evident on everyone''s faces and he was doing his best to make us laugh.


    I knew we were ready, but I couldn''t help my nerves. We had a solid game plan set thanks to Haniel. Our goal was to arrive at the revival early so we could interact with the people there. The appearance of mere socializing would give us the chance to save as many of them as possible. Haniel advised us to work quickly before Alan made his appearance.


    "Being an Abbadon, he will most likely see you for what you truly are. You must try to avoid that if possible. Go in, save who you can, and get out," he told us.


    "So I spent the morning Googling this Alan guy," Sam said, breaking the silence in the vehicle.


    "Nothing really came up under his name so I tried to think outside the box a little," she added. "I did find an interesting string of attacks at government buildings in several surrounding counties."


    "What do you mean?" I asked curiously.


    "For example, in Santa Clara County, the welfare office was completely gutted and vandalized. Oh, and an employee was severely beaten. The victim is still in ICU and hasn¡¯t been able to tell authorities anything. In that same county, exactly one week later, a security guard and a lawyer leaving the courthouse were both beaten with the guards night stick. The lawyer suffered a blow to the neck which left him paralyzed and the security guard died a few days after the attack due to complications. Once I found those two cases, I widened my search to other counties around us and found similar incidents," she said. "Here, I made a mock map and labeled each government attack," she added, passing around the map of California she had printed up.


    It was passed up my way after the others had a chance to look at it. Based on Sam''s handiwork, you could definitely make out a pattern by studying the areas she highlighted. "Have they caught anyone yet?" I asked, studying the couple of dozen marks on the map.

 Page 13

    "No, but the way they are spread out over several counties almost makes it look random. Besides, all you hear about on the news anymore is violence, so it''s not like these incidents stick out. The only reason I started finding them is because I was really looking. After Alan did his speech on the whole ''are you sick of blah blah'' rant, I started thinking he could definitely be using forgotten souls for something like that."


    "Wow, Sam, that''s impressive," I said, admiring her ingenuity.


    "It was nothing," she said, looking a little embarrassed by the praise. "A couple things I did find interesting, though. Each one of the attacks occurred the day after a revival, and tonight must be the last revival at this location."


    "How do you know that?" Robert asked intrigued.


    "The attacks or it being the revival''s last show?" She asked for clarification.


    "The last show."


    "Oh, I pulled the permits online and this site is booked to host a fair next weekend."


    "Damn, girl, you really did your research," Shawn said affectionately.


    "I just wanted to give us a rough idea about what we could be facing. Besides, it''s not like I did much, the Internet did most of the work for me," she said, with now flushed red cheeks.


    "Whatever, you still connected the dots," he said, giving her a loud smacking kiss on the cheek. "You did good babe."


    I sat studying the big tent in front of us as we waited in a small line of traffic filtering into the dirt parking lot. Sam''s findings went a long way in confirming that my instincts had been right, that we were indeed needed in this situation. Innocent people had died or been hurt, and all signs seemed to point to the occupants of the tent in front of me.


    "I guess we should get in there," Mark said, opening his car door.


    Sam and Shawn climbed out my side of the vehicle which faced the tent. Lynn and Robert discreetly climbed out on the other side which opened near the woods. We had decided that we would look suspicious walking in together, so Lynn and Robert would follow us into the tent after a few minutes. We knew that time was crucial, and Lynn would be of better use if she was with us the instant we entered the tent, but Haniel had advised us to avoid drawing too much attention to ourselves.


    "And do not separate from your Protectors under any circumstance. You cannot do your job effectively if your Protector is not there with you," he stated, leaving no room for argument.


    Taking his words to heart, we decided the next best thing would be for them to follow us in.


    The tent was noisy when we entered, with different groups of attendees scattered about chatting amongst each themselves. Mark and I separated from Sam and Shawn once we got inside, deciding each of us would take a different direction. Mark and I approached a lone girl standing just inside the entrance of the tent. She was dressed in all black and had dyed her cropped hair orange. She had a tattered knapsack slung onto her back and clutched a Monster energy drink in her left hand while her right kept the straps of her bag from slipping. The despair she felt was tangible, to the point that I felt like I could taste it. The images began flooding my mind as I attempted to make a connection with her. It took every bit of concentration I had to filter the negative emotions I was now feeling. She was obviously a runaway as I sensed a heavy feeling of homesickness. Suddenly, I was no longer in the revival tent, but what seemed like an abandoned building with boarded up windows. The smell of urine was overwhelming as rats scurried across the trash-covered floors. There she was, frightened and huddled in a dark corner. I could feel her every emotion as if we were sharing the same mind. She was afraid to fall asleep and starved from not eating for days. I trusted the weeks of training with Haniel, embracing the horrific images and replacing them with my own.


    All of a sudden we were no longer in the abandoned building. I stood in front of a woman, maybe in her thirties at most. She was wearing an apron, pulling fresh baked pies out of the oven. The kitchen windows were open to let the cool autumn breeze find its way inside. A little girl ran into the bright room, dragging a doll with tattered hair across the floor. The woman turned, smiling, to pick up the girl with outstretched arms and covered her neck with kisses, making the young child squeal with delight. Suddenly the image blurred and I began to once again hear the rumblings of several conversations at once. I felt Mark grab my arm to hold me up.


    "Krista, are you okay? You looked like you were losing your balance," he asked concerned.


    "I''m fine, but that felt like it took forever. Is she still here?" I asked, regaining my focus.


    "She''s over there. What do you mean it felt like forever? Your eyes were only closed for a few seconds."


    I found myself more concerned with the girl than what Mark telling me. I looked to my right to see her quietly exit through the open tent flap.


    "Did you see that?" I asked Mark enthusiastically. "Come on."


    I made my way over to the two guys standing a couple feet away. Mark instantly engaged one of them in a conversation while I worked my magic on the other. His emotions were different than the girl I had left, and the animosity he emitted was warranted as his images flashed in front of me. Once again, I took them in, filtering them with the happy ones while washing away all the ill feelings that were attached to them. Mark stopped midsentence as I turned to his friend and started the process again. It amazed me how readily my soul embraced the images and emotions that it had shied away from the last week. I felt jubilant as I moved on. I had previously perceived the emotions as heavy and draining, but instead, they acted like an energy source that propelled me forward.


    I lost track of time as we made our way around the tent doing the job we were created for. I was so focused on the task at hand that Mark had to tug on my arm to get my attention.


    "Krista, we gotta go. The revival will be starting any minute."


    "Just a few more, please," I begged, looking around at the few remaining forgotten souls on our side of the tent I hadn¡¯t gotten to yet. "I haven¡¯t found the girl market yet and I don''t know if Sam or Lynn have either," I whispered, looking around at a tent that was now emptier than it was earlier.


    "Krista, they''re already outside waiting for us," Mark said, grabbing onto my hand and dragging me toward the exit.


    I looked behind me helplessly, feeling awful for the few souls I had been unable to save. Haniel had warned us that we couldn¡¯t save everyone and that even one soul saved was better than none.


    We were almost to the exit when I heard Alan''s voice behind us encouraging the few followers we had left behind us to find seats. We picked up our pace and reached the exit with a sigh of relief.


    "Not leaving so soon are you?" A voice boomed across the tent as a huge body stopped in front of us, blocking the exit. I recognized him instantly as the guy who had watched us so intently the week before.


    "Of course not," Mark said. "Misty just remembered she left her purse in the car," he added, nodding toward me, acting like he was aggravated for my negligence. Taking Mark''s words as a sign, I closed my eyes and reached out to embrace the hatred that was flowing freely around the man in front of us.


    The images that greeted me swept all air from my lungs as I realized my mistake instantly. He was not a forgotten soul. He was something else entirely. My own emotions burned inside me, leaving me disoriented. Allowing him inside and getting a glimpse of the darkness that resided in him had robbed me of all the energy I had gained just moments before. His soul wasn''t dark like I would have expected in someone that evil, it was just simply gone.


    He was soulless.


    Chapter 11


    "Come on Misty, let''s go get your purse," Mark said, tugging me close so that my depleted body could lean heavily on his.


    "I believe Alan might want a few words with you first," the soulless creature said in front of us.


    Focusing all my attention on keeping my emotions at bay, I felt Mark shifting our bodies slightly so that we faced the man at the front of the tent.


    "Ah, I see we have a traitor in our midst," Alan said in a dry tone, addressing the small group of people that remained. Because the mass exodus of the tent was now so evident, I could clearly tell who the last of the forgotten souls were and who were soulless Demons.


    "Do you know the best way to flush out a traitor?" Alan asked, breaking into my thoughts. "Live bait," he said, dragging the girl I had been looking for by the hair to his side. I watched in horror as he tightened his hand in her hair and pulled a small handgun out of the waistband of his jeans.


    I went to take a step toward her, but Mark had me anchored firmly against him.


    "No!" he whispered, pushing me behind him through the narrow opening in the tent wall that was still exposed. "Run and get the guys and don''t come back," he said, propelling me out the opening.


    I turned and fled in one movement, feeling the monster behind me grasping at the thin air I left behind as I raced toward the others.


    "Get her!" Alan screamed as panic erupted inside the tent. My legs propelled me across the dirt lot faster than I had ever moved. In the blink of an eye, I was at my friends'' sides shouting at Shawn and Robert to help Mark.


    I watched as Shawn and Robert headed back toward the tent at what seemed like a turtles pace after my own sprint. I turned and glanced into the worried eyes of my friends as a gunshot rang out through the night.


    Without pausing to think, I raced back toward the nightmare, into the mayhem I had just fled. The scene inside the tent was chaotic with people scattered everywhere and our Protectors in the middle of the mess fighting off the soulless creatures Alan had at his disposal.


    "Thank God," I exhaled, seeing Mark alive and fighting at the far end of the tent. Continuing to scan the ruckus in front of me, I finally settled on the victim of the gunshot. The girl I had intended to save, the whole reason we were even here in the first place lying in a pool of blood on the hard-packed dirt at the front of the tent.


    Time stood still as my soul took in the sight before me, and all rational thought left as I raced to her side. I reached down and grasped her slender wrist in my hand and could feel her faint pulse. She looked at me her eyes clouded over, full of tears.


    "I-I-I''m so s-sorry," I choked out as best I could, taking her images into my soul and filtering them like I should have in the beginning. I poured all my love into them and gave her all the peace I could.


    "Thank you," she said faintly before her eyes closed for good as I held her hand in my own with hot tears falling down my cheeks.


    I was so lost in grief over the girl that lay before me that it took a moment to realize someone was standing over me.


    "Well if this isn¡¯t the most touching thing I''ve ever seen," Alan said, dragging me to my feet by my hair. "You think you can come in here and take everything I''ve worked for away from me," he demanded, spitting the words at me.


    I felt like I was looking at The Dark One himself as I stared into the eyes of my captor. "It looks like that¡¯s exactly what we did," I said, not fearing him as I knew I should have.


    "Do you want to know a secret?" he asked coldly. "I know he can''t live without you," indicating someone outside my line of vision. I did not need to turn my head to see who he meant.


    He knew our secret.


    I felt his hands closing tightly around my throat. While I still had time, I sent a silent message to Mark asking him to forgive me for getting us in this situation. I was going to die. I knew it as clearly as I knew my own name. My actions, though, would not only affect me, they would also affect the person who held my heart. I had jumped into the situation without considering who would ultimately pay the highest price.


    Blackness began to threaten my vision. Through my cloudy sight I saw a person charging, knocking us to the ground in a heap. My head hit the dirt with a solid thump and blackness welcomed me into its waiting arms.


    I awoke to gentle swaying as Shawn maneuvered the vehicle along the dirt road.


    I tried to sit up, but was forced to grab my head to ease the piercing pain that was splitting my skull.


    "Are you okay?" Mark asked, gently directing my head back down to rest on his lap.


    "What happened?" I asked in a hoarse voice as pain that felt like liquid fire poured down my tender throat.


    "You almost died," Mark said, voice laced with torment. "What were you thinking Krista?"


    "I wasn''t," I said miserably, not cringing away from the razor sharp pain that ran down my throat. I felt it was justified for how close I had come to ending not just my own life, but Mark''s as well.


    "I''m sorry," I said, swiping a stray tear away.


    "Krista, I was just afraid I had lost you," he said, gathering me close in his arms.


    "I''m sorry," I apologized again, against his chest.


    "Don''t apologize. Just be more careful from now on. You got me? I almost died inside when your thoughts flashed to me. I was so caught up in the adrenaline of the fight, I wasn¡¯t even aware you were back in the tent."


    "I thought you had been shot. I couldn¡¯t handle not knowing," I mumbled, as tears flowed freely down my cheeks, remembering how scared I had been that he was the recipient of the gunshot.


    The rest of the car ride was silent. My head pounded painfully and only keeping my eyes closed offered any kind of relief. After a few miles I drifted off to sleep.


    The vehicle being shut off woke me up and I looked up into Mark''s troubled eyes. I tried to get a gauge of what he was thinking, but his thoughts were firmly blocked away.


    "We''re home. Can you walk?" he asked, helping me climb down from the SUV.


    I nodded my head weakly and leaned on him for support as he guided me toward the front door of his house.


    Everyone was already sitting on the couches in front of Haniel when Mark and I finally shuffled into the room.


    We sat on the same couch as Shawn and Sam. "You okay?" Sam asked, giving me a quick hug.


    "My throat hurts like crazy and I think my head is planning mutiny, but other than that, yeah, I think I''m okay," I said, trying to lighten the somber mood.


    At my words, Mark placed his arm around me so I could lean into his embrace while we waited for the verdict on how much trouble I was in. We had been warned to leave the revival before it could start, and we had also been warned that if we were to be caught, the Guides were to get as far away as we could. I had blatantly disregarded both rules.


    "Yes, you disregarded every rule I set, and yet here you sit," Haniel finally said, picking the thoughts from my head. "Your unwillingness to leave others behind seems to be your greatest virtue."

 Page 14

    "What?" I asked incredulously, surprised by his words. Here I was expecting to get yelled at and instead, he was talking about my lack of listening skills being my greatest virtue.


    "Do not misunderstand me. I wish you would practice a small amount of restraint to avoid harm, but what were the after effects of not following directions tonight?"


    I shrugged my shoulders, confused. To me my stubbornness had caused nothing but mayhem and trouble.


    "When you were held captive by The Dark Angel, did you leave your Protector behind when you escaped?" he asked me.


    I shook my head no, shuddering at the mere suggestion.


    "You were willing to sacrifice your own life to save him. Am I right?"


    "Of course," I acknowledged. "But that was different. It was just Mark and me, and it was only my life I was risking," I finally said in a hoarse voice.


    "Tonight was no different, Krista. Your unwillingness to leave saved many more souls, and most importantly, you helped another find her way to Heaven."


    "I did?" I asked, sudden tears springing to my eyes as I recalled the lifeless girl on the dirt floor we had left behind.


    "You did," he replied. "Plus, what you did not see was the rest of your band following you back in to save the remaining forgotten souls."


    "You guys did that?" I asked with overwhelming happiness flooding its way inside me. Maybe I hadn''t botched the entire mission after all.


    "We couldn''t let you down Sis, since you seemed Hell bent on saving everyone," Shawn said, smiling at me. "Oops, sorry Haniel about the "H" mention," he added, winking at me.


    "I would say your first mission was quite successful. All of you should be proud of yourselves," he said, turning to leave, but paused at the double French doors. "Krista, perhaps we should take care of your neck before you head home."


    "What?" I placed my hands on my neck and cringed when my touch sent waves of pain shooting through me, making my eyes water. I stood up to see the evidence in the oversized mirror over the couch, gasping in surprise at the purple bruises covering my throat.


    "Oh no, my mom will freak if she sees these," I said, stepping closer to the mirror so I could inspect the marks more closely. It amazed me that each of his fingers had left their mark on me.


    "Krista, if you are done admiring your injuries, could you please follow me to the patio," Haniel said dryly, making me laugh.


    "Okay, keep your shirt on," I joked, heading toward him.


    "Keep my shirt on. Why would it be off?" Haniel asked puzzled as I walked by.


    Sam burst out laughing behind us as Haniel closed the patio door.


    Haniel still looked confused. "It''s a phrase, Haniel," I said sighing. Trying to explain our humor to a celestial being definitely had its obstacles.


    "Oh, I see. You were joking."


    "Yep, it was a joke,"


    "Well, shall I fix your neck now?" he asked.


    "That sounds like a good plan," I said, standing in front of him.


    Haniel cupped his hands and gently placed them around my throat. The pain instantly left me and was replaced by a cool tingle that traveled the length of my body.


    "Wow, that''s amazing," I said, poking at my throat.


    "I am good at my job as well," Haniel said, flashing me the briefest of smiles before he headed for the beach access stairs.


    I stood on the deck smiling, watching his retreating back.


    "Krista, are you coming inside?" Mark asked, walking up to stand behind me.


    I leaned back against him and wrapped his arms around me, drawing myself closer.


    "Are you still mad at me?" I asked after a few minutes.


    "Krista, I was never mad. Scared yes, but never mad. I know the lives of others are important, but if I had to choose between theirs and yours, I will pick yours every time. Seeing his hands wrapped around your neck tonight was enough to take ten years off my life," Mark said, grabbing onto my hand to lead me inside.


    "Wow, your neck looks so much better," Sam said, stepping closer to look at it. "Dang it, where was Haniel''s healing touch when I had that mega zit a couple weeks ago?" she asked jokingly.


    "I know, right," I laughed.


    "So Sis, I''m excited you''re some, like, Super-Guide and all, but can you let one of us be the badass next time so I won''t have a coronary?" Shawn asked, ruffling my hair affectionately.


    "Sure thing. I''m ready to not be the cause of so much drama. I think drama will fit you much better."


    Chapter 12


    "Mom, I can''t get this stupid cap to stay on my head. I think my head is to lopsided," I yelled down the stairs. Giving up, I snatched up my purse and keys and stomped down the stairs to vent my frustration.


    "Aw honey, look at you in your robe," she said, admiring me with tears in her eyes.


    "Mom, it''s basically a glorified maroon bathrobe," I said jokingly.


    She swatted my arm. "No it''s not."


    "Well, I''m going to look like an idiot without a cap on," I said, tossing the offending cap on the table.


    "You''re just not doing it right," she said, placing it on my head. She started with the front of the cap on my forehead and used her fingers to adjust the elastic band around the back of my head, securing the cap snuggly into place. "There," she said, stepping back to admire her work. "Now, the tassel goes to the right until the end of the ceremony, and then you switch it to the left."


    "Thanks Mom," I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "You look pretty," I said admiring her pale lavender dress. When she was released from the hospital she had been gaunt and underweight, but after a week, she had filled out nicely. I was glad to have her back home. I missed being with my friends 24/7, but it just felt right coming home to her. Feline on the other hand missed Mark''s beach house greatly.


    This past week had been almost melodramatic since our first successful assignment. We had continued our training until Haniel was called away for ''more pressing matters,'' as he put it.


    "What time is Mark coming by?" My mom asked, pouring me a soda and handing me a specialty chocolate cupcake from a fantastic bakery we had discovered this past week.


    "In twenty minutes," I said, glancing at the small digital clock on our microwave. "Oh yum," I said, distracted by the first bite of the heavenly treat in my hand.


    "You two still getting along okay?" she asked.


    "Sure, why?"


    "I don''t know, you guys just seem a little on edge," she said.


    I wanted to deny it, but she had a point. I couldn''t quite put my finger on it, but Mark seemed a little standoffish since our mission. Outwardly he seemed fine, still joking with the others, but he had been blocking his thoughts from me since we left the revival. I tried not to let it bug me, but the words his father had said nagged at me. I couldn''t help wondering if he was resenting the bonds that tied us together. After all, Haniel had confirmed that the Protectors could not live without their Guides. Last weekend had proven just how quickly it could happen. Alan could have snapped my neck and that would have been the end of his existence too.


    "Don''t be a dork, he''s probably just freaked out that he came so close to losing you," Sam had said as she and Lynn tried to reassure me the night after our mission.


    "That''s just because I was stressed about college," I now said to my mom, throwing out the first excuse I could come up with. "Now that I know for sure I got into U.C. Santa Cruz, I can relax. At least we know that getting good grades paid off for something. Besides, aren''t you happy I''m not quite ready to fly the coop yet?"


    "Well, I won''t say I''m not excited you picked a school close to home. I''m sure a certain hunk has something to do with it more than me, but hey, I''ll reap the benefits from it," she said, shooting me a smile.


    "Hunk? Mom that''s so old school. He''s a hottie or McHottie if you want the formal title," I said giggling.


    "Well, if my ears don''t deceive me, I believe a certain ''Prince Charming'' is here, or is ''Prince Hottie''," she said teasing me.


    Jumping to my feet, I threw my cupcake wrapper in the trash receptacle and rinsed out my glass. I had the door open before he could ring the doorbell. "Hey," I said, snagging a quick kiss on his lips.


    "Hey yourself. Don''t you look so pretty and sophisticated in your graduation gown," he said, pulling me in for a deeper kiss.


    My pulse quickened as my heart began beating harder. I was glad I had kept my insecure thoughts to myself. Sam and Lynn were right, we were fine.


    "I brought you these," he said, handing over a delicate bouquet of flowers. "And this," handing me a small, elegantly wrapped box.


    I sighed, breathing in the heady smell of the flowers.


    "You didn''t have to do this," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up, slightly self-conscious that he got me a gift. Mark placed his palm on my cheek, easing away the embarrassment as he placed a light kiss on my lips.


    "It''s customary to give a graduate a gift," he said smiling.


    "Here, I will put those in water, dear," my mom said, taking the flowers from me and strolling to the kitchen. I wasn''t fooled by her ploy. She knew how I felt about opening gifts in front of people.


    Settling on the edge of the couch, I pulled the wrapping off the small jewelry box. I gasped in pleasure after lifting the lid, spying the delicate heart shaped pendant on a chain. The heart was etched with two words, Always Yours.


    "It''s beautiful," I said with moist eyes as he helped my shaky fingers hook the chain around my neck.


    "I love you," he said, leaning in to give me another kiss.


    "I love you too," I said after softly caressing his lips with my own return kiss.


    "We better go," he said, glancing at his watch.


    "Mom, you ready?" I called out as I stood up to smooth out the back of my polyester robe.


    "No reason to yell Dear. I''m right here," she said smiling.


    "Oops, sorry mom, I didn''t realize you were that close."


    "Pretty necklace," she said, stepping in to inspect it. Her eyes tightened slightly at the corners with concern. She had warmed up considerably toward Mark, but made it clear that she wished we would slow down. I guess declaring himself mine, always, didn¡¯t fall under the "slowing it down" category.


    The parking lot at the country club where they were holding our graduation was packed by the time we pulled in. Mark circled the driveway and pulled up in front of the awning to let us out.


    "I''ll go park and join you inside," he said before I shut the door.


    "Krista, over here," Sam called, standing by a five-tier elaborate fountain that was located in front of the oversized glass plated doors. "Tom and Karen are inside saving seats for your mom and this lot," Sam said, indicating Shawn, Lynn, Robert, and to my surprise, Haniel, who was standing to her left.


    "Haniel, you''re back," I said, happy for his return. "Mom, this is Haniel, a family friend of Mark''s," I said smoothly.


    Her eyes widened, taking in the Greek god-like figure in front of her. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Miller," Haniel said, holding out his hand.


    Her hand was lost in his and I watched all tension leave her face at his touch. Haniel had a way of making a person relax and leave their worries behind. I had grown quite fond of him since his human-like moment after the revival when he healed my neck. I really missed him this past week while he was gone.


    Mark joined our group a few minutes later. "You ready?" he asked, quietly placing his arm around my waist.


    "I guess," I said grudgingly, not completely excited about being the center of attention.


    "You''ll be fine, and I''m sure Sam won''t mind tripping or something if you mess up," Robert said, teasing Sam.


    "Great, now that you jinxed me, I probably will trip. Thanks a lot bro, you''re supposed to have my back," Sam said in mock anger as she reached past Lynn to sock him on the arm.


    "Oww, I think a mosquito just got me," Robert said, making a production of looking for a mark on his muscular forearm.


    "Oh shut it." Sam said giggling.


    "Looks like they want the graduates to head down that hallway," Mark said, interrupting their antics.


    "Sheesh, you think their sign is big enough?" Sam asked, snorting at the refrigerator-sized sign that simply read, Graduates This Way, with a two foot arrow beneath the words.


    "I guess they felt a regular sized arrow would just be too difficult for us lowly graduates to figure out," she added.


    Breaking away from the group, Sam and I followed the not so discrete arrows that lined the hallway walls, directing seniors to a different location. Sam''s giggles increased with each sign we passed, making it hard for me not to join in. By the time we burst through doors to what Sam called "the holding pen," we were both clutching our sides.


    The sound inside the large room was deafening, as everyone gathered around, talking about their plans for the evening and graduation gifts they had received. Of course, there was a lot of crying and gushing about how much they were going to miss each other, but for the most part everyone was excited about the significance of this moment.


    Sam and I stood alone, which was how we preferred it. The only other group that was off by themselves was the Lush Trio. Sam and I had noticed when we returned to school that they were oddly subdued after the bathroom incident at prom. Gone were the sarcastic degrading comments that they were known for and the constant desire to be the center of our high school world. I had caught them studying Sam and me on more than one occasion. The change was nice, but felt strangely eerie. They were just simply there now. At first I was uber stressed that I had somehow damaged them, but Haniel was quick to reassure me.


    "They have just come to realize their superficial qualities were not quite as endearing as they thought. They just needed the right push in a different direction," he had said, smiling slightly at me.


    "Did I push them in that direction or did you?" I asked, suspecting the latter.


    "I will leave that to you to figure out," he had said.


    Watching them now, I felt a little bad that they seemed so unsure of their place with their peers now. Even more amazingly was the fact that all the girls that had vied for their attention for the last four years already seemed to have moved on. The Lush Trio seemed to be old news. High school really was survival of the fittest.


    "Ladies and Gentleman, it''s time to line up," Ms. Johansson, the principal''s secretary, called out, trying to corral the rowdy bunch into two lines. Sam and I reluctantly parted as we stepped into our alphabetical place in line.

 Page 15

    I could hear the opening strains of "Pomp and Circumstance," the traditional graduation march playing as we exited through the side doors. I felt a small stirring of nostalgia, listening to the music grow louder with each step I took. Sure, St. Briggets didn''t quite live up to my expectations, but I still felt like this was the end of an era.


    Filing down the grass, we separated and sat in the white wooden chairs placed in rows of twenty. I scanned the crowd, spotting my and Sam''s families off to my left on the temporary bleachers the country club had assembled. Mark and Haniel were deep in conversation, but my mom blew me a kiss and Shawn gave me a thumbs-up. I slid my gaze down the row until I found Lynn. I giggled when she stuck her tongue out at me.


    Feeling a little more relaxed now, I settled back in my chair while our class valedictorian made his speech. It was typical, filled with youthful energy about moving on to the next step, attending a top-notch college and making our marks in the world. He was a little long-winded and my eyes felt heavy as my mind drifted away.


    After a few more seemingly never-ending speeches, the principal finally took his place to hand out our diplomas. Please God, don''t let me trip, I thought nervously, listening to the long list of names being called ahead of mine. With shaky legs, I climbed the steps and crossed the stage to receive my diploma, willing myself to remain calm. A quick flashbulb went off in my face as the photographer snapped my picture when I was handed my diploma.


    "Congratulations Ms. Miller," the principal said, indifferently.


    "Thank you," I mumbled, shaking his hand.


    I paused at the foot of the steps to pose for another picture for the insistent photographer who wanted a shot of me holding my diploma. I could hear my mom and my extended family cheering as I posed for the last picture and made my way back to my row of seats.


    Relieved that my turn was over, I sank back into my chair, waiting for Sam''s name to be called. In typical Sam fashion, she sailed across the stage, surprising our usually dignified stuffy principal by throwing her arms around him instead of shaking his hand like the rest of the graduates. His expression was priceless when he handed over her diploma, looking quite put out. I could hear Shawn wolf-whistling in the crowd.


    Turning in my seat, I grinned at him. He let out another ear-splitting whistle as the photographer snapped Sam''s picture with her new diploma, earning him some annoyed stares from the uptight parents near him. By the grin on his face, it was clear he knew exactly what those around him were thinking, which had Lynn and Robert shaking with silent laughter and my mom and Sam''s sharing indulgent looks. My heart swelled. This was my motley crew. My cheeks began to ache from the silly smile I couldn''t seem to wipe away.


    Mark took our entire crew to La Casa, our favorite restaurant near his house. He was friends with the owners, who treated Sam and me like celebrities when we walked through the doors. I was slightly embarrassed when they greeted us so boisterously.


    The dinner would have been perfect if not for the absence of my dad. In the time since he died, my life had done a complete one eighty, but that didn''t change the way I felt about his absence. My heart still ached at everything he was missing. We had often talked about college. I knew how proud he was of my good grades and had looked forward to seeing me graduate.


    "Ms. Krista and Ms. Sam, we are so happy for your big accomplishment," Maria said to us in her strongly accented voice that boomed across the room, kissing us both on the cheek. Miguel, her husband, led us to the back of the room where they had pushed several tables together to accommodate our party of nine. Haniel, of course had bowed out of joining us.


    "Thank you Maria, how are the boys?" I asked in a quieter voice, not wanting to disturb the other diners any more than we already had.


    "The rascals are very wild," she answered just as loudly, missing my hint.


    Sam, who was well aware of my tactic, nudged me in the ribs as we took our seats. She stifled a laugh as I shrugged my shoulders, finally giving up. This was their restaurant and they could do whatever they wanted.


    Shawn, Lynn, and Robert sat across from us while Mark claimed the seat on my other side, leaving the far end of the table for the adults. The laughter around our table flowed fast and easy as Shawn once again entertained us with stories from when he worked on the Boardwalk. He could mimic a harassed tourist dead-on. His impersonations kept us all in stitches, including the adults.


    "The worst are the guys who think that they''re too cool for sun block. They come hobbling onto the rides with their families, burned to a crisp after a day on the beach. You should see them trying to sit all gingerly and still look tough at the same time. None of them realize that the rickety coaster tracks will have them sliding all over the place before the ride is over. By the time the coaster comes back in, they need help to get off," Shawn said, making us laugh as he stood up from his chair slowly, showing us how they look.


    Poor Sam laughed so hard she wound up choking on her Coke, which required a lot of back pounding from me.


    Once our dinner plates were carried away, Miguel brought out plates of fresh from-the-oven-sopaipillas, dripping with warm honey. "These are on the house for the graduates," he said, setting the plates down with a flourish. "Also, Maria and I want our pretty new friends to pick their favorite pi?ata to take home to remember their special night."


    Sam bounced in her seat at his words. She had been itching for a pi?ata since our first visit.


    "Woot woot, I''m so excited!" she said, leaving her dessert behind as she wandered through the restaurant ohhing and ahhing at each brightly colored pi?ata hanging from the bare rafters of the restaurant.


    Laughing at her excitement, Miguel claimed her empty seat to chat with the guys. Miguel was obsessed with his favorite team, the Padres¡¯ chances of making it to the World Series. Lynn and I quickly became bored with their baseball talk.


    "I''m telling you man, you need to switch teams, go with the Dodgers," Mark said, reaching across me to sock Miguel in the arm. "Besides, I think it''s like against the law to live here and not be a Dodgers fan."


    "Or at least the Giants, bro," Shawn said teasingly. "It¡¯d be a shame to see a good man go down just because he chooses a suck-ass team."


    When the conversation shifted to RBI''s, I felt my eyes begin to glaze over. "I think I''m going to go pick my pi?ata," I said standing, but the guys were too far gone into their baseball talk to give much notice to anything around them.


    "Do you want to come with me?" I asked Lynn, but she merely shook her head, examining the iPad that Karen and Tom had given Sam as a graduation present. Lynn and I were both a little jealous, though I had a sneaky suspicion I was getting one too. My mom had been quite secretive about my own graduation gift and I had seen her exchanging glances with Karen when she saw me ogling it. I could always read her like an open book when she was trying to hide a gift from me.


    "Hey, have you found one?" I asked Sam, joining her on the far side of the restaurant.


    "Ugh no, but I do have it narrowed down to either that one, maybe¡­" she said, pointing to a brightly colored maraca, "or that one," she added, pointing to a cute cat "or even that one," she said thoughtfully, pointing to one shaped as an oversized wine bottle, "oh, and that one there," she said, pointing to yet another one.


    I started laughing. "Sam, you''re a mess," I told her affectionately. "I¡¯ll tell you what. I¡¯ll buy you one as a gift from me. That way you can pick two of your favorites.¡±


    "Woo hoo! I need to loop the restaurant again, now that I know I get two," she said, skipping away.


    "Hey wait. I thought you already had all those ones picked out," I called after she pointed to the different pi?atas along the rafters.


    Sam just laughed and continued her frantic search.


    Shaking my head, I searched for my own pi?ata. After a few moments, I settled on a brightly colored flower that reminded me of something from a carnival. Instead of heading back to the table for more baseball love fest, I headed for the bathroom to freshen up before we headed out.


    I added a touch of my mango lip gloss from Bath & Body Works before I pulled the door open and barreled into Mark''s hard and muscular chest. "Hey, I was looking for you. Did you find a pi?ata you like?" he asked, grabbing onto my hand as we headed for the checkout counter.


    "Yeah, I want that pretty flower one," I said, pointing to the one right above our heads. "I promised Sam I''d buy her one too. She was having a hard time trying to decide."


    Mark started laughing beside me.


    "What?" I asked confused.


    "Well, your dear friend also conned one out of Shawn and her parents, so if I''m understanding this right, she''s going home tonight with four.


    "What?" I asked in mock anger. "Here I thought I was doing something special for her," I said, bumping into her playfully.


    "You are. I just couldn''t decide," she said, sheepishly dancing away from me as I tried to swipe at her one last time.


    "Sweetie, I''m going to head out with the Harrisons," my mom said, coming up to give me one last hug. "You guys have fun, but stay safe," she added, giving Mark a stern look. "No drinking and driving. Got me?" She asked, addressing the last part to him.


    "Yes ma¡¯am," Mark said solemnly. "We''re just going to hang out at my house watching movies and stuff."


    My mom raised her eyebrows at his phrasing.


    "I mean, not stuff like that, I meant games and stuff¡­," Mark said, trailing off as his face paled.


    I giggled as he buried himself deeper and deeper. "She''s teasing you Mark," I said, finally swooping in to save the day. She knew where I stood on the whole sex issue. I had promised that I intended to wait, and truthfully, after all the drama lately, it left little opportunity for us to do much more than make out a few times. Not to mention, our Archangel made a pretty handy chaperone, since it just felt wrong to fool around too much with him around.


    The sun had set by the time we arrived back at Mark''s house. Everyone piled into the house laughing as Sam struggled to carry her pi?atas on her own. Shawn finally showed her some mercy and carried three of them in for her. Their antics made me smile, but I had plans of my own as I tugged on Mark''s hand, dragging him toward the path that would lead us to the back patio. "Let''s sit by the pool for a little while," I said, craving some alone time with him.


    "Sounds good to me," he said, pulling me under the crook of his arm as we made our way along the crushed seashell-strewn path. "Did you have fun tonight?" he asked, pulling me onto one of the chaise lounges with him.


    "It was one of the best days of my life," I said, snuggling up against his chest.


    He slipped his arms around my midriff, pulling me even closer, anchoring me in place by lacing his fingers together.


    "I''m glad," he said, pressing a light kiss on the side of my neck, making me shiver with pleasure. Chuckling softly, he did it again, but this time he tasted my sensitive skin with the tip of his tongue. Letting out a purr of pleasure, I rolled my head to the side to give him better access.


    "If there were such things as vampires, I could totally see their fascination with necks," he said in a smoldering voice as he placed another searing kiss on my neck. Twisting around, I tangled his hair in my fingers, pulling him toward me. This time he groaned against my lips as I used the tip of my tongue to trace the outline of his full lips. Mark''s fingers grazed over my flat stomach, inching my shirt up slightly to caress the sensitive skin there. Losing myself in the heat of the moment, I shifted closer to press against his hard muscular body. His lips left a trail of fire along my neck as he placed a deep kiss on my collarbone. His hands slid further up my stomach, grazing my ribcage, making me burn with a fire that only his touch could extinguished. Dragging his lips to meet mine, he pulled back slightly letting my own insistent hands slide under his polo shirt. I sighed with pleasure as I felt his lean rippled muscles under my fingertips. I inched my fingers around his bare back trying to pull him even closer. I sighed in irritation when the arm of the chaise lounge dug into my ribs, hindering my movement.


    Chuckling softly against my lips, Mark dropped the back of the chaise lounge down in a few deft movements and flipped our positions so that I was now lying under him with every blissful part of him sprawled on top of me, never once taking his lips from mine. This time, I sighed in pleasure as my hands traveled up his lean back, making his shirt ride up in the process. Finally breaking the kiss, Mark gave into my tugging and pulled the hem of his shirt up revealing his golden skin underneath. He tossed the shirt onto the end table beside us, pulling me back in for another mind-blowing kiss. His skin was warm to the touch as my hands explored the hard planes. Lifting slightly, he ran his own hand under my shirt, moving purposefully toward its destination. My insides screamed as his fingertips grazed the lace on my bra. He used his other hand to slide my shirt up while he buried his face in my neck.


    "Um, Krista, Mark," a tentative voice said, breaking into my haze. I pulled my kiss-swollen lips from Mark''s, turning my head to see a flustered Sam standing by the patio doors. Blushing, I pulled the hem of my shirt back down, covering up my exposed skin. "Sorry to interrupt guys, but we think you need to come in," she said quietly, looking scared.


    Alarmed at Sam''s expression, Mark and I both jumped to our feet at once. Mark tugged his shirt back on and we followed Sam into the house.


    Everyone was sitting on the couches, while Haniel stood in the center of the room, looking graver than I had ever seen him.


    "The time you have been waiting for has begun," Haniel said simply, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "Your father has been a very busy man over the last few weeks," he said to Mark, but looking at all of us as a whole. "He has done the unthinkable. He has murdered more of our Guides and Protectors."


    Chapter 13


    "You mean other than our parents?" Sam asked, trying to make sense of his words.


    "Yes, other than your parents. Until now, only one Guide has died by his hand," Haniel said gravely. ¡°The rest died by the hands of Daemons led to our Guides as a result of the Dark Angel¡¯s betrayal.¡±


    "Why, why is he doing that?" Mark demanded, appalled.


    "He is slaying them because each death makes him stronger. The murder of your parents earned him favor and power from The Dark One for his traitorous behavior. We have known for quite sometime that his ultimate plan was to recruit Guides and Protectors, choosing only to kill those that refuse his demands."

 Page 16

    "Then why the Hell didn¡¯t you stop him?" Mark asked, horrified at what his father was doing. I laid a restraining hand on his arm trying to calm him, but he shook it off, stepping closer to Haniel. "Why didn''t you stop him?" His anger-laced voice sounded nothing like my Mark.


    "We tried. We set a trap, hoping to lure him out. That is where my responsibilities lay last week, preparing the band of Guides and Protectors for battle. We foresaw him plotting his attack and planned accordingly. The Dark One, however, fed him the knowledge he needed to attack when we were least expecting it. He wiped out the entire band in one swoop. All eight are dead," Haniel said, hanging his head.


    "Why is he searching for Guides and Protectors to kill when he has two at his disposal? Or did he already murderer them too?" I asked, suddenly horrified for the two that belonged in our band, but had been snatched from us.


    "He will not kill those two. He has a greater purpose for them both," Haniel said.


    "Like what?" Lynn asked.


    "I cannot say," Haniel said vaguely.


    "How did he ambush them?" Sam asked quietly.


    "He killed them in their sleep while they dreamed of each other. He used their connection against them."


    Tears sprang to my eyes and silently rolled down my cheeks as the implications hit me. Innocent celestial beings were murdered while they were lost in each other''s arms in their dreams, and now the man who haunted my own nightmares was more powerful than before.


    "Why does the murder of celestial beings make someone stronger?" Shawn asked, standing behind Sam with his hands on her shoulders giving her comfort through his touch. I yearned for Mark to hold me the same way, but his body language made it clear he didn''t want to be touched.


    "Normally they do not. In this case, Victor is being rewarded by The Dark One for the deaths of those that stand against him. He is using him as a catalyst to win the battle for Earth''s souls."


    "Why doesn''t God just strike him down?" Sam asked, voicing my own question.


    "To strike him down would start the war that ends the world. He has the protection of The Dark One on his side. If The Light were to strike him down himself, the celestial realm would open, allowing The Dark One to release his vengeance on humanity."


    "That is why The Light created you," he said, indicating us. "You can stop him and delay a battle between Heaven and Hell before humanity is ready for it. Some day that battle will be inevitable, but until that day, we rely on our Guides and Protectors to protect humanity."


    "Where is he now?" Mark asked in a controlled voice.


    "We do not know. The Dark One has him cloaked well."


    "So, he could be murdering others as we speak, getting even stronger as we stand here?" Mark asked, once again furious.


    My stomach clenched not only at his words, but at his tone. I felt sick seeing him so conflicted between anger and despair. I gathered my emotions together and sent them toward him, hoping for a break in his anger.


    "I have met with the other bands and ordered them here. They are safe and will be here soon. You will prepare together and you will destroy the Dark Angel before he can harm another one of mine," Haniel said possessively.


    His words gave my emotions the opening they needed as Mark''s anger once again shifted to despair. Pushing all that I had toward him, looking for cracks in his armor, I blanketed Mark''s every emotion with my own. Watching him closely, I waited until his anger ebbed away and his body language relaxed before I approached him. Wrapping my arms around him from behind, I gave him the comfort he needed. He rested his hands on mine and leaned more fully into me.


    "How many are joining us?" Robert asked intrigued.


    "Two of the last three active bands," Haniel said gravely. "The last active band will stay in a secure location to protect the Guides and Protectors that are no longer on duty and the Guides and Protectors that are too young to fight. One of the bands is still intact, but the other recently lost a Guide and Protector in an unrelated assignment. They are still digesting their loss and trying to recover."


    "How will we find Victor when the time comes?" Sam asked.


    Haniel studied us gravely. "You will not have to seek him out, he will come on his own. You must prepare yourselves, because make no mistake, he will not be alone. Evil will be at his beck and call, Daemons will be at his disposal, making him a force to be reckoned with."


    "Why try to kill us all at once instead of hunting our bands separately like he did the others?" I asked.


    "We believe he used the murders of The Light''s Chosen Ones to set an example. He does not wish to destroy all of you, as you learned before. His desire is for you to join him."


    "Why would he believe any one of us would choose to join him?" Sam asked confused.


    "Because we all have free will," I answered before Haniel could. Haniel had told me the night we talked by the pool that God left the choice to us. The idea seemed ludicrous to me that someone would choose evil over what we were destined for.


    I saw my friends shift uncomfortably at my words.


    "You mean one of us could turn against our family here?" Shawn asked, indicating all of us as a whole with a sweeping motion of his arms. "No way man, I just don''t see it."


    "It has come to pass before," Haniel said simply without looking at Mark, but his implication was clear. Not only had Victor turned on his own family, but he had orchestrated the decimation of his entire band.


    "Well, I don¡¯t care what you say, our band is solid," Shawn said with certainty.


    "Then the first part of your battle is already won," Haniel said, flashing us one of his rare smiles. "We will reconvene in the morning. Pressing matters will have me away until then," he said abruptly, walking purposefully toward the patio door.


    "Wow, talk about a hit and run," Sam said, breaking the tension that Haniel''s words had cast over our group.


    She nailed it perfectly. Haniel had come in and steamrolled us with talk about murders, Daemons, and Mark''s crazy dad, then left us to deal with how to process it all. Most of the time Haniel could almost pass as a human, but at times like this he failed miserably.


    Sam''s comment set off a ripple effect in our group as each of us talked over one another. Maybe it was a knee-jerk reaction to ease the tension, but it took us a few moments to calm down and listen to what each of us had to say. After a few minutes, some of the fear released its grip on us and we were finally able to discuss what we had learned somewhat rationally. Mark was quiet through most of the talking, which was understandable. His father was the Devil''s spawn, and I knew the knowledge of this was disheartening for him without having to read his thoughts.


    Once we had exhausted the topic, it was obvious we needed a break. There was nothing we could do about the situation at that moment.


    "Anybody want to watch a movie?" Sam suggested.


    "Ooh, good idea," I agreed. "Let''s make it like a camp out in the living room."


    The guys got to work, clearing the middle of the floor, which proved to be an easy task, even though the furniture was heavy. It definitely paid to have three crazy-strong guys around. Lynn, Sam, and I gathered the snacks and everyone''s sleeping bags to the now empty floor space. Mark lit a fire in the fireplace for the s''mores, while Shawn and Robert prepared the skewers of marshmallows. Within five minutes, our camp in was ready and pj''s were on.


    Mark loaded the first Blu-ray into the disc player. We reluctantly let the guys pick the movie, hoping they wouldn''t pick something obnoxious.


    "Oooh, I love this movie," I said, plopping down on my sleeping bag to watch the latest The Fast and the Furious movie on the fifty inch flat screen.


    "Who doesn''t?" Shawn said, sitting next to me. "Dude, you need one of those cool 3D TV''s we saw at the mall last week," Shawn said in an awful Vin Diesel impersonation.


    "Wow, that totally sucked. Oh wait, were you trying for the Muppet version of Vin Diesel?" Robert said from across the room, laughing at his joke.


    In typical guy fashion, Shawn chucked a pillow at him, and before I knew it, an all-out pillow fight erupted in the room as each of us tried to out-do the other. Of course as lightweights, Lynn, Sam, and I didn''t stand a chance. We just could not get enough oomph behind any of our throws to compete with the guys.


    Our lighthearted mood was superficial as we made an unspoken pact to place our worries on the backburner. We all knew what was expected of us, and tomorrow we would be Guides and Protectors again. Tonight though, we were just goofy kids blowing off steam.


    Haniel woke us early the next morning to prepare for the other band''s arrival. Sleeping arrangements had to be made to accommodate twenty of us. It was decided ahead of time that we would be sleeping in two shifts. But even with sleeping in shifts, we needed all the additional space we could get, including the two rooms we had avoided, his father''s office and bedroom.


    Mark tackled his dad''s office like a madman, pushing all the furnishings against the far wall with a careless attitude, slamming each item together with bone-jarring crashes. Once the heavy furnishings were moved, he tossed the heavy leather desk chair on top of the desk with one hand, scarring the deep mahogany exterior as it journeyed the length of the desktop. We didn¡¯t question his methods and felt his attitude was justified.


    His father''s room though, was another issue altogether. Mark''s hand paused on the doorknob, but he couldn''t seem to find the inner strength to turn the knob.


    "Dude we got this. Why don''t you and Krista go get the supplies we''re going to need?" Shawn suggested, nudging Mark''s hand away from the knob. "We got this under control," he said again with emphasis, giving Mark and me a small push down the hall.


    "Yeah, let''s go do the shopping," I said, grateful for my brother''s suggestion. I hated seeing Mark so torn up and I felt a little alone time was exactly what we needed. "You get your keys and I''ll grab my bag," I told him, skipping toward my room, lighthearted at the prospect of alone time. I loved all my friends, but at times I selfishly craved the solitude of just us.


    Grabbing my small purse off the bed, I slung the long slender strap around my neck so it crisscrossed my body. Carrying a purse was not a favorite of mine so I bought the most functional purse I could find. The pretty paisley print made up for its function, giving it quite the girly look and keeping Sam''s negative remarks about my fashion sense to a minimum drawl. Pausing in front of the dresser mirror, I ran the brush through my hair and swiped a quick brush of lip gloss across my lips. Grimacing at my bland appearance, I finally gave up on making my reflection something it wasn¡¯t.


    The ride to Walmart was quiet. At first I tried to fill the silence with mindless chatter as he drove, but when he remained silent during each attempt, I finally clammed up. I couldn''t help feeling hurt that he wouldn''t open up to me. Blinking away tears, I kept my eyes on the landscape that passed outside my window, struggling to keep my emotions at bay. I was crushed by the chasm that seemed to be growing between us.


    We were different than the others by the fact that his father seemed destined to ruin the closeness Mark and I were supposed to share, I couldn''t help thinking to myself, as I kept my eyes firmly turned away from his so he couldn''t see the moisture I had to blink away.


    Once we arrived at the crowded Walmart, all thoughts of having a decent conversation were out. We focused on maneuvering our buggies between whiney kids begging for toys, harassed parents trying to get their weekly shopping done, and elderly people scooting along on their motorized vehicles.


    Our conversation strictly consisted of short sentences.


    "Grab a couple extra tubes of toothpaste," I told him, while I threw several packages of toilet paper into the buggy.


    By the time we loaded up one of the buggies with air mattresses, blankets, sheets, toiletry items, and extra towels, I was sick of the store.


    Still needing actual food items, we headed over to the perishables section of the store. I threw soda, chips, deli lunch meat and all the fixings for sandwiches into the cart without hesitation, hoping to escape the confines of the store as quickly as I could.


    The back of my foot was run over twice by shoppers not paying attention and I had to put a restraining hand on Mark''s arm when a guy around our age dropped a two liter bottle of soda on my foot and didn''t acknowledge it at all. "It''s fine," I said, bending down to pick up the offending bottle of Mountain Dew and placing it back on the shelf.


    Needless to say, by the time Mark pulled out of the parking lot, I wasn¡¯t feeling overly thrilled about the store.


    "Well that was a nightmare," Mark said, finally sounding like himself.


    I let out a burst of laughter, relieved that at least he was acting normal again. "Um, that''s putting it mildly. I can''t believe people subject themselves to that torture every week. We would starve if that was our only option," I added jokingly.


    "Good thing we''re junk food junkies," Mark said, grabbing onto my hand as he steered the vehicle with his other.


    "Yep, guess so. It will be nothing but burgers and chocolate for us every single night," I declared.


    "And pizza," Mark added.


    "And French fries," I threw in for good measure.


    The rest of the drive was lighthearted as we bantered back and forth, throwing more and more junk food onto our list. My fears on the drive out seemed silly and immature. Mark obviously just needed a little space to process things without me throwing in my own insecurities into the mix.


    Relieved to be back, we arrived at Mark''s house to find a white Suburban sitting in Mark''s usual spot. We both climbed out apprehensively. It was a surreal experience to know that we were about to meet others like us.


    "Well, here we go," Mark said, linking his fingers through mine as we headed up the front walk.


    I was surprised that the house was as quiet as a tomb as we opened the front door. Puzzled, I glanced at Mark who had tensed up at the silence. He even stepped in front of me protectively as we cautiously walked toward the living room, hyperaware of our surroundings.


    I ran into his back when he halted abruptly in front of me.


    I prepared myself for whatever danger awaited us. Frightened of what I was going to see, I peeked around Mark''s back. I couldn''t help the gasp of surprise that left my lips.


    Chapter 14


    One of the bands had arrived, and they were unlike anything I could have ever imagined. They weren''t as imposing as Haniel, but they definitely projected an aura of greatness. They portrayed the very definition of unity as they stood together. To place their age would have been difficult. They had the builds of our youth, but the maturity of a wiser and older generation. They stood together as one. My friends, on the other hand, were scattered around the living room, looking disjointed.

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    The women were by far the most beautiful I had ever seen. Their hair shimmered in the light that streamed through the French doors. Though they were different heights and builds, they all shared the same honey-colored skin that made them look every bit their Angelic role. The men on the other hand looked like warriors from a gladiator movie. Their builds were broad with bodies that looked like they had been carved out of marble by a talented artist. Perhaps their greatest assets were the adoring ways they looked at their Soul Mates others. There was no question who belonged to who.


    "Ah Krista, Mark, you have arrived. Come, let me introduce you to everyone. This is Amelia and her Protector, Paul," Haniel said, pointing to the first couple. "And this is Jenna and her Protector, Keith, Kieran and her Protector, John, and Grace and her Protector, Thomas," he said, rattling off the rest of the names. My head spun trying to keep the pairs matched up as I nodded to each of them.


    "Hi," I said, bewildered at the atmosphere in the room. I tested the waters, trying to get a sense of it, but it was like the feelings in the room had been snuffed out. My own bewilderment began to fade as I felt the alien blanket of passiveness creeping over me.


    Trying to fight it off, I struggled to push it back. My attempts felt feeble, compared against theirs, and I felt my own emotions retreating. I should have been pissed that they overtook me so thoroughly, but I couldn¡¯t seem to muster enough emotion to care, as I sunk down on the couch next to Sam.


    "You are witnessing what a united, experienced band can accomplish. As you can see, it can be highly effective when properly administrated," Haniel said.


    At his words the blanket left us and my emotions became my own again. Though they were like us, I couldn¡¯t help feeling exposed by their easy access to my inner feelings.


    "Ugh, well I didn''t like that at all," Sam said, breaking the silence.


    One of the women from the other band laughed. "No, it''s not pleasant as a Guide to have your feelings tampered with. I hated this exercise when Haniel used to make us practice it with the more experienced bands."


    Her words broke the rest of the silence in the room, and soon questions were flying back and forth. Our band seemed to fascinate them, and they peppered us with questions.


    "So, how exactly did all of you find each other?" Amelia, the quietest of the band asked.


    "We felt the pull of the city," Lynn said. "Each of us had a chain of events that led us here."


    "Do you feel disjointed with the absence of the missing pair?" Jenna, the more outspoken one of the band asked curiously.


    "What do you mean?" Shawn asked.


    "When our band is separated we feel the absence like a gaping wound. It''s as if a crucial piece of a puzzle is missing. We prefer it when our band is not far apart," she said.


    "Well, I''m not sure if ours is the same, but I know that I worry about the other pair a lot. It tears me up to think of them in the hands of that monster," Sam said, looking at Mark apologetically.


    "Me too," Lynn added. "It makes me sad thinking about them. I never thought of them like a missing puzzle piece, but now that you''ve put it that way, that¡¯s exactly what it feels like," she went on thoughtfully. "Do you guys feel the same?"


    "I do," I said. "I''ve felt that way for a while. Especially once I saw them on the monitor. At first I thought it was because I felt bad that they were being subjected to evil day in and day out, but I think it goes beyond that. My heart aches on a constant basis for them, I''ve just worked hard at keeping it at bay."


    "And you have no idea where they can be?" one of the guys asked. I think his name was Thomas.


    I cringed at his question, not entirely sure how Mark would react to it. Mark surprised me, though, by answering calmly. "No, my father was absentee at best, he was never around, and I always felt like he was more of a stranger than anything else. I wish I would have pried more, but I always assumed I was some kind of freak of nature that was stronger than normal and dreamt about some hot girl every night," he said ruefully. "Not that I ever confided any of that to him."


    I smiled at his words. Hot girl. Sure, he was biased, but it still made me feel special.


    "We are grieved that he destroyed the others. They were a special, loyal band and we will miss them greatly. We will stop him before he can harm any more of us," John said, clearly the leader of their group. "Usually, bands receive more knowledge and training than your mismatched group has received, and yet you have shown tenacity and skills that leave me in awe. Your parents would have been proud. I remember meeting them when I was twelve, and they loved you all greatly."


    A knot formed in my throat at his words. My adoptive parents had always treated me as their own, but hearing that my real parents loved me too, made the loss more acutely painful.


    "Your mother included," he said, addressing Mark. "I remember her playing in the ocean with you at the beach they all frequented. She laughed every time you squealed when the water came close to you."


    I gripped Mark''s hand in my own as I watched him swallow a lump. Knowing he had at least one parent that actually cared about him, I was sure was a welcome change after dealing with his father.


    "Do all the bands get together often?" Sam asked curiously.


    "Once every couple years or so," Kieran, John''s spouse said. "It usually takes some creative scheduling to work around our assignments. Of course, after your parents'' tragic deaths, we missed several reunions. My parents grieved deeply and pleaded with Haniel to tell them your whereabouts, but he would never give them the information they sought," she said, sounding slightly bitter as she threw a glare toward Haniel.


    I glanced at Haniel, surprised. Why had he left us scattered when he could have given us to others like us?


    Haniel met my stare dead on, but remained stubbornly silent.


    "My mother took it the hardest. She worried endlessly about all of you," Kieran continued.


    "And does she know about us now?" Lynn asked.


    "No, she and my father passed away several years ago on an assignment. They died in the line of duty, as true Links," she said.


    "Links?" Sam asked puzzled.


    "It''s a term we use to describe our bonds. It becomes tedious to always say Guides and Protectors all the time, so instead we nicknamed ourselves Links. It fits the best since we are linked together."


    Links, I ran the word through my head, liking the way it sounded.


    Several conversations popped up after that as the guys discussed strategies, while us girls discussed our parents more. It was nice to hear the more personal stories about my real parents, versus the distorted version given by Mark¡¯s father. I really liked the four older Guides. It was like getting a glimpse of what we would all grow up to be. Our personalities seemed to mesh with our counterparts. Sam and Kieran were so similar it was almost eerie. Lynn and Jenna also shared identical traits, while Amelia and I were the quieter ones of our bands, which meant that Grace must have the traits of our missing Guide. Once I came to this conclusion, I found myself studying Grace more intently. She was by far the sweetest of the other group, not that they all weren¡¯t nice, but there was just something special about her. She seemed genuinely happy and listened to every word you uttered with rapt attention. Chatting with all of them and comparing our bands made me believe that we were indeed predestined. God obviously knew what traits would mesh and flourish, and he created his bands accordingly.


    The morning drifted into afternoon and eventually we sent the guys out to get all the fixings for a barbeque. By mid-afternoon, the last band arrived, adding to the noisy chaos. They were older than the rest of us and were missing the two members Haniel had mentioned.


    Their outward appearance was imposing, but their unity seemed off-kilter, like a tire on a bicycle that has gone askew on the rim, making the bike wobble back and forth. For obvious reasons, they were more somber than the first band, and I felt my own heart pinch at what their loss must feel like. Looking around at my own friends, I could not imagine what it would feel like to lose any of them. It was painful enough missing the two that had been stripped from us.


    Introductions were made by Haniel again, and this time it was easier to remember the girls'' names because I instantly matched them up to their counterparts. Kim matched up with Kieran and Sam, Jaime was the exact replica of Lynn and Jenna, and Grace and Faith came from the exact mold. The similarities of Grace and Faith''s names did not slip past me, and once again I wondered about our own missing "sunshine" member. Amelia and my counterpart was missing and it became glaringly obvious she was the one the band had recently lost, which left me feeling oddly bereft, like I was missing something that had belonged to me.


    The guys¡¯ names were harder to remember, since I was yet to study the male dynamics and make my matches. I knew their names were Paul, Jacob, and Michael, but matching their names to the faces was a little tougher.


    Dinner was a noisy event on Mark''s back patio, filled with talking and laughter as the second band let some of their grief go for the night. Haniel was the only silent one, as he studied our large group with his usual somber expression. I couldn''t help wondering if he was already calculating our odds for survival or if he already knew our destiny. I yearned to chat with him and find out what he was thinking, but the opportunity never presented itself. Before I knew it, the first sets of sleepers were off to bed, leaving the first shift to stand guard. Haniel had disappeared again, presumably to check on the other bands, thus eliminating my opportunity to talk to him.


    It was decided that our band would take the first watch, since the others had spent the day traveling. I was perfectly fine taking the first shift. My mind was going in a million different directions after all that we had learned that day.


    Laying on the chaise lounge on the patio, I couldn¡¯t help my thoughts from straying to what I had gleaned about my parents. I wondered if they would be proud of how I had turned out. It was hard to imagine what course my life would have taken if Mark''s dad wasn''t some Devil incarnate. Mark and I wouldn¡¯t have needed to search for each other. My stomach clenched slightly at the thought, the discovery of each other was one of my best memories of my life.


    "Penny for your thoughts?" Mark asked, trying to be cute. Blocking my thoughts from him was automatic now, and hearing him offer to buy them was kind of funny.


    "I was just thinking about my parents," I answered honestly.


    "I thought so. My dad has ruined all of your lives," Mark said miserably as he picked at the ragged cuticle around his thumb.


    I rested my hands on his to stop his obsessive habit. "Look, I''m sad I don''t remember my parents, and yeah it sucks that your dad is like some crazy Dark Angel freak, but my life hasn¡¯t been terrible. I know I can''t speak for the others, but the life course he set me on hasn''t been all bad. I couldn''t imagine not knowing my adoptive parents and experiencing the love they showered on me."


    "But, he kept us away from each other and he killed his fellow band members. How can you even look at me without disgust?" he asked, quietly finally coming to the root of the problem.


    "Mark, I''ve said it before. You are not your father!" I said loudly to emphasize my point. "You''re not responsible for his actions, and none of us believe any of this is your fault," I said earnestly, rising from my own chaise lounge to perch on the end of his chair. "Everything happens for a reason, and though our numbers have been devastated, we are going to overcome this. We will stop him and release the grip his actions have on you," I finished passionately, slipping into his arms to give him a hug of reassurance.


    He wrapped his strong arms around me, hugging me deeply against his chest before settling comfortably behind me on the chair. I linked my fingers through his. We didn''t find the need to speak again, watching in compatible silence as the waves pounded against the shore. Every so often he would place a soft kiss on the back of my head, making my heart flutter each time. Loving him was easy. Fighting our life real demons was the hard part.


    The next morning, after only a few hours sleep, our band was assembled on the night-cooled sand preparing for our ''demon training,'' as Shawn liked to call it. His nickname for it earned a few chuckles from the guys, while Haniel looked like he didn''t know whether to reproach him or join in the chuckles. I had learned early on that the words Demons and Devil made Haniel extremely uncomfortable. I wasn''t sure if it was some kind of Angel thing or just Haniel''s preference. He usually only referred to them as Daemons and The Dark One I couldn''t help giggling each time Shawn said them though. Watching the look on Haniel''s face was classic. It was like a kid sneaking in a curse word in front of an adult.


    During tonight''s training, our group sat back to observe while the more qualified Protectors went first. Watching them battle was unlike anything I had ever seen. Each move and maneuver seemed precise and well calculated before it was even executed. Every block and counter move came a split second before the impact could connect.


    "The Daemons you will be fighting are best described as puppets being controlled by the Dark Angel, and as such, their emotions cannot be manipulated, as Krista realized in her recent foray." Haniel said.


    I shuddered, remembering how it felt when I tried to filter the Daemons soul at the revival.


    "They can be hurt and stopped, but it will take more force and tenacity to put them down than it would for a normal man. You will be challenged as never before as you face a great deal more than before," he said, addressing the Protectors of my group. "This is the reason The Light gave you your supernatural strength."


    "And here I was, thinking it was to make me more of a stud for my woman," Shawn said jokingly, as he hauled a squealing Sam up in the air, holding her above his head.


    "Perhaps when Shawn is done showing off his masculinity we can get back to work," Haniel said drily.


    "Aw, give them a break Haniee," Grace said affectionately. "It''s nice to be around a younger band. Their exuberant attitude is refreshing to see."


    "Yeah Haniee, give us a break," Shawn said playfully, grinning at Haniel. With a glint in his eye, Haniel took a threatening step toward him. Shawn darted away, trying to distance himself, but didn''t make it far before Haniel gave him a quick blast of energy from the palm of his hand, sending him sprawling face-first into the sand.


    We all burst out laughing when Shawn stood up looking like a clown that had taken a pie in the face.


    "Nice job sandman. You can''t take on an Archangel. They can totally kick your ass," Robert said chuckling while Shawn dusted off.

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    Sam skipped to Shawn''s side, giggling as she helped brush the rest of the sand off of him.


    The rest of the morning passed in a blur as we watched the guys perform one maneuver after another until all of them collapsed in an exhausted heap on the ground. Once the Protectors were done with their training, Haniel turned his attention to the Guides.


    Our training wasn''t as physically draining, but mentally we were just as exhausted. Haniel set us through trials that showed us how to throw up barriers for not only ourselves, but for our Protectors, as well, using the link we had been given.


    I cleared my mind of all else, except for the invisible bridge that I often imagined connected my mind with Mark''s. From the bridge, I could feel my thoughts and emotions traveling past his thoughts, journeying to his soul. It amazed me how in sync I was with his mind and soul. As long as he kept the gates open, finding my way was easy. I could feel Haniel trying to persuade Mark''s soul, but his attempts were futile. I totally had this exercise nailed. No one would be tampering with what belonged to me, I thought smugly as Haniel finally gave up and retreated.


    Mark was smiling at me when I opened my eyes. Little possessive? he thought, using the open link of our minds.


    Heck yeah I''m possessive. You''re mine. I thought, making him chuckle.


    "When Krista and Mark are done with their inner dialogue, perhaps I can congratulate Krista on a job well done," Haniel said.


    Flushing slightly, I pulled my gaze from Mark and focused on Haniel.


    "Well done Krista. Your talents for a young Guide are quite astonishing," he said. "Alright, let''s see how the next pair does," he said, indicating Paul and Kim.


    Sinking to the ground by Sam and Shawn, I watched Kim try to shield her Protector from Haniel''s onslaught. Her grunt of defeat made it clear she had failed. I didn''t want it to go to my head, but I was a little proud that the oldest and wisest band here struggled with a task. Being the newbie''s was starting to grate on my nerves slightly.


    Kim finally gave up after several minutes, sinking to the ground. "That''s tough," she said panting, looking at me appraisingly. "Well done Krista."


    Kieran and John went next and nailed it almost immediately. I wasn¡¯t surprised. Their bond was strong. They obviously spent a huge amount of their time communicating through the bridge in their mind. That''s what made my successful attempt even more impressive, since Mark had closed our bridge several weeks ago.


    Lynn and Robert went after Kieran and John, but had the same outcome as Kim and Paul. By the time each pair had taken a shot at the exercise, only three of us were successful at it; Kieran and John, Michael and Faith, and Mark and me.


    "The Dark Angel will use any means available to manipulate you, and will use any method necessary to turn you against one another. You will all be pushed to your limit when the battle begins, and all of you will be Protectors in your own right. This will be unlike any situation you have ever encountered," Haniel said once we were all done with the exercise. "You must learn to do this," he added earnestly.


    "The Dark One may even try to engage the Archangels, hoping for divine intervention so he can retaliate, but we have our orders from The Light," Haniel said solemnly, laying it all out for us. "We cannot, and will not, step in to intervene, to do so would jeopardize humanity."


    His words did not surprise me. Mark and I had been on our own the first time and we survived. I''m sure we would not take his dad by surprise a second time, but I also felt our numbers were strong and we had eliminated the surprise element from the equation.


    Putting up blocks proved to be harder than overcoming emotions. We were not only trying to protect ourselves, but our very reason for living as well. After several more attempts, Sam and Shawn were finally able to master it along with Grace and Thomas.


    We switched gears and Haniel came at us in a surprise attack, playing his part well, his gifts matching those of the Dark Angel. He was relentless as he mixed up his strategy, going after one of the Protectors then shifting gears abruptly to one of the Guides and then back again. My head was spinning, trying to keep up with his rapid attacks. By the time we broke, I was shaky and slightly sick.


    Settling on the sand, I rested my head on my knees, trying to hold back the burning bile rising in my throat. I sensed someone approaching from behind, and then felt Mark''s soothing touch as he massaged the tension and nausea out of my system with his healing touch. Leaning back into him gratefully, I sighed with pleasure as my system slowly returned back to normal.


    "Thanks," I said, tilting my head back to give him a quick peck on his jaw line. I smiled when his eyes darkened slightly. Mischievously, I pressed another light kiss on the soft skin right below his chin. Gripping my hand in his, he slowly pulled my wrist up to his mouth, gently kissing me on the one spot that he knew turned me to mush. There was just something so seductive to me about being kissed on such a sensitive spot.


    "You''re not playing fair," I whispered, glancing around self-consciously. I was relieved when I saw everyone else engaged in conversation.


    "And you are?" he asked, showing me a flash of his thoughts. Go figure, he decides to start sharing his thoughts again and they are R-rated. Needless to say, a houseful of guests pretty much left it all as just wishful thinking. Gazing in, his eyes, I let my own thoughts merge with his expressing just how much I wanted to be alone with him too. He stood before me, cupping my face with his hands, bringing me closer. His lips met mine as our thoughts merged together, leading us down one fantasy trail and then another. Each one taking us closer to the point we so desperately wanted.


    "Um, pretty sure you guys should get a room for a kiss like that," Shawn said dryly, sinking down onto the sand next to us.


    Blushing deeply, I pulled away from Mark and covered my flaming face with my hands. I knew he couldn''t read our thoughts, but I was mortified that there was someone in our group that could. Sneaking a peak through my fingers, I was immensely relieved to see Haniel engaged in an in depth conversation with three of the older Protectors. If he had heard our thoughts, I would have probably died, and saved Mark''s dad from having to do it.


    "Figured it was my brotherly duty to interrupt before you guys completely forgot where you were," Shawn continued.


    "Gee, thanks for that one," Mark said sarcastically, sounding more than a little frustrated.


    I couldn''t help the giggle that slipped out. Here I was worried that Haniel could hear our dirty thoughts while Mark was aggravated that we were interrupted. We had definitely reached new ground. Who needed dirty texting when you can share dirty thoughts, I couldn¡¯t help thinking ruefully.


    Mark chuckled as he pulled my errant thoughts from my head before I could firmly close the gate. "Any time you''re up for another round, you let me know," he whispered in my ear, all hot and sexy.


    My cheeks had to be as red as a sunburn now at his suggestion this time, but not from embarrassment. This was more from the blood vigorously pumping through my veins at the thought of another round.


    He placed one more heart-stopping kiss on the sensitive spot of my delicate wrist, and then jumped to his feet, sending a quick light swat to Shawn''s head as he loped away with Shawn fast at his heels.


    "Wow, that was one hot kiss," Sam said, taking Shawn''s place beside me.


    "Ugh, you saw it too? Did we have like a flashing sign above our heads or something?" I asked, turning pink again.


    "Well now that you mention¡­"


    "Are we talking about the "we need a bedroom" kiss?" Lynn interrupted, settling in the sand on the other side of me.


    "Seriously! You saw it too?" I asked.


    "Well, at first I didn''t see it, but I felt the heat behind me and I thought someone had started a bonfire," she joked. "Kidding. I would have missed it if our not so very mature guys hadn''t pointed it out to us," she added, reassuring me. "Right Sam?"


    "Oh yeah, Shawn nearly cracked my rib nudging me with his elbow. Of course I think he was hoping I would interrupt it. He''s not all that crazy about seeing his sister getting all hot and steamy with his best friend," Sam said giggling.


    "It wasn''t like we intended to make out in front of everyone or anything. It''s amazing how an innocent kiss can lead¡­," I said, letting the rest trail off.


    My friends nodded their heads affirmatively, knowing from personal experience what I was talking about. I wasn''t sure what their raging hormones felt like, but I''m pretty sure mine rivaled theirs tenfold.


    Training wound down after one final test in which Haniel paired the Protectors against each other to battle. As Guides, it was our job to block any interference thrown their way to manipulate them. This proved to be the most difficult task of all. Although I knew the Protectors really wouldn¡¯t harm each other, it was still hard to idly stand by as they fought while at the same time, concentrate on keeping Haniel away from them. Haniel was more aggressive during this simulation. Keeping him away from all the Protectors felt impossible as he shifted gears with lighting quick speed. After several failed attempts on our part, Haniel called an end to the training.


    "We will train again tomorrow. You will get it. You have to," he said, leaving no room for argument. Who were we to argue anyway? We knew what was expected of us and what we would lose if we failed.


    He was right. We had to get it.


    Chapter 15


    The next few days passed in a blur as we traded sleep shifts while still allowing ample time to train. Most of us were getting less than four hours sleep a night and we were beginning to feel the effects of it.


    I, of course, had my own issues to deal with. My mom wasn''t happy that I hadn¡¯t spent one night under her roof in almost a week. I felt the pressure of my white lies building up as I sought to protect her from the truth. I managed to squeeze in a few hours here and there, but our conversations became strained as she tried to make me feel guilty for all the hours I was spending with Mark.


    "Mom, I told you we''re researching our past, still trying to figure things out," I told her, regurgitating the same white lie.


    "I understand that, but there''s no reason you need to sleep there every night, unless the promise you made me was just a tale?" she asked, clearly aggravated.


    "Mom, trust me, we are sooooo not sleeping together. I''m sharing a room with Sam and Lynn. It''s just easier if we''re all together," I added.


    She continued to wear on me for the rest of the visit. By the time I arrived back at Mark''s house, I was in tears. I hated that she was mad at me, and I hated that I had to play the "I''m not a kid anymore" card. It just didn''t feel right.


    Once I finally left the vehicle, I sought out Haniel to ask for his help. I wasn¡¯t crazy about the whole mind control thing, but I also hated to see my mom hurting over my actions. He had offered his assistance days before when he visited Sam''s foster parents, giving them the impression that Sam was away working as a counselor at a summer camp. I resisted his help at first, not feeling comfortable deceiving my mom like that, but the time for worrying about trivial things had passed. The pressure of juggling it all was affecting my sleep and my training.


    "I will handle it," Haniel reassured me, placing his hand on my shoulder briefly. His touch removed all the heartache I felt over my visit home, leaving behind a warm glowing feeling that traveled from my shoulder down to my toes.


    He turned to leave, but I stopped him with one last question that had been eating away at me for days.


    "Haniel, is it wrong that I get angry in certain situations?" I asked quietly. "I mean you''re always talking about a Guide''s soul being precious and a sight to behold and yet mine seems far from that," I said, mumbling the last part.


    Haniel walked back and stopped in front of me. "Krista, it is your ability to feel each emotion so completely that makes your soul so much more precious. You care about wrong as passionately as you do what is right. Trust me, your soul glows from the inside out. In all my years, I have only seen one other soul as lovely as yours. Never doubt your emotions or your place in the Angelic order. You are truly special to us all," he said, walking away in his usual abrupt manner.


    Sinking to the shallow step, I digested his words. For weeks, I had been stressed that there was something wrong with me. Angels were perceived as caring and loving, without a trace of animosity and yet, when facing danger my anger flared up. I pondered Haniel''s words and a great wave of relief flowed through me, easing the doubts that had plagued me.


    I stood up, hopping up the last step, suddenly very lighthearted. Haniel''s reassurance about my soul and the fact that he was fixing my home situation lifted the two heavy weights that had been sitting on my shoulders.


    "You okay, Krista?" Grace asked as I walked in the front door.


    "I am now," I said, shooting her a smile. Grace and Faith had quickly become my favorites from the other bands. Their good-natured, sunny attitude drew you in like a bee to a sweet flower. Although, I couldn''t help thinking that part of their appeal to me was the knowledge that they were the counterparts to our own missing Links. Being around them gave me a piece of what our own band was missing.


    "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked sensing there was more.


    "My mom, or adoptive mom, is not taking my absence over the past few days very well," I said, mentioning only a small portion of what had been bothering me.


    "Honey, you can call her mom around us. We are all so very grateful to her for the loving care she and her husband provided for you. We wish your fellow Links would have received the same kind of love. It grieves us greatly that Victor stole all of you from your birthright," she said, sounding sadder than I had ever heard her.


    "Okay, so what can I do to help you with your mom?" she asked, shaking off the gloom and switching back to the sunny attitude I loved.


    "Haniel said he would go see her," I said.


    "Ah yes, Haniel does have a knack for fixing situations. When you''re surrounded by other celestial beings day in and day out, you forget what it''s like to have to deal with humans. I''m sure it''s tough on you trying to juggle both," she said, completely understanding my dilemma.


    "It is. When I''m here, I''m someone special with a great responsibility. At home, I''m just a regular girl whose biggest worry is supposed to be if my favorite shirt is clean before I go out on a date. I''ve tried hard to keep her in the dark, but when she''s nagging me about a clean room or college, I have to fight the temptation to tell her all the secrets I''m keeping. Maybe then she would see that I have bigger worries than a clean bathroom," I said sighing. "But I know I can''t. Protecting her by keeping her in the dark is the best thing for her. It was hard for me to buy into the whole celestial being thing at first and I had proof. I could only imagine trying to convince someone that wasn¡¯t tied in with all of this," I said, spreading out my arms.

 Page 19

    Grace placed her arm around my shoulder, guiding me toward the kitchen. "I know it''s tough, but I think you''ve made a very wise and mature choice," she said. "How about to take your mind off of it, I whip up a batch of double chocolate chip cookies? A little birdie told me that you''re a bit of a chocolate lover," she said, smiling at me.


    "You mean from scratch?" I asked, my mouth already watering.


    "Of course, is there any other kind?" she asked, laughing lightly as she started assembling the ingredients.


    "In my house there is. Slice and bake is the closest we come to homemade. My mom isn¡¯t the best of cooks, and I definitely take after her," I said.


    "Well, you''re in for a treat because my double chocolate chip cookies are Heavenly, no pun intended," she said, making quick work of mixing the ingredients together in a large stainless steel bowl.


    Less than fifteen minutes later, the first batch was in the oven smelling as Heavenly as she promised. Grace and I talked about trivial things as she prepared another batch on a second tray. She was easy to talk to and I felt like I had gained an older sister.


    Soon the smell of fresh baked cookies drew a crowd as everyone came in to check it out.


    "Yum, I see you''re treating everyone to your famous cookies," Thomas, Grace''s Link said, joining us in the kitchen. He snagged an uncooked cookie from the cookie sheet and planted a quick peck on her cheek, dodging her swat with the spatula.


    "The first batch is almost done," she said affectionately.


    "I know, and I''ll eat those too, but these are just my appetizers," he said, making a grab for another one, but this time Grace was ready for him. She smacked his knuckles lightly with the rubber spatula warding him off.


    "Out," she ordered, giving him a playful shove. "Or no cookies for you," she added, giving him a warm smile, totally contradicting her words.


    Thomas gave her bottom an affectionate pat as he headed out of the kitchen, winking at me on his way out.


    I couldn''t help laughing at their easy banter. Watching the older bands interact gave me insight into what my future could be, warming me from the inside out with happiness. I knew from conversations we had, that Thomas and Grace were the proud parents of a beautiful bouncing baby boy. Grace showed me pictures of him and I had to smile at how closely he resembled a replica of a cherub with springy blond curls framing his adorable, round face. In the picture, he was toddling after an orange tabby cat, obviously trying to catch him. I could almost hear his squeals of delight as the cat eluded him.


    After she showed off her pictures, the rest of the Guides pulled out their own pictures too. It was amazing to see the next generation of Links as babies. I wished we could have met them firsthand, but I was immensely relieved that they were all in a secure location being protected by the last remaining fighting band.


    "As soon as the threat is over, we will all get together," Grace had assured me as I studied the pictures.


    Watching Grace and Thomas show their affection, I was anxious for my own life with Mark to begin. We knew each other better than anyone else and had spent more time together in our dreams than most married couples spent together.


    Grace handed me a platter of steaming cookies straight from the oven. Carrying it through the living room, I balanced the tray on my hip while I twisted the door handle. The door swung open as Shawn opened it from the outside.


    "I thought I smelled something good," he said, grabbing one of the cookies off the top of the pile. "Holy cow, these are delicious," he said, devouring the whole thing in one gobble. He reached out to snatch another one before I could set the tray down.


    "Hey, these are for everyone, greedy-meedy, " I said, trying to elbow his large frame away to no avail.


    "Hey, they snooze they lose," he said, tugging on my ponytail before he grabbed a third cookie.


    "Ooh, cookies," John said, spotting the tray of cookies. "Please tell me these are Grace''s famous double chocolate chips," he said, grabbing several.


    Before I could answer him, everyone crowded around the tray making a mad grab and within seconds, only crumbs remained.


    "Hey, I didn''t get any," I complained loudly, watching all the delicious chocolate walking away.


    "That''s why I always make a triple batch," Grace said laughing, coming up behind me with a second overflowing tray in one hand a stack of plastic cups in the other. Thomas brought up the rear, carrying an oversized glass jug of ice cold lemonade with fresh lemon slices floating on the top.


    "Here," she said, handing me several cookies.


    "Thanks," I said taking a bite out of one of them. "Oh my God, Grace, these are fantastic," I said, savoring the mouthwatering bite in my mouth. I sat down in one of the padded chairs across from Grace.


    "I know, right. It''s a good thing we train so much or Thomas and I would be huge," she said, laughing as she helped herself to several of her own delicious creations.


    Grace''s sweet nature and easy laughter took my mind off my worries, and by the time Haniel returned for our afternoon training session I was ready to tackle it head on.


    "How was it at your mom''s?" Mark asked as we walked on the beach later that night with Sam and Shawn. Having the other bands here was cool, but the crowded space had us seeking refuge in our nightly strolls.


    "The same," I said, sighing deeply. "I had to send Haniel over there."


    "Really?" he asked, knowing my feelings on the issue.


    "I just couldn¡¯t see any other way. She was harping heavily on the time I''m spending here. I was afraid that an ultimatum wasn''t far behind."


    "I''m sorry babe. I know you hate deceiving her like that," he said, dropping a kiss on my brow. "I wish I could send you away to some place safe. It seems like every time I turn around your life is in jeopardy."


    "Such is the life of a Guide," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.


    Having no comment, he wrapped his arm around me as we continued to trail Sam and Shawn along the tide line. I could hear their easy laughter ahead of us and smiled at their antics as Shawn threatened to throw a squealing Sam into the churning waves.


    "Hey guys, up for some more company?" Lynn asked as she and Robert joined us.


    "Sure," I said, pleased that my whole group was together again.


    "My sister''s something else, isn¡¯t she?" Robert asked with obvious affection, watching her scoop up handfuls of water in her hands to throw at Shawn.


    "She sure is," I said, jogging away to assist my friend in her quest to drench my brother. Kicking off my flip-flops, I snuck up behind him swallowing a gasp as the cold water lapped over my bare feet. I kicked the top of the water with my toes sending a spray up Shawn''s t-shirt-clad back. The cascade of water hit its mark dead-on, drenching Shawn''s entire backside.


    "What the hell?" Shawn asked, yelping when the cold spray hit him full force. Turning toward me, he slowly stalked me. "Oh, I get it. You choose your BFF over your own blood," he said in mock anger.


    Backing up through the water, I turned to flee a moment before he reached me, counting on my extra speed abilities to carry me a safe distance, away. What I wasn''t counting on was Robert and Mark joining forces with Shawn. Darting to the left, I tried to pass around Robert''s outstretched arms. Misjudging the distance however, I tripped over his foot, as his hands made a grab for me, sending me tumbling into the ice-cold water head first. An unexpected wave tossed and turned me as I tried to break through to the surface. The force of the wave pressed my face into the rough sand. Gasping for a breath that wasn¡¯t water-filled, I sat in the chilly water shivering from the cold.


    "Oh, Krista, I am so sorry," Robert said mortified as water dripped into my eyes. He reached a hand out to help me up.


    Using the uneven ground to my advantage, I pulled Robert down with me. Lynn and Sam whooped with laughter as Robert came up swearing from the cold water.


    "Soorrrrrrrrryy, I cccoouldn''t resssist," I said between giggles and my chattering teeth. Using each other for support, we staggered out of the freezing ocean with our water-laden clothes hampering our movements. "Wooooowww, thaaaat wattttter is freeezzingg," I said through chattering lips as we finally joined our laughing friends on the safety of the dry sand.


    "See Sis, you mess with the bull, you get the horns," Shawn joked.


    "Haha veeerry funnnny," I said as my teeth clattered together painfully. A breeze off the water blew across my already chilled body, making my skin take on a light blue shade.


    Robert swore again as the same breeze hit him. "Holy flipping cow, how the Hell do people actually surf in that?" He said, with his own teeth chattering slightly.


    "It''s called a wetsuit, man," Shawn said chuckling.


    "Har har," Robert said, shaking his wet head in Shawn''s direction, sending droplets of icy cold water flying in all directions.


    "Come on, we need to get you guys in the house before you get sick," Mark said, pressing my shaking body tightly against his. I welcomed his body heat as I snuggled in even closer. The walk to the house seemed endless as my unprotected side was exposed to the persistent breeze blowing off the water.


    Robert kept up his colorful string of words each time the breeze blew across us.


    I would have laughed, but the cold had sucked all humor out of the situation for me, as I focused, on placing one foot in front of the other. My frozen feet screamed at me with each step, but I clamped my lips together, not wanting to worry my friends.


    Mark halted our progress when I stumbled over my next step, unable to feel my feet. "Are you okay?"


    Finally caving, I shook my head painfully. "I cannnn''t feellllll myyyy feeeeet," I said through my painful chattering teeth.


    Mark knelt down in front of me to get a better look at my feet, but the lack of light made it hard for him to see. He scooped me up in his powerful arms as if I weighed nothing more than a toddler. "Shawn, come hold Krista''s feet," he barked, striding toward his house at a brisk pace.


    Shawn walked sideways, rubbing my ice cold feet with his hands. "Holy crap, your feet are like blocks of ice," he said, rubbing his hands over them briskly, using the friction to try to warm them.


    "Soorrrrrrrrryy," I said apologetically. "They''reeeee alwayyyss coolld," I added.


    I almost groaned out loud with relief when I saw the wooden staircase leading to Mark''s house up ahead. Mark strode purposefully up the stairs with me still cradled in his arms.


    "What happened?" John asked concerned as we climbed the last step.


    "Krista and Robert went for a brief swim," Shawn said jokingly.


    "Really, you choose a time like this for irresponsibility?" John asked reproachfully, taking in mine and Robert''s blue lips and chattering teeth.


    "Well, it''s not like they did it on purpose," Sam said in a feisty voice, sticking up for her brother and me. "It was an accident, we were just messing around."


    "That''s all fine and dandy if we weren¡¯t facing a life threatening situation," he said, clearly pissed off as he trailed after us. "It''s time you stopped acting like kids and fulfilled your roles," he said in a loud voice, making me cringe deeper into Mark''s arms. I hated to be yelled at more than anything else. I could feel panic clawing at me as he followed us into the house.


    I was shocked at his tone and was surprised Mark didn''t jump in with his own comment. I tilted my head to look at his face and saw his jaw was clenched as he strode with me through the house toward the guest bathroom.


    "What if they get sick now and are unable to fulfill their duties?" John continued to berate us loudly, ignoring Kieran''s voice as she tried to calm him.


    "Enough," Haniel said with authority ringing through his voice that only an Archangel could pull off. "Go warm her up," he directed Mark.


    "What was that about?" Sam asked quietly, running a steaming tub of water for me as Mark continued to cradle me in his arms.


    "He''s right," I said as another shudder raced through me. "It was irresponsible of me."


    "No he''s not right," Mark said quietly. "You¡¯re still young. We all are, and we should be allowed that luxury without the weight of the world on our shoulders all the time. Yeah, getting wet was not the best idea, but accidents happen," he added, setting me fully dressed in the tub of steaming water. Pinpricks of pain shot through me as the hot water engulfed my frozen limbs. After several painful moments, my flesh began to warm and the pain faded away. Lying back against the back of the tub, I sunk down until every inch of me was submerged, except for my chin.


    "You stay with her," Mark said after a few minutes. "I''m going to go see what''s going on."


    I closed my eyes, dismayed at the trouble I had caused. I was a walking disaster. If I wasn¡¯t getting kidnapped or taking on an Abbadon three times my size, I was falling in an ice cold ocean at the most inopportune time. No wonder John had gotten so pissed. I was like the ultimate drama queen. I felt bad and hated the idea that someone was mad at me.


    "Krista, it''s not your fault. Truthfully, the whole thing is my fault for messing around in the first place, but honestly, I really don''t understand what the big deal is. I mean, sure, I hope you guys don¡¯t get sick, but I don¡¯t know how a case of the sniffles is going to affect your performance?" Sam asked, sounding bewildered.


    "I''m not sure," I said, standing and drawing the curtain closed so that I could shrug out of my soaked shorts and t-shirt. Sam handed a towel through the small crack between the shower curtain and the wall. Draping the towel around me, I knotted it at the top securing it into place so I could wring out my dripping clothes. Once most of the water was wrung out, I hung them on the towel rack at the far end of the tub so they wouldn¡¯t drip on the floor. I was surprised to see the bathroom empty when I stepped out of the shower. Sam had thoughtfully left my current sleeping attire of sweats and sweatshirt on the bathroom counter. Snuggling into the clothes, I reveled in the comforting warmth they provided. Only one last touch, the thick fuzzy socks lying on the vanity stool that didn''t belong to me but I would gladly borrow.


    I walked on silent feet toward the living room where I could hear a hushed conversation going on. Stopping in the doorway, I was surprised to see everyone crowded in the living room listening to Haniel intently.


    Haniel broke off when he saw me. "Feeling better Krista?" he asked.


    "Yeah," I mumbled, squeezing in between Sam and Shawn on the couch. "What did I miss?" I asked, feeling self-conscious.

 Page 20

    "You did not miss anything. I was merely explaining the importance of unity," Haniel said, looking at all of us. "Your enemy will find the slightest crack in your armor and use it to his benefit. Do not give him that advantage," he said, leaving us to ponder his words.


    His departure released the lid on the quiet atmosphere as several conversations broke out around the room. I watched John approach Mark and observed their quiet conversation. Confused, I turned to Sam. "What did I miss?" I asked, repeating my question from moments before.


    "Mark came out here and blew a gasket. Told John he wasn''t our father and that if he ever talked to you like that again he would no longer be welcome here," Sam whispered in my ear. "It was kind of cool having Mark stand up for us like that."


    I glanced back in concern at Mark and John. I was relieved when I saw that their conversation at least looked amicable. They stopped and John headed my way when they noticed me watching.


    "Oh great," I mumbled to Sam, sinking back into the couch.


    "Krista, I''m really sorry I yelled at you guys like that. Mark and Haniel are right. I had no right to do it. When I saw Mark carrying you up the stairs I thought you were seriously injured and for a brief moment I thought our enemy had attacked you. I lashed out unreasonably when I discovered the true reason. I hope you can accept my apology," he said sincerely.


    "Of course I can," I said, slightly embarrassed. "I could only imagine what it looked like with Mark carrying me earlier." Everyone''s nerves were on edge and seeing one of our own injured, was guaranteed to send some panic through our group. "We should have been smarter, but believe me it wasn''t my intention to take a nighttime swim," I said, smiling at him.


    "I would guess not," he said, laughing. "Well, I guess I better go see how much trouble I''m in with the little Missus, for the trouble I''ve caused," he said, grimacing as he searched out Kieran.


    I watched his retreating back and saw Kieran talking with him earnestly before she gave him a quick, hard hug. I guess that is the beauty of being Linked; staying mad at each other was next to impossible, I thought, standing up to seek out my own Link.


    Mark met me halfway across the room, grabbing onto my hand. We walked down to his, room that he was sharing with Shawn and Robert. "You okay?" He asked pulling a blanket up over me as I settled against the pillows on his bed.


    "Yeah, I feel a lot better. Sooooo, I hear you were my knight in shining armor tonight," I said playfully.


    "Just put it this way, I can''t handle seeing someone yell at you like that. They may be older, and perhaps wiser, than us, but they are not our bosses," he said. "It''s okay, though. John apologized and I''m fine with that as long as it doesn''t happen again," he said, lying next to me on the bed and tucking my head under his chin. I snuggled close to him loving the body heat he provided. My eyes drifted closed, exhausted from my foray into the ocean and its aftermath. Sinking deeper into sleep, I smiled in my dream knowing Mark would be joining me soon.


    But he never came. I was all alone. Jerking awake, I sat up blinking in the darkness. I knew instantly that something was terribly wrong.


    Chapter 16


    I rubbed my tired eyes trying to make sense of how I knew something was wrong, and then I felt it hit me like a Mack truck.


    Evil had entered our refuge.


    I reached over and shook Mark awake. I placed my finger on my lips to silence his questions. Reading my expression and my thoughts, he knew instantly what I was silently telling him. Surging to his feet in one fluid movement, he reached a hand down to pull me to my feet with the same precision.


    We crept to the door as quietly as possible, listening for any foreign noises outside the room. The door burst open, knocking us backwards as two Daemons wearing the bodies of two burly men charged into the room.


    The force of the door sent me flying backwards and I landed in an ungraceful heap on the bed. Feeling disoriented from my flight through the air, I frantically sat up searching for Mark. One of the Daemons lunged at me, but Mark was there quickly, sending the Daemon smashing into the wall. Rolling on the floor, Mark used the hardwood floors of the bedroom to his advantage as he gripped the Daemon by the hair and slammed his head against the ground in a crushing blow.


    The other Daemon used Mark''s preoccupation to advance on me, obviously well coached on their task to take out the Guides. Scrambling off the bed, I scooted down the wall and snatched the slim wrought iron lamp off the dresser, jerking the cord out of the socket in the process. I backed into the corner preparing for the Daemon approaching with dead eyes. I fought the urge to scream as his grubby hands reached for me, but grasped empty air as Mark jerked him away from me and threw him across the room. The Daemon crashed against the dresser, taking the shelves that lined the wall down with him. The Daemon rose to his feet, incensed from his airborne flight across the room and charged Mark like an enraged bull.


    I felt helpless huddled in the corner while Mark fought him, but Haniel''s instructions had been clear. As Guides, we were expected to stay out of harm''s way. It was hard to see who had the upper hand as they exchanged blows. I watched horrified as Mark''s head slammed against the wall. He stood up facing the Daemon, swaying slightly, it was obvious he was winded from the blow he had taken. His hits looked less precise and more sluggish.


    Watching him struggle, I began to doubt Haniel''s words. What good was I to Mark, huddled in the corner like a helpless waif? Grasping the lamp more firmly in my hands, I charged the Daemon, striking the back of his head with as much force as I could muster.


    My attack did little more than distract him for a moment, but it was all Mark needed as he took the Daemon out with a well executed kick to this windpipe. Grasping his throat with one hand the Daemon staggered and landed on his knees. Mark used his bent elbow to slam into his temple sending the Daemon sprawling in a heap at his feet.


    Dropping the lamp, I rushed to Mark''s side. I ran my hands down him searching for an injury.


    "Krista, I''m fine," he said crushing me to him. "Are you okay?"


    Stepping back, I surveyed him and was surprised that he was right. Except for a small cut in the corner of his mouth, he looked fine. "I''m alright too," I said as I used the pad of my thumb to wipe away the blood on his chin.


    Mark grabbed my hand and together we silently stepped out of his room. The house was pitch black as we slowly made our way down the hallway. I anxiously wondered where my friends were. I wanted to shout a warning to them, but knew that we needed stealth on our side until we could get our bearings. We heard a soft thump in the second guest room to our left. Mark put his hand on the knob and twisted at the same instant that he threw the door open.


    I was unprepared for the sight that met my eyes and felt sour bile burn its way up my throat.


    The curtains on the window were torn down, allowing enough moonlight into the room to illuminate a crumpled female body on the floor and two bloodied Daemons in a heap by the window. A third Daemon stood towering behind someone who was down on his knees. The Daemon''s hands were knotted in the Protector''s hair to maneuver him where he wanted him to go.


    The Protector hung lifeless with all fight gone from him. His hands reached weakly for the body that was crumpled on the floor as anguished tears poured from his eyes. My blood turned to ice when I saw that it was Thomas.


    Mark''s outrage came out as a warrior cry. He battered the monster in the gut with a deadly foot, forcing him to let go of his victim. Grief like I had never felt before flooded through me as I watched Thomas crawl toward the limp body on the floor. My head did not want to make the connection of who the crumpled body was. There was no need to check for a pulse. Thomas''s cries of heartbreak made it clear his Link was gone.


    "No!" I yelled.


    Not my Grace, not my sweet loving Grace that brought sunshine to every room she entered. My heart shattered into a million pieces as I watched Thomas curl up on the floor beside her, dragging her lifeless body into his arms. Haniel''s words from long ago ran through my head, Protectors cannot live without their Guides.


    It seemed so unfair that Thomas had fought valiantly, taking out two Daemons of his own and had still lost his very existence for living.


    I turned my anger toward the monster that had done this, but saw I was too late, Mark had already stopped him. The body of the Daemon lay in a heap on the floor. Mark grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room. I wanted to dig in my heels and stop time.


    I wanted a do-over.


    I didn''t want my new, wonderful friend to be dead. Sensing my resistance, Mark dragged me from the room, leaving Thomas to his grief and ultimately his own death.


    The house was no longer quiet as we emerged from the room, I could hear the sounds of crashing and flesh meeting flesh as the Protectors fought for us. I could hear weeping further down the hall, but would not allow myself to think about who it might be. I did not want to know who else we had lost.


    We cautiously continued our slow journey down the hallway. We were near the end when a hand reached out of Mark''s dad''s room, snatching me by the hair and dragging me into the room. Yelping in pain, I tried to twist away from the Daemon that held me. Mark charged after him, missing the second Daemon that had been waiting in the room.


    They had set the trap and we had walked right into it. I watched, horrified as the ambushing Daemon punched Mark in the face knocking him to the ground. The Daemon stood over him kicking him in the ribs. I could hear the crunch as one of Mark''s ribs obviously broke. I fought screaming to escape the death grip I was being held in. The Daemon pummeling Mark looked me in the eyes, smiling as he aimed another kick at Mark''s exposed head. Mark''s hand snaked out, grasping the Daemon by the heel, using his momentum against him by forcing the leg up and unbalancing him.


    The Daemon holding me saw that Mark had gained the upper hand. Releasing my hair, he twisted my arm behind me, attempting to propel me to the other side of the room. He stumbled over another body I had failed to notice. I would not allow myself to look down. I did not want to see if it was one of my own.


    Anger rose up in me at the injustice of the situation.


    I could smell his rank breath and dirty unwashed clothes as he held me captive. His arm snaked around the back of my neck and I knew he planned to snap my neck while Mark watched. The Daemons knew exactly how to destroy our Links. I watched with helpless eyes as Mark finished off the Daemon and turned toward us. He caught my thoughts and saw the position that the Daemon held me in.


    "Go limp!" Mark''s urgent thought flashed its way through my mind, and without hesitating I did as he instructed. I dropped my legs out from under me causing the Daemon to momentarily lose his grip on me. Embracing the opportunity, I squirmed out of his grasping hands and landed on the floor on my hands and knees. I could feel hands blindly reaching for me as I attempted to crawl away from him. Mark was on him before he could reach me and knocked him away from me. I stood up on shaky legs backing up toward the doorway, trying to stay out of the way.


    I heard Sam cry out behind me. Turning immediately, I fled from the room. I made my way down the short hallway as best as I could and skidded to a halt at the kitchen doorway where Sam and Shawn were battling two of their own monsters.


    I watched, horrified, as the Daemon holding Sam captive jerked her up, with one hand wrapped around her slender throat. His intentions were plain. No longer caring about Haniel''s instructions, I slid across the smooth surface of the table that had been shoved in the way. I reached a hand up and grasped a heavy cast iron skillet from the pot rack that hung above the island. In one swift movement, I slammed the pan into the side of the Daemon''s head and he collapsed at my feet.


    Sam threw herself into my arms, grasping for breath. "Are you okay?" I asked, stroking her head.


    Sobbing, she nodded her head. "They jumped us while we were fixing a snack," she said. "They came out of nowhere," pulling back as we watched Shawn finish off the Daemon he was fighting.


    Rushing to Sam''s side, he ran his hands down her throat, growling at the bruises that lined her slender windpipe. He shoved the table aside in one mighty push and grasped both our hands, dragging us both back toward Mark''s bedroom.


    John, Kieran, Paul, and Kim met us in the hallway. "Are you okay?" Kieran asked, embracing Sam and me.


    "Yes, but I don¡¯t know where Mark is. I left him when I heard Sam screaming in the kitchen. Have you seen him?" I asked urgently.


    "No," she answered. "But we did find Faith and Michael. They''re both dead," she said in a broken voice.


    My body tensed at her words. "So is Grace," I said, delivering the devastating news to them. Kieran''s face dropped and tears flooded over as the ramifications became clear. Her band was now broken too.


    "I''m sorry," I said, rubbing my eyes to clear the moisture. Not long ago my grief would have dictated my life, but that seemed a lifetime ago.


    Right now my grief would have to wait.


    Nodding their heads, we moved on, searching for the others. The house seemed oddly silent. Even the cries of Thomas had died out. I didn¡¯t want to think about the reason behind the silence.


    Sam gripped my hand as we left the somewhat safe condition of the hallway and stepped into the living room.


    "My God," Sam whispered as we took in the destruction that used to be the living room. Furniture was tossed around as if it was made from plastic and not heavy duty material and solid wood frames. A breeze blew across the room through the French doors that were now missing the glass panes. One of the doors stood at an odd angle, making it creak ominously as the wind blew it back and forth. The massive high definition TV looked like it had imploded from the inside out, with cracks woven across the surface like a complicated spider web. Stepping over the broken glass, we approached the broken French doors as a group. I used my emotional gauge to get a sense of what awaited us beyond the tattered doors. Suddenly, we heard a large splash into the pool outside.


    Picking up my pace, I was the first to cross over the threshold onto the patio.


    The sight before me took my brain several precious seconds to process. Lynn was penned against the wall of the house by a Daemon while Robert battled another one in the shallow end of the pool. Jaime clawed at the back of the Daemon that held Lynn, while Jacob her Protector, fought a mammoth Daemon that was big enough to give the hulk a run for his money.


    I felt panic clawing at me trying to decide who to help first. Finally, I jumped to the aid of my friend penned up against the wall. With Sam by my side we both tackled the Daemon from behind, helping Jaime. I used the pottery urn on the patio table to smash over his head while Sam used a swift kick to the back of his knees, making his legs collapse out from under him.

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    Lynn gasped for air and fell to the deck.


    With adrenaline still pumping through our veins, Sam and I turned to help the others, but saw that Shawn, John, and Paul had beaten us to the punch and had all the Daemons knocked out cold.


    Relief coursed through me. We were winning, we could beat the Dark Angel.


    "Ah, sweet na?ve Krista. Always so quick to jump to conclusions, but most times the wrong conclusion, wouldn''t you say?"


    Turning around, I found myself face-to-face once again with the monster that had ruined so many lives. Just beyond him, I could see a small army of Daemon''s he had brought along. I counted their numbers in my head. There must be at least ten.


    "Yes, my dear you will lose," he said in the same condescending tone, picking my thoughts for a second time. "Round up the others," he commanded his army in a tone that left no room for argument. Not that they would have argued. I could feel their emptiness as if it were any other emotion. They were soulless creatures acting only on orders.


    The Daemons surrounded us, herding us back through the broken glass doors. Some of them broke off, searching through the house to round up the rest of my friends. My heart sank when I saw Mark, tattered and bloody, being dragged into the room by two Daemons. Seeing me, he jerked away from their grasp and rushed to my side.


    Without saying a word, he bookended my face with his hands and stared intently into my eyes. Neither of us said anything, we didn¡¯t need words. The fact that we were together was enough for the both of us at the moment.


    I pulled my eyes from his when I caught movement behind him. Looking behind him, my stomach turned and bile rose in my throat as several more Daemons dragged in the lifeless bodies of my new friends. Thomas still clutched Grace to him, but all life had left him, the light in his eyes was gone. It seemed incomprehensible that in such a short period of time he had lost all will to live. Another set of Daemons carried in Faith and Michael and deposited them in a heap on the floor.


    Sorrow rose up in me and it took all the willpower I could muster to tamp it down. I knew giving into my sorrow now would do nothing for our current situation. Jaime, Kim, and Kieran all wept openly for their fallen friends, making me ache as I fought back my own wave of grief.


    The last of the Daemons crowed in the room, spreading out, blocking every escape route and trapping us all. Huddled in the center of the room surrounded by so much evil threatened to stagger me and my fellow Guides, but together as one, we used our emotions to shield our entire group keeping the vibe they were emitting at bay.


    "Well, well. I see the Guides and Protectors, I knew a long time ago have all grown up," Victor said to the band members standing with my own group in his usual condescending voice. "And Haniel has been training you. Too bad his training will all be for naught," he said, saying Haniel''s name like it was something disgusting sitting on his tongue. "Here you stand with your fallen comrades and yet you still act as if you plan to fight."


    "We do plan on fighting," Mark said in quiet voice with steel laced through his every word.


    "Son, what is the point now? I''m not here to destroy you all. Actually, I''m quite proud of you. You fought valiantly, now show your intelligence and recognize a no-win situation. I am giving you a chance to join the winning team this time around. I have all the time in the world to convince you," he said, flicking his hand at the Daemons. Instantly, two jumped to attention, moving the lazy boy recliner to him. Settling back on it, he twirled his thumbs as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. "It would be so much less melodramatic if you surrendered now, without any more bloodshed. It is not my intention to destroy you, but to make you stronger, without some predestined Link holding you back," he added sarcastically, clearly talking about the Guides.


    Still huddled together, we watched him apprehensively, waiting for his next move. His empty words meant nothing to us. We knew he didn''t need all of us and it was clear he planned to get what he wanted. We would fight to the bitter end to keep him from turning even one of us.


    "I think this delusional group could stand to be separated," he said, after a few tense minutes. "I think our Protectors might appreciate a break from their clingy, needy counterparts." His words barely left his mouth before the circle surrounding us moved forward.


    In one fluid movement our group shifted, enclosing the Guides in the middle with our Protectors guarding us. Shawn was the first to deliver the first bone crunching blow to the side of a Daemons head that attempted to separate us. Shawn''s hit created a ripple effect and within moments punches and kicks were flying from every direction. The sound of flesh meeting flesh was nauseating and my stomach churned threateningly.


    I watched horrified as Shawn was overtaken by two of them and dragged to the ground where they continued to pummel him with kicks. Sam and I threw ourselves over him trying to protect him from their assault.


    Pain exploded through me as one of them clipped me in the ribs with their bone crushing kicks. Releasing my grip from Shawn, I grabbed my side, trying to ease the pain that was pulsating through me. A second kick caught me in the temple and all else faded away as I sunk into a pain induced fog. Before I slipped into darkness, I heard Haniel''s words of caution resounding through my head. I could hear Mark''s voice from far off calling me as darkness completely pulled me under.


    Chapter 17


    I woke to quiet sobbing and a pounding headache. Opening my eyes slowly, I tried to focus on the rafters above my head that seemed to have multiplied while I was out. I was surprised to find that my head rested on Jaime''s lap, I raised my hands to rub my eyes, hoping to clear my vision. I gasped in pain as a lightning bolt shot through my side, radiating throughout me. "Try not to move," Jaime whispered to me stroking a cool hand across my forehead.


    Blinking back tears of pain, I turned my head looking for my friends. Confused, I observed Lynn sitting beside me, comforting Sam in her arms. The other Guides huddled around them in different stages of grief. Twisting my head in the other direction, I spotted the Protectors clear across the room, at least twenty feet from us. A line of Daemons stood between them and us blocking us from each other. I could see only one Protector still remained standing while the rest were on the ground in varying degrees of pain. Sam''s source of pain was clear when I spotted Shawn, unconscious in a pool of blood. Desperately, I scanned the group searching for Mark. Finding him absent, I struggled to sit up. Jaime braced me under my arms helping me reach a painful sitting position. Finally able to focus my eyes, I found what I desperately sought.


    Mark was across the room, slumped against the far wall. His eyes were glazed and he looked dazed.


    Are you okay? I silently asked him, opening my mind trying to reach out to him. He remained fixated on something beyond my line vision down the hallway and never glanced my way. Despairingly, I tried again, but his mind was completely closed to me.


    I felt unease and panic set in as I realized I had left him susceptible to his father''s manipulation. By putting myself in the line of fire, I had rendered myself useless at the one job I was responsible for which was protecting my Link''s soul. Haniel''s warning that had seemed so selfish before now made perfect sense.


    Mark, are you okay? I tried again, opening my mind, attempting to reach out to him. He remained fixated on something else and never glanced my way. For some reason, his mind was completely closed to me.


    My mind reeled, trying to digest everything. How had everything gotten so out of control, and where was our God when we needed him the most? Haniel had declared that they wouldn''t interfere, but would they really leave all of us to die?


    Pulling away from Jaime, I painfully slid across the floor reaching Sam and Lynn.


    "Are you okay?" Lynn inquired quietly, glancing around at the Daemons that continued to surround us.


    "I think my ribs might be bruised, but yeah, other than that I''m okay. Where''s psycho?" I asked.


    "Somewhere in the back of the house. He instructed the evil puppets to keep us separated and then disappeared."


    "How long was I out?" I asked, still confused.


    "Over half an hour," she answered. "They overpowered us pretty quickly after you were knocked unconscious. Shawn and John haven''t regained consciousness since. We''ve been communicating with our Links and are trying to re-group," she whispered in my ear. "What does Mark think we should do?"


    I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to admit that I wasn¡¯t able to get through to Mark.


    "Sam?" I asked, changing the subject.


    Tearfully, Sam looked up at me with despair circling around her.


    "He''s going to be okay. We''re going to all be okay," I said with false assurance.


    "How Krista? Look at us," Sam asked in a voice thick with tears. "We''re all broken," she said sounding nothing like the Sam I knew and loved. She was indeed broken.


    Struggling to my feet, I approached the line of Daemons looking beyond them at Mark. "Mark," I said quietly, trying to gain his attention. After a moment he finally dragged his eyes around to me. I tried to get a gauge of his emotions by reaching out, only to have them repelled by the foreign emotions that now coursed through Mark''s body. His love and passion that I so desperately needed were nowhere to be found.


    "Get back girl," one of the Daemons snarled, pushing me backwards. Knife-like pain pierced through me as I landed on my back. My ribs ached, but it was my heart that felt broken.


    "Krista," Lynn said, voicing her concern as she rushed to my side.


    Tears streaked down my face, furiously burning their way down my cheeks.


    "What''s the matter Krista, did you really think he belonged to you?" Victor said, stepping between the Daemons that parted for him so he could stand above me."He was always mine, inconvenient bond or not. No man should ever have to be shackled to another person."


    I stood on shaking legs in front of the man that had taken everything from me. "He does not BELONG to you!" I shouted, waiting for Mark to show him, I was right. Mark was just playing along, tricking him. He would not turn against us, we are his family, I thought, waiting for the other half of my soul to show this monster I was right.


    Another inner voice nagged at me, though, reminding me that this monster was also his family.


    Mark finally stood, stepping between the Daemons much like his father had. Stopping in front of me, all hope died away as I saw nothing but resentment reflected back at me in his now dull brown eyes, any warmth was completely gone.


    "My father is right, Krista. Our bond is unnatural and unfair. Why should my life end just because our Link dies? Do you wish me to wind up like him?" He asked, thrusting a finger angrily at Thomas''s now lifeless body. "If you truly loved me you wouldn''t want that fate for me. Your soul dictates your every emotion you feel for me. With the Link between us broken, I can finally see clearly what we thought we felt for each other," he said turning away. He glanced back one last time. "You will thank me for this someday. It feels exhilarating to finally have control of my destiny."


    "You''re wrong," I said, sobbing openly. "I won''t thank you, because you are all wrong. You''ve let him blind you, but we belong together. I don''t love you because I have to. I love you because I want to."


    "I''m sorry to hear you say that, because I''m not completely sure I ever loved you," he said, walking from the room. "Come Father, you got what you wanted," he said on his way out.


    "I told you a long time ago I would win, Krista," Victor said mockingly, reaching a hand out to stroke my cheek. I cringed and stepped back, glaring at him. The smile dropped from his face. "Still a wildcat looking for a catfight, I see. Well, tell Haniel I said hello. In Heaven that is," he chuckled at me. "Kill them all," he said to his Daemon squad with a flick of his hand, leaving us to face the rest of the Daemons on our own.


    I sank to my knees, all the fight leaving me.


    Mark had not only thrown our love away, but he had left us at the mercy of his father. Sobs wracked my body as my soul searched in vain for its missing Link. I welcomed my approaching death. I may have been created to survive a broken link, but I did not want to live without him. I felt awful for my friends and wished they could have been spared, but I was done.


    I could feel the Daemons pressing in on us as they prepared to gleefully follow through with their orders. I did not look up, having no desire to see the death blow, but prayed only that it would be swift. Lynn pulled on my arm, trying to drag me back with her, but I shook her off. I wished for her sake that she and Sam would have used their gift and fled from the building, but I knew that they would never willingly leave their loved ones behind. I no longer fell in the same category. I no longer had a beloved or anything else.


    My inner torment was put to an end when one of the Daemons above me took offense to my bowed head. Grabbing me by a handful of hair he dragged me to my feet until my toes barely grazed the lush carpet beneath them. My head burned and I could feel my hair giving way at the roots as they were pulled painfully from my scalp. Looking into the Demonic eyes of the beast that dangled me in the air, all thoughts of giving up were cast away as anger engulfed me. They had come in here, killed my friends and took the very essence of my soul. I would not let them kill anyone else without a fight.


    I closed my eyes, attempting to connect with the soul of the Daemon. I saw nothing but darkness. No images, no pictures, just vast nothingness. I didn''t care, though. I wasn''t looking for a soul to save. I projected every negative emotion I could think of: anger, hate, deceit, vengeance. Suddenly, a great wall of fire appeared in my mind, rushing toward me like a unstoppable force.


    My eyes were opened as the Daemon released me, dropping to the floor, gasping for air. It wasn''t just him. The six remaining Daemons struggled on the ground, grasping their throats in search of the air that was quickly leaving their bodies. With no strength left to fight, they laid in a heap on the floor, unconscious.


    Robert and Lynn rushed to my side just as my own legs collapsed from under me.


    "Krista!" Lynn yelled. "Robert help her!"


    I could barely make out anything that was being said. The only thoughts I had were of Mark. He couldn''t really be gone, not the man I have loved my entire life. Sounds echoed through my ears making me want to cover them, but every ounce of energy was gone from me as I curled up in a ball on the floor. I could hear Sam comforting Shawn, but I could only stare at them with blind eyes as my soul threatened to collapse. I was not strong enough to handle this. I could not live without my Protector.


    I could hear another voice from far off as Sam and Shawn''s faces drifted away and Haniel''s replaced them. Vaguely I realized the annoying sound was coming from me. Haniel knelt beside me and clasped my hands firmly in his. His face disappeared in a haze as I finally allowed the tears I had been holding back. I could feel the warmth of Haniel''s touch working to repair what was broken in me.

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    Epilogue


    It took several days after the Daemon attack to finally be able to talk about what had happened, and take stock of the damage to our group. Shawn thankfully was okay, and only had a few broken ribs and a concussion from the blow to the head. Injuries among us was scattered between broken bones and cracked ribs. The deaths of Grace, Thomas, Faith, and Michael were a blow to our group and we all felt the loss of them greatly.


    My loss of Mark was a taboo subject that no one brought up. Haniel''s claim that Guides could survive without their Protector proved to be true, but I was unsure at what price. My soul no longer felt like my own, and I felt like a lost ship at sea.


    Haniel took care of cleaning up the mess at Mark''s house that we had left behind. None of us had stepped foot in there since that fateful night, nor did we have any inclination to do so. The house was now the very essence of evil to all of us.


    The funeral for our lost friends was both heartbreaking as we met the rest of the Links and the children of our new friends. My heart wept when I held Timmy, Grace''s and Thomas''s sweet curly-haired toddler for the first time. He was the perfect mix of both of them, with a happy nature that made me smile sadly. He would never know how fabulous his parents were and just how much they had loved him.


    Our new friends departed the day after the funeral to go home and recover from the rest of their injuries. Sam and I wept openly as we hugged Kieran and Jaime one last time.


    "You''re going to be okay," Kieran whispered to me, hugging me tightly. I nodded mutely. I had no choice but to be okay.


    "We''ll be back soon," Jaime promised, giving us one last hug before she scooped Timmy up in her arms.


    "We''ll see you soon," Shawn said to them as he slung an arm around my shoulder, lending me the strength he knew I needed.


    The ride back from the airport was quiet, and I sensed my friends'' eyes on me, but I kept my gaze firmly on the landscape we passed. I knew they didn''t approve of today''s destination, but I had fought them over it.


    "I''m going with or without you," I finally said, and the battle ended there.


    Shawn pulled the used Explorer that we had bought by pooling all our resources together after leaving Mark''s new Navigator behind, into the crowded parking lot. I climbed out, looking at the bright lights of the amusement park in front of me. My friends thought it was a terrible idea to re-open my wounded heart by visiting our spot, but they were wrong. My wound hadn''t scabbed over yet, it was just a gapping painful hole.


    I needed to visit here.


    I needed to walk on our beach or all of it would drag me under. I had nothing left of him. The dreams were gone and my soul fluttered around helplessly, searching for something that was no longer alive.


    It was a constant battle for me to tamp the grief that threatened to take over the now vacant spot in my soul. Haniel had helped me overcome some of it so that I could survive the now broken Link, but it took everything in me to keep moving forward. My soul screamed at me to let it be and wanted nothing more than for me to curl up in a ball and waste away. Every fiber in me agreed with my broken soul, but only one thought kept me moving on. I would not let the bastard win by proving he was right, that our Links caused more harm than good.


    Walking by the ticket booth, I passed the rides we had ridden so long ago without a sideways glance, as I headed for the steps that would deliver me to our beach. Bending down, I removed my sandals mechanically and descended the stairs slowly. Each step made my heart skip a beat. After what seemed like an eternity, I stood on our beach. A spot we had spent our short lifetimes on, together. Sinking to my knees, I felt the loss of him more painfully than ever before. My tears ran hot and fast and I sobbed for my lost love, but most of all, I sobbed for his lost soul.


    Sam and Shawn joined me giving me, their strength, as my tears finally ran their course. They grasped my hands firmly in theirs after I had cried myself out, leading me away from our spot. Pausing, I looked back one last time. I grasped the necklace Mark had given me in my hand and studied the words delicately etched on it before I curled my fingers firmly around it. God''s plan had backfired. We may have been created to save the forgotten souls, but what happens when one of our own becomes the most important forgotten soul of all.