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Phoebe,” said Cosain. ‘You’re not wrong there!’ Phoebe thought. “But you must trust us. The Atoner needs you to implement the task at hand, and we will be with you every step of the way. Are you willing to do what He requires?”
    Despite the bizarreness of what was happening to her, Phoebe felt the same comforting sense of being safe and secure as she had felt when she came to at the crash site.
    “Was… was that you I saw when the plane crashed?” Phoebe stuttered.
    “Yes, we were there,” replied Cosain. “We stayed with you – just like we were there when you fell out of the tree, or when that runaway tractor narrowly missed you. There were many times that we were able to offer help, to thwart the plans of the Enemy for your demise. All those ‘coincidences’ you can think of as you look back through the years? They weren’t coincidences, Phoebe – our mission has been to protect you, and that is what we have done all these years. We have been assigned to you, Phoebe, and now we need you to work with us to action the Atoner’s plans. You have a vital role to play. This is your time. Come, there is much to be done. We must not delay.”
    And there beside Cosain, emanating up from the dusty African earth, a vortex opened up, light beaming high into the sky. Phoebe looked at Demetrius, whose expression said, ‘Don’t ask, just go’ . The two of them stepped together with the angelic warriors into the shining, radiating portal, which whirled shut behind them, causing two startled lilac-breasted rollers to take flight with an indignant and guttural ‘rak-rak’ .

 

C HAPTER 9
    Despite the bizarre happenings of the last few hours, Phoebe couldn’t help but giggle at the look of disbelief on Demetrius’s face as the teenagers swished through space in the warm golden light of the vortex.
    “I’m glad you’re amused!” gasped Demetrius, who was clinging to her for dear life.
    “Sorry, Dem, it’s just that that’s what my face must have looked like first time I stepped inside this crazy time machine! I’m a pro now, don’t ya know..?!”
    Cosain smiled at the teenagers. It was good that they had such a close bond – he had no doubt that they would need it in the weeks ahead. He flew alongside Phoebe and Demetrius with the other angelic warriors right behind them. They were travelling so fast that they looked almost still, leaving a blaze of light behind like some kind of celestial contrail.
    In what seemed like a heartbeat Phoebe, Demetrius and the angelic troop came to a halt with a gentle jolt. Phoebe took a minute to gather her thoughts and establish her whereabouts, and she quickly recognised the familiar sights of Johannesburg International Airport. A butterfly did somersaults in her belly as she recalled what had followed the last time she had stood in this place.
    As if he could read her thoughts, Cosain spoke: “This is where the Enemy began their onslaught, Phoebe,” he said, “The demonic host had been hiding here for some time, awaiting your family’s arrival. They had free rein here, nobody saw them. They were inconspicuous. But we knew they were here, and now, with your and Demetrius’s help, we must vanquish them before they can replay history and bring your plane down again.”
    Phoebe’s head began to spin. “Wait,” she stammered, “You’re telling me that me and my family are due to catch the same flight tomorrow? The one that crashed and killed my parents? That’s crazy! You must be crazy! Surely you don’t expect me to actually encourage my parents to make the flight?”
    “I know it sounds preposterous,” Solas interjected, “But things will be different this time round – very different.”
    “How?” Phoebe couldn’t even begin to imagine in what way there could be an improvement to this scenario, but her heart told her to at least hear the angels out.
    Demetrius could see that Phoebe was having a hard time working through what she was being told, and