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"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 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 of life. Careful not to break it, he pulled athick, squirming earthworm from the dirt and popped it into his maw. He chewed vigorously, the juicefrom the worm's muscular body filling his mouth and coating histhroat. He ate his fill, then squatted in thetunnel to rest.

Where do 1 go from here?the shaman pondered.He closed his eyes, and his mind immediately was filledwith blissful images of what could only have been theSafe Place . He saw his people, the ones who hadabandoned the Deheboryn many seasons ago, living in harmony with nature, no longer fearing the wrathof the Powers. "They were not killed," he muttered, completely enthralled with the vision. They hadmanaged to evade the wrath of Verchiel and his soldiers, and had foundParadise .

Shokad blessed himself repeatedly, basking in the glory that was the vision of his people thriving withinthe confines of theSafe Place . It filled him with such joy—and a newfound purpose.

The shaman opened his eyes to the cool darkness of the tunnel and climbed to his feet. He could feel itcalling to him now. He could hear it whispering in his ears, drawing him to its secret location. TheSafe Place was calling, and all he need do was follow.

He faced the solid wall of dirt before him and recited the ancient words taught by his angelic creators. With these words he could commune with the elements, making them bend to his requests. Shokadasked the dirt wall to allow him passage, and it did as it was asked, flowing around the shaman as hemoved toward the promise ofParadise . The wings upon his back flapped eagerly as he trudged throughthe earth, theSafe Place whispering in his ear, closer—and closer still.

Again he saw them in his mind, those that had left the tribe long ago. So
happy,
 
he thought. If only Mufgar had had the courage to abandon the old ways, he and Zawar and Tehom could all haveexperienced the joy that was soon to be his.

TheSafe Place was singing now, urging him forward with even greater speed.
You are so close,
 
it said ina voice filled with promise.
So close to realizing your dream.

Shokad spoke the words of the spell faster, and the earth in front of him melted away like water. Partlyrunning, partly flying, he burrowed his way towardParadise , images of those who had come before himin his mind. Suria, Tutrechial, Adririon, Tandal, Savlial: They were all there—some he could have swornwere slain in service to the Powers. It was curious indeed, but he was not about to argue withParadise .

"Oh, Shokad, you are almost here."

The Orisha began to giggle and angled his tunnel toward the surface. The earth grew thick with rock,making it harder to push forward— but it did not stop him.

"So close, Shokad. So, very very close."

The shaman broke through to the surface. His hands were cracked and bleeding, and the air upon themwas cold and damp.
Where is the warm sunshine?
 
he at first wondered.

Shokad squirmed from the hole in theground and peered through the eerie greenish light. He foundhimself in a vast, underground cavern. Somewhere in the distance, beyond the walls of rock, he couldhear the rush of water.

"I am here," he said aloud, expecting his people to come forward and welcome him. They did not—but

something else moved amongst the rocks at the far end of the cave.

"Greetings," Shokad said as he scrambled toward the noise. It was an odd sound, like something large

and heavy being dragged across the rocks. "I am Shokad."

Perhaps they are afraid,he thought as he climbed over the rocky ground, deeper into the cavern. "I meanyou no harm," he said aloud. "I, too, have come seekingParadise ."

As he drew closer, he could just barely discern objects in the shadows—fleshy, egglike sacks that hungupon a large, muscular mass, blacker than the cave's deepest shadows. It writhed and pulsed, a thingalive.

"What are you?" Shokad whispered. Cautiously, he stepped forward. "Where are my people?" He stood on tiptoe to peer inside some of the opaque, membranous growths—and his questions were answered.

The Orisha shaman wanted to scream, to ask the divine power that had brought him here why it hadshown him this horror, but he didn't have a chance. Something slithered with lightning speed from theshadows behind him andgrasped him it its heavy, wet embrace.

Yes, Shokad wanted to scream—for neither he nor his people had foundParadise .

So this is Blithe,Aaron thought as he drove into the center of town. He expected more, but it was muchlike every other small town they'd driven through in the last two weeks. Quaint old shops, their windowsdisplaying dusty souvenirs, surrounded a grassy common with a fancy white bandstand in its center. Itwas a beautiful, sunny afternoon, and people strolled in and out of the shops while children played ball inthe common.

"How you doing, Gabe?" Aaron asked the dog lying quietly in the backseat.

"I'm okay,"Gabriel answered, but Aaron could tell that the dog wasn't feeling all that great.

The Orisha's bite was bad, and it already looked infected. They needed to find a veterinarian soon.

"Hang in there, pal," Aaron said, drawing closer to the town's center. "See any sign of a veterinarian's

office?" he asked the angel sitting in the passenger seat beside him.

Camael remained silent, staring out the window with furious intensity, as he had the entire ride to Blithe.