Barachiel, one of the 15-book series in The Archangel Chronicles

(In this first excerpt, the stage is set for an extraordinary adventure.)   Chapter 1 The Office of Angelic Assistance, Archangel Michael, Director Heaven             Michael closed the massive book in front of him, rose from his desk and stretched. His glorious white wings unfurled, stretching, as well. The archangel was tall and muscular; his brown hair hung to his shoulders. Michael wore a soft, cream-colored tunic that fell to his knees, cinched simply at the waist; sandals laced up his calves. He exuded power and majesty. As he stretched, he tried to clear his mind in order to bring forth the perfect angel for this particular situation, which had been occupying his mind of late. He knew the case called for a special archangel, but all musing stopped when he heard a soft knock on his office door. He turned to the door, surprised, because visitors rarely knocked, but could sense when the archangel was free for conversation. There came another soft knock.           “Come in!” Michael called. “Door’s always open!” He watched with interest as the door slowly opened, and a young girl’s head suddenly appeared, with what looked like two red braids jutting from her head, her bangs falling into her eyes.           “Is this a good time, Sir?” she asked. “Could I have a minute of your time, please? I don’t want to interrupt, but I’m a big fan of yours, and I was hoping you might have a minute to talk to me, Sir.”           Michael softly chuckled, not wishing to frighten the youngster. Immediately, he was drawn to this young human.           “First of all, you don’t have to call me Sir. I’m an archangel, not a school principal. Please come inside so that I can see you properly. I have time for you, just as I have time for anyone, at any time, anywhere in the Universe, who wants to talk with me.”           The girl hesitated for another moment, took a deep breath, and stepped into the office. She looked to be about 14 years old, of average height, with green, inquisitive eyes, and freckles. Her hair was a deep red, which she wore in those errant, cockeyed braids, making her appear younger than her years. The girl was dressed simply in an emerald green top, boasting a peace sign, jeans, and black Converse sneakers. Michael smiled at his visitor, hoping it would relax her.           “Come over here. I’m not going to bite! Surely, if you have the courage to not only come find me, but knock on my door, you have the courage to take a few steps closer!”           Again, the girl took a deep breath, and walked slowly over to him. Her eyes darted around the room. “Nice digs!” she said with a shy smile.           “Glad it meets with your approval. Now, let’s start with your name.”           “It’s Ginger,” she replied. “I was named Ginger Marie –  you know, Ginger, like the color of my hair.” She paused a moment, wondering how much to share. Her beloved mother in her last lifetime had been forever telling her not to overshare – a tendency that had apparently been ingrained, since she was still concerned with self-correction. Ginger seemed to come to some decision and added, “My mother was a fan of old black and white classic movies, so loved Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, both famous movie star dancers, and so sharing a name with a big star, I rather consider myself to be from movie royalty!” She paused and suddenly, tap shoes appeared on her feet, and she did a quick demonstration, ending in a snappy flourish.           Again, Michael chuckled. “You certainly are a star in your own right, Ginger!” The angel gazed at her a moment. “I assume you know who I am, since you sought me out today.”           “You’re Michael of Archangel Fame!” She giggled. “I’ve always loved you, and heard about this mission of yours – linking archangels with kids in need of help.” She paused, seeming suddenly unsure of herself. Her voice dropped, as did her certainty. “I guess I was hoping you might need someone else to help with one of your cases. Not that you don’t have it down to a fine art, mind you, helping those in need around the world. Or Universe, or whatever. I just wanted you to know that I happen to be available if you do. You know, need someone. Like me.” Her head rose slightly, and she gazed into Michael’s eyes. “I think you’ll find that I can be very useful to you. I have loads of talents! Plus, having lived multiple lifetimes on Earth, I’m pretty much an expert on everything Earth, and so my assistance would prove to be invaluable!”            Michael resisted the urge to chuckle again, and smiled. “I see that. How fascinating that I was just going over a case, and it happens that we do need someone just like you to help. You would be under the supervision of a special archangel, and would assist kids your age, as needed. Interested?”            Ginger’s eyes widened, as her face lit up. “Oh, yes, Sir, I’m very interested! Thank you, Sir!” she whispered, as she started to back her way out of the room, bowing as she went.            “You don’t need to call me Sir or bow, Ginger. You and I are equals – partners – but that’s something you will better understand later, I suspect. Now, before you rush off, don’t you want to meet the archangel with whom you’ll be working?”             Ginger stopped dead in her tracks. “Are you saying that I can start now? I figured I just wanted to put a bug in your ear today – my Dad always said that – and hopefully, you’d fit me in within a few hundred years, although we both know there’s no linear time here. Just on Earth, speaking of which, I happen to be between lifetimes right now, so am available whenever it works for you. So to speak. And, I would love to meet the archangel! That would be awesome!” Ginger firmly closed her mouth, worried that perhaps, she had overshared. Again.           Suddenly, the room was filled with golden light. When Ginger’s eyes adjusted, she gasped, for a beautiful angel was smiling at her. The angel was almost as tall as Archangel Michael, but exuded a warm, feminine presence. Her hair was soft brown, and flowed half-way down her back, a thin gold band keeping it in place. She was dressed in a flowing white gown with pink, pale blue and gold sparkles. Her wings were not as large as Michael’s, and rather seemed delicate in nature, although a sense of immense power radiated from both the angel and her wings. In short, Ginger was delighted – especially when her gown moved, showcasing black Converse sneakers.        Ginger lifted up her own shoes. “You like sneakers, too!” Hoping that was an appropriate comment to make to this powerful archangel, she turned to Michael and whispered, “She’s so beautiful! Who is she?”        “Ginger, I’d like you to meet Archangel Barachiel [Ba-RASH-ee-ul]. Barachiel, my friend, it’s a pleasure to introduce you to my new friend, Ginger, who hails from movie star royalty! I believe she will make a great addition to our team here.”         Ginger stole a look at Michael to determine whether or not he was making fun of her, but found only a welcoming, loving presence, and relaxed a bit more.         Barachiel smiled at the young girl, who was nervously fiddling with her hands. “How lovely that we’ll be working together, Ginger! I look forward to getting to know you. We’ll be a great team!” She paused, holding out her hands toward Ginger. “Shall we get started?”        “But what about the case?” Ginger asked, as she moved toward Barachiel. “Do we know what we’re doing?” Barachiel smiled and nodded. “Sweet girl, archangels are powerful beings. I not only know about the case Michael wishes us to take on, but the best way to proceed. Now, let’s say goodbye so that Michael can get back to work. As you can imagine, he’s a very busy archangel.”         Ginger nodded, grasped Barachiel’s hands, and gazed at Michael with tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Sir. I promise, I won’t disappoint you or Archangel Barachiel, Sir!”         “Oh, you can’t possibly disappoint either one of us, Ginger. Enjoy your time with Barachiel and all you meet. I greatly look forward to hearing all about your adventures once you and Barachiel wrap up the case.”          As the angel and the girl walked through the door, Ginger called, “Goodbye, Sir! Thank you!”          Once again, Michael chuckled. “Ginger, for Heaven’s sake, you don’t have to call me Sir. I’m just Michael of Archangel Fame!” He waved goodbye, and turned back to his desk. Those two will be a great team, he thought. I can’t wait to hear all about it! He looked back at the door, but Barachiel and Ginger were gone.   (Excerpt from Barachiel from The Archangel Chronicles © Marty Boyle 2025. All Rights Reserved.)   https://www.martyboyle.com