Awakening (Children of Angels) (21 page)

She eyed the spot where Leonara had been standing, moments before. Usually, the Angel returned to the same spot she had left from. With an Impish grin, and an air of confidence, Mia strode purposefully to the wardrobe just behind that spot. She would be inches away from Leonara when she returned, but was certain that the Angel would not be able to feel her out. She pulled the door shut and stood quietly, waiting for Leonara to return, the smile still playing on her lips.

Sure enough, moments later, she felt Leonara return. How obvious it was, the change of power in the room. The room seemed to become charged, as though with static, like a storm was building in the air of the room. How had she not noticed this before? She stopped wondering for a moment, and realized that in all likelihood, the next few days and weeks would hold many surprises, and many more “why did I not realize this before?” moments. And besides, she needed to focus on Leonara.

She felt Leonara’s power rippling out from her, and braced herself as the first waves of it gently buffeted against her own. Determined that Leonara would not sense her out, she made herself invisible. Invisible to the waves of power, that is. To the eye, she knew she was very much visible. She allowed the waves of power to simply pass through her as though she was nothing more than air, and hoped Leonara would mistake the slight hesitation and resistance for the resistance put up by the door as the wave tried to travel through. She hoped.

After a couple of minutes of searching, Leonara called out to her. Mia stifled a giggle and remained hidden for a moment. It was almost exactly like being a child again. Refusing to give up such a good hiding place.

“
Mia?
”
Leonara called nervously. Oh if the girl had run off on her own, they would
not
be pleased.
“
Mia, come out
now.
”
She called out more forcefully, wincing at the slight quiver in her voice. It was uncanny, if Mia was in the room still, the way she had hidden herself so completely on the first try.

And yet, Leonara should not have been surprised, Mia had been shielding her powers for years, as they lay dormant, which was why she had never been found until now. Now that her powers were Awakened, it was only natural that everything about her became amplified, better, stronger - and part of that was bound to be her ability to hide.

She almost jumped out of her skin as the wardrobe door opened behind her suddenly. It had been a
very
long time since anyone or anything had managed to creep up on her. She whirled around and found herself face to face with Mia, who was barely containing her laughter.

“
Oh your
face
!
”
she burst out, letting her laughter flow
“
You
’
d think you
’
d seen a ghost! Well, colonel, do I pass muster?
”
she asked in mock seriousness, standing to attention.

“
I
’
d say so. But Mia - remember your promise
”
Leonara said seriously.

“
Aye cap
’
n, I remember the orders - obey orders, without hesitation, without question
”
she barked the words out like she was a soldier repeating them back, then burst out laughing again.

Her laughter was infectious, and Leonara smiled.

“
Right. Where to then, my young friend?
”

Mia stopped laughing, and considered this for a moment.

“
I
…
I don
’
t really know,
”
she admitted thoughtfully
“
you
’
re the well-travelled one, Leonara. I haven't seen anything of the world. I
’
ve never been anywhere. Take me somewhere beautiful. Somewhere exciting. We can go anywhere at all, right?
”
she said.

“
Anywhere at all
”
smiled Leonara.

“
Your choice. Where to?
”
asked Mia, the excited twinkle still sparkling in her eyes.

“
Take my hand, and you
’
ll soon see
”
said Leonara mysteriously, with a smile.

“
Aye aye captain!
”
said Mia, and looped her arm through Leonara
’
s with a smile.

The boy watched them both disappear, and cursed his luck that they were both shielded. He would have to wait until they slipped up. He didn't like her being out of his sight for long.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

W
hen Mia opened her eyes, she found herself looking across an
incredible snow-covered mountain range, breathing in cold clear air.

“
Wow
”
she whispered breathlessly
“
its so
…
beautiful.
”

“
Isn
’
t it though?
”
replied Leonara dreamily.
“
O
f all the places and things I have seen, I still think things like this are the best of all.
”
“
Mother Nature sure paints some pretty pictures
”
agreed Mia, in awe.

Leonara turned to look at the girl beside her.

“
Mother Nature?
”
she laughed incredulously.

“
Oh
…
of course
…”
Mia felt silly then, talking about nature. And to think that when she had read the stories of those refusing to teach evolution, those who believed in creationism,
she
had laughed at
them.
She sent a silent apology to them, and looked back over the mountains with fresh eyes. Eyes that knew these beautiful things had been designed and then deliberately created to look this way.

Really, thinking about it, their beauty made more sense that way than if they were a result of random incidents of plate tectonics and weather erosion. She appreciated the view all the more now, knowing that they were created by someone. Well - some
thing
.

“
Who made them?
”
she asked Leonara, looking up at her curiously
“
Did God really make them?
”

“
Our Father made these mountains,
”
replied Leonara with a proud smile
“
the planet was created by Our Father and His brother.
”
She said
‘
brother
’
with a screwed up face, as though it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“
God has a brother?
”
asked Mia, one eyebrow raised.
“
T
hey sure kept that quiet.
”

“
Yes, I guess they sure did
”
replied Leonara, her smile gone now.
“
R
emember the first night, Mia, that night of the dream, before you shut me out?
”

Mia nodded, of course she remembered. She was unlikely to ever forget. She remembered it in great detail.

“Well, think back to it then - I know exactly what it was you saw, of course, because I showed it to you - think back to the quarrel in the dark room.” She stared purposefully at Mia.

“
The argument -
”
said Mia, understanding washing over her face.
“
I didn
’
t understand their language, but somehow still knew what they were saying.
”

“
Yes, I helped you out a little there
”
.
Leonara smiled a small smile, barely noticeable.

“
So
…
that was
…
God
?
”
Mia asked incredulously.

A great many strange and unbelievable and
impossible
things had happened, and somehow, she'd come to accept these. But that she had been standing in a room with
God
, was
too
impossible - God was not a person you could go and visit. She had never even really been sure that she had believed in Him. And sneaking into a room where he was having an argument with his brother? Well, she was probably the first, last, only human who could ever say they had done that.

“
But
…
.it was just a dream
”
she said it aloud, although she was only trying to remind herself. Of
course
she hadn
’
t
literally
stood in the same room as God. Although she had only said it to herself, Leonara answered as though Mia had challenged her, and called her a liar.

“
Well of course it was all happening in your head Mia, but why on Earth should that mean it
’
s not real?
”
Leonara asked with a mischievous grin.

“…
did you just paraphrase Professor Dumbledore?
”
asked Mia, one eyebrow raised.

“
Perhaps
”
replied Leonara playfully.

“
How do
you
know about Harry Potter? Do you guys not have better ways to spend your time than reading story books?
”
she laughed.

“
All we have is Time, Mia,
”
replied Leonara solemnly
“
it
’
s just up to us how we choose to spend it. And yes, I did choose to spend a little of mine getting acquainted with a certain boy wizard. I like to acquaint myself with human things, human cultures, what makes you 'tick' as it were. I've read a lot of things, Mia. Seen a lot of things. Humans are really quite fascinating creatures.”

Mia was intrigued, but couldn't be distracted from her awe at Leonara's latest revelation.

“
So, are you really telling me I stood in the same room as
God
? That He is an actual physical being? And that He has a brother?
”
she gazed up at Leonara in wonder.