higher, and just as smoothly, I brought it down to barely a whisper of light. I was a human lighter.
“Now that you’ve sufficiently amused yourself, let’s get moving. We have chores to do,” Ila said, hiking away and losing all interest in my newly discovered ability.
“Wait, Ila.”
She half turned and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
I had the distinct feeling that I shouldn’t waste her time with dumb questions, so this time I didn’t beat around the bush.
“Are you sure this power that I’m able to draw from and create fire with, is from an angel who had an affair with an ancient relative of mine?”
Slowly and firmly she answered, “Yes.”
But her eyes narrowed, and even though the forest suddenly felt cooler, I went ahead and spoke anyway.
“How do you know that’s where it comes from?”
Ila sighed and looked out into the trees. When she faced me again, her face was grim.
“It’s odd that you should ask such a question. Most people don’t care where the power comes from. They’re simply smitten with their new found abilities. But not you, and that’s a good thing.”
She took a few quick steps until she was in my personal space. As much as I wanted to step back, I held my ground and met her gaze.
“Honestly, I don’t know where the energy comes from. Maybe from the earth, the stars, or heaven itself, I don’t know. What I can say for certain, is that just like the angels had the freedom to choose their own paths, for good or evil, so do we. You must never forget that the Watchers came from the ones who rebelled against authority for their own pleasures. They were not righteous.”
“Have you ever met a real angel?” I held my breath without thought.
With a far off look, Ila said, “No. The angels are gone.”
“Gone, what do you mean?”
She shook her head, saying, “They haven’t been seen or heard from in two
thousand years.”
The priest had seen an angel. I’m sure of it. Eae had visited Father Palano to warn him that the apocalypse was approaching and to give me a message. Why hadn’t the angel just come to me himself? Tensing, I worried that I already knew the answer.
Maybe the angel was hiding from Watchers for some reason?
Ila’s emerald gaze cut into me and she added, “At least, not that I know of.”
Her look put me on guard. I barely knew the priest, and yet I was suddenly afraid for him—and everybody else. Ila wasn’t completely human and neither was I, but I couldn’t help the prickling feeling that Ila’s type of Watcher might have their own agenda.
I would keep the priest and his angel visit secret, at least for now.
Nodding my head, I said, “Well, that’s a relief.”
The twisted smile that Ila had worn when we first met returned and I braced myself for her next words.
“We shouldn’t waste any more time here. I’m sure you’ll need some time today to prepare yourself for school tomorrow.”
The angels, Watchers and magic vanished from my mind entirely.
No way, I was not going to school.
Daniel 6:22
“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him.
Ember ~ Thirteen
“I ’m not going to school, especially, not some hillbilly school up here in the mountains. I’ve always been home schooled, I already told you that.”
“My, my, you have quite a temper don’t you? You’ll have to learn to control that you know. Strong emotions make a person irrational. An irrational Watcher is a dangerous one. As upset as you are with me, I’m fairly certain that you’d regret scorching me.” Ila stared, unblinking. She wasn’t smiling now.
She was right. I needed to be calm and sensible so that I could change her mind.
“Look, the deal was that I was going to come here and live with you for a while. Then you tell me I’m a
“Now that you’ve sufficiently amused yourself, let’s get moving. We have chores to do,” Ila said, hiking away and losing all interest in my newly discovered ability.
“Wait, Ila.”
She half turned and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
I had the distinct feeling that I shouldn’t waste her time with dumb questions, so this time I didn’t beat around the bush.
“Are you sure this power that I’m able to draw from and create fire with, is from an angel who had an affair with an ancient relative of mine?”
Slowly and firmly she answered, “Yes.”
But her eyes narrowed, and even though the forest suddenly felt cooler, I went ahead and spoke anyway.
“How do you know that’s where it comes from?”
Ila sighed and looked out into the trees. When she faced me again, her face was grim.
“It’s odd that you should ask such a question. Most people don’t care where the power comes from. They’re simply smitten with their new found abilities. But not you, and that’s a good thing.”
She took a few quick steps until she was in my personal space. As much as I wanted to step back, I held my ground and met her gaze.
“Honestly, I don’t know where the energy comes from. Maybe from the earth, the stars, or heaven itself, I don’t know. What I can say for certain, is that just like the angels had the freedom to choose their own paths, for good or evil, so do we. You must never forget that the Watchers came from the ones who rebelled against authority for their own pleasures. They were not righteous.”
“Have you ever met a real angel?” I held my breath without thought.
With a far off look, Ila said, “No. The angels are gone.”
“Gone, what do you mean?”
She shook her head, saying, “They haven’t been seen or heard from in two
thousand years.”
The priest had seen an angel. I’m sure of it. Eae had visited Father Palano to warn him that the apocalypse was approaching and to give me a message. Why hadn’t the angel just come to me himself? Tensing, I worried that I already knew the answer.
Maybe the angel was hiding from Watchers for some reason?
Ila’s emerald gaze cut into me and she added, “At least, not that I know of.”
Her look put me on guard. I barely knew the priest, and yet I was suddenly afraid for him—and everybody else. Ila wasn’t completely human and neither was I, but I couldn’t help the prickling feeling that Ila’s type of Watcher might have their own agenda.
I would keep the priest and his angel visit secret, at least for now.
Nodding my head, I said, “Well, that’s a relief.”
The twisted smile that Ila had worn when we first met returned and I braced myself for her next words.
“We shouldn’t waste any more time here. I’m sure you’ll need some time today to prepare yourself for school tomorrow.”
The angels, Watchers and magic vanished from my mind entirely.
No way, I was not going to school.
Daniel 6:22
“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him.
Ember ~ Thirteen
“I ’m not going to school, especially, not some hillbilly school up here in the mountains. I’ve always been home schooled, I already told you that.”
“My, my, you have quite a temper don’t you? You’ll have to learn to control that you know. Strong emotions make a person irrational. An irrational Watcher is a dangerous one. As upset as you are with me, I’m fairly certain that you’d regret scorching me.” Ila stared, unblinking. She wasn’t smiling now.
She was right. I needed to be calm and sensible so that I could change her mind.
“Look, the deal was that I was going to come here and live with you for a while. Then you tell me I’m a
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