Blown Away!: Even More Confessions of an Angel in Training Read online

  She shrugs like she couldn’t care less. Her selfishness irritates me. Can I send her on a guilt trip for going AWOL? “Have you seen Izzy?”

  Her shoulders fall. “No, I’ve only spoken to him once since I’ve been here. You?”

  Ha! It worked. I hesitate, then lie. “Once. I just had to see how he was doing. The song is still a huge hit.” I don’t know if this is true, but it was good, and the Angel in the Muse office had said he was doing well.

  “I’m glad.”

  I lean back, using my backpack as support. Around the bonfire all the Angels, er…um Locusts, have gone back to whatever they were doing before I barged in on them. One is tuning a guitar, while a group of three across from me seems to be in some kind of friendly disagreement. It doesn’t feel like anyone is particularly upset or bothered by the fact that a new Angel showed up at their camp. What’s even weirder is that nothing about this place feels remotely threatening. The vibe is actually very relaxed. Even Annex seems to have mellowed.

  He leans in close. “Where’d you get your gear? It looks brand new.”

  “In Paradise,” I lie again without hesitation. “There’s this cool little shop.”

  “Yeah. I know the place,” Annex says.

  He does? I just made that up.

  Pretending to examine the pack, he rests his hand on it, his arm falls onto my shoulder, and he leans close. “I knew the first time I saw you that you’d find that shop on one of your adventures in Paradise. I knew you’d wind up in The Wilds. Angels like us can’t stay away. But I never dreamed you’d be here so soon.”

  His revelation makes me uncomfortable, because he and I are alike in certain ways. Would I have ended up here someday without Michael’s intervention? “Well, maybe you underestimate me.” I joke. Also, it’s the first honest thing I’ve said since hello.

  He laughs. “Maybe. So can you tell me now how you found us?”

  Chapter 13

  “Izzy,” I say. Again the lie comes without a thought. It’s like the words are simply materializing in my mouth with no assistance from my brain.

  “Izzy?” Annex looks from me to Cherish, his eyes ablaze.

  “Whoa! I didn’t tell him where we were. I just said I’d gone somewhere to be alone…to think.”

  “Yep. That’s what he told me. I figured out the locale on my own.” I pretend to preen with pride, like some kind of peacock in training.

  “So you figured out The Wilds, but how in hell did you find us?”

  Hell, indeed. I point to the bonfire. “Do you realize how far away that can be seen? It wasn’t all that hard to walk in the direction of the big fire.”

  Annex seems to buy my explanation, even though I know there are some holes in my story. I can only hope that if he starts asking more questions, the lies continue to tumble from my lips. It’s strange – all the lies. It’s not so much that Angels can’t lie, but it’s not really a part of our nature. We have to choose to lie and to overcome the guilt that comes with it. I didn’t choose and I don’t feel guilty, which worries me, because I’ve worked so hard on improving my behavior to be a better Angel and this new personality quirk seems like it could get in the way of that. What if it holds up my wings?

  “We’re going to have to scale back the fire,” Annex says to himself, interrupting my thoughts. Then, louder to the group he says, “All right. Time for Disclosures. Who’s going to go first tonight?”

  Disclosures? What the heck is that?

  “I want to hear from the new girl,” a beefy Angel on the other side of the fire says. His chest, arms and neck are thick. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was a Cherub.

  “Grace will have a turn, but we need to show her how it’s done. Why don’t you start it tonight, Frank?”

  Frank? What kind of name is that for an Angel?

  Mr. I-want-to-hear-from-the new-girl nods at Annex and stands. “I’m Frank, a former Dominion and now proud Locust.”

  A Dominion? I figured all the Locusts were Guardians who were sick and tired of being looked down upon. I can’t imagine Faith out here in a million bazillion years.

  “I was a dispatcher in the prayer department, responsible for matching Guardians to the proper assignment for their Missions.”

  Wow. Almost exactly like Faith.

  “Sometimes, like with natural disasters, the system would get overloaded. I wanted to set up a way to prioritize prayers, like a triage system, but we were set up to handle everything first in, first out. I mean, we might have to review a prayer for little Johnny to win his ballgame first.”

  There are a few chuckles around the bonfire. Annex shakes his head and leans into me. “Frank is my right hand man, so I’ve heard this story before. Keep listening. The next part is unbelievable.”

  “We usually deny those ballgame prayers, because y’know the other team is praying, too. I mean unless there’s some huge extenuating circumstance or something. Anyway, it seemed crazy that we even had to handle those requests at all in an emergency situation. But my first suggestion was rejected, so then, I proposed that we pull from other levels of The Hierarchy. I even volunteered to go help.” He swallows hard at this point.

  “I was told by my supervisor that The Hierarchy exists for a good reason. She said, ‘What if you were off playing Guardian and there was another emergency?’ That was probably a fair question, but I said, ‘Yeah, or what if Johnny is in the playoffs?’”

  “My man, Frank!” Annex yells.

  I don’t think he really said anything wrong; it seems a lot like something I’d say. Still, he probably shouldn’t have mouthed off like that—it’s definitely gotten me into hot water in the past. Maybe he should’ve been less blunt about it.

  Frank grins and swallows hard. “I didn’t get my name for nothin’. Anyway, that little remark landed me with forty days of Probation, and during that time, somehow I made my way here. That was last fall, right around Declaration time. I considered showing up at Declarations, and declaring the system a mess, but I just dropped out of sight and mind.”

  Oh no! I remember Destiny being overloaded in the prayer office. That’s why. Frank left his post. And Faith got his job.

  “Now, I want to hear from the new girl,” Frank says, and gives Annex a look.

  Annex lays a hand on my shoulder. “Go ahead, Grace.”

  I say a quick prayer myself: please help me get through this and then begin. “Hi, I’m Grace Lightbourne.”

  Chapter 14

  “First names only,” Annex warns.

  “Oh sorry, hi I’m Grace—“

  “And you need to stand up so everyone can see you. Speak loudly.”

  I stand, clear my throat and start again, hoping that the lies will continue to come. “Hi everyone.” I wave my hand in a half-circle. “I’m Grace, an Angel in Training—no wings yet.”

  A murmur runs around the circle. I don’t think they expected that.

  “I…uh…have declared to be a Guardian, and actually I’ve been on a couple Missions, because I asked to skip a school and go straight to an Assignment.”

  A couple more murmurs and they’re all staring at me.

  Suddenly, I realize I don’t even need to lie. The truth will work just fine. “I’ve never liked the Hierarchy, and I always believed Guardians were just as important as those silly Seraphim that fly around all day.”

  Someone a few places over laughs and so I laugh, too.

  “My two roomies are a Virtue and a Dominion. They both make me feel inferior. The Virtue, Mercy, doesn’t mean to, but it’s like she can’t change what she believes any more than I can.”

  “She can change. I did,” says Frank.

  I nod and continue. “The Dominion, on the other hand, likes to make me feel inferior. Fortunately, I’ve been able to avoid her disdain, because I’m on Earth a lot.” I look to Annex and he mouths keep going.

  “I, uh…was a featured guest on Bloopers. For all my screw-ups, and I guess that made me a little notorious and the bu
tt of a lot of jokes. Truly, I don’t understand why Angels have a show about goofs. It seems totally against what we stand for.”

  I’ve never even voiced that before now. I’m not even sure if I’d thought it before now.

  “I’d always felt like I was on the bottom of the totem pole, but I learned that sometimes those on the bottom are the strongest because they’re holding up everyone else.”

  “Amen, Sister!” one Locust says.

  “She speaks the truth!” says another.

  I almost feel like I should curtsy or pump my fist in solidarity. Instead, I quietly take my seat next to Annex. “Was that alright?”

  He smiles wide. “It was exactly what we needed.”

  Is that good or bad? I’m not sure, because it means my history and more importantly my feelings align with The Locusts.

  “Who’s next?” Annex asks.

  On the other side of him, Cherish stands.

  “I’m Cherish. I haven’t told this story before because it’s always been too painful.” Her voice cracks on the word painful, and she pauses to collect herself. “I was a Guardian, oh back in 596 BC, to this olive tree farmer on Mykonos, which was quite a feat as things didn’t grow especially well there. Still, he farmed, and while he did he dreamed, and while he dreamed he came up with the concept of democracy. His wife feared for him, the concept was so radical, so she prayed, and I was sent in as Guardian. He was a gentle man, and very persnickety about his grove. At any rate, time passed and he was able to establish communication with Solon, an important figure in Athens.”

  She pauses and looks around the circle of Locusts. No one moves, even the guitar player quit tuning his instrument.

  “So they agree to meet, and my farmer set off from Mykonos to Athens by boat, which is quite a trip. The weather turned bad, the seas rough. You all know how Natura can be.”

  She’s talking about Mother Nature.

  His little ship was tossed around like a toy, and he died in that storm.”

  It’s so quiet I can hear the leaves rustling on the trees over by the tents.

  “I’d been sent to protect him, and there was nothing I could do, all because of Mother Nature. Now scholars fight over who gets credited with the origins of democracy. Is it Solon? Is it Cleisthenes? There’s never a mention of my Assignment, the gentle, little olive farmer.” Her face turns angry. “I asked Mother Nature ‘Why?’ but she called me ‘child’, you know how she is and that was it. End of discussion.

  After that Mission, I became a Muse. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

  Wha—

  “I figure Muses help inspire beauty in the world. I wanted no more ugliness.”

  Wait a sec! Aisha told me Cherish became a Muse to get away from Victor. Is that not what really happened? Is she making this up? Because if this is what really happened, maybe she never planned on giving up Victor.

  Cherish sits, and I lean back to speak to her behind Annex. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “That was such a sad story.”

  She nods at me, her eyes gleam as they hold back tears. Mine do too.

  Annex claps his hands twice, which startles me back to facing forward.

  “That’s it for our Disclosures tonight. Thanks to everyone for their participation,” he says.

  There’s light applause and one Locust jumps up and runs to the cabins, only to return with a bag of supplies. The guitarist plays a song and another sings along, while a group of Locusts grab marshmallows from the supply bag and start making s’mores for everyone.

  I’m having a hard time grasping the idea that Locusts might not be all bad. This is crazy! These Angels aren’t dangerous, they’re just disillusioned. And I get it. Truly, I do. I can’t believe this is what I’m spying on, but if it means that I get to eat s’mores, well then, who am I to question Michael’s wisdom?

  Chapter 15

  I’m in line behind ten or eleven Locusts to get some oatmeal—which is bound to be better than yesterday’s brown goop from a can—when Cherish steps into line behind me. “Your story last night broke my heart. It must’ve been very hard,” I say.

  Songbirds trill to fill the silence. Finally Cherish says, “It was.”

  “You know, it surprised me, too. Because…Aisha had told me that you gave up being a Guardian because of Victor. And so…I figured the two of you were done. But now, I realize you might not be.”

  The line inches forward before Cherish says, “Oh, we’re definitely done. I’d been thinking of changing positions, and when that happened with my Assignment, it iced the cake.”

  “That’s good,” I say, and then realize how it sounds. I add, “I guess.”

  She smiles at me, more patient than she should be. “Look, Grace, if he hasn’t been attracted to another angel for over two thousand years, you shouldn’t spend your time worrying about me, or any other angel for that matter. I know he cares for you. But that’s not the most important thing. There are other things to worry about.”

  “Like?”

  Cherish opens her mouth as if to speak, but Annex walks up to both of us, and she closes it quickly.

  “Good morning,” he says. “You both look well rested.”

  It’s true. Between the slow chirp of the crickets, the firefly night lights, and the fresh air of The Wilds, I feel better than any time since the start of this Mission. Even before then. Better than…well, I don’t remember the last time I felt so rested and alive. “It’s so relaxing here.”

  Annex lays his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t let yourself get too relaxed. Everyone has a job here.”

  “You know I enjoy work. What will you have me doing?” Too eager?

  Annex stares at me in a way that makes me uncomfortable. It’s like he’s trying to worm his way into my thoughts. Confirmation of my gut feelings comes when Annex says, “I can’t ever tell what you’re thinking.”

  Thanks be to Daddy-O for the vest Michael gave me. It’s certainly more useful than my halo.

  I tip my head to the side and don’t break from his stare. “Why would you want to know what I’m thinking? I told all last night during Disclosures, but I noticed you didn’t speak up. So, Annex, why did you become a Locust?”

  His look turns stern. “I don’t share.”

  “At breakfast?” I ask, always hopeful.

  “Ever.”

  “Okee-dokee.” But it’s not—okee dokee, that is. Because he set up this whole open-yourself- up-to-the-community dealio, but he won’t do it. Hypocrite.

  “Can you at least explain to me how you’re different from the Original Rebellion?” I ask, laying one finger on the Locust mark on his inner wrist.

  Annex’s eyes grow large. “No, no. We’re nothing like them. Those Beings like to see humans suffer, while that breaks our hearts. They want to rise above Him. We just want to be equals with other classes in the Hierarchy. It’s not the same at all.”

  I see his point, but at the same time, he might be going about it all wrong. Before I can respond, Frank walks up and grasps Annex around his arm pulling him away, deep into a private conversation. Frank’s insistent whisper of I don’t trust her, I don’t trust her makes its way to me. It’s clear that it’s Unconventional Communication, Annex is doing all of the talking, but it’s almost like Frank meant for me to hear it. Or maybe it’s because Frank doesn’t try to conceal his thoughts.

  Annex dismisses Frank with an irritated wave of his hand, and strides back over to me and Cherish. Good news for me, it seems like he didn’t heed Frank’s advice.

  As he approaches us, Annex breaks into a grin. “I hope you weren’t thinking I’d forgotten about your job assignment.”

  I touch my chest, a Who-me? expression plastered on my face.

  “Hmm…” Annex pauses as if considering his options. “I think canoe duty would suit you. You’ll probably be good at it, and Frank is in charge.”

  Maybe he listened to Frank after all. I’m officially spying on canoe duty. Whatever that is. “I’ll look forward to it.
”

  Chapter 16

  Four days. That’s how long I’ve been making paddles.

  It’s tedious work. I’ve just started the handle of my third one, and it seems a little lopsided. “Isn’t there an easier way for us to do this? I mean, c’mon, we’re Angels,” I say to Gallant. It isn’t the first time I’ve had this thought since I was assigned to paddle detail, but it is the first time I expressed it out loud.

  Gallant is an absolutely beautiful angel. Crystal clear blue eyes with dark, almost black, hair. Looks alone, he’s cuter than Victor, which I didn’t think was possible. But, he’s not nearly as attractive. If most Full Angel’s drink from the Fountain of Wisdom, Gallant just gargled.

  “If you figure out an easier way, be sure to let me know,” he says.

  Sparkling conversationalist. Perhaps he’s forgotten how to use manifesting, or perhaps he missed that class. “What’s up with the canoes, anyway?”

  Gallant doesn’t answer. Typical.

  Frank shows up two or three times a day to check on our progress, and he doesn’t even look at me, so maybe he’s not watching me as closely as I suspected. The Locusts on the canoe assembly line have ignored me for four days. No one talks to me at the campsite in the evenings, for that matter. I get to listen to the Disclosures and I’ve probably eaten ten pounds of s’mores.

  I don’t know how Michael expects me to get information from a bunch of silent Angels. If only I’d taken the rest of Professor Keen’s class, maybe I’d be able to read all their thoughts, instead of picking up a whisper here and there from Frank about how much he dislikes me.

  I’m frustrated. Frustrated that it’s more boring than any of my classes at L’Academie. Frustrated that I’m not making any progress on this Mission. Frustrated at the lopsidedness of my paddle.