Taking Angels (The Angel Crusades) by CS Yelle Page A

up.
“Fill us in,” Elisa urged.
“I don’t think I can,” I sighed, pausing to look at
them for a moment and then renewed the search for my
shoes.
“Great.” Trish threw her blanket back from her
legs and stood up. “Just keep it to yourself. That usually
works for you. Like when they diagnosed your cancer. It
took you six months to tell any of us. You’d rather keep it
all inside and then drop the bombshell on us. I for one am
not going to sit around and let you rip me up like that
again.” She turned and stormed into the bathroom,
slamming the door behind her.
“Is that what this is about, are you dying again?”
Cassie asked, tears filling her eyes.
“No,” I cried. “Not that.” At least not from cancer.
“Then what?” Elisa asked.
“I’m not sure and don’t want to tell you anything
that might complicate things,” I said, trying to explain.
How could I share something I couldn’t understand
myself?
“Did anyone tell you not to share this with us?”
Elisa pressed.
“No, but if I don’t believe it, how could you believe it?” I asked.
“Have we ever not believed you Britt?” Cassie
asked.
No. They were always there for me. Since first
grade, they were there for me. Why did I need to shut
them out? Allister told me to stop healing people, he
never said I couldn’t tell anyone.
“Get Trish,” I whispered. “I doubt you’ll believe it
because I don’t believe it myself.”
Elisa ran to the bathroom and dragged Trish back
into the room. Trish had her arms crossed in front of her,
not a good sign, as she stared at me with doubt filling her
eyes.
“I think it’s time you knew the whole story of
what happened to me, my cancer and … the dreams,” I
started.
Trish sat down in a chair across from me as Elisa
sat on one side of me and Cassie slid in closer to place a
comforting hand on my knee. Good, I had their attention.
Now, if I could only make them believe.
“You know we went canoeing at the BWCA a
month ago,” I began as they nodded. “When we were
there something happened, something that changed
everything about my life. Something totally out there, but
I need you to listen and try not to judge.” I looked to each
face, relieved no skepticism showed. Hoping it would
stay that way.
Taking a deep breath I rushed into the story,
beginning with me sitting on the rocks in the river, the
thoughts of suicide, and the change of heart which came
too late. I raced through the part with the angels, not
looking up, instead staring at my hands in my lap. I went
through all the testing, the dreams that I now knew were
visions, the hospital, and finally, my belief that Allister
and Angelina were the angels from the waterfall.
When I stopped I still looked down, waiting for
the doubting accusations or their laughter at my delirium.
When the room remained silent, I cautiously lifted
my eyes.
Trish met my gaze first, her face awash with fear,
her eyes, full of tears.
I turned to Cassie and she leaned into me,
throwing her arms around my neck and crying on my
shoulder.
Elisa stared back at me, no expression, not
anything. Her face so void of emotion, she might have
been a porcelain doll.
“Say something,” I urged.
“That explains a whole lot,” Trish spoke softly.
“Why all of a sudden you got better. Why you’ve
been acting so weird and enthralled with Allister and
Angelina Parks. Everything.”
“You really think they’re angels?” Cassie asked,
seeming to agree with Trish’s synopsis.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head.
“So what are you going to do?” Cassie brushed
my hair off my neck where her tears had plastered it.
“She’s going to confront Allister and find out,”
Elisa finally spoke.
“What if he won’t tell me anything?”
“You don’t think he would hurt Britt, do you?”
Cassie’s concern was evident.
“I don’t know how he’ll react when I tell him
about the dreams.” I rolled my shoulders.
“But if he has the power to save you, he