Prologue
Daniel sighed and put the car into park, leaning back in the driver’s seat and staring out at the rain-speckled windshield. The wipers swooshed back and forth, and his eyes randomly followed. They reminded him of arms raised and swaying rapturously to music. He missed that music. Missed it like . . . heck. What was played on the radio was laughably inadequate – catching only the barest hints of magic. They stirred in his soul but dropped dead before they could escalate into something satisfyingly overwhelming.
Beyond the wet glass, Daniel could see the college administration building, a clumsily imposing edifice. It was flocked with people – no doubt loud, obnoxious, pushy individuals who smelled like sweat and rain-soaked clothes and delighted in catching one in the ribs with their elbows. Daniel slumped a little lower and blew his lips out.
“Doubts?” asked the voice from the passenger seat.
“No,” Daniel replied tartly, eyes once again on the windshield wipers.
“You know the other two weren’t your fault.” It was a calm voice, a perfectly impassive voice that promised fairness and justice in the way the monotonous syllables.
Daniel did not answer.
“Daniel, look at me.”
Sighing, lips quirking slightly, Daniel rolled his eyes up to meet his companion’s. The young man sitting in the adjacent seat lowered the sunglasses he was wearing. The bright blue eyes behind them slammed into Daniel’s with sheer persuasive power. “You had nothing to do with those deaths. Yahweh has proclaimed it. It is done.”
“Yes, Gabriel,” Daniel said with as much assertion as he could muster. “I know.”
Gabriel sighed, unconvinced, but said nothing more on the subject. “Well, lets get the heck on with this. I’m not looking forward to another first semester myself, but sitting around waiting won’t get done what needs doing.” Grunting, Gabriel kicked open the car door and levered himself out into the rain.
Daniel zipped up his jacket and pulled himself out of the driver’s seat, pocketing the keys and muttering a quick prayer.
“Have you got your gun?” Gabriel asked, coming around the hood and standing in front of his companion.
Daniel nodded. “I really don’t understand why we need guns. I’ve been on missions before and . . .”
“Believe me, 2nd Class,” Gabriel interrupted, “you haven’t seen anything. You’ve been assigned to a nursing home and a daycare. In both those places, anything potentially dangerous was probably going to be using a walker. College is different. College can be vicious, and you have to be ready for anything.”
“But shooting students . . .”
“You will not be called upon to shoot any students, I promise,” Gabriel asserted, clapping Daniel on the shoulder before moving toward the trunk. “Come help with the bags. We’re meeting the rest of our side of our group in the auditorium at three o’clock.”