Veiled (19 page)

Dorian looked up at me and
winked, but I wasn’t soothed. I couldn’t allow him to take this on
for my sake.

Alex watched our little
exchange. “What is it? Tess? Dorian?”

“
I’m doing it too,” Luz
said, ignoring the recent exchange between Dorian and me. Her
voice, however, brought me out of my trance and my eyes shifted
toward her. Her thoughts came to me freely as well. She also felt
uneasy, but had no fear. She was certain that Amor and Paz would
somehow take care of her, and this certainty was immovable in her
mind, like a rock.

“
But if you both volunteer
for a special mission…” My voice trailed and I was feeling too many
emotions from too many spirits to be coherent.

“
It will all work out, I
have seen it. We’ll help each other.” Dorian’s words were directed
to me, not Luz, but he held her hand tightly.

“
But…” I
stammered.

Dorian laughed and came to
my side. He put one arm around my shoulders and shook my frame
lightly. In doing this, I realized how big he really was. He was
even taller than Alex. Had he always been this size? Or had he
grown in stature since volunteering?

“
Just do me a favor, OK,
Tess? Help me find Luz, that’s all I ask,” Dorian said with a
chuckle.

“
OK…” I said,
dazed.

“
You’ll be the best sister
ever!” Dorian kissed the top of my head.

“
Sister, you mean…you saw
us being brother and sister?”

“
Well… not exactly.
Listen, that’s all I have, I’m not an oracle you know.”

“
Yes, you are,” Max
corrected.

Dorian hunched his
shoulders and brushed it off as if it was no big deal. Then he
glided back to Luz’s side and wrapped his arms around
her.

“
OK…well…we’ll see you
guys in…” Dorian checked his watch, “twenty hours.”

“
Wow, time sure flies!
Let’s go for a stroll.” Max looked at Celeste. She took his arm and
they were off.

The rest of the clan
dispersed as well. Only Alex and I were still standing
there.

“
So…what just happened?”
he asked.

I looked back at him with
dismay. Why was it that everyone felt that I needed to be
rescued?

Alex and I spent the rest
of the time strolling through the zigzagging streets of the special
mission’s city which was carved out of the face of the mountain. We
mostly talked about Dorian, and Alex insisted that perhaps I only
discerned part of the truth—I was after all new at this thought
reading business.

When class resumed, Orffius
gave time to those who had questions that still needed answering.
Once all questions were answered, and they were many, he asked for
those who wanted to volunteer to raise their hands.

Dorian and Luz raised their
hands and I turned my head to see what Valerie would do. She looked
confident and determined. Her jaw was set as if her mind had been
made up and she too raised her hand. I also noticed that Dane
tightened his grip on her other hand. He too looked forward, calm
and determined.

I was awe struck by their
courage in accepting this extra challenge—all of them. But I
worried that Dorian had just made a huge mistake.

*****

Things were getting more
intense for us now. Almost all classes were using Earth’s rotation
for their scheduling, and they were not repeating the same class
over and over again, like they used to. There were less of us now,
so a schedule had been created and if we missed a class now, we had
to wait a few of Earth’s years before it was repeated. Gifts…forget
it! If you missed a gift class these days, you were done. Those
were never repeated anymore.

Since I got transferred to
Sonora’s class I was in a constant state of catching up. Leo,
Irene, and Thomas had gotten transferred too, soon after I did and
they too felt like they were way behind, so we put in a lot of
extra practice time. But this was now creating a problem with my
other classes.

Right now, I was running
late for an introduction to Angelic Missions, for those who wanted
to qualify as an Angel. I was pretty much flying through the
streets, zigzagging my way around spirits who were being way too
slow. I made a sharp turn out of the Gifts district and passed the
Earth’s Cultures district as fast as it was spiritually possible.
Next was the Angelic Missions District. Now I had to find the
actual building that I needed to go to.

The streets were well
marked, but these districts were always crowded and it was often
hard to see the signs. I hit something or someone and all the
scrolls and books that I was carrying flew up in the
air.

“
Watch where you’re going,
you idiot!” Agatha spat with anger.

“
Hi, Agatha. I see you’ve
been working hard at turning your aura into a black hole,” I said,
trying to keep my anger in check.

“
As a matter-of-fact, a
black hole is exactly what I was going for.” She looked smug, and
then added, “I miss you at Gifts class. Where have you been these
days?”

“
I’m in Sonora’s
class.”

She looked at me for a
moment, and when her seething jealousy could bare it no more, she
flew away.

I snickered at her
reaction, but part of me felt bad for her as well. I now knew what
it felt like to be miserable and alone, and it’s not a pleasant
feeling. And even though Agatha and I have never seen eye to eye, I
wouldn’t wish that misery on her.

I guess I also felt
responsible for her. After all, it was my fault that she decided to
join us and now…she was all alone, alienated from us, the true
followers, and those who came as spies. If I had just kept my mouth
shut…who knows?

I resumed my flight toward
my next class.
On the other hand, I too,
have had a small taste of what being cast-out feels like,
I thought,
and given the
choice…she is better here. Misery is mild compared to what she
would have had to endure for the eternities as a
cast-out.

“
Why the scowl?” Dorian
was standing right outside the front of the Angelic Missions
building, wearing his usual carefree smile.

“
Oh, hi! I was
just…thinking.”

“
What could possibly be
making you look so glum?”

I pondered this question,
not sure what would be the best way to answer.

“
You know…I’m glad to see
you. I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” I said while lacing my arm
through his.

“
Me? Am I to blame for
that look on your face?” he said with a mock pout.

“
No. But I do want to talk
to you about you volunteering for a special mission, because of
me.”

“
I didn’t do it just
because of you, Tess. I knew way before I went to that class that
I’d volunteer. I had a vision and I saw me, in mortality—I will be
handsome by the way. I saw you, too, and we helped each other.” He
raised one eyebrow and added, “You’ll be cute too. Hot, more like
it.” He winked.

I shook my head.

“
Don’t try to change the
subject to soften the blow. Thanks though. It’s nice to
know.

“
But listen, I can’t ask
you to take on a special mission for me. It’s
ridiculous!”

He looked steadily at me
for a moment, and then looked hurt. “Wouldn’t you do it for
me?”

That caught me off guard.
“Of course I would do it for you!” I told him, equally
hurt.

“
Well then!” He smiled
again. “Now you understand and we can go inside and begin our
Angelic training.” Dorian turned and began the walk up the
seemingly endless stairs that led to the main entrance.

“
Dorian, really…” I was
serious now and not in the mood for his jokes.

He stopped and turned to
look at me. “Tess, I have to do this. Not just for you, OK. This is
for me as well.” He looked torn, like he wanted to tell me more but
couldn’t. Then he looked around as if making sure no one was
listening and came in closer and whispered. “I’ve been told that I
need protection, and the best way to get it is through a special
mission. Remember what Orffius said about the protection that is
given to those who live with a special mission?”

“
He said that the Eternals
kept them safe or something,” I said, vaguely remembering those
particular words.

“
Well…sort of. Listen, I
can’t tell you all I know, but trust me. It’s for the best. I know
you would do the same thing if you were in my position. This way I
can help you and Alex, and will get to use my gift to its fullest
degree.” He stopped abruptly and looked a little jolted. Then he
recovered and patted my head much like he patted his pet bird’s
head. I think he expected me to fluff up like the bird did and
looked a little disappointed when I didn’t.

“
It’s all for the best,
OK?” He resumed the stair climbing and I followed him.

We moved in silence for a
while. I tried to put all his words in perspective.

“
So…can you tell me again
how cute I will be?”

“
As cute as you are now,
but with more color.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and
laughed loudly. His voiced echoed through the entrance hall, and
several spirits who were working in the lobby turned to look at his
irreverence. The Angelic Missions building was all white, the stone
itself irradiated a pearly shimmer that made the building glow. Two
statues of extra large Cherubs greeted us at the entrance. They
looked so real, that for a moment I stared, waiting for one of them
to move.

Dorian proved that they
were stone by flicking one of them on the leg—a daring move if you
ask me. Had that Cherub been real we would have had a preview of
what physical pain would be like.

Dorian and I were directed
to a classroom and a real Cherub this time opened the door for us.
Inside the room, our whole clan—minus Henry—was sitting down toward
the front. Leo and Irene were there too with some of their clan
members.

* * * * *

Chapter 16

Agatha glided through the
crowded streets and out of sight. She was glad for all the training
that she had been able to get in preparation for this. Eros had
been easily duped, the rest would be too.

He had given her directions
to the spot. It was remote and well hidden. Her first matter of
business would be a call for complete secrecy of the location. No
more casual invitations, she thought with irony.

She was now out of the
developed parts and was entering the large western mountain range.
There, well above the tree line, she could see the landmarks that
marked where the small opening of the cavern was to be. Most
spirits would think of looking down at the foot of the mountain for
such an opening, but this one was near the top.

She approached the entrance
and called out, “Second chance.”

“
Enter,” a voice from
within responded.

What an idiotic way of
guarding the entrance,
Agatha thought as
she hunched down. The opening was smaller than her height, and she
had to glide forward in an awkward manner for what seemed like an
eternity. Then the cave dove downward and stopped abruptly, giving
way to a huge open area with no discernable bottom. From the top
hung large crystal formations and there was no natural light.
Torches had been placed against the sides of the cave and they
provided the only source of light. In the very center of this
hollow mountain, stood one single island that in the darkness
looked suspended in midair. On it were several hooded figures that,
upon seeing Agatha, turned sharply. Off to the sides, floating in
midair, were other spirits—the Fallen Angels.

Agatha recognized them all
as those who had been chosen as spies or had volunteered as
minions. She could tell by their auras—inwardly thanking Milah for
teaching her to read auras so proficiently—that some of them still
regarded her as the Second One’s mate and their queen. The hooded
spirits however didn’t feel that way toward her, but she was
prepared for them.

“
Who will vouch for her?”
one of the hooded spirits said indignantly.

Eros stepped forward. “I
will vouch for her,” he declared.

“
I don’t think she can be
trusted.” A tall female from the hooded group moved forward and
began pacing in front of Agatha.

“
She has had a troubling
time of it,” said another hooded spirit with a little gurgling
voice.

Agatha could feel her anger
welling up inside her. The gall these spirits had in talking to her
that way. She had been their Queen. They used to bow to her, they
would have done anything to be in close proximity to her—at one
point. And now they dared approach her so casually.

She blamed Tess for this,
for all of this. Tess was a meddlesome fool who would pay for her
tricks. Tess had played on her insecurities at a very dangerous
time, but she would no longer be tricked by her. She knew what she
wanted now and would do whatever it took to make amends.
A mind reader,
Agatha
thought with bitterness.
Why can’t I be a
mind reader too?