Kaitlyn didn't get far before she skidded to a stop. There was a man on the ground. A police officer. He was lying on his side, his back facing her.

'Are you—are you okay?' she said quietly, hesitantly. A feeling of dread turned her cold. She glanced up at the roof but was at the wrong angle to see anything.

She walked around him, then turned away with a wince. He was so pale he was blue. His mouth was open. His eyelids seemed to hang over his eyes. One arm was stretched out, a gun gripped loosely in its fingertips. His other hand was clutching at his chest. Kaitlyn could smell the blood. She could see the dark patch beneath his hand.

He was dead. He was an actual body. She'd never seen one before.

Kaitlyn whipped her head around at the sound of more screaming. Forget him! Run! Run! Run!And she flung herself away. There was a road. Buildings. Trees. She found a footpath and raced ahead. Kaitlyn paused briefly to yank off her shoe. Her pounding footsteps sounded so loud in the silence, too loud. Could they hear her? She glanced up at the sky but all she saw were dark clouds and a half-moon drifting behind them. She needed shelter. She needed to hide.

She took a sharp left towards what looked like a park. If she could hide herself in the trees ...

Then she heard it—a familiar beating sound, faint against the ringing in her ears. But it was there! Her heart clenched as she turned to look over her shoulder. They were following. No longer looking like birds but great big bats. The moon gleamed against their wings—three of them.

With a cry, she raced ahead. There was no escape. Samuel was right—there was no way they were going to win this. She thought of the demons in her cell. How could they combat that? How many more Fallen were there?

Legions.

The beating became louder. Kaitlyn dropped into a crouch with a shriek, raising her arms over her head as one of them soared over her. It swooped skilfully, then landed with a thud in the grass in his bare, white feet. His back was facing her and Kaitlyn stared at his astonishing wings. They were beautiful, in a horrifying sort of way.

He turned.

Kaitlyn swallowed. He was so pale he glowed in the moonlight. His eyes were so deep in his head that they looked blacker than the night itself. Kaitlyn shivered as a chill ran up her spine. She would never forget their cold hands, their icy arms.

But there are those who aren't so good—dark angels. Those who have turned away from God.

Turned away from God.

Which meant he had been like Jacob once: breathtaking and beautiful and glorious. Had his wings been white? It was hard to comprehend such a thing with the way he looked now.

She turned at the sound of two more thuds as his companions landed behind her. They stood silently, their wings folding against their backs as they watched her. The same white skin. The same black eyes. Again, she couldn't comprehend how they could have once been as glorious as Zeke or Jacob or Catherine.

'You will come with us.'

Kaitlyn turned back to the first angel with a start. 'You-you speak.'

His thin lips gave a faint smile. It made the hair stand up on her arms. Kaitlyn's eyes flicked to the sky at a distant glitter—just a star. She looked back down again.

'I'm not going with you. He can't have me. He won't have me.'

'He will have you. It has been prophesized. You will come to him, whether now or the next time we meet.'

Kaitlyn shook her head. She took a step back, then stopped herself, suddenly remembering the others. Her eyes flicked to the sky again. Was it her imagination or was the star getting bigger?

'Take her,' the angel said.

Footsteps thudded. Kaitlyn shrieked and took off at a run. She didn't get far before an icy hand seized her wrist, yanking her back. She screamed as a heavy, cold arm wrapped around her chest. It was so freezing it made it hard to breathe. He tightened his grip around her until she was forced up against his chest. She panted. She gasped. Her lungs felt so damn tight, like she was drowning in icy water. He was suffocating her!

She looked up again. The glitter was now a ball of light, so bright the dark angels could no longer miss it. They all turned to look. Then she heard the distant sound of sirens. The bright light had to be a helicopter. Yes! Kaitlyn could hear the beating of its blades. And it was getting louder and louder. She let herself feel a rush of excitement—she was saved!

But what about what had happened at the police station? And what of the dead man? She recalled her own words: Guns won't do anything. Only fire.

Dread replaced her excitement. If the helicopter landed, if reinforcements arrived, it could prove to be so much worse. The police wouldn't be able to stop them. The angels would take Kaitlyn and leave the dead in their wake.

She looked over her shoulder as three more dark angels descended, thudding to the ground with their great black wings and white faces. None of them paid attention to her, their faces tilted to the sky and the gleaming light.

Kaitlyn turned back, and her heart leapt. She cried out. As it got closer and closer she saw that it wasn't one glow but five. It wasn't a helicopter at all. Five distinct balls of light. They were flying at high speed. The beating she was hearing wasn't from metal blades at all but powerful wings.

Angel wings.

The dark angel's arm fell away from her chest. Kaitlyn ran towards them, waving her arms. 'Here! I'm over here!'

Kaitlyn lifted her hand against the sharpness of the light as they soared above. They left a blazing trail behind them that turned the night sky bright. She arched back her head, getting a good look at their blazing underbellies. They didn't seem real. Their wings were so big! A sudden swell of emotion dropped her to her knees. It made her eyes tear up. It made the tears pour down her cheeks. She bowed her head.

Five thuds. One after the other. From all directions. She looked up. They stood around her like towering white pillars, their magnificent wings outspread, their hair and skin blazing. They were facing outwards towards their enemies. Defending her. Protecting her. They were so bright she couldn't recognise who was who.

Then she heard a voice.

'Leave her. You cannot have her.' His voice was deep and commanding but Kaitlyn recognised it instantly—Jacob.

Kaitlyn's eyes ached against the light, they burned, but she forced herself to watch.

'He will have her, one way or another,' she heard the dark angel speak. He paused. 'Jacob?'

'Tyrone,' Jacob answered back.

A long pause followed. The dark angel spoke again. 'You cannot protect her forever. The time of the angel draws nigh. Will you not join with us, Jacob? Do you not want to take back what is rightfully ours? The humans have stolen so much—the Earth, God's love. Don't you want it back? You did so once.'

The sirens were growing so loud it was becoming hard to hear what they were saying.

'A long time ago. A time I'd rather forget,' Jacob said. 'Keep your snake lips shut. Withdraw!' One of the bright white pillars stepped forward, and Kaitlyn knew it was Jacob. One by one, the others did the same. 'Withdraw!'

The five angels took another step, then paused. There was a powerful flash of light which made Kaitlyn snap her eyes shut with a cry. She covered her head. She heard snarling and whining. A man screamed. Then the whirling sirens of distant police cars began to overwhelm everything. She heard the thudding of wings and they were so powerful she could feel them vibrating in the ground.

Then she heard Jacob's gentle voice: 'Kaitlyn, get up.' It was barely a murmur but unexpectedly close to her ear.

She snapped up her head in surprise. She tried to open her eyes but couldn't. 'I can't see.'

'No need to. I will guide you.'

She staggered as she stood. Warm grips helped steady her. Warm hands touched her. Warm arms embraced her. She gasped and flung out her arms in surprise when someone lifted her up. Finding a neck, she latched on, pressing her face into a warm, hard shoulder. The sirens whirled. Wings thundered in the air. And amid it all was the sound of her pounding heart.

Kaitlyn knew she was flying. She could feel the coldness of the air. She could feel herself bump with every beat of their powerful wings. Despite the warmth of the body she was clinging onto, goose bumps broke out all over her as the air turned icy, gusting up through her pants legs and down her top.

Soon, the sound of the sirens faded and all she could hear was the sound of thudding wings. Kaitlyn dared to open her eyes. The light was bearable now. The other angels had spread out across the sky, glowing like beacons, glittering like stars.

She wondered who was who.

She turned to see who was carrying her—Jacob, of course. But not the Jacob she knew. It was Jacob the angel. Jacob the star. The Jacob who looked like he'd been carved out of marble. He was expressionless as he fixed his green gaze ahead. High cheekbones. Square jaw. Perfect face. Flawless skin. He didn't look real.

Then there were his wings, blazing white and beautiful. They were so close she could pick out the individual feathers. Each of them seemed to glow with their own source of light. She so desperately wanted to reach out and touch them, to feel them between her fingers, but she dared not let go.

She looked down. Her heart did a little somersault. They were so high up that the town, whatever it was, was just a glimmer of lights. She ought to be frightened. She ought to be at least nervous. But she wasn't. Not when Jacob was holding her. His arms tight around her body. His chest warm against hers. Not when he'd saved her from that terrible place—from The Fallen, the demons, the death.

Kaitlyn bit her lip as she thought of the murdered police officer. He'd been bleeding from a chest wound. What had they done to him?

She turned back to Jacob. She wanted to say something. She needed to say something. But the noise of his wings and the blasting of the air stole her voice. The wind blew around her hair. It froze her face. The tip of her nose was numb.

Kaitlyn pressed her face into his shoulder.

For so long it felt like a dream that Kaitlyn couldn't be sure she hadn't actually fallen asleep. Then the sky tipped. The beating of his wings changed. They were descending. Kaitlyn wrapped her arms more tightly around Jacob's neck as she held her breath. Buildings rose up. Trees grew tall. Street lights. Roofs. Roads and parks. The moon gleamed upon a nearby lake.

He touched down gently. For a moment, they kept as they were, Jacob holding her, Kaitlyn gripping onto him tightly, her face buried against him, eyes closed to the world. Then he lowered her to her feet. She felt cool, damp grass between her toes.

Kaitlyn continued to hold onto him, gasping into his shoulder. The flight had been a wonder—a dream. She had felt safe. Even high up, it had calmed her nerves and fears. She'd felt at peace. Now that they were back on the ground, everything was starting to feel too real again. All the chaos and drama was just waiting to mess everything up again—she knew it. Kaitlyn tightened her arms around him. Jacob's embrace made everything better. Somehow, he kept the bad things at bay.

'Kaitlyn,' he whispered.

'No. Just let me hold you a bit longer.'

Jacob didn't object, resting his chin against her head.

She heard footsteps—the other angels. They sounded close but were giving the two of them their space. It was quiet, the breeze cool. She was frozen stiff from the flight but Jacob was quickly warming her up. Somewhere in the distance a sheep was bleating. A cow mooed. A car engine roared.

Finally, she opened her eyes. Around Jacob's bare shoulder she could see grass, trees. By the looks of it they were in the middle of a field. Beyond that she saw dark buildings, no lights except for a single street lamp. A sleepy town, wherever they were. To her right she saw Zeke. To her left was David. She looked around for Samuel and Catherine but couldn't find them.

The two angels kept their distance, surveying their surroundings like guards. They were looking their usual beautiful selves now but Kaitlyn couldn't so easily wipe away the sight of their blazing figures, their white wings. No matter how much she blinked she could still see them in her mind's eye, miraculous and impossible.

She'd been flying!

Slowly, she pulled away. Jacob was the same as them. Gone was his towering figure and burning light and glorious wings. Now he was just his usual extraordinary self. She tried to meet his eyes but couldn't. It was hard to look at him now, knowing how truly awesome he was. All that power and greatness. Even his touch made her feel strange. To be carried high in the sky by a flying myth was not something she was going to get over so easily.

'Kaitlyn, I'm still the same man,' he said, as though he could read her mind. Kaitlyn wasn't convinced he couldn't.

Biting her lip, Kaitlyn could only shake her head, unable to answer.

He held out his hand. 'Come, we must find safety. Already, The Fallen will be tracking us.'

Kaitlyn took it. He turned and she followed him through the field. And it was a real field, with actual cows and sheep and thick round patties she did her best not to step in.

'Where are we go—?' Kaitlyn looked across her shoulder at the sound of a car. Gravel crunched, brakes whined, as a large, black truck pulled up. Two hooded figures were sitting in the front seats.

Kaitlyn raised her eyebrows. After all that had happened, they were going to drive? She looked at Jacob questioningly.

He smiled. 'We've already left a trail of witnesses behind. We glow too brightly. They'll find us.'

They walked up to the truck. Jacob opened the rear door for her and Kaitlyn climbed in, though with some difficulty; her hands were numb and her joints were still stiff. When Kaitlyn was safely in her seat, Catherine smiled at her from the passenger seat.

Climbing in beside Kaitlyn, Jacob slammed the door shut. Samuel put his foot down and the car shot ahead.

'What about Zeke and David?' Kaitlyn asked.

'They'll find their own way,' Jacob said.

Kaitlyn gripped onto herself with a shiver. Catherine handed a blanket over to Jacob.

'Thank you,' Kaitlyn said with a faint smile as Jacob wrapped her in it.

'Are you hurt?' Jacob asked. 'Did they touch you?'

Kaitlyn shook her head. She swallowed. 'Not me. They-they killed someone, though. A police officer.'

Samuel jerked his eyes to the rearview mirror.

Jacob nodded. 'We know. We saw.'

Kaitlyn heard the pain in his voice. His emerald eyes were shining with tears.

'Oh, Jacob.' She touched his face.

'It is the worst crime for an angel—to harm a human. To harm God's children is to harm Him. There is no coming back from that. Whoever was responsible will never know God's light again. They will forever be forsaken.'

'As it should be,' Samuel said.

'As it should be,' Jacob agreed. He took her hand from his cheek and smoothed it between both of his own.

'That is why we had to leave you,' Catherine said, the regret clear in her voice. The angel's forehead was crinkled up and she was frowning as she looked over at Kaitlyn. 'I'm sorry, Kaitlyn. We're all sorry for leaving you.'

'It's okay,' Kaitlyn said. 'You're here with me now. You saved me.' Though she tried her best, she couldn't keep the accusation out of her voice.

'I know we hurt you,' Catherine continued. 'Please understand that though we can fight Satan's forces with all our might, it can't be the same with God's children. It is our greatest strength—and our greatest weakness.'

'One which Satan will exploit to the fullest,' Samuel said.

Kaitlyn bit her lip. She tried to open her heart. She tried to understand and forgive but she couldn't get the horror of seeing that demon out of her mind. She couldn't get the sight of that poor police officer out of her thoughts. What if they hadn't arrived in time? Already, she could be in Satan's hands. In Satan's home.

In Satan's bed.

Kaitlyn turned away from Catherine's guilty face, dropping her eyes to Jacob's hands instead. She smoothed her thumb over his knuckles. 'Thank you for coming back.'

'I said I would.'

She cleared her throat as she continued to stroke his knuckles, unable to look at him, unable to look at any of them.

'Go on, ask me,' Jacob said.

Kaitlyn jerked her eyes to his. His kind, emerald eyes gazed patiently into hers. 'You-you sounded like you knew him,' she said. 'The dark angel you spoke with.'

'I do. His name is Tyrone—and as far as I know, he's Satan's righthand angel.'

'How do you know him?'

Jacob's lips thinned. Outside, trees whooshed past. Samuel's yellow eyes were watching them through the rearview mirror.

'Because I was one of them once. One of The Fallen.'

Kaitlyn stared at him, her heart pounding in her throat. 'What? Y-you? But-but ... no. How could that be? You're so ... you're so ...'

He gave her a wan smile. 'No matter what we might seem on the outside, we are not perfect. That goes for angels as much as it goes for humans.'

Kaitlyn was speechless. How could he have been one of them? Jacob's hands were too warm to have ever been icy. She tried to picture him with the same black hair, the same dead eyes. It twisted her belly to think that he could have been so ... not Jacob. The miraculous, gentle, loving Jacob she'd come to know so well.

'It was a long time ago—and God has since forgiven me,' Jacob said. He searched her eyes. 'Does it affect how you perceive me?'

'No-no.' She squeezed his hand. 'If anything, it makes me feel a little ... better. As you say, you're not perfect.'

All the confusion. All the pain. All the rage. You're an ideal vessel for the Dark One's rebirth. But Jacob was the same. All the angels were. Even amid all their Godly light and kindness and power, they struggled against the same darkness.

Even angels.

Irresistible. We knew each other ...

Looking down at their combined hands, Kaitlyn smoothed her other hand over his. She supposed it ought to make her frightened that her protectors weren't indestructible—but it didn't.

'No,' she said more firmly. She intertwined their fingers, then lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed it. It was a daring thing to do but he didn't pull away.

She glanced into his emerald eyes before letting him go and lying down with her head in his lap. Jacob helped pull up her blanket, then rested a warm hand upon her shoulder.