'ENOUGH!'

Jacob felt the energy shoot through him so fast that it exploded out of him in a bang! The room shuddered. He hadn't meant to transform but on some rare occasions he couldn't control it. He felt his wings burst out of his back. Then his body flooded with warmth. He raised his arms as he felt something inside him lift. God's light began to blaze out of him ... and blaze and blaze until he was as bright as a star. Amid the flood of light, he could see Kaitlyn huddled against the wall. So small. So vulnerable.

So human.

'Stop!' she cried.

Pity added to the warmth in Jacob's chest and he felt the energy drain away through his fingertips as quickly as a wave draws back from the shore until he merely gleamed, not blazed, and his wings faded into the darkness.

By the time she'd fled the room, he was his usual self again. Or, at least, he was how Kaitlyn perceived him.

Jacob studied the room: her tussled blankets, the flickering lamplight, the darkness in the corners, putting it together in his ancient mind like a puzzle. Crouching, he laid his hand against her pillow, still warm from her head. A little too warm. He raised his nose to the air. The smell was faint but unmissable to one who knew too much.

Sulphur. Smoke.

He could almost feel the heat against his skin. He could almost hear the crackle of the flames. All too familiar. Kaitlyn's cries echoed in his ears: I almost told him. I almost told him!

But she hadn't. In her frail human body, in her young, fragile mind, she was stronger than Jacob was. But for how long?

He stood and turned. Catherine and Samuel were watching him from the doorway. Samuel's arms were folded. Catherine's head was cocked.

'Do not doubt me,' Jacob said.

'Have we reason to doubt you?' Samuel said.

'No.'

'Even now, we can feel the pull in your heart,' Catherine said.

'Are you sure you are free of him?' Samuel said.

'Unequivocally. It is a fading memory—that is all,' Jacob said.

Samuel grunted.

They stepped aside to let Jacob pass as he walked down the hall. As he returned to the nave, David looked over his shoulder at him. By the front door and in the middle of the aisle, Ezekiel was holding the girl in his arms, his long black hair tumbling down his back.

Jacob gazed at them both, feeling a stirring within himself that was surprising. Kaitlyn's dark hair shone an autumn shade of red against the flickering light of a nearby candle. She was clawing desperately at Ezekiel's back. Again, Jacob's heart warmed but it wasn't from pity this time.

Again, surprising.

Jacob met David's piercing violet gaze before turning away and leaving them to it.

There were more rooms down the back of the crumbling church that could give them some privacy away from prying human ears. Jacob wouldn't make the same mistake twice. His mouth twitched as he remembered the almost catastrophic results after the last time Kaitlyn had eavesdropped on a private conversation.

The room was small and empty. A window looked out onto the small graveyard beyond. Dawn's grey light illuminated a stone angel. One of its wings was broken at the tip and it was covered in moss. A cool breeze brushed through Jacob's short, dark hair. It would have chilled a human but as an angel Jacob felt nothing.

He sensed only emptiness from the graveyard, the souls long departed. The church was hundreds of years old but the power it held was young and eternal. The presence of God was strong here. They'd been lucky to find it. It was going to be a shame to leave.

'But we must,' David said, ducking through the door.

'And as soon as possible,' Catherine added.

Mutely, Samuel followed them both inside. If the room was small, it felt tiny now with all four of them crammed in.

'It's not only that,' Jacob said. 'I must leave. At least, for a little while.'

'God tasked you with her protection,' David said.

'You cannot leave. Not when Satan draws closer,' Samuel said.

'He tasked us all. I am only one of five. You are all she needs. Besides, I will return. I must.'

'You are the strongest among us,' Catherine argued.

'And the most vulnerable.' Jacob looked away through the window towards the stone angel.

David shook his head. Samuel narrowed his yellow eyes. Catherine leaned against the wall with her arms folded. Their disapproval was clear. No matter how much Jacob wanted to guard his heart, there could be no secrets between them.

'I must at least consider it,' Jacob said. 'With each passing day their connection grows. And I, above all, know how dangerous that can be. There is a long time between now and the end. She will not be able to resist forever. At some point Kaitlyn will betray us.'

'You underestimate her,' David said.

'No. I don't underestimate him.'

'You cannot,' Samuel said. 'It will mean losing your light. It will mean losing your power. You will be helpless against the dark forces. What use will you be to her then?'

'What use will any of us be if she walks straight into his waiting embrace? The greatest dark force rests in her heart and I will help her fight it.'

Silence fell. Frogs croaked happily from a small stream flowing down the back of the church grounds.

'It is your choice, of course,' Catherine said.

'My decision isn't set. I must talk with God,' Jacob said. 'When I have come to an answer, I shall return.'

By the time they returned to the nave, it had brightened considerably. Ezekiel had set up breakfast but Kaitlyn wasn't yet eating, standing by the chancel steps. Jacob's eyes lingered over her. Briefly, her dark eyes met his. Ezekiel was sitting in one of the pews, waiting for them. He stood.

'Have some breakfast, then gather your things,' David told Kaitlyn. 'We should not delay.'

'In a moment,' Jacob said. 'Kaitlyn and I need a word.'

Kaitlyn watched as his brother angels left, unable to meet his eye. Though she hid it well, Jacob could see that he'd frightened her badly. It was a shock to him too—the way he'd lost control. That was why he had to leave. He needed space to think. He needed to be away from her so he could speak with God clearly, without complications. Without the increasing turmoil he was feeling inside him.

'I'm sorry,' she said finally when the door shut behind them, the tears thickening her voice. 'I don't know what came over me.'

'I know what came over you. Don't be sorry.' He walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. It felt good to touch her—better than it should. And again it made him more convinced than ever that leaving was the right decision. 'I'm sorry for frightening you.'

'Are you angry with me?'

'No. But I must leave you for a while.'

'What? You said you weren't angry!' Kaitlyn stepped back. His hands slid from her shoulders. 'It won't happen again, I-I promise!'

'Kaitlyn. Look at me. Do I look angry?'

She raised her shimmering, dark eyes to his. 'But why are you leaving?'

'There are some questions I need answered. Important questions.'

'You can't answer them here?'

'No.'

She bit her lip. 'I don't want you to go.'

Something tightened in Jacob's chest. He held out his arms and Kaitlyn rushed into them.

'It's my job to protect you,' he said in her ear as he tightened his arms around her. She was so warm. He felt the wetness of her tears on his neck. He could feel the trembling in her shoulders. Her heart was beating rapidly against his chest. She was so full of life in a way an angel wasn't. In a way an angel couldn't be. For a moment, he wondered if maybe he should stay—but it was only for a moment. 'I'll be back soon. Very soon. I promise.'

Letting her go, he turned to leave, then paused. The outside was waiting for him. Morning light gleamed through the windows. He heard a door slam shut as the others worked on the car. And behind him—he could feel Kaitlyn's pain. He could feel it like claws dragging down his back. He turned to face her. He knew he shouldn't. He could feel his brother angels' warnings; he could feel their disapproval. But the urge was too great. Besides, he wanted to impart to her a promise she could hold onto. One that she could truly believe. She'd suffered too much loss in her life for Jacob to add to it.

Leaning in, he kissed her on the lips.

Without looking at her, without waiting to see the effect, he walked down the nave and out the door. It was warm outside. Quiet. Except for his brother angels' tinkering on the car. They paused to look at him but didn't say anything.

Opening a door, David pulled out Jacob's grey sweater and gave it to him. 'Don't be long.'

Jacob nodded. Leaving them to their preparations, Jacob went to find his own transport. It was waiting for him amid some bushes at the side of the church. He pulled on his sweater. Kicking up the stand, he pushed the bike down the uneven gravel towards the road. He'd taken it days before when they'd found the blue pickup, knowing he would soon have need of it.

He glanced up at the sky. It would be considerably faster in the air but it just wasn't worth the risk of being spotted. Even if he flew beyond the clouds he would shine too bright, attracting the attention of his enemies. He pulled on his helmet and mounted.

Besides, it was good to experience the human world and all the excitement it could bring. If only occasionally. He revved the engine with a smile, then glanced over his shoulder. The others were busy with their packing. The great arched windows of the church were like eyes.

God was watching.

In a spew of dust and dirt, Jacob sped away with a roar.