Free Divinity by Michelle L. Johnson Page A

has only witnessed me viewing her. And what if he knows she is mine? Watching over them is something we are all prone to do. Find Zach-ariah on any given day and you will see him checking on his own several times.”
    “That may be true, but you will need to be more careful.”
    “I will, Michael. Do you think Uriel has his own plans, or that he would try to stop us?”
    “We’ll see.” Michael was silent for a long time, his attention obviously elsewhere. When he spoke, his words had a weight to them that sank into Gabriel’s being. “Pray I’m wrong.”

IX
    T HIS—IS Heaven?” Julia stammered. Her stomach knotted. It was disconcerting being in Heaven. She felt obligated to be dead. Fear gripped her, and though she knew it was irrational, she wondered if, now that she had seen Heaven, she would be allowed back to Earth. She turned to ask and Michael shook his head, interrupting her before she could begin.
    “You’re not dead, and I didn’t bring you here in order to trap you.” He took a step forward. “You need to find your spirit. There is no better way than to come here to find it.”
    Some of the tension lifted from Julia’s shoulders and she took a tentative step forward. She had thought Heaven would be all pearly gates, shiny gold, and fluffy clouds. Perhaps even a clerk at a desk with a big log book in front of him, or Saint Peter standing at the gates, trumpet in hand, waiting to announce the new arrivals.
    “You watch too many movies, girl. This just happens to be the image with which you are comfortable, the one you have seen before. This is where you enter in your dreams, is it not?”
    “It is, but those were dreams. I didn’t know it was actually Heaven, and there were always battles on the other side of the door. Strange battles, without weapons. Explosions of light…” Julia’s voice trailed off as she remembered, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Was that real, Michael? Are there battles in Heaven?”
    “There will be no battles on the other side.” Michael peered through the door, then looked back at Julia with a kind smile. “It was real—at one time. The battles you saw were distant memories. This is simply a doorway into the realm. Once you open it, you enter in the spot you intend to enter.”
    He stepped through the doors, and she followed close behind. The only difference on the other side of the doorway was the floor—it was made of clouds. Her feet disappeared into the mist, but she could feel them resting upon something solid. They were in a space without walls or ceilings that continued on as far as she could see. She thought it was like looking out over the ocean.
    Julia’s chest tightened. Again, she wondered if she might be dead. She shoved the thought aside and breathed deeply.
    Michael waited for Julia’s breathing to return to a steady rhythm, and then continued.
    “Those dreams you have, they were of your assignment long ago.”
    “My assignment in Heaven? When?”
    “Long before there was a physical plane. It was your ‘job,’ or more accurately, your spirit’s job. You collected and healed the innocents. Apparently you relive it in your dreams.”
    “I really don’t understand. Are you telling me there are battles in Heaven? That I am—was—what? A medic?” Julia’s voice was rife with confusion, her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of it all.
    “A ‘heavenly medic?’” Michael arched an eyebrow.
    As perplexed as she was, Julia had to admit it did seem rather silly.
    “In a sense, yes, you were,” Michael said. “These dreams are memories of a distant past. In your dreams, you often become your spirit because it is easier. You would journey all over the world in seconds. It would take days, or weeks, on the lower plane. Here, there is no physical matter. There is only energy. But be aware. It can be very dangerous when you are dreaming in spirit form. Because of who you are, you are like a beacon. You draw the negative ones to