Page 8 (1/2)

"I don’t knoorks, I just know I can do it now," I said sih the clearing The others poured out of the woods as one and stood in a loose circle around us

Without a word, Haniel knelt besideme a nod With awareness like I had never experienced, I knew exactly what he was silently asking I re wounds and pulled Kieran to the shalloater’s edge withthat at the moment John was literally in the best hands possible

"I don’t understand," she said round

"We’ll explain later," I said, giving her a sideways hug of reassurance, feeling like the adult My encounter with the bear had opened my eyes and I now understood my hybrid status co and after John’s attack,was now clear

"What if he dies?" Kieran whispered, changing the subject

"He won’t, I pro for you," Jenna said, kneeling beside us

Kieran whipped around, surging to her feet in one fluidall traces of John’s blood away I felt Haniel’s presence without having to turn around

"You understand now?" He asked frankly, placing his hands in the water next totoward my friends so I could check on John I was surprised to see thatPaul and Jacob had his arround

"Will he be okay?" I asked, watching theh his body will need to recuperate from the trauma he suffered He would have perished if not for you"

"I didn’t do anything but call you," I said

"Yes, you used your Gifts to sued a different Archangel?" I asked skeptically

"Paged?" he questioned before answering o base "Yes, you have been gifted with the power to contact any angelic being in the Heavenly Realm"

"Any?"

"Yes"

"Wow that’s insane," I said, squatting down on e?" I asked

"I was in the presence of The Light"

"Whoa, that’s crazy Did The Light give you permission to heal him?" I asked curiously

"No, those decisions are mine alone"

"Then why didn’t you heal the others after Victor’s last attack," I asked reproachfully

"I cannot heal a deo," he said with more passion than I had ever heard hie exhibition of emotion renderedbackwards as I digested his words He had always carried hi to think that he had once lost someone he had cared about

"Who?" I asked bluntly after severalblue eyes that bore through nore hed heavily "One of your kind She is so for s for her"

"Why? Is she still with the other person?"

"No, that bond was brokenbecause I was not created to feel human emotions"

"That’s crazy You’re supposed to exist all these years without ever feeling soently, mad at the injustice of it

"It is rumbled "So, what happened to the Guide you were in love with?" I continued, not wanting him to stray far from the subject at hand

"How do you know it is love?" He asked earnestly, seeking an answer that even with his infinite wisdom seemed to elude him

"Because of the way you talk about her Usually, you’re so stiff--no offense, but for the briefest of ently teased

"I cannot be certain that what I feel for her is love I was not created to recognize such feelings"

"Do you think of her at least once an earth day?"

He nodded slightly

"More than once a day?" I persisted

Once again he nodded in acknowledgement

"Do you yearn to be near her?" I continued

This time his nod was more pronounced

"Wow Haniel, does she kno you feel?"

"I have not spoken to her in the Heavenly Realht joined us"

"What?" I asked astonished "She’s in heaven? For how long?"

"Over sixteen earth years," he said, looking atwhat I think he is? I thought

"Youhe was talking about one of ourfor Haniel, to be in love with someone as linked with another

"Her Link was severed," he said, picking hts from my head "Her soul is now free to choose"

"Her Link was cut?" I asked, digesting his words and their trueI knew my link with Mark had been cut also, but I had never considered the fact that ht htly nauseous

"Yes, Victor broke her heart before he silenced her earth life"

"Oh my God, it was Mark’sup into answer

"Holy Crow Bear Haniel, you love Mark’sthe words Just because my love life was in shambles didn’t mean I wasn’t still a diehard romantic "Does she know?"

"I as?" He asked, clearly confused His uncharacteristic vulnerability touchedtirasped his hands and was taken aback, reading a n to an Archangel "You could tell her" I said earnestly "Is she in some part of Heaven that you’re not allowed to enter?"