An Excerpt From
End of Angels
(Book #1 of the Angel Saga)
“Listen to me, young one,” he said quietly. “I know how agitating this can all be, especially since you’ve only been here a short time. But understand that God doesn’t want a daycare. He wants a university. I can teach you how to be mature, but it’s upon you to adhere to it – to grow into the angel He needs, to ensure His will comes to fruition.”
An awkward silence hung in the air as he contemplated his next words.
“Now, as I was saying – you are a Messenger. Part of your job is to deliver important messages across Heaven, but that’s not where it ends. Some angels like the Godhand are strong – they are the tanks or powerhouses of our world. Others, like the Glory, are able to call upon God at any time for His express help in a situation. Your ability is of a tactical nature. You may be of average size and strength, but the way your mind works, it can assess a problem and come to a resolution quicker than any other class of angel here.”
Raphael waited for me to respond but I was still trying to interpret his description.
“So, I’m smart?”
“It has nothing to do with intelligence or having more knowledge. It involves being able to analyze data and use it efficiently. Trust me, your mental database is no bigger than anyone else’s.”
The notion was hard to fathom, and honestly, I couldn’t imagine flying around telling people I had superior reasoning skills while a Godhand was toppling over buildings or whatever they do. What was I going to say? Hey guys! You think that’s impressive? Watch me solve this puzzle in less than sixty seconds! I highly doubted I would be picked first to go on a secret mission.
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Lysander. This is a valuable talent, given by God to better serve us all as a whole.”
“So my reasoning isn’t there just to figure out the best paper route in Heaven?”
Raphael laughed heartily, his colossal breastplate armor heaving like an exploding bagpipe, despite the fact I wasn’t joking.
“If you’re so unsure about the talent God gave you, why don’t we test it?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“A little sparring session. Get the rust off those wings.”
“But you’re bigger than me. You’ll win.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because when I look at…you…I,” my voice trailed off as I suddenly saw Raphael in a new light. My “Messenger mind” was tingling with life and now that my temper tantrums were over, I was able to think clearly. The world had been hazy since I had been blinded by God’s light, but now my vision was adjusting, and an unusually sharp clairvoyance dominated my senses. I saw Raphael for who he was. Yes, he was far larger than I was, and a lot more experienced. No doubt he had participated in more sparring matches than I could count. But what I figured out very quickly and quite intuitively was that everyone had a weakness – you just had to find it. See, no one was God – no one had the foresight and omnipotence He did – and with that knowledge bursting forth like the arrival of a messenger with great news, I figured out how I could beat Raphael.
The Works of Julius St. Clair (Novel Samplers) Page 12