Chapter 35
I am black, but comely,
O ye daughters of Jerusalem …
Look not upon me, because I am black,
Because the sun hath looked upon me.
.
Song of Solomon, 1:5-6
.
Earth - AD December 24, 2002
Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan
.
Azrael hovered nervously in the corner of the recovery tent, his cloak wrapped tightly so no one would bump into him. He’d been busy helping the Archangels track down Agent-possessed Al Qaida leaders in a network of caves when he’d sensed Elisabeth's cry for help. He wasn’t sure why he’d sensed her need, but he had.
He almost hadn’t made it in time…
Kadima tucked a coarse, olive-green blanket around Elisabeth’s neck. Her flesh, already pale thanks to her Germanic complexion, had turned a ghastly shade of white, accentuating dark bruises and
