The Ascended (The Saving Angels 3)

"Nice, steroid powers?" I asked, giving her a nudge.

"Hehehe, yeah, that's what I call them! You put the rest of us 'Olympians' to shame," she said, still giggling.

"Well, I would prefer to be like the rest of you," I said, quietly picking at a stray string that had pulled free from the material of the sleeping bag I was perched on.

"Dinner." Kieran called, interrupting any further conversation.

Sam, Lynn and I crawled out of the tent and joined the others around the campfire. The guys had dragged boulders and downed tree trunks for all of us to perch on while we ate. Super strength was a definite perk when camping, I couldn't help thinking as I sat beside Sam and Shawn with my loaded plate balanced on my knees.

"Wow, you girls outdid yourself," John said between a bite full of beans.

I had to agree with him as I took a big bite out of my burger. How they constructed such great tasting hamburgers in the middle of nowhere was beyond me. I had thought they were crazy when they were packing up the insulated backpack cooler with meats and condiments, but I was so glad they had insisted.

After I finished my meal, I stood up completely stuffed. I threw away my plate and noticed the bag of sour cream and onion chips had been accidently knocked over. I bent over and picked them up, placing them in the trash receptacle we had sat up beside the netted wall. Still a little nervous about bugs, I ran my fingers along the netting, testing its tautness. I was relieved of course to discover that the guys had outdone themselves making our campsite as secure as possible.

The rest of my friends finished their dinner and we spent the next hour discussing what all the other Band members had been up to.

"How's Timmy doing?" I asked Jaime while the others chatted.

"He's doing well. He still asks for his mom and dad a lot, but Logan and Ruthie have instantly taken to him and have helped take his mind off his loss. He prefers to hang out with Reagan, Kieran's little girl, but we all know why that is," she added with a small laugh.

"So Reagan will be Timmy's Link?" I asked, trying to understand the logistics of how we were created to complete each other.

"Yes, hopefully they'll be saving Forgotten Souls just like us one day. I feel for my poor Logan though," She added sadly.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"Because, Grace was three months pregnant with his Link when she was murdered."

I gasped in horror at her words. The loss of Grace had been hard on all of us, but I was particularly grief stricken at losing her. I was so upset that had never thought to consider the impact her death would have on what we were created for.

"What will happen to Logan?" I asked with dread, knowing that Protectors could not survive without their Guides.

"He won't die," she said in quick reassurance. "He was too young for the link to work that way. Haniel said he will always miss what he never had a chance to cherish, almost like missing a limb, but Haniel said her soul will always belong to Logan. One day when he joins her in the Other World, it will be as if they were never separated."

"Jaime, I'm so sorry. In my own selfishness lately, I never considered the full-impact Grace's death would have on all of us, but most of all your own family."

"Thanks Krista, but it's okay, this is what we we're created for," she said, sounding sadder than I had ever heard her.

I reached over and gave her a hug, getting a barrage of images from the pain she was in. My emotions sifted through her pain in rapid succession, and I poured the right amount of peace into her, taking away her melancholy and sadness without even thinking about it.

"Wow, Krista how do you do that?"

I shrugged my shoulders, slightly embarrassed by the awestruck look that covered her slender face. "I'm not sure, it just happens on its own accord now."

"That's amazing. Haniel told us your gifts had accelerated, but holy cow that's insane. I know that I should still feel bad, but I can't seem to find an ounce of sadness in me now. This is the first time in the last few months that I don't feel like I have the weight of the world resting on my shoulders. You are truly blessed."

"I'm glad," I said. For the first time since discovering them, I didn't resent my new abilities. Jaime's peace gave me hope that maybe I wasn't some kind of freak after all.

"All right first crew, it's time to get some shuteye," John said, rising from the log he had been sitting on. We decided it would be best to sleep in shifts so the camp would be protected.

"I better get some sleep while I can. Thank you Krista for helping me for the first time in…well, I don't know how many nights, but I know I'll be able to go to sleep right away without worrying."

"I'm glad," I said sincerely.

"What was all that about?" Shawn asked watching Jamie walk away.

I gave him the lowdown on what Jamie had told me, but glossed over the depression she had been feeling before I helped her out.