Back on the surface, inside the dimming purple barrier, the children and the massive black dog waited in taut silence. The protective barrier that had shielded them for so long was slowly thinning, its glow paling with each passing hour. The lake had changed as well. Not a trace of the milky-white mist remained. The water was now clear and transparent, so still it looked like polished glass.
Above it hovered six angels.
They did not glance at the children. They did not shift position or show impatience. They simply floated in formation over the lake, as if whatever mattered lay beneath the surface.
Half a day earlier, one of them had descended into the depths. He had not returned.
Ethan had not resurfaced either.
