Free Falling (The Soul Collectors Series Book 1) by Tara Benham

line having a catastrophic earthquake, and this place reminds me of what kind of damage could be done.”
    I was really in shock now. I couldn’t say anything to him about the earthquake as that was one of the few restrictions I was given. He seemed knowledgeable about the possibility of the event occurring.
    “Does anything seem different?” My shock from him knowing about the earthquake played well into feigning anxiety of any possible damage from the tremor.
    “No, everything seems as it was before.” He got quiet, staring out into the valley. It was a minute or so before he spoke again. “Well, I guess we should make our way back into town. Before Had starts to worry about you.”
    “Let him worry!” I laughed, but then nodded that it was time. I now had a renewed sense of purpose, and was ready to jump back into my research. I needed to do further investigation of this valley as well because it could be the ideal camping site if it really couldn’t collapse, and I needed to run it by Hadraniel and Father Paul.
    I entered the bookstore about two hours after I had left. Before I was even able to get to the back, I was accosted by Declan. I watched as he approached; his eyebrows were drawn down in a frown, nostrils flared, and lips pressed firmly together. He was angry. I wasn’t sure why, but he was. I knew whatever he was about to say was not going to be nice.
    “Exactly where the hell were you for the past two hours, Bayla?” He asked, nose flaring. I almost giggled.
    “I was with Gray, if you must know. I went out to clear my head, and he invited me to go for a walk with him. Which, by the way, ended up being very helpful for me, thank you very much.” I glared back at him, all comical enjoyment was gone when he rolled his eyes at me at the mention of Gray’s name.
    “And you didn’t think to tell someone, anyone, where you went?”
    “Actually, I did think to do it and decided not to. I am not used to answering to anyone if you recall, Declan, and I definitely do not have to answer to you. I do not have to check in when I choose to do something. Especially when it is helpful for my mission that I happen to know is going to be successful! Now, if you’re done interrogating me, I have more research to complete.”
    I stepped past him and noticed the look of relief on both Mr. Whitstock’s and Hadraniel’s faces and felt bad. I gave a sheepish shrug and apologized quickly before taking my seat. I hadn’t lied to Declan. I wasn’t accustomed to having anyone on my missions with me, so I didn’t have to think about how my actions would affect others. I needed to remember that while I was upset, it was not Hadraniel’s or Father Paul’s fault.
    “I really am sorry, you two. I just needed to step away for a minute.”
    “I was worried, but now that I know you’re okay, and that it was a useful break, it’s all good.” Hadraniel smiled. “While you were gone, Jacob” he pointed to Mr. Whitstock, “found a book that he thought you might find of interest. I’m not sure how it is supposed to be helpful. It looks like a fairytale story.” Confusion crossed his face, but he handed me the book.
    The story was about an angel who helped deliver children to heaven. At first I was confused as well since the story just told of the angel, but as I read, and re-read, I noticed that the angel does something to help the soul be okay with his transition. It was simple, yet it resonated with me completely. As I sat silently, staring at the words yet not quite seeing them, I realized the story was telling me I had to find a way to make the transition to safety something meaningful for Gray and Declan both, something they could see as a good thing and not as a sign of loss. For Gray to lose his family would be something rough to deal with, I got that. But for Declan to be redeemed from Hell, would he feel as if he was making a sacrifice or losing something?
    I had a plan on how to use this new information with