Page 72 of When the Angel Falls First

“Right. Let’s get over there and pitch in.” She set her jaw in determination, and we crossed the last of the distance.

It was breathtaking and sad, seeing one of God’s creaturesup close. Breathtaking because the orca was magnificent—a male, not quite full-grown. But sad because I could sense his distress. I sent a wave of soothing calm over the animal while simultaneously sending a tendril of power down, down, down, to start funneling out a deeper channel beneath him, urging the water to come up more quickly than it would on its own.

Can I change the tide?

I’d never tried something of that magnitude; never needed to. I reached out tentatively with my power and pulled, urging the water to hurry. If it worked or not, I couldn’t say. Only time would tell, but at least there wasn’t any push back. With the way my power had become unstable around Josie, I wasn’t sure what else it might refuse to do.

“Everybody to this side! We need to get him back onto his belly before the water starts coming back in.” To my surprise, it was Axel, button-down shirt sleeves rolled up past his elbows, water and grit stuck to his otherwise fine clothing, who was directing the rescue efforts.

Josie and I circled the orca and lent our muscle to the efforts to get the creature righted. He panicked and thrashed his tail when everyone started pushing on him, but I urged him back to calm, pressing the suggestion that we were all there to help. He stilled, and moving as one, all of the volunteers heaved along his side, trying to roll him.

Water lapped at our ankles as our first attempt failed.

“Take a breather, and we’ll go again! Bucket brigade, let’s do another run. We can’t let him dry out!”

Marigold took a bucket from a flagging volunteer and sprinted to the deeper water. She ran with practiced ease in the uneven terrain, making four laps before Axel called out for everyone to push again.

“Now!” Axel called.

Josie grunted as she put her shoulder into the whale’s black and white hide, putting everything she had into the effort. We all heaved again, but this time, while everyone pushed, I exerted my angelic might, moving the pebbles beneath the orca so he could roll to his belly.

“Oh my goodness, I didn’t think we were going to budge him.” Josie turned to me, eyes questioning as she swiped her hair out of her face, leaving a trail of sand and seawater across her forehead.

“I may have helped a little,” I answered quietly.

I stumbled back a step as the ringing in my ears took on a strange, doubled quality. It was a sound like when two speakers were too close together, and I couldn’t help but grab my ears. It felt like my head was going to crack in two. I had to see this through, and quickly, or else I would be too incapacitated to help anyone.

“Caleb? Caleb! You’re scaring me. Tell me what I can do.” Josie held my shoulders, her worried face peering up at mine.

“It’s nearly time. I’ve got to get this whale back to sea, so they can—” I swayed on my feet and Josie held me tightly, not letting me pitch over.

“Come here. Back out of the way, and sit down. You don’t have to be touching the whale to help, and if you fall you might get crushed.” The water was nearly to our knees now, coming in much more rapidly than usual.

Was that why I was having trouble? Had I used too much power, trying to call the tide?

I didn’t know, but what was done was done.

“Everyone to the front! The stretcher is here. Let’s see if we can get it under him, and get him off these rocks!” Axel bellowed, and volunteers darted this way and that, everyone trying to grab a section of the thick orange fabric. Josie guidedme to a drier area, away from the rising tide, and looped her arm around my waist as we watched the people work.

Marigold and Axel were side by side, shoulder to shoulder as they helped tug and maneuvered the stretcher alongside the team that brought it. Watching them work like a well-oiled machine brought a smile to my face, despite how terrible I felt.

The water was coming in faster now, already lapping at our toes even though we’d come a long way up the beach. I felt a siphoning sensation, as if something was draining out of my chest, and I realized with a start that I was still calling the tide. I didn’t know how to stop it, nor if I could, until the whale was back out to sea. The volunteers continued working the stretcher underneath him, but I had to speed things along.

Closing my eyes, I blocked out everything else. Everything except the salty ocean breeze and the feel of Josie’s arms around my waist. And Ipushed.

Reaching down deep, to the core of my being, I tapped into the fount of golden divinity that resided inside of me. I leaned into Josie, pressing my cheek to her forehead, and the skin-to-skin contact made my power swell, eager under my direction. Forming it into a scoop-like shape, I urged it under andup, easing the way for the humans working to save the orca.

Shouts of encouragement rose from the beach, but the tin ringing in my ears grew to drown them out, reaching higher and higher.

I felt more than heard Josie gasp at my side, and then she was shaking me. “Caleb! It’s done! Caleb, open your eyes! Shit, you’re glowing again. But I don’t think anyone’s paying attention, they’re all watching the orca.”

I did as she suggested and smiled at the sight of a black dorsal fin disappearing under the surf, the orca already speeding away from land, back to deeper waters where itbelonged. The volunteers were all cheering, many hugging, as a few of them dragged the stretcher back out of the water.

But that wasn’t what my eyes focused on. No, it was Axel, arms curled possessively around Marigold, the two of them locked in an earth-shattering kiss.

“We did it,” I mumbled the words as exhaustion threatened to take me under. I felt when the power I’d been calling snapped free, letting the tide go back to its usual rhythms.

“We sure did,” Josie murmured, pressing her lips to my cheek in a soft kiss.

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