Prey: protectors of Arrasia, book 1

Chapter 1

Heaven has several realms, more than humanity can count. But none are as beautiful, or as magnificent, as Arrasia. Hundreds of waterfalls and sparkling blue lakes dot the green and vibrant landscape. Flying horses graze in the meadows along with hundreds of herds of beautiful, fluffy white and black sheep and wild cows. Baby Lions lounge in the sun and play in the grass, surrounded by the members of their adoring, respective prides. Mr. Cloud, Heaven's best baker and resident meteorologist, makes some of the best sandwiches you've ever tasted. You can find his shop right next to the raindrop Post office, where messenger angels fly down to earth on sparkling drops of dew to deliver mail to the children of earth. Here in Arraisia, animals run free, and everyone says good morning to you with a smile. But the best part of living in Arraisia is that you always wake to the sound of Heaven's most elite choir singing their morning praise as the sun takes his place in the sky and the trumpets sound, signaling the start of a new day. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Well, it is. So why, then, did Azriel feel so uneasy?

He woke and stretched, listening to the young angels and birds sing their morning praise to their father. He climbed out of bed and dressed, then knocked on Gavriel's door.
"I'm awake," His friend called out. "Then what are you still doing in bed?"
Gavriel opened the door, a sandwich from Mr. Cloud's sandwich shop in his left hand and a cup of Dewdrop soda in his right.
"Got an early start?" Asked Azriel.
Gavriel sipped his soda. "Yep," He replied.
"Why? What's the occasion?"
"I have a meeting with Earth's protection squad this morning," Gavriel said through a mouth full of sandwich.
He swallowed his food and looked at Azriel. "Why are you up so early? Your shift doesn't start until nine."
"I could not sleep," Azriel said.
Gavriel cocked his head and arched one eyebrow. He sipped his soda again. "Why? Is something wrong with your bed again?"
Gavriel set his meal on his dresser and moved to sit on his cloud fluff comforter.
"No. Nothing's wrong with my bed." Azriel said.
"Did the bowling team wake you?" Gavriel asked.
Heaven's bowling team had had a tournament last night and the bowling alley was right outside Azriel's window. "No. I don't mind it when they play."
"Then what is it?"
"I ... I don't know. Something just feels ... Wrong."
Gavriel blinked rapidly for a second.
"I had a dream, Gavriel," Azriel said quietly.
Gavriel picked up his soda and gazed intently at his friend. He had learned to trust Azriel's dreams ... Heaven had learned to trust Azriel's dreams. It was his last major dream that had helped them win the war. "What was it about, Azy," Gavriel said.
"It was about rezzeion," Azriel said.
Gavriel stood, fully alert now. He paced around his room. "What about rezzy?" He asked.
"It wasn't anything good," replied Azriel.
"Well what happened?" Asked Gavriel.
"He ... Was ' he was in the dark forest. He had a gang of the Gone with him. They ... They were headed towards ... Towards something."
Azriel closed his eyes and tried to recall his dream from the night before. He could see Rezzy's face, scarred and bruised from years of abuse, liquid dark eyes screwed up in concentration, sculpted lips curled in a sneer, teeth stained red with blood. One of the Gone stood beside him, armed with knives and daggers of every possible shape and size. Its mismatched eyes, one a deep shade of red, the other pitch black, gazed anxiously up at Rezzeion. He could see the remnants of a campfire. The other Gone were putting away the tents and saddling Rezzeion's horse. Then, the image faded away.
"Why was he with the Gone?" Asked Gavriel.
"I don't know."
The Angels loved and adored most things. They didn't usually have anything to fear. But they feared the Gone. They were dark forces of energy, wanted by neither the citizens of the Dark forest or of Hell. Heaven had also cast them aside. They killed without rhyme or reason. At least demons had some predictability. Lucifer didn't want them because they couldn't be controlled. They did not fear him, and he loathed anything that dared to deny him or mock his name. Ira, his son, didn't want them because they were to violent and twisted to bow down to anyone. They were truly the stuff of nightmares... But Azriel had a sinking feeling that they liked Rezzeion. He somehow knew that Rezzy had their loyalty and trust, and that terrified him. He knew that if they had a leader, if they had someone to follow who understood them, they'd go anywhere or do anything to please them.
Gavriel's cloud phone rang. He picked it up and Azriel saw the worry drain from his face. "Hey, sweetie," He said.
Azriel peered over his friend's shoulder to see who he was talking to. The face of a smiling, pretty girl stared back at them from the screen.

Normally, Angels were forbidden to date humans. It messed with the delicate balance between heaven and earth. But exceptions were made for the Protection squad and Angels. Protectors were chosen at birth by God to guard the human race against the things that lurked in the darkness. Each child was given a gift by Jesus and a squad of spirit guides to train them and keep them from dying a horrible, slow, brutal and extremely painful death by those who sought to destroy them. The child was chosen by a protector and went through years of intense training before graduating and joining their teachers in a never ending battle to keep the rest of the human race safe.

Sky and Gavriel had been dating for five years. It was going on six and they were still going strong. Earth had its star couples, and so did Heaven.
"Hi, Azriel," Sky said.
"Hello, Sky," Azriel said.
"I'm headed that way, darling," Gavriel said.
Sky's face lit up. "Kay Kay," She said. "But you better hurry. Gabriel sent us a message saying that there's some wild unicorns lose in Centrl park, and we're short handed. All that stuff going on in San Antonio."
Azriel remembered reading about what Sky was talking about.
A group of rogue Angels had started a drug trafficking ring on the west side of San Antonio. The SAPD and the protection squad were working day and night to find the leader of their little gang before things got ... Out of hand.
"I will be there soon," Gavriel said, grabbing his badge from the nightstand beside his bed. Sky blew him a kiss.
"Ok," She said.
"I love you. See you soon."
She hung up and Gavriel gathered his things, preparing to leave.
"See you later, Azriel," He said.
Azriel stopped him before he headed out the door.
"Be careful out there," He said. "I can't explain it, but something feels off and that vision I had worries me."
"I'll be careful," Gavriel said. "Well, be off then."
Gavriel grinned and headed out.
And somewhere in the darkness, Rezzeion watched him go, dreaming of the day his plan would come to fruition.