imagine no less for those who would go up against the might of the Nephilim." He glared at Mufgar, challenging his word as chief.
"But what of those who abandon the wishes of their masters?" Mufgar asked in return. "What is the fate
of those who defy the Powers? Is the edict of that not death as well?"
The shaman scowled. "Possibly," he answered, "but it does not change the fact that death is our
companion. We must choose our path wisely, or we may never have the opportunity to seek outthe
paradise that has long eluded us."
Zawar and Tehom glanced at each other, the conflicting messages of chief and shaman bringing the curseof dissension to their ranks.
"Great Mufgar," Zawar whispered as he looked about the woods, searching for any telltalesigns of imminent death, "how do we choose?" Mufgar looked back toward the sounds of the road in the distance. "There is only one choice," he said, moving away from them toward the road. "The hunt—and from that shall spring our freedom." He didn't even turn to see if they were following. Mufgar did not need to, for he knew that they were behind him. He had seen it in his dream.
Aaron kept his speed at forty-five and continued down the winding, back road. He tightened his grip onthe steering wheel as the excitement continued to build within him. They were getting closer to theirdestination, he could feel it thrumming in his body. "Is it just me, or do you feel this too?" he asked.
Camael grunted, staring at the twisting road before them.
"What?" Aaron said. "Do you see something?" The angel remained silent, squinting as if trying to see more clearly ahead. Aaron couldn't take it anymore. The sensation he felt was akin to a guy with an orange flag at the finishing line. He was close—to what, he wasn't exactly sure, but his body was telling him that this is where they were supposed to be. "What do you see, for Christ's sake!" he yelled.
Camael slowly turned his attention from the windshield to the boy. His gaze was steely, cold.
"Sorry," Aaron said, attempting to squelch the feeling of unbridled excitement that coursed through his body. "It's just that I think we've found where they've taken Stevie—I'm excited. I didn't mean to yell at you."
The angel turned back to the road before them and pointed. "In the distance, not too far from here, I seea town."
Aaron waited a minute, but Camael offered no more. "That's it?" he asked impatiently. "That's all yousee, a town?"
Gabriel, who had been in a deep, snoring sleep in the backseat, began to stir. In the rearview mirror,
Aaron could see the Lab sit up, languidly licking his chops as he surveyed his surroundings.
"Where's the town?"the dog asked. "All 1 see is woods."
"Camael sees it in the distance," Aaron answered. "I've got a feeling that it might be where Verchiel has
taken Stevie."
"There is something about this town," Camael said slowly, his eyes closed in concentration, his hand
slowly stroking his silver goatee. "But I cannot discern what it is. It perplexes me."
Aaron reached over to the glove compartment and popped it open. The angel recoiled, but Aaron paidhim little mind as he rummaged through the compartment while trying to keep his eyes on the road andthe car in its lane. "What's it called? Maybe I can find it on the map," he said, slamming the glovecompartment closed and shaking the map out in his lap.
"It is called Blithe," Camael said. "I believe the settlement would be considered quite old, by human
standards."
"Is it even on here?" Aaron asked, dividing his attention between the map and the road. "I want to see
how much farther we have to go—"
"Let's stop now,"Gabriel suddenly said from the back.
"Let's see how far away Blithe is first," Aaron said as he glanced at the dog in the rearview mirror.
Gabriel seemed genuinely uncomfortable, climbing to all fours and pacing around the seat. "I don't think
1 can wait," he said, a touch of panic in his voice.
Aaron was about to reply
"But what of those who abandon the wishes of their masters?" Mufgar asked in return. "What is the fate
of those who defy the Powers? Is the edict of that not death as well?"
The shaman scowled. "Possibly," he answered, "but it does not change the fact that death is our
companion. We must choose our path wisely, or we may never have the opportunity to seek outthe
paradise that has long eluded us."
Zawar and Tehom glanced at each other, the conflicting messages of chief and shaman bringing the curseof dissension to their ranks.
"Great Mufgar," Zawar whispered as he looked about the woods, searching for any telltalesigns of imminent death, "how do we choose?" Mufgar looked back toward the sounds of the road in the distance. "There is only one choice," he said, moving away from them toward the road. "The hunt—and from that shall spring our freedom." He didn't even turn to see if they were following. Mufgar did not need to, for he knew that they were behind him. He had seen it in his dream.
Aaron kept his speed at forty-five and continued down the winding, back road. He tightened his grip onthe steering wheel as the excitement continued to build within him. They were getting closer to theirdestination, he could feel it thrumming in his body. "Is it just me, or do you feel this too?" he asked.
Camael grunted, staring at the twisting road before them.
"What?" Aaron said. "Do you see something?" The angel remained silent, squinting as if trying to see more clearly ahead. Aaron couldn't take it anymore. The sensation he felt was akin to a guy with an orange flag at the finishing line. He was close—to what, he wasn't exactly sure, but his body was telling him that this is where they were supposed to be. "What do you see, for Christ's sake!" he yelled.
Camael slowly turned his attention from the windshield to the boy. His gaze was steely, cold.
"Sorry," Aaron said, attempting to squelch the feeling of unbridled excitement that coursed through his body. "It's just that I think we've found where they've taken Stevie—I'm excited. I didn't mean to yell at you."
The angel turned back to the road before them and pointed. "In the distance, not too far from here, I seea town."
Aaron waited a minute, but Camael offered no more. "That's it?" he asked impatiently. "That's all yousee, a town?"
Gabriel, who had been in a deep, snoring sleep in the backseat, began to stir. In the rearview mirror,
Aaron could see the Lab sit up, languidly licking his chops as he surveyed his surroundings.
"Where's the town?"the dog asked. "All 1 see is woods."
"Camael sees it in the distance," Aaron answered. "I've got a feeling that it might be where Verchiel has
taken Stevie."
"There is something about this town," Camael said slowly, his eyes closed in concentration, his hand
slowly stroking his silver goatee. "But I cannot discern what it is. It perplexes me."
Aaron reached over to the glove compartment and popped it open. The angel recoiled, but Aaron paidhim little mind as he rummaged through the compartment while trying to keep his eyes on the road andthe car in its lane. "What's it called? Maybe I can find it on the map," he said, slamming the glovecompartment closed and shaking the map out in his lap.
"It is called Blithe," Camael said. "I believe the settlement would be considered quite old, by human
standards."
"Is it even on here?" Aaron asked, dividing his attention between the map and the road. "I want to see
how much farther we have to go—"
"Let's stop now,"Gabriel suddenly said from the back.
"Let's see how far away Blithe is first," Aaron said as he glanced at the dog in the rearview mirror.
Gabriel seemed genuinely uncomfortable, climbing to all fours and pacing around the seat. "I don't think
1 can wait," he said, a touch of panic in his voice.
Aaron was about to reply
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