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said. "My son insists on paying for it even though I never touch the thing. You can use it if you want."

"Thanks," he said.

"But don't go looking up no porno," she warned, placing the apple sponge back where it belonged

beside the sink. "I don't tolerate no porno in this house—that and the Home Shopping Network."

Camael knew that he wasn't in Aerie, but a voice in his mind tried to convince him it was so.

"Calm yourself, angel," said the hissing presence nestled within his fervid thoughts.
 
"This is what you

have sought."

He wanted so much to believe it, to succumb to the wishes of the comforting tongue and finally let downhis defenses.

"Welcome to Aerie, Camael,"it cooed. "We've been waiting so long for you to arrive."

An image of Aaron—the Nephilim—flickered in his mind.
If this is indeed Aerie, he'll need to bebrought here,
 
Camael thought as he attempted to move within the thick, viscous fluid surrounding him. Muscular tendrils tightened around his body, holding him firm.

"There is no need for concern,"the voice spoke soothingly.
 
"The boy will come in time. This is
 
your

moment, warrior. Let yourself go, and allow Aerie to
be everything you have desired."

The membranous sack around him began to thrum, a rhythmic pulsing meant to lull him deeper intocomplacency. The heartbeat of asylum.

"Let your guard down, angel,"the voice ordered.
 
"You cannot possibly experience all you
have yearned

for—
until you give yourself completelyto me."

Deep down, Camael knew this was wrong. He wanted to fight it, to summon a sword of fire and burnaway the insensate cloud that seemed to envelop his mind—but he just didn't have the strength.

"Your doubts are an obstacle, warrior. Lay themaside—
know the serenity you have striven to

achieve."

No longer able to fight, Camael did as he was told-and the great beast that pretended to be the voice ofsanctuary—

It began to feed.

After a few more hours of small talk, Aaron was finally able to get to the computer when Mrs. Provostannounced that she was going to bed. He slid the mouse smoothly across the surface of the bright bluepad and clicked on Send. "There," he said, as his e-mail disappeared into cyberspace on its way to Vilma.

"What did you say?"asked Gabriel, who rested on the floor of the cramped office.

"Nothing, really." Aaron shrugged. He began to shut the computer down. "I told her I was thinking about

her and that I hope she's doing okay. Small talk—that's all."

"You like this female, don't you, Aaron?"

"Idon't like to think about that stuff, Gabriel," he said, turning off the computer and leaning back in the office chair. He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Verchiel and his goons would like nothing more than to get even with me by going after Vilma. For her own good, e-mail's the closest I'm getting for a real long time." He paused, wishing he could change things. Then he shook his head. "It's the best way."

"At least you can talk on the computer,"Gabriel said, trying to be positive.

Aaron stood and switched off the light. "Yeah, I guess that's something," he said, and the two quietly leftthe office, making their way up to their room.

Once inside, Aaron undressed and prepared for bed. "Are you going to sleep with me or are you stayingon the floor?" he asked the dog.

Gabriel padded toward the comforter on the floor and gave it a sniff.
 
"I think I'll sleep here tonight,"
he said as he walked in a circle before plopping himself down in the comforter's center.

Aaron pulled back the covers on the bed and crawled beneath them. "Well, if you want to come up,wake me and I'll help you."

"I'll be fine down here. This way I can stretch outand I don't have to worry about kicking you and

hurting my leg."

Aaron switched off the light by the bed and said good night to his best friend. He hadn't realized howtired he was. His eyes quickly grew heavy, and he felt himself drifting away on the sea of sleep.

"What if he doesn't come back?"Gabriel suddenly asked, his words startling Aaron back to

consciousness.

"What was that, Gabe?" Aaron asked sleepily.

"Camael,"the dog said.
 
"What if Camael
doesn't come back? What are we going to do then?"

It was a good question, and one that Aaron had been avoiding since the angel came up missing that

afternoon. What would he do without Camael's guidance? He thought of the alien power that existed within him, and his heart began to race. "I wouldn't worry about it, pally," he said, taking his turn to be positive. "He's probably doing angel stuff somewhere. That's all. He'll be back before we know it."

"Angel stuff,"Gabriel repeated once, and then again.
 
"You're probably right,"
 
he said, temporarily

satisfied.
"We'll see him tomorrow."

"That's it," Aaron said again, closing his eyes, which felt as though they'd been turned to lead. "We'll see

him tomorrow."

And before he was even aware, Aaron was pulled beneath the sea of sleep, sinking deeper and deeperinto the black abyss of unconsciousness, with nary a sign of struggle.

But something was waiting.

Aaron couldn't breathe.

The grip of nightmare held him fast, and no matter how he fought to awaken, he could not pull himselffree of the clinging miasma of terror.

He was encased in a fleshy sack—
a cocoon of
some kind, and from its veined walls was secreted a
foul-smelling fluid. Aaron struggled within the pouch, the milky substance rising steadily to lapagainst his chin. Soon it would cover his face, filling
his mouth and nostrils—
and he began to panic. Then
he felt something in the sack with him, something that wrapped around his arms and legs, trying tokeep his flailing to a minimum. Aaron knew itwanted to hold him in its constricting embrace so the  fluidcould immerse him completely in its foulness. His body grew numb.

"No," he cried out as some of the thick, gelatinous substance splashed into his mouth. It tasted ofdeath,

and left his flesh dulled.

He'd had similar dreams when his angelic abilities had first started to manifest. He didn't care for themthen—and cared even less for them now. He intensified his battle to be free of it, but the nightmare didnot relent, continuing to hold him fast in its grip.

Aaron was completely submerged now, the warmfluid engulfing him, lulling him to a place where hecould quit all struggle. And it almost succeeded.

Almost.

Suddenly, in his mind, he saw a sword of light. Itwas the most magnificent weapon he had ever seen. Never in all his imaginings could he have built a sword so mighty and large. It was as if the weaponhadbeen forged from one of the rays of the sun.

And as he reached for it, its unearthly radiance shone brighter, and brighter still—
burning away the
liquid-filled cocoon that held him and the nightmarerealm it inhabited.

He awoke with a start, his body drenched with sweat. Gabriel had joined him on the bed, andhis darkbrown eyes glistened eerily in a strange light that danced around the room.

"Gabriel, what... ?" he began breathlessly.

"Nice sword,"the dog said simply.

Fully awake now, Aaron realized that he held something in his left hand. Slowly he turned his gazetoward it—toward what he had brought back from the realm of nightmare.

A blade of the sun.

chapter seven

"What do you think it means?"Gabriel asked from the foot of the bed as Aaron stepped from the shower

and grabbed a fresh shirt.

He pushed his arms through the sleeves and pulled the red T-shirt down over his stomach. "It was kindof like the dreams I had before this whole Nephilim thing blew up," he said, fingering his hair in the mirrorand deciding that he looked fine. "Where I was experiencing old memories that didn't belong to me."

"Like the sword?"the dog asked.

Aaron shuddered as he remembered the amazing sight of the sword that he seemed to have broughtover from the dream. He knew he was not responsible for the creation of the blade. He was certain thatit belonged to someone of great importance, but the question was who— and why had the weapon beengiven to him. Ithad only stayed with him for a short time. As if sensing it was no longer needed, it had

dispersed in an explosion of blinding light. "Just like the sword," Aaron finally replied. "And like the

dreams, I think it was given to help me."

"I thought it was all very scary,"Gabriel said, andsighed as he rested his snout between his paws.

"I agree," Aaron said, sitting beside the dog to put on his sneakers, "but it all has something to do with

this town."

"Is this a mystery?"Gabriel asked, his floppy ears suddenly perky.

Aaron laughed and gave the dog's head a rub. "It certainly is. Listen, I've got to go to the clinic thismorning, but you need to stay here and give that leg a chance to heal. Why don't you think about all ourclues and see if you can come up with some answers."

"I've always wanted to solve a mystery,"Gabriel said happily.

"All right there, Scooby." Aaron gave the dog another pet and headed for the door.

"Scooby?"the dog said, his head tilted at a quirky angle.

"He's a dog on television, very good at solving mysteries."

Gabriel's head tilted the other way.

"Never mind," Aaron said as he stepped out into the hall. "It's not important. I'll see you this afternoon."

"Have a good day, Shaggy,"he heard the dogsay as he closed the door. And he began to laugh,

marveling again at how smart his friend had actually become.

Aaron was busy at the veterinary clinic from the moment he stepped through the door. He didn't think itpossible for a town so small to have that many animals in need of care. Stitches, rabies shots, heartwormtests, a broken forepaw—you name it, he and Katie dealt with it that morning and well into the afternoon.

It feels good to be working with animals again,Aaron thought as he restrained a particularly feisty

Scottish terrier, by the name of Mike, who was having some blood drawn.

"No
hurt I No hurt!"
 
the little dog yelped as his owner looked on, concern in her eyes.

"It's okay," Aaron said to the dog. "When the doctor is done, you can have a cookie and go home. All

right?"

The dog immediately stopped its struggling.

"That's it," Katie said, placing the vial on the counter and turning to the owner. "I'll send this out to the

lab this afternoon and give you a call as soon as I know something."

Aaron handed Mike back to his owner and escorted them into the lobby to settle the bill. "And don'tforget this," he said, holding out a treat as the woman turned to leave.

The woman smiled, and Mike greedily devoured the cookie.

"I never lie," Aaron said to the dog with a wink and bid them both good-bye.

"Next victim," Katie said wearily, coming out of the examination room.

For the first time that day, the waiting room was empty.

"We're good right now," Aaron told her. "Next one's"—he glanced at the appointment book—"a rabies

shot at four. Gives us two hours to catch up."

"You know, you're really good with them," Katie said, leaning against the desk.

"Why, thank you, doctor," Aaron said, smiling. "I enjoy the work."

"No really, they seem to trust you. It's a talent you don't see so often."

"Well, let's just say I speak their language," he said with a grin.