Ghosts, Ghouls, and High School Fools

Ghosts, Ghouls, and High School Fools [16]

The library stinks. Literally, it stinks. It smells like old people and rotting books.

I'm sitting at a round table in the middle of the nonfiction. There's nobody here except for one very stressed looking college student and the librarians. At this exact moment, my head is laying on the table in defeat. I have one of the library's laptops in front of me with the word Google displayed on the screen. Jeez, I can't even remember the names Lazarus gave me.

I lift my head and reach into the bag I brought. I pull out a notepad. Mom gave it to me in one of my Christmas stockings. It has the name Quinn on it and says 'Quinn is an Irish name meaning wisdom or chief.'

...I'm such an idiot.

I feel like punching myself, realizing what Lazarus was telling me to do. Their names are their purpose. The meaning of the names are the purposes.

I furiously begin to Google, pulling up tabs and definitions. I start with Gabriel.

Gabriel: an archangel who serves as a messenger for God; meaning 'the strength of God'

Seraphim: a fiery six-winged being serving God; meaning 'the burning ones'

Uriel: an archangel; meaning 'God is my light'

I scribble all of this down in my notepad. I read over it and begin to think.

Okay, Lazarus named my ring Gabriel. Gabriel means 'the strength of God'. Well, strength is something I will definitely need to face Vikter. So, Gabriel will give me strength? But, there could be another meaning to it. Puzzles like these usually have a lot of double meanings and symbolism right?

So, strength....what is associated with strength? Umm, muscles, rocks, metals...protection? Let's go with protection. What protects...guns, weapons, shields. I think I should write these down. That's enough for Gabriel, for now.

Seraphim. The burning ones. Sounds like a threat. So maybe....if Gabriel relates to some sort of defense, being the strength of God, could Seraphim be the offense? Burning things make me think of offense. I'll write that down.

Finally, Uriel. God is my light...the light of God. I'm just going to say it. My thought process is stumped.

I groan and bury my face in my hands.

"Ow!" I yelp as someone pinches me. I turn around and, what do you know, Jonathon is standing behind me.

"Quit stalking me and go to school."

"Not point in going when I've graduated a few hundred times," he sits across from me, "And for the record, I'm not stalking you."

"Then how'd you know where I am?"

"Your mom," he grins, "Such a nice lady. She even gave me a present."

I eye him as a pulls a Tupperware out of his backpack. It's full of cookies.

"What? That's not fair! My mom gives cookies to a stranger and not her own daughter?!" I lunge for the cookies, but Jonathon grabs my wrist.

"Hey, now. These are mine. But, I will share them if you tell me what you're doing here."

I try to ignore the heat slivering up my arm from his touch, "Does it really matter why I'm here?"

"Yes."

I stare at him, but he doesn't back down. I sigh. "Fine. An inside source gave me some clues about this Vikter thing and I'm researching."

"What source?"

"No one you know. Can I have my arm back?"

He leans forward, "No. Who's your source?"

"Why? It's not like you could talk to him. He's dead."

"Well, that just makes me want to know more. Who is he?"

I bare my teeth at him and try to pull my arm away. He pulls back, almost dragging my onto the table.

"Let me go, you freak!"

"Who is it?"

God, he's so stubborn! "His name is Lazarus and he haunts my house. There. Now, give me my arm and a cookie."

He smirks, dropping a cookie into my hand and releasing my wrist. "Was that so hard?"

"Yes," I pout.

He shakes his head. "Let me see your research."

I throw my notepad at his head. He gives me and amused look before flipping it open and looking through my notes. As I nibble on my cookie, I watch as his tenses.

"You have them? The Archangels?"

"They have a name?"

"Yes, of course they do," he breathes, "They're the trademarks of the Archangels themselves. Uriel's circlet, Serphim's sword, Gabriel's shield-"

"Wait," I lift a hand, "They're weapons?"

"Two thirds of them, yes."

"Well, why couldn't Lazarus tell me that?!"

"Do you have them with you?"

"No...they're at my house."

He stands, dragging me with him. "Let's go. We need to make sure they're safe."

"Why? They're just jewelry."

"They're not just jewelry. They're from the Archangels. They're the key to beating Vikter, Quinn."