Pillars of Fire

by Laurice Elehwany Molinari

“I’d rather have Eitan. He’s on his way to becoming an archangel,” Kane said.

  Vero saw Raziel looking intently at Uriel. They were speaking mind-to-mind. Raziel looked agitated as he shook his head. Uriel met Raziel’s gaze and then stepped between Greer and Kane. “Greer, it is Kane’s choice,” he said firmly.

  “Well, if Vero’s not on the team, then I quit.”

  “Me too,” Pax told Kane.

  Kane looked to X and Ada. Both nodded in agreement. Greer caught Kane’s eyes and stared him down. As Kane deliberated, Vero felt as if he were back in gym class when he was the last one picked for a team. He wondered why teachers let the kids pick teams. Why wouldn’t the teachers themselves do it and spare some poor kids from total humiliation?

  “Fine! Vero!” Kane shouted unhappily.

  Embarrassment more than relief seized Vero, especially when he saw Raziel storm off in a huff. And to make matters worse, as Vero took his place up on the stage, he noticed a look of disappointment come over Uriel.

  As Vero shuffled through the entrance of C.A.N.D.L.E., he didn’t notice its flawless sparkling walls or the colorful tile designs that decorated its dome. His head was down. Why hadn’t Kane chosen him willingly for his team? Did he think Vero wasn’t good enough for the challenge? But most importantly, why had Uriel looked disappointed when Vero was picked to compete? Vero stopped walking and stood before the giant swirling torch. He stared hard into its flames as if the tongues of fire might offer some answers for his troubled mind.

  “Hypnotic, isn’t it?”

  Vero turned and saw Pax standing next to him.

  “Those flames swirl in and out of one another,” Pax continued. “This is probably where humans got the idea for the Olympic torch.”

  Vero didn’t answer. He stared into the fire.

  “Kane was just being a jerk,” Pax said. “Don’t let him get to you.”

  Vero sighed and turned to Pax. “We all risked everythings to save him when he got stuck in that cavern. And this is how he repays me?”

  Pax knew Vero was right. During one of their first training sessions, Kane got himself stranded on a rock in the middle of an acidic river. Vero and the others formed a dangerous chain with their bodies to rescue him. Any one of the angels could have wound up in that river themselves trying to help Kane. They could have “died” and been sent to the choir of angels for all eternity for Kane’s sake.

  “But it’s not only Kane,” Vero said. “Raziel stormed off angry. And did you catch the look on Uriel’s face after he agreed to pick me? It’s like he was totally upset.”

  “I saw it,” Pax nodded. “And he looked really mad when Greer and the rest of us threatened to quit without you on the team. I was able to read their minds . . . I don’t get it, Vero, but Raziel told Uriel not to allow you on the team.”

  Vero’s shoulders slumped. So it was true. He hadn’t imagined it.

  “So prove them wrong,” Pax said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Win the Angel Trials. You’ve gotten past golems and the Leviathan and Abaddon and found the unicorn. With you in our flight, for the first time in centuries, the fledglings might finally have a shot at winning.”

  Vero smiled gratefully at Pax. He was a good friend. “Can you teach me how to read other angels’ minds?” Vero asked. “You’re so much better at it than any of us.”

  On earth, Pax was extremely autistic. He had no language and wore a protective helmet because he constantly banged his head against the wall. Vero guessed that Pax was so keen to reading thoughts because he had no other way to communicate on earth. He couldn’t rely on speech so he had to live inside his own head.

  “Do you ever use it on your parents?” Vero asked.

  Pax’s lip trembled slightly at the question.

  “What?”

  “I don’t see so much of my parents anymore. They put me in an institution.”

  “Why?” Vero asked.

  “I have a little sister. She’s three, and they think I could accidentally hurt her.” Pax fought back tears. “I wouldn’t. I swear. I love her, but I can’t even tell them that.”

  Vero’s eyes filled with sympathy. “I’m sorry.”

  “You know, Vero, sometimes I really wish I could finish my training and be done with earth. It’s too hard living this way.”

  Vero understood. It was difficult going back and forth between the two worlds, but he also knew he would miss his family and friends when his training was finally completed.

  “I think I’m good at telepathy because on earth I want to communicate so badly. And I guess that’s the key to learning it. You want to know the person without passing judgment. If they feel like they’re not being judged, they’ll open up to you and willingly share their thoughts. Try it. I’ll think of something, and you guess what it is.”

  Vero stared hard at Pax. He tried to concentrate on Pax’s thoughts, but out of the corner of his eye, the flames of the torch twirled in and out of one another, distracting him. Pax placed both of his hands on Vero’s shoulders and turned his back to the swirling fire.

  “Try again.”

  Vero looked at Pax with intensity. His face scrunched up so much he almost looked angry. Vero tried to clear his mind of any preconceived notions about Pax so Pax would allow him to know his thoughts. He remembered what his dad had once told him about how a coward makes snap judgments, but an honorable person searches for the truth. He wanted to be that honorable person. And then he made a connection! He heard Pax’s thoughts.

  “You need to go to the bathroom?” Vero said, surprised. “That’s your big important thought?”

  “Well, it’s important to me,” Pax answered. “But you just read my mind!”

  “Yeah, I guess I did,” Vero said, puffing out his chest.

  “Uriel said we have to go back to earth before the Trials begin. It sounds like we need to rest up,” Pax told Vero. “Plus, I really do need a bathroom.”

  “Okay,” Vero said as he grabbed Pax’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “And, Pax, your parents love you. I’m sure of it.”

  Pax looked to Vero, caught off guard before realizing that Vero had just read his mind again. Pax slowly nodded, closed his eyes, then vanished into thin air. Vero took one last look into the dancing flames before he, too, closed his eyes and recalled his last place on earth. When he opened them, he felt a small rubber tip hit his chest and bounce to the mat below. He realized he was back in the fencing gym. As Vero tried to get his bearings, a woman fencer quickly walked over and picked up the tip.

  “Sorry, I guess I didn’t put it on properly,” she said to Vero before walking back to her mat.

  “What just happened?” Clover asked Vero. “I feel like I blanked out for a second.”

  Vero shook his head. He didn’t want to explain to her how in a matter of seconds, he had been to the Ether, escaped an evil hair serpent, befriended a mythical unicorn, and now was back. On top of that, his head was still spinning from the transition.

  “Mom’s out front,” Vero said, looking out the window.

  Vero removed the rest of his protective fencing clothing and hung them on the hooks that lined the walls. He moved very slowly as he struggled to adjust back to earth.

  “I’m sorry, but I worry about you,” Clover said fondly.

  It took Vero a few seconds to recall their last conversation. Oh, yes. He had told Clover about the nurse who had attacked him in Dr. Walker’s office. Clover had been scared for him and had scolded him to be careful. Vero had lost his temper. Now he felt like a jerk because he knew that his sister was only trying to look out for him.

  “It’s okay,” he said.

  “I know there’s so much you hide from me,” Clover told him. “And maybe you’re right not to tell me everything, maybe I can’t handle it, but at least promise me that those archangels keep you safe, that they watch out for you . . .”

  Uriel’s disappointed face flashed in Vero’s mind. He was no longer sure the archangels had his best interests
at heart. But he didn’t want to worry his sister.

  “Yeah, they do,” he said weakly.

  Vero sat in the backseat of his mother’s minivan. He picked at a hole in the leather seat as Clover stared out the passenger window. Nora glimpsed Vero in the rearview mirror.

  “Vero, stop picking at the seat. You’re gonna make the tear bigger. I need to get it repaired.”

  “Sorry.”

  “And I’m sorry I was a little late. I had to stay past my shift because my replacement nurse was stuck in traffic,” Nora said. She paused. “You guys are okay with me working back at the hospital, aren’t you?”

  “Sure,” Vero answered.

  “Because it’s only part time. I had to jump back into nursing now or else my certification would expire, then I’d be too old to ever go back.” Nora smiled. “And now that we’re on the subject of age, you do know my birthday’s coming up? Right?”

  “Yes,” Vero said.

  “I don’t want anything big, just a quiet meal with the whole family together.”

  Both Vero and Clover barely grunted. Nora turned around, glanced at Vero, then to Clover. “Did something happen at fencing? You two have a fight?”

  “No, we didn’t,” Vero answered, a little too quickly.

  “Clover?” Nora asked, raising her eyebrow.

  The car pulled up in the driveway, and Nora put it into park. “No, for once Vero’s telling the truth,” Clover answered, then she opened the door and walked toward the house.

  6

  NEW GIRL

  Vero sat on his bed with his laptop computer as late afternoon light streamed through the window. He was working on a paper for his social studies class. Each student was given a country to research and present to their classmates, and Vero had been assigned Sri Lanka. But he was having a hard time concentrating and kept reading the same paragraph over and over, so all he knew about the country so far was that it was a small island somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

  Truth was, Vero was nervous about the Angel Trials. He had no idea when he would be called back to the Ether to compete, but in the meantime, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Aurora’s selection of Kane over him had rattled his confidence, and he couldn’t help but worry that the Trials would be more challenging than he or the other fledglings could handle.

  A pang of jealousy shot through Vero when he looked out his window and watched his next-door neighbor, Mr. Atwood, and his teenage son, Angus, raking fallen leaves into piles. Vero envied the simplicity of their lives. He would never have that kind of ordinariness.

  Vero heard a knock on the door, snapping him from his thoughts. “Come in,” he called.

  “Think quick,” Dad said as he threw a chocolate bar at Vero.

  Vero caught it, and his dad sat down next to him on the bed.

  “Mom said you were studying hard, so I thought you could use a break.”

  “Thanks,” Vero said as he ripped the wrapper off the candy bar.

  As dad leaned over the computer screen, Vero noticed his father’s hair was becoming much more salt-and-pepper-looking. It made him sad to think of his father getting older. Dad then asked, “What are you working on?”

  “Social Studies. I have to do a class presentation on Sri Lanka.”

  “Sri Lanka, a small island country in the Indian Ocean,” Dad read the screen, then looked up at Vero. “You’ve been in here for hours and that’s all you’ve got?”

  “Been going slower than I hoped” Vero shrugged.

  “That’s a coincidence. Sri Lanka is one of the countries I’m researching for the World Bank. They’ve already received aid for housing and health care, and now we’re studying their water supply. Never take a glass of water for granted,” Dad said, waving a finger in Vero’s face.

  Dennis Leland, Vero’s dad, worked for the World Bank. He researched potential projects for developing countries. The projects included things like supplying clean drinking water, building homes, repairing bridges and roads, educating children, and providing healthcare to the needy.

  “Since you know all about Sri Lanka, can’t you just do my report for me?” Vero asked with a pleading smile.

  “Sure,” Dad answered with a grin.

  “Really?”

  “No.”

  Vero frowned. If only he were back in the library at C.A.N.D.L.E., maybe a tiny island of Sri Lanka could float into his ear, giving him instant knowledge.

  “What’s up with you?” Dad asked. “I never have to hound you to do your homework. Is there something going on?”

  You mean besides a demonic nurse that tried to kill me or the creepy hair monster that tried to strangle me or the fact that no one wants me to compete in the Angel Trials?

  “Nothing.” Vero shrugged.

  “Sure?” Dad eyed Vero.

  “Yeah.”

  Clover walked past Vero’s bedroom, grabbing Dennis’s attention. “Clover, get in here,” he called.

  Clover backed up and walked into Vero’s bedroom.

  “Mom’s birthday is coming up, and she says she doesn’t want to do anything special . . .”

  “She says that every year,” Clover interrupted.

  “Yes, but she’s busy with her new job, so I really think she means it this year. So that’s why I thought it’d be nice to throw her a little surprise party. We can make dinner and cake. What do you think?”

  Clover looked surprisingly excited about the idea. Her face lit up. “Okay! I want to decorate with streamers and balloons. And Dad, you’ll have to take me to the mall ’cause there’s this outfit I know she wants.”

  “You got it,” Dad said.

  “And Vero and I can make the cake.”

  “I don’t know how to make a cake,” Vero said.

  “From the box,” Clover said. “It’s easy.”

  “My favorite kind.” Dennis smiled to Vero. “And don’t make a big one. I’ll just invite the Atwoods over.”

  “Do you have to?” Vero and Clover asked at the exact same time.

  They looked at each other.

  “Jinx,” Clover said.

  Dennis shot them a disapproving look.

  “You got a C?” Tack high-fived Vero. “Finally, you’re getting the grades normal guys in the seventh grade should get.”

  “What about you?” Vero asked Tack as they walked across the schoolyard.

  “D+,” Tack answered. “Hey, it could have been worse. Could have been a D-. Although I thought the pizzas would have gotten me at least a C. That’s fourteen bucks down the drain.”

  Tack’s report was on the country of Italy. In his class presentation, he only talked about the food of the country — strombolis, spaghetti, gelato, salami, and, of course, pizza. Hoping to bribe Miss Wexler, the Social Studies teacher, he had a local pizza parlor deliver her a sausage and pepperoni pizza during the class. Tack had no idea Miss Wexler was a strict vegetarian, so the pizza had done nothing to raise his grade. However, it didn’t go to waste. Nurse Kunkel had smelled it all the way down the hallway, and confiscated the pizza for herself, claiming that some kids in the class could have food allergies.

  “Don’t your parents get mad when you get bad grades?” Vero wanted to know.

  “Yeah, but they already consider me a big disappointment so I’ve got nothing to lose.”

  Vero knew that underneath all his talk, Tack was hurt by his parents — ​mainly, his dad. The Kozlowski’s were famous dowsers, which meant they were able to sense where water was located inside the earth. And not only water, but also oil and some minerals. Every male in the family going back generations had inherited the dowsing gift, except Tack. The line ended with him.

  “Mr. Kozlowski!”

  Tack and Vero turned around and saw Nurse Kunkel heading toward them. She tried to take a short cut between two outdoor circular lunch tables but, underestimating her stout size, got stuck. Tack and Vero winced as her face turned red as she tried to squeeze her way out. Finally, she shoved one of the tables up agains
t the wall and barreled over to them. Luckily, it was past lunch so no one was sitting at the table.

  “Mr. Kozlowski, I just wanted to say I thought your report was delicious. In my opinion, you deserve an A+ + on it,” Nurse Kunkel told Tack.

  “Thanks. I’m glad someone appreciated my efforts.”

  “Next time, if you get an assignment on China, I’d like some eggrolls and Chicken Lo Mein,” she winked at Tack before walking away, giggling to herself.

  Clover walked past and, unfortunately for Tack, caught Nurse Kunkel’s wink.

  “You guys make such a cute couple,” she teased Tack.

  “Jealous?” Tack smirked.

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Hey, Clover,” a bubbly girl’s voice rang out.

  Tack’s eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of the tall blonde girl heading toward them. She had a willowy frame with high cheekbones and bright hazel eyes. Vero couldn’t help but notice her, too. Just because it was forbidden for angels to fall in love with humans, didn’t mean he was blind. Clover caught their stares.

  “Stop drooling, you losers,” she muttered to them as the girl caught up with her. “Hey, Kira.”

  “Hi,” Kira replied.

  Tack loudly cleared his throat, wanting to be noticed. Clover took the hint. “Kira, this is Tack . . .”

  “Thaddeus,” he corrected in a somewhat British accent, once again clearing his throat and puffing out his chest.

  Clover rolled her eyes at him. “Kira just moved here from Seattle. She’s in my class.”

  Kira smiled at Vero, batting her eyelashes. “And who’s this?”

  “My brother, Vero.”

  “You guys don’t look alike,” Kira told Clover.

  “Vero’s adopted,” Tack said.

  “Oh, really, ’cause I am too,” Kira said, her eyes wide. “Do you have any idea where you came from? Who your birth parents are?”

  Vero squirmed, unsure how to answer her questions without lying. He shook his head.

  “Oh, sorry, I guess that’s not really any of my business,” Kira smiled apologetically.

  “It’s okay,” Vero replied.