Francis looked at him over the rim of the can of grape soda he'd just opened. "They didn't tell you?" The color of his eyes, deep clear red like the red part of the big crystal vase Tyler's grandmother took such care with, seemed entirely out of place.
Tyler shook his head, trying to remember if he'd ever seen anyone with eyes that color. "Just that I'd be safe here and the weird monsters that shouldn't exist that came to Miya's house would never find us here."
Francis nodded like he didn't hear the monster bits. "Come on. I'll tell you about it while I show you around." He stood and swept his arm around to include the whole room. "This is the rec room, obviously. There's video games, TV, music, board games, a pool table, and they'll add anything else we need." He pointed to each item on his list.
Not waiting, Francis headed out the door. Pointing back the way Tyler had come, he explained. "You saw the library back there, and the place where you started was the Conference Room. They all gather there to discuss whatever plans they happen to be working on at the moment." He turned and started the other direction, walking fast.
"What kind of plans?" Tyler had to rush to keep up.
Francis shrugged. "All sorts of things. They'll be going after the people who kidnapped you and Kassie soon."
Tyler thought about that, but only a little, because of the awesomeness of the place. "How 'bout you? What did they rescue you from? Was it bad?"
"I've always been here." Francis shook his head a little. "Well, since we came here, anyway. My dad is Kassern. The Ruby Archangel?"
Tyler stopped in his tracks.
The definitely older boy paused and turned a perfect grin at him. "What? Did you meet him?" Francis slid a hand in his front pocket. "He's really cool."
"An archangel is your dad?" Tyler's eyes couldn't get any wider.
Francis chuckled, his skinny red brows drawing together. "Is that…strange to you?" He swung slowly around and resumed the tour.
"Strange?" Tyler guffawed an incredulous laugh and trotted a couple steps to catch up. "Dude, that is…crazy cool!"
Francis smiled as though relieved.
Tyler couldn't believe the place. It really was like a castle for a king and all his royal family. Except secret. They'd made the outside look like a giant hunk of mountainous rock, which made it the coolest hideout ever.
They continued through the stone corridor, past the different sections that branched off every so often, until they came to a door ten times as big as the one into the library. If a knight could ride a horse through that one, he could drive a tank through this one. The door whooshed open and Francis led the way through.
"What's that?" Tyler looked down from a sort of ledge hanging thirty or so feet, about the same distance his Gramps had him stand from the target with his handgun, off the ground. "Looks like a game field or something."
Francis gave a soft laugh. "Yeah, a game field. Actually, training."
"For what?"
"Fighting demons." Tyler's heart lurched and Francis flashed an easy smile. "Which angel do you belong to, anyway?"
Tyler swallowed. "None. Th-that I know of. Am I…supposed to belong to one?" His heart raced with hope but Francis only shrugged.
"Not sure, really. My dad has a wife and a couple to train. You came with Lyght?"
Tyler nodded, eager. "Is that why he rescued us? Because he needed us?" It'd be wicked cool to fight at an angel's side, even against monsters like the one back at Miya's house. "I can fight. I'm really good with a hatchet. And a sling shot, but I'm best with a bow and arrow. And my Gramps was teaching me to shoot. I can trap stuff too. And I'm a rank fifty in Halo after only playing for two weeks. I'm a real fast learner."
Francis laughed a little, as if glad to hear it. "I'm sure you are. But for now, the training is for the ones in the Quads."
"Quads?"
"A married couple and the angels' wives, who are bonded to the angels and inherit some of their powers."
Dang. Tyler was none of those. He gazed down at the square field, probably two football field-lengths to each side. Above the square, the air shimmered in a sort of multi-colored haze to form an extra tall pyramid. It almost looked like one of the prisms from math class had been hit with a magnifier or something. He could imagine training to fight demons within that amazing space. Only he didn't have angel powers or any idea how to get them.
Francis chucked him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. We'll find a place for you in this operation."
Tyler's excitement returned. "Like I said, I'm a real fast learner."
"Hey," Francis whispered, "You wanna see something I'm working on?"