"He used to be a Soul Trader, but went dark a while back," Emrys answered, leaning against the wall.
"Like you," I countered, trying to ignore my anger.
"I'm not dark," he barked back, clearly pissed.
"So you just made a deal for what, to play cards with me?" I sneered.
"What are you talking about?" Mark demanded.
"Ask him," I said, stabbing my finger in Emrys's direction. "He's the liar.
"I did not lie," he defended himself through gritted teeth. "It's nice, though, that you call me the liar when you sit here with the biggest group of liars ever."
Uncomfortable silence filled the room at his words.
"So what? We all know Haniel has been holding back on me, but there's no reason to lump everyone in with him."
"Oh yeah? Why don't you ask your aunt and uncle, and I use those terms lightly, why they don't have any pictures of you, your parents, or anything about their deaths," he said, tightly grabbing the back of the chair in front of him.
"What is he talking about?" I asked, turning to face Krista and Mark. "Are you even related to me?" I demanded, seeing the truth on their faces as I surged to my feet. "What the hell is going on around here? You're supposed to be Angels for God's sake," I shouted, ignoring Haniel's grimace at my choice of words. "Aren't angels supposed to follow different rules than humans? They're not supposed to lie, right?" I added through gritted teeth. "If I'm not related to you, then who the hell am I?"
"Calm down," Krista pleaded, standing up. "We wanted to tell you. We were just waiting for the okay from Haniel," she added, looking at him questioningly. Haniel nodded his approval.
"What a surprise. So, tell me now," I ordered.
"Last year Haniel came to us and asked if we'd be willing to take in a young girl who needed our help. He told us that you were special to The Light and that he would be training you. We had just recently learned about the infertility that would plague the Guides and immediately jumped at the chance to be able to offer our home to someone who needed us."
"You didn't know my parents at all?" I asked, ignoring the betrayed tremble of my body.
"No," she cried, gripping Mark's hand tightly. "But that doesn't change how we feel about you. We love you like you're our own," she added, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Then who are my parents?" I asked, directing the question at Haniel.
"You have no parents," he answered, ignoring the gasp of dismay from Sam who was standing slightly behind him.
"Everyone has parents. Did mine die?" I asked confused.
"You never had biological parents," he repeated.
"I don't understand," I said, hating the trembling that seemed to be in control of my lips.
"You were created in the heavenly realm and then placed in a human host that no longer required her body."
"What the frick does that mean?" Lynn broke her silence, asking the question that everyone in the room now wanted answered.
"The Light created Jordyn to protect mankind from evil. The Light wanted a being that was more durable than his previous creations," he answered, indicating the Guides and Protectors who surrounded me.
"So, I'm nothing but a machine that was created for battle?" I asked as the anger I'd been trying to tamp down finally reared its ugly head. "Does my name even belong to me, or did you steal that too?" I accused.
"I provided your name from the Hebrew, 'to flow.' Your spirit flowed down from heaven to do great work. You will help humanity through difficult times. You are special," Haniel answered with verve.
"Special?" I snorted. "That's right, everyone, I'm a unique fighting machine who obviously everyone wants, including your boss," I added, throwing the accusation at Emrys.
"He's not my boss."
"What about the slimeball that just tried to reduce my skin to melted wax? How did he get powers that match mine?"
"The Dark One granted him abilities for the purpose of collecting you," Haniel answered, crossing his arms across his chest.