Free Fire Prophet (Son of Angels) by Jerel Law

flight of stairs until they arrived in front of a sign that said M AIN R EADING R OOM .
    “Here we are!” she announced, beaming back at the kids.
    “How is it possible,” Eliza asked, keeping her voice barely above a whisper, “that we are having class in the New York Public Library? It just doesn’t seem like it would be, well . . . allowed.” She pushed her glasses up on her nose and looked at Camilla.
    “As I said, we have friends in high places, dear,” she said with a twinkle in her eye and a mysterious tone in her voice. “The director of the New York Public Libraries is sympathetic to our cause.”
    They walked into the largest reading room Jonah had ever seen. There were thousands of books lining every wall from floor to ceiling. Dozens of wooden tables sat in perfect symmetry on the floor, bronze reading lamps and computer docking stations on each one.
    “This must be the size of two football fields,” Jonah said to David.
    David was in awe. “I’ve never seen so many books in one place before. You could stay in this one room for the rest of your life andnever run out of interesting things to read.” Out of the corner of his eye, Jonah saw Eliza give an approving nod.
    Some of the kids were looking up at the ceiling. Jonah’s eyes were drawn there too, to the sky blue images painted across it.
    “It’s like we’re outside under a sunny blue sky,” Jeremiah said.
    Camilla let them take in the room for a few minutes.
    “Okay, enough gazing at the walls, students,” she finally said, standing in the center of the room. “You can come have a seat at these tables.”
    After they had been seated, she continued, “We thought this would be the ideal setting to begin our studies together. Here we will hone our skills. Your minds will be sharpened, your gifts will be stretched and encouraged, and if you give yourself fully to the process of learning, you will become a better quarterling and a better servant of Elohim.”
    She paced around the tables as she spoke, hands behind her back.
    “Angel School has begun,” she announced. “And for our first order of business, I would like to introduce you to your instructors.”

TEN
    T HE G IFTINGS
    I mmediately, three people walked through a doorway across the room and marched toward the students. They quietly stood in front of them in a line.
    “Marcus and Taryn!” Eliza whispered to Jonah, pointing to the large, muscular angel standing on the end and the angel beside him with the brilliant shock of red hair.
    Jonah nodded. Next to them stood another angel, holding a large, dusty book at his side. He didn’t appear to Jonah to be a warrior angel. He was a couple of heads shorter than Marcus, and slight and thin. He had dark brown skin and a rather skinny neck, which made his gray robe appear to be too large on him.
    Camilla stood beside the three angels. “Our classes will be divided into three categories—Angelic Combat, Scriptural Studies, and the Spiritual Arts. Marcus and Taryn will be teaching Angelic Combat.” Some of the boys nudged one another and smiled. “They are warrior class angels of the highest caliber.You will learn how to use the gifts you’ve been given to fight and defend yourself. You will find none better than they to provide you with this instruction.” The angels bowed their heads slightly as she walked in front of them.
    “Your Scriptural Studies instructor will be Samuel.” The third angel nodded thoughtfully at the students. “There is no finer scholar of the Scriptures than he. From him your knowledge of the Bible will be sharpened, and he will help you discover its endless treasures, as well as its uses in the battle against the dark forces.”
    Some of the quarterlings, including Frederick, looked less excited about this. But Jonah was curious. His knowledge of the Bible was not the best, and he wondered how he would fare in this class. Eliza nodded along enthusiastically, of course.
    “And there is one more