The Dragon's Descent (40 page)

“Now I won't have to listen to any more of your lies,” Vero spat.

Shock came into the dragon's remaining eye. It staggered back, flapping its wings. The dragon flew to the tops of the trees, disappearing from sight.

“Think he's coming back?” Kane nervously asked Vero.

Vero shook his head.

“But you might want to hurry,” Kane nodded to the door. “In case he does.”

“Maybe you could come with me . . . they might grant you access,” Vero said.

“No. I'm not worthy.” Kane looked down.

“If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have the book right now.”

Kane looked up and a faint smile formed on his lips. “Thanks, Vero, but I need to go back and try to make things right with the others.”

“Tell Greer I said not to go too hard on you,” Vero replied.

Kane nodded. He turned and walked away. The moment Vero wrapped his hand around the doorknob, his suit of armor vanished from his body. He turned the knob and walked into the garden of Eden.

29

PARADISE

V
ero's parents had taken him to many parks and gardens in his lifetime. He had seen the beauty of the Ether with its lakes, mountains, and green fields, but nothing had prepared him for the beauty of the garden of Eden. As he walked out of the tree, he was met with the most stunning landscape imaginable.

Trees with perfectly shaped trunks and branches met his eyes in every direction. Their leaves were tremendously healthy and of a deep green hue that Vero had never seen before. Vibrant, graceful flowers perfumed the air. The beauty that surrounded him was beyond astonishing. The grass was even greener than what he had seen in the Ether. Each tree was unique in its shape and type, each with its own personality, and Vero felt he knew each one. In the distance, he saw a lion nuzzle its nose against a lamb's nose. A doe playfully chased a bear around a tree.

In this garden, there was no food chain, no survival of the fittest. All the creatures lived peacefully with one another. The grass underneath his feet was so plush, so luxurious, that it massaged his feet with each step, reminding him of his injury. He lifted his pant leg and removed the scarf once more. His wounds had been healed.

The most beautiful thing about the garden was the feeling of peace that Vero felt. Everything created a sense of harmony and unity. Nothing was in conflict.

He saw a small herd of whitetail deer grazing under the warmth of a brilliant sky. As Vero gazed upon the deer, he realized that he could understand them. They could communicate mind-to-mind.

“Hello, Vero,” a huge buck said. “Welcome.”

“Thank you.” Vero smiled as he spoke telepathically. “I need to find the tree of knowledge. Any idea?”

“It is on the east side of the garden,” the buck telepathed. “You will see the cherubim with a flaming sword guarding it.” The buck nodded its antlers to its right side. “It is in that direction.”

Vero smiled gratefully to the buck. He turned and walked deeper into the garden. So many sights delighted his eyes along the way. Birds resting on branches sang beautiful melodies. Rocks and boulders were shiny, glistening. The water in a babbling brook sparkled in the light like glistening diamonds. Vero bent down and stuck his hand in the water. Plump, jolly fish swam quickly over to his hand, allowing to be pet.

Vero continued in the direction indicated by the buck. He saw a grove of trees ahead. A man stood before the trees, holding a flaming sword. Vero recognized his face
but he wasn't exactly sure where he had seen him. The man then turned his head and Vero saw that his face morphed into that of a lion's.

“I've been waiting a long time for you, Vero,” he said as his face then changed into that of an ox.

“You're a cherubim,” Vero said, eyeing the four wings coming out of the angel's back.

“Yes,” the cherubim answered, his face once again transforming, this time into that of an eagle's. “You have the book?”

Vero reached into his pocket and pulled out the blue sapphire.

“Well done.” The cherubim smiled.

Vero held out the gem to the cherubim. The cherubim shook his head, his face again that of a lion's.

“You deserve the honor,” the cherubim said, stepping aside.

When he moved aside, Vero saw a wilted, shriveled-up tree. A perplexed feeling came over him. It was so ugly, especially in comparison to all the beauty he had already seen in the garden. Vero hesitated, not sure if he should approach the tree.

The cherubim nodded, letting Vero know that it was the correct tree. Vero stepped in front of the tree. There was a sadness to it, as rotten fruit hung from its branches.

“Any action not in harmony with God's will always has unhappy consequences,” the cherubim said.

Vero looked at the tree, wondering where to return the book. As his eyes studied the branches, he saw one branch that bore no fruit. Vero realized that
this
was where Eve must have taken the forbidden fruit. As Vero held the blue
sapphire to the end of the branch, the cherubim gently touched his hand, stopping him.

“Before you return the book, do you want to know what everything you've experienced was for?” the cherubim's oxen face asked Vero.

Vero nodded.

“Look,” the cherubim instructed, gazing into the sapphire. “God has given you the gift of sight. Use it.”

Flames danced and twisted into symbols. Vero stared intently at them. His mind totally focused.

“Daniel Konrad, Jr.?” Vero shot the cherubim a confused look.

“Read on.” The cherubim motioned.

As Vero continued to study the sapphire, he voiced the things as he read them. “He is the reason the book needed to be returned,” Vero said aloud, transfixed with the stone in his hand. “The child will grow to be righteous, and bring much goodness into the world.” Vero paused, taking that in.

“Lucifer was desperate to know the name of this baby so he could drive the parents apart, and would have done anything to prevent his birth.” He looked at the cherubim, who nodded.

Vero continued reading. “Daniel Konrad and Davina Acker are the child's parents.” Vero had to pause to smile, as it all seemed to be a bigger plan unfolding before his eyes.

“Davina will give birth to the child in an alley in a big city. She won't make it to the hospital in time, but she and the child will be fine,” Vero read, astonished.

“What is it?” the cherubim asked.

“I dreamt about this a few years ago. And Clover was there too!”

“As was I,” the cherubim said. “Now you may return the book.”

“Just . . . give me a minute. I need to see one more thing,” Vero said.

“Are you sure you want to know?” the cherubim's lion face asked, having read Vero's mind.

“I need to know,” Vero said, locking eyes with the cherubim. The conviction in his gaze seemingly gave the cherubim his answer.

Vero opened his hand and looked deep into the sapphire. The tiny flames began to form into shapes, then symbols. Vero stared at the symbols, reading them silently in his mind. His body trembled with tears. It was the most devastating thing he would ever read. Vero closed his eyes, trying to be strong . . . for he had just learned the date of his earthly death.

Vero held the blue sapphire to the branch where no fruit hung. Upon contact with the branch, a large fruit pit—a stone—formed around the blue sapphire, encasing it. A perfectly red and shiny skin then formed around the stone. It instantly grew into a magnificent fruit, although Vero wasn't sure what fruit it was. It was different from anything he'd seen on earth. It sort of looked like an apple crossed with a pomegranate. Before Vero's eyes, the rest of the tree transformed. It grew into a magnificent fruit tree with plump, healthy fruit clinging to its branches.

Vero had returned the book from whence it had come.

Michael hugged Kane on the steps of C.A.N.D.L.E., as Uriel stood a step below. Vero, Greer, X, and Ada sat on a ledge watching. A tear streaked Greer's face.

“Greer, you're crying?” Vero said.

“Say another word and you'll be the one crying,” Greer said, throwing him a threatening glance.

Kane turned to the others. “I'm sorry, you guys. I'm so sorry.” His eyes were downcast.

“Stop, it's over,” Michael told Kane. “When you are forgiven, that is the end of it.”

Kane nodded.

“You can't imagine how proud we are of each of you,” Michael said, extending his gaze over the fledglings.

Kane looked away.

“We are most proud of you, Kane,” Uriel said. “The greatest battle we fight is the one within, and in the end you emerged victorious.”

Kane locked eyes with Uriel, and smiled gratefully.

“All of you were outstanding,” Michael said.

“But it's not right. Pax should be here with us,” Greer said. “It's not a good day.”

“But it is,” Michael said.

“No, he was so brave. Pax fought hard and for that he winds up in the choir?” Greer said, exasperated.

“But he is not in the choir of angels,” Uriel said.

“But when we fail in our training . . .” Vero said.

“This was the real deal,” Uriel said. “This was not training.”

“So what happened to Pax?” Greer asked, the panic rising in her chest.

“For his bravery in the face of evil, Pax ‘got his wings,' as some would say. He has become a full-fledged guardian angel,” Michael said, with pride in his voice.

Vero's face lit up. “So he made it?”

Michael nodded.

“That little twerp became a guardian before me?” Greer said with an outraged look that quickly turned into a huge smile.

“All in time, Greer.” Michael smiled.

“Michael . . .” Vero said, hesitant. “Um . . . we probably wouldn't have found the book without Rahab's help.”

“Oh, yes, Rahab. We are grateful to him, and I'll see what I can do about having his sentence commuted.”

Michael wrapped his wings around himself and vanished.

“And now it's time for all of you to go back,” Uriel said.

Greer grabbed Vero and hugged him tightly. Ada smiled. She joined in and hugged Vero too. Kane looked to X, who shrugged. They joined the group hug. Vero fell over, taking everyone down with him.

“Get off of me!” Greer yelled as she fought her way out of the pile. “I'm claustrophobic, you know that!”

Everyone got back on his feet.

“You'll see each other soon enough.” Uriel smiled furtively.

Vero looked to Kane. “I see you in few minutes in Sri Pada.”

“If it's okay, I think when I get there, I just want to go home. Can you make some excuse to your mom?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

One by one, the angels closed their eyes and vanished. Only Vero remained standing. Uriel placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Raziel would like a word with you.”

There was a whirl of wind, then Raziel stood before them. Uriel nodded to Raziel and moved away, allowing them privacy.