he gazed up into the late afternoon sky, at the clouds aboveand the universe beyond hisown. "It's here," he whispered, feeling his body throb with the ancient power.
"Excellent," Camael hissed in his ear. "Now wrestle it, take control—show it you are master."
And Aaron did as he was told. The power fought him, trying to overwhelm him with the sheer force ofits might, but Aaron held on, corralling it, moving its strength to where it was needed. He felt the powerflood into his upper body, moving down the length of his arms and into his hands.
"I... I feel something happening, Aaron," Gabriel said, fear in his guttural voice.
"It's going to be all right," Aaron soothed as he felt the raw energy flow from the tips of his fingers into the dog's injured leg. He willed the power to heal his best friend, and he stared at the gaping wound, waiting for it to close—but nothing happened. Again, he willed it, and the power danced about the injury—but it did nothing.
Aaron pulled away, exhausted, hands tingling painfully. "1 don't understand," he said in a breathlesswhisper. He looked up at Camael looming above him. "I did what you said—I took control and Icommanded it to heal Gabriel's wound—but it didn't do a thing."
Camael stared thoughtfully at the Lab, absently reaching up to run his fingers through his goatee.
"Interesting," he observed. "Perhaps your animal has become more complex than even you understand."
Aaron shook his head, confused. "I don't..."
"When the animal was healed before—"
"This animal has a name,"Gabriel interrupted with annoyance.
"It's okay, boy," Aaron said, patting the dog's head, comforting him.
"As I was saying," Camael said, glaring at the dog, "when the animal was healed before, the power you wielded was raw, in its purest form—its most potent state. You commanded it to repair Gabriel, and it did just that—only I think it may have altered him as well."
"I don't feel altered,"the dog said. "My leg just hurts."
"Are you saying that Gabriel is too complicated a life-form for me to fix now?"
The angel nodded.
"But how could 1 have done that?" Aaron asked as he gently stroked his dog's side.
"You didn't," Camael corrected. "You just gave the command, and the presence within you took it from
there."
If he hadn't been afraid of the power that lived within him before, he certainly would be now, but thatdidn't change the fact that Gabriel was still hurt. "Gabriel needs medical attention," Aaron said, staringdown at his best friend. "He may be a complex life-form, but he still needs to have that bite cleaned up."
"Then I suggest we continue on with our journey," the angel said, "and hopefully we'll be able to find
medical help for him in Blithe."
"Sounds like a plan," Aaron said after a moment's thought. He reached out and hefted the eighty-pound canine over his shoulder. "Don't worry," he said sarcastically to the angel, grunting with exertion, "I got him."
"Yes, you do," Camael said as he strode into the woods toward the direction of the car.
"Sometimes he bugs the crap out of me," Aaron muttered, following the angel, careful not to stumble
with his burden.
"That's just how they are,"Gabriel said matter-of-factly.
"How who are?"
"Angels."
"What, you're an expert on angels now?"
"Well, 1am a complex being," the dog replied haughtily.
chapter four
I am the shaman. They should have listened to me,Shokad of the Orishas thought as he feverishly wovehis ancient elemental magicks and tunneled deep beneath the earth. They never should have tried tocapture the Nephilim—the bones and stones had told him as much. But did they listen? No. They let theirfear counsel them, the fear that spoke to their chief during the night, promising sweet victory. They shouldhave listened to me, he thought bitterly.
His throat as dry as dust from spell casting, Shokad stopped speaking, and the earth stilled around him. He leaned close to the curved tunnel wall, looking for signs
"Excellent," Camael hissed in his ear. "Now wrestle it, take control—show it you are master."
And Aaron did as he was told. The power fought him, trying to overwhelm him with the sheer force ofits might, but Aaron held on, corralling it, moving its strength to where it was needed. He felt the powerflood into his upper body, moving down the length of his arms and into his hands.
"I... I feel something happening, Aaron," Gabriel said, fear in his guttural voice.
"It's going to be all right," Aaron soothed as he felt the raw energy flow from the tips of his fingers into the dog's injured leg. He willed the power to heal his best friend, and he stared at the gaping wound, waiting for it to close—but nothing happened. Again, he willed it, and the power danced about the injury—but it did nothing.
Aaron pulled away, exhausted, hands tingling painfully. "1 don't understand," he said in a breathlesswhisper. He looked up at Camael looming above him. "I did what you said—I took control and Icommanded it to heal Gabriel's wound—but it didn't do a thing."
Camael stared thoughtfully at the Lab, absently reaching up to run his fingers through his goatee.
"Interesting," he observed. "Perhaps your animal has become more complex than even you understand."
Aaron shook his head, confused. "I don't..."
"When the animal was healed before—"
"This animal has a name,"Gabriel interrupted with annoyance.
"It's okay, boy," Aaron said, patting the dog's head, comforting him.
"As I was saying," Camael said, glaring at the dog, "when the animal was healed before, the power you wielded was raw, in its purest form—its most potent state. You commanded it to repair Gabriel, and it did just that—only I think it may have altered him as well."
"I don't feel altered,"the dog said. "My leg just hurts."
"Are you saying that Gabriel is too complicated a life-form for me to fix now?"
The angel nodded.
"But how could 1 have done that?" Aaron asked as he gently stroked his dog's side.
"You didn't," Camael corrected. "You just gave the command, and the presence within you took it from
there."
If he hadn't been afraid of the power that lived within him before, he certainly would be now, but thatdidn't change the fact that Gabriel was still hurt. "Gabriel needs medical attention," Aaron said, staringdown at his best friend. "He may be a complex life-form, but he still needs to have that bite cleaned up."
"Then I suggest we continue on with our journey," the angel said, "and hopefully we'll be able to find
medical help for him in Blithe."
"Sounds like a plan," Aaron said after a moment's thought. He reached out and hefted the eighty-pound canine over his shoulder. "Don't worry," he said sarcastically to the angel, grunting with exertion, "I got him."
"Yes, you do," Camael said as he strode into the woods toward the direction of the car.
"Sometimes he bugs the crap out of me," Aaron muttered, following the angel, careful not to stumble
with his burden.
"That's just how they are,"Gabriel said matter-of-factly.
"How who are?"
"Angels."
"What, you're an expert on angels now?"
"Well, 1am a complex being," the dog replied haughtily.
chapter four
I am the shaman. They should have listened to me,Shokad of the Orishas thought as he feverishly wovehis ancient elemental magicks and tunneled deep beneath the earth. They never should have tried tocapture the Nephilim—the bones and stones had told him as much. But did they listen? No. They let theirfear counsel them, the fear that spoke to their chief during the night, promising sweet victory. They shouldhave listened to me, he thought bitterly.
His throat as dry as dust from spell casting, Shokad stopped speaking, and the earth stilled around him. He leaned close to the curved tunnel wall, looking for signs
Similar Books
