The Dragon's Descent (7 page)

“No, but Pax, you must go back.”

“Into the maze?” Pax yelled, scared.

“Back to earth.”

Pax let out a sigh of relief. Vero turned to Pax.

“Thanks. I wouldn't have been able to outsmart those gargoyles without you.”

Pax smiled and nodded. He closed his eyes and vanished.

“Come on, take a walk.” Uriel motioned with his head.

With the hens following at Vero's heels, Vero and Uriel walked through the main hall of the school. It was still completely empty; Vero could not spot a single angel anywhere.

“Why is it so quiet?” Vero asked.

“Only you were called back for training,” Uriel answered as they walked out the massive main stone doors and into the outside light. “Pax being here was not supposed to happen.”

“Why, Uriel? Why am I always singled out?” Vero asked, desperation in his eyes. “Why do I keep having to prove myself? I wish I could be like everyone else.”

Uriel stopped. He scratched his closely cropped beard. “You are like everyone else.”

“No, I'm not!” Vero yelled. “If I was like everybody else, I wouldn't be here right now!”

Compassion filled Uriel's eyes. “Sit,” Uriel said, motioning to a glossy marble step.

Vero hesitated, then sat. Uriel joined him. A hen fluttered into Vero's lap.

“Vero, God asks certain things of all of us. And that request is different for every person, every angel, so in that regard you are like the others.”

Vero looked at him, confused. He petted the hen.

“Everyone plays a part in God's plan, and He gives them exactly what they need to accomplish whatever it is He asks of them. And for you, He is tasking you to find and return the Book of Raziel. And the time has come.”

Vero's steely gray eyes went wide. Michael had told Vero previously that he was to find the book, but now that the mission was actually upon him, he was scared.

“But I'm not ready. I thought I'd have more time to . . .”

“Lucifer is closing in on it. You have no more time.”

“Closing in? But how?”

“Unfortunately, the Angel Trials confirmed it. He now knows you are the one who has the ability to find it.”

Vero considered for a moment. “But why do I have to find it now? What's the rush?”

“You are still a fledgling. You are still vulnerable. Unlike archangels or full-fledged guardians, you have not decided for whom you fight.”

“Yes, I have!” Vero shouted. “Why doesn't anyone believe me?”

Startled by Vero's outburst, the hen flew off his lap.

“I believe you.” Uriel looked into Vero's eyes. “But Lucifer wants you badly. Be on guard, Vero.”

Vero looked to Uriel, trying to process the enormity of it all.

“And you are ready.” Uriel nodded to Vero. “You made it through the maze. You proved that you could overcome
your fear. By controlling your fear, you were able to stop the shades from overpowering you.”

“That's what those black shadows were?”

“Yes, they live off your fear. And by outwitting the cockatrice, you showed great strength by resisting temptation. It's nearly impossible not to look at the cockatrice.”

“What happened to the angels who'd been turned into pillars?”

“You freed them. They had been trapped there for a long time, but now you've enabled those angels to move on. Just as it's probably time for them to also move on.” Uriel nodded to the hens that gathered around Vero's legs.

Vero smiled at the birds. “He's right, guys. You'll like this part of the Ether. There are lots of wide-open green fields over there.”

Vero pointed ahead. The birds looked dejectedly at Vero.

“I promise you'll like it here,” Vero said. “And no cockatrice . . . Now go on.”

The hens looked up to Vero with blinking, sad eyes. Vero nodded his head, hoping to convince them. After a moment, the hens turned and hop-flew toward the distant green fields. Vero wistfully smiled as the birds receded from sight. He then turned to Uriel.

“So what were the bones all about?” Vero asked.

“By commanding the bones the way you did, you showed great faith in God. You had the faith that He would hear you and breathe life into the skeletons,” Uriel said, then placed his hand on Vero's shoulder. “You're ready.”

Vero met Uriel's eyes. He nodded solemnly. Vero suddenly realized something, and his chin dropped to his chest. A look of intense compassion came over Uriel as he
had heard Vero's thoughts. With his thumb and index fingers, Uriel tipped up Vero's chin, and held his gaze.

“Yes, you will be leaving your family soon.”

“But I thought I'd have more time with them . . .” Vero said, tears forming in his eyes.

“God will give them the strength to accept your death,” Uriel said.

“But what about me? Will He give me the strength to leave them?” Vero asked, tears streaming down his face.

“Yes, He will.”

“Was it hard for you to leave your family?”

“Archangels aren't placed on earth with a family, so I wouldn't know,” Uriel said with a tinge of sadness. “I have to admit I always feel a bit of longing when I see guardians finally reunited with their earthly families . . . when their families return to God after they pass on.”

Vero suddenly felt sorry for Uriel. This kind angel had never known the love of a human family. He had never known that joy.

“But I do know that once reunited, any lingering sadness is forever turned to joy,” Uriel said in a consoling voice.

Vero looked down. Despite the reassurance, it was still overwhelming. So much was being asked of him. Vero looked up at Uriel. “What if their course in life does not lead them back to God before they die?” Vero asked, biting his lip.

Uriel chuckled. “You think Greer will have problems keeping Clover on the right path?”

Vero had forgotten. His fellow fledgling, Greer, was his sister's guardian angel. Greer was about as tough as anyone could be. Vero knew Clover was in good hands.

“Probably not,” Vero answered.

Vero watched as Uriel closed his eyes, then quickly opened them. Suddenly two angels appeared on either side of him. Both of the male angels were very tall and robust, wearing dazzling white robes. They exuded incredible strength and purpose. Something about them felt familiar to Vero, though he couldn't recall ever having met or seen them before. Uriel turned to the angel on his right.

“Vero, this is the guardian angel Leo.”

Leo bowed to Vero.

“Leo is your father's guardian,” Uriel said.

A look of surprise came over Vero. Uriel turned to the angel on his left.

“This is Karael, your mother's guardian angel.”

Karael bowed to Vero.

“I love your father very much,” Leo said to Vero. “As Karael loves your mother.”

“Nothing can deter us in our mission to bring them back to God,” Karael said.

Vero nodded, appreciatively.

“And if you ever need us, we're always here for you,” Leo said.

“Thanks, but I thought we never leave our humans for even a second,” Vero said. “How can you be here?”

“One of the perks of being a full-fledged guardian,” Karael said. “We have the gift of bilocation.”

“Being in two places at once?” Vero asked.

“Actually, even tri-locating if necessary,” Karael said. “Depends on what is needed.”

Vero looked confused.

“Location is a human concept,” Uriel explained. “But we angels are pure spirits, and a spirit is wherever he is
acting
. We can be acting in more than one place.”

The two angels nodded to Vero.

“God be with you, Vero,” Leo said before he and Karael vanished from sight. Uriel turned to Vero.

“Families of guardians have some of the most powerful angels because God knows the loss of their child will be devastating and can easily shake their faith. So He assigns only the strongest angels to sustain them.”

Vero wiped his face with his sleeve and stood. He quickly walked down the stairs of C.A.N.D.L.E.

Uriel called out to him, “Vero!”

Vero did not stop. He continued to walk down the school stairs.

“Vero, stop!”

Vero wouldn't listen. He stormed past a cluster of plump fruit trees, trying not to notice that Uriel chased after him. When the archangel reached Vero, he placed his hand on his shoulder and spun Vero around.

“What if I fail?” Vero shouted. “What if I can't find the book?” Vero looked hard into Uriel's eyes.

Uriel sighed. “You wouldn't be the first one.”

Vero looked surprised.

“Another angel before you tried and failed.”

“What happened to him?”

Sadness flooded Uriel's eyes. “He is in the Lake of Fire. Abaddon claimed him.”

Vero gasped. His breathing intensified as panic overtook him.

“But how? I thought if I failed, I'd just go to the choir of angels!”

Uriel shook his head. “Because the book means so much to Lucifer, he will do anything, including turning your heart to the darkness in order to get it. The other angel, named Sora, fell prey to him and wound up in the lake.”

“For all eternity . . .” Vero interrupted.

Vero's eyes closed for a moment as he lowered his head, feeling his legs might buckle out from underneath him. Uriel placed his hand on his shoulder to steady him.

“The news just keeps getting better and better!” Vero shouted. “Is this book really even worth it?”

“The Book of Raziel lists the names of every person to be born. A baby is to be born in the coming years who will do much good in the world. This child will grow up to be a great spiritual leader, and many will hear his message and come back to God . . . thousands and thousands of people.” Uriel looked squarely at Vero. “Now do you think it's worth it?”

Vero hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.

“But what if I mess up?”

“Should the Book of Raziel fall into Lucifer's hands, and he were to learn the name of the child, he'd do everything in his power to stop the baby from ever growing up in the light. He will stop at nothing to keep that from happening.”

“How?”

“He'll go after the parents, corrupting them or leading them to despair. Even convincing other humans to kill them. Nothing is off limits for him if it will prevent the child from his or her mission.”

“But what if no one can find the book? Then it will just continue being hidden and everything will be okay.”

Uriel shook his head. “Lucifer has always been in fanatical pursuit of the book. Events are unfolding that we cannot stop. I wish I could.”

Vero looked to Uriel with eyes full of uncertainty. “I'm scared, Uriel.”

“That's okay. God knows you are ready for the task. Everything you've done up to this point has prepared and proven you.” Uriel paused. “You are not alone. Others will be of great help to you.”

“Okay,” Vero said, accepting his fate.

Uriel placed his hand on Vero's shoulder. “Most importantly, God does not want to lose you.”

Vero looked into Uriel's eyes. At that moment, he felt his Vox Dei so strongly, and it made him feel loved by God. And he knew it was true—God did not want to lose him, ever.

“Go and enjoy your family and friends, Vero,” Uriel said. “We'll call you back when it is time.”

“All right.”

Vero closed his eyes.

“Vero.”

Vero opened his eyes. Uriel still stood before him.

“It's not only God who would hate to lose you,” Uriel said with heartfelt emotion.

“Thank you,” Vero said before he disappeared.

6

TACK THE MAGNIFICENT

V
ero! Vero! Are you all right?” Dennis yelled, distraught.

Vero heard his father's familiar voice. He opened his eyes and looked around, realizing he was lying on the basement floor at the bottom of the stairs. A trail of milk dripped all the way down the steps and puddled at the bottom around him. As Dennis ran over to him, Nora opened the basement door.

“Vero!” Nora yelled, racing down the stairs while careful not to fall herself.

Dennis helped Vero sit up on a step.

“I'm fine,” Vero said, resting his forehead in his hands. “I just tripped.”

“You hit your head,” Dennis said. “Hard.”

Nora knelt down in front of Vero. She moved her index finger left to right in front of his eyes.

“Can you see my finger okay?” Nora asked.

“Yes.”

“How about over here?” Nora asked as she moved her finger to the left of his face.

“Yes.”

“Any blurriness?”

“No, Mom,” Vero answered. “I'm fine.”

“Sure?” Dennis asked as he ran his hand over a newly formed bump on the back of Vero's head.

Vero nodded. He got all choked up when he looked into his parents' worried faces. If they got this upset over a trip and a little lump, how would they ever handle his for-real death? Tears streamed from his eyes at the thought.