In a few days, some of the senior Guardians will come to test me and see if I am ready to fly as one of them. Orison tells me that Salathiel may come to oversee the test, which is a great honor. I am not entirely surprised, though—from what I have learned, Salathiel takes an active interest in the work of the angels in her wing. And mine is an unusual case. I have to admit, though, I was not…
I have been wrong many times before. I am quite certain that I will be wrong many more times before I am through having thoughts and opinions. But I hope I never have to be convinced of being wrong as forcefully as I was today. I was at work on my own today, practicing some exercises that Rumael had given me while Orison was on patrol. He thought that having me use my hands as humans do might help, and…
Some of you, especially my sister and brother Cupids, have been asking about the procedures that a Guardian follows. Well, I will tell you that it is quite different, and I am sure when I start my work—soon, I hope!—it will take me some getting used to. For a Cupid, it is a mark of status to have many charges. I was honored for being able to keep up with five or even six couples at a time. For a…
Today, Orison brought a new Guardian to meet me on the mountain, a Power like myself with red wings and a pleasant smile. “Asa’el, this is Rumael,” he said. “I thought perhaps that he could help you with some of what you are struggling with.” Rumael and I bowed to one another. I could tell that though our rank is the same, he is older than I, and so I greeted him respectfully. “I am grateful for your assistance.” “I’m…
Inca came to find me today. Orison had left me on his mountain, trying yet again to move—anything. “How goes it, brother?” she asked, with amusement in her voice that told me she knew exactly how it went. I sighed and left off glaring at the branches. “I have all this energy, but no idea how to convert it so that it touches the physical world. I’m exhausting myself without managing so much as a breeze. And the more Orison…
Well. If I thought that I would immediately excel at being a Guardian—and perhaps I did, a bit—I have learned otherwise over the past week. Salathiel was not lying when she said that I had a great deal of missed training to make up for. I did not know how much there was. As an infant Cupid, I was taught the various ways that humans express love, the ways they resist it, and how to move their thoughts in one…
Today I was summoned into the presence of Salathiel. Brid was with me, of course, as was Inca. Eburnean, who was the one to bring the message, came with us, their great white wings shadowing us. Where once that burning aura frightened me, now it fills me with courage. Orison met us with a smile, his dark face peaceful, and I took hope from his expression. “They are ready for you, Asa’el,” he said, and he stepped aside. Anteros was…
I thought that I would have doubts. I expected the peace to leave me, the certainty to fade. But it has not. I have had fears, certainly, but never doubts. I know that this is the right course. Evidently, though, I am the only one. That is not fair. Orison, Eburnean, and Inca have stood solidly with me this entire time, and they are not the only ones. Guardians I have only met briefly, and even some I have never…
There are many things I have to confess with this entry, but here is the first: I have thought of this option before. I did not want to admit it, because I never believed it a possibility. But it has run through my mind more than once, and more than once I have wished that it could become a reality. Now that it has…but I am well ahead of myself. My second confession: I was desperate to avoid the end…
This morning, I was watching Freya hurrying on her way to work—she was running late because Merry had escaped out the door when she went to get the paper—when I felt a presence behind me. I turned and there was Zezette, looking at me with sorrow in her aura. “May we talk for a moment, Asa’el?” she asked me. “Of course.” I was not particularly surprised to see her. Several others of my seniors have been concerned about me in…