Ungifted by Kelly Oram Page A

beings. We are literally the Creator’s chosen protectors. It’s why we were created.”
    Internally, I was rolling my eyes. Ethan would think he was God’s chosen people.
    Ethan paused a minute, waiting for me to ask him to stop talking, but I’d vowed to ignore him completely and deep down I was too curious to stop him. When I didn’t object, he kept drawing and launched into a story.
    “The Mother Creator is the creator of all things. She is light, and glory, and all that is good. She is life itself. In the beginning, all of the Mother Creator’s creatures lived in peace and harmony. But things were too perfect. There was no bad to balance the good, and before long the peace collapsed.
    “Her first creation, an angel named Beelzebub, was the first to pose opposition. He rallied the other angels, and he and those who followed him were cast out of the Creator’s presence. They found their way to Earth and became the Fallen. They immediately began to wreak havoc, so the Creator sent down those who had remained good to protect the people of Earth.
    “The angel army was led by Beelzebub’s brother Michael. Michael was the fiercest warrior the world has ever known, and together with his army he drove the Fallen into a different dimension. Beelzebub became Lord of the Underworld and the Fallen became his demon servants.
    “All the demons were locked away in the underworld, but the Creator had realized the importance of balance, and so, while Beelzebub and his most powerful demons were forbidden from ever returning to Earth, many of the lesser demons were allowed to stay.
    “They were still powerful, though—more powerful than all other creatures on Earth—so Michael and his army stayed behind, too. But angels aren’t meant to live on Earth, so they mated with humans in order to form a race like unto the demons—not quite heavenly, but more than earthly. They raised up the first generation of nephilim and taught them how to protect the Earth from the demons that plagued it. To this day it is every nephilim’s calling to be a protector of the people. We’re destined to be warriors.”
    Ethan finished his drawing at the same time he finished his story. I was shocked by what I saw. Even though Ethan is perfect at everything, I was still surprised by the beauty in his artwork. He’d drawn himself wearing some kind of leather armor, wielding glowing daggers in each hand. His wings were spread gloriously out behind him, and even though the image was beautiful, Ethan was right; he looked fierce.
    I could do nothing but stare at the drawing and remember what he’d been like the night before when I’d seen those wings in the flesh. Or is that feathers? Anyway…
    After hearing his history, I was overwhelmed. There was so much more to the world than I’d ever realized. Even with me about to become the daughter of the leader of the free world, I was nothing in the grand scheme of things.
    It was no wonder Ethan thought I was so pathetic. I really was. All humans were. Wandering around the planet, thinking they’re the only intelligent creatures, worrying about nothing but themselves, blind to all the power around them, and so incredibly weak.
    Ethan had given me a lot to think about, and I spent the rest of my afternoon oblivious to him. I was left thinking about the supernatural and everything I’d learned until Cynthia burst through the door after school, Caleb following close behind. When they saw me sitting on the couch, showered and dressed, they both breathed obvious sighs of relief.
    “When you didn’t come to school I was so worried,” Cynthia said. “I thought maybe you’d…”
    Cynthia couldn’t finish her sentence, so good old Ethan did it for her. “Cracked up?” he offered. “I think she did. She hasn’t eaten a thing all day and she isn’t speaking.”
    “I’m not speaking to him ,” I told Cynthia. “I just needed some time to process. Not a stay in a mental hospital,” I added, glaring