The Dragon's Descent Read Online Free

surrounded both the guardian angel and the soul, and enveloped them. Vero felt pure joy and elation from the soul and guardian. There was no fear. No anxiety. Vero never realized death could be so peaceful, so wonderful. The ball of light that was the guardian and soul shone even more brightly as it floated toward the ceiling and then vanished. The Angel of Death looked to Vero, solemnly nodded, then also vanished.
    Vero looked over to the bed. Mr. Berger lay lifeless. Tears ran down Frank’s cheek. He looked up to Vero.
    â€œDid you feel it?” Frank asked. “That feeling of peace when Dad passed?”
    Vero smiled sadly. “I did.”

3

    FAITH MAZE
    V ero walked down the basement stairs in his house, feeling tired. His first day in the hospital had been exhausting and all he wanted to do was eat dinner and go to bed. He saw his dad, Dennis, sitting at the worktable in the middle of the room, surrounded by red and green plastic storage boxes and an artificial Christmas tree with probably five seasons’ worth of tinsel still stuck to it. Dennis was hunched over the table, building some sort of small model village.
    â€œWhat’s that?” Vero asked.
    Dennis looked up. “Come to help?”
    â€œNo, Mom needs milk.” He crossed over to the old refrigerator that sat in the corner.
    â€œCome here.”
    Vero opened the refrigerator door, pulled out a gallon of milk, then shut it. He walked over to his dad and sat on the stool next to him, while placing the milk on the floor at his feet. Glancing down at the model, Vero saw what looked like a town with several canals alongside of it.
    â€œIt’s the project I’ve recommended for a village in Sri Lanka. During the monsoon season they can get torrential rains that completely flood the place. The people often lose their homes, their crops, even their lives.”
    â€œSo the World Bank is giving them money to build these canals?” Vero said as he ran his finger along the blue strip of painter’s tape representing water.
    â€œYes, they’ve already begun digging, but for the canals to be really effective, I need to build another three, and the budget won’t allow for it.” Dennis sighed weakly. “So the project’s engineer and I have been trying to reconfigure what already has been started so it will work with the given budget.”
    â€œWhat if you can’t?” Vero looked at his father, unsure.
    â€œI won’t go down without a fight,” Dennis said as a determined look came over him.
    Vero nodded, knowing it was true.
    â€œVero, where’s that milk?!” Nora’s voice rang down to the basement, muffled through the closed door.
    Vero picked up the milk and ran up the stairs. But as his foot landed on the top step, it slipped off the edge of the tread, and he tripped and fell forward. His head smashed into the basement door as the gallon of milk flew out his hand, hit the stairs hard, and sprayed open. Vero then tumbled down the stairs to the basement floor.

    As a massive stone door opened, Vero staggered inside. He face-planted into something solid. As soon as Vero righted himself, he saw the angry face of the archangel Raziel glaring down at him. His features were harsh, severe—making him seem even more intimidating. Raziel never gave Vero a warm and fuzzy feeling. Vero always felt that the archangel didn’t like him.
    â€œOh . . . sorry,” Vero stammered, rubbing his forehead. “Do we have to keep doing this? Can’t you just text me when you want me?”
    â€œLet’s go,” Raziel sternly said as he snapped around.
    As Vero followed Raziel, he slowly began to realize he was walking through C.A.N.D.L.E., the Cathedral of Angels for Novice Development, Learning and Edification, otherwise known as the guardian angel school. He recognized the impressive front hall of the massive Greco-Roman temple. It was jaw-dropping due to its walls of gold