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Head in the clouds. Feet on the ground. Heart in the story. Christa Kinde is a cheerful homebody whose imagination takes her to new places with every passing day. Making her home between misty mornings and brimming bookshelves in Southern California, she keeps her lively family close and her trusty laptop closer. Christa has been writing for more than a decade, producing numerous workbooks and study guides for Max Lucado, John MacArthur, and Women of Faith.  

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The Hidden Deep

ZONDERVAN

Contents

Chapter 1 The Naming Debacle.......................9Chapter 2 The Bumper Crop..........................25Chapter 3 The Model Student........................39Chapter 4 The Steady Hand..........................50Chapter 5 The Frantic Hostess......................60Chapter 6 The Lost Lamb............................82Chapter 7 The Park Rangers.........................98Chapter 8 The Bench Warmer.........................115Chapter 9 The First Rehearsal......................130Chapter 10 The Fall Festival.......................143Chapter 11 The Almost Twin.........................162Chapter 12 The Group Project.......................178Chapter 13 The Stone Stairs........................191Chapter 14 The Crowded Kitchen.....................205Chapter 15 The Awkward Apology.....................217Chapter 16 The Waking Dream........................226Glossary Order of Angels..........................237

Chapter One

Milo cut through the air, skimming across shifting beams of light with what looked like reckless abandon. However, this angel had learned caution. Though there was joy in his flight, he continuously scanned above and below for signs of danger. Just off his flank, a flare of dusky purple revealed the presence of his armor-clad companion. Taweel flew with sword in hand, ready to defend his teammate.

"Race you back!" Milo challenged, folding outstretched wings and streaking through a sky as blue as his eyes.

With a soft grunt that may have been amusement, the Guardian followed.

Just north of the small town of West Edinton, the Messenger banked into a steep spiral that ended with an expert flick and fold, then he climbed back into the driver's seat of his old, green car. Checking his reflection in the rearview mirror, Milo ran his hand over short-cropped blond curls and buckled the seat belt across his mailman's uniform. As the engine rumbled to life, Taweel leaned down to peer through the open window.

"We'll try again after I finish my route," Milo promised. Then he put the car in gear and took off down the road, kicking up gravel and a small cloud of dust.

* * *

Prissie and her next-younger brother Beau climbed onto the white-painted plank fence that stood behind the twin mailboxes at the end of their long driveway. An oval sign showing an overflowing basket of apples proudly announced Pomeroy Orchard, and the block letters on the pair of red and white flags on either side of the gate let people know that the apple barn was open for business.

Throughout the summer months, afternoons had found Prissie right here, waiting for the mail, but today was different. Today, she was waiting for the school bus. Settling onto her perch, she crossed her ankles in a ladylike manner and smoothed the skirt of her pink and white sundress. "It shouldn't be much longer," she remarked, gazing off in the direction of the highway.

Beau nodded. He never said much. To be honest, Prissie was a little surprised the thirteen-year-old had volunteered to join her. He usually buried himself in a book or spent time on the computer after school. Their bus had dropped them off nearly an hour ago, but they were waiting on Zeke and Jude, who would be arriving on the elementary bus.

Six-year-old Jude was going to school "for real" this year. According to him, kindergarten was just a warm-up, but he was finally following in the footsteps of his older siblings. At Momma's request, all of the Pomeroy kids were sticking around the house to have milk and cookies with the little guy to celebrate his milestone. Prissie and Beau listened closely for the telltale rumble of an engine, but the only sound was the lazy buzz of the bees that droned in the riot of purple coneflowers that Grandma Nell had planted around the mailboxes.

"You think the bus will beat Milo?" Beau asked.

Prissie favored her brother with a long look, trying to decide if he was teasing her. Milo Leggett was a long-time family friend, and her fondness for him was something of a sore spot. Everyone in town knew the young man, but Prissie always thought of him as theirs. He went to their church, taught Zeke's Sunday school class, and regularly dropped in to chat since their farm was the last stop on his route. Milo's visits had been a cause for excitement ever since she was a little girl because he was special. Of course, up until this last July, she hadn't realized just how special.

There was no sly glint in Beau's blue eyes, so Prissie resisted the urge to snip. "It'll probably be close. They might even get here at the same time."

"Jude would like that," he remarked thoughtfully.

Privately hoping Milo's timing was providential today, she replied, "It would be nice."

Another minute ticked by before Beau spoke again. "Say, Priss ... about Koji." He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Prissie began to fiddle with the end of one honey-colored braid. Was this why Beau was here? In a house as crowded as theirs, it wasn't easy to hold a private conversation, and it was even harder to find a time when Prissie and Koji weren't together. The boy probably would have been with her now except that he'd begged Grandpa Pete to let him help out with the farm animals. Tad was showing Koji the ropes of his new responsibilities.

"Did he do okay at school today?"

"Of course!" she said defensively. "I made sure of it!"

Officially, Koji was an exchange student who was boarding with the Pomeroy family for the year. To everyone else, he seemed like an overly curious boy with exotic features—golden skin, almond-shaped eyes, and glossy, black, shoulder-length hair. Her whole family believed he was from a set of tiny islands in the middle of the Pacific.

Only Prissie knew the truth.

Meeting Koji had been an accident, or at least something that didn't happen very often. For reasons no one yet understood, Prissie had spotted the young angel watching her from a branch in one of her grandfather's apple trees. In the weeks after that first meeting, one thing led to another. Or maybe it was better to say that one angel led to another.

Prissie had discovered that angels were living as regular people in and around West Edinton. It had been hard learning that Milo was one of them. Their mailman was a Messenger, as was his mentor, Harken Mercer, who owned a used bookstore on Main Street. After getting over her initial shock, they'd introduced her to Baird and Kester, "Worshipers" who led music at the DeeVee, a church down in Harper.

Since then, she'd met or heard about other varieties of angels. Each had a special role. For instance, Koji was an apprentice Observer, and he was thrilled by his chance to live as a human instead of just watching them from afar. For the most part, Prissie didn't mind having him around. Koji's delight was contagious. He'd proven himself a good friend, but it was still difficult to reconcile everyday things with the fantastical ones she'd witnessed.

Beau stared up into the sky. "Koji can be strange."

"How do you mean?" Prissie asked carefully.

"Well, I know he's from another country and everything, but some of the questions he asks are way out there. It's almost like he's from another planet."

She rolled her eyes. "He's not an alien."

"I know, I know," Beau muttered. "But sometimes he takes foreign to a whole different level. Have you ever tried to explain sneezing to someone? And he'd never tasted bananas...