Serenity felt as though all the air had been sucked from her body. Emma was gone. Just like that, they up and took her. Who does that? This amazing little girl with her tragic story had become a member of their family, and suddenly, she’d been ripped away from them.

“What do you mean they took her?” Serenity croaked, her throat dry and scratchy. “Where?”

“We don’t know,” responded Darla. “For some reason, DHS didn’t really think we had a right to that information. We only know she’s been taken to live with Mildred’s father.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Tomorrow I’m going to the DHS office to see what steps we need to take to become her foster family with the intent to adopt.”

“Is she going to be safe? How do we know she is safe?” Serenity asked frantically.

Dair reached out his hand and brushed the hair away from her face. “Raphael is with her. He will protect her as much as he can.”

“Can we visit her?” Serenity considered the fact that maybe she was asking too many questions, but she couldn’t help it. They’d had time to come to terms with Emma being taken by the state; she was just finding out. It was going to take her more than a few minutes to process.

After several more reassurances from Darla that she would handle the Emma situation, and then some small talk, Serenity was getting tired and beginning to hurt.

As if he could read her mind, Dair spoke her thoughts. “Perhaps we should let Serenity rest. I imagine the pain medicine might be wearing off by now.”

Darla looked as if Dair had just asked her to scrape gum off the bottom of all the desks at the library rather than to simply step out of the room so that Serenity could rest.

“I think I’d better stay.” Darla breathed out, shaking her head.

“Aunt Darla, I’ll be fine. You don’t have to stand vigil over me. You need your rest too. Those kids aren’t going to read to themselves during story time tomorrow.”

The older woman stared down at her niece, her eyes narrowed, as if she could see inside the girl, perhaps find some malady that the doctors had missed. After a few moments, she sighed. “I guess you’re right. And I think you’re in capable hands.” She winked at Dair and then grabbed Wayne’s hand, leading him out the door.

“Hang in there, kiddo,” he called, following Darla out the door. Serenity heard him ask someone out in the hall as their voices trailed away, “Where’s the closest bathroom?”

“Well, I probably should hang around and watch how the Sandman here nurses you back to health.” Glory purred. “But … it might be so sappy that I end up puking. Lord knows there’s enough of that around here already.

“But seriously, girl,” Glory said, taking Serenity’s hand. “I know that you’re always all like let’s save the world and stuff, but you really scared us. You can’t fight everyone’s battles, Serenity.”

“I’d do it again, in a second,” Serenity said wincing, shifting herself on her pillows.

“I know, that’s what worries me.”

“Don’t. Aunt Darla worries enough for both of us,” Serenity assured her.

“Just promise me you’ll be more careful in the future, you know how I feel about crying. It makes my mascara run, and I cannot have that,” her friend said, joking only slightly.

“Don’t worry, Glory,” Dair’s deep voice cut in. “I’ll keep an eye on her from now on. I should’ve been there this time.”

“Uh, excuse me, you two, I’m a grown up. I don’t need babysitting.” Serenity groaned. “But I do need some more pain pills. If you both want to help so bad, then one of you get me a nurse.”

“I’ll see Glory out, and then I’ll find one. Rest, love. I’ll be right back.”

Serenity grinned in spite of herself. She felt that Dair’s smooth voice was probably a stronger drug than anything the hospital could provide. If he’d just keep talking to her, then they could keep the Morphine.

Serenity stared up at the white, tiled ceiling and wondered what little Emma was doing in that moment. Was she scared? Was she safe? It made Serenity sick to think that Emma went from one evil and straight into the clutches of another.

“God, please protect her.” Serenity prayed as her hands clutched the sheets. She fought the tears that wanted to fall. Serenity knew Dair would worry if he saw how upset she was, and he had worried enough for her.

Fifteen minutes later, a nurse walked in, followed closely by Dair.

“I’ve got some more pain meds for you, dear,” said the middle-aged woman wearing a name badge that read Melissa. “This should make you feel much better.” Melissa smiled at her sweetly as she pushed the medicine into Serenity’s IV.

She struggled to stay awake, but Serenity’s eyes soon began to flutter closed. She wasn’t strong enough to fight the drugs flooding her system. Part of her was glad, but another part of her felt bad that she lay in a hospital bed sleeping while Emma was somewhere out there, all alone, facing God knows what.

“Sleep, Serenity.” Dair’s voice soothed her as she let unconsciousness drag her under. “Your worries will still be waiting for you when you awake, and you cannot do anything about them now. You can at least let your body heal while you worry about what you cannot change.”

She wanted to tell him that it was the prerogative of a woman to worry about what she couldn’t fix, but her lips wouldn’t obey her mind, so she just settled for mentally sticking her tongue out. Because she was mature like that. Apparently, not even a near-death experience could take the suppressed toddler out of her.

* * *

Dair watched as the woman he loved succumbed to the drowsing effect of the pain medications. He knew she didn’t want to sleep, but her body needed the rest to heal. Rather than sit and watch her, which he could have happily done all night, he decided to be productive. He would locate Emma and Raphael so when Serenity awoke, he could at least give her an update on the young girl’s safety. Dair knew that Serenity was worried about Emma’s well-being, and Dair was a little concerned himself.

He closed his eyes and focused on his friend Raphael’s location. It wasn’t hard. Supernatural beings, especially those as powerful as angels, left a paranormal trail wherever they went. One just needed to know how to find it.

When Dair opened his eyes, he was standing outside of a dilapidated house that was so ramshackle, it looked as though a slight breeze might send the whole thing toppling over at any moment. Dair was amazed by the lack of pride some people had in their possessions. They weren’t appreciative of what they had and gave precious little thought to those who had so much less. He walked up to the door, opening and closing it, knowing that the owner would not notice him because he did not wish it.

The inside of the dwelling mirrored its outward neglect. A threadbare couch greeted Dair upon entry, its two pillows, their stuffing escaping out of various rips in the fabric, casting a silent accusation, daring him to make a comment about their ragged appearance. A chair, in equally poor condition, sat to the sofa’s left, joining its partner in a silent scoff against those who’d dare enter their private domain. In front of the couch rested the bottom portion of a wicker coffee table, which, at one point, must have contained a glass top. Where it was now, Dair couldn’t guess, nor could he hazard a guess as to what purpose the ruined piece of furniture now served. The carpet, not to be outdone by the furniture that reposed so haughtily upon it all day, was riddled with cigarette burns, urine stains, and the residue of years of spilled alcoholic beverages that no one had bothered to clean up. This cornucopia of colors was set against what once must have been a beige floor covering but was now a deep muddy brown, owing to the copious amount of dirt and grime it had greedily sucked in from the shoes of those that trod on it over the years.

This place should be condemned as a health hazard. Dair thanked God that he wasn’t a human; simply breathing the air inside the house would probably cause illness to mortal lungs. Dair’s heart broke as he examined the conditions in which Emma would be living, at least until Darla and Wayne could get her back.

“Welcome to the humble abode of Reginald Jones.” Raphael’s voice rumbled from across the room. His arms were held out wide as if there was something grand to behold.

“This is worse than Mildred’s hovel,” Dair growled.

“You should see the girl’s sleeping quarters.”

Emma’s head stuck out from around the corner. The worry on her face was replaced with a huge grin. “Dair!” She ran to him and threw her small arms around his neck. He hugged her back, just as happy to see her, unharmed and healthy.

Emma pulled back quickly and looked around the room, her eyes wide as she seemed to realize she’d forgotten herself.

She looked up at him and whispered, “Mr. Jones does not like me to make any noise.”

“Where is he?” Dair asked as he looked to Raphael for the answer.

The angel nodded to a short hall containing two doors. One was open, and the other was closed. “He’s shut himself up in his bedroom in order to watch a human game show on the television,” Raphael answered.

“How have you been holding up?” Dair asked Emma.

She shrugged. “He told me to clean the kitchen. It was worse than my aunt’s,” she admitted, her nose wrinkled up in disgust.

“And what about your bedroom? Will you be sharing it with little guests again?” Dair asked, remembering the cat and mouse that lived in Emma’s room back at Mildred’s.

“She hasn’t got a room.” Raphael barked, his teeth snapping together and his eyes narrowing.

“She has to sleep out here?” Dair asked, motioning to the disgusting couch.

Emma shook her head. “No, there’s a closet that I will sleep in.”

“A closet?” He growled, his voice every bit as angry as the angel’s.

“It’s better than sleeping out here with no door between me and Mr. Jones,” Emma pointed out.

That was little Emma, always looking for the silver lining. So many people could learn from the girl that stood before him. And if they could keep her on the path for which she was destined, she would one day have the opportunity to show others her wisdom.

There was a knock at the door and the three of them waited to see if Reginald would emerge from his room. When he did not, Raphael walked to the door and opened it. It was Frieda Stillworth, holding two plastic shopping bags containing various necessities.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I am an acquaintance of Mr. Jones,” Raphael told her smoothly. His words held a bit of angelic mental compulsion, ensuring she would not question him further.

She moved past him into the house without invitation and smiled at Emma. Dair could tell at a glance the smile was forced. In fact, Dair got an uneasy feeling about the woman, as if nothing about her was genuine.

“Emma, I’ve gotten you clothes, personal essentials, a blanket, and a pillow, as well as things you will need for school. I suspected there was a chance Mr. Jones did not have any of these things suitable for a young lady,” she explained.

Emma, being the polite little girl that she was, smiled up at the woman. “Thank you,” she said simply.

“I will be back in a couple of weeks to check on you.”

Without further instruction, the woman turned and left, only giving Raphael one more glance before mumbling something inaudible and walking out of the door, closing it sharply behind her.

“That was the DHS worker?” Dair asked. “The one who picked you up from the hospital?”

Emma nodded.

Dair looked at Raphael, his face pulled down into a tight frown. “Something is not right about her.”

“I felt the same thing,” the angel said.

“A demon?”

Raphael shrugged. “I haven’t sensed one in her, but it might not have full possession of her yet. Regardless,” he continued, “she is not to be trusted.”

Emma grabbed one of the sacks and began rifling through it, pulling out a backpack, paper, pencils, scissors, and some crayons. The second bag contained clothes, bathroom essentials, and the blanket and pillow. She carried the items to the hall and paused in front of the open door. She flipped on the light, and Dair guessed that this must be her ‘sleeping closet.’ He walked over, his curiosity getting the better of him. When he glanced inside, Emma was already folding the clothes neatly and putting her things in the backpack. She folded the blanket and set it on top of the pillow. The space was about seven feet deep and four feet wide.

“It could be smaller,” Emma said looking up at him, seeming to read his thoughts.

“Only you could see the good in this situation, little Emma,” Dair said gently.

Her eyes were sad though she smiled. “Can’t change it, at least not yet. Might as well make the very best of it, no matter how slight that might be. My mama used to say that life is what we make of it, not what our circumstances make of us.”

“Your mother was a wise woman,” Dair told her.

“She was,” Emma agreed.

They spent the rest of the afternoon helping Emma clean the filthy kitchen. Dair returned to check on Serenity a couple of times and, just as he was getting ready to go back to the hospital for the remainder of the evening, he felt the pull of an assignment. He could have easily become resentful, knowing he would probably be required to leave Serenity for a short period of time, which was the last thing he wanted at that moment. But it was best not to give such thoughts a foothold. Instead he reminded himself that his purpose, before he had ever met Serenity, was to obey the Creator. That had not changed. A wonderful person had been added to his life, but his responsibilities remained the same.

“I must be going,” he told Raphael and Emma. “I will return to check on you. Raphael will be with you.”

“I will be fine, Sandman,” Emma said. “I am here for a purpose, I know, but I’m not sure what that purpose is just yet. Perhaps there is someone here that I need to meet, someone who needs something.”

“What do you mean?” Raphael asked, his brow pinched together. Dair had noticed the angel was becoming much more expressive the longer he spent with Emma.

“I don’t really know,” she answered honestly. “I just feel like I’m supposed to be here, at least for now.”

Dair could not deny the possibility that her feeling was correct. It was well known that the Creator used seemingly insignificant people for impossible things. He just wished that the young girl didn’t have to experience these troubles in order to fulfill the Creator’s purposes.

“Take care of her,” he said to Raphael before letting the draw of his next assignment pull him away from the house and his friends.

* * *

“She has the protection of a warrior angel.” The messenger demon growled.

Lucifer sat upon a throne of rotting corpses. They writhed in agony beneath him, and their screams were like a beautiful symphony to his twisted ears. To literally sit on the Creator’s children was the sweetest kind of revenge.

The demon ruler slammed his fist down on the head of one of the bodies, ignoring the screech that issued from the poor soul. “Why the hell is she so important?” Lucifer snarled. His sharp, pointy teeth snapped together and his eyes glowed an even brighter yellow as his hate for all things human grew.

“I do have news about the other female,” the demon rasped out as he bowed his head.

“Spit it out.”

“The nightmare demon is working. She is terrified to go to sleep.”

Lucifer’s reptilian lips moved up in a slow, sinister smile. “Yes, little Sarah Serenity.” He purred. “She and that stupid dream weaver have no idea how powerful they are together. The bond of a supernatural with one who has a pure heart is no small thing. We must prevent that bond from deepening.”

“They already love each other.” The demon spat as though the idea left a horrible taste in his mouth.

“Love is only part of the bond,” Lucifer snapped. “The Creator designed their joining to be more than just emotions. He designed them to become one flesh. The joining of their bodies creates a bond that none, save the Creator, can sever. Not even I can tear apart such a union.”

“How do we prevent that?”

Lucifer growled as he lunged toward the demon. “Must I spell out everything for you pathetic mules? If she is unable to function, then they cannot move forward with their relationship. We need her trapped inside of her own mind—a fear based coma. In simple terms, make her sleep and never wake up. Give her the most horrendous, terrifying, skin crawling nightmares and watch as her mind retreats inside of itself to escape the torture.”

“What about Brudair?”

Lucifer flicked his long fingered hand, the nails sharp as talons. He tsked his snake like tongue and said, “Brudair has no power over dark dreams. He may be a weaver of dreams and part of the night, but he cannot control the dreams woven by a demon. He will not be a problem.”

The demon bowed and then fled Lucifer’s presence as though the fires of hell were on his heels, because they were.

The demon lord gritted his teeth as he thought about the goodness in the small child. He felt a hand grab his ankle and he looked down to see one of the discarded reaching for him. He pulled his leg free and kicked the corpse in the face, causing skin to slide off like the cooked fat on a piece of meat. They were a burden to him while they lived and now, in their death, they were an annoyance that made him want to burn them all, which he did, frequently. Unfortunately for them, their punishment was eternal. His burning would never kill them, it would simply cause them unending agony.

He looked at another that was part of his arm rest. He patted the thing’s head—he could no longer determine if it was male or female—and cooed, “Bet you are wishing you had made a different choice while topside. But you didn’t. You chose me. You thought you were just trying to be left alone, but not choosing was never an option. It was all right there in front of you— the truth of the Creator’s love for you miserable, wretched humans. But that was never enough, was it? You wanted more, you wanted proof, well open your damned eyes now.” Lucifer spread out his arms and tilted his head back and bellowed. “Here’s your proof! Here’s the facts that you so desperately needed! Welcome to Hell, something else you did not believe existed.”

* * *

When Dair opened his eyes, he was standing in a dark bedroom. The curtains had been pulled tightly closed, blocking out the dying sun as the day slipped into night. He glanced around the room and noticed floral accents and light colors. The decorative touch of a woman. Nothing in the house indicated the presence of a male resident. He heard a sound from behind him. He turned and saw light seeping through under a closed door. The bathroom, he presumed.

Dair walked over to a desk sitting across from the modest bed. Papers were scattered across it, along with a stack of large books. Introduction to Criminal Law, one of the titles read. All of the books were related to the law in some way. An I.D. badge bearing the words Kim Merchant, Student, Middleton Law School, lay next to the lamp. All of this was informative, but it didn’t explain why he was here. Then he noticed a letter sitting on top of the pile of papers. It read:

Dear Dr. Pimberton,

I regret to inform you that this will be my last semester in Middleton Law. While I have enjoyed the past two years, I just cannot see myself spending my life as an attorney. There was a time when I truly felt it was what I was supposed to do, but now I’m not sure. Your mentorship has been invaluable, and while I do not want to disappoint you, I don’t know how to continue on when I am so unsure of my purpose.

If I am being honest, I feel a little lost. Two years ago, I was so sure that I wanted to be a prosecutor. I knew in my gut it was what I was supposed to do. Now, I can’t even figure out what to wear each day. I feel as though I have lost my way, and I don’t know how to find my way back to the path that was so clear to me at one time.

I am sorry to have wasted so much of your time, but I truly do appreciate all you have done for me.

With my sincerest gratitude,

Kim Merchant

Dair’s gut clenched at the desperation he could feel pouring off the page. His fingers ran across the handwritten letters and felt the grooves from how hard she had pressed her pen into the paper. This was a woman who was more than unsure. This was a woman who had reached the end of her rope. Something had shaken her so deeply that she no longer understood her place in life. He didn’t possess a full picture in his mind of what the Creator had in store for Kim Merchant, but he felt it was imperative that she finish law school and follow through with becoming a prosecuting attorney.

He heard the door open and the soft whisper of footsteps against the carpet. Dair waited until he heard her climb in the bed and pull the sheets up around her before turning to face the bed. As soon as she closed her eyes, he stepped to the side of her bed and pressed his unseen hand to her forehead pushing her into a deep sleep. He began weaving the dream together in her mind, captivating her unconscious thoughts so that she felt the emotions of the dream as if she were wide awake. As he pulled together all of the things the Creator had placed in him to relay to her, Dair got a glimpse of her past. It revealed to him why Kim had chosen to pursue a career in law in the first place. Her mother had been abducted and murdered by a serial killer when she was a young child, leaving her and her father to deal with the aftermath of such a horrible tragedy. He finished his part in the creation of the dream and let the woman’s own mind take over.

As Dair stepped away from the sleeping woman, his heart wept for her. The pain of what she’d endured as a child could have destroyed her, but instead, it had built her into the determined, caring woman she was. He hoped that she would feel the pull back to the Creator’s plan and that she would not listen to the lies of the enemy. It was apparent from what he’d seen in her mind that something untrue had been planted in her mind. These lies had caused her to doubt herself and her purpose.

“Be strong, Kim Merchant,” he spoke into the darkness. “Be strong and take your place in history.”

He left her, the heaviness inside of him making him desire the light that Serenity brought him. Dair appeared at the entrance of the hospital and took his time walking in, needing to gather himself before he saw her. He did not want to drag her down with more sorrow than she’d already been contending with.

As he pushed the door to her room opened, he watched as her eyes opened. The bright orbs lit up when they saw him, and the smile that spread across her face pushed out all of the darkness that clung to him.

“Hey,” Serenity said softly.

“Hey,” he responded as he shut the door behind him.

“You okay?”

Dair sat on the bed next to her, leaned down, pushed a kiss to her forehead, then pressed his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I am now.”

“Rough night?”

Dair sighed. He didn’t want to tell her about Emma’s living circumstances, but, at the same time, he knew she wouldn’t appreciate being kept in the dark.

“I visited Emma and Raphael,” he finally said,

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked.

“I wish I could tell you no,” Dair said. “But, yes, it’s bad. I don’t understand how humans can choose to live that way.”

Serenity tugged on his arm, pulling him so he was forced to extend his body next to hers. He wanted to hold her desperately, but he was afraid of hurting her.

“I’d rather hurt than not have your arms around me,” she told him as if she’d read his mind.

He obliged her. If he was honest with himself, he knew he could deny her nothing.

“As for humans, yes we all have a choice on how we choose to live. But the problem is poverty, poor choices, and laziness, become generational qualities. They are passed on from parent to child. Sometimes, someone breaks out and actually makes something of their lives, but all too often they just continue the cycle.”

“It seems like, over the centuries, humans have gotten lazier and more complacent,” Dair said as he thought back over the many lifetimes he’d existed. “Technology has its perks, but it does nothing for people’s willingness to do physical labor in any form.”

Serenity laughed. “I can agree with you there. But we have our positive attributes too, you know.” She poked his side in retaliation for his harsh judgment.

Dair ran his eyes from her face down her body. The hospital blanket was tucked tightly around her, outlining her feminine form. “I’m well aware of your positive attributes, Princess,” he told her, his voice dropping a little deeper.

Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. “Growing bold, Brudair?” she asked with a single brow arched up at him.

He shrugged. “I only speak truth. You are exceptionally beautiful, with an equally impressive figure. And you’re smart and funny and kind, which only serves to make the outside even more attractive. You really should be commending me on my self-control.”

“Is that right?” she asked coyly.

He nodded.

“Well then, Sandman.” Her voice was a purr that did funny things to his stomach. “Let me be the first to tell you how proud I am that you haven’t stripped me bare and ravished me.”

It was Dair’s turn to flush. The last thing he needed, when he already struggling to keep his hands to himself, was Serenity talking about being stripped bare.

“You okay?” she asked him with a knowing smile.

Dair leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Minx,” he whispered against them before running his tongue across her bottom lip. She gasped and he took the opportunity to kiss her more deeply. Dair groaned as he drank in her taste. He could kiss her every day, all day and still it would never be enough.

When she pulled back, her eyes were still closed and she seemed to be attempting to get her breathing under control He understood her struggle because his chest was rising and falling in rapid succession as he battled his own desire for her. How did humans endure this courtship stuff? “How do people in love keep from giving into their lust?” he asked before he could think to stop himself.

“Most don’t,” she answered. “We live in a ‘do what makes you feel good’ society. We’re all guilty of it at one time or another,” she admitted. “But sex is definitely one of the more indulged in ‘feel good’ activities.”

“Do you find it hard, to refrain?” He asked, needing to know if she felt half as what he felt for her.

“Dair, if I didn’t have a bullet wound I was healing from, we would be in a much more precarious situation at the moment because my restraint is running thin.”

He smiled.

“Don’t smile at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re a child who discovered Santa Claus was real.”

“I was thinking my smile was more along the lines of, my girlfriend thinks I’m hot and wants to take advantage of me.”

She blushed again and tucked her face into his neck. Dair didn’t know whether to revel in the feeling or groan at the torture her breath on his skin was causing. After a few minutes, she yawned. “You need to get some sleep,” he whispered.

“Don’t’ leave me, please,” she said sounding a little more desperate than he liked.

Dair tilted her chin up with his finger tips and stared down into her eyes. “You have me, Serenity, always. I would chain myself to your side if I could.”

“I’ll settle for you holding me while I sleep.”

“I can do that.” He pressed a slow kiss to her lips and then tucked her body tightly to his. She fit him in all the right places. “Sleep well, my love.”