scowled and motioned to the Orisha bodies littering the ground. "These are merely pests in thegrand scheme of things, bothersome insects that should have been swatted away easily."
"I'm still new to this," Aaron defended himself. "Ihave a hard time killing. There's a lot I need to learn
before—"
"You do not have time," Camael interrupted. "Verchiel is like a wounded animal now—he will do
everything and anything in his power to see you destroyed."
"What's this?"the angel heard Gabriel mutter. He glanced over to see the Lab sniffing at a patch of
overturned dirt, his pink nose pressed to the ground, his furry brow wrinkled in concentration.
"I'll be ready," Aaron said bravely, distracting Camael from the dog's curiosity. "Don't worry about me."
"I hope you are right, Aaron Corbet," Camael said with caution. "For there is far more at stake here than
just your life."
He was about to suggest that they continue on to Blithe when the Orisha shaman exploded from theearth in front of the dog, eyes bulging with madness, jagged teeth bared in a grin of savagery.
"You will not keep me from theSafe Place !"itscreamed as it lunged at the startled animal.
The shaman grabbed hold of Gabriel's flank and bit down into the fur-covered flesh of his thigh. The dogyelped in agony, snapping at the creature as it scurried off into the protection of the forest, wiping thedog's blood from its mouth.
Camael and Aaron ran to their injured comrade.
"He bit me, Aaron,"Gabriel whined pathetically."That wasn't very nice. 1 didn't even bite him first."
"He's got a pretty good bite here," Aaron said as he examined the bloody puncture wounds near the
dog's hip. "What am I going to do?" Aaron asked, looking to Camael for help.
"That's an excellent question," the angel answered, folding his arms across his broad chest. "What are
you going to do?"
"Nothing's happening," Aaron said as he laid his hands on the dog's bleeding leg.
"Perhaps you're not trying hard enough," Camael responded in that condescending tone of voice that
made Aaron want to tell him to stick it up his angelic butt.
He was still angry with the angel for putting their lives at risk just to test him—although part of him did
understand why Camael had done it. After all, there was quite a bit riding on this whole angelic prophecy thing. If he was in fact the one the prophecy spoke of, and they were both pretty sure that he was, then he had a major responsibility to fulfill for the fallen angels living upon the planet.
"Yeah,"Gabriel added, interrupting his thoughts. "Try harder."
"That's enough out of you," Aaron said, pressing his hands against the bite. If only he could remember what he did that awful morning inLynn when Gabriel had been hit by the car. After all, if he could return him from thebrink of death then, he could certainly heal a simple bite now.
"It hurts, Aaron."
"I know, pal. I'm going to fix you up, just as soon as ..."
Camael bent closer. "Let go your humanity and embrace the angelic," he boomed. "To fear it is to fearyourself."
Aaron was reminded of similar words spoken by Zeke that fateful Saturday— had it really only beentwo weeks ago? So much had changed in such a short time. He closed his eyes and willed the powerforward.
He could sense it there, somewhere in the pitch black behind his eyes. He beckoned to it, but it ignoredhis call, perhaps perturbed at him for not allowing it to manifest during the battle with the Orishas. Heconcentrated all the more, his body trembling with exertion.
"That's it, rein it in," he heard Camael say quietly from beside him. "Take control and make it your own."
Aaron commanded the power to come forward, and it slowly turned its attention to him. He pushedagain with his mind, and suddenly, with the speed of thought, it moved, shifting its form— mammal,insect, reptile, all shapes of life, the menagerie of God. The force surged through him, and Aaron gaspedwith the rush of it. His eyes flew open, and
"I'm still new to this," Aaron defended himself. "Ihave a hard time killing. There's a lot I need to learn
before—"
"You do not have time," Camael interrupted. "Verchiel is like a wounded animal now—he will do
everything and anything in his power to see you destroyed."
"What's this?"the angel heard Gabriel mutter. He glanced over to see the Lab sniffing at a patch of
overturned dirt, his pink nose pressed to the ground, his furry brow wrinkled in concentration.
"I'll be ready," Aaron said bravely, distracting Camael from the dog's curiosity. "Don't worry about me."
"I hope you are right, Aaron Corbet," Camael said with caution. "For there is far more at stake here than
just your life."
He was about to suggest that they continue on to Blithe when the Orisha shaman exploded from theearth in front of the dog, eyes bulging with madness, jagged teeth bared in a grin of savagery.
"You will not keep me from theSafe Place !"itscreamed as it lunged at the startled animal.
The shaman grabbed hold of Gabriel's flank and bit down into the fur-covered flesh of his thigh. The dogyelped in agony, snapping at the creature as it scurried off into the protection of the forest, wiping thedog's blood from its mouth.
Camael and Aaron ran to their injured comrade.
"He bit me, Aaron,"Gabriel whined pathetically."That wasn't very nice. 1 didn't even bite him first."
"He's got a pretty good bite here," Aaron said as he examined the bloody puncture wounds near the
dog's hip. "What am I going to do?" Aaron asked, looking to Camael for help.
"That's an excellent question," the angel answered, folding his arms across his broad chest. "What are
you going to do?"
"Nothing's happening," Aaron said as he laid his hands on the dog's bleeding leg.
"Perhaps you're not trying hard enough," Camael responded in that condescending tone of voice that
made Aaron want to tell him to stick it up his angelic butt.
He was still angry with the angel for putting their lives at risk just to test him—although part of him did
understand why Camael had done it. After all, there was quite a bit riding on this whole angelic prophecy thing. If he was in fact the one the prophecy spoke of, and they were both pretty sure that he was, then he had a major responsibility to fulfill for the fallen angels living upon the planet.
"Yeah,"Gabriel added, interrupting his thoughts. "Try harder."
"That's enough out of you," Aaron said, pressing his hands against the bite. If only he could remember what he did that awful morning inLynn when Gabriel had been hit by the car. After all, if he could return him from thebrink of death then, he could certainly heal a simple bite now.
"It hurts, Aaron."
"I know, pal. I'm going to fix you up, just as soon as ..."
Camael bent closer. "Let go your humanity and embrace the angelic," he boomed. "To fear it is to fearyourself."
Aaron was reminded of similar words spoken by Zeke that fateful Saturday— had it really only beentwo weeks ago? So much had changed in such a short time. He closed his eyes and willed the powerforward.
He could sense it there, somewhere in the pitch black behind his eyes. He beckoned to it, but it ignoredhis call, perhaps perturbed at him for not allowing it to manifest during the battle with the Orishas. Heconcentrated all the more, his body trembling with exertion.
"That's it, rein it in," he heard Camael say quietly from beside him. "Take control and make it your own."
Aaron commanded the power to come forward, and it slowly turned its attention to him. He pushedagain with his mind, and suddenly, with the speed of thought, it moved, shifting its form— mammal,insect, reptile, all shapes of life, the menagerie of God. The force surged through him, and Aaron gaspedwith the rush of it. His eyes flew open, and
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