Free Forgiven (Book 3, The Watchers Trilogy; Young Adult Paranormal Romance) by S.J. West

little girl looked down at herself and then back up at me.
    “I thought this form would please you most.  If it just confuses you , I can be whatever you want.”
    The little girl began to morph into a variety of different people from men to women of different races and ages.  The longer I stood there the faster the form changed.
    “Stop,” I finally said, not really caring what form the creature in front of me took.
    The final form was of a black man in his late forties with a shiny bald head and serious , penetrating eyes.  He wore a thin gray sweater underneath a black pinstripe suit.
    “Is this better?” He aske d in a low masculine voice.
    “It’s fine,” I said, not really having an opinion one way or the other.   “ Am I having a dream?”
    “Yes,” he said, cocking his head to the right, “and no.”
    “How can it be a dream and not be a dream at the same time ?”
    “You’re body is sleeping but your mind has traveled to this place,” he said looking around him.  “You feel safe here.  Malcolm did a good job building something which brings you comfort .”
    “How do you know Malcolm?”
    “He’s my son.  They’re all my children.”
    I felt my blood begin to race causing my heart to pound inside my chest at the implications of his statement.  I swallowed hard finally realizing who it was I was talking to.
    “God?”
    He smiled.  “ Like I said, y ou’ve been good for my children, Lilly.  They’ve felt more connected to me since you came into their lives.  Even Will has changed for the better , and I never thought I would see him willingly go against Lucifer.  Thank you for showing him a different path.  I have hope for him now.”
    “How could you abandon them like that?” I asked, having a hard time reconciling a benevolent higher power with someone who could basically do what my grandparents had done to my mother, shun them.  Cut them out of His li f e completely just because they made a mistake.
    “I never abandoned them,” God said.  “I’ve always been with them.”
    “How can you say that?  Look at Malcolm.  He became a vampire because he didn’t see the point in denying what you made him into.”
    “Yes, but look at Malcolm now.  He’s grown so much since meeting you.  The Malcolm I knew would have never let you see him so vulnerable.  Even though you turned away from the love he was offer ing you so freely , he still remains loyal to you.  He’s learned to swallow his pride because he loves you.”
    “Why do I have such an effect on them?” I asked.  If anyone could give me the answer s I needed, who better than God?
    “They see your father in you.  They sense his essence inside you.”
    “Who was he?” I asked taking a step forward.  “Who was my father?”
    “You’ll learn the answer to that on your own soon.”
    “Why can’t you just tell me?”
    “Because only through learning the answer yourself can you awaken your true potential.”
    “Why did you let me be born at all?  If you knew Lucifer was going to try to use me , why let me exist?”
    “All life is important to me , Lilly.  Yours is no exception.  Plus, I felt you could help bring my children back to me.  You’ve shown them how precious life really is.  That it ’ s not to be taken for granted.  Their pride was their downfall in the past .  You’ve given them a chance to show how much they’ve changed.  They care about you more than they do themselves.”
    God began to fade , h is body bec o m ing completely transparent.
    “I will help guide you when I think you need it,” God said.  “Don’t loose faith.”
    And then I woke up.

Chapter 6
    When I first woke up , I immediately told Brand about my dreamscape visitor .  H e wanted to know what God said word for word so I talked him into waiting until Will and Malcolm could be with us.  I didn’t want to have to repeat the same story three separate times.
    I phoned W ill to invite him over for breakfast but