'Kaitlyn.'

Kaitlyn moaned as someone rubbed at her shoulder. She felt so comfortable; she didn't want to wake up.

'Kaitlyn.'

She opened her eyes at the unexpected firmness in Zeke's voice. She looked up at him. He looked grim but the hand on her forehead was warm and gentle. He'd kept it there since the beginning of the drive.

'You must get up.'

'Are we safe?'

'We're safe.'

Slowly, she sat up. She blinked away the heaviness in her eyes. Despite driving for hours, she was still tired, only catching brief snatches of sleep.

They had stopped and it was dark through the car windows. It was quiet. She could hear crickets and frogs. No traffic. No barking dogs. No loud televisions. Wherever she was, she was far away from home.

Zeke helped her out of the car, then helped to hold her up as she hobbled towards what looked like an abandoned building—another church. The crucifix at the top of the door gleamed against the moonlight. Her body was aching. She felt dizzy and sick. The grazes on her cheeks, knees and hands stung. She felt so haggard. It had been ages since she'd eaten Father Alex's breakfast but her hunger was nothing against the fire in her throat. Her lips were cracked and she tasted blood when she tried to lick them with her dry tongue.

'Water,' she said.

'We'll get you some water. But first you must get inside. You'll be safe there.'

'A church again.'

'It's hallowed ground. We are invisible to the Fallen here. At least, for a time.'

He had her sit in one of the pews. It was a cool night and the stark stone walls weren't helping with the goose bumps erupting all up her legs. The place was definitely abandoned. The windows didn't have glass and there were gaps in the roof. There was no lighting and probably no electricity. She held herself.

Zeke noticed her discomfort. Sitting next to her, he pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'Jacob and the others will arrive soon with some supplies.'

'Are they okay?' she said guiltily, thinking of the dazzling figures she'd glimpsed through the window. Had that really been them?

'They're fine. They're powerful. It takes a lot to harm us.'

She wiped at her nose. 'I'm sorry for leaving. That was stupid.'

'It was stupid,' came a voice. Kaitlyn turned. It was the driver, the angel with the tanned skin and brown hair. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and frowning.

'Samuel,' Zeke warned him.

'They almost took you,' he continued, ignoring Zeke. 'If we hadn't arrived in time you would now been in Satan's clutches and The Reckoning would be upon us and all that you know and love would be consumed by hellfire.' His voice echoed around the nave. His aura of light meant she could see his glaring, yellow eyes even from across the aisle.

Feeling strangely angry herself, she glared back at him, her hands fisted on her knees. 'I was scared. I was in shock. I didn't know what to do. What else can I say?'

'What gave you cause to think that we weren't trustworthy? How much proof does a human need in order to believe?'

Kaitlyn lifted her chin. '"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ".'

Zeke and Samuel looked at each other.

'She's got you there, Samuel,' Zeke said in surprise.

Samuel looked at her. '"No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light".' An impressed smile tugged at his lips. '2 Corinthians 11:13. You know your bible verses.'

Kaitlyn nodded but didn't smile back.

They all turned as a bright light flashed through the windows. For a moment Kaitlyn thought of more angels, but it was only a car pulling up.

Zeke stood. 'They're here.'

Kaitlyn watched, suddenly feeling nervous as Zeke opened the door. Two figures in hoodies entered, their arms full of bags and blankets and a variety of unidentifiable things. Kaitlyn stared as they pulled back their hoods. One of them was the redhead, but the other was someone new—a woman. Tall, beautiful and powerful-looking with that same brightness to her face as the others. She smiled at Kaitlyn. Her eyes were a magnificent deep blue.

Then in followed Jacob.

His emerald eyes scanned the church briefly before falling upon her. He smiled warmly. She smiled uncertainly back. He was wearing his usual grey sweater. He was carrying two bags. Kaitlyn's mouth watered at the smell of hot food.

'Is that everything?' Zeke asked.

Jacob nodded and Zeke closed the door behind them.

Jacob lowered his bags onto a pew. 'Are you okay, Kaitlyn? Are you hurt?'

She shook her head as the tears suddenly welled in her eyes. Turning away she wiped at her face, frustrated and embarrassed. 'Sorry. I don't know why I'm upset.' She wiped at her face again. 'I'm sorry ... I'm sorry ...' She sucked in a choking breath.

Where was all this emotion coming from? Why wasn't she stronger than this? She didn't usually cry. Why was she asking it? She knew the answer. It was because of them. Why did they have to treat her so gently? Why did they have to be so kind? She wasn't used to it.

Kaitlyn cleared her throat. 'Have you got some water?'

'Here,' Jacob said, reaching into one of his bags.

Kaitlyn went over and took the bottle without looking at him, then went back and sat in her pew. Averting her eyes, she drank. Once she was done, she put down the bottle on the seat beside her, took a breath and turned to face them all.

She blinked in surprise. 'Where'd they go?' She looked around the church. Other than her and Jacob, the nave was empty. She hadn't even heard them walk away.

'They've made themselves scarce so we can talk,' Jacob said. He was sitting in the pew opposite her across the aisle. His emerald eyes were watching her closely.

'Talk? Am I-am I in trouble?'

'Do you think you're in trouble, Kaitlyn?'

She didn't answer.

'You're not in trouble, but I can sense something is wrong. A new darkness cloaks your heart, and I sense it has something to do with me.'

Damn her eyes! They were filling again. She couldn't look at him: the warmth in his face, the gentleness in his wondrous green eyes. He was more than beautiful—he was glorious.

She swallowed and took another drink as she turned away. She didn't feel so cold now, starting to sweat.

'I ... er ... I overheard you speaking with that priest when I was ... when I was on my way to the bathroom. You-you were talking about me. You said—' she paused as she braced herself—'you said my heart was filled with snakes.' Something hard and round swelled in her throat. Looking away, Kaitlyn held the bottle by the neck in her fingers. She twirled it around, watching as the water swished about. She watched it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. 'You said you couldn't trust me.' She hunched up her shoulders. 'After all that's happened, I guess you were right.'

There was a stretch of silence, filled with the distant sound of crickets. Then laughter burst through the church. She turned to Jacob in surprise.

'Oh, Kaitlyn, if you're going to eavesdrop, then make sure to eavesdrop on the entire conversation. I wasn't talking about you.'

'You-you weren't?' A great weight seemed to fall from her shoulders.

He smiled at her. 'No. I was talking about the Bride of Christ—the Church. "Her heart is filled with snakes"—and indeed, I was right. You saw it for yourself today when they tried to murder you.'

Kaitlyn gazed at him. The Church! The Bride of Christ. It was such an old way of referring to it that she'd missed it entirely. She was such an idiot!

'Is that what drove you away?' he said.

'Some. I was frightened too. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't convinced of who you were.'

'You are right to be distrustful. It's smart. You shouldn't trust anyone.'

She smiled. 'Except for you.'

'Except for me.'

They gazed at each other. Kaitlyn's heart fluttered. Putting down her bottle, she stood. Jacob did the same. He met her in the aisle, clasping her to his chest in a tender but firm embrace. Kaitlyn pressed her face into his shoulder with a shuddering breath.

'Are you going to stay with me until this is all over?' she asked, her voice muffled against his sweater.

'Until the end.'

She held him more tightly. He was so warm, so comforting. It had been so long since she'd held a man, even if that man wasn't quite a man and just a friend. She pulled away. 'I'm sorry I doubted you.'

He smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead. He touched her cheek. Closing her eyes, Kaitlyn leaned into his touch. 'No more apologies. No more doubt. You're safe now and that's all that matters.'

He stroked her cheek with his thumb and Kaitlyn winced at the sting.

'You're hurt,' he said.

'Only a little.'

'Come and sit.'

They sat together on a pew. They were so close. His eyes turned distant as he focused on something she couldn't understand and it gave Kaitlyn the opportunity to gaze into his face, to really look at him. Her heart pounded. Something sagged inside her chest.

His emerald eyes seemed brighter than usual as he gently dragged his thumbs over the grazes on her cheeks. His hands were so warm—unnaturally warm. So warm they made her face hot. She winced. Her cheeks were tingling strangely. Then his hands fell away. Kaitlyn reached up to touch herself. She gasped in surprise.

The grazes were gone.

'Show me where else you're hurt,' he said.