"Thomas E. Sniegoski - Reckoning" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sniegoski Thomas E)

A family exited the restaurantтАФmother,father, and little boy probably about seven yearsold. The boy
held tightly to the string of aSponge Bob balloon, and at that moment lookedto be the happiest kid in the
world. Aaronwatched them cross the parking lot to their carand couldn't help but think of the family that
had been lost to him, violently torn away as aresult of his angelic destiny.

After spending the first years of his life shuffled from one foster family to another, he was finally placed
with the Stanleys, a truly lovingcouple, and their young, autistic son. They hadaccepted him as one of
their own, and becamethe only family Aaron ever really knew. But theywere all gone now, murdered by
a host ofangelsтАФthe PowersтАФhellbent on making surethat the prophecy of forgiveness would never
come to pass. Their leader, a nasty piece of workcalled Verchiel, wanted him dead in the worst ofways,
but Aaron just couldn't find it in his heartto oblige.

"It's that no-dogs-allowed thing again, isn't it?"the Lab interrupted Aaron's thoughts again,frustrated by
the fact that he couldn't eat.Gabriel loved to eatтАФand to talk . . . and talkand talk."Isit because they
think we smell, Aaron?"the dog asked."I don't think I smell any worse thanmost babies do."

Being able to understand the dogтАФbeingable to understand the language of all livingthingsтАФwas but one
of the strengths of Aaron'sNephilim birthright. With the help of his angel mentor, Camael, and an old
fallen angel calledBelphegor, he had successfully merged with thepower of Heaven that flowed through
his body.This power provided him with the strength andskill he would need to achieve his destiny, aswell
as deal with the threat still posed byVerchiel and the Powers.

"I think you smell better than most babiestoo," he complimented the dog, "but they stillwon't let you eat
inside. We'll have somethingwhen we get back to Aerie. Don't worry; I won'tlet you starve."

Aerie was their home now, a settlement offallen angels and Nephilim dedicated to thebelief in the ancient
prophecy that Aaron wassupposed to represent. Aerie had also becomehis responsibility.

The dog grumbled, not completely satisfiedwith the compromise, but knowing he had littlechoice. Aaron
knew that feeling well enough. Hecould complain all he wanted, but it wouldn'tchange the fact that he had
a destiny to fulfill.He tried not to allow his new duties to overwhelm him, but it was a challenge. Not only
did he have to protect the citizens of Aerie,knowing that Verchiel was still out there looking for revenge,
he also had to look after Vilmaand deal with the most recent revelation thatLucifer was the angel who
fathered him.Whoever said that being a savior was all fun and games?

Aaron turned away from the restaurant and looked toward the phone booth where Vilmaappeared to be
wrapping up her call.

"I'm worried about her,"Gabriel said, puttingwords to Aaron's sentiments as they bothwatched her hang
up the phone and emergefrom the glass-and-metal cubicle.

Vilma had been part of Aaron's old life,before the power of the angels asserted itself andturned the
world as he had known it on its ear. Although he had kept in contact through e-mail,he hadn't really
thought he would ever see heragain, yet another piece of his life that he was forced to abandon. But here
she was, inexplicably made part of his new existenceтАФa Nephilimtoo. He always felt he was in love with
her,always knew there was some powerful connection, but that just made her involvement in the
whirlwind that his life had become all the morescary.

"Is everything okay at home?" he asked asshe approached them.