Forged by Fire (Angels at the Edge Book 1) Page 4

  “I wish I had a tail to wag, too.” This old guy was incredibly sweet and gentle. His willingness to trust me made my heart overflow with happiness.

  A moment later, the dog walked back and forth along the front of his cage. His limp had vanished. My experience with the goats hadn’t been a fluke. Maybe Milton was a miracle worker and I hadn’t gone insane.

  Without warning, an image flashed through my mind of the Lab being kicked in the left front leg. I struggled to control my temper. Yelling in reaction would scare the other dogs surrounding us, but nothing made me madder than someone abusing a defenseless animal.

  After another minute of stroking the lab’s coat, I moved to the next cage. This time, a pit bull inside came forward and licked my fingers. His head and shoulders were covered with open wounds. My touch began to close the cuts, and the old scars melted away. I still couldn’t understand how this power worked, but it was incredibly satisfying. A wonderful surprise, like the Christmas morning twenty years ago when I’d gotten my first bike. That had been my happiest moment as a kid. Again, I muttered words of encouragement and soothed the poor beast.

  -o-o-o-

  Monday, June 12th

  CAGE BY CAGE, I moved down the corridor, helping each dog I came to. I gave each my full attention, and they showered me with love. What a fantastic new life I’d stumbled into. I hope so anyway. It seems too good to be true.

  One Sheltie cowered in the back—until it lunged for the fingers I’d poked through the holes in the fencing. The dog chomped on my fingers, and I felt a stabbing pain from its needle-sharp teeth. But no blood spurted from the cuts. And by the time I’d lifted those fingers close to my eyes so I could see the damage, they had healed.

  Even better, the Sheltie wagged its tail as though seeking forgiveness. I saw an image of a woman dressed in black fatigues beating the dog with a whip. No wonder the Sheltie didn’t trust people. “I forgive you. Go in peace.”

  Sometimes, though, my powers weren’t enough. I passed a kennel where the dog was dead. I touched him, but I was no Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. So, I moved on.

  Eventually, I found a husky laying against the door of his cage motionless. I stuck my fingers through the mesh to touch the dog, but no healing happened. Unlike his companions, this dog seemed immune to my new powers.

  Not sure what else to do, I spoke into the gloom. “Cleopatra, something’s wrong. This dog isn’t responding.”

  Give me a moment, and I will join you. Although the words formed only in my mind, they still sounded like her quiet, happy voice.

  It took her a few minutes to find me, but I was happy she could come at all. She had her own work to do.

  When Cleopatra approached, she hardly glanced at the husky. “As I feared, his life force has ebbed too low. Unfortunately, all of the skilled healers are overwhelmed at the moment by a large battle in Queens. Gabriel, you can only do so much with your current abilities, and in any case, you have relieved the dog’s suffering. He will pass to his next life in peace. Continue helping the others.”

  “What’s the battle about?”

  She sighed. “Demons attempted to overwhelm a few angels, but Milton arrived in time with reinforcements. We’ll explain more about the dangers posed by demons in the days ahead. For now, save as many of these dogs as you can.”

  She walked away, leaving me to grieve for the husky. I had a lot to learn about the world of angels and their powers, but my question needed to wait.

  I whispered the twenty-third psalm. My throat burned as I grieved for the dog I couldn’t save. I had seen too much death lately, and I couldn’t stop it all.

  With a final pat for the husky, I moved to the next dog, a whining black poodle. She had a swollen and infected paw. I extended my fingers through the metal grate, and the poodle licked them. Within seconds, the swelling decreased. The dog pranced in her cage, unable to contain her excitement, and some of that joy flowed into me. No, I couldn’t save them all, but I could help most of these poor canines.

  -o-o-o-

  HOURS LATER, I approached the husky again. My fingers felt no warmth. The dog had died. Dad was convinced dogs didn’t go to Heaven, but he didn’t know everything. Dad hadn’t believed in reincarnation, but Milton talked about it as a certainty. And it applied to other sentient beings, not just humans. Maybe all sentient beings reincarnated.

  I choked back the tears that threatened to form and hurried to my next patient, a tan coon hound. It had taken me a while in the police academy to learn how to handle death, and I needed a refresher course after the last few days. Then I remembered that I still had so many patients to treat. I couldn’t let my moods slow me down.

  The coon hound had open sores on its hindquarters where it had been beaten. The sooner I helped him, the better.

  By the first light of dawn, I’d helped all the animals except the husky and five dogs already dead. Most of these mutts were completely healthy now, and that made my heart swell with joy. Even better, with training, I’d no doubt be able to save even more patients.

  Cleopatra came back, and I explained what I’d done.

  “Fantastic, Gabriel. You’ve given them another chance at life.”

  Her praise warmed me inside. She was so supportive, and this seemed like a good chance to ask a few questions. “Were you on Longs Peak the other day, and if so, why?”

  She beamed at me. “We’d received approval for you to join our legion, but Milton was extremely busy. I simply wanted to get you thinking about supernatural things before he could make you a formal offer to join us. Then, later that night, I realized you were in danger of dying.”

  “Did I have to die to become an angel?”

  She shook her head. “No. I followed you to make sure you remained safe. When I realized you weren’t, I told Milton. He arrived in time to collect your spirit before you reincarnated. You were scheduled to leave Earth for a planet in the Alpha Centauri system. It would’ve been awkward to get you back—our bureaucracy is like nothing you’ve ever experienced.”

  Bureaucracy? I’d burned to death because Milton was too busy to indoctrinate me? I needed to think about that before asking more of that kind of question. “How long have you been an angel?

  “I became immortal while the Great Pyramid of Giza was being built in the Fourth Dynasty. That was forty-five hundred years ago, and Milton was already ancient then.”

  That was plenty to digest for the moment, so I didn’t ask any more questions about her or angels. “Are you finished with your work tonight?”

  She nodded. “Milton, we’re ready to go back.”

  I took a last look around this prison, and it was quiet as most of the dogs slept. While I was waiting for Milton, I tested a theory by holding my breath to see what would happen. I used my phone to time myself, and I found that I could stop breathing for at least five minutes with no need for air.

  “Is talking the only reason I need to breathe?”

  “Exactly,” she said. “You have no heart anymore, at least not the physical organ. Humans talk of the heart as a center for feelings, and you obviously still feel emotions. Goodbye for now, Gabriel.”

  An instant later, I found myself alone in my bedroom again. I laid down and tried to sleep. Nope, so I basked in the glow I still felt from improving so many tortured lives. And I began a list of new questions for Cleopatra.

  So far, she and Milton seemed to be telling me the truth. I wondered about my other work, namely the detective work. I had some experience with that, but going after demons was sure to be tougher than chasing human criminals. I’d no doubt find out those nasty details soon enough.

  -o-o-o-

  AT BREAKFAST, ELLEN looked at me askance. “Are you okay? You look goofy with that silly grin on your face.”

  I didn’t have any obvious physical proof that Milton and Cleopatra existed, and the dog kennel might’ve been a dream, but I was sure I wasn’t fooling myself. “No reason, but you look great. Being pregnant agrees with
you.”

  She grinned. “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.”

  “Who said that?” I asked.

  “The poet, Robert Browning.”

  Her comment reminded me of Milton’s poems. Ellen had been an English major in college. “Have you read any poetry by an English guy named Milton?”

  She snorted. “Of course. John Milton wrote Paradise Lost, the greatest epic poem in the history of the English language.”

  “What’s it about?” I asked.

  “Angels and demons.” Ellen reached for her tablet and typed. When the search results came up, she picked one. “This. It’s incredible, one of my favorites, but really hard to understand.”

  I took the tablet and began to read:

  Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit

  Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast

  Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,

  With loss of Eden, till one greater Man

  Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,

  Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top

  Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire

  That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed,

  In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth

  Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill

  Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd

  Fast by the Oracle of God; I thence

  Invoke thy aid to my adventrous Song,

  That with no middle flight intends to soar

  Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues

  Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.

  And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer

  Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure,

  Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the first

  Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread

  Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss

  And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark

  Illumin, what is low raise and support;

  That to the highth of this great Argument

  I may assert Eternal Providence,

  And justifie the wayes of God to men.

  “Jesus Christ.” It sounded like Milton, but this poem’s language was more archaic. He’s the real deal. He’s modernized his language to keep up with the time, at least a little.

  She grinned at me. “That poem’s three-hundred and fifty years old, and it goes on like that for six hundred pages. Yeah, I know, mind-blowing. In college, it took us all semester to read it, and wow!”

  She’d obviously loved Milton, but I liked him for a different reason. This was more evidence that he was real. What were the odds that I could hallucinate the correct name for a poet I’d never heard of?

  So, feeling relieved, I glanced over at her. “If you make the eggs, I’ll handle the toast and fruit.”

  She nodded, still smiling.

  While we ate, we watched the morning news. Fortunately, the fire was almost out, and nobody else had died. That relieved me even more.

  Despite the delicious food in front of me, I wasn’t hungry. That was added evidence Milton was right about me being immortal, but I couldn’t make Ellen suspicious. I ate half of the eggs and one piece of toast. The food didn’t satisfy me like it normally would’ve. Maybe immortals don’t need to eat. I’ll have to check on that, too.

  “What are you doing today?” Ellen asked.

  “Mowing the alfalfa. What about you?”

  She sighed. “Sheering sheep and goats.”

  “Sounds exciting.” That was ranch work—a thrill a minute.

  -o-o-o-

  I SPENT THE rest of the day running from store to store to get everything I’d need for the next big disaster. That evening, as soon as Ellen went to bed, I headed to my bedroom and thought, Milton, I’m available to help again.

  The old angel appeared immediately, and he brought Cleopatra with him.

  She ran forward to hug me. “Gabriel, I’m so pleased you’ve chosen to join us.”

  Her comment warmed my heart. At least one person in their world, one angel, was on my side. Milton seemed above friendship. I hugged her back, careful not to ruffle her feathers.

  Milton cleared his throat, and the female angel stepped back and folded her hands in front of her. But her smile didn’t change.

  “Tonight, you and Cleopatra will begin your primary mission, namely infiltrating demonic ranks. For over a century, I’ve resisted this effort, despite Cleopatra’s entreaties, because most angels would be repelled by close contact with the damned. But because you are a new addition to our host, and you are trained to interact with disgusting criminals, I hope you will be able to assist us because you are the perfect candidate for this work. Cleopatra will assist you, at least in the beginning.”

  While he was right that I wouldn’t be ashamed to mingle with scumbags, he didn’t mention my worry about what they could do to me. I seemed to be completely defenseless against them. Maybe that was why Cleopatra was coming along. She was a huge angel and looked tough.

  “To help you with your mission, apprentice,” Milton said, “you will have the power to shift between two forms in the mortal plane. The first is as you are now, a slightly modified version of your human self. You have no need for a heart, blood, or many internal organs, so they have been eliminated.”

  That made sense. I felt the same as when I was human, so I obviously didn’t need my missing parts.

  Milton stared at me. “For the time being, I have not eliminated your carnal organs, but understand that all sexual relations with humans and dark immortals are strictly forbidden. No exceptions. Intimate relationships with other angels are strongly discouraged until you are a full-fledged angel.”

  Cleopatra tittered. “Ever since some angels caused problems by mating with human women, thereby creating Nephilim, angels have been prohibited from mating with humans.”

  “Okay, no messing around with mortals or demons. Got it. I have a question, though. Do angels eat and drink?”

  “You do have a stomach,” Milton said, “to further maintain the illusion of being human, but food will not nourish you.”

  “How do I get energy?”

  “Temporarily, I will provide it, but soon you will connect to the Eternal on your own.”

  He paused, but no more questions came to mind for the moment.

  “As I was saying,” Milton continued, “you can take two forms. The second will be invisible in the mortal plane. In fact, it will not include a corporeal body. In the second form, you can merge with other sentient beings, both living and immortal. You can assume control over any mortal, but be certain that you do not join with any dark spirit until Cleopatra approves. I’ve masked your existence from most of the damned, so they will not be able to sense your presence within them. Nevertheless, the powerful dark immortals will recognize my masking spell. If they detect you, they will most certainly annihilate you. In such a case, your spirit will cease to exist forever.”

  I felt a tingle under my tongue, scared again. That sounded like bad news. I glanced at Cleopatra, and she nodded several times, as if to back up the boss.

  “Good tip.” I gulped. This angel business was going to take some getting used to.

  “Fortuna audaces iuvat.” Milton vanished.

  “What did he say?” I asked Cleopatra.

  “Fortune favors the bold,” she said. “Gabriel, I’m so excited to start this project! I’ve been nagging him to try this for ages.”

  This was the start of a new detective job, and it was something I knew how to do, unlike healing. I’d been trying to get part-time work with local law enforcement, at least until after Ellen’s baby was a few months old, but none of the close departments wanted a part-time worker. Now I didn’t need to look anymore. “Okay, it sounds like you’re in charge. What’s next?”

  “You tell me, detective,” she said. “Our goal is to infiltrate the local organized crime network operated by demons.”

  I
thought for a moment. “We probably want to mingle with the local petty crooks and hope they lead us up the food chain to the demons who control them.”

  “I agree,” she said. “We can take over the mortals’ minds, and once we understand how they organize their activities, we will eliminate the demon who started the Meeker Park forest fire. That’s divine justice.”

  Milton had said the fire was started by one of the damned. “How do I get inside a demon’s head?”

  “Once we come within an arm’s length of a suitable target, we can shift to our incorporeal forms and will ourselves into their minds. Then, every time they get close to another sentient being, we can transfer again. In that manner, we’ll move throughout their world and learn what each individual knows.”

  I had lots of other questions, but this seemed like the kind of thing I’d learn best by working the job. “How do we start?”

  “We need to venture into hostile territory while avoiding places powerful demons are likely to congregate. Where would you suggest we begin?”

  I thought for a moment about where I’d seen troublemakers in Denver. Then I checked Google Maps and zoomed in on downtown. “How about we check out Denver’s pedestrian mall? It gets pretty seedy at night.”

  “Fine, but we need a specific location to transmit to Milton so he can send us there.”

  I looked at my maps app again. “Let’s go to Sixteenth Street and Champa, downtown Denver.”

  Chapter 5

  CLEO DIDN’T RESPOND, but seconds later, we popped out of thin air onto the Sixteenth Street Mall near a pot shop. No one seemed to have noticed us appear, although the street was full of folks.

  Cleopatra had changed from her dazzling white gown and wings to a more casual look. In the transformation, she’d lost a foot of height and became much slimmer. Her cover-girl face had changed enough not to draw admiring eyes. She wore faded blue jeans and a John Elway jersey. Twenty years since he retired, but my dad still talked fondly about the old Broncos quarterback.