Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 by Lisa Grace (Angel Series)

By

Lisa Grace

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Angel Series:

Angel in the Shadows, Book 1

Angel in the Storm, Book 2

Angel in the Ice, Book 3

Angel in the Fire, Book 4; release date
November 2012

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Optioned for a movie by Motion Picture Pro
Studios

Movie development started in mid 2012

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The difference between vampires
and angels? Angels are real.
™
© copyright 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

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Smashwords Edition August, 2012

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Book Description:
Fifteen-year-old Megan Laughlin has a gift; or what seems
like a curse at times. Megan sees angels and demons.

Megan knows her destiny is to protect her
friends against dark angels who try to sway them into situations
that can destroy their souls, their lives, and their eternity.

At school she recognizes an
ü
ber popular boy, as a demon
hell-bent on destroying her and everyone she loves. As Judas
spreads horrible rumors and overdoses two of her classmates at a
rave, Megan realizes the enormity of his power. While classmates
die, Megan, with the help of an angel, Johnny, and a team of
friends will face the fight of their lives as they battle
Judas.

Megan thinks God hasn't given her any "special"
powers, but discovers she has what she needs as she confronts Judas
and his seemingly unconquerable power.

Copyright © 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 All rights
reserved by the author—Lisa Grace

Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 by Lisa Grace
Revised April 2012

http://www.lisagracebooks.com
or you may
email the author at
[email protected]

Scripture quotes and footnotes are from the King
James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise indicated.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 International
Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights
reserved.

The “NIV” and “New International Version”
trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark
requires the permission of the International Bible Society.

No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any
means, or by any information storage retrieval system without the
permission, in writing, from the author.

***

*****

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…concerning spiritual gifts…I
would not have you ignorant…to another the discerning of spirits… 1
Corinthians 12: 1 - 10,
King James
Bible

CHAPTER 1 - MEGAN

Who would believe there is something different
about me? No one. Most days I wake up late and move half-dazed
until Mom yells she’s going to leave without me, an idle threat
that doesn’t work.

I grab a cup of coffee, my not so secret vice,
to wake me up and shift my brain into first gear. I get to school
carrying too many IB books to make me “in”. Anyway, you get the
idea. I, Megan, am a good kid leading a normal boring life in the
suburban beach town of Clearwater, Florida. Then this last summer
at camp, I had a paradigm shift (that should make Mrs. Grey my IB
creative writing teacher happy). I would show this to her, but she
would totally flip and make me get counseling if she suspects that
I believe anything I’ve written is true. My world now is upside
down and inside out. Let me take you back to this summer when I
found out what Zadok is and who I am or might be.

***

I can’t lie. I’m excited to be on our way. On
the way to the lake I see flashes of light in three or four of the
cars we pass. I shake my head and I wonder if I need glasses. As we
drive through the small town that borders the main road to camp our
bus stops at a red light. I notice a dark figure in the woods and
squint out the window for a better look. I have no idea what I’m
seeing. By the time I get one of the other kids to look we are on
our way again and whatever it was, is out of sight. I make up my
mind once I’m back home, I’m getting my eyes checked.

Finally, after a grueling eight-hour bus ride,
we arrive at camp. My voice is almost gone from leading the last
few hours of songs and games. It’s exciting to finally be old
enough to be here as a junior camp counselor. I don’t have to sneak
my coffee anymore. I can go right into the counselors room and get
it. One draw back is we’re not allowed to bring cell phones, iPods,
or anything like that to camp. There’s no place to plug them in and
zero reception anyway. It’s about as rugged as I want to get. About
the only person I would want to talk to, besides my BFF Mandy, is
going to be here anyway, Seth.

I’m bouncing with excitement because Seth and
his bus should be arriving in the next two hours. We’ve always
liked each other. Seth is so cute with light brown hair and golden
brown eyes. We’ve been texting each other, but it’s not the same as
seeing him. I’ll get to stand close enough to feel his heart beat,
absorb his warmth, and get dizzy like I’m on the most exciting
adventure of all. Nothing else compares.

The bus jerks to a halt and I wake from my
daydream.

Mr. Steve calls out as he steps off the bus and
stretches his legs. “Hey Megan, help those kids get their gear and
lead ’em up to check in, would ya?” All the kids love Mr. Steve.
He’s always laughing and has a smile on his face. He’s kind of like
the uncle you always wished you had.

“Sure,” I say as I’m tackled by Nikki, one of my
youngsters.

“Don’t worry Megan, we’ll help you,” Nikki says
as she’s squeezing the life out of me.

“Just grab your bags and help some of the
younger kids with theirs, Okay?” I say as I peel her arms off
me.

“Can I be in your cabin please, please, please,
please?” Nikki asks.

Secretly, I’m flattered. “It’s not up to me. We
have to go to check in and see where we’re assigned.” I grab my
duffle and head up the walk yelling, “This way everybody!”

Carrie, one of the other counselors, is still
helping some of the younger ones unload their bags from the lower
storage bays on the bus. Carrie always wears her blonde hair in
pigtails, even though she’s the same age I am. Carrie’s a total
tomboy. We go to the same high school and church, but don’t know
each other well, because we’re so different. She turns to me and
yells, “Go ahead I’ll handle the stragglers.”

The lake is peeking through the trees on the
left, and I can smell the water. I’m so happy to be here you can’t
wipe the smile off my face. Seth and I should be able to sneak some
alone time. We have our own secret place on the lake. There’s a
small cliff only about eight feet high with a rotting dock about
two feet down. When you sit there, you’re kind of hidden from the
world. Last year we would head up there and talk. You can see a
million stars at night. We would count the shooting stars and
orbiting satellites that raced across the sky while the waves
lapping at the rocky shoreline provided a rhythmic drumbeat to our
senses. Loons call out in distress. The sound is so foreign and
mournful, a sad contrast to the cry of the seagulls back home in
Florida. The bats would appear like shadows, swooping over the lake
to eat the bugs. It’s mysterious and magical. You feel anything
could happen at any moment. It’s so nice to have someone as special
as Seth and a private place to share with him.

Half the kids are racing ahead. They’ve been
here before and are eager to show the newbies the way. The walkway
leads up to the main lodge, a hulking two-story building built of
log timbers and stone. Check-in is in the lobby where it is cooler
since even in North Carolina it’s hot and humid in July. The adults
running the place, the Timmons, prefer not to sweat if they don’t
have to. There are two dormers upstairs for the youngest kids and
cabins surrounding the lake for the older ones.

I wait off to the side as my young charges find
out where they’re assigned. I feel a quick tap on my shoulder. I
turn around and see a smiling Mr. Z.

“Mr. Z.!” I give him a quick hug. “I’m so glad
to see you!” Last year he was one of my favorite camp staffers.

“Megan, it’s nice to see you too. I’m glad you
came back to help us out. We need some staff that can chase down
the young ruffians, tackle ‘em, tie ‘em up, and keep them in line.
Speaking of staff, here’s your badge of courage.”

I laugh as he hands me my name badge. I look at
it, MEGAN LAUGHLIN; CLEARWATER, FL; STAFF. I know it’s kind of
hokey, but I feel happy all over again.

“You know by putting this on you become an
official target for every water balloon, frog, snake, and prank
these kids can dream up.” Mr. Z. is smiling as he speaks, then I
notice he seems to be glowing. What I thought was the sun behind
him—isn’t. It’s definitely him.

I laugh and shake my head trying to ignore what
I’m seeing. “Yeah, I know I’m in for it.” I pause and just look at
Mr. Z. and the aura surrounding him then quickly look around
realizing no one else in the room is seeing the glow but me.

“Are you okay Mr. Z.?” I ask.

“Never better Megan. Why don’t you find out what
cabin you’re in and when things calm down, we’ll have time to go
over a few things.”

At that moment the main lodge door slams shut,
grabbing my attention. When I look back at Mr. Z., he’s gone. I
know it’s not normal to see people glowing. Maybe I need to cut
down on the caffeine. With a jolt a chilling thought hits me; maybe
I have a brain tumor. I calm down as I look around. I realize there
can’t be anything wrong with me, because no one else is looking
like they walked out of some cheap nineteen fifties’ movie about
radiation poisoning. No one else has an aura, only Mr. Z.

Nikki, Paul, and a few other youngsters
interrupt my thoughts, anxious for me to get my cabin assignment.
“Megan, come on!” They drag me to the check-in table.

Nikki grabs my arm and says, “We’re not in the
same cabin,” Nikki’s pouty face lasts for about one second over
this bad news. “But guess what?” she points, “see that cute boy
over there? He’s in the cabin next to mine and he’s going to help
me carry my bags. Isn’t he cute?”

I ask her, “Did you notice anything strange
about Mr. Z.?”

“Who’s that?” She asks, never taking her eyes
off the cute boy.

“The adult I was just talking to,” I pick up my
duffle and point to where I’d been talking to Mr. Z just a minute
ago.

“No. I kinda remember him from last year. He’s
nice,” She answers offhandedly as she waves to the cute boy. “I
gotta go. See you Meg.” Nikki picks up her stuff and heads over to
her new Romeo.

At check in, Toby, one of the older counselors
who has sandy blond hair and reminds me of a California surfer,
hands me a folder with the scheduled activities I’ll be
supervising.

“You know how to swim?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Up-to-date on CPR certification?” He starts
checking things off on a list.

“Sure thing,” I smile.

“Good. ‘Cause you’re assigned to swim duty from
ten to twelve each day.”

Then with the rapid delivery of a drill
sergeant, he checks off on his list as he reads aloud, “Reveille at
seven, (I groan),

Breakfast - seven-thirty to nine

Chapel - nine to ten

First swim - ten to eleven

Second swim - eleven to twelve

Lunch - twelve to one-thirty

Free-time until two

First craft period - two to three

Second craft period - three to four

Kitchen cooking duty - four to five

Dinner - five to six-thirty

Free Time - six-thirty to seven

Evening Chapel - seven to eight

Campfire sing along - eight to nine-thirty

lights out - ten

Any questions?”

I shake my head no.

“Good. Counselor meeting tonight at six-thirty.
See you there.”

“Yes sir!” I reply and give Toby a military
salute.

He rewards me with a brief smile and a chuckle,
then hands me my counselor shirts. They’re lime-green with the
words JR. STAFF in big bold black letters.

“See ya at the meeting Megan.”

My cabin is the seventh on the left, next to the
last one. When I open the screen door, I see the old familiar three
sets of bunk beds, my cot, one nightstand (for me), one six-drawer
dresser (one drawer for each kid), and a small communal desk. My
home-sweet-home for the next eight days. I notice a small blonde
girl wearing glasses already occupying the top right bunk. She is
peering over the edge, watching me.

“Hi. My name is Megan. What’s yours?”