The Dragon's Descent (41 page)
“Sit,” Raziel motioned.
“Sure.” Vero nodded.
They sat on a marble ledge.
A smile formed at the corners of Raziel's lips as he looked at Vero. “Vero, I want to thank you,” he said, his eyes full of emotion. “Long ago, I failed, and you made things right for me. I will always be grateful to you. You are a very fine, noble angel.”
“Thank you.”
“When I first saw you at C.A.N.D.L.E., I'm ashamed to say I was disappointed in you. I didn't think you were up to the task. You couldn't fly. You were scrawny, but God knew what He was doing when he chose you. And it's not only because you had the vision to read the book.”
Vero looked to him, curious.
“It's because you're good. Few can resist the power that the knowledge gives them. And I know that from firsthand experience.”
“You felt it too?”
“Absolutely.”
“It was so tempting especially when Lucifer was messing with my mind,” Vero said.
“But how much more stronger are we that we both resisted?”
“I guess we're more alike than what we knew.”
“Yes.” Raziel smiled.
“All these years you thought God was punishing you for losing the book. You thought having no memory of the book was your punishment . . . but maybe you've been wrong. Maybe your lack of memory was a gift.”
Raziel gave Vero a curious look.
“By not remembering it, Lucifer would leave you alone.”
Raziel considered for a moment then stood. He bowed his head to Vero. “I look forward to working with you.”
In an instant, Raziel vanished. Uriel walked over to Vero, who stood. “We are all grateful to you,” Uriel said, his eyes bursting with pride.
“Thank you,” Vero said, a bit hesitant.
“What is it?” Uriel asked, concerned.
“It's, um . . .”
An understanding look came over Uriel. He had read Vero's mind. “You're time on earth is nearly over,” Uriel said, gently.
Vero nodded.
“Earth is not your true home,” Uriel said, cupping Vero's chin. “And it's not their true home either.”
Vero looked to Uriel, taking in his words. Vero hugged Uriel tightly, for he truly loved Uriel. After a moment, they broke apart.
“All of you belong with God, and one day, all of you will be with Him . . . and everything will be as it should be.”
Clover stood on the steps of the peace pagoda. The pilgrims had all left to continue their trek up the mountain.
Tack sat on a bench, drinking a bottle of water. Suddenly, a huge smile spread across Clover's face.
Vero was walking up to the peace pagoda. She screamed and ran to her brother and wrapped her arms around him. Tack's face lit up.
“Did you return it?” Clover excitedly asked.
“Yeah. We did it!”
“Woo-hoo!” Tack yelled. “Do they know that I helped? Not that I'm looking for credit or anything . . . but I could sure use some.”
“Where's Kane?” Clover looked around.
“Kane and Adrik won't be joining us.”
“I saw who Adrik really was.” Clover shuddered. “Was Kane like her?”
“No, he's good.” Vero smiled.
“Really?” Tack asked.
“Well, he went through a rough patch, but now he's okay. We'll just have to come up with some excuse to tell Mom.”
“What happened? I want to know,” Clover said.
“I'll tell you everything as we walk up,” Vero said.
“But we don't have to now,” Tack said, eyeing the many, many steps leading to the top of the mountain.
“You don't want to be a quitter, do you?” Vero asked.
“Come on, Tack,” Clover said. “We've come this far, let's finish.”
“You guys are killing me,” Tack said, getting up.
Vero, Tack, and Clover climbed to the top of Sri Pada. Along the way, Vero told them everything that had happened,
both outside the garden and inside: of the dragon, of Lilith, of Pax's bravery and Kane's conversion. They were so fascinated that Tack didn't seem to realize that after two hours of climbing, they had reached the top of the mountain.
A bell hung near the sacred footprint. As tradition, each pilgrim rang the bell for the number of times they have ascended the mountain. Clover rang the bell first, followed by Tack. When Vero got to the bell, he paused a moment, took the handle, and said, “For you, Pax, buddy. Well done.” And he rang the bell once. Other pilgrims followed. As the clangs of the bell echoed into the distance, Vero knew that God had heard the sacrifice of each and every pilgrim.
L
ife settled back into normalcy after the trip to Sri Lanka. Dennis got his plans approvedâSri Lanka was going to get the extra canals. Nora continued to work part time at the hospital, and Clover, Vero, and Tack went back to school. Danny and Davina were also friends again, determined not to waste a single moment before his move out West. The two vowed to stay in touch. Vero smiled, knowing that they definitely would, knowing that he would see to it.
With only a few days left in the school year, on a balmy June evening the Lelands sat down to dinner. Vero looked across the kitchen table. Dad and Mom were laughingâsomething funny had happened at work. Clover pushed half her peas off her plate into her napkin. It was an ordinary night around the dinner table. And Vero knew it would be his last.
“Vero, eat please,” Nora said. “Since when don't you like my meatloaf?”
“My stomach hurts,” Vero said.
Nora's scolding expression turned to concern. “Did you eat anything earlier? Something not agree with you?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“Go lie down on the sofa.”
As Vero got up from the table, he caught Clover's worried look. Vero didn't want to alarm her. He flashed her a reassuring smile. As he lay on the sofa, Vero heard the sounds of his family finishing up dinner.
This is how it will be from now on
, Vero thought.
It will just be the three of them sharing a meal.
Sometimes, in moments of brutal awareness, the brain thinks of the dumbest stuff. Maybe it's a defense. But Vero wondered when he was gone, and it was pizza night, would they still order two pizzas or would it only be one? A tear escaped from his eye. He laid only a few feet away from them, yet Vero never felt so far away from his family.
He fell asleep on the sofa. Nora and Dennis watched as Vero moaned while twisting and turning in his sleep. Nora felt his forehead. It was so hot to the touch that her hand instinctively pulled away.
“He's burning up!” she turned to Dennis. “He needs the ER!”
“Vero, Vero,” Dennis said, trying to rouse his son. “Come on, Vero . . .”
Dennis reached under Vero and lifted him off the sofa.
“Clover!” Mom shouted hysterically as she helped hoist Vero to his feet. “Clover!”
Clover ran into the room. She saw her Mom and Dad walking Vero to the front door. She knew. The blood instantly drained from her face.
Oh, God.
Please, not now.
I'm not ready.
“We have to get to the hospital!” Mom screamed.
“Where are the keys?!” Dad shouted, his hand fumbling under the schoolbooks left on the entrance table, while holding Vero with the other.
The table lamp crashed to the floor.
“Here they are!” Clover yelled, grabbing the keys off the table.
Dennis's car was parked in the driveway. They walked Vero to the backseat and lay him across it. Nora sat with Vero's head resting on her lap. She stroked his head and sang softly to himâlullabies that she had sung to him when he was a baby.
Clover sat beside her father up front, quietly praying. But she knew. She knew. But she still asked.
Please, God, not now.
Please, I'm not ready.
The car pulled up to the ER as an ambulance drove away without its siren blaring. Dennis jumped out of the car and ran around to the back. He and Nora gently lifted Vero from the backseat. Nora turned to Clover. “Tell them we need a gurney!”
Clover ran to the hospital's glass doors. They opened automatically, and she raced over to the nurse on duty, whom she recognized.
“Mrs. Matthews, my brother needs a gurney!” she shouted.
The middle-aged woman looked over to the double doors, and saw Nora and Dennis walking Vero inside. She sprung from her chair and ran to them.
“Nora, what's wrong with Vero?” Mrs. Matthews asked.
“I think it may be his appendix!”
“Lay him here!” Mrs. Matthews yelled as she wheeled over a gurney.
They lifted Vero onto the stretcher.
“We'll take him to room two,” Mrs. Matthews said with a hint of panic in her voice.
Nora and Dennis followed the stretcher as Mrs. Matthews whisked it to the examination room. Clover did not follow. Inside the waiting room, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and called the only person who would understand: Tack.
“Please come now,” she tearfully begged. “It's happening, and I don't know if I can take it . . .”