turned her face into her pillow.
"Malini, Healers are very rare. Abigail and I have only met one, the medicine woman from Peru."
"Jacob told me. He went to see her last year. She gave him a red stone that he gave to me."
"This one?" Gideon held up the necklace that Jacob had given her at Christmas.
"Yes. But, why do you have it? I've stored it in my jewelry box since Christmas."
"I hope you don't mind that I retrieved it. Being an angel does have its benefits in a pinch. Tell me, Malini, why didn't you use this when Jacob gave it to you?"
"He said it told the future and I've always thought knowing the future was a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Because you might do things differently. You know, move against God's ultimate plan. Like, say you saw yourself falling down the stairs and so you avoided the stairs and never fell. You would go on about your life as if nothing ever happened. But what if the reason God had you fall was that when you went to the hospital, you would meet someone, someone that would change your life forever, maybe for the better. Then, by avoiding the fall you have avoided the change. What if that person was your soul mate or the CEO of a record company that wanted to make you a famous pop star?"
Gideon chuckled in that low bass rumble that was so endearing.
"Seriously, Gideon, I know it sounds ridiculous but I think sometimes it's better to not have control over our future. I would have never come to Paris if I had the choice but then I would have missed out on Jacob."
The angel's face grew serious. He took Malini's hand in his and the warmth from his touch filled her with a kind of giddy happiness. "You are wise beyond your years to trust in God's plan for you, Malini, but as a Healer you must lead the Soulkeepers into the future. You can no longer be a blind follower.
"This path has been laid before you and this stone has come into your hands for a reason. The medicine woman gave this to Jacob, but I don't think it was a coincidence that he gave it to you. It's your time, Malini. You need to discover what it means to be a Healer and I believe the key to unlocking your gift lies within this stone. Who better to train a Healer than another Healer?"
"Oh." Malini sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. "That's what this is all about, isn't it? Dr. Silva didn't want to admit I was a Healer because you two can't train me. There's only one person in the world who can and she lives in Peru."
"This must be difficult for you to accept," Gideon said.
"Hell yeah. I can't get my parent's permission to go to prom. How the hell am I going to go to Peru?"
Gideon placed the red stone into her palm. "I think the Healer thought of that and sent you the means to reach her from where you are."
Malini ran her fingers over the smooth stone in her hand.
"You have three days. Dr. Silva has built an illusion that will conceal any odd behavior as long as you are in this hospital. But you are scheduled to be released Friday morning. When that happens, you must be fully in your mind. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"
"Not really."
"You will." Gideon backed toward the window, into the light that streamed through the blinds. "I'm going to go now, Malini. Don't waste any more time. Use the stone. Find out who you are. We'll be here when you return."
"But—"
The light pierced through Gideon's flesh like a hundred laser beams, spreading and expanding until he dissolved completely. She was left alone in the room, the red stone pressing a cold circle into her palm.
Chapter 15
Horsemen
Jacob woke in a hospital bed with one single thought: he had to save Malini.
"Malini," he rasped. His sandpaper tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
"She's not here. But don't worry. She's safe. She's with Gideon in the next room."
Jacob turned his head toward the voice and saw Mara leaning against the wall next to the window. She was watching the bag that hung on the pole next to his bed with a sort of disturbed curiosity.
"Malini, Healers are very rare. Abigail and I have only met one, the medicine woman from Peru."
"Jacob told me. He went to see her last year. She gave him a red stone that he gave to me."
"This one?" Gideon held up the necklace that Jacob had given her at Christmas.
"Yes. But, why do you have it? I've stored it in my jewelry box since Christmas."
"I hope you don't mind that I retrieved it. Being an angel does have its benefits in a pinch. Tell me, Malini, why didn't you use this when Jacob gave it to you?"
"He said it told the future and I've always thought knowing the future was a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Because you might do things differently. You know, move against God's ultimate plan. Like, say you saw yourself falling down the stairs and so you avoided the stairs and never fell. You would go on about your life as if nothing ever happened. But what if the reason God had you fall was that when you went to the hospital, you would meet someone, someone that would change your life forever, maybe for the better. Then, by avoiding the fall you have avoided the change. What if that person was your soul mate or the CEO of a record company that wanted to make you a famous pop star?"
Gideon chuckled in that low bass rumble that was so endearing.
"Seriously, Gideon, I know it sounds ridiculous but I think sometimes it's better to not have control over our future. I would have never come to Paris if I had the choice but then I would have missed out on Jacob."
The angel's face grew serious. He took Malini's hand in his and the warmth from his touch filled her with a kind of giddy happiness. "You are wise beyond your years to trust in God's plan for you, Malini, but as a Healer you must lead the Soulkeepers into the future. You can no longer be a blind follower.
"This path has been laid before you and this stone has come into your hands for a reason. The medicine woman gave this to Jacob, but I don't think it was a coincidence that he gave it to you. It's your time, Malini. You need to discover what it means to be a Healer and I believe the key to unlocking your gift lies within this stone. Who better to train a Healer than another Healer?"
"Oh." Malini sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. "That's what this is all about, isn't it? Dr. Silva didn't want to admit I was a Healer because you two can't train me. There's only one person in the world who can and she lives in Peru."
"This must be difficult for you to accept," Gideon said.
"Hell yeah. I can't get my parent's permission to go to prom. How the hell am I going to go to Peru?"
Gideon placed the red stone into her palm. "I think the Healer thought of that and sent you the means to reach her from where you are."
Malini ran her fingers over the smooth stone in her hand.
"You have three days. Dr. Silva has built an illusion that will conceal any odd behavior as long as you are in this hospital. But you are scheduled to be released Friday morning. When that happens, you must be fully in your mind. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"
"Not really."
"You will." Gideon backed toward the window, into the light that streamed through the blinds. "I'm going to go now, Malini. Don't waste any more time. Use the stone. Find out who you are. We'll be here when you return."
"But—"
The light pierced through Gideon's flesh like a hundred laser beams, spreading and expanding until he dissolved completely. She was left alone in the room, the red stone pressing a cold circle into her palm.
Chapter 15
Horsemen
Jacob woke in a hospital bed with one single thought: he had to save Malini.
"Malini," he rasped. His sandpaper tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
"She's not here. But don't worry. She's safe. She's with Gideon in the next room."
Jacob turned his head toward the voice and saw Mara leaning against the wall next to the window. She was watching the bag that hung on the pole next to his bed with a sort of disturbed curiosity.
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