Book I: Avi's Angel

Torturous Rebirth

"Angel" did not wake up, because she was awake for her trial. One moment, she was in the arms of the man she adored, being consoled, and the next...
   It felt as though all of her atoms parted ways, and ascended. She floated in a bright place, surrounded by many voices.
   :I think she might need those.:
   :Not anymore.:
   At first, there was no pain. She had no body with which to feel it. But then, oh then, she was whole. For reasons she could not yet fathom, she was pinned to a hard surface, face down. Four ethereal beings held her arms and legs, spread-eagle.
   Then came the pain. One by one, her arms and legs were... reshaped..? Her arms were thrust through her scapulas, until her elbows became her shoulders. The humerus was split into many pieces with one swipe of her Creator's hand. The ulna and radius were snapped in twain, to create a new humerus and elbow.
   Her legs were similarly treated; except her femurs were fused after they were thrust through her pelvis at a strange angle. Her tibias and fibulae were snapped in twain to form new legs and knees. Her hands and feet, strangely, were left largely alone.
   Then He molded her skull, as though it were made of clay. She knew not what He did, for she'd gone nearly mad with pain.
   Three more weights pinned her down, after she had been turned over. It did not feel right, lying on her back. Her entire spine was on fire, and she writhed in agony.
   :Have the materials been collected?:
   :Yes. Please don't ask where I got them.:
   "G...Gabriel?" She made a face. "Waugh! Why does my mouth feel funny?"
   :Hush, Little One. It is almost over.:
   She tried to reply, but what escaped her misshapen maw was little more than a whimper.
   Everything hurt. If He was going to punish her, so be it. She would die happy. Even He could not take away the best five months of her life. They had been spent doing what many fangirls dreamed--plus some monster slaying, but she still wouldn't change any of it.
   :Remember what you said about your tattoos.:
   :Wha--why?:
   Fiery pain pierced her body, again and again. Sharp, jagged arcs of agony were carved into her very bones--and there seemed to be dozens more of them!
   Her back arched, limbs pinned down by seven cruel beings while the eighth carved into her. There didn't seem to be any blood, though she could see nothing but a bright light. Gabriel's voice kept reminding her about her tattoos, but she could think of nothing that was worth this!
   When it was over, she lay limp, gasping. She tried to curl in on herself, but something heavy was set on her abdomen.
   "Noooooooo!" she wailed. Everything was on fire, and this new burden only added to her misery. She just wanted it to be over. What had she done to deserve this torture?
   :Hush, now, Little One. It is time to rest.:
   She was picked up, as gently as her friend could manage, and placed in a deep bowl. Finally given freedom to move, she coiled herself around whatever was weighing her down, and wept. Her tears filled the bowl, but she did not care. She was dead, she did not breathe.
   A lid was placed on the bowl. Perhaps they will bury me now, she thought.
   :You have had your legendary hug, Little One. Now you must sleep for a time.:
   She sniffed. :Silly angel, that was--:
   She never got to finish her thought. She fell into a deep slumber, plagued by voices barking orders she could not obey.
   Then came the day she heard a voice she never thought she would hear again, muffled though it was. She strained to hear what it was saying.
   "...Not kidding! He... egg... Christmas Eve!"
   Who's eating eggs on Christmas Eve?
   A different, yet still familiar voice filtered through her coffin. Am I dreaming? Do the dead dream..?
   "How... know... egg?"
   "I just do." His voice was stronger now. "Hey there, Angel. It's Christmas Eve."
   Good for you, she thought. What do I care? She tried to roll away from the nuisance, but her coffin was too small.
   Then her whole world tilted. Her limbs flew out in a classic startle reflex, struck the sides of her oblong coffin. Suddenly claustrophobic, she kicked and clawed at the strange bubble. She heard shrieking, probably from Mitchi, but she didn't care. She wanted out!
   A loud crack startled her, and she froze.
   "Eww! Get some paper towels or something! It's leaking!" Mitch was still freaking out, and she could hear it more clearly now. She kicked where she thought the crack was, as hard as she could.
   "Whoa!" If not for the quick reflexes of one Avi Kaplan, she would have spilled into the world feet first, and onto the floor.
   Everything assaulted her senses at once. Light hurt her eyes, so she shut them. Smells of cologne, fear, and food battled for dominance. And people were chattering a mile a minute.
   She clawed at her ears and nose, trying to block it all out.
   Then she was tucked into a cottony haven that smelled of laundry detergent and man, and muffled the noise. She burrowed further in and sighed.
   Something warm and soft dried her glistening skin. Wait, why am I wet? she wondered. How am I wet? Do I actually have skin?!
   "I told you guys it was a real dragon egg!"
   Her head whipped out of its cocoon so fast it scared Mitchi all over again.
   "Mitchell, would you please stop shrieking? Did you just say you had a dragon egg?"
   Well, she'd wanted silence...
   "Hellooo? Avi? You said 'dragon egg'. Where?"
   The cotton-wrapped arms bounced, as though he were trying not to laugh.
   Scott piped up cautiously. "Does it not know? How can it not know?"
   She scowled in his general direction, since she still could not see. "I can speak for myself, thank you very much! In case you couldn't tell, I happen to be a woman!"
   "I can't believe it's really alive!"
   She aimed a glare at the speaker.
   "Sorry! It's just... We thought, well, we thought you'd turn out to be a robot, or something."
   She huffed, turned her back on the lot of them. It was warm and quiet in her cotton cave, and it smelled nice.
   Avi gazed fondly at his new dragon. She was really here! When he'd opened the door to a delivery guy, he had been disappointed. He hadn't really thought his Guardian Angel would use something as mundane as a door, but it would've been nice to see her again.
   "Mr. Kaplan?"
   "Yes," he had answered, drawing the word out. He hadn't ordered anything online, and besides, they were on tour.
   "Sign here, please."
   He took the paper he was handed, but it was no ordinary packing slip. For one thing, it was entirely handwritten. For another thing, it was on parchment. It said the following:

   "I, Avriel Benjamin Kaplan, do hereby swear to protect the contents of this box with my life. I will not tell anyone outside of Pentatonix and my sister, one Esther Rose Kaplan, what is in this box. Should either of the above conditions fail to be met, the item will be removed from my possession.
   "Terms apply until the item changes on December 24th, 2015. After one year from this date, the item should no longer require protection.
   "Merry Christmas. We would have sent this sooner, but these things take time to Create."

   Below where he was to sign was one letter, signed in an elegant hand: G.
   He stared dazedly at the delivery guy. "I don't know what this means."
   "It means your Christmas wish from last year will come true this year, should you follow the guidelines set forth."
   A slow smile spread across his face. "You mean that's a d--" He clapped a hand to his throat, unable to finish his question.
   The delivery man's eyes flashed a familiar electric blue. "Careful, boy! You almost lost her before ye got her!"
   His eyes widened. "Her?" He snatched up the odd-looking pen and signed his name with an excited flourish. Before he could hand the pen back, it stabbed his finger. When the single drop of blood touched the page, all of the ink turned red.
   "Pleasure, sir. Your package."