“Danny! Danny!” she shouted.
Danny turned and saw her. He dropped the slingshot to the ground, and the red marble rolled away. Davina was safe. She sat on the top step with Danny.
“I want to explain . . . ” she began.
Danny looked at her.
“I really wanted to go to the dance with you. But my dad came back from his trip this afternoon, and when he found out about the dance, he wouldn’t let me go. It’s not that he doesn’t like you; he just thinks I’m too young to go to a dance with a boy.”
Danny looked relieved. “Really?” he whispered.
“Yes, Danny,” Davina said. “I really do like you. And I’ll save a dance for you someday.”
A smile broke over Danny’s face. He had a nice smile. It was the second time Vero had seen it.
“It’s like a miracle that you found me here,” Danny said, as he took Davina’s hand in his own.
She nodded and laid her head on his shoulder.
“All of your efforts paid off,” Michael told Vero.
“I guess,” Vero said, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
He was happy for Danny, but a piece of his own heart was breaking. Vero thought of his journey through the belly of the Leviathan, his battle with the maltures — he did all of that to get Danny to lower his hand . . . a tiny gesture that had saved Davina’s life.
Michael read his mind. “You were able to fight through it all to reach the goodness in Danny’s heart. Tonight you helped turn the direction of that boy’s life. You brought him a step closer to God.” Michael paused thoughtfully. “And he was able to help you.”
“What do you mean? How did Danny help me?” Vero asked.
“A guardian angel’s purpose is to protect humans. But we can only do so much on our own. God gives humans free will, and we can never dictate to them what they should or must do. However, when a person asks God for help, they are inviting us into their lives. And in return, we become empowered by their hope, their belief. As our power strengthens, we will stop at nothing to help them.”
“That’s where the extra strength comes from when we’re answering prayers?”
“Yes. You grew your sword at the exact same moment that Danny asked God for help. All of you young angels received more strength today.”
Vero tried to make sense of it all, but he was still confused.
“If God hears everyone’s prayers, then why didn’t Danny’s guardian angel show up to help him?” Vero asked.
Michael smiled. “He did. And he fought magnificently.”
And suddenly, Vero understood.
“I’m Danny’s guardian angel.”
Michael nodded.
Vero watched as Davina held Danny’s hand and the two of them walked away from the house. Michael swept his hands, and Danny and Davina disappeared. Michael understood what Vero was feeling.
“Jealousy is never a good thing, Vero,” Michael said gently. “We have such great love for humans; but Vero, we are not to fall in love with them.”
“I can’t just turn off my feelings.”
“That’s because you still live in the earthly world. But I promise you, it will get easier the more time you spend in the Ether. It has to, because, Vero, we have high hopes for you.”
Vero looked at Michael.
“Only a handful of beings since the beginning of time have ever been able to get past the golems and the Leviathan and the behemoths. They are there to stop beings from reaching the lake of fire. They may seem like horrible creatures, but God placed them there to prevent fledglings like yourself from reaching Abaddon and his pit.”
“But I did reach the pit. I saw Abaddon. What happened when I got there? Was I in real danger?”
“Abaddon guards the pit and the lake of fire within. That is his domain. You were standing at the entrance. Not even I can enter that pit — not even to rescue someone because once a being is thrown in, there is no return from that pit of despair. The entrance is as far as I’m allowed to go.”
Vero became frightened as Michael’s words sunk in. “So it was you? You rescued me that day?”
Michael nodded, his face serious.
“Raziel didn’t tell us the whole truth,” Vero realized. “He said that if we fail in our training, we’ll wind up in the choir of angels. He neglected to tell us that we could also wind up in the lake of fire for all eternity.”
Michael sighed. “No one likes to think about that. It’s too painful. You were never supposed to get that far.”
“But then why would God let me get past the Leviathan and the golems and put the other angels in danger?”
“Because apparently God gave you the skills to handle them.” Michael sat down next to Vero under the tree, and together they gazed at the fields and flowers before them. “In time you will discover, Vero, that you have been given much more than most angels . . . so much more is expected of you.”
The gravity of Michael’s words hit Vero hard.
“And because you have been entrusted with much,” Michael continued, “Lucifer and his maltures will come after you relentlessly.”
“Is Lucifer the one who chased me in the grocery store when I was a baby?”
“Yes. He suspects that you are special. And those first few hours when an infant guardian is placed upon the earth are when he or she is the most vulnerable. But we had you covered. The produce deliveryman showing up when he did was no coincidence.”
“And the old man who died in the ER?”
“Not an angel. That was Mr. Jenkins. He’d recently passed away, and we asked him if he’d go back to earth for a few moments and deliver a message to your mother.”
Vero smiled at the explanation, but then another thought worried him. “Michael, why do they think I’m special?”
“You know of Raziel’s book?”
Vero nodded.
“In the book there is a mention of an angel who will tip the scales for good in the final war between good and evil. The identity of the angel was hidden even from the archangels, but the date in which he or she would come down to earth is . . . the same night that you were delivered to the ER.”
Vero’s head sunk to his chest. It was all too much.
“But you were not the only angel delivered that night. A few others came down to earth on that same day. So that is why we were not sure of your identity at first. But now we are.”
“But how does Lucifer know?”
“Raziel’s book did not always fall into the right hands. Lucifer still doesn’t know for certain that it is you. But he suspects and that is enough. He will stop at nothing to thwart God’s plan for you. He’ll attack you any way he can. And as you saw with Davina, the ones you love the most are now the most vulnerable.”
Vero was scared. Michael placed his hand under Vero’s chin, making sure Vero didn’t miss out on what he was about to say.
“But just like humans, Vero, we angels are never alone.”
The blinding white light flashed, and Michael was gone. Vero now realized that he’d seen that white flash before — many times before. When he saw the face of Abaddon, the white light was Michael rescuing him. When he was on the school bus, he thought heavy snow had covered the windshield, but it was Michael protecting him from the malture in that oncoming car. When he was a baby and his mother ran through the grocery store with him, it was Michael who’d saved them. And Vero realized it was true. He would never be alone.
After the light vanished completely, Vero saw something glistening before his eyes. It was a single jewel — a simple yet exquisite gemstone that sparkled radiantly. Vero looked closer and saw it was inlaid on a golden crown, his crown. The crown that Raziel said they all had waiting for them in heaven. He reached out to touch it, and it disappeared.
The water crashed over the three waterfalls and into the serene pool below. As Vero stood off in the distance, he listened to the thunderous, yet calming roar of the cascading water. He turned his face up to the sky, soaking in its
warmth as he silently prayed, thanking God for safely delivering him from the maltures.
“Hey, Vero!” Greer yelled.
Greer, Pax, X, and Ada ran toward Vero, and Vero smiled at the sight of them. They were cleaned up, no ripped clothes, no cuts or bruises. No one would have ever guessed that only a short time ago, they’d trekked through the gut of a sea monster and battled maltures. Vero looked down at his own clothes. His jeans and red T-shirt also looked freshly washed.
“And you said you had nothing up your sleeve,” Pax chuckled.
Vero shrugged and smiled. “And hey, I was able to communicate with you mind to mind.”
“Pretty cool,” Pax answered. “It only gets easier.”
“How’s your shoulder?” X asked Vero.
Vero had forgotten all about his injury. He put his hand on his shoulder and examined it. He rotated his arm, and to his surprise, there was no pain.
“All healed.”
“Where did you learn to sword fight like that?” X asked.
“I don’t know,” Vero said. “Probably the same place I learned to speak Hebrew. But when I get back to earth, I think I may take up fencing. Seems like I might have a knack for it.”
“Did you get a vision of your crown? Was there a jewel in it?” Pax asked.
“Yeah,” Vero said.
“Pretty cool,” Pax said.
Vero noticed Kane was standing away from them, looking nervous. They briefly locked eyes, and then Kane looked away. Vero understood. He walked over to him as the others watched.
“Are you okay?” Vero asked.
Kane nodded.
“Are you sure?”
Kane shook his head.
“I’m the weak link. Everyone got a vision of their crown but me. I guess it’s because I’ve messed up twice now.” Kane looked at his feet. “I’m not as strong as the rest of you.”
Vero knew how that felt. He’d had plenty of his own failures during training. He couldn’t fly at first. He’d humiliated Danny. In the caverns, Vero had refused to listen to his inner voice and wound up in the golems’ cavern. “All I can say is that you saved me from the maltures. If you hadn’t been there, I doubt it would have turned out so well.”
“Thanks,” Kane said. “And I’m sorry I attacked you.”
Vero knew there would be many more tests to come. Their faith would be challenged at every turn. No one wanted to fail.
“My grandmother says faith takes practice. So maybe the more we do this, the easier it’ll get,” Pax offered.
Uriel walked up to the fledglings. “I’m very proud of all of you,” he said, making sure to extend his gaze to Kane and intentionally include him. “Few fledglings have ever come up against what you five have encountered. And despite a few setbacks, you learned well to rely on your Vox Dei. It is the greatest gift you possess. As you progress with your training, listening to the voice should eventually become as natural as breathing . . . because dark times are coming.”
The group flashed anxious looks at Uriel.
“But for now, you will go back and enjoy your time on earth,” Uriel said.
“Usually I hate leaving the Ether, but this time I’m okay with it,” Ada said. “I want to go home and do nothing for a few days.”
“Agreed,” X said.
“In a big way,” said Greer. “After seeing a malture, my latest foster mom doesn’t seem so bad.”
One by one, they closed their eyes and disappeared. As Vero closed his eyes, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Hold up a minute,” Uriel said. He removed his hand and looked at Vero with those intense violet eyes. “Take a walk with me. I want to show you something.”
Uriel and Vero walked over the rolling hills toward the waterfalls.
“I’m extremely proud of you, Vero, ” Uriel said. “You don’t realize it yet, but every action in the world, no matter how small or seemingly trivial, produces a ripple effect. Even when one person smiles at another, that tiny gesture isn’t wasted. It gets passed along. Saving Davina’s life has farreaching implications that you cannot even begin to fathom, and the heavens are grateful to you.”
“I’m sorry, Uriel,” Vero said, and then paused to choose his words. “I’m sorry for blaming you for that whole garden of Eden thing. It’s not so easy, is it?”
“No, it’s not.”
As they got closer to the waterfalls’ shore, Uriel held out his arm and stopped Vero.
“You won’t be able to go any farther. I wouldn’t want you to bang your head.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
Uriel took a few steps closer to the pool. He bent down and stuck his hand into the still water of the lake. And then he walked back to Vero.
“Close your eyes.”
Vero did as he was told. Just as Raphael had done to him in New York City, Uriel placed his thumbs — now wet with the waterfalls’ water — on Vero’s eyelids. After a moment, Uriel removed his thumbs, and Vero opened his eyes.
The sight before him caused Vero to take a step back. There in the lake, scores of humans were frolicking in the water. They splashed one another, some cupped the water into their hands and let it drip over their heads, others laid on their backs and just floated in it. The humans were of all nationalities and all ages, from little children to the elderly. They were laughing, smiling, and radiating pure joy. Their bodies were shimmering, glowing even. Scores of angels lined the shore and watched their humans proudly, the joy evident on their faces as well.
“Who are those people?” Vero asked.
“The recently deceased. They’re being bathed. All souls must be purified before they meet God.”
“They’re going to heaven?”
Uriel nodded. Vero watched as one by one, the humans walked out of the water and clasped hands with a waiting angel.
“Those are their guardian angels?” Vero asked.
“Yes. This is the greatest moment of a guardian angel’s life, when we take our humans to be with God.”
Vero, his eyes misty, was overcome with emotion. He knew why Uriel had shown this to him. It was to remind him of what he must do — to one day be standing on that shore with Danny.
With hands still clasped, the angels and humans walked through the waterfall; and one by one, they vanished from sight.
Uriel closed Vero’s eyelids with his thumbs, and when Vero opened his eyes again, the humans and angels had disappeared.
“It’s time for you to return to earth,” Uriel said.
Vero nodded.
“Oh, and when you get back, Vero, I think your sister will finally be ready to talk to you. You’re not the only one with secrets in the Leland household. And you can talk openly with her. I won’t send any ambulances racing past this time.”
Uriel disappeared in a blur. Vero took in one last view of the Ether. He wasn’t sure when he would return, but he never doubted that he would be back someday. Something flew past him and landed on a tree branch. It was a dove. The dove stared at him for a moment, and Vero could have sworn that it smiled at him.
30
A SISTER’S CONFESSION
Vero found himself wearing an Elvis jumpsuit and standing on the curb where the fire truck had hit him. For a moment, he thought time had stood still while he’d been in the Ether, but then he noticed he was the only person outside the gym, and there was no fire truck anywhere. Music blasted through the gym windows, and Vero looked at his watch. Time had not stood still. He’d traveled through the Leviathan and had battled the maltures all in the course of an evening. The fire drill was over, and the dance was back in full swing.
Vero peered through a gym window. Kids were dancing up a storm and having a blast. He spotted Davina dancing with Danny. It was bittersweet for him. Danny looked up and caught Vero staring at them. He flashed Vero a haughty smile. Vero sighed. Being Danny’s guardian angel was really going to be a challenge.
“Vero!”
Vero whipped around to see Clover running full forc
e at him. She grabbed him and hugged him tight. In fact, she squeezed Vero so tightly that he thought his head would pop off.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“But what happened? I mean, where were you?”
Vero wanted so badly to tell her the truth. And Uriel had given him permission to do so. And yet, he was afraid. How could he expect her to accept who he really was? What if she freaked? Or worse, what if it pushed her even farther away?
“I just went for a walk.”
“No, you fell in front of the fire truck. I saw it!”
Vero looked down, not wanting to answer. Clover realized that if she was going to earn her brother’s trust, she could no longer lie to him. She’d been just as deceitful as him. So she mustered up her courage and faced him.
“I remember the man who twisted your ankle. I remember everything about him. And I saw you sprout wings that day when you were making a snow angel. And even though Tack couldn’t see them, I saw Blake and Duff. I know they’re real. And my dreams, they seem like they’re really happening. I can’t shake them the next morning. Vero, I see things that normal people can’t. For years, I thought if I denied seeing all that stuff, then it would just go away, but it hasn’t. And I actually think it’s getting stronger.”
Vero looked at her, completely surprised. He hadn’t been expecting to hear this.
“They’re true, aren’t they? All the things I see?”
Vero nodded, hoping his limited response would suffice.
“You’re an angel, aren’t you?”
Vero’s first reaction was to lie and call her crazy, but then he remembered Uriel’s words to him. “Yes,” he said.
Clover’s eyes filled with tears — not sad ones, but joyous tears. “Well that explains a lot,” she said.
“But not enough,” Vero replied. He hesitated for a moment. “Clover, in your dream journal there is a drawing . . .” Vero began.
“You looked in my diary?”
“It was by accident! But there is a drawing of a man, and he has three other faces: a lion, an ox and an eagle — ”
“That’s the Cherubim,” Clover said. “The angels who guard God’s throne.”
The Ether Page 25
