UNTIL NEXT TIME
THE ANGEL
CHRONICLES
BOOK 1
AMY LIGNOR
Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1
Amy Lignor
Copyright © 2012 by Amy Lignor
Smashwords Edition
Except for the use of short passages for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced, in part or in whole, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, or any information or storage retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover design: Emma Michaels
ISBN: 978-0-9837418-5-5
Tribute Books
PO Box 95
Archbald, Pennsylvania 18403
(570) 876-2416
Email: info@tribute-books.com
Website: www.tribute-books.com
Visit the book’s web site at www.The-Angel-Chronicles.com and email Amy Lignor at amy@tribute-books.com.
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
In the Beginning
I know those cerulean blue eyes.
They belong to Matt, the one created to stand by my side—no matter what, through all eternity. Those eyes will forever haunt me. Even in the lives we have yet to live. But at this moment, I’m overwhelmed by how much they’ve changed; how much darker and colder they’ve gotten since I made my decision.
I’m not going back down.
Matt raises his gleaming sword in the air, ready to attack. The muscles of his hands are pulsing as he grips the steel hilt about to strike. Our blades smash together, and the floor of the fiery pit shakes beneath my feet. In the blink of an eye he lunges again, and I counter quickly, feeling the heat of the flames against my flesh. But nothing burns me as much as the hate and disappointment shining in those now frigid, cobalt eyes.
I want to look up from the pit at our teachers, just to see if they’re going to stop this battle, but as soon as I flick my eyes away from Matt’s face, the finely sharpened metal slashes through my shoulder. His eyes wince at my pain, but he rises up and comes at me again, slashing my wrist. I counter. I know I should aim better; at least, that’s what my teacher would tell me. I should draw blood from Matt, but I can’t. I think I’ve already drawn enough without even trying.
The steel whips through the air, and I block. I’m so tired. Maybe it would be easier to let Matt kill me and get it over with. But then there would be the whole healing process, and I would have to listen to Michael yell at me for not being prepared. I swear, he’s worse than an overprotective mother or enraged Boy Scout leader, and I don’t want to hear it. Besides, I owe Matt this win. He should be allowed to jab, cut, and slice. After all, I did it first. I walked away from him when I fell in love. I didn’t mean to…it just happened. So, I suppose that gives Matt every right to act like a raving lunatic.
Matt executes a parry like a fencing champion, and puts himself in position to win. The flames rise higher around us. They sizzle and groan as they leap up from the pit. It sounds almost like they’re shouting to him, egging Matt on.
I used to love this pit. Our teachers would throw us in here—into the flames—to make us learn the hard way. They told us that when we were sent to save or brutalize humans—depending on what the mission would be—we would need fighting skills. Of course, Matt’s better at fighting than I am. He’s supposed to be; he’s the warrior. I help in other ways as his significant other—up here (and down there). That’s my job. On this team, I’m on the angel side.
The blue eyes flash, and I can see into his soul. He keeps remembering the kiss, and I really wish he’d just forget about it. Even though the craving I have for Jason is still gnawing at me inside, Matt doesn’t need to worry about it.
Jason…the whole thing with him is over. I know Matt is my soulmate, and these feelings I have for Jason will pass. But looking into Matt’s eyes, I can see that all he wants to do is purposely inflict the same amount of pain on me that I unintentionally caused him. In his mind, that’s the only way it’ll be fair.
His sword gleams in the light of the fire. Matt raises his arm and aims directly at the heart I know I don’t have. I should take the blow, but my pride (which I’m not supposed to have, by the way) won’t let me back down without a fight. I feel my wings start to expand. The bright pearl color dances in the corner of my eye as they unfurl. The powerful, mind-numbing pain in my back reminds me of the price I pay for the power I wield, but it seems like a much easier price than losing everything I thought I’d found.
Matt’s handsome face glistens; the sweat drips from his forehead as his ebony wings appear from behind his muscular chest that is covered with scars. I let my double-edged sword fall on the floor, and the flames reach out for it. The scorching heat turns the dagger of death into a warped piece of metal that couldn’t hurt a fly.
I can hear my teacher above me sigh. I can feel him rolling his eyes, and I don’t blame him. He gave the title of angel to a soul who has no idea what it means to carry the pearl wings that weigh down my shoulders.
I have no defense against Matt. But…my sinful pride just won’t let it go. I look into Matt’s hard gaze. I wish I could fix what I’ve done and the choices I’ve made, but I can’t. It’s over. I just don’t feel like dying twice in one week. As the sword comes at me, I open my mouth, and whisper the word done.
The flash of white light dowses the flames around me. All I can hear as I disappear from the pit is Matt shouting, “No!”
Even after everything…I’m still stronger.
***
My wings return to my flesh. I watch the blood dry quickly from my wounds. Up here even my blood is luminescent, like a river of pearls, a shining embodiment of Matt’s anger.
A musty old book sits in front of me on the library table and I know what’s about to happen. I can’t hide from everything, I suppose. Written on the pages is our first story—a time when we couldn’t wait to get out of this place. Our names, Matthew and Emily, are etched in gold on the cover—like a wedding invitation that will never be sent.
I’ve become very cynical in my seventeen human years. My teacher says I’m too young to be so cynical. But historically, isn’t that when all of life’s crap begins? Your first broken heart, your first real mistakes—all the firsts happen when you’re a kid. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be called firsts.
It’s twilight in Heaven now, but the library is packed. All around me are the hushed whispers of partners who long to succeed. I wonder which teams will make it. Who’ll be the next ones to leave? It wasn’t so long ago that I was the gung-ho candidate waiting for the chance to prove myself worthy of the job I was created for. What a joke. They would’ve been better off making me a librarian. I like books. They’re not real, so when you get to the last page and close the cover, nothing bad ever happens. That’s the beauty of fiction.
I look at the other books on the shelves. I can almost hear Shakespeare’s words. They mix with the poetry of Keats, and the dark thoughts of a man called Poe. I like Poe. He understood. That’s one of the facts that I learned from my time down there—the so-called crazy ones—seem to know more about life than everyone else.
Right now, I really want to pull The Raven off the shelf, kick back, and forget about everything. But today, the book in front of me is the only one I’m allowed to read because Matt and I are being sent back down—whether I like it or not. They want me to go back down to the human world with a partner who absolutely despises me.
I look around at the hard workers. I want to shout at them to stop studying. It won’t help. Times have changed down there. They have no idea that they’ll have to fit in by breaking and twisting the rules they are taught to live by up here.
Matt’s dark blue eyes stare at me from the doorway. The anger is still there, but the blood and the sweat have dried. A student walks in front of Matt offering him a smile, then suddenly turns on his heel and runs away. I don’t blame the kid. Matt is sending out a clear and powerful message. He’ll kill anyone who gets in his way.
He marches over to the table, whips out a chair and lets the old wooden legs screech across the marble floor. Referring to my sudden departure from the pit, he yells, “I hate when you do that!”
I just nod.
“You had the nerve to...disappear? You should’ve taken the hit!” He brings his fist down hard on the table. “I did!”
I know whatever I say won’t be good enough.
Matt sulks in his chair, his body rippling underneath his shirt. He’s had so much training that his muscles make him look like a rock formation—completely immovable. “Your free will just sucks,” he mutters.
I nod. I completely agree. It’s like leaving a hungry wolf in a room with a defenseless baby…no good choices are going to be made in that scenario.
I look over at him. Even after all this time together, I’m still stunned by him. I can’t understand why he wants to go back down there. I have no idea how he’s kept his faith in humanity for so long.
“But I can’t help it, I still love you,” he says while lifting his head.
His voice is clear and honest. I sigh. Soulmate—what a dumb word. A soulmate is the eternal partner you have in every lifetime—the one created just for you. Easy concept, right? Unfortunately, what Matt and I didn’t know is that when you’re human, you can fail to recognize your soulmate. You can end up feeling attracted to other people. It’s easy to get all messed up and confused. Hearts are broken fast that way.
Matt reaches across the table. The minute our hands touch; the love, loyalty, friendship, and attraction are so powerful, I can barely breathe. “I love you,” he repeats. “And I know you love me.”
Someday I know that I’ll have to choose between the one I was made for and the one I made a promise to down there…but not today. “You already know I love you,” I answer. “I’ve said that to you since we were ten-years-old.”
His blue eyes sparkle. “Like you love him?”
Thankfully, I don’t have to answer that…yet. Luckily, Gabe and Mike appear out of nowhere causing me to jump out of my chair. “Jesus! What is it with you guys? Can’t you cough, or something?”
Gabe, my teacher, swats my hand. “Watch your mouth, young lady.”
“Sorry about the Jesus thing,” I mutter.
Gabe plunks down in the chair next to Matt. His cool orange and black robes fly out behind him like a Halloween display. “Actually, I was more offended by the ‘you guys’ part. We have names you know,” Gabe says while smiling from across the table.
Looking at Gabe, Mike sighs, “I swear—you’re worse than they are.”
“You shouldn’t swear,” Gabe smirks. “I hear it’s frowned upon up here.”
Matt was starting to laugh at his teacher, the sound quickly fading when he saw Mike’s angry expression. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
Sitting next to me, Mike said, “That was a horrible match. Have you forgotten how to fight?”
“No,” I groaned.
“I’m surprised you’re still alive.”
Turning on him without thinking, I shout, “I’m not!” I immediately hang my head as the teacher that demanded and deserved respect shot me a gaze that would’ve turned any normal being into a pile of dust.
Mike cleared his throat. “You did your jobs well…both times.”
I snorted.
“Okay…well enough,” a sigh could be heard escaping from Mike as he touched the old book in front of him. “However, you do have one more time out. And I know you’ve decided you won’t go back, Emily—but you have to.”
“What about the free will thing?” I reminded him.
Mike simply shrugged. “It’s a gray area.”
I watched Gabe cover his mouth so that his deep, melodious laugh wouldn’t echo across the library.
“We need you both to go back, and this time will be worse,” Mike continued.
“What a shock,” Matt whispered.
Gabe took over before Mike’s eyes popped out of his skull. “Matt, you both lost your heads while you were down there the last time. Now we need you to find a way to work together—no matter what. Hearts…souls…nothing can get in the way this time around.” He lowered his voice. Shooting me a serious glance, he said, “We’re looking at what could be the end. And your partnership is the only thing that may save them all down there. It’s up to the two of you.”
“We remember what happened before,” I said while looking at that horrible book.
Mike interjected, “Your relationship needs to be stronger. It was created to be the strongest union possible.”
Matt’s blue eyes held me in their grasp. “He’s right. I did things that were wrong, too. But Emily, you and I have trained forever for this one last chance down there.”
“And to go forward, you need to get rid of your anger. And in order to do that, you need to go back to the past,” Mike said.
“You sound like a fortune cookie.”
Both Matt and Gabe snickered.
I looked at my teacher’s angry face and put my hand in the air. “Sorry…sorry. Just trying to lighten you up a little bit.”
Mike took a breath and nodded at Gabe. The teachers both rose from their seats as elegantly as eagles taking flight.
Mike’s hand rested on my shoulder. “You and Matt have to do this.”
I nodded. Again, I just didn’t have anything left in me to resist. All he wanted was for me to understand how I’d gotten to this moment—how my first adventure was just the beginning of all these feelings now raging inside me. In the book was the story of the very first time my soul was in someone else’s body. That first time when I had faith, and still believed that the humans down there were actually good.
If I had the ability, I’d puke.
Matt leaned back in his chair, and sighed. He was ready to move on. He was ready to forget the past and forge ahead. Matt could actually forgive—even me—because he somehow believed in that higher power that said everything would be all right. I knew it was impossible for Matt to make this one last trip alone. He would not be successful with a partner stuck inside her head like a lunatic.
I suppose I did need to understand all that went wrong before, so I won’t make the same mistakes again. Soon it’ll be time to go, and the world is a lot angrier now then it was back then.
I opened to the first page of the book. Once upon a time, Matt and I were two innocents. Excited, upbeat, happy and thrilled to be leaving home for the very first time…
Home
“Are you listening to me?” A huge voice shouted from the golden stage, putting a stop to their laughter.
“Put it away,” Emily snarled. She bowed her head and continued to stare at the pristine marble floor.
“I didn’t do anything!” Matt laughed. “You started it.”
The frustrated speaker stepped down from his mighty perch and marched towards them.
Emily quickly reached for the object that her partner in crime was cradling in his hands. “Give it to me. He’s coming,” she squeaked.
“No! Give it to me,” the teacher demanded.
A visible shiver ran down Matt’s spine, as he released the small green item into the archangel’s hand.
“Look at me, Matt,” Michael ordered. “Now!”
Matt’s lower lip trembled as he raised his chin, meeting his teacher’s angry eyes.
“Why do you two insist on behaving like fools? Don’t you know how important this is to both of you?”
Matt stuttered, “But Francis gave him to me. He said I should take care of him so I could learn responsibility.” He quieted, as frustration beamed from Michael’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Michael. I mean…sir.”
Emily glanced up at their teacher. She watched him release a deep sigh and stare down at the small green creature that was now crawling up his arm. The nervous little reptile seemed to be watching his step, carefully avoiding Michael’s long white mane of hair.
The archangel scowled. “I suppose I’ll have to speak to Francis about this. He knew how important this meeting was! I can’t believe he would give you an animal to play with in here.”
The lump under the lizard’s neck bobbed up and down. A small squeak came from its tiny lips, “But I want to go with them.”
Michael’s eyes grew wide, as he stared into the pleading red pupils of the little reptile. “Emily?” His voice grew louder as he glared at her. “You didn’t…”
Her shoulders began to quiver. Tears of apology and fear were erupting inside her like a volcano.
Michael placed his hand beneath her chin giving it a forceful tug. When she met his gaze, she could barely see through her salty tears. Michael’s cheeks turned bright red, as he struggled to keep his voice calm and even. “What exactly have you done? Who is this?” He held up the talking lizard.
“It’s Mark,” she giggled, clasping her stomach with her hands.
“Saint Mark?” Michael screamed. “That’s it!” He grabbed Emily by the ear and pulled her up from the chair. “Both of you come with me,” he ordered. “Now!”
Matt jumped up at the command as Michael turned to address the disapproving faces that filled the room. “I regret to inform you that we seem to be experiencing some difficulties. We’ll be back.”
Michael stopped at the door, grabbed Matt’s ear with his other hand, and led the obnoxious teenagers out of the room.
“Move!”
***
The light brightened and their surroundings immediately began to change. Emily hated this room. With all the mischief she and Matt had caused since birth, it’d become like their second home. She was thrust into a hard wooden chair, as Matt landed with a loud thud in the one beside her. As he reached out to steady himself, the old wood splintered beneath him. “Damn,” Matt whispered, as a piece of wood sliced his hand.
“Don’t you mean darn?” Emily winked.
Michael took his place behind the large oak desk. He certainly looked the part of the angry teacher frustrated with his class clowns. His brows lifted to the top of his forehead. His eyelids closed as he took a deep breath folding his hands in front of him. “I’m only going to ask this once. Yet, somehow, I can’t believe that I should have to ask it at all,” he whispered softly between controlled breaths. “I realize this could be, by far, the dumbest question I’ve ever asked the two of you. But how…exactly…did Saint Mark become a lizard?”
Matt immediately raised his swollen finger pointing it at Emily. “She did it.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Can’t you back me up just once? I had a perfectly good story ready for this.”
Michael raised his hand in the air. “I don’t care who did what. I don’t care where it happened, or even if permission was granted—which I’m quite sure was not!” Emily sat up straighter as Michael’s glare shot through her body like a bolt of lightning. “What I want to know is why a very great man is now…crawling up my robes?”
Emily stared at the lizard that was now sitting on Michael’s shoulder. The reptile gazed at her and shook its small head back and forth. He blinked one of his large eyelids then stuck out his tongue.
Emily smiled. “Well, we,” she began, thrusting her finger in Matt’s direction. “We decided to say goodbye to Francis before we left. You know he’s upset about us leaving and he thinks that we shouldn’t travel alone. Sooo…” Emily pulled out the word, trying to think of any story that would stop the angry red color from spreading across Saint Michael’s face. “Since Francis is already in a bit of trouble anyway for putting the grizzly bear in Gabriel’s room…which I think was a total mistake, by the way.”
Michael waved his hand in the air. It looked like he was trying to erase the sudden picture from his mind of his best friend, who happened to be an archangel, attempting to wrestle a circus animal dressed in a pink tutu.
“Anyway,” Emily sped up, “Saint Mark has been asking to go back down and he also thought that, since this will be our first time and everything, we shouldn’t be by ourselves. So with his permission, Francis and I…helped him out.”
Michael stood up and pounded his fists on the desk. “You aren’t a charmer, Emily! How many times do we have to go over this? That is not your job!”
“I know,” Emily said as she jumped out of her chair. “But you taught me how, and Mark seemed so happy and really wanted to go…”
“That’s enough!” A bright light shot from Michael’s ears, and the room immediately filled with the strange aroma of burning metal mixed, oddly enough, with the pleasant scent of fresh lavender in bloom.
He walked around the edge of the desk, removed the small lizard from his shoulder, and placed it on top of Emily’s head. “This is the most important day of your first life,” he said. “Francis, Gabriel…Saint Lizard…and I, have worked very hard to make sure that you have all the knowledge you’ll need at your disposal. However, this kind of selfish misuse of your skills is not permitted!” Michael crossed his arms. “What if Matt had been the one to do this? Would you have supported him?”
Emily grinned. “Matt couldn’t do it. He tried, and almost blew himself to smithereens. You should’ve been there. It was hysterical.”
Matt joining in with her laughter, raised his hands toward the ceiling. “Poof!”
“This isn’t funny. Both of you go into the Lightning Room and stay there until I come get you.”
Emily shrugged and walked to the door, with Matt following one step behind. She mumbled to the lizard sitting on her head, “What’s up his robes today?”
The lizard belched a small reply, “Young one, you know he’s in charge. There are very important reasons why he yells at you two. He’s worried. He wants to keep you safe.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “I know all that, but we’re excited. We’re young, after all. What does he expect? Besides, he’s the one who made me take all those classes with you to learn this stuff in the first place.”
“Yes, but we all have to learn to use our gifts wisely. Your sense of humor should only shine at the appropriate times. Now go into the room and leave me here to talk some sense into him.”
Emily stopped at the threshold and placed the lizard on the table. She bent down and stared into the wide red eyes. “You’re still coming with us, right?” Her voice cracked, as she felt the first icy fingers of panic tickle her soul.
The lizard flicked his tiny forked tongue against her cheek. “Don’t worry, child. I’ll be there.”
Emily gave a small smile, and reached behind her to take Matt’s hand. She waved her arm in the air and the door disappeared, allowing the partners to pass through the mist into the Lightning Room.
“You’ll kiss a lizard, but not me,” Matt whispered. “There’s something seriously wrong with you.”
“He’s cuter than you.”
The mist evaporated, and the heavy wooden door took its place behind them.
***
Michael walked back to his desk and stared at the reptile perched on the table. “Why do you encourage this childish behavior—especially on this, of all days? They’re eighteen. They’re supposed to act like adults now!”
Saint Mark closed his thin, see-through eyelids. The scales on his body quivered, as his small tail began to jerk back and forth. “They have to release the stress somehow. They need a little fun.”
The archangel shook his head. “Fun? I thought we were teaching them how to survive. What’s fun about…?” He rolled his eyes at the smiling lizard. “Will you please speak to me as He intended? I find it very difficult to have a conversation with you in this…state.”
A small snort came from the tiny nostrils as Mark coiled his tail around his body and stretched his neck toward the ceiling. A sickening melody of bones cracking took over the room, as the tail transformed into two feet and the spine grew straight and tall. The large eyes moved closer together, and the green scales slowly mutated back to smooth, amber skin. The shape of a man was almost complete, ending as Mark’s wispy brown hair grew from the top of his head and fell down the back of his dark green robe.
Mark lifted his chin to meet Michael’s gaze; his smile turned into a grimace. “Remind me never to go that small again.” The younger man limped slowly to the wooden chair. He waved his hand over it, transforming the hard object into a soft leather couch, and sat down.
Michael let out a scream that made the walls shutter.
The door disappeared immediately allowing the Archangel Gabriel to enter the room. He was a large man, huge compared to the other two. His features spoke of many battles; the scar tissue from numerous fights was proudly displayed. His black hair was cut short, and his small spectacles looked strangely out of place on his large, angular face.
Gabriel carried a book made of black marble and an intensely annoyed expression. He waved his hand over the other wooden chair, and sat down on the tall, metal stool that appeared. He offered his longtime partner a glare. “Couldn’t you just call? Must you always summon me with that awful scream? I feel like we’re working for the other side when you do that. It’s creepy.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “I’ll try harder next time.”
Gabriel set the book down. “Well, it’s finished. The shells are ready and it’s time for them to go.”
Michael drew his brows together, and felt a thin line of sweat appear above his upper lip. “Is Matt ready for battle?”
“A bit too ready, I’m afraid. He’s worked hard. He’s honed every skill and fought every challenge. He’s a young warrior in his prime.” Gabriel sighed. “He’s ready, but he’s not the one I’m concerned about…and you know it.”
“We’ve been through all this before. Emily is a bit more dominant than he is, but this is expressly what the boy asked for. You seem to forget that he chose to be a warrior.” Michael’s voice grew nervous. “He’ll be able to protect her. I know he will.”
“There’s a part of him that’s as black as night, Mike,” Gabriel said as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Maybe even darker than mine.”
“Don’t worry, old friend.” Michael smiled. “No one is as far gone as you. Not even an angry teenager.” He turned his attention to Mark who was resting his legs comfortably over the armrest of the couch. The eyes of the saint darted back and forth as he stared up at the ceiling. Michael looked on while Mark used his eyes like an artist uses a brush. A rainbow of colors appeared, as he created a picture above their heads.
“What about it, Mark?” Michael asked, taking a quick glimpse at the lovely landscape of flowers now blooming on his ceiling.
Mark brought his head down, and the creation of the beautiful painting stopped as his magical brushes suspended their work. “Emily’s ready. Like her partner, she’s more than ready. Of all the ones we’ve trained, I believe their partnership will prove the most useful for gathering information.”
“Yes,” Michael agreed. “But will they be all right? Or, will they simply return too soon?”
Mark’s emerald eyes twinkled. “They all return. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. They have a lot to do and a long way to go. But Matt will protect her, and she in kind; the ties they use to fight will be the ties that bind.”
Michael dropped his face in his hands. “I hope that the charms you taught her work better than that, or this whole thing is going to be a big fat waste of time.”
Mark laughed. “Don’t worry, she’s much brighter and better at it than I am. The souls that He made are good ones—far better than ours.”
Gabriel grunted.
Mark reached over and patted his hand. “I don’t mean better fighters, my warrior friend. I mean they’re pure. They haven’t been touched by the pain of human life.” He looked over at Michael, and his voice grew deeper. “This isn’t a mistake. They can make the world a better place; the place we always thought it could be. I believe that Emily and Matt will be the catalyst; the team that’ll succeed.”
“I worry about them,” Michael said. “Do they have any idea what fate has in store, I wonder?”
Gabriel and Mark looked at the fear gleaming in Michael’s eyes. “They know everything they need to know, my friend,” Gabriel said. “The rest they’ll just have to figure out over time.”
Michael nodded. The earlier excitement of the occasion drained from his soul. Taking its place was the fear of a father who was sending his son and daughter out into the cruel, cold world. “There’s still so much we don’t know, and I only want the best for Matt and Emily.”
Michael looked back up at the ceiling, joining Mark in his work. The painting now stretched out as far as the eye could see. The landscape of the dark green valley was painted lovingly with Mark’s emerald eyes. He brought the lush moors to life, as Michael added his own brush to create a blue, winding river and an ocean that lay off the dark, treacherous cliffs that Gabriel’s black eyes had added to the portrait.
Suddenly, yellow appeared. Brilliant sunshine was cast over a small, brown cabin resting on a quiet hill. Michael could feel the light’s warmth as it illuminated the dark shadows making the picture peaceful and serene.
Michael smiled, as he and the other heavenly entities bowed their heads to the real painter at work in the room. “Amen,” the trio spoke.
“It’s time,” Michael whispered.
With a soul full of worry for his beloved students, Michael waved his hand in front of the door as he led the heavenly saints through the mist.
Emily picked up one of the wands scattered across the floor and touched the tip of it to the slate-covered wall. Her lightning chalk went screaming across the board, as a flash of colored light shot across the dark room.
She loved this place. She knew it was supposed to make her feel alone—that was the punishment. The darkness was supposed to make her think of what she’d done wrong, but she’d never felt that way in here. When Mark was her mentor, she had learned from him, very early on, that colors were even more vibrant when created in the absence of light.
She waved the wand around producing vivid stripes of color, and with every stroke she made a new image spring to life. The bright red and orange flares shot through the room like a river of fire. Picking up two more wands, Emily watched the pale blue and soft lavender ribbons react with the heat from the fiery colors. As they met, an explosion of amber and green cascaded around her body.
She squealed with delight. “Matt, look! I’ve made a rainbow!”
Matt snorted. “So what? You always make a rainbow. What else is new?”
“What’s the matter with you? Michael wasn’t that mad. It was just a joke.”
“It wasn’t funny. What if they’re in there right now changing their minds? What if they decide we can’t go?” He paused as fear caused his voice to crack.
“Do you really think we went through all that training—the warrior classes, the angel tests, the rescues—just for them to shelve us now?”
“Shelve us? We’re not an experiment, Emily!” Matt yelled back. “You make us sound like we’re scientific robots…like those visions we saw.”
“Aren’t we?” Emily spun around in circles; the wands creating a flaming halo above her head. Her soul felt like it was ready to explode. The years leading up to this journey seemed endless; all the meetings and tests that were drummed into her head had felt like endless torture as she waited for this moment to arrive.
She was so eager that she barely heard Matt crying behind her. Rolling her eyes at the familiar sound, she used her bright, burning wand to find him in the darkness.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. Emily could handle her friend’s fears, quiet his anger, and enjoy his amazing humor, but she still couldn’t take his tears. “I’m sorry…really.”
Sitting down beside him, Emily took the softest wands she could find and circled them over his head. The brilliant turquoise and peach sparks illuminated the small corner of the room.
Matt waved his hand in front of his face, drying his tears. Emily understood her partner well. She knew when she could tease him, and when her words would simply embarrass him. After all, Gabriel had told her that Matt was a young man now, and he certainly didn’t want to cry in front of her anymore. Emily knew that Gabriel had been teaching her warrior partner ‘manly’ things, trying to make Matt understand the strange ideas that supposedly ran through all male beings down there.
Emily was slightly jealous of these classes she was forbidden to witness. They certainly had consumed her partner’s mind. In what felt like the blink of an eye, he’d gone from playing tag in the fields with her to sitting in the grass asking her to recite Mark’s poetry. She’d also noticed lately that his blue eyes would sometimes grow dark and haunted, studying her with a new intensity that she still didn’t understand. But every time she’d asked him about the sudden change, he’d simply offer a mysterious smile and turn away. She constantly wondered why he was trying to hide things from the one and only person created to see deep down into his soul.
“I just don’t like the dark, is all,” Matt replied quickly.
“It’s not dark, so don’t worry about it. And don’t worry about them. They’ll let us go. They have to. We’ve been called. It’s our time,” Emily stated, as she continued to twirl the colors above Matt’s golden-brown hair.
“You scared?” he whispered.
“Scared of everything, you know that,” Emily giggled. “But excited, too. There’s so much down there. I want to be a part of everything—everything good, anyway.”
Matt spoke softly, “I like it here…with you.”
“But just think of all the things we can do down there,” Emily continued in a wistful voice. “There won’t be anyone telling us what to do, which way to go, or how to act. We’ll be free.”
“Yeah…free to fail. What if we mess it all up?”
Emily stopped twirling the wands and let the colors melt into the blackness. “Well, if we mess up, we’ll learn more, which means they’ll learn more. As long as we do our job, we’ll be okay. Besides, we’ll always have each other. You’ll protect me and I’ll protect you. It’ll be us against the world. Deal?”
Matt reached through the darkness pulling her close. She felt a sudden strange warmth erupt inside her.
He whispered, “Deal.”
Flames shot from lightning wands across the room and Emily jumped. She stared into Matt’s eyes, now filled with mischief.
He winked. “Just think of all the trouble we can cause.”
Emily’s laugh was cut short as heavenly white mist replaced the solid door. She stood up quickly to face her magical family.
Michael’s voice was low. “It’s time to go.”
Emily took Matt’s hand as they followed the large men up the glass hallway to the Council Chamber. She looked over at her partner’s happy face, as he stared around the enchanted passageway. Emily knew that he loved the bright path as much as she enjoyed the exquisite darkness of the Lightning Room. In fact, she could no longer count the number of times she’d found Matt pacing this hall; his eyes widening as storm clouds shot bright strips of light across the floor releasing rumbles of thunder that echoed off the fragile walls.
Gabriel turned around and touched her partner’s shoulder. “You’ll do fine, Matt. Just remember your aim is always to protect. Use your best judgment in all situations, and understand that humans can sometimes make bad decisions because of how strongly they feel about things. Anger is the enemy. It can cloud issues and make people do unspeakable things. So can love. True love is the most powerful thing, but it can prevent a man from seeing clearly. All the emotions we’ve talked about, you’ll feel now. Make sure that you choose your path carefully. If you get confused…just call me. I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”
Matt nodded as thunder erupted through the glass chamber.
Emily stepped away from them, waiting for her own teacher’s words of advice.
Mark came close bowing his head to speak to her. As he continued to whisper, Emily could hardly believe what she was hearing. As her forehead tightened, anger flew from her lips, “What do you mean? All the hours, all the classes—we did them together. How would we not know?”
Mark put his arm around her shoulders. “Your memories you cannot take with you. If you were allowed to keep them, then all of the decisions that you make will be ours and not your own.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “If you go into this knowing what and who you are, Emily, then the information you bring back will be shrouded in your training. It will be useless. We need to know how you and Matt handle the emotions…the trials…the world as it is down there. We need to know how to fix things—through your eyes.”
“So we are an experiment?” Emily pulled away from Mark’s grip and shouted at the leader of the group. “Is that it, Michael?”
Michael offered her a troubled stare. “You are souls, Emily. You have a job to do. You’re being placed into human shells. These shells were supposed to do great things, important things, but their souls left too early to complete their tasks. Your spirits are going down to take over, to do what needs to be done. And you and Matt will solve these situations with as little violence as possible.
“You both can stop bad things from happening and turn them around. But always remember that the human shells you’ll be in are vulnerable. Not even your unlimited powers can save them if something bad happens. You are not an experiment, Emily. You’re a human angel.”
She bowed her head. “You have a ton of angels. They go out and help all the time…every minute of the day. Why this? Why would you take him away from me?”
Turning away from Gabriel, Matt’s eyes darted back and forth from his partner to their teacher. His confused voice suddenly filled the hallway. “Take who away?”
“You,” Emily stated. “When we’re sent down today, you won’t know who I am down there. We won’t know what we are. They’re taking our memories away.”
“What?” Matt gasped. “Why? I need her!”
Emily jumped at the intensity in her partner’s voice.
“We were made for each other.” Matt’s face turned red. “I mean…we’re a team.”
Michael raised his hands in the air. “Wait! Children, you have to understand this. You will be together. You’ll also have certain…gifts…that will go with you. But the situations, the choices that you make have to be yours and yours alone. What you do and how you handle life will be completely up to you.” He looked at Emily. “You’re brand new. You have human gifts up here and you’ll have your angelic gifts down there. You will play by a set of rules different from humans. You have immense power and understanding and, better than that, you’ve been offered the chance to have a life.”
“Life?” Matt sounded confused. “Our lives are here.”
Gabriel cut in. “This,” he said, swinging his arms around the hallway. “This is an afterlife. A real life—with opportunities both good and bad—is waiting for you and Emily down there. You’ll have the freedom to be whatever you want, and go wherever you wish. The information you gather will aid our quest to understand humanity. Perhaps you will uncover why such painful things are happening down there. We hope you’ll serve as a map to peace.”
Emily turned and hugged Mark, swallowing her childish tears. She then went to Gabriel and did the same. As she approached Michael, she stopped before him and bowed.
He reached his hand below her chin, raising her eyes to meet his. “Use your time wisely. This is your life, but know that it is the first among many.”
Emily nodded. “We’ll do our best.”
“I know you will.”
Turning to the silver door, Michael waved his hand, leading the huddled group through the mist.
Emily was grateful for Matthew’s strong, comforting grip as they followed Michael into the chamber where the members of the Council awaited their historic journey. She could barely breathe as they were led to the stage. Emily searched the familiar faces. As her friends and teachers met her gaze, a mixture of sadness and loss filled the quiet room.
“Bow your heads and close your eyes,” Michael ordered quietly.
Emily took one last look at Matt, her best friend, and felt powerful sparks of energy flow through their clasped hands.
Matt’s words were determined and strong. “I’ll always know you. There’s no need to worry about that.” He smiled before closing his eyes.
Emily’s brain knew what he said was true. She could never forget Matt. If nothing else, she would surely remember his cerulean blue eyes. They were the color of the thin line that separated the ocean from the sky. His gaze was that brilliant horizon that kept her steady so she never got lost in the wide majesty of the stars, or the treacherous depths of the ocean. Their souls were one, keeping each other on the right course, oblivious to the rest of the world.
“Wait!”
Emily heard a familiar voice cry out. She opened her eyes to see Saint Francis rush into the room. His long white hair flew out behind him like a crown of feathers as he ran towards her, clutching a small black and white bundle in his arms.
All the eyes in the room seemed amused, as they watched the old man scurry forward under Michael’s impatient gaze. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but I forgot to give something to Emily,” Francis sputtered, as he held a furry object out to her.
She glanced up at Michael’s towering figure.
“Do I even want to know who this is?” Michael sighed, as he stared down at the squirming ball of fur.
Francis tilted his head to the side, placing the creature into Emily’s outstretched arms. “Who? It’s not a who, Michael. It’s an it.”
“Okay, what is it?” Michael asked, continuing to scan the small ball of fur for any sign of trickery.
“Oh, for His sake, Mike, it’s only a cat.” Francis laughed, patting both Emily and the cat on the head before rushing back down the aisle.
Michael rolled his eyes. “Okay, let’s try this again.”
The chiming of bells filled the room, making Emily’s ears hum. She knew it was happening. Matt’s hand disappeared from hers, and she hugged the agitated cat closer, feeling the sudden power of two strong arms enveloping her soul. They held her softly as they raised her into the air. She felt…peaceful. Like she was floating through a lovely summer sky. Colors illuminated the backs of her eyelids as an emerald green landscape appeared with a small, brown cabin resting on top of a hill. A beautiful blue river wound its way across the moors toward dark cliffs that towered over an angry looking ocean.
Two young women came into view. They were sitting outside the door of a small cabin. One was lying down; her red hair was spread out across the grass like a fan of fire. Her eyes were closed and her face looked deathly pale. The other young woman hovered over the lifeless body; her mouth wide open as if she were screaming.
Suddenly Emily felt the warm arms release her as she began to drop closer and closer to the sleeping body. A rush of cold air entered her lungs and hot blood flowed through her veins. As Emily struggled to open her eyes, a bucket of icy cold water was thrown in her face.
Ireland, 1810
Liz sat up and gasped for air, letting the cold water bring her back to the land of the living.
Above her, Faith screamed; her face was a mask of panic and fear. “Are you all right?” she shouted. “Elizabeth, speak to me!”
Liz blinked against the brightness of the setting sun. “Stop screaming. You’ll have the whole blasted county up here.”
Faith dropped to her knees.
“What happened?” Liz spoke softly. Her head was pounding; her brain was completely fuzzy.
“You blacked out again. I told you I would get the food ready. Why don’t you just rest once in a while?” Faith shook her head; her long brown hair whipping around her angry face.
Liz reached out and patted her shoulder. “Sorry.”
Standing up in a huff, Faith threw her hand away. “That’s what you always say,” she grumbled, as she marched through the door of the small cabin.
Liz sat on the warm grass, willing the darkness to fade. The memory of what happened during her blackout felt like it was hidden right inside her head, but she just couldn’t reach it. How annoying. But the wave of peace that washed over her now was truly extraordinary.
She reveled in the waning warmth of the sun as it slowly retreated across the hillside. The heady scent of fresh lavender that filled her nostrils was rejuvenating, and she tried to stand.
After the fog in her brain began to clear, Liz looked down at her dripping clothes. She sighed. Talk about a mess. Her gray peasant dress was already too large for her small size, and now it felt like a huge, wet blanket. Her white apron was covered with grass stains and her dark red curls hung damp and heavy down her back. As she stood there for a minute the dizziness finally disappeared, and she walked through the open door.
When she crossed over the threshold, the surroundings of the cabin caused a strange shot of panic to hit her between her stark, black eyes. It almost felt as if the place that she’d lived in her whole life was suddenly a brand new sight to behold. Her brain went into overdrive, as if she’d just woken up from a long, drawn-out coma.
The bar was to her left; the dark wood carved with all the drawings that were special to the Irish people. The saints and sinners of the old religion were represented with well-known fairies and sprites dancing all around them. Liz vaguely remembered her friends coming in and helping her put together this beautiful work of art. It’d become known as the ‘altar’ of the town, where the men could come and tell their stories. At the moment, Faith was standing behind it, stacking mugs in neat little rows as she readied the place for the evening ahead.
A strange feeling weighed heavily on Liz’s soul. It was as if she’d just walked into this place for the very first time, yet somehow she knew every crack and crevice of the cabin.
She looked over her shoulder into a small kitchen. Glazed bowls sat on the counter, and a line of well-used pots and pans hung from hooks in the ceiling. They looked like a metallic rainbow of copper, brass, and iron. As they moved together in the breeze coming from the open door, their soft chimes rang throughout the room. Liz inhaled the mouth-watering aromas of freshly baked bread and vegetable stew, just waiting to feed the hungry crowd that was about to arrive.
Directly in front of her was the fireplace; the logs were already burning and the flames jumped around inside the grate like happy leprechauns. A weathered rocking chair sat off to the side, waiting for her to sit down. Staring at the comfortable chair, Liz felt the familiar scene invade her mind, and she finally began to relax.
Faith moved silently around Liz and began taking the chairs off the tabletops. Her mouth was still set in a frown as she concentrated on her work.
“What day is it?” Liz asked.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Faith mumbled. “What’s wrong with you? It’s Friday and everyone will be here soon.” She turned to Liz. “Go up to the loft and pull yourself together,” she ordered. “You’re as white as a vampire. You don’t want to scare everyone again, do you?”
Liz shook her head and walked over to the ladder. When her trembling legs reached the top, she saw two worn beds covered with quilts that she somehow knew her mother had made. She sat down fast and put her head on the pillow, as sudden memories exploded in her mind.
She’d been ten-years-old when she’d stood in the closet and listened to the screaming. Her mother’s cries and the sound of her father’s heavy footsteps as he paced the floor waiting for his son to be born—were all Liz could remember hearing. But the celebration never came. When the midwife went on her way, Liz’s mother failed to make another sound.
“The Lord wanted them both,” her father had whispered. “He needs the good ones to be angels for him up above.”
Liz had watched him kiss the hand of the woman he’d loved. But it was only a short time later when Liz heard him down below cursing the same Lord he’d just defended.
Liz walked to the bed and sat beside her mother, releasing a scream so loud that the angels in Heaven should’ve fallen through the clouds. She’d hated them at that moment; every single one of them, who felt that they needed her mother more than she did.
Her scream had been so deafening, that Liz never even heard the gunshot that took her father’s life.
Liz shook her head and sat back up. Even after all these years, the memory was still too painful to relive. Besides, she should spend her time being grateful, not angry. The townspeople had taken it upon themselves to help her. After that horrible night, they fed her and kept her safe. Her friends and neighbors provided all the love she ever needed. Yet even though she’d be eighteen in a few months, her hatred for those so-called ‘angels’ had grown with each passing year.
Then, the blackouts started. Liz couldn’t remember how old she was when she’d first fainted dead away, but the spells had grown in number over the years. Night after night, Liz had found herself begging the angels that she hated to take her away—to let her join her mother and father. She’d apologized again and again for her anger and promised to make amends if they would just allow her entrance into their world. But…they hadn’t listened.
As time passed, Faith had walked into her life becoming the friend who would mend her broken dreams. Faith became a runaway at fifteen. She never spoke about where she came from. Four years ago, she’d simply appeared at the door and asked to stay. Liz remembered not having a second thought about the request, and over the last couple of years these two damaged girls formed a friendship that ensured their survival.
At the beginning, the blackouts had scared Faith. Liz had remained calm, telling her the episodes were her punishment for the hatred she’d shown to the angels. But she never told Faith about the bruises that appeared on her skin in the night, or the blood that stained her pillow after one of her strange spells. But this occurrence, Liz thought, was the strangest of them all. After today’s episode she felt lighter somehow, like the weight on her soul had been magically removed. Perhaps the angels had finally forgiven her for her angry words.
“Are we open for business, lass?” Sean shouted from down below.
Faith’s laughter broke through Liz’s haunted thoughts. Breaking out of her stupor, she reached up and pulled a dress from the shelf, fastened a crisp white apron around her small waist, and placed a matching ribbon in her hair. Taming her mass of soft red curls, she pulled her hair away from her face, and pinched her cheeks to replace some of the lost color. Drying her tears, Liz started down the ladder.
“Good evenin’ to you, Sean,” Liz said as she went to give the old man a kiss.
“My, but this is the prettiest place in all of Ireland, child.” Sean grinned. “What better place for an old man to come and rest his tired bones.”
Liz walked behind the bar to pour her neighbor a drink. “Are you hungry, Sean?”
Setting his large body on the stool, Sean added a wink to his relaxed sigh. “Just dry, Elizabeth. The fields were as mean as an unmarried harlot today. A few of these and I’ll be ready to be just as mean to her.”
The front door opened and other villagers began their happy trek into their favorite establishment.
Faith laughed. “Come in and take a seat, friends. The work is over for the week. The ale is cold, the bread is warm, and I’m in rare form tonight.”
The men laughed and cheered. They seemed to love the warmth of the small local pub and the humor of the outspoken girl.
Liz played the perfect hostess, speaking to everyone and greeting the strangers with the same amount of kindness and interest as the regulars. She overheard the stories being woven by Sean, the county’s ‘great communicator.’ He began delivering the same fairy tales that’d been told for as long as she could remember, and as she listened Liz grew peaceful inside. These people made life worth living. And the brightest of the lot had just arrived.
She watched Daniel stride through the door with the excited step of a man without a care in the world. The wind rushed at his broad back, ruffling his golden-brown hair. The strapping seventeen-year-old had a truly handsome face, but when he unleashed his spectacular smile, the world—and most young girls’ hearts—stopped in their tracks.
Back straight and head held high, Daniel gave off a charm and elegance that Liz knew the hard-working farmers couldn’t quite match. He was the epitome of someone who deserved more than a quiet, simple life in a quiet, simple village.
It certainly didn’t hurt that Daniel was hysterically funny with a one-of-a-kind sparkle in his eye, but so far he hadn’t set out to charm any particular lady. In fact, besides Liz and Faith, Daniel never tried to get to know any girl—a point that Liz wished with all her heart she could change. She wanted so badly for him to find true love.
“Daniel,” Liz called out. “Could you please make the fire larger? We’ll need it if that wind brings in a good old Irish storm tonight.”
Practically hopping to her side, Daniel leaned down and kissed her cheek. “We could make our own fire, Liz the Lovely—with enough light to illuminate all of Achill Sound.”
“Ah, there’s that imagination I love,” Liz laughed. “You should be writing poetry, boy, not harvesting crops. Even though I’m sure the romantic candlelight from our kiss would burn through the night, I’m more of the roaring inferno type,” Liz said as she sent him a wink before heading back to serve and greet her patrons.
Faith, who was chatting with the regulars, tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder sending a smile in Daniel’s direction. “Candlelight’s just fine with me, luv. Maybe we can make a spark later on.”
Daniel’s sudden blush made Liz laugh out loud. “Stop badgering the customers, Faith. Your job is to feed our hard-working neighbors—not fondle them.”
Faith raised an eyebrow. “My fault, gentlemen, so sorry for the wait. Can I get anyone anything? The drinks are on Liz!” She smiled, as she moved on to the next young man waiting patiently for her attention.
Daniel raced to the bar, propelled himself up with one arm and kissed Faith’s cheek. “If Liz is buying, I say keep them coming.”
Laughing, Faith pushed him down on the stool. She leaned toward him and began telling him about her long, hard day.
Liz heard her best friend’s tone and tried not to roll her eyes. This was a familiar tale filled with drama and hope, as if Faith was just waiting for one of her many gallant suitors to rise up and offer her a way out of her daily grind.
As the customers received their food and spirits, they settled back to relax for a few hours. Goodness knows the people of Achill never received much time to relax working from dawn until dusk.