"That is so freaking awesome," I exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. "But why didn't you tell me? We could have incorporated it into my training."
"I was not at—"
"Liberty to disclose that information," I finished for him. "It's all peachy-keen that your boss likes to hold his cards close to the chest, but what would he have done if I wouldn't have thought about Krista and this living room as I was falling? I'd be some gory smear on the sidewalk in New York City. Is that what you want? Have you spent all this time training me only to let me plunge to my death?" I demanded, jumping to my feet as my earlier elation was replaced by anger.
"No," Haniel replied, looking more distressed than I had ever seen him.
"No, what?" I yelled.
"No, tonight was not supposed to happen. My mission is to protect you. To train you. To show you who you are," he answered calmly as his protective shield once more slid into place.
"But tonight did happen," I said quietly, looking at Krista and Mark for their input.
"She's right. Tonight could have ended tragically," Mark said to Haniel. "If you refuse to consult with The Light concerning Jordyn, then Krista and I will request our own audience with him. The time for secrets ended tonight. I've spent months keeping Krista at bay, knowing she was right. Secrets only hurt those we love. If you feel anything for Jordyn or Krista, you will ask The Light to share his secrets with all of us. I will not put the safety of Jordyn at risk again," he said. "Do you understand me?" he added, standing toe to toe with the imposing Arch Angel. If the circumstance had been different, I would have laughed at the differences in their sizes, but at the moment, I was flooded with love for my uncle who was willing to fight for me.
"I understand," Haniel finally answered, sweeping his eyes over mine before disappearing from the room.
His departure evaporated the last of the tension that had cloaked the room. "Are you okay?" Krista asked again as I sat down heavily on the sofa.
"Yeah, now, but I'm not gonna lie. I've never been that scared, or not that I remember," I said ruefully, grinning at her.
"I can only imagine," Krista answered, rubbing my back. "You sure freaked the hell out of me, screaming your head off when you landed in front of me."
"I bet I did," I said, finally chuckling a little at the mental picture she presented. "Everything happened so quickly. One minute I'm chilling on my patio, the next I'm standing hundreds of feet over New York City. And then I was doing my impression of a skydiver with no chute."
"How do you feel after back-to-back travels? I'm actually surprised that you were able to travel back so quickly. When we first started Place Traveling, it would take us hours to travel again. We used to have to rely purely on adrenaline to travel anywhere. We've since honed our skills and no longer need adrenaline, but traveling twice in the span of a couple minutes is truly amazing."
"I'm sure falling to your death is the biggest adrenaline rush ever," Mark told her. "Does your body feel like it's been tossed around in a cement mixer, Jordyn?" he asked me.
"Um, not really," I said, moving my limbs to test their mobility.
"Can you stand up on your own?" he asked with interest.
"I think so," I said, leaping to my feet with my normal grace. My body felt completely normal. Even the lightheadedness I normally felt when Haniel and I would travel more than once in a short amount of time was absent. "I feel great," I continued, bouncing on the balls of my feet to emphasize my point. "Truthfully, I feel like I could do it again."
"Really?" Mark asked intrigued, looking at Krista. "Can you show us?"
"Sure, I guess. Where do you want me to go?"
"How about somewhere close, just in case it finally catches up to you," Krista suggested.
"That's a good idea," Mark agreed, standing up. "How about the steps leading down to the beach? You shouldn't have any trouble picturing it clearly in your head."
"Truth," I answered, already focusing my mind on the steps just beyond the French doors behind me. Krista and Mark faded out in front me only to be replaced by the crashing waves below. Hearing the doors open behind me, I grinned at both of them. Now that I'd gotten over my whole freak-out, I was already rapidly calculating the magnitude of my newest gift in my head. Freedom was no longer a pipe dream. I would never have to crave solitude again. Still smiling at Krista and Mark, I focused on our living room, and within moments, I was once again standing in the center of the room.
"How do you feel?" Krista asked, coming in through the patio door.
"Normal. Or as normal as I get," I added. "What does this mean?" I asked, wondering what my status was now.
"We're not entirely sure," Krista answered honestly, looking as mystified as I felt. "As soon as Haniel returns we'll finally have all the answers."
"How long should that take?" I asked, still murky on how the heavenly realm worked.
"It all depends on how long he has to wait to be granted an audience with The Light," Mark answered, stifling a yawn. "Let's hit the sack and we can discuss this more in the morning," he added, looking at the digital clock on the DVR box. "Are you at a stopping point in your novel?" he asked Krista.
"Yeah, I've totally lost all my writing mojo for the night," she said, picking up her laptop where it had been thrown haphazardly at the foot of her chaise lounge. Let me save my work and I'll shut it down."
"I guess I'll hit the sack for the second time," I joked. "Sorry about the heart attack," I added.