neat stack and dropped it into the hole. With just a pass of his hands over the pile, the wood caught fire. Sam gasped, and Hailey smiled. Penn reserved his judgment as Ray sat Indian style across from the fire and urged them to sit as well. Anyone could make fire with a wave of the hand, Penn thought.
“What price does Sam have to pay to be marked from sight?” Hailey asked. She put her hand over her heart. “I can bear it for him.”
“Your soul is pure regardless of what those angels said when they attacked.” Ray nodded and pulled a pipe from his pocket. After packing it, he struck a match over the tobacco and took a deep pull from the pipe. “One of my few vices, but after so many years I can afford a few. The angels that came after you are not sanctioned.”
“I thought Gabriel sent them because of the nephilim boy,” Hailey murmured.
“No, he did not; there is a war, hidden even from your eyes when you were a heavenly being,” Ray explained. “Sam will unite humans and angels alike. Those who want chaos want him dead.” He turned his attention to Sam. “Your father is one who knows your worth.”
“Then why did he leave me to a cracked-out, whoring mother and alone all these years?” Sam asked defiantly. “If he cares so much, then he should’ve come, explained it all; instead Hailey saved me.”
“He sent Hailey to you,” Ray said gently.
Hailey gasped. “I thought he was just another charge put to my care. Gabriel himself did this?”
“In his own way, he has those who are loyal,” Ray explained. “The boy was placed with you because they know you would sacrifice without question even if it meant your grace. Your purpose is now here on earth. Your destiny always lay here.”
“So you’re telling me they sacrificed her for the greater good that night,” Penn growled angrily. “Great way to use her.”
“You were meant to be in her path, boy,” Ray snapped. “Nothing is done without a reason. Just like her, you were chosen but not by those in your hell. There is power from the heavens even your dark lord cannot control in his world.”
The news left Penn reeling, but he stubbornly refused to believe that this was all one great big otherworldly setup.
“How do we know you speak the truth?” Penn demanded to know. “You live here in isolation; how can you know what is going on in the heavens and hell?”
“Boy, why do you think I’ve been on this world for so long?” Ray snapped. “I may live here, but there are visitors. From both sides who see me as a counselor, an arbitrator so to speak, to solve matters which neither side can fix on their own. The highest of the high from both factions of dark and light seek me out.”
Penn nodded. “If what you say is true, what’s this about me becoming a neutral like you?”
“You can choose to belong to neither and become a dark angel.” Ray sighed. “Ferry souls to the gates but never entering either one.”
“Would I have to leave Hailey?” Penn asked as the fear of losing her clutched his chest. “I refuse to exist without her.”
“She is a fallen now, tied to the boy and to you.” Ray smiled. “You will never have to leave her or visa versa.”
“What about Sam; what does he need to be safe?” Hailey asked. “We love each other, and we promised to take care of him together.”
Penn nodded in agreement. “He needs us until it’s time for whatever it is he is to do.”
“I will mark his bones with the old words.” Ray looked at Sam. “The price is pain; I cannot take you under to do this. It must be while you are awake. It will be unlike anything you can imagine. When your time is upon us, those marks will be broken, and your true power will be revealed. Till then you’ll be a boy in school and all things normal. Your power will grow, but you will not see the full extent until the time is right.”
Hailey gasped. “Is there no way to spare him the pain?”
“I’ve been tortured before; I can take
“What price does Sam have to pay to be marked from sight?” Hailey asked. She put her hand over her heart. “I can bear it for him.”
“Your soul is pure regardless of what those angels said when they attacked.” Ray nodded and pulled a pipe from his pocket. After packing it, he struck a match over the tobacco and took a deep pull from the pipe. “One of my few vices, but after so many years I can afford a few. The angels that came after you are not sanctioned.”
“I thought Gabriel sent them because of the nephilim boy,” Hailey murmured.
“No, he did not; there is a war, hidden even from your eyes when you were a heavenly being,” Ray explained. “Sam will unite humans and angels alike. Those who want chaos want him dead.” He turned his attention to Sam. “Your father is one who knows your worth.”
“Then why did he leave me to a cracked-out, whoring mother and alone all these years?” Sam asked defiantly. “If he cares so much, then he should’ve come, explained it all; instead Hailey saved me.”
“He sent Hailey to you,” Ray said gently.
Hailey gasped. “I thought he was just another charge put to my care. Gabriel himself did this?”
“In his own way, he has those who are loyal,” Ray explained. “The boy was placed with you because they know you would sacrifice without question even if it meant your grace. Your purpose is now here on earth. Your destiny always lay here.”
“So you’re telling me they sacrificed her for the greater good that night,” Penn growled angrily. “Great way to use her.”
“You were meant to be in her path, boy,” Ray snapped. “Nothing is done without a reason. Just like her, you were chosen but not by those in your hell. There is power from the heavens even your dark lord cannot control in his world.”
The news left Penn reeling, but he stubbornly refused to believe that this was all one great big otherworldly setup.
“How do we know you speak the truth?” Penn demanded to know. “You live here in isolation; how can you know what is going on in the heavens and hell?”
“Boy, why do you think I’ve been on this world for so long?” Ray snapped. “I may live here, but there are visitors. From both sides who see me as a counselor, an arbitrator so to speak, to solve matters which neither side can fix on their own. The highest of the high from both factions of dark and light seek me out.”
Penn nodded. “If what you say is true, what’s this about me becoming a neutral like you?”
“You can choose to belong to neither and become a dark angel.” Ray sighed. “Ferry souls to the gates but never entering either one.”
“Would I have to leave Hailey?” Penn asked as the fear of losing her clutched his chest. “I refuse to exist without her.”
“She is a fallen now, tied to the boy and to you.” Ray smiled. “You will never have to leave her or visa versa.”
“What about Sam; what does he need to be safe?” Hailey asked. “We love each other, and we promised to take care of him together.”
Penn nodded in agreement. “He needs us until it’s time for whatever it is he is to do.”
“I will mark his bones with the old words.” Ray looked at Sam. “The price is pain; I cannot take you under to do this. It must be while you are awake. It will be unlike anything you can imagine. When your time is upon us, those marks will be broken, and your true power will be revealed. Till then you’ll be a boy in school and all things normal. Your power will grow, but you will not see the full extent until the time is right.”
Hailey gasped. “Is there no way to spare him the pain?”
“I’ve been tortured before; I can take
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