Chapter One
Zaphkiel sat on the green grass that was beginning to turn yellow, contently watching the pink and orange sky. The trees around him stood still, but the air was stiller as if the whole world were frozen in time. As the sun sank behind the horizon, a cold wind broke the stillness. Red and orange leaves fluttered to life in the gust of wind. Some of them broke free from their branches to dance in the breeze.
“Beautiful, isn't it?” said a voice behind him.
Zaphkiel spun around. “Afriel,” he voiced in surprise.
Afriel's smile twinkled. “It's good to see you, Zaph.”
Zaphkiel rose to greet his fellow angel with a hug. “How are you,” he smiled at her.
“Great! And you?”
“I suppose I'm doing alright,” he pronounced, his grin never fading. …show more content…
“You've been assigned to a new ward.”
Zaphkiel's smile was gone now. “Afriel…”
“Oh, come on. You used to love helping people.”
“Used to.” Zaphkiel turned away, his eyes drifting to the yellowing grass.
Afriel moved so she was still facing him. “If this is still about Amelia, you've been forgiven. Besides, they're all about redemption upstairs. And Amelia's soul is in heaven now. She's at peace. What happened to her wasn't your fault.”
“I could've stopped it,” Zaphkiel argued. “That was my one job: to take care of her.”
“You couldn't have seen that coming.” Afriel wasn't giving up. “None of us did. You can't keep using this as an excuse. You need to get back out there.”
Zaphkiel was …show more content…
By the Big Man Himself.” Afriel raised her eyebrows, waiting for a reaction. “You know you can't deny this order.”
“I know,” Zaphkiel sighed. “Who is the ward?”
***
Cordelia Ross was a freshman at Faraday High School. Her round face was framed with a mess of frizzy brown hair. Her eyes were a dull grey and her cheeks were besprinkled with freckles. She was nothing special. An average student of average height, who didn’t participate in any sports, or any other extracurricular activity other than band. She was seventh french horns in the high school band. Given, there were only eight french horns. She wasn’t exactly lonely. She had joined the small group of outcasts in first or second grade, and it had become a tightly-knit flock.
Of course, they were so different, you never would’ve guessed that they were friends.
Santiago was the best actor in the grade, possibly in the school, and intended to go big time, at least on the stage. Letitia was third trumpet, which was a big feat for a freshman, and hoped to join a jazz band.
Cordelia was-
“Hey, Cordy,” Santiago’s voice shattered Cordelia’s thoughts. She shut her locker, having to push in the bottom half to make sure it was closed. “Hey,
Zaphkiel sat on the green grass that was beginning to turn yellow, contently watching the pink and orange sky. The trees around him stood still, but the air was stiller as if the whole world were frozen in time. As the sun sank behind the horizon, a cold wind broke the stillness. Red and orange leaves fluttered to life in the gust of wind. Some of them broke free from their branches to dance in the breeze.
“Beautiful, isn't it?” said a voice behind him.
Zaphkiel spun around. “Afriel,” he voiced in surprise.
Afriel's smile twinkled. “It's good to see you, Zaph.”
Zaphkiel rose to greet his fellow angel with a hug. “How are you,” he smiled at her.
“Great! And you?”
“I suppose I'm doing alright,” he pronounced, his grin never fading. …show more content…
“You've been assigned to a new ward.”
Zaphkiel's smile was gone now. “Afriel…”
“Oh, come on. You used to love helping people.”
“Used to.” Zaphkiel turned away, his eyes drifting to the yellowing grass.
Afriel moved so she was still facing him. “If this is still about Amelia, you've been forgiven. Besides, they're all about redemption upstairs. And Amelia's soul is in heaven now. She's at peace. What happened to her wasn't your fault.”
“I could've stopped it,” Zaphkiel argued. “That was my one job: to take care of her.”
“You couldn't have seen that coming.” Afriel wasn't giving up. “None of us did. You can't keep using this as an excuse. You need to get back out there.”
Zaphkiel was …show more content…
By the Big Man Himself.” Afriel raised her eyebrows, waiting for a reaction. “You know you can't deny this order.”
“I know,” Zaphkiel sighed. “Who is the ward?”
***
Cordelia Ross was a freshman at Faraday High School. Her round face was framed with a mess of frizzy brown hair. Her eyes were a dull grey and her cheeks were besprinkled with freckles. She was nothing special. An average student of average height, who didn’t participate in any sports, or any other extracurricular activity other than band. She was seventh french horns in the high school band. Given, there were only eight french horns. She wasn’t exactly lonely. She had joined the small group of outcasts in first or second grade, and it had become a tightly-knit flock.
Of course, they were so different, you never would’ve guessed that they were friends.
Santiago was the best actor in the grade, possibly in the school, and intended to go big time, at least on the stage. Letitia was third trumpet, which was a big feat for a freshman, and hoped to join a jazz band.
Cordelia was-
“Hey, Cordy,” Santiago’s voice shattered Cordelia’s thoughts. She shut her locker, having to push in the bottom half to make sure it was closed. “Hey,