The Ascended (The Saving Angels 3)

The goofy expression on his face made Sam and me laugh as he let his tongue lull off to the side of his mouth like a dog would.

"Sheesh, could you quiet down over there, some of us are still trying to sleep," Lynn mumbled in her usual morning cranky tone of voice.

Sam and I laughed harder as Shawn nodded his head with his tongue still lulling off to the side.

"Ugh," Lynn groaned, throwing her small travel pillow at us.

The pillow bounced harmlessly off Shawn's head, but not one to fall out of character, Shawn retaliated by sending a mock growl her way. He grasped the pillow between his teeth, shaking his head.

Sam shook with laughter as he whipped the pillow back and forth, growling deep in his throat the entire time.

"Okay stop, my side hurts," she managed to spit out between giggles. She reached up to pluck the pillow out of his mouth, but Shawn growled over his prize like a dog would.

Lynn, and I, and now Robert, who poked his head in through the opening of the tent, howled with laughter as Shawn and Sam proceeded to have a tugging match over the pillow.

"Enough," I said holding my own side that ached from my belly laughs. Shawn dropped the pillow and lavished one last slobbery kiss on Sam's upturned face.

"Fine, come on though, everybody's up," he said, sauntering out of the tent.

The four of us looked at each other and busted out laughing again. "Wow, I'm so jealous I'm not multi-talented like Shawn," Robert said helping Lynn to her feet.

"I don't want a dog babe, I prefer the whole angel rock star thing," Lynn said, shooting him a steamy look.

I looked away uncomfortably at the sudden sexual current that had developed between them. Ugh, picking up that vibe with my new powers was definitely something I could live without, I thought to myself as I grabbed my boots and hastily climbed out of the tent, suddenly anxious to be outside.

My dream nagged at me as I pulled on my boots outside of our tent. It was wonderful to see Mark again in my dreams, but to have him once again, snatched away in such an extreme manner, hurt. I would have sunk to my knees in agony if not for the fact that I was surrounded by an audience.

"You okay Krista?" Jenna called out, spotting me by our tent.

I plastered a smile on my face and headed toward where they were gathered.

"Yeah, I was just pulling on my boots," I said shivering as a breeze blew through our campsite. "Holy Moley-Cannolie, it's freezing out here," I griped.

"It's much better by the fire. Come sit over there with us," Jenna said, coming out of her tent with a small throw blanket. "I'll even share my blankie with you."

"Sounds good," I said as another shiver ran through me, making my scalp tingle. "Wow, those look like some serious snow clouds," I added, observing the ominous clouds that seemed to blanket the entire mountaintop.

"Yeah, John thinks we'll definitely see some snow today," Kieran said.

"How is John this morning?" I asked.

"Fit as a fiddle. Not a mark on him, and he said the ache he felt the majority of the day yesterday is completely gone. I can't thank you enough for getting Haniel there so fast Krista," she said earnestly, grasping my hand between both of hers. "I know you're unhappy with the changes you've had to undergo. I also realize what your biggest fear is, but I will always be grateful that you were there when John needed you the most," she added, giving me a quick hard hug.

I nodded my head, not trusting myself to answer as unshed tears clogged my throat. I knew she was right, the changes my life had taken had allowed me to save our lives. I had been so focused on my own selfish pain and what I had lost, that I'd forgotten to look at the bigger picture. For months, my one goal was to get to Mark and find out the truth. Everything hinged on that moment alone. I would either have him with me or I would give up and let myself go. All of that had changed now. How could I deny what I had become and how could I put my own selfishness above my friends? I might never again experience a fraction of the love I had shared with Mark, but I was given a role that I could no longer ignore.

"It's what I'm made to do now," I finally answered Kieran, pulling my mind back to the conversation.

Kieran looked at me closely, obviously trying to gauge how I was feeling, but I deflected her attempt without an effort. I was not ready for anyone to know the rollercoaster ride my emotions were on as I sorted through my new priorities.

"Is Haniel around?" I asked, changing the subject before she could pry any further.

"I haven't seen him this morning. Do you need him for something?"

"Yeah, I have something I need to run by him. I guess I can always page him," I said, shooting her a smile. My mind sent the message before the words could even leave my lips and within seconds, Haniel was striding through the woods toward our campsite.

"Did you require my assistance?" He asked, stopping in front of me.

"I was hoping we could go for a walk and talk," I said, making my point clear. My friends had stopped all their morning rituals at Haniel's appearance and were all studying me intently. It became abundantly clear by their expressions that my nightmare the night before had woken more than just my friends in our tent. By the looks they were shooting my way, it was obvious they were expecting some kind of nervous breakdown from me.