The searing light that came from the Heavenly shield died down into a subtle glow as I ran nearer to where the Angel’s second gift was. The tears on my face had finally dried up when I stopped in front of a thick-trunked black tree. There was an arrowhead mark on it, and for a moment, I wondered how I missed the shield hidden beneath the deadwood in plain sight. Raphael’s shield was laid on the ground, its width covered with dark-colored roots. Heart pumping wild, I unwrapped the leather holster around the handle of the Angelic sword, and its powers blazed. With the glowing sword, I slashed the roots that trapped the Angel’s shield. The black tree burst into flames. In a couple of breaths, the deadwood burned to ashes. I bent down to pick the Heavenly artifact from the ground. As soon as m
