Snippet #2773939

In the corner of his eye he watched as the last rock drop from the sudden surge of power that emanated from her. But he did not flinch; his eyes remained fixed on the angel. It was like staring at the sun, he thought. Or a bomb, waiting for it to go off. He allowed himself a sigh of relief, which turned out to be a short snort of air through his nostrils, because his body was kept so taut, ready to spring; he could not afford to relax now.

He did not answer her question, "Why do you hate us so much?" He could not. This hate was nothing he could put into words; it was centuries of resentment, the type of resentment a much abused slave would feel for his master. Her speech should have stirred his heart, though. But this hate was too far gone; it had been so ingrained in him that it was no so much as hate, but duty.

He took a step forward. The air and ground rippled with his footfall. The ground rolled and swelled from the center of his step toward the outer edges of the site, the stone formations buckling ever so slightly.

Then he closed his eyes, and a look of immense peace came over his face. For all his effort jumping through portals, this was a feat beyond his strength; all he needed to do was give in to the power he had to keep in check all this time. Although it was mostly a mental effort, it was also manifest physically in his muscles, which were sinewy and taut. But now they were relaxed; his arms remained loose at his sides, as if he had dropped his guard. No, he was far from it.

Around him the stone formations rose into the air, inches above the ground. He exhaled, his eyes snapping open, fiery white. Gradually he was effused with a light blue glow, a glow that did not come from him, but from the stone formations themselves.

Each stone formation was made of two pillars of rock with a slab that lay across the top. It was simple to imagine that they were made to look like gateways. And indeed, as rectangles of light opened under each rock formations, the stone formations of Stonehenge were portals themselves.

He lifted his arms to his sides and the portals of light began to swirl around him until it trapped both him and the angel in the center in a maelstrom of ethereal blue glow.

"I will show you."