I shook my head, unable to answer her question. Hot tears tracked down my cheeks as the impact of his death hit me full-on.
"No," Lynn said, unwilling to believe. She turned to John for a more suitable answer, but he merely nodded his head, confirming what I had been unable to say.
I closed my eyes as my friends expressed their anguish.
"What are you doing here?" I heard Lynn demand.
Opening my eyes, I saw her studying Mark harshly.
I started to explain, but Mark held up his hand. "Let me," he said, pulling me into his arms, giving me the comfort I so desperately needed. I sank back into his arms gratefully.
Mark plunged into an explanation, highlighting everything our group had missed. I watched the play of emotions cross their faces as they realized Mark had never crossed over, along with their pain when he explained the sacrifice Haniel had made for all of us.
We were here because Haniel had given his life for us.
Mark's words stalled as an imposing figure stepped out of the woods. For the briefest moment, I thought it was Haniel and my heart leaped to my throat, but to my dismay I could see it was a different Archangel.
"Krista, Mark," the stranger nodded, "you are to accompany me. There is someone who wishes to seek your acquaintance," he said formally, sounding much like Haniel had when we first met him.
My heart wept as the pain of losing Haniel hit me acutely.
"Why?" Mark asked.
"That is a question only he can answer," he said, waiting for us to join him.
Mark glanced at me. I shrugged my shoulders, grasping onto his hands. Was it even possible to say no to an Archangel? Stepping away from our group, Mark and I joined him as he reached out with his hands. Together, Mark and I grasped onto them as he slowly lifted our feet from the ground. I glanced back at my friends as we slowly Ascended away from them, toward what awaited us beyond the earthly realm.
Epilogue
There is no sense of time in the heavenly realm. When Mark and I returned back to our friends, we had no earthly idea that several days had passed. We weren't surprised though, to find them in the place that had drawn us all together.
They greeted us exuberantly as we suddenly appeared on the sand just beyond where they were all lounging. They jumped to their feet, taking turns embracing us as we were passed from one set of arms to the next.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, laughing in delight. "Oh Sam," I said, squeezing her in my arms. "How are you feeling?"
"Fit as a fiddle," she said smiling.
Shawn grabbed me up in a bear hug, spinning me around. I laughed out loud at his joy. "It's the only place that made sense," Sam said, finally answering my first question as Shawn gave me one last crushing hug.
"Sis, where have you been?"
"Oh you know, hobnobbing on the heavenly realm and such," I joked good-naturedly.
"That's insane," he said, grinning at us.
"I know right," I said, sinking down on the sand with Sam and Lynn, who both wrapped their arms around my waist, anchoring me to them.
"We were with Haniel," I said, dropping the bombshell.
"What! How?" Lynn asked, confused.
"Haniel made a deal with The Light. He sacrificed himself as an Archangel if it would save us. Once he dragged Victor to The Dark One, The Light gave Haniel his deepest desire."
"And what is that?" Sam asked, enthralled with our tale.
"That he spends all of eternity with his one true love," I answered smiling.
"What?" Kieran asked, clearly shocked. "Haniel was in love?"
"Well, that's a whole other story," I said knowingly.
"So tell it," Kieran said, sinking between John's legs on a big oversized towel.
It took Mark and me several hours to fill them in on Haniel, and what we had learned and experienced once we had left the earthly realm. We tried to give them every detail we could remember. Finding the right words to explain what we had seen proved to be a challenge. Heaven was unlike anything I had ever imagined. I had always pictured it as dreamlike place with Angels bouncing from one cloud to the next. I remembered when I was eight and still struggling to control my emotions, my parents had taken me to Sunday school. The day had been a disaster as I tried to fade into the background, only to have the overly friendly teacher call on me frequently, hoping to draw me out of my shell. By the time my parents picked me up, I was a mess, but I could still recall in the lesson how the teacher had told us the streets of heaven were lined with gold and everyone lived in a mansion. Neither of those assumptions proved to be true.
"It was like entering what I can only imagine the Garden of Eden was like. Lush plants and vegetation grows abundantly everywhere. Animals and people roam the land together, neither harming the other. The air is always the same mild temperature, neither hot nor cold," I said, trying to explain it the best I could in a mishmash of words.
"Why did Haniel want to see you?" John finally asked the most important question.
I glanced at Mark before answering. He nodded his head, smiling at me. "Haniel wanted to see us so he could appoint us to our new job!"
"Job?' Sam asked bewildered.
"Yes, we have been appointed to take over for him," I said.
"Like, as Archangels?" John asked, trying to make sense of our words.
"No, as the first Ascended Angels," I said, shooting Mark a small smile.
"Mark Ascended too?" Sam gasped beside me.
"Yes," I answered.
My answer opened a floodgate of questions and Mark and I answered them the best we could. We were a little unsure of our duties, but Haniel had promised he would contact us soon through the same Archangel that had guided us to the Heavenly Realm.
"So, Haniel has been in love with your mom all these years?" Sam asked.
Mark nodded his head.
"That is sooooooo romantic," she said, sinking back into Shawn's embrace.
"What comes next?" Jaime asked after several moments passed.
"I don't know. It seems so crazy, not having to worry about Victor anymore. I guess we wait for the next bad guy to come around. But in the meantime, I say a family reunion is in order. I'm dying to meet a certain little boy named Logan. I have a secret for his ears only," I said, shooting Jaime a smile.
My friends continued to pepper us with questions. After we had exhausted every detail, I finally stood up and walked toward the water's edge. The peace I felt was unlike any I had ever experienced. It was hard to believe that six months ago I had stood on this exact spot, confused and lost. I could hardly remember the girl I had been as I tried to recall how unsure and insignificant I had felt. Surrounded now by the ones I loved, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Mark joined me at the water's edge and wrapped his arms around my waist. I tilted my head back to look into his eyes, losing myself in the arms of the person that had chosen me over all else.
The Dark Angel
(The Saving Angels: A Prequel)
By
Tiffany King
When you have walked the earth as long as I have and watched humanity struggle through their turbulent lives, you begin to treasure those that are different than the rest. I am blessed that my duty is to oversee those with the purest souls. I have always understood the importance of my vows and know that The Light considers me one of his most important Archangels. He assigned me the honor of presiding over the angelic order, and for many earth cycles, I have carried out my assignment faithfully. I delight as the bonds between the Guides and Protectors mature, and honor those lost in service of their celestial duty. I could spend all my days watching the souls of the Guides, seeing their purity make a difference in the lives of humans that have given up all hope.
The Guides do not belong to me, they belong to their Protectors. I am not jealous of this for I am an Archangel, and I am not part of their world. Archangels do not feel human emotions. Anger, jealousy and even their version of love is lost to us. We love everyone in the same capaci
ty, that is what we were made for, and yet there is one who has changed all of that for me.
Chapter 1
"Victor, can you hand me some extra juice to throw in the beach bag?" I asked my significant other.
"Give me a minute Jenna, can't you see I'm a little busy right now."
My heart tugged a little at his tone. Today was supposed to be a fun day. We were finally home again with our children after completing a rather difficult task in the Middle-East. Victor had been on edge since our return, and I felt a slight unease because of his odd behavior. Each assignment lately seemed to take a greater toll on him than the other Protectors. I had been meaning to talk to Haniel about it, but never seemed to get the chance. Haniel's visits have been sporadic lately and I missed talking to him.
Shaking off my unease, I left the half-packed beach bag on the table and walked up behind Victor and placed my hands on his shoulders. He jumped slightly at my touch as he closed down the computer. I could feel the tension and mixed emotions that had been swirling around him since our return the previous night.
I had hoped that the mixed emotions would disappear once we returned home and got to see Harmony and Mark again, but after a brief reunion with them, he had closed himself up in his office.
"What's wrong with daddy?" Mark had asked, confused at his father's standoffish attitude.
"Daddy's just a little sad after our last job," I said, trying to ease his confusion.
"Will you fix him?" He asked as I tucked him into bed after blowing raspberries on his belly, making him giggle in the sweet way I loved so much.
"Yes, mommy will fix him, and tomorrow we will go to the beach and see all our friends," I said, amazed that even at the tender age of three, Mark somewhat understood the uniqueness of our bonds.
"Krista?" Mark asked, distracted about the promised beach trip.
"Yes my sweet, you will see Krista there," I said, returning his smile. I did not resent his attachment to my dear friend's little girl. It was the way it should be. One day they would grow up and they would marry each other. They would spend their youth as the best of friends until they reached their teenage years where they would discover the far deeper love they felt for each other, just as Harmony would with Mason. It was what we were created for.
"Now go to sleep and have the sweet dreams I know you will have," I said, kissing his chubby cheeks one last time.
But I didn't have the chance to "fix" Victor by the time both kids had been put to bed. He had already retired for the night.
To my dismay, Victor's mood was not much better the next morning. Trying to ease his tension, I massaged his shoulders gently, mustering a small bit of peace and tranquility together inside me and prepared to send it his way. Before I could cast it toward him though, he stood up and pulled me in his arms.
"I'm okay. Don't waste anymore of your emotions. You need to recoup," he said, finally sounding like the man who held the key to my heart. "I'm working through it and will be fine," he added, reassuring me with a quick kiss on my lips. I tightened my arms around his neck, aching to deepen the kiss. It had been weeks since we had any significant alone time and I craved his touch.
"Momma, I can't find my Spiderman swim frunks." Mark said plaintively behind me. "And Harmony's swimsuit is broken I fink," he added, making me smile. I just adored his lisp, it was so cute. Pulling away from Victor reluctantly, I turned around to assist my two adorable munchkins.
I had to laugh when I saw that Harmony's swimsuit did indeed look broken with the way Mark had tried to put it on her. He had looped one of the armholes around her neck leaving a missing armhole for her tiny left arm.
"Let mommy fix that," I said, kneeling down in front of the little bundle of sunshine in front of me. Harmony smiled at me in her usual way and waited patiently while I righted her swimsuit. I brushed her long locks of golden hair off her narrow shoulders so the strap wouldn’t get tangled in it.
"There, all fixed," I said, still hunkering down in front of her. "You ready to go play in the sand?" I asked her.
"Sand," she said, her bright blue eyes shining.
"Yes, sand, my silly honeysuckle girl." Harmony's fascination with the sand on the beach was one that had kept all of us entertained. She would play in the sand for hours, sifting it though her tiny little fingers and watching it cascade down. She had no use for the vast ocean, but the sand on the beach was by far her favorite destination.
"Are you ready to go Jenna?" Victor asked, coming down the hallway with an oddly sullen Mark trailing behind him.
"Yep, just about. What's the matter sweetie?" I asked Mark.
"Daddy said I don't need my Spiderman frunks," he said with uncharacteristic tears welling up in his eyes.
"Why not?" I asked a little confused.
"Because the plaid ones are fine and he needs to start learning that he can't have everything he wants. He also needs to learn to curb his tears," Victor said in a harsh voice that shocked me.
"Of course he can wear his Spiderman trunks," I said intervening. "I know exactly where they are and there's no reason he should go without." We had never argued about the kids before. Raising the next generation of Guides and Protectors was an honor; the fact that they were all good natured and happy made the job all the easier.
"You're right," Victor said, switching gears. "I just couldn't find them and was a little frustrated. I'll go load up the car," he added, leaving the room abruptly.
The panic and misgivings I had been trying to keep at bay reared its ugly head as I blinked away sudden tears. I was going to have to talk to Haniel; something was clearly wrong.
***
By the time I loaded the kids into the car, Victor seemed back to normal and was joking with the kids about catching a wave to Hawaii. Mark was quiet and withdrawn at first, but by the time we pulled into the crowded lot, he was giggling at Victor's jokes. Placing my panic about his sporadic emotions in a file to be analyzed later, I joined in with their silly bantering.
Our friends pulled in the lot shortly after us. I hugged Kate, Rachel and Melissa though I had just seen them the day before. Being away from each other wasn't something any of us liked and barely a day would pass where we did not get together for at least a little while. I helped Kate unbuckle Shawn and Krista from their car seats and loaded them up in one of the four oversized wagons we brought to the beach with us. Rachel set Sam in the wagon with Shawn and Mark clambered in next, setting himself next to Krista. Harmony waited patiently in my arms while Chris unloaded the next wagon out of the back of his and Rachel's car. Once he placed it on the ground, I set Harmony in it next to Mason and Lynn and Robert filled in the last two spaces. The last two wagons were loaded down with our beach towels, umbrellas, sunscreen and sand toys for the kids.
I grabbed the handle of the wagon with Harmony in it, while Kate took charge of the one with Mark. Melissa and Rachel trailed behind us making sure everyone remained sitting down. The guys brought up the rear with the two remaining wagons and two oversized coolers on wheels.
Having kids had definitely changed our beach trips, I thought ruefully as we made our way down the slanted path, but we definitely had it down to a science.
"So, how's Victor this morning?" Kate asked quietly beside me.
Though I was close with everyone in our tight-knit group, Kate was my best friend and I had confided my concerns with her during our last assignment.
"He snapped at Mark this morning," I said, quietly glancing behind me to make sure no one could hear.
"What?" She asked, clearly baffled.
"I know. It was so out of the blue and over something completely ridiculous. I just don't know what to do."
"Is he still blocking you from his thoughts?"
I nodded my head miserably.
"I was thinking I would call his sister, but I know her band is on another assignment. The Middle-East mess is keeping all of us on our toes," I said. I really would like to talk to Haniel the most, but he's never around anym
ore."
"Yeah, it is strange that Haniel is spending so much time away from us. As of right now, we're the youngest active band. I'm surprised The Light has him stationed elsewhere," she said. "Of course, the fact that we kick butt at our assignments might be a small part of it," she added, trying to lighten the mood.
I couldn't help but smile. Not that we were cocky, but she had a point. Our group had exceptional success rates in the field.
"I'm sure it's just the stress of keeping you safe," Kate said quietly as we reached the hard packed sand.
"I hope so," I said as I dragged the wagon across the sand with the help of Rachel pushing it from behind.
"I say this spot's good," Melissa said, panting at the rear of Kate's wagon.
"Sounds good to me," I said, massaging out the sore muscle in my arm.
Within fifteen minutes our beach day camp was set up and the kids were running around squealing in delight. Victor seemed completely normal as he played touch football with his friends and I began to relax. Kate was right. Being a protector was a stressful job and he just needed to recuperate from our last assignment.
After a little down time everything will go back to normal, I couldn’t help thinking already feeling relieved.
Chapter 2
The next few days were uneventful as we settled into the routine of being back home. As each day passed, Victor lost his odd mix of feelings and seemed almost normal again. He still kept his thoughts blocked from me and kept our intimacy at arm's length, but I didn’t press the issue. I knew he would eventually come around. Intimacy had never been an issue for us and though I craved his warm touch, I gave him his space.
On the third day of our return home, I was sitting on the living room floor folding Harmony's cute little jumpers that had just came out of the dryer, watching the news when a booming knock sounded at our front door.
Squealing in delight, I jumped to my feet knocking the stack of freshly folded clothes over. I would know that knock anywhere. Throwing the door open, I threw myself in the arms of the 7' Archangel standing in front of me.