Forgotten Souls (The Saving Angels 2)

"My throat hurts like crazy and I think my head is planning mutiny, but other than that, yeah, I think I'm okay," I said, trying to lighten the somber mood.

At my words, Mark placed his arm around me so I could lean into his embrace while we waited for the verdict on how much trouble I was in. We had been warned to leave the revival before it could start, and we had also been warned that if we were to be caught, the Guides were to get as far away as we could. I had blatantly disregarded both rules.

"Yes, you disregarded every rule I set, and yet here you sit," Haniel finally said, picking the thoughts from my head. "Your unwillingness to leave others behind seems to be your greatest virtue."

"What?" I asked incredulously, surprised by his words. Here I was expecting to get yelled at and instead, he was talking about my lack of listening skills being my greatest virtue.

"Do not misunderstand me. I wish you would practice a small amount of restraint to avoid harm, but what were the after effects of not following directions tonight?"

I shrugged my shoulders, confused. To me my stubbornness had caused nothing but mayhem and trouble.

"When you were held captive by The Dark Angel, did you leave your Protector behind when you escaped?" he asked me.

I shook my head no, shuddering at the mere suggestion.

"You were willing to sacrifice your own life to save him. Am I right?"

"Of course," I acknowledged. "But that was different. It was just Mark and me, and it was only my life I was risking," I finally said in a hoarse voice.

"Tonight was no different, Krista. Your unwillingness to leave saved many more souls, and most importantly, you helped another find her way to Heaven."

"I did?" I asked, sudden tears springing to my eyes as I recalled the lifeless girl on the dirt floor we had left behind.

"You did," he replied. "Plus, what you did not see was the rest of your band following you back in to save the remaining forgotten souls."

"You guys did that?" I asked with overwhelming happiness flooding its way inside me. Maybe I hadn't botched the entire mission after all.

"We couldn't let you down Sis, since you seemed Hell bent on saving everyone," Shawn said, smiling at me. "Oops, sorry Haniel about the "H" mention," he added, winking at me.

"I would say your first mission was quite successful. All of you should be proud of yourselves," he said, turning to leave, but paused at the double French doors. "Krista, perhaps we should take care of your neck before you head home."

"What?" I placed my hands on my neck and cringed when my touch sent waves of pain shooting through me, making my eyes water. I stood up to see the evidence in the oversized mirror over the couch, gasping in surprise at the purple bruises covering my throat.

"Oh no, my mom will freak if she sees these," I said, stepping closer to the mirror so I could inspect the marks more closely. It amazed me that each of his fingers had left their mark on me.

"Krista, if you are done admiring your injuries, could you please follow me to the patio," Haniel said dryly, making me laugh.

"Okay, keep your shirt on," I joked, heading toward him.

"Keep my shirt on. Why would it be off?" Haniel asked puzzled as I walked by.

Sam burst out laughing behind us as Haniel closed the patio door.

Haniel still looked confused. "It's a phrase, Haniel," I said sighing. Trying to explain our humor to a celestial being definitely had its obstacles.

"Oh, I see. You were joking."

"Yep, it was a joke,"

"Well, shall I fix your neck now?" he asked.

"That sounds like a good plan," I said, standing in front of him.

Haniel cupped his hands and gently placed them around my throat. The pain instantly left me and was replaced by a cool tingle that traveled the length of my body.

"Wow, that's amazing," I said, poking at my throat.

"I am good at my job as well," Haniel said, flashing me the briefest of smiles before he headed for the beach access stairs.