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SEBASTIAN'S IN A COMA, and the doctors don't seem confident that he'll come out of it. Ben and I did all we could to get him out of the freezing water before it turned into a disaster, but it was all for naught.
I'm usually devoted to spirit guide work, but every now and then, I can't stand it. I let these people down. I let Ben down. I let myself down. I'm Kaylene, Amber's daughter, Haniel's favorite, three missions away from being an Archangel. I'm supposed to be good at this stuff—but I failed. Failure is much worse when you have high expectations of yourself.
Candice has been at her son's side since she got the bad news. She's bowing her head over his motionless body, crying quietly to herself. He's her only child, and I couldn't protect him.
When I glance at Ben, I'm surprised to see tears in his eyes too. Sebastian's coma and impending death hit him harder than I expected.
“You really care about kids, don't you?” I observe. “You were worried about Katy... and now Sebastian.”
“Who wouldn't be worried?” Ben asks. “But I guess I do have a soft spot for children... probably because of my sister.”
Ben's mentioned his sister before, and while I would love to know more about her, I haven't asked. I assume she's still alive in the physical world. If so, I wonder if Ben's gone back to visit her. He seems to care about her a lot.
“If Sebastian dies, does that mean we fail our mission?” Ben asks.
I don't have an answer for him. It's been so long since I've failed a mission, I don't even want to think about it.
“Judging from your silence, I guess that means we fail,” Ben says. “Having me around is probably a curse.”
“It's not your fault,” I answer solemnly. “I should have been prepared to handle any kind of situation. I should have been the one who got him out of the water sooner. I—”
When Candice starts whispering a prayer, I forget what I was going to say. Her hands are clasped and clenching so hard, they're shaking. She's begging someone—anyone—to bring back her son. She kisses Sebastian's head at least a dozen times, and every time her lips nuzzle his skin, my heart breaks for her.
“Isn't there anything we can do?” Ben asks. “Do we accept the fact that Sebastian is either going to die or be in a coma forever? I don't know about you, but I don't like either of those options.”
“I don't like them either...” I whisper.
“Can't you do something?” Ben begs. “Aren't you almost an Archangel? I thought you were supposed to have special powers.”
“I do, but... we're only allowed to use them in special conditions.”
“This seems like a pretty special condition to me,” Ben says, thrusting a thumb at Candice. “Look at her. She's shaking! Don't you want to help?”
“I do, but...” I pause to rub my eyes, because Candice's tears are infectious. “I guess I could ask the Council for a miracle.”
Ben crashes in a chair in the corner of the hospital room. His face says he's puzzled, so I should probably explain myself.
I tell Ben, “Every angel and Archangel is capable of performing miracles, but we're not allowed to use our powers until the miracle is approved. I've never asked for one, because I'm not technically an Archangel yet, but... I could do it.”
“Then do it,” Ben demands. “Unless you'd rather sit here and watch a little boy die in his mother's arms?”
People die every day. That's the sad reality of life on Earth. Some of the older Archangels have a callous outlook on death—they see it as another part of a soul's journey. I think that's part of the reason why miracles are granted so rarely. Everyone dies eventually, and tragedy is needed to forge a stronger spirit.
But I agree with Ben. I want to help.
“Ben... I'll give it a shot, but I can't make any promises. Less than fifty percent of miracles are approved.”
“Why?” Ben asks.
I don't really have a great answer for him, but I try. “Almost every human being needs a miracle at some point. It's hard to choose one over the other.”
“I definitely didn't get my miracle when I asked for one,” Ben says.
Ben wanted a miracle? Curious as I am, I don't pry into his past. If he wanted me to know more, he'd tell me.
I leave Ben with Candice and request a miracle at Archangel Tower. I've never done this before, but I know how the process goes. I have to wait for five Archangels to gather, and they'll vote on Sebastian's fate. I expect to wait awhile, but I have a full roster within ten minutes. I guess I'm more popular than I realize, even among Archangels.
I have mixed feelings about my five Archangels. To begin with, one of them is Sandalphon. I've heard he's one of the more generous ones when it comes to granting miracles, but I did turn him down when he asked me on a date. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would hold a grudge, but you never know.
One of my judges is Zadkiel, who used to hit on me back in the day, when Jophiel was still training the Archangels. I wasn't really receptive, but I wasn't rude either. He's stroking his beard and grinning, so I don't think he has an unfavorable opinion of me.
I'm really stunned when Azrael shows up. He usually doesn't have time for Council meetings, but I guess I must have made an impression on him at some point.
The last two Archangels are Deborah and Seamus. I'm not familiar with either of them, but Deborah looks even tougher than I do. Her head is bald and tattooed, and she's carrying four swords and a crossbow. She makes me feel like I need to step up my game.
Azrael, as the highest-ranking Archangel, has to preside over the meeting—and he doesn't look happy about it. He tries to hand the responsibility to Sandalphon, who shakes his head and firmly refuses.
“Kaylene,” Azrael addresses me. “I believe this is the first time you've ever asked for a miracle? Correct me if I'm wrong.”
“No. It's the first,” I confirm.
Azrael says, “Please, in as few words as possible, tell us what you want and tell us who would be receiving this miracle.”
In as few words as possible, huh? It sounds like someone is in a hurry. I don't mind, though. Fewer words work for me.
“I'm asking for a miracle for a nine-year-old boy named Sebastian Hayes. A recent accident left him comatose, and there's a good chance he might not survive. Sebastian's mother, Candice, is my charge. She made a very sincere prayer on Sebastian's behalf, and I would like to grant her a miracle.”
“That was very concise. I like that,” Azrael praises me. “I have no further questions, but if the others have something they would like to ask...”
Seamus raises a hand and asks, “Where is the little boy's spirit guide? Should he or she be asking for this miracle instead?”
I reply, “I have yet to run into Sebastian's guide, but—”
Seamus interrupts, “Don't you think you should contact them?”
“I don't think that's necessary. I'm asking for this miracle on behalf of Candice, the boy's mother. That's allowed, isn't it?”
Seamus doesn't have anything to add to that. He leans back, crosses his arms, and nods.
“I think we should grant Kaylene her miracle,” Zadkiel speaks up. “She's completed thousands of missions, and yet she hasn't asked for one single miracle in all that time. That alone says a lot. There must be something special about Sebastian if she wants to save his life.”
I wouldn't say Sebastian isn't special, but I'm here because Ben twisted my arm. After I flunked him on our last mission, I felt like I owed him. I do want to help Sebastian... but I also want Ben to like me again.
I really hope none of the Archangels overheard that thought.
To my amazement, Sandalphon speaks up for me too. I guess he's not bitter about getting rejected.
“Kaylene is an excellent warrior who is very dedicated to her work,” Sandalphon says. “I can think of no good reason why we should withhold permission to save a little boy's life.”
With so many Archangels on my side, I feel pretty good about this. Deborah has nothing to add, but she is scowling at me, which doesn't seem promising. I try to warm her with a smile, but it doesn't seem to help.
While the Archangels vote, I keep my fingers crossed behind my back. I want to return to Ben with good news, not bad news.
I guess I worried for no reason, because the result is unanimous. All five Archangels voted in my favor. I hold back my excited whoop until I've shaken all their hands and thanked them most sincerely. When they're out of the room, then I let out my victory cry.
I immediately warp back to Ben and give him a thumbs up.
Ben asks, “Wait, does that mean...?”
“It does. Our miracle's been granted. In a few seconds, Candice is going to be a really happy lady.”
My wings expand and stretch as I approach Sebastian's bed. I kneel beside him and place both hands on his chest, applying very little pressure. A split second of blinding white light envelops the boy's body. Every angel's magic is different, and mine works fast. As the light disappears, Sebastian's eyes snap open.
“Mom?” Sebastian wrinkles his nose when he hears his mother's sob. “Mom, what's wrong?”
Candice is too overcome with relief to answer his question. She rests a cheek against her little boy's chest and whispers, again and again, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...”
I smile when I hear that. Gratitude always feels nice.
“Today's moment is tomorrow's miracle,” Ben says. “Have you ever thought about that?”
Facing his direction, I ask, “What do you mean?”
“I mean... yesterday, she and her son were perfectly fine, right? Today, she almost lost him. Today, she wished with all her heart for her son to be alright. A day like yesterday suddenly sounded like a miracle.” In the middle of lighting a cigarette, he adds, “Nobody realizes what they've got until it's taken away.”
His speech was pretty profound, but all I can think to say is, “Ben... don't smoke in a hospital.”
“Seriously? I didn't think that rule applied to me anymore.”
“Well... it does.” I take away his cigarette and make it vanish. “Based on what you said, it sounds like you had something taken away from you. Am I wrong?”
“Nope.”
Ben defiantly manifests another cigarette. I pluck it from his hand and stick it in one of his pockets. If he wants it so bad, he can have it later.
“You're cute, you know that?” Ben chuckles. “Anyway, I bet you want to know what I lost, right?”
“I do... sort of. But it's not like I'm dying to know,” I tell him. “I could probably learn about you on my LightTab, if I wanted to.”
“Sure, but that's cheating. Wouldn't it be more satisfying if I opened up to you myself?” Ben asks. “I don't open up to many people, you know. I haven't even told Vineet about my life, and the dude is, like... a brother to me.”
“That was fast. He hasn't been your roommate for that long, has he?” While we chat, I send a glance in Candice's direction. She's still crying. A lot.
“No, but he's cool. You'd probably like Vineet. He's real serious about his missions and stuff. Like you.”
“You seemed pretty serious about the Sebastian mission.” I point at the healthy little boy, sitting upright in his bed. He's trying to console his mom, but her tears keep coming. “If not for you, he might've died. You should feel proud of yourself.”
“Really? But I didn't do shit,” Ben says.
“No, you did a lot,” I disagree. “You convinced me to save him. You even helped me get him out of the water, which was amazing. You know it's difficult for non-angels to move objects in the physical world, don't you? But you lifted Sebastian out of the water. That was pretty amazing.”
I catch a hint of pink on Ben's cheeks. He's actually blushing from all my praise.
How cute is that?