"That's reasonable for the first year, but sixteen?" I said sarcastically. "I mean seriously, for an imposing Archangel, you sure can be a wimp," I teased.
"Coming from a mere Guide, I do not take that as an insult," he teased which shocked the heck out of me.
"Was that good old human sarcasm?" I asked, laughing hysterically.
"Was that not an appropriate time?"
"Heck yeah it was, but The Light's not going to let you keep hanging out with me if I'm corrupting you," I said, still laughing.
He shot me another rare smile. "You are similar to her in many ways you know," he said.
"I am?" I asked, all laughter gone as I got a rare insight into Mark's mom.
"Yes. She was filled with light, just as you are. Always quick to smile and laugh, but could get… sassy, as you call it," he continued, trying out the new word I had taught him a couple days ago.
"Hey, I'm not sassy," I said smirking at him. "What else was she like?"
My question sparked a floodgate of enthusiasm from Haniel. Suddenly, he began to talk non-stop about Mark's mom in a tone more animated than I had ever heard from him. For the first time ever, I forgot that he was some mystical being that had been mingling between the earthly and heavenly realms for centuries. Seeing an Archangel talk about something with such passion was an experience in itself. His very essence sparkled like a diamond and the pure joy radiating off him was overwhelmingly contagious. His love was tangible and I drank it in like a tonic, awakening the section of my heart that had been numb for so long. There was none of the lost and lonely feelings of jealousy I seemed to feel around my friends lately. Instead, I was somehow inspired and completely drawn in by Haniel's display of affection.
Chapter 8
"We better join the others," he finally said, looking at the setting sun.
"Wow, what time is it?" I asked, glancing at my watch. "Oh
my gosh
, it's almost five o'clock," I said, shocked that we had been talking for hours. I felt guilty for leaving my friends for so long. I hadn't thought about poor John once the entire afternoon.
"He is well," Haniel said, picking the words from my head.
"Okay good. I still feel bad though. I should've been back at the camp helping out."
"Your help was unnecessary. They have been busy strategizing tomorrow's attack on Victor's compound."
Suddenly I was irritated. Had Haniel betrayed me by deliberately keeping me away from the others the entire afternoon?
"Krista, I do not use ploys," Haniel said quietly. "Today was rare for me. If anyone neglected their duties, it was I. I allowed myself to interact like a human, forgetting my responsibilities."
"Haniel, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm glad we talked today. Acting human is okay, believe me," I said, feeling ashamed of myself. Haniel had opened up and I corrupted it with my own selfishness.
"I understand your frustrations Krista, but you must understand, 'The Light' only wishes to protect you."
"Why did he let me come then?"
"Your Gifts were necessary to protect the others."
"So, I'm like some kind of shield now?" I asked sarcastically.
"Yes," he answered, not bothering to sugarcoat it. "Would you have preferred to let your Band handle the situation themselves?" He continued, making his point clear.
"No," I answered quietly. Without me, my friends would have died the previous night, and even if they had somehow survived the bug swarm, John would have surly died from the bear attack.
We walked the rest of the distance in silence as the responsibility of my Band members settled on my shoulders. We were just about back to the campsite when I finally asked the question that had been bugging me. "If I'm supposed to protect them then why am I being excluded from the rescue mission?"
"The Light is unsure of the situation surrounding Victor's compound. The Dark One has shrouded the entire site in darkness and The Light does not want to risk your life when we go in blind."
"So, my friends and family are indispensible?" I asked indigently.
"Not indispensible, but their lives are less precious than yours," he said in his normal spare-no-feelings kind of way.
"That's ridiculous," I said, stomping ahead of him.
My sour mood lasted only about as long as it took to arrive back at the camp. Seeing my friends sitting around chatting warmed my heart, especially John and Kieran who were lost in each other's arms on the far side of the campsite.
"How's he doing?" I asked Shawn and Sam as I sat down next to them on one of the rough logs.
"Much better.
You'd never guess he was mauled by a frikin bear earlier," Sam said, not even bothering to hide her awe.
"So now you can walkie-talkie with Archangels too?" Shawn teased, nudging me.
"Yeah, I guess so. It's more like a paging thing. I just called for him in my mind and I knew he was on his way."
"That's freaking awesome Sis."
I shrugged my shoulders, trying to be blasé, but I had a hard time keeping a straight face.
"Nice try, but even you can't deny
it's
way cool," Sam said, laughing at my attempt.
"It is pretty cool, and it did help today," I said, looking at John meaningfully. "So, Haniel said you guys are heading in tomorrow night," I said, changing the subject.
"That's the plan. Haniel will accompany us once we hit the base of Victor's lair."
"I wonder what his plan is for me," I speculated.
"You're supposed to head back to the cars. That's our rendezvous point in case anything goes wrong," Shawn said.
I nodded my head. It made sense. "What about the campsite?"
"Once everything is over, we'll hike back up here to break it all down if we're still alive," Shawn said.
His words hit me like a truck. It was insane to think that by the time tomorrow night ended, I could be all alone.
The injustice of the whole situation made me so angry. It wasn't supposed to be this way.
What good are my so-called gifts to my friends if they're going in alone?
I thought with a burning rage that consumed every available piece of my soul.
First, Victor takes Mark, and now my friends may lose their lives also? How am I supposed to continue living if that happens?
My hands began to shake uncontrollably and all I could see were blurred images.
"Krista, can you hear me, what is it?" I could hear the faint sound of Sam's voice and felt my brother's hand on my arm. "Ow, damn!" He jerked away as I was finally brought back to consciousness from Shawn yelping in pain from the blazing touch of my rage infused skin.
And just like that, the fire was gone. As quickly as it had engulfed me, I was able to snuff it out.
"Damn Krista. What the Hell was that?" Shawn asked, cradling his sore hand.
I didn't answer him, but instead turned to Haniel who was studying me intently.
"Another side effect of my hybrid status?" I asked confused. He simply nodded without saying a word.
"That was bad ass," Shawn said, still shaking his hand.
"Sorry about that. What did it feel like?" I asked curiously.
"Like I had been burned by an iron, but look, you left no mark," he said, holding his hand up for me to inspect.
I stepped closer, reaching out to grab his palm. My feelings were hurt when he stepped back away from me. "I have it under control. I won't hurt you again," I said quietly.
"Sorry, it's just reflexes," he said, ruffling my hair. "What was all that about?" he asked, directing the question to Haniel.
"Krista's body is rapidly changing to accommodate her new gifts. Her emotions are now expressed differently than others."
"Great, you mean now every time I feel any kind of emotion it's going to be like a bomb going off or something?" I griped.
"Not exactly; however, your influence can be felt by a mere touch of your hand. Humans only have the ability to express the superficial effects of their emotions. Such as, crying when you are sad or shouting when you are angry. Your gift, Krista, is an ability to express your emotions as a tangible force, the effects of which can be measured physically. Judging by Shawn's reaction when touching you a moment ago, it is safe to assume you were angry. This is a virtue, Krista, not a punishment. When you realize the positive impact you are capable of with your gifts, you will fully understand your potential."
I nodded my head, understanding his point.
"When will I stop getting new gifts?" I asked, feeling like a freak.
"You are not receiving new gifts, only discovering what you have become."
"What do you mean what she has become?" Jaime asked, stepping up to stand beside me. "Isn't she a Guide like the rest of us?"
"No, she is no longer a Guide. She is now what The Light refers to as
Ascended.
She ascended from her role that she was created for into what she has become."
"So, I am a freak?" I asked in a strangled voice.
"Freak?"
Haniel asked, rolling the foreign word off his tongue.
"Like a leper," I said, trying to paint a picture he could understand.
"A leper?"
He asked in an alarmed voice. "No, Krista, you are not a freak or a leper. As I have stated before, you are a gift. As an Ascended, you are only one Heavenly Realm below an Archangel, which is why your powers are similar to mine."
"Well, I don't have the whole mind reading thing," I pointed out.
"That is incorrect. This is merely another gift you have not yet realized."
"You mean she'll be able to read everyone's minds?" Lynn questioned.
"When she chooses to fully accept what she has become, yes."
"That's so frikin' cool, Krista," Lynn said, looking at me like I had sprouted angel wings.
"Yeah, I guess," I said, not entirely sure how I felt about my new status. Reading minds sounded cool, but did I really want to know what everyone was thinking.
"It's totally awesome," Sam said, practically jumping with glee. "Too bad we're still not in school, we could have had some serious fun with that," she continued mischievously.
Her words made us all laugh and soon everyone else was throwing out their own suggestions, each one becoming more and more outrageous. I watched from the corner of my eye as Haniel quietly left the camp. I was tempted to call him back and ask him the one question that still lingered inside me, but I fought the urge, scared of what his answer would be.
Dinner was more quiet and subdued as we ate the most delicious stew I had ever tasted. It had been slow cooking over the fire the entire day. I wolfed down two bowls before my friends' had finished their first. Skipping breakfast and lunch had left me famished and the savory flavor and heartiness of the stew filled my grumbling stomach.
I watched my friends closely while I ate. I could feel their gambit of emotions over what they would be facing the following night. I used my new powers to smother out their erratic feelings and calm the mood. My interference did the trick and all the tension seemed to float away. Lynn smiled at me gratefully, knowing full well I was responsible for lifting the weight off their shoulders. I returned her smile, rising from my spot to rinse out my bowl with the water we had stowed in jugs and stored by the campfire.
Sam and Lynn joined me with a stack of bowls they had collected. We made quick work rinsing them out and drying them off.
"You girls ready?" Robert asked grabbing the clean stack of bowls from Lynn's hands.
"Yep, I'm bushed," Sam said, yawning exaggeratedly.
"Me too!
I woke up way too early this morning," I said, stifling my own yawn. It had been decided that our group would sleep first, that way I could be on hand during the middle of the night in case Victor sent in another attack. My accelerated powers gave us a sense of security since they had proven to be highly useful.