Falling (The Soul Collectors Series Book 1)

by Tara Benham

  Hadraniel had a funny look on his face as I made my way back to him. The crowd was beginning to thin as each group reported to the Sheriff. I grabbed Hadraniel and Declan and pulled them off to the side to let them know what I had been told. I was going to have to out Father Paul to them. I just didn’t know any other way around it.

  “Father Paul just told me that something went wrong. We have until next Saturday night. That’s when the earthquake is going to happen. We need to come up with a plan, and soon, for how to change the camping trip. Let’s get back to the group. Declan, just come by tomorrow so we can talk about this more?”

  “Yeah, I’ll come by first thing in the morning. Someone said the church got damaged, so you won’t be attending anyway.”

  I started to walk back to the group with Declan when Hadraniel put his hand on my shoulder.

  “Has Father Paul been Mr. Whitstock this whole time?”

  “Yes.”

  “You didn’t think to share that with me?”

  “He strictly forbade me. He is my commanding angel when I am on a mission. I had to obey.”

  “The secrets just have no end with you do they?”

  His words caught me off guard. I couldn’t move as I watched him stomp back towards the group. I wasn’t sure what other secrets I had kept from him that made him react that way. He couldn’t know about my plan to get Meph alone, and I had already apologized for the trek to the valley. With nothing to say to him, I made my way back to the group too. Hannah had calmed down and was trying to help keep Alissa calm. Everett was beside Sadie, calming her down and looking very content beside her. Declan was scanning the crowd almost as if he was expecting to find someone else there.

  “Do you have your entire group here?” someone from the Sheriff’s office asked as he passed me.

  “Yes sir. We are all here.”

  “You all can leave the area then.”

  “Thank you.” I turned towards the group. “Hey, we can go home now.”

  “I don’t think I can go home just yet. My nerves are just a little shook up. Can we just go hang out at the cottage for a while?” Hannah’s voice cracked a little.

  “That’s fine, but maybe you should at least let your parent’s know you’re okay first.” Hadraniel spoke before I could.

  “I spoke to mine already.” Gray said, and the rest of the group murmured something along the same lines.

  “Well then, let’s pile into the cars and head over.”

  “Declan, are you coming?” Alissa looked hopeful.

  “Nah, I have an early morning. You all have fun.”

  Everett rode over with Sadie, leaving Hadraniel in the back with me. I could feel his anger rolling off of him. I still could not even imagine what he was so mad at me about. Before I could get my emotions under control, tears started rolling down my cheeks. The stress of this mission, and now with Had mad and Father Paul gone..., it just got to be too much. The slow tears soon came faster, and before I knew it, I was sobbing. Hadraniel wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. He was rubbing my hair trying to calm me. Somewhere in the fog of my break down, I heard him giving Gray and Hannah some explanation of adrenaline and being scared. They seemed to understand and allowed me to have my break down while Hadraniel soothed me.

  “I’m sorry.” I whispered between sobs.

  “It’s fine, Bayla. It wasn’t fair for me to get mad. There are things I can’t tell you either. However, it would have been a significant asset knowing he was here and could have helped us.”

  “I know, but he made me promise.”

  “I know. Just calm down, you don’t want the others to see you upset. We’re almost to the cottage now.”

  I nodded, wiped my face, sat away from Had and took a few deep breaths. My body would still shake every few breaths, but I was calmer now. Hadraniel was really someone I had learned to rely on without even realizing it. He had been there for me since the mission started, and he was really making great strides. He would make a great Blue Angel one day. I had a feeling his graduation to full Blue would come sooner than expected once he returned with a successful mission under his belt. Everyone else was in their cars waiting for us by the time we pulled into the driveway.

  “Are you okay?” There was love and concern in Hannah’s voice. She had come around to my side of the car when we got out to hug me and check on me.

  “I am. I think it all just got to me. Thank you.” I hugged her back. “Let’s go in and join everyone else.” I shot her a smile that I had hoped was convincing and sincere.

  Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you nor abandon you. ~Deuteronomy 31:6

  With little luck sleeping, I was up early setting the table when Hadraniel came downstairs. I had a variety of fruits and bagels on the table because I wasn’t in a frame of mind to cook. The coffee had just finished brewing as Declan came in through the front door. The formality of knocking seemed to be lost on him. Pouring the coffee became the most important task at hand in order to avoid staring at Declan, who was watching me. I was beginning to feel like I was some fragile little thing with the way I was being treated lately.

  “Delaying this conversation any longer isn’t going to make the situation go away.” Declan said. He seemed to be more brooding than normal today.

  “You are correct, however without food, my brain can’t function.” I responded in a similar tone, to which Hadraniel raised his cup of coffee up in agreeance.

  “Fine. You two eat, and I’ll tell you what I’ve come up with so far. So your Father Paul said the date has been moved up a week sooner but didn’t say why? Do we focus on that as well as how to move the camping date up or just not even worry about that anymore? I figured we can say that your ‘folks’ were coming in that weekend instead, so we needed to move the dates. Finally, this isn’t really a pressing need, but I need to make a shopping trip for camping gear, and I assume you two do too, so why not go together. I’ve never been camping and will need all the help I can get even if it’s from you two angels.”

  I was still chewing a bagel and couldn’t respond, but I nodded at the suggestion of shopping together. Time spent with Declan was never a bad thing, even when it was a really bad thing at the same time. He seemed to have put some thought into this situation. What was curious was that he had never said anything outright demonic. He was smooth like the demons, definitely had the great looks necessary to persuade the humans to follow him, and sure he could be moody, but he never seemed to present himself as evil, not even once. What a strange demon.

  “We can’t use the parent idea. I was thinking about this most of last night. If we say that they’re coming in, they will want to meet them. The guys might even want them to come camping with us or put the trip off until the following weekend so Had and I could spend time with our parents. We need to come up with a plan that eliminates any option other than this Saturday. As for the reason why the timetable changed, I can’t even begin to speculate. In Heaven, we have been taught not to question the big decisions. We definitely need to go shopping for gear. Maybe while we are at the store, something will come to us. Should we invite the others to come with us?”

  “No, I think we need to do this alone so if we do get ideas along the way, we can discuss them freely.” Hadraniel still sounded groggy.

  “Do we walk?” I was never one to shy away from walking, but the thought of having to carry any gear we bought on the way back wasn’t going to be as fun.

  “I borrowed Alissa’s car this morning.” Declan said with a smirk.

  He knew that that would elicit an eye roll from me. However, I was secretly praising Alissa and her inability to say no to him because now I wouldn’t have to walk all day. While the boys finished eating, I ran upstairs to change. Yoga pants, a baggy sweater and flip flops seemed appropriate enough for the local sportsman store we were heading to for the gear. At home, I would never have left
with my hair up in these messy buns that are popular here, but I love them now.

  “Bayla, let’s go!” Declan hollered up to me. Hadraniel must have changed while I was in my room as they were both waiting for me outside.

  “What’s the rush?”

  “Just want to get there and get our stuff before noon. I have to meet Alissa for lunch and to return her car. She has to work tonight.”

  Groan.

  The drive to the store was spent in silence. I was beginning to feel awkward towards Hadraniel after my meltdown yesterday. No wonder he felt he needed to protect me. Here I was the Soul Collector, the angel that had never failed a mission, and I was having a breakdown over a little change of events. These thoughts were consuming my mind even more than the need to create a concrete plan for getting the group to camp out this weekend. I had a surefire way in my head that I could use, but it broke all the rules. However, if the time came, there may be no choice. Had would get the success for the mission, Gray and Declan could be saved, and my breaking the rules wouldn’t be of consequence. Inside, the store was bustling. We looked at a list of camping essentials that were provided on a slip of paper given to us by an associate of the store. We each took a list and divided up the items so we could make quick work gathering everything.

  I was standing in an aisle that was full of lanterns, grills and fire accelerants for the grills, when I heard footsteps. I looked up to see Declan standing beside me. I froze. We had never been alone, at least not alone like this before. I wasn’t sure what to do. It felt like my surroundings were suspended in time. I was watching him, watching me. My breath seemed to quicken, and while I wanted to look away, to do anything but stare at him, I couldn’t. I was locked on his eyes. They were brooding and dark, but there was something else going on there too.

  “Dance with me, Angel.”

  “What? Dance with you? Here?”

  “Yes, why not here? There’s music. We’re alone. Dance with me.” He stepped closer to me.

  I inhaled sharply when he placed his hand on my hip and pulled me closer. “We’re in a store, in the middle of an aisle, with things to do. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “I’m not being ridiculous.” We were swaying to the music. “Bayla, I need to tell you some things. There will come a time when you may want or need to ask me something. I may not be able to answer it truthfully or even at all, so I want to answer you now. Since the beginning. Remember that for me, okay?” The deep emotion in his voice and pleading in his eyes made it hard for me to swallow.

  “Okay.” I whispered.

  “What do you need to remember?”

  “Since the beginning.”

  “That’s right. You keep that with you always, okay?”

  He leaned forward and placed his lips softly on mine. Everything went dark and silent. I heard nothing but the sound of our feet on the floor as we circled to the song talking about loving someone so much they felt stoned. We were alone in the universe. I had no thoughts about the consequence of this kiss, just that it was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to me. When he pulled back, I must have pouted a little, making him chuckle.

  “Haddy is on his way here, and I need to go.” Just like that, I was once again alone in the middle of a camping aisle having just had the most romantic experience ever.

  “Bay, did you get the items for the list yet?” Had stood there for a minute. I saw his mouth moving but didn’t process a word he said. “Uh, hello? Earth to Bayla? Did you get your items yet?”

  “What? Oh, no, not yet. Sorry. I must have spaced.” Sheepishly, I shrugged. I gathered the items quickly and followed Hadraniel to the front to purchase our stuff.

  Declan was already in line with two tents. Hadraniel had the sleeping bags and grills, while I had the lanterns, and fire accelerant. We decided we just needed the very basics.

  “Did anyone come up with something?”

  With that kiss and its implications still reverberating in my brain, I hadn’t thought anymore about how we were going to get them to go camping this weekend. Since the kiss, I had barely thought of anything but that. I needed to get my head in the game, but I could still remember how his lips felt against mine.

  “Let’s tell them I have to go away that weekend. Alissa alone can make the case that we need to move the date so that I will be there.”

  I glared at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. “That will only work if, and only if, you are planning on saying you’re going to be gone for a few weekends.”

  “I can be gone for a few weekends if need be.” His smirking lips didn’t quite irritate me as much as they had.

  “That can work, I suppose.” Hadraniel looked between me and Declan, his expression a little leery.

  “That’s three issues solved, and before noon at that.” Declan declared, looking somewhat proud.

  “Three?” Had asked

  Declan gave a full-blown grin. It made me giggle, but one look from Had shut it down quickly. I didn’t need to be explaining a kiss from Declan to him anytime soon that’s for sure. He would never leave me alone again if that was the case.

  “Three: a place to sleep, when to sleep, and schmoozing with Alissa.” I replied, failing miserably at sounding as annoyed as before.

  I don’t think Hadraniel believed me, but he let it slide for the time being. “Shall we head back to the cottage so Declan can make his lunch date?”

  Back at the cottage, we unloaded our gear, keeping Declan’s items with us. After Declan left, I had time to discuss some other things with Hadraniel without his ever-present demon ears listening in. I grabbed us some sodas and plopped down on the couch, legs criss-crossed facing him. He turned his body to face me.

  “Since we won’t be back here after the camping trip, we need to make sure we pack everything we will need from that point. All of our mission notes and folders need to come with us as well.”

  “I thought about that, too. I also think we need to go the campsite together and hide things we may need should the occasion arise.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like food if we get stuck there a few extra days, swords to fight Declan and Meph, water, first aid kits for the humans.” He slid the swords in there nonchalantly.

  “Why would I need swords?”

  “Not just you”

  “No, you are not fighting. If it comes to that, I am fighting. You are to save Gray and Declan” I said, adamant.

  “Declan? Why would I save Declan?”

  “Oh my Grace!...Have you not figured it out yet? That’s why we have to work with him, I don’t know why, but for some reason we need to make sure he survives this too. You cannot kill Declan.”

  “I’m sorry Bayla, but I have strict commands to ensure that you survive no matter what. If I have to choose between you and Declan, I will choose you.”

  “Haddy, I’m so glad I got to meet you.” There was no point in arguing with this man. He was loyal to a fault, and I appreciated it. It was going to be hard walking away from him when it came time. He would save Declan though, I knew he would. Just as I knew he would give the letters I had planned to write later today to Aniston and Father Paul when he found them.

  “Should we go walk to the grocery store to get the items now or just go do some scouting? I need to have some time later to do a few things alone, but I’m good to go there now.”

  “Let’s go then.”

  The walk to the valley was something I had completed several times. I was beginning to notice familiar areas on the way up where we could stow away some items. I needed to make sure that once we were in the valley, I kept Hadraniel out of sight of the cairn I had created. I didn’t need him to find the hole, or take the chance of him figuring out my plans, especially after his revelation of not saving Declan over me. Because of all his training to be a Blue, Had was not out of breath like I was once we made it to the top. I sat down on a rock to take some nice deep breaths before continuing down into the valley.

  “The
valley was created by an earthquake thousands of years ago. According to Declan, the walking Encyclopedia, the reason it’s the safest place this weekend is because this used to be a cavern in the caving system so there’s no way it’ll sink or split. Declan thinks there’s a possibility that the hill we are standing on may collapse though. You came here scouting before. Did you find any place to set camp that would be far enough away from the hill if it did indeed go with the quake?”

  “I did, actually. You just can’t see it from here; we’ll have to go into the valley to get there. Maybe you can decide if you agree with the spot I selected. You have a more trained eye and the information that Declan provided.”

  I led the way down the path towards the valley. The creek was moving a little quicker than before, making me wonder if the earthquake last night hadn’t changed something with the sinkhole I had found. I needed to find a way to go check on it without Had. There hadn’t been any rain lately that would cause the creek to be moving that fast which meant there had to be a change in the landscape somewhere.

  “This way.” We crossed the creek at a narrow area, too afraid that the quick water might knock us down. “This meadow is the perfect spot because we will have access to the creek as well as be surrounded by trees that will help block any debris from the hillside collapsing, and possibly keep them from knowing what’s going on. I’m fairly sure once they realize what is happening, they’ll want to head back to town to check on everyone. We need to make it as difficult as we can for them to get back. I have an inkling that Meph will be coming while we are in the valley, which may be to our advantage if he does. There would be less people to witness what is going to happen.” We entered into the meadow I’d found last time just as I finished talking about witnesses.

  “Looks like as good a spot as any. It’s got enough space for all of us to put our tents up and still have a place for a fire. Let’s spread out and mark some good places for stowing items away.” Hadraniel reached into his pocket and handed me a piece of chalk, “Here, use this to mark trees or stones, or whatever.”