The Calling

By R. E. Kendall

Quinn McAlister woke up floating above her bed on her eighteenth birthday. For this shy introverted girl this is the worst thing that could ever happen. She learns that she is a “Miles Dei”, a soldier of God that has been called to fight monsters and Demons. Her quiet world has been turned upside down and now with some freaky powers that she finds difficult to control she must start her training with an Angel of all things. Quinn must find the strength and faith that she never thought she had to fight because no matter how much she does not want to be the chosen one the monsters and Demons are coming and she must be prepared. With help from some unlikely allies she just might find everything she has been looking for.
“And so it shall come to pass that a champion will be sent, one in each generation.
A first born daughter of a first born daughter, she will be endowed with certain gifts
and shall set forth to protect my children from the fallen ones.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781304538451

Book preview

books.

Prologue

"And so it shall come to pass that a champion will be sent, one in each generation.

A first born daughter of a first born daughter, she will be endowed with certain gifts

and shall set forth to protect my children from the fallen ones."

I hated mornings, and the sun shining through my window was bright and unforgiving. I stretched my arms over my head; my eyes still squeezed tightly shut and encountered only air. I did this every morning and every morning when I stretched the cool, smooth surface of my wall would rub against my hands. Today the wall was not there. In fact, I felt cool air all around me instead of the warm cozy feeling of my bed.

She’s about to wake up! This is so exciting! I heard my aunt whisper.

Opening my eyes, I found myself face to face with the poster that hung on my ceiling. My first thought was that the tape had given away in the middle of the night and the poster was now lying over my face. The next thought was that I could touch my ceiling. I did the only thing a person could do in such a situation and started to scream. Aunt Lucy was there in a second, and so was Gideon which was equally strange. Aunt Lucy patted my hand and shushed me.

It’s okay, Quinn.  Try to calm down. Take a deep breath, Aunt Lucy said in her most soothing voice.

How was I supposed to calm down when I was FLOATING several feet above my bed?! I took in a shaky breath and looked down at Aunt Lucy. Looking down was a bad idea because I began to scream again and kick my feet which made my body flip over, so I was now face down over my bed staring into the joyful eyes of Aunt Lucy and her friend Gideon. My long black hair hung in my face and I pushed at it in frustration trying to get it out of my eyes. They looked overjoyed at the fact that I had floated out of my bed like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloon.

Why am I floating?! I yelled, panic filling my voice.

You have come into your powers! This is so wonderful! I remember when this happened to your mom, Aunt Lucy said, sounding very proud of me.  Her eyes were shining and she had her arms clasped around herself like she was afraid she would burst apart into a million pieces if she loosened her grasp.

What powers? What are you talking about? I was confused and scared, and really wished that I could get off the ceiling.

Just relax, Quinn. The energy that fills you when you first come into your powers makes you float. You will come back down if you relax, Gideon said, grabbing my hand and pulling me gently toward my bed.

Well geez, if that was all it took I was going to get right on that, thinking happy, relaxed thoughts.  Yeah, right!  I couldn’t think of anything other than how I was going to have to wear weights around my ankles so I wouldn’t have to float down the hallway at school. I was sure the other kids would notice that!

Gideon sighed and shook his head. I seemed to make him do that a lot. Gideon was very uptight, even his British accent was unforgiving.

If you relax, you will stop floating, Gideon said again, like he was talking to a little child.

How am I supposed to relax? You are not the one floating!

Gideon sighed again and floated up by me. I tried to talk but no words would come out of my mouth. I must have looked like a fish out of water with my mouth opening and closing so quickly.

Now I am floating, too. Think of something calming and you will come back down, he said as he held my hand.

I closed my eyes and thought of every calming thing I could think of, trying my hardest to block the fact that in some unbelievable turn of events I had woken up floating.  I felt my heart beat slow, and my breathing steadied.  I could feel my body drifting slowly down, but tried not to think about it.  I knew if I started thinking about it I would end up back on the ceiling.  I bumped into the softness of my bed and grasped the sides of it.  Opening my eyes slowly, I looked at Gideon and Aunt Lucy. I was really hoping I had just dreamed the whole thing.

Happy Birthday, Quinn! I made your favorite breakfast – pancakes and bacon, Aunt Lucy said as she gave me a crushing hug before running out of my room.

I looked at Gideon who had sat down next to me.

You floated, I said, eyeing him with suspicion and a little fear.

So did you. He straightened the already neat sleeves on his tweed jacket.

He had a point, but I did not know I could float and he obviously knew he could.  What was Gideon? And more importantly, what was I?  I quickly ran through all the usual options in my head.  Maybe I was an alien, and so was Gideon. Maybe I was some weird mutant like the X-Men. I did not remember being bit by a radioactive spider, or falling into some suspicious goo. Gideon laughed softly beside me and it startled me.

Do not think so hard. Your brow is wrinkled so tight you are going to give yourself a headache, he said, smiling at me.

What is wrong with me? What am I, an alien? I asked, trying to sound calm but the squeak in my voice betrayed me.

"You are the Miles Dei, and I am an Angel," he said smiling and looking extremely happy with the whole situation.

"You’re an Angel? And what exactly is a Miles Dei?" I asked, my voice shaking again.

Gideon got up and paced in front of me, his hands clasped behind his back. Gideon, as far as I knew, was a professor at Greyton University and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what he looked like while teaching.

"Miles Dei translates from Latin into ‘Soldier of God,’ and I am an Angel – a messenger of God and the guide for the Miles Dei," he said, still pacing in front of me.

A soldier? Me? Oh, no! Nope, not this girl!

I was not a soldier, I was the weird kid that sat in the library with my nose in a book and tried to avoid confrontation and attention at all costs. My one form of rebellion was the rainbow of colors that I dyed a streak of my hair. That was only a minor rebellion because under the bright green dye it was stark white. A weird genetic deformity that was passed down from a mother I don’t even remember.

But I don’t believe in God, I said, as if that would make this all go away. After all, if I did not believe in God, why would he pick me to be his soldier? Why would he want a non-believer to fight for him, and what was I fighting anyhow?

Your lack of belief in God does not mean he does not believe in you. He chose you, Gideon said, stopping in front of me and giving me a stern look.

Well, what if I don’t want to be chosen? I asked. Do I have a choice in all of this? I twirled the bright green streak around my finger and hoped he would say yes.

Gideon looked at me like I had grown two heads, like he never expected me to not want to be the Miles Dei.

You always have choices, but why would you not want this? It is a great honor to be chosen, he said, looking confused.

I snorted and choked on a laugh. Are you kidding? Why would I want to be a freak? I said harshly. Gideon stepped back from me like I had slapped him and I felt bad instantly. He looked lost, like this was the last thing he thought I would say. Like he actually believed I would be clapping my hands with glee at being the Chosen One.

Why don’t we have some tea? You will feel better after you eat, he said, regaining his composure. Gideon’s cure-all from being sick to being sad was a cup of tea. In his opinion, a good cup of tea made everything better, more manageable. I had always thought it was the British in him.

Gideon left before I could say anything and I sighed, burying my face in my hands.  Happy eighteenth birthday to me. I gathered up my clothes and headed for the shower before Aunt Lucy made me eat my weight in pancakes and bacon.

Chapter 1

I have always enjoyed this time of year, but today the rustle of leaves getting ready to drop was grating on my nerves. I was not in a good mood and it was all God’s fault. He hijacked my life without my permission and now I was stuck dealing with it. I was bitter, I will admit. I was not the type of person that wanted to be a hero. I spent my entire life being in the background never attracting attention to the fact that I even existed. I would have never willingly stepped out of my comfortable shadows.

All day my stomach hurt. I was not meant for great things, trust me. I had never pictured my future or what I wanted to do with it. It would more than likely be me, locked away in my home, a recluse with a bunch of cats to keep me company. Not as God’s champion, that was for sure. My friends were limited and it worked for me. It was comfortable.

My mom, Aisling, died when I was a baby, so it was just Aunt Lucy and I. I love her dearly but I am so angry with her right now. She had kept this from me when she knew full well what I would become! It was Aunt Lucy’s rule to never keep secrets and she had kept the biggest secret ever from me. I was not going to let her off the hook for that anytime soon.

I live in the small town of Grant.  It was a logging town way back when it was first founded by Elisha Grant. The huge oaks in the area had drawn him and a couple other logging barons to the region.  Eventually the trains had come, and with the trains came farmers and merchants. It was boomtown until the oaks had been all cut down. The oaks that were here now had been planted as a way to restore the area to what it used to be. After the logging companies left, so did the trains and most of the people, leaving behind a sleepy little farming community where nothing newsworthy ever happened.

Tourists had discovered our little town recently, so we have the annual batch of out-of-towners that show up to watch the leaves change color of all things. I guess when you grow up in the area you get used to how normal it is to see a leaf change color. The beauty of it is not lost on me, don’t get me wrong, but I guess I feel kind of protective of it. To have someone come along and clamber around our quiet town takes the peaceful nature out of it. Earlier I had passed a round, middle age couple who were wearing linen shorts, socks with sandals, sun visors, fanny packs, and matching shirts from the Grand Canyon. I rolled my eyes when the woman commented on our accents and how funny we sounded.

You are the ones with accents! And stop taking pictures of the grocery store for heaven sakes!

Stopping in my front yard, I took a deep breath.  I was so mad at Aunt Lucy and that stupid Angel Gideon!  Angels! Could this get any worse?

The breeze blew coolly over my exposed skin, making it tingle with goose bumps.  I should have felt cold, but oddly my skin was warmed where the air touched me. I headed for the house, not wanting to see Aunt Lucy, but unable to avoid it.

Throwing my backpack into the corner of my room, I ran my fingers through my hair.  I wish I had never floated out of bed today! Aunt Lucy wanted me to pretend like I had not woken up today, hovering above my bed.  She said that I was the same person today as I had been yesterday, but I wasn’t!  I was different, I could feel it, like I was sharing my body with another person.  I felt clumsy and unsure of what my next move was.  It was scary not knowing what I was now, or what I would become.

Gideon was coming over for my first night of training.  I was going to be taught how to fight and how to protect myself with charms and teas.  Great!

Aunt Lucy had given me the Grimoires this morning, which is a book that has been passed down for hundreds of years. It has a bunch of herbs and all their uses, metals and minerals that can disguise and protect a person from evil, and notes on various evil creeps and how to recognize and kill them. Aunt Lucy said that all of God’s creation can be used in some way to fight evil. The best gift I got was a necklace that had been my mother’s – silver with a Celtic knot hanging from it, the metal twisted together to form a triangle with a mosaic of black stone running down the center of the knot.

Aunt Lucy was humming as she walked down the hall toward my room. She was always humming or singing something, today it was Tina Turner. She knocked on my door and waited.

Come in, I said.

I was sitting in the middle of my bed, twisting my hair around my finger. It was a habit I had when I was thinking or nervous. Aunt Lucy noticed it right away when she opened the door, and she came and sat beside me on the bed. We sat next to each other for a bit without talking, twisting and untwisting my hair about a hundred times. Aunt Lucy was great like that; she never pushed, just waited me out until I was ready to talk.

So I get to learn how to kick the crap out of monsters tonight? I said quietly.

I hoped she would laugh at me and tell me I had imagined this morning. Instead she ran her hand down my long black hair and lightly touched the red streak by my temple.

Gideon will be here soon.  His last class today was at three.  Are you ready for it all?  She asked.

I laughed.  It bubbled out of me, and even to my ears it sounded slightly hysterical.  The laughter quickly turned to tears and I found myself being pulled into Aunt Lucy’s arms.  She rocked me gently like she used to when I was a child.  Not saying a word, she let me cry until I couldn’t cry anymore. She just rocked me and stroked my hair, handing me a Kleenex every now and then. Pulling away from her, I blew my nose. I was sure I was all blotchy and my nose was red.

Sorry, I mumbled.

You have nothing to be sorry about, Quinn. You have had a lot to process today, she said.

Yeah, I don’t want to be a big baby about this, but can I not be The Chosen One?" I asked, looking hopefully at Aunt Lucy. She shook her head sadly.

Honey, if I could take your place, I would. But this is your destiny, not mine. I would have taken your mom’s place, too. She looked as sad as I felt, and I realized that she was as afraid as I was.

She had lost my mother to this destiny. I could not imagine what she had gone through not being able to protect her. Aunt Lucy was my mom’s twin. She had some power of her own, but my mother had been the first born. Lucy’s power was limited to unusually good fighting skills and potion-making. She had told me this morning that she had to work hard at it, though. It would come naturally to me, like it did to my mother.

I did not think that Aunt Lucy was lying, but the whole thing seemed rather farfetched.  If I had not woken up floating above my bed today, I would have said she needed to see a psychiatrist.  Aunt Lucy was eccentric, but she had never lied to me.  If anything, she had been too honest about things. She grossed me out from time to time with her honesty. She said our family did not lie to each other, saying it was a dangerous habit to get into, no matter how much the truth might hurt.

Well, I guess if I can’t give this crazy ‘gift’ back, I had better change, I said. Aunt Lucy hugged me again and closed the door behind her.

I pulled black yoga pants and a Van Halen t-shirt on, and gathered my hair into a ponytail.  I could hear Aunt Lucy talking to someone when I opened my door, and I headed for the kitchen.  I found her and Gideon sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea.  Always tea, never coffee or soda.  I was fine with tea, but I would sneak coffee and soda when I could.  My little piece of rebellion, I guess.  Aunt Lucy would have a fit if she knew I was consuming what she called unnatural food.

Gideon turned and smiled at me when I walked into the room.  I had known Gideon my entire life.  When I was little I wished he would marry Aunt Lucy.  In fact, I thought that they were dating until this morning.  In reality, Gideon was my guiding Angel; he has been the guiding Angel for my family since the very first Miles Dei.  Gideon is a professor of Anthropology as his day job, and he looked the part.  He was a huge fan of the three-piece tweed suit and he wore one every day.  He was tall had black hair that was streaked with grey at the temples, and sky blue eyes.  He also had a British accent; being an Angel, he was not from England, but he had an accent. That was weird, now that I think about it.

Today Gideon was dressed in workout clothes, which was shocking. I had never seen him without his suit on. He stood up and pulled out my chair for me. I plopped into it, pulling my knees up to my chest.

How are you doing, Quinn? Did you have a nice day at school? Gideon asked. He ran his finger around the lip of his tea cup and looked at me intently.

It was school, Gideon. I was a little preoccupied with my magic trick this morning, really, I said with quite a bit of teenage sass.  Aunt Lucy kicked my chair leg and raised an eyebrow when I looked at her.

Sorry, this has been a lot to process, I said nicely.

Gideon had always been great and didn’t deserve my attitude. On top of that, he was an Angel and I should really be nicer. I was sure being mean to an Angel was at the top of God’s no-no list.

"It is quite alright.  I understand that you have a lot on your mind.  I have not met one Miles Dei that did not fight it.  Your mother was one of the worst," he said, shaking his head.

She would run off when it was time to train, and even made Lucy pretend to be her a few times.  I smiled at the last part; Mom and Lucy were identical except for the streak of white hair mom had starting at her temple. I had the same streak, but I had started dying it in the last couple of years.

Gideon spent more time chasing your mom down than training her, Lucy said with a laugh.

We all finished our tea with Gideon and Aunt Lucy chattering on like they usually did. They were so close to each other, but I guess they would be. Lucy and my mom had grown up with Gideon in their lives also; they were able to tell him anything and not have to keep secrets from him. It was weird to think of Gideon as an Angel. He was eternal, long after I was dead he would still be around, never aging.

Quinn? Gideon asked.

Hmm?  I said.  I hadn’t been paying attention to what they were talking about.

I asked if you were ready to start, he said, pushing his chair back and taking his cup to the sink.

I guess.  I’m as ready as I will ever be, I said, standing up and stretching.  I hope he goes easy on me.

We all went out the back door off the kitchen to the huge back yard.  It was more of a clearing in the woods than a yard.  The whole property was filled with trees, mostly oak.  The house was a small two- story cottage that was made of fieldstone with a huge chimney off the family room.  An old house that had been in the family for hundreds of years, it hadn’t changed much over time except for the addition of indoor plumbing and electricity. Other than the living room, it had three bedrooms and one bathroom. The kitchen was by far the biggest room in the house and it was the most used as well.

Aunt Lucy was stretching, so I followed her lead and imitated her movements. Never having been very athletic, I did not know what I was supposed to do. Aunt Lucy was always practicing martial arts, and I had spent many afternoons watching her go through the movements. She had asked on occasion if I wanted to learn and I had always said no preferring to curl up on the patio furniture and read.

Quinn, why don’t you and Lucy practice some hand-to-hand fighting first? She will show you some moves, Gideon said. After you learn that, we can move on to weapons training.

Weapons?  Like knives and guns?  I asked.

I knew this was going to suck.

I had never wanted to learn how to use a gun. What if I shot myself? Or worse, someone else?!

Knives are okay, but you have to be close to the person or creature to use them. A sword is a better option. You will also learn how to use a crossbow which is Lucy’s weapon of choice. Guns are not very effective in fighting monsters. They may slow them down, but to kill a monster you need to decapitate them or light them on fire, Gideon said.

I have to learn how to cut someone’s head off?!  That’s really twisted, Gideon, I said.  Gross!

It’s the only way to kill most of the things you will encounter, he said.

Are you sure I’m the chosen one? Because I just don’t think I have the stomach for this.

You will learn, Lucy said, and waved me forward.

Aunt Lucy’s hands and body moved with a dizzying speed, and I wound up lying on the ground, sprawled out from an especially hard punch. The clouds were swirling above me in the cool autumn sky. I saw her hand reach down to me and I took it as she pulled me to my feet.

Again, Gideon said standing off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest.

I tried to block Aunt Lucy as she came at me, but my clumsy feet refused to move fast enough. I wound up in a heap on the ground again with her standing over me.

I can’t do this! I protested as I picked myself up, ignoring Aunt Lucy’s offered hand this time.

Yes you can. You need to concentrate. It will come naturally to you, Gideon said.

Aunt Lucy flew at me from the side and I danced away from her, not throwing any punches of my own, just trying to stay away from hers. She connected with my jaw when I tried to duck under her and I saw spots of bright light as I fell. I rubbed my jaw, getting angrier by the minute. I had never fought anyone and they expected me to just fall right into this? I felt disconnected from my body. It wouldn’t cooperate with me.

Do it again, Gideon said next to me and I glared at him.

Anger is not the answer, Quinn. Look inside yourself and pull from the power the Father has given you, he said, clasping his hands behind his back.

That’s easy for you to say, I muttered under my breath as I picked myself up off the ground.

So my training began, and every night we trained and every night I fell into bed, my muscles screaming in pain. Lucy and Gideon never went easy on me. When I was done with hand-to-hand training, Gideon would use his Angelic powers to train me against the supernatural. This was now my life, learning to fight against things that most people thought were make-believe.

Chapter 2

As we sat around the fire place in the living room, Aunt Lucy was trying her hardest to pound some herb knowledge into my head.  I nodded in what I hoped were the right spots in the conversation.  In reality I was thinking about why a Miles Dei was even necessary anymore. I could hear Lucy droning on about Ginger root and its many uses. At least I think she was still talking about Ginger root. Gideon nudged me with his foot and I glanced up at him. His head was tipped to the side slightly as he looked at me. He turned to Lucy and held up his hand for her to stop talking.

I think it is time for a break, Lucy. Quinn has some questions that need to be answered, he said.  How did he do that?

I am able to hear your thoughts, he said with a shrug like it was no big deal.

"Excuse me; did you say you can hear my thoughts?" I must have heard him wrong.

No, you heard me right. I can hear everyone’s thoughts.

Get out of my head! Do you do this often?! Who would want someone creeping around in their head?

I can’t turn it off, Quinn.  Don’t worry, I would never tell anyone your private thoughts. Even Lucy.

Like that made me feel better!

Gideon held his hands up in an I surrender move and I realized my thoughts must have sounded like someone shouting. Gideon nodded but did not comment out loud. I felt some of the heat that crept into my face leave. This was total crap! Not only was my destiny predetermined, but now my thoughts were being hijacked too! Gideon shook his head in disagreement; I could tell he was working hard not to respond out loud to my thoughts. Aunt Lucy was looking back and forth between us and moved closer to me, grabbing my hand.

Quinn, I am sorry if this disturbs you, but it is what I do. I am an Angel, remember. I rolled my eyes and looked at the flames in the fireplace. Let the brooding begin. I was pissed and they were both going to know it.

Quinn, be reasonable.

I snarled at that.

Lucy, talk to her! Tell her how it is for you.

I looked at my Aunt and she sighed.

It sucks, Gideon groaned. Sorry, but it does. You do get used to it though, and Gideon would never share your private thoughts, Quinn. I hardly even notice anymore when he responds to my unspoken questions and comments.

I glared at Gideon for a couple seconds and then sighed.  Whatever, it was one more thing to add to my list of reasons why I would really love to punch God in the face. Gideon gasped and I smiled.

Stay out of my head or you are bound to hear things you don’t like, Angel.

I do believe that I have some pent up anger.

I believe you are right. Would you like to talk about it? He asked.

Yeah, I would. You seem to think that I should take all this supernatural business in stride. Well guess what? I think it’s a load of crap! I didn’t even think there was a God, really, and now I find out I am his chosen one! And that you are a mind-reading Angel! I don’t want this! You both lied to me! You kept this all from me! I found myself shaking with anger.

All Gideon did was sit there like a lump! Aunt Lucy at least had some emotion. Her eyes had gotten huge, and she had the most wonderful shocked expression on her face.

We are not trying to minimize what you are going through. What do you want us to say? Lucy asked.

I want you to say I have a choice! I want you to tell me that I can go back to being me! I screamed.

Aunt Lucy flinched and Gideon again just sat there.

"This is who you are.  You have always been this, and maybe we did you a disservice by keeping it from you.  Maybe if you had been better prepared…"  Aunt Lucy’s voice trailed off and she looked down at her fingers. They had been twisting in her skirt.

Quinn, you do have a choice. You have freewill and can be whoever you want. It won’t change what you were born to do, though, Gideon said quietly.  "I am what I am, never changing.  I am an Angel who reads minds and guides the Miles Dei.  That is all I will ever be.  I am incapable of being more or of changing my path.  You, on the other hand, can choose to fight what you are, or accept your calling and be part of something bigger than yourself."

My body burned with rage and I wanted to smash something!  To scream out the injustice that was my life.  Something bigger than myself?! I was not going to be made to feel guilty about this!

No one is trying to make you feel guilty, Quinn. You have the power to save people. Use your power and embrace it because if your hold is tentative, it can be corrupted. You have great power, Quinn, and an even greater responsibility. You see this as a curse but it’s really a gift. You are picked not because of who your mother is, but because of who you are. His eyes were intense now and they seemed to be glowing slightly, like the blue had suddenly gotten a little brighter.

"It is a curse, passed down mother to daughter.  You call it what you want but to me it is a curse." I said through my teeth.

This has not always been in your family. It has passed over some, and changed families when the need arose. He raised his eyebrow at me in an open challenge.

"I see you have not been reading up on the past histories.  Many women from many families have carried your gift.  They gave their lives for it in many cases but others lived to old age passing the gift on when they could fight no more.  It is not the death sentence you believe it is, Quinn.  The most notable thing that all the Miles Dei have done is to step out of what was expected of a woman in their time and become a beacon of hope for the masses. They became doctors, and lawyers, defenders of the poor, reformers, and yes, soldiers when the need arose." He waited for me to absorb the information he gave me.

It was unfair of him to be so righteous in his response to my outburst. I was still frustrated, but I guess I never realized what those before me had endured. At least I did not have to worry about being burned at the stake… hopefully.

"So why is there even a need for a Miles Dei anymore?  Or even ever? You’re an Angel – you can kill these creepy evil things with a snap," I challenged.

"Because vanquishing monsters is only part of what you are.  Granted, as the years have passed, the need for a champion of the people is not as apparent.  As a guide, I was charged with being a messenger.  I was God’s mouthpiece.  Many of the Miles Dei have been in powerful positions, or obtained powerful positions later.  They have been queens, priests, prophets, and so on. Vanquishing is only a small part of what you will be. You will know what your calling is soon enough."

I sat down on the couch and curled my legs underneath me. I had a lot to think about. I still did not want to be the chosen one, but who knew what else I would become? I needed to think this out. I felt like I had lost my way. Maybe I could get a part of it back now.

I went to school with a lot of anxiety. I felt more out of place there than I ever felt before. My senses were getting stronger by the day. I noticed all the weird smells that came off my fellow students. Their perfume and cologne made me slightly nauseous now. I had asked Gideon about this and he told me it was because of my powers. I was developing a heightened sense of smell. It was a protective power that would eventually allow me to smell Demonic presences. I noticed that each of my classmates had a different smell to them that was unique to the individual. It was weird knowing who was behind me without having to look. Gideon had a scent, too. He smelled like chocolate – the most decadent and divine smell I had ever encountered.

My friend Libby was no exception.  She smelled wonderful too; it was a mixture of cinnamon and sugar that made her smell like a coffee shop.  Libby was my best friend, but since I had become, well… what I am, I’d been trying to distance myself from her.  I just wanted her to be safe and I was not safe anymore. She used to be at my house all the time, but now I found myself making excuses on why she couldn’t come over. She would still show up from time to time, but it was getting to be less often. I knew that she was confused by my sudden change in behavior, and I had even managed to drive her away from our lunch table. I would see her watching me sometimes with a look of concern on her face. So there I would sit by myself and lonely, longing to tell my best friend about what I was, but not being able to. She would just think I was crazy anyhow.

I spent my days making it through the school day, and training at night. I was actually getting pretty good. I loved the feel of my sword in my hands. It was heavy and awkward at first, but I quickly learned how to balance it. I would practice for hours in the back yard, the stress of the day melting away with each swing of the blade. In my mind I could see each move, lunge, faint left, cut right; a dance that warmed my muscles and opened my lungs allowing me a little peace.

I was not as good at hand-to-hand combat. I felt off-center and clumsy when I was sparring. It was like something was missing, like I was not using some part of myself. I would practice on my own and it would be fine, but once Aunt Lucy would join in, I felt off-balance. I much preferred my sword. I touched the dagger that was shoved into my boot. Aunt Lucy demanded I take it with me everywhere I went. Today I was glad for it. Something was off and I could feel it in my bones.

My life had changed completely. Not only were my nights filled with learning to fight, but I had to quit my part time job at the grocery store because it interfered with said training.  When I had asked Gideon how I was going to earn money he said not to worry – that I had all the money I would ever need.  Evidently I was the youngest billionaire in the world now and had more money than I knew what to do with.  It was one of the perks of the job.  Over the years, with excellent investments, the Miles Dei account had grown to a sum of unmentionable proportions. The money was not only for my use, but for the use of all Earthbound Angels and a group called the Watchers to pay for their needs as well. I guess I didn’t need to ask about a retirement plan.

Quinn! Libby yelled behind me.

I finished putting my books in my locker then slowly turned to face her. She was nervously shifting from foot to foot.

What’s up, Libby?

What are you doing tonight? She asked, clearing her throat.

I have to help Aunt Lucy, I said as I closed my locker door and turned to walk away from her.

Quinn, wait! Are you okay? She asked as she grabbed my elbow.

I shook her hand off my arm and ignored her wounded look.

I’m fine, I’ve just been real busy lately and Aunt Lucy wants me to help her tonight, I said sharply.  Libby took a step back from me and shook her head.

Something is going on. I know you, Quinn. You have been avoiding me, and I’m worried about you, she said quickly.

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