

Fallen Angel

Prequel to Nathaniel Teen Angel

(Ominous series)

A novel by

Patricia Puddle

Copyright © 2014 Patricia Puddle

First Edition

Smashwords Edition

Cover Design by Patti Roberts: Paradox Book Cover Creations

Patricia Puddle on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patricia-Puddle/181142218596903

All rights reserved, including the rights to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of the copyright holder.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This book is aimed at older teens (New Adults) and adults. All main characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my sweetheart, the teenage boy I married, my best friend and husband, whose endless support and encouragement has helped me to learn what I never learned at school. Thank you for doing all the cooking so I could write this book, honey.

Chapter One

Devlin

Devlin ripped off his robe and dropped it at his feet. He wouldn't be needing that for a few of weeks. Pulling on his tight black jeans, he grinned. Phew, what a close call. When Archangel Michael demanded to see him earlier, he presumed it was for another lecture about his ungodly behaviour, especially since he'd just arrived back from watching a wet tee-shirt contest in Australia. Thank goodness he hadn't been spotted or Michael wouldn't have approved his guardianship of Madeline O'Connor's baby.

He ran his hands down his smooth muscly chest and smiled. Yes, his day had turned out a lot better than he thought and he was thrilled with his new assignment. Having a descendant of a fallen angel to guard would certainly keep his mind from forbidden distractions. He plucked his crucifix from his gown and shoved it in his pocket. Of course he intended to quit lusting over women, especially now. He'd waited eons for an opportunity to guard a mortal with the bloodline of an angel, and he wasn't about to ruin it because of his own stupidity.

As he gazed up at the gates of Heaven, he crossed himself. He'd known for a long time now that he wasn't really cut out to be a guardian, or even an angel for that matter. And if it wasn't for the friendship he had with Nathaniel, he would've seriously considered falling long ago. But for now, he had a reason for being, and a commitment he intended to keep.

Stretching his wings out, he began preening his feathers. He was pleased that the O'Connors lived in Australia. There was nothing more exhilarating then skyrocketing through the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean at night, especially if Nathaniel came along. He smirked. Whenever they raced each other across the Tasman Sea, they always seemed to argue over who'd won, but disagreeing with Nathaniel made it even more invigorating, and a great excuse for a wrestling match on a cliff top or mountain pinnacle.

Reminiscing about night-flying was making him restless and since his new protégé wasn't due for two weeks, he figured it was a good enough excuse to catch up with Nathaniel. Having time off was great, but he couldn't understand why Michael had only appointed him one ward. It didn't matter to him, but it was odd all the same. He shrugged. Oh well, there was no point worrying about it now; he was officially on leave.

Knowing Nathaniel was stationed on the north coast of New South Wales, Devlin decided to visit him while he had some time off. Plus he wanted to share his good news. After slicking his hair back with his fingers, he dived off his cloud and headed straight for Australia.

As he zoomed over the Coral Sea, he smiled. Like always, jetting through the stratosphere on a glorious sunny day invigorated him and reduced his urge to fall to Earth. Though he'd never told anyone how restless he was, he had a feeling Nathaniel sensed it. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but Nathaniel always seemed to steer him back on the right path. But no matter how hard he tried to stay on it, he never lasted more than a week. If it wasn't for Nathaniel's loyalty and encouragement, he guessed his wings would've been burnt to a crisp before now.

He couldn't remember how his obsession with women had started, but lately, it was taking over his every thought. He sighed. He didn't _want_ to lose his wings, so hopefully a few days of relaxation would be all he needed to wean from his addiction, then he could abstain for good. Besides, once his new protégé arrived, there'd be no time for anything else. He'd be guarding and studying her twenty-four-seven for the whole of her life.

Burning through the sky over Queensland, he gazed down at the beaches and high-rise buildings. It frustrated him that he couldn't be seen by mortals, especially knowing that fictitious action heroes were worshiped by them. He laughed. If humans knew that angels really did flit around the universe to save their sorry souls, they'd probably be too terrified to cope with it, though he chuckled at the thought of what the ladies might do.

With women on his mind again, he spread his wings and swerved left, sailing through the warm air along the Gold Coast. He was enjoying the scenery so much, he slowed his pace, letting the airstream ruffle his feathers as they carried him effortlessly through Surfers Paradise. When he spotted a young couple canoodling on a secluded beach, he licked his lips with envy, but then he realised where he was heading and silently cursed. Holy Crap. After his close call earlier, he knew he should get well away from there, and fast―but it was too late. Just the sight of that beautiful woman in a bathing suit had him wanting more. Swearing it was his last time, he continued along the coast, letting the breeze glide him over the estuaries and hi-rise buildings until he reached his favourite beach. As he searched for a place to hover, he noticed a voluptuous brunette with long tanned legs, and she was jogging towards the reef. Perfect.

When she stopped to catch her breath, Devlin swooped down in front of her and furled his wings behind his back. Wow! She was even more beautiful close up and her skin was flawless. He flexed his pectoral muscles. Being bare-chested made him feel sexy even if she couldn't see him.

As she leaned over to take her shoes off, he got a clear view of her ample breasts down the top of her bathing suit and he gasped with longing. They looked a lot firmer than he thought they would and he yearned to squeeze them. Holy Heaven! _What_ was he thinking?

She shook the sand from her sneakers before putting them back on, then she stood up and stretched, her face only inches from his.

Devlin froze. She seemed to be staring right at him with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. He blinked twice. Though he knew she couldn't _really_ see him, he licked his lips and gazed at her plump full mouth. Jeez, she was sexy.

Humming to herself, she pulled her long hair into a ponytail and tied it with a band from her wrist. Devlin frowned. Instead of enjoying being close to a woman like he normally did, he felt unhinged. Clenching his teeth, he stretched to his full height of six-foot-one. If he could just have ten minutes with her, he knew he'd have her trembling in his arms. He sighed. If only she could sense his presence, or at least see his aura. Though he didn't believe she would, he ran his hands down the sides of her body, but as he reached the curves of her hips, she shivered and rubbed her arms.

Devlin jaw dropped, then he slapped his thigh and laughed. Holy crap, she'd sensed him. She'd quivered at his touch and she knew he was there. He held his head in disbelief. How incredible, and he hadn't even touched her skin. Surely he couldn't have imagined it, could he? Nah, she was still trembling and she looked kind of nervous. Realising what he'd done, he quickly scanned the area to make sure Michael's messengers weren't spying on him. Darn it. What _was_ he thinking? Did he _want_ to lose his new protégé?

Grasping the danger of the gamble he'd just taken, he panicked and shot into the air, jetting as far away from the Gold Coast as he could. He couldn't believe he'd just tried to connect with a human woman, especially now when he had the perfect opportunity to learn more about fallen angels. Jeez, if he'd stayed there a moment longer, who knows what would have happened, and if he didn't get his wings burned off for this, he'd be surprised for sure.

As he zoomed over the New South Wale boarder, he kept glancing at his feathers. His dusky wings were his pride and joy and he was relieved they hadn't been scorched to ashes already. He certainly hadn't intended sacrificing them for a grope, or a kiss. He shook his head. Oh, why was he so darned weak? Crossing himself, he prayed to the Lord for forgiveness, then he made pledge to keep his lust under control so he'd never regress again.

Once he'd passed Coffs Harbour, he slowed his pace and began to relax. The views were spectacular, and as he glanced down at the forests, he smiled as a mob of kangaroos leapt through the wetlands and hopped into the woods. It was amazing how they bounced like balls so high above the water.

Hoping Nathaniel was at the lookout where they regularly met, he peered across at the ranges and hills. At least spending some quality time with his best friend would distract him from sinful thoughts. After ascending upwards to get a better view, he glided southwards towards Crescent Head. Then just like he'd hoped, he caught sight of a bright golden aura on the top of the cliff. There was no mistaking the Angel of Fire with his mop of curly hair and magnificent silver wings. Thrilled to see his best friend again, his mood brightened and he swept towards the lookout.

As he landed on the grass, he was pleased Nathaniel was still facing out to sea. Deciding to surprise him by crash-tacking him to the ground, he tiptoed towards him, but as he reached out to grab him around the knees, Nathaniel spun around and seized him in a headlock. "Devlin, what a lovely surprise."

Annoyed at being outsmarted, Devlin kicked Nathaniel's legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground. "Glad you liked it."

Within seconds, Nathaniel was back on his feet. "You'll never be fast enough for me, boy."

Devlin flipped his arm in the air, "Ah, you knew I was coming, you creep. You never miss a thing."

Nathaniel playfully jabbed him on the chin. "Well, if I'd let you push me off the cliff like you were planning, I'd have to really beat you up."

Looking him up and down, Devlin snorted. "Is that why you're wearing stretch girly pants?"

Nathaniel sat on the bench. "You know I hate wearing a robe. Anyway I'm between wards, what's your excuse?"

"I've got two weeks off."

Nathaniel stared at him. "But what if you get an assignment in the meantime?"

"I've already been given one, but the child's not due for two weeks."

" _Really?_ So where will you be stationed?"

Devlin beamed. "You won't believe this, but Michael's finally appointed me as the guardian to Madeline O'Connor's baby."

Nathaniel clasped his hand and shook it. "Congratulations, Devlin, you deserved that, especially since you were the first to apply for that child, and Creed Valley is great."

Devlin sat on the wooden bench next to him. "Yes, and I'm really excited about it. Plus, since I've got plenty of time off, I thought we could go for some well-earned night-flying. Are you up for it or have you got too much work on?"

Nathaniel's mouth broke into a beaming smile. "Oh, I'm up for it all right. I'm free until I get a new assignment."

"Great." Devlin glanced up at the setting sun. "As soon as it's dark, we'll head off."

Nathaniel stretched his arms and wings out. "Fine by me, I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too, it's been a while."

"Yeah, and it's great catching up again, but how did you know I'd be here?"

Devlin grinned. "I didn't, I was just hoping."

"Well, I'm glad you came. Anyway, what have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing, just working." Devlin looked away, hopping the guilt wouldn't show in his eyes.

Nathaniel nudged him. "Come on, Devlin. I bet you've done something daft. What is it?"

Staring at him, Devlin smirked. "Hey, my last ward just passed through the pearly gates. This is my first day off, so why would you say that?"

"Because your face is a dead giveaway, so come on, fess up."

Devlin rolled his eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not stupid enough to do anything to risk losing my new protégé."

Nathaniel chuckled. "If you say so, but I'm not buying it."

"Suit yourself." Devlin glanced around, wondering if Michael had sent his messengers to spy on him. It would explain Nathaniel's questions, though he was pretty sure he could trust him. They'd been friends for eons and he'd never been disloyal. Rubbing his chin, he decided to hold off on telling him about the child's bloodline. He couldn't afford to risk losing her now, and he might if Nathaniel innocently told Michael about the child's ancestry.

Leaning forward, Nathaniel peered at him. "You right there, you seem deep in thought."

Devlin gave him a wry smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. "But you don't seem fine."

Lowering his gaze, Devlin stared at his hands. "Nate, have you ever felt lonely?"

"Of course I have. We all get isolated sometimes, so it's natural to feel alone."

Devlin sighed. "I didn't mean for friendship. I meant longing for a woman."

His eyes wide, Nathaniel gripped his arm. "Devlin, _please_ tell me you're not thinking of falling?"

Devlin ran his hands through his hair. "No, of course not. I just wondered if you ever fantasised about being with a woman."

Nathaniel stared at his feet, his face impartial. "No, I can't say that I have, and to be honest, I wouldn't let myself think about such things. It's forbidden and it's dangerous."

Turning to face him, Devlin looked him in the eye. "So thoughts like that never just pop into your mind, then?"

A worried look crossed Nathaniel's face. "No, Devlin, they don't. Are _you_ having those thoughts?"

"Well they're not exactly a conscious thoughts, it's just that if I see a certain type of female, I sometimes.... well, you know." He threw his arms in the air. "Ah, what the heck. Who in Heaven would give up eternity for a life with a woman? Not me, that's for sure."

Nathaniel's lips curved into a smile. "Pleased to hear it. I'd be upset if you weren't around to keep me company. Plus I'd have no one to fight with."

Devlin snorted. "You won't have to worry about that, Nate. When I want to belt you, I'll find you wherever you're you are."

Nathaniel laughed. "Is that a promise or a threat?"

"A threat."

"That's okay then."

Devlin gave him a sincere smile. "Well, I hope you get sent to an interesting place. It's lonely enough sometimes when we can't leave our wards, and having pleasant surroundings helps."

"It doesn't matter where Michael sends me, Devlin. We can still meet up for night-flights, no matter what. We've always managed it before."

Devlin raised his brows. "Oh yeah, what about the time I got sent to the North Pole and was given so many wards, I couldn't get away for years?"

Amusement danced in Nathaniel's eyes. "Yeah, but you never did tell me what you did to deserve that?"

"Are you insinuating it was a _punishment_?"

"Well, was it?"

"Maybe."

"What did you do?"

Devlin grinned. "Apparently, I asked too many questions about fallen angels."

A smile spread across Nathaniel's lips. "So what's new? You've been doing that for decades. I'm sure if you were going to fall, you'd have already done it by now."

"Don't worry, Nate. I have no intention of falling. I love flying too much."

"Yeah, me too."

As they sat quietly watching the sunset, Devlin peeked at Nathaniel out the corner of his eye. He loved _him_ too much as well and didn't want to lose his best friend. There was no wonder Nathaniel was chosen to be the Angel of Fire. He wasn't just a fierce warrior with a will of steel, he was compassionate and smart. Devlin smiled. He couldn't have found a more loyal friend, and he'd never repeated anything he'd told him in confidence before, so hopefully he wouldn't tell Michael what they'd discussed today.

When Nathaniel stood up to preen his feather, Devlin stared at his powerful physique. They'd always competed in everything they did, and though it was all in fun, he wondered if Nathaniel had been with him at the beach earlier, which one of them the woman would have chosen if she was asked. Though they were practically the same height and build, Nathaniel had the kind of chiselled features that women adored, and he oozed charisma. Devlin squinted at him. If he didn't worship the creep so much, he'd be jealous of him for sure.

Nathaniel frowned. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

Devlin faked an evil look. "Because I want to beat you up."

"Anytime you're ready," said Nathaniel, flexing his biceps.

"I'll tell you what," said Devlin, jumping to his feet. "It's already twilight, so how about we battle after our race?"

"You're on," said Nathaniel. "But where are we going this time, America?"

"Suits me," said Devlin, but before he had a chance to count to three, Nathaniel had zoomed off into the clear night sky.

Growling like a bear, Devlin shot after him. "You bloody cheat!"

Chapter Two – Two Weeks later

Nathaniel

Nathaniel dived from his cloud and shot down through the sky, descending lower and lower over the South Pacific Ocean until he was only a mile above the sea. As he glided across the sun-drenched beaches, he wondered why he'd been summoned to the birth of Madeline O'Connor's baby. Though he prayed there wasn't a problem with the delivery, he was looking forward to seeing Devlin again.

When he reached Creed Valley Hospital, he swooped down and coasted around the maternity wing, peering through the third-floor windows in search of Madeline's room. Seeing her guardian in one of the private rooms, he flew through the open balcony door and furled his wings behind his back. "Ramiel, you wanted to see me?"

Looking over his shoulder, the angel smiled. "Oh, Nathaniel, yes, I did. Thank you for coming so promptly."

Nathaniel glanced at the young woman in the bed, then peered out the door into the corridor. "So where's Devlin?"

Ramiel heaved a weary sigh. "I've no idea, but I thought you might. Madeline's been in labour for twenty-four hours now, yet Devlin's still not here."

"Really?" Nathaniel folded his arms. "It's strange he's not here yet, but when I last saw him, he mentioned that Madeline was due to have her baby this week, so I'm sure he'll turn up."

"I doubt it," said Ramiel, flicking his long blond hair from his face. "When Madeline went into early labour, I sent for him. He didn't turn up or contact me, so I asked Archangel Michael for help. He sent his messengers out to search for him, but when they couldn't find him, he told me to send for you."

"I see." Nathaniel rubbed his chin. "This isn't like Devlin. I've never known him to be late for a birth before, plus he seemed really excited about guarding this child. I hope nothing's happened to him."

"Well, there's no time to worry about him just now. This baby needs a guardian and Michael's chosen you."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "You mean temporarily, right?"

Ramiel shook his head. "No. You'll be the child's guardian for the rest of her life."

Holding his forehead, Nathaniel frowned. "I can't do that. Jeez, Devlin would never forgive me." He stared at Ramiel. "Did you know he actually _begged_ Michael for this child?"

"Well, he obviously isn't that keen or he'd be here," said Ramiel. "Anyway, this isn't about Devlin. We can't just let the infant come into the world without a guardian."

"I realise that, but why can't you take his place? You're already guarding the baby's mother, so it shouldn't be too much of a burden."

"Sorry, Nate, I can't. I've just been assigned two more wards."

Nathaniel raised his brows. "That doesn't make sense. I'm still waiting for a ward, so why weren't they assigned to me?"

Ramiel shrugged. "I don't know, but two more angels have fallen, so there's a shortage of guardians. Anyway, Michael insisted that _you_ take over as this child's guardian and he won't change his mind."

Raking his hands through his curls, Nathaniel looked at Madeline. Her face was contorted with obvious pain and from the guttural groans she was making it looked like she was already in the second stage of labour. Pacing the room, he glanced out the balcony door, but there was no sign of Devlin. Betraying his best friend was unthinkable, but it seemed Michael was giving him no choice.

"There's no point looking out there," said Ramiel. "Devlin's obviously not coming."

Nathaniel walked back to the bed. "Listen, I have an idea. If I take over your new charges, you could take Devlin's place and have both your wards under the same roof. I'm sure Michael would agree to that. What do you think?"

"It sounds good, but like I told you, Michael specifically wants _you_ to be this baby's guardian, and he won't discuss it with you."

Nathaniel sighed. "Okay, but when Devlin turns up, I'm going to ask Michael if he can switch the guardianship back to him."

Shaking his head, Ramiel glanced at the clock. "Look, right now, I have more urgent matters then Devlin's feelings. Madeline's in trouble, so I'm going to prompt her to call for help. Look at her. The poor woman's been in labour since yesterday and there's still no sign of the infant's head. I'm beginning to think the baby's having difficulty."

"I agree, but why on Earth isn't there a midwife with her, especially at this stage of her labour?"

Ramiel jerked his head towards the door. "The nurse just popped out. I think she went to get the doctor."

"That's good," said Nathaniel. "But I think it's time to intervene. The baby must be extremely distressed by now."

"You're right," said Ramiel. "I'll send Madeline a message." Closing his eyes, he pressed his fingers to his temples and entered her thoughts, a second later, Madeline let out an ear-piercing scream and slammed her hand on the buzzer.

"Where's my doctor?" she yelled.

A nurse rushed into the room and shook her head. "Mrs O'Connor, I've only just examined you, and like I said, your baby's not ready yet." After grabbing a damp cloth, she began wiping Madeline's brow. "Just keep pushing and breathing."

Madeline elbowed her away. "Get off me! Just go and find my doctor. I've been in labour since yesterday morning, and I'm telling you, something's wrong."

With a forced smile, the nurse began fluffing Madeline's pillows. "Look, dear, this is your first baby, so don't worry. Some births just take longer than others. You'll be fine."

Anger blazed in Madeline's eyes as she grabbed the nurse's wrist. "I won't be fine and neither will my baby if you don't get me some help. Something is drastically wrong. I can feel it and I demand to see my doctor!"

The nurse held her hands up. "All right, calm down. I'll see if I can find him."

"Just hurry," yelled Madeline. Grimacing, she gripped her stomach with another contraction.

Blowing out a sigh, the nurse strode towards the door. "I'll be back in a minute. Just press the buzzer if anything changes."

Madeline grabbed the soggy wash cloth and flung it at her, hitting her on the back of the head.

The nurse glanced over her shoulder and frowned, then grumbling under her breath, she scurried down the corridor.

Nathaniel looked at Ramiel and smirked. "Did you make Madeline do that?"

He grinned. "I might have instigated it, but Madeline's a feisty woman at the best of times. Hopefully, now she'll get some help."

A strong gust of wind blew the floral curtains across a bedside cupboard, knocking a box of tissues onto the floor. Nathaniel turned around to see if it was Devlin, but there was no one there.

Ramiel's eyes darted about as if he was anxious about something.

"Did you cause that breeze?" said Nathaniel.

Shaking his head, Ramiel stared out the window. "No, but it seems odd because the air outside is so still."

Nathaniel sighed. "I thought it was Devlin arriving."

"There's no chance of that," said Ramiel.

Cocking his head to one side, Nathaniel squinted at him. "You seem determined that he won't make it. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Ramiel avoided his gaze. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Come on. I can tell you're keeping something from me. What's going on with Devlin?"

Ramiel stared at him. "Surely you've noticed he's been acting a bit odd lately?"

Nathaniel felt suddenly uneasy. "Why, what's he done? He's always been a bit eccentric, but I can't say he's changed."

"Well, Michael thinks he has and he's worried about him."

"Oh, why's that?"

"He thinks Devlin's become too obsessed with fallen angels because he keeps talking about them and asking questions."

"Oh, that." Nathan grinned. "That's nothing to worry about. He's always been curious about fallen angels. Don't worry. He's not going to fall."

"I'm afraid Michael thinks it's something to worry about. He wants Devlin to go into rehab for a while. He's fed up with angels falling and leaving wards unattended. So are some of the other guardians because they end up with extra work."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "But Devlin wouldn't do anything like that. Admittedly, he enjoys looking at human girls sometimes, but no way would he want to be cast down to Earth."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Ramiel. "From the day Devlin found out Madeline was pregnant, he pestered Michael to let him be the baby's guardian. He was so relentless, Michael finally gave in, yet he hasn't even turned up for the birth."

"Look, I know Devlin really wanted to guide the O'Connor's baby, but that was because he wanted to stay in this area. You know how much he loves soaring over the Pacific Ocean at night when his wards are asleep. I've gone on those flights with him many times. He loves flying so much, there's no way he'd risk losing his wings."

Ramiel raised a brow. "Hmm, so Devlin hasn't told you about the baby's grandfather?"

"Told me what?"

"That he's a fallen angel."

"What?" Nathaniel's eyes widened. "Are you saying this baby is related to a fallen angel?"

"Yes, her paternal grandfather is one, and from the moment Devlin found out, he became obsessed about being her guardian."

Nathaniel waved his hand in the air. "Maybe he just wanted to study her grandfather. Like I told you, he's always been interested in why angels fall."

Ramiel lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, so you think Devlin just wants to study the baby's grandfather? Well, if that's the case, why hasn't he turned up for her birth?"

Holding his head, Nathaniel tried to think. "I don't know. I guess it doesn't make sense."

"Well, I don't know either," said Ramiel. "But I pray he hasn't done something stupid."

"What are you talking about? If he'd been banished to Earth, we'd have already heard about it."

Ramiel looked Nathaniel up and down and smiled. "I see you still wear stretch pants instead of a gown."

Nathaniel adjusted his sword. "I like to be prepared for action, but what's that got to do with Devlin?"

Before Ramiel could answer, Madeline's face twisted with another contraction and she squeezed hard on the buzzer.

"I think it's time?" said Ramiel.

Resigning himself to be the child's guardian, Nathaniel moved closer to the bed, then he glanced out the window. The sun was dropping behind the hills in the west, but there was still no sign of his friend. With a pang of guilt in his soul, he reached for the crucifix on a chain around his neck and prayed that Michael would let Devlin take over when he returned. If not, there'd be no chance of Devlin _ever_ forgiving him. He looked down at Madeline and sighed. There was no time to dwell on it. He had a baby to attend to.

Ramiel patted his hand. "Don't look so worried, Nathaniel. Everything will work out."

Nathaniel closed his eyes for a moment. It was alright for him to say. He obviously didn't know Devlin. The door suddenly opened and he looked up with hope, but it wasn't his friend, it was one of the doctors.

Following behind him, a nurse marched over to the bed. "Doctor Green is here now, Mrs O'Connor, so don't worry."

Madeline stared up at the physician. "Oh, Doctor, thank goodness you came, I think there's something wrong with my baby, and my back is killing me."

"Try to relax, Mrs O'Connor. I need to examine you." After he'd finished, he frowned. "Yes, there is a slight problem, but it can be solved. I'm afraid your baby has turned. Instead of face down, she's face up, and sometimes that can slow the delivery or pushing phase. That's why your back is hurting so much."

Tears filled Madeline's eyes. "Can you help her?"

"Of course, so there's no need to panic." He ripped his rubber gloves off and threw them in the bin. "I can assist the birth with forceps if necessary, but you'll have to push a while longer first. Of course, there are risks with this procedure, but you're young and healthy, so I'm sure they won't affect you."

Ramiel whispered in the doctor's ear. "Don't forget to tell her she has a great guardian angel and it's not her time to die yet."

Shivering as if he'd heard the angel speak, Doctor Green glanced over his shoulder.

Nathaniel chuckled. "He'd have a heart attack if he knew two angels were standing behind him."

"Will a forceps delivery affect my baby?" asked Madeline.

The doctor patted her hand. "I've done many deliveries, Mrs O'Connor, and I haven't lost a baby during a forceps delivery yet."

"All right. I guess I have no choice."

He glanced around. "I see your husband's not here yet?"

Madeline looked at the clock. "He had to go out of town with work, but he's on his way back now."

"Well, hopefully he'll arrive in time. Okay, the nurse will attend to you while I go scrub up."

After the doctor left, Madeline scowled at the nurse. "See, I told you there was a problem."

"Not to worry, you'll be pain free shortly," she said. "Now, I have to get some supplies. Just use the buzzer if you need help."

As the nurse disappeared down the corridor, a middle-aged priest wearing a black robe wandered into the room. Nathaniel stared at him. There was something quite odd about him, and as he strolled towards the bed, a familiar repugnant odour filled the air.

Madeline's face turned bright red as she covered herself with a sheet. "Who the hell are you?" she snapped, pushing her damp, blonde hair from her face.

The priest held his hand out and smiled. "Hello, Mrs O'Connor. I'm Father Luke."

She glared at him. "Well, you're not my priest and it's not an appropriate time for a hospital visit. Can't you see I'm about to give birth?"

"But that's why I'm here—to say prayers with you."

"GET OUT!" demanded Ramiel.

Ignoring him, the priest smirked.

Confused, Nathaniel looked from the priest to Ramiel. What was going on? Could the priest see angels?

Ramiel whispered something into Madeline's ear. A moment later, she grabbed the bible from the bedside cupboard and threw it at the priest. "Go away! I'm not about to die, and neither is my baby, and if you've come to give us our last rights, you can rack off!" Lying back on her pillow, she seemed to slip into a deep sleep.

The priest grinned at Ramiel, but when he turned to Nathaniel, his eyes darkened.

"What's wrong?" said Ramiel, moving towards the priest. "Were you expecting a different guardian?"

The priest's eyes flashed, but before he could answer, Nathaniel whipped his sword from his sheath and held it against the priest's neck. "The stench of a demon is unmistakable."

"So, you think I'm a demon?" he scoffed.

"Oh, I know what you are," said Nathaniel, pushing the blade hard against his throat.

"Really?" Clicking his fingers, the priest vanished, then he materialised at the other side of the room.

Hoping to catch him off guard, Nathaniel summersaulted over a chair, then as he landed in front of him, he pinning him against the wall. "Your magic won't help this," he said, ripping his crucifix from his chain and pressing it against the priest's chest.

The demon's face twisted with rage as his gown began to smoulder. "You'll never conquer me, Nathaniel. I have powers you can only dream of."

"So, where are they? Come on, show me your card, you coward!"

In a puff of red smoke, the priest disappeared again, but the stench in the room was so vile, Nathaniel knew he was still nearby. Holding his sword out in front of him, he scanned the room.

"He's over by the door," yelled Ramiel, running at him with a dagger.

Spinning through the air, the demon landed in front of Nathaniel, his cold black eyes gleaming with menace. "Stay away from this child," he hissed. "Or she will pay the price." Then he smiled sardonically. "Of course if you were to sell me your soul, you could have the riches and powers of a king and your choice of the most beautiful women on the Earth."

"Oh, so that's why you're here, to tempt and corrupt me." Holding his weapon, Nathaniel pointed it at him. "Your offer is totally wasted on me, and if you come anywhere near this woman or her baby again, you'll feel my wrath." He gritted his teeth. "Believe me, I'm warning you!"

The demon threw his head back and laughed. "You don't scare me, Nathaniel—Angel of Fire." He glanced at Ramiel. "And neither does your long-haired lover boy."

Nathaniel spun his sword, then in a blaze of white light, he held it upside-down and thrust the handle at the demon. "Come on, try me!"

Holding his hands up, the priest stepped backwards as he stared wide-eyed at the _Figure of Christ_ on the crucifix-shaped handle.

"Well?" said Nathaniel, shoving it at him. "You're not laughing now, are you?"

Emitting the stench of a sewer, the priest hissed, "You're messing with the wrong demon, my boy, and you _will_ regret it." Then in a puff of black smoke, he vanished.

Nathaniel sniffed the air to check its purity, then slipped his sword back in its sheath. " _Jesus Christ_ , why on Earth is that demon so interested in this child?"

Ramiel frowned. "Is that a prayer or blasphemy, Nathaniel?"

"Don't worry, it was a prayer, but I don't understand it all."

"Like I told you," said Ramiel. "The child is a descendant of a fallen angel and Lucifer would love nothing better than to have control over her, but he can't unless her guardian angel sells him his soul."

"I see," said Nathaniel. "But there are plenty of evil humans about, so why go after this child just because of her ancestors?"

"Because when her grandfather fell to earth, he chose to live as a good and peaceful human instead of becoming one of Lucifer's demons. Lucifer tried all sorts of bribery with him, but he wasn't interested in money or wealth. He just wanted to have a life on Earth with the girl he fell in love with."

"Oh, so now Lucifer is after the granddaughter for revenge?"

"Yes, and it's my guess, he'll tempt Devlin because he's an easy target."

Nathaniel bit his lip. He had the feeling Ramiel was right, especially with Devlin's obsession with fallen angels. He shook his head. "Well, it's a good job Devlin didn't turn up then, although I'm pretty sure he wouldn't sell his soul."

"Yes, but we'll never know now because he's not going to be the child's guardian, you are, though I wouldn't be surprised if I heard that Devlin has already fallen to Earth."

"Maybe, but like you said about the grandfather, not all fallen angels are evil. Some just yearn for physical pleasure and purposely get their wings burned off so they can live on Earth as a human. Maybe that's all Devlin is interested in. I honestly don't believe he would sell his soul to The Devil."

"Ah, but if he does decide to fall, Lucifer will never stop trying to corrupt him. Anyway, I knew you'd stand up to Lucifer. That's why I wanted you here."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "Are you telling me, you _knew_ that demon would turn up?"

Ramiel stared at him for a long moment. "Oh, that wasn't just a demon. It was Lucifer."

"That priest was _Lucifer_? How come I didn't recognise him?" Nathaniel balled his hands into fists and stormed to the window. "How could Devlin just leave the child to be born without a guardian, and vulnerable to Lucifer, especially if he knew about the child's grandfather?"

Ramiel shrugged. "I guess he's just irresponsible, but at least the child has you now, Nathaniel."

"Don't worry. I'll be there for her." As he gazed up at the sky, a horrible thought crossed his mind. What if Devlin had already done a deal with Lucifer? He turned to Ramiel. "You don't really believe Devlin has already fallen, do you?"

Ramiel shrugged. "I don't know, but it would explain his disappearance."

Holding his crucifix, Nathaniel closed his eyes and crossed himself. "Jesus, _please_ don't let Devlin sell his soul to Lucifer."

Chapter Three

Madeline

As the nurse urged Madeline to keep pushing, Doctor Green and the anaesthesiologist rushed into the room. Noticing they were already wearing their gowns and masks, Nathaniel sighed with relief and prayed for the baby's safe delivery.

"It won't be long now, Mrs O'Connor," said Doctor Green. After examining her, he nodded to his colleague. "That's good, we can go ahead. She's dilated and the baby's head is fully engaged."

The nurse patted Madeline's hand. "The anaesthesiologist is going to prepare you for the epidural now, so you'll feel much better soon."

Madeline held her sides. "Good because I can't take this torture any longer and I'm sure my baby's suffering."

"Don't stress, Mrs, O'Connor," said the anaesthesiologist. "You'll be pain free once you've had your epidural, though you'll still feel all the movements. Can you turn onto your side for me?"

As she rolled over, she glanced up at Doctor Green. "Will my baby feel any pain?"

"Don't worry. Your daughter will be fine. Have you picked a name for her yet?"

"Yes, we're calling her Eloise."

"Wonderful, now let's get her delivered, shall we?" He glanced at his colleague. "Okay, we're ready."

The anaesthesiologist inspected the equipment, then injected the medicine into Madeline's spine. "This will only hurt for a minute," he said, speaking in a low soothing tone.

Nathaniel moved closer to the bed. "Okay, there's no turning back now."

Ramiel gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know how much Devlin means to you, Nathaniel, and if he hasn't fallen, I'm sure he'll understand."

Nathaniel's brows knitted into an angry scowl. "I don't care if he doesn't. He let the child down. This type of delivery is quite dangerous, no matter what the doctor said. Devlin should've been here hours ago. Believe me, Ramiel. I have no qualms about taking Devlin's place, not now. And I will not justify it to him."

Ramiel nodded. "Yes, I guess he's forfeited his right to your loyalty, and to guard this child, especially leaving her vulnerable to Lucifer."

"Don't worry, Ramiel. My senses are on high alert for both of them."

"Look," said Ramiel. "I think Madeline's medication is kicking in. She's starting to relax."

Nathaniel raised a brow. "She may be pain free, but she seems quite scared to me."

"Yes, we should pray some more," said Ramiel, bowing his head.

The anaesthesiologist tapped on Madeline's back with an instrument. "Can you feel that?" he asked her.

"No."

He tapped on her leg. "How about that?"

She shook her head.

"Great, we're ready to go," said Doctor Green. "Just try to relax, Mrs O'Connor."

Madeline squeezed her eyes shut, but as the forceps were clamped onto her baby's head, the nurse held onto her. As Doctor Green began tugging the baby towards him, Madeline gripped the side of the bed, her face contorted with absolute terror.

Holding his arms out ready to bless the child, Nathaniel prayed for a safe delivery, but when the baby came out, she lay limp in the doctor's hands.

In a flash, Nathaniel swept his fingers over the infant's tiny chest, urging her to breath. "Come on, Eloise, you can do it. Take a breath," he demanded.

As the doctor worked on the tiny newborn, Nathaniel shouted even louder. "Eloise!"

Her eyes finally popped open and as she began to wail, her little hands quivering in an obvious protest to her violent entry into the world.

While the doctor cut the baby's umbilical cord, Nathaniel blessed her. He'd witnessed bad deliveries before, but this one had him stressed. Although the baby was beautiful, one of her eyes was bloodshot and swollen and her head was an odd shape. The deep, red welts down the sides of her temples were obviously caused by the pressure from the forceps. Nathaniel looked at Ramiel and scowled. "This doesn't look good."

When a rush of medics entered the room, Ramiel jerked his head towards Madeline. "She's not doing too well either. I think she's about to faint."

Once Eloise was breathing properly, the nurse cleaned her up and placed her in her mother's arms. "Here's your little girl. Isn't she beautiful?"

With a look of horror, Madeline stared at her baby. "What happened to her head? It's a funny shape and her face is all bruised."

Doctor Green patted Madeline's hand. "Don't fret, Mrs O'Connor. Newborn babies have a soft skull so that it's easier for them to be born. With forceps deliveries, sometimes the babies face has a bit of swelling and bruising, and in some cases, the baby's head can get a little squashed, but there's no need to worry. In a few days, your baby's head will be a normal shape again."

Madeline frowned. She didn't look at all convinced, and now Nathaniel was starting to worry. As he gazed down at the infant, he realise his new responsibility wasn't going to be easy. Not only was he worried about the baby's injuries, he was concerned about her genetics. Eloise wasn't just a human; she was a descendant of an angel. He rubbed his chin. Would she be different to his other wards? She certainly didn't look any different. Even with her injuries, he could see how beautiful she was. Her thick curly hair, long dark lashes and cute button nose made her look as sweet as an angel, but her feisty cries certainly showed her human side. Oh well, he sighed. No doubt he'd soon find out.

Ramiel smiled. "Looks like you'll have your work cut out with this little fire ball. Did you see the way she shook her fists at the doctor?"

Nathaniel gazed at baby. "It's good she's a fighter. She'll need to be strong, especially with Lucifer sneaking about.

Doctor Green glanced at the nurse and nodded, then he smiled at Madeline. "Now that you've been acquainted with your daughter, she'll have to go to NICU. Her lungs are immature and her APGAR scores are below standard, which is common in early births, but we can't afford to take any chances. She'll have round-the-clock supervision and you'll be able to see her, hold her, and feed her as long as she's stable. Take this time to rest. You'll need your energy later when this little angel is ready to feed."

Nathaniel glanced at Ramiel. "Oh, if he only knew."

Ramiel grinned. "I know, and I'm even looking for signs of blood feathers on the baby's back."

Doctor Green glanced over his shoulder in front of the angels and shuddered, then without giving Madeline a chance to protest, he headed towards the door. On his way through, he turned to the intern attending to Madeline. "Call me if there's a problem, I have another emergency."

As the nurse lifted the baby, tears filled Madeline's eyes. "When will I get her back?"

The nurse smiled. "She'll be in NICU for a few days, but you'll be able to visit her as soon as you've been cleaned up and had some sleep."

Leaving Madeline in the care of Ramiel, Nathaniel followed the nurse to the NICU, but on his way down the corridor, he stopped in his tracks. Devlin was standing by the lift, only meters in front of him.

Nathaniel eyed him up and down. He certainly looked different. Instead of his work robe, he was wearing low-slung white jeans and his chest was bare. He still had his hair slicked back and with his magnificent wings furled behind his muscular physique, he looked more like an action hero than a guardian angel. What was he thinking?

Hooking his thumbs onto his waistband, Devlin beamed, flashing brilliant white teeth. "Hey, Nate, have you got a new ward in here too? I'm looking for Madeline's room."

Nathaniel folded his arms. "Oh, so you decided to turn up, then?"

Devlin frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His eyes wide, Nathaniel stared at him. "Madeline went into labour yesterday morning, so where were you?"

"I'm sorry, Nate. I got held up, but I'm here now, so just point me in the right direction."

Nathaniel glared at him _._ " _You're sorry?_ Is that all you've got to say?"

Devlin laughed. "What's your problem? I don't remember Michael making you the ward supervisor."

"Devlin, this isn't a laughing matter. Madeline and her baby were visited by Lucifer this afternoon and _you_ weren't here to protect them."

"What?" Devlin's mouth opened wide. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm not."

Running his hands through his hair, Devlin stared at him. "Jesus, Nate. What happened? Where are they?"

Nathaniel sighed. "It's okay. They're safe for now, but no thanks to you."

"Were you or Ramiel here?"

"Ramiel was here all the time and I arrived two hours ago, but where were you, Devlin? Even Michael couldn't find you. He sent his messengers out to look for you yesterday, but no one could find you."

"I'll explain later, just tell me where my ward is. I have to go to her."

Nathaniel glowered at him. "I'm sorry, Devlin, you're too late. She couldn't come into the world without a guardian, so Michal assigned me in your place."

"Oh, I understand that, Nate, and I appreciate it. But I'm here now, so where is she. I can't wait to see her."

Feeling guilty, Nathaniel rested his hand on Devlin's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I can't give her back to you."

"What?" Devlin shrugged Nathaniel's arm away. "What sort of friend are you?"

"I'm sorry, but it wasn't up to me. I had no choice."

Devlin narrowed his eyes. "Of course you had a choice. You could've said I was on my way. I would've done that for you and you know it. Anyway, don't worry, I'll find her myself."

Nathaniel sighed. "It won't do you any good. Michael wants me to remain as her guardian."

Devlin clenched his jaw. "How could you double-cross me like that? You could've found me if you wanted to."

"I tried, but no one knew where you were. I'm sorry, Devlin, I honestly had no choice."

"That's bullshit and you know it. You could have found me at our hangout, or at least left a message there for me."

"Like I said, I was only called in a couple of hours ago and Madeline was about to give birth. What was I supposed to do, leave the child and her mother in the hands of Lucifer like you did?"

Giving him a ferocious stare, Devlin squeezed his hands into fists. "That's a bit below the belt. You know I didn't do that deliberately. Anyway, don't worry. I'll find a way to get the child back, with or without your approval." Spinning on his heels, he shot down the corridor.

With a strange ache in his heart, Nathaniel waited until Devlin was out of sight, then he whipped into the NICU. When he looked at the tiny infant in the humidity crib, he realised how vulnerable she was. Though she was sleeping peacefully, she had tubes in her nose and mouth, IV's running through her veins, and the bruises on her head had darkened. Folding his arms, he leaned against the wall. There was no way he was leaving her side, not ever. Not with Lucifer trying to barter for her soul. And if Devlin hadn't missed her birth, who knows what would've happened. A sudden movement in the doorway caught his eye, but when he whirled around, Devlin was standing facing him.

"So this is where she is," he said, striding towards the incubator. But when he looked through the glass, his eyes opened wide. "Oh, my God, what happened to her?"

Nathaniel glared at him. "She had an extremely difficult birth and she could've died, but why do you care? You didn't care enough to be here for her and you put her life in danger. Plus you weren't here to fight Lucifer off."

Devlin blinked. "Well, I'm here now, and if you value our friendship you'll quit with the lectures and assign her back to me."

"This has nothing to do with our friendship. It's to do with the safety of the child. She's not an object to be passed back and forth."

Devlin folded his arms. "Hang on a minute. Michael originally assigned her to me."

"Yes, but like I said, you weren't here, so I was told to take your place. It's too late, Devlin, so please, just accept it and let's move on."

"Oh, I'll move on all right, you double-crossing shark," he snapped. "I'll move on from our friendship."

"Suit yourself. I don't have time to stand here and argue with you all day. I've got a sick baby to care for. Besides, you never complained about guardians taking over your wards before, so why are you so set on guarding this child?"

" _Why?_ You know why, so stop being so self-righteous. You had an ulterior motive for being at her birth. You wanted to be her guardian as much as I did."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, yes you do. " Devlin pressed his hands on his hips. "You _knew_ her paternal grandfather was a fallen angel."

Nathaniel shook his head. "That's crazy. I only found out a couple of hours ago. Anyway, it makes no difference to me who my ward's ancestors are. You're the one that's fascinated with fallen angels, not me. You were unavailable and I was asked to take your place. It's as simple as that."

Devlin scoffed. "That's bullshit and you know it. You're just as curious to see how she'll turn out as I am."

"Get out of here. I'm sure you've got better things to do than annoy me."

With a pleading look on his face, Devlin grabbed Nathaniel's arm. "Oh, come on, Nate. We've been friends for thousands of years and never had a disagreement before. _Please_ , just, sign her back to me?"

Pushing him away, Nathaniel frowned. "I'm sorry. I can't do that."

Devlin clasped his fingers together. "Okay then, share her with me."

"No."

"Why not? We've shared wards before."

Nathaniel shook his head. "I'm _not_ sharing her with you because I don't trust your judgment anymore."

Devlin slammed his fists on his waist. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Nathaniel looked at him for a long moment. "Listen, Devlin. You're my best friend, but what you did was so wrong. You can't just take off and not tell anyone where to find you. That's downright irresponsible, especially considering what happened. You could've at least told me."

Devlin ran his hands through his hair. "Look, Nate, I lost track of time. Anyway, I thought you'd know where to find me. You've never had trouble before."

"Well, I didn't know. Plus I didn't even know you were missing until a few hours ago when Ramiel called me here. It was too late then as the child was about to be born."

"Okay, but you could still hand her back if you speak to Michael. You could put in a good word for me, Nate."

"No, Devlin, I can't."

"Why not?"

Nathaniel sighed. "Because lately, you spend more time studying fallen angels and gawking at women than you do on your work. And if anything happened to this baby while you were guarding her, I'd never forgive myself. I'm sorry, Devlin, but I have to put her wellbeing first. And you, my friend, need to go to Angel Rehab to recover from your addictions. And until you do, I can't trust you enough to watch over her. So it's up to you."

Devlin's jaw dropped. "Jesus Christ, Nathaniel. Angel frigging rehab? That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard. You're kidding me, right? "

Nathaniel shrugged. "Nope, I'm serious. There are too many angels falling lately and Michael is getting worried. That's why he's started a rehabilitation group. And what's with the blasphemy and the potty mouth lately?"

Throwing his hand in the air, Devlin glared at him. "What's wrong with you all of a sudden, and why are you being so pious? You're not bloody perfect."

"I never said I was, but....." Before Nathaniel could finish his sentence, the door opened and a young nurse breezed in. As she walked over to Eloise's crib, Devlin looked her up and down.

Nathaniel sighed. Devlin wasn't listening to a word he said, he was too busy gawking at the pretty nurse. And from the hungry look in his eyes, he wouldn't be going to rehab anytime soon.

At that moment, Devlin's weird behaviour suddenly made sense. He was craving human pleasures. Thank goodness he hadn't been at Eloise's birth. If he had, he might have been tempted to sell his soul to Lucifer in return for powers on Earth. Nathaniel shook his head in despair. This wasn't good. He should have realised Devlin's problem was bad when he'd confided in him two weeks ago. Angels weren't allowed to lust after humans—unless they _wanted_ to fall to Earth. Devlin had been asking him for help and he'd failed him. Well it was too late now. He stared at his friend with sadness. If Devlin didn't go to rehab soon, he'd be doomed, especially with Lucifer tempting him.

While the nurse checked the monitoring equipment, the baby stirred. Devlin leaned over the crib to read the name tag. "Eloise. What a pretty name."

Nathaniel rested a hand on his shoulder. "Devlin, I'm really sorry, but I think you should go now, and _please_ , think about rehab?"

Devlin shoved him away. "I don't care what you think, asshole! And don't worry, I'm going, but you haven't heard the last from me. I'll find a way to get Eloise back, with or without Michael's approval, or yours for that matter." Turning on his bare feet, he stormed out the door and flew down the corridor.

Chapter Four

Isolation

After settling in a chair beside the crib, Nathaniel closed his eyes. Devlin had been his closest friend for thousands of years and now he'd lost him. No other angel could make him laugh as much as Devlin had, and none could take his place. Things would never be the same without him, but he couldn't give in to him, not this time. Eloise's safety had to come first.

Gazing down at her, he cringed. Her right eye was bruised and swollen and from the way her bottom lip quivered, he guessed she was either in pain or having a nightmare. Hopefully, she'd recover quickly and be returned to her mother. And as far as he was concerned, the sooner she was taken home the better. He certainly wasn't leaving her alone in this hospital, not even for a minute. Devlin wasn't one for making idle threats, he usually carried them out, but as far as Nathaniel knew, they'd always been for a good cause—until today.

As Nathaniel tried to sooth Eloise, the NICU door opened and Madeline was wheeled in on a wheelchair. As she peered through the glass incubator at her baby, Ramiel walked up to him. "It looks like your charge is in as much pain as mine. Madeline has to remain here for another three weeks to recover, so the baby will have to stay as well."

Nathaniel sighed. "I guess they both need special care to recover, and Madeline certainly doesn't look well enough to care for a sick baby."

"I agree," said Ramiel.

With tears in her eyes, Madeline gazed down at Eloise. "I can't even feed my baby," she sobbed.

"Don't worry," said a nurse. "She'll still be able to have your milk. Later, a nurse will show you how to express it into a bottle."

Madeline glared at her. "I don't want my baby being fed my milk from a bottle. I want to breastfeed her myself."

The nurse patted her shoulder. "You will. She'll probably be back with you in a few days. You want her to get well, don't you?"

Madeline sniffed. "Yes, of course I do."

"Well, while she's in here, you should make the most of it," said the nurse. "Get as much rest as you can because once she comes back to you, she'll be waking you every few hours."

"It's not fair," said Madeline. "I can't even hold my own baby."

"You will soon," said the nurse, wheeling her back towards the door.

As Ramiel turned to follow them, he glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, Nathaniel, I forgot to tell you. Michael found a new ward for Devlin and the baby is due today. That should keep him occupied, so hopefully he won't bother you."

"It's too late for that, he already has, and he's not happy."

Ramiel raised a brow. "Oh, that's not good."

Nathaniel peeked down the corridor. "Where's his new ward? I hope it's not in this hospital."

"I'm not sure," said Ramiel. "Michael didn't say, but with a bit of luck, it'll be in another country."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "I'm not counting on it."

***

After three days in intensive care, Eloise was carried back to her mother's room.

"Here you are, Mrs O'Conner. Your baby is all yours again," said the nurse.

Holding her daughter in her arms, Madeline smiled. "Oh, she's so beautiful and her head's a normal round shape."

"Yes, and her bruises are fading," said the nurse. "You'll be able to take her home in a week or two or as soon as you start to recover."

***

Ramiel put his arm around Nathaniel's shoulder. "Eloise is three weeks old now and there's been no sign of Devlin or Lucifer. Maybe you should stop worrying so much."

Nathaniel glanced at the clock and frowned. "It's not Lucifer I'm worried about. I can smell him a mile away. It's Devlin I'm concerned about. There are too many places where he could hide in this hospital. I'm just glad Madeline is being released from the hospital today. I'll relax more when Eloise is safely in her own home."

"Looks like we won't have to wait," said Ramiel, pointing at Eloise's father, walking in with a suitcase.

Nathaniel smiled. "That's great."

Matthew O'Connor kissed his wife on the cheek, then picked up his baby daughter. "I can't wait to have you both home at long last, Maddie."

Madeline beamed. "Me too, honey, and Doctor Green's already signed our release, so we're ready to go."

"Wonderful," he said, gazing at his daughter. "It looks like you've already dressed her, so let's get going."

"I have to wrap a blanket around her first," said Madeline, lifting Eloise back into her arms.

While Matthew packed everything into the suitcase, a nurse walked in with a wheelchair.

"Good morning, Mrs O'Connor. I'm here to take you down to your car."

Madeline scowled. "Oh, I can walk."

The nurse smiled. "Sorry, Mrs O'Connor, but it's Hospital rules."

Rolling her eyes, Madeline handed Eloise to Matthew, then sat in the wheelchair. "Give her back to me now, honey. You have the bags to carry."

When Eloise was safely in Madeline's arms, the nurse pushed the wheelchair out the door and headed towards the lift. Nathaniel followed close by, but just before he slipped into the lift, he peered up and down the corridor to make sure Devlin wasn't sneaking about. Once the doors had closed and they were descending, Nathaniel gazed at Eloise. She was awake and seemed to be staring right at him, and for a split second, he could have sworn she smiled. Shaking his head, he followed everyone out to the exit. It was too early to make a full psychic connection with her yet. It was just wishful thinking that she could actually see him.

While waiting for the car to come around to the entrance, Nathaniel glanced around.

Ramiel smiled. "I don't think you have to worry about Devlin turning up here. He wouldn't risk it, not with the two of us protecting Eloise."

"Maybe, but like I said, I don't trust him." Nathaniel scanned the sky and roof tops. "He could be anywhere at any time."

Once Eloise was strapped into her baby capsule in the back seat, Nathaniel and Ramiel sat with her in-between them. As they rumbled out of the car park, Nathaniel began to relax. At least Devlin wouldn't bother trying to get to her on the way home. He'd more likely wait until Ramiel wasn't around.

"You can fly over to the O'Connor's property if you'd like a break," said Ramiel. "I think you need one."

Nathaniel shook his head. "Thanks anyway, but I'll stay with Eloise. It's too risky. And I won't be going on joy flights at night either. Not after what Devlin threatened."

"That's a shame," said Ramiel. "I know how much you love your night flights and you haven't been anywhere for three weeks."

"Ah well, I'd better get used to it," said Nathaniel. "Like you, I have to do my duties, and Eloise is a special case."

"I guess so," said Ramiel.

Glancing out the window at the busy morning traffic, Nathaniel sighed. He knew that as soon as they reached the O'Connor's house, he'd have to be on guard every second if he was to keep Eloise safe from harm. He gazed down at her. Her long lashes were fluttering as her eyes moved beneath closed lids. He guessed she was dreaming and he knew it wouldn't be long now before he'd be able to communicate with her psyche, then he could give her advice and warn her of danger. But for now, he'd just have to watch her. He turned to Ramiel. "I wouldn't be surprised if Devlin isn't already at the O'Connor's. He knows they lived in Creed Valley, so he could be hiding somewhere. Anyway, what's their place like?"

"Their house is at the end of a cul-de-sac, and it's surrounded by forest."

"Oh, great. That's all I need."

"I understand your concern, Nathaniel, but there's really no need to stress. Michael found out where Devlin was when Eloise was born and he reprimanded him. Plus Devlin has a new ward now, so hopefully he'll be too busy to bother you."

Nathaniel raised a brow. "Oh, where was he?"

Ramiel rolled his eyes. "Apparently, he was on the Gold Coast watching a surfing championship, though it's more likely he was ogling the bikini girls."

As they sped onto the highway, Nathaniel sighed. Knowing Devlin had tried to talk to him about his problems a few weeks ago, he felt guilty he hadn't tried to help him more. Though he couldn't understand why Michael still trusted Devlin after what he'd done.

"You're very quiet, Nathaniel," said Ramiel.

"I was just wondering why Michael gave Devlin another ward after he risked Eloise's life. He should have made him go to rehab instead."

"You're right, but if someone's forced into rehab, it doesn't work. They have to want to change their ways. Anyway, maybe Devlin had some counselling before taking on a new ward."

Nathaniel waved his hand in the air. "I don't believe that, not after the way he carried on when he saw Eloise. He's too bitter and angry and you should've seen the way he was ogling the nurses. I doubt counselling would help him."

Ramiel sighed. "Hopefully, he regrets what he did and he's just getting on with his job."

"Maybe, but I wish I knew where he was based. I don't trust him and I never will, not after what he said."

"I heard he was sent to Queensland so that he wouldn't cross paths with you when the children go to school."

"Well, from what you've just told me about him perving on girls on the Gold Coast, I bet that's what he'll be doing in Queensland. It's always hot there and the beaches are full of bikini girls all year round."

"Not if Michael talked him into going to rehab first."

"That's highly unlikely. Devlin's a poor loser and he'll just keep trying to get Eloise back. He used to have a hissy fit if I beat him at flying races. He'd sulk for hours. He's like a human child in some ways."

Ramiel chuckled. "Sorry to laugh, but imagining that big muscly angel acting like that is hilarious."

Nathaniel smirked. "Oh, that's another thing he used to compete with. He was forever comparing our physiques. I could never understand that. But you're right, Ramiel. Devlin is funny and I miss that side of him."

"You two look so much alike, if it wasn't for your curly hair and different eye colour, you could easily be mistaken for Devlin. And if you were human, you'd be mistaken for brothers."

"Yeah, well it hurts because I felt like Devlin _was_ my brother. We were best friends. That's what's so sad about the whole thing."

Ramiel nodded. "Just try to chill out while you can and worry about Devlin when you have to."

"You're right. I will." Gazing out of the window, Nathaniel pondered on the times he'd zoomed across the ocean with Devlin and how they'd slowed down and flown above dolphins and whales as they travelled along the beautiful East Coast of New South Wales. The car suddenly swerved around a corner, snapping him out of his reverie. When he checked on Eloise, her eyes fluttered open, but she soon drifted back to sleep.

After travelling along a coast road for five minutes, Matthew turned a corner and pulled into a driveway at the end of a cul-de-sac.

Nathaniel peered out at the surrounding forest. "It's certainly peaceful around here."

"Yes," said Ramiel. "The O'Connor's bought this house a year ago. It's is a bit rundown, but it's surrounded by five acres of land and only minutes to the beach."

"It's a lovely place to bring up a child," said Nathaniel. "But having a house surrounded by trees makes it easy for the likes of Devlin to sneak around unnoticed."

"True, but I haven't seen anyone in the year I've been here."

"But you weren't with Madeline twenty-four hours a day, were you?"

Ramiel shook his head. "Of course not. I had other wards to attend to as well, and now I have two new ones. But I'm hoping that you'll help me out from time to time, especially since Michael has taken you off the register."

Nathaniel's brows knitted together. "Yes, and that's a shame since there's a shortage of guardians, but I have to protect Eloise twenty-four-seven. There's no way I could do that if I had other wards as well."

"No," said Ramiel. "Not with Lucifer so keen to have her soul."

"But what about Madeline? With so many wards, how are you going to protect her as well?"

"I'm glad you asked because I was about to ask you a favour."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Would you be able to guard Madeline for me when I go to attend to my other wards?"

"Sure, if I'm to be here twenty-four-seven, that shouldn't be a problem. And if there's an emergency I can't handle, I'll send for you."

"Thanks," said Ramiel. "That takes the pressure off. You won't mind if I take off today, then? I have a lot of catching up to do. Gabriel's been guiding my wards for three weeks while I've been at the hospital."

"Of course, go ahead." Nathaniel smiled. He was pleased he could help, but disappointed Ramiel wouldn't be around for company, especially after losing his best friend. Minding a baby with no one to talk to could make an angel pretty restless.

***

One night while Eloise was sleeping, Nathaniel stood by the nursery window and gazed out at the full moon. Six months had passed since Eloise was born, yet there'd been no visit from Devlin. Nathaniel still didn't trust him, especially since he'd threatened to take her back, though he missed him terribly. Shaking his head, he walked over to the cot. There was no way he would leave the baby alone, not even for a minute. Devlin could be as cunning as a fox when he wanted. Knowing him, he'd turn up when least expected.

Nathaniel gazed down at Eloise and smiled. She looked like a little angel when she was asleep, but when she was awake she was forever getting into trouble. If she wasn't attempting to climb out of her cot, she was trying to crawl outside. It seemed she loved nothing better than to escape out of an open door. At least during the day he didn't have time to dwell on his loneliness. He was too busy trying to keep Eloise safe from harm.

There was certainly no time for daydreaming while the child was awake, but the nights were always lonely. As he glanced out the window at the kangaroos and wallabies, the TV in the lounge room was switched off and the house went quiet. Nathaniel looked up at the night sky and resigned himself for another long and lonesome night. Madeline always went to bed early and whenever Matthew worked away from home, his guardian went with him. Not that Anael was much company. He was always helping humans with problems of love, passion, and sexuality. Most guardians had no experience with such things and would call on Anael for help. Pity he couldn't have helped Devlin.

Nathaniel had only seen Anael once in six months and Ramiel hadn't been to visit since the day they'd arrived home from the hospital. With no angels to talk to, Nathaniel missed Devlin more than he ever thought possible, though he never considered leaving Eloise so he could visit other guardians. That would be irresponsible and way too risky.

Running his hands through his hair, he paced the room. Six months of loneliness was starting to get to him. He strode over to the window and stared out at the stars, but even that didn't lift his mood. All it did was remind him of the good times he'd had with Devlin—like the nights they went night flying around the world. They'd take off at full speed, only slowing down when they saw meteors or shooting stars. Now he had a huge hole in his existence and there was nothing to fill it except a child who couldn't even see or hear him. Though Devlin was now his nemesis, it didn't stop the sorrow of missing what they'd had. Even gazing at the full moon and listening to the waves crashing against the shore didn't relax him anymore. It only frustrated him that he was stranded like a prisoner and couldn't even go diving with the dolphins and whales. Gazing up at the Heavens, he wondered if it was possible for an angel to go mad. He'd certainly never felt powerless before. As anger filled his soul, he tightened his hands into fists and shook them at the sky.

"Lord, what's happened to my tolerance?"

Without waiting for an answer, he threw his head back and laughed. All he needed now was for Madeline to play _Bruno Mars_ singing ' _Talking to the Moon'_ like she usually did before going to sleep—then he'd really go crazy. As he waited for her door to close, the perfect voice of Bruno Mars floated like a dream from her bedroom stereo. The song stirred Nathaniel's soul so deeply **,** he knew if he was human, he'd cry an ocean of tears for the loss of his best friend.

When Madeline hit replay, Nathaniel held his head and cursed as he laughed hysterically, then he shouted up at the clear night sky. "Devlin, why in Heaven did you have to go and ruin a friendship as perfect as ours? Why, Devlin?"

As he was about to turn away from the window, a shooting star shot above the full moon, reminding him of the night he'd raced Devlin to New Zealand and back. Smiling, he recalled how they'd arranged to meet on top of the cliff at the Creed Valley Lookout. Standing side-by-side with their arms stretched out, they counted to three before zooming into the clear night sky like a couple of action heroes. As they raced each other across the Tasman Sea towards New Zealand, they'd hit and an electrical storm, losing sight of each other as they zigzagged around dark ominous clouds. When they met up again, Devlin had surprised him by grabbing his arm and urging him to follow. Surging upwards, they'd skyrocketed under the twinkling stars before swooping downwards and nose-diving into the deep dark sea. After swimming with a pod of dolphins, they'd shot back out of the water and jetted towards Mount Edward, landing on the peak within seconds of each other. As they'd laughed uncontrollably, Devlin had taken off again, yodelling like Tarzan and obviously determined to win the race.

Nathaniel chuckled. He'd been equally competitive that night. After catching a strong wind, he'd jetted after Devlin. Then with everything he could muster, he'd zipped past him, reaching the Creed Valley lookout only seconds before him and winning the race. But as always, Devlin was a sore loser and he'd growled like a bear as he lifted him up and flipped him off the edge of the cliff. But instead of falling into the sea or flying back to the lookout, he'd summersaulted in mid-air and landed right on top of Devlin. After wresting for a while, they'd fallen in a heap and laughed uproariously before heading back to their wards.

Coming out of his musings, Nathaniel felt lonelier than ever. Ramiel said there was a shortage of guardians because too many angels had fallen, hopefully Devlin wasn't one of them. There was nothing he wanted more than to have his comrade back by his side, but he wasn't sure that would ever be possible now. Bowing his head, he prayed that Devlin had been to rehab and was recovering from his addictions.

As he walked away from the window, he flicked his wings with frustration. Night flying was so exhilarating, especially having Devlin with him, but oh, how he'd taken it for granted. Now he understood what humans meant when they said, 'You don't know what you've got till it's gone'.

A noise outside the nursery soon had him on full alert and he wandered over to the window and peeked out. He guessed it was just a kangaroo, but decided to go and check. After making sure Eloise was still asleep, he walked out the back door. As he flew around the house, he peered in hidden places to make sure Devlin wasn't lurking about. There was no sign of anyone, but just to be sure, he zipped into the nearby woods and looked around. Seeing nothing suspicious, he shot back to the house. He figured if Devlin hadn't gone to rehab by now, he'd be too busy researching fallen angels and ogling pretty girls to be bothered trying to get Eloise back.

As he checked on her cot again, he realised he had no right to criticize Devlin, not after the way he'd been moping about and feeling sorry for himself. That sort of behaviour certainly wasn't helping Eloise. He sighed. He'd just have to find something else to concentrate on in the middle of the night and guard the child like he was assigned to. Bowing his head, he prayed to get his patience back.

Chapter Five

Eloise

Just after Eloise turned eighteen, Nathaniel wandered outside for his usual dawn ritual of checking around the house and observing wildlife. He'd come to believe that some of the native animals could actually see him; either that or he was losing his mind. As he watched a mob of kangaroos, grazing on the rich green grass, a tiny joey hopped out of its mother's pouch and bounced around the flower beds. Its ears twitched and it stared up at him, then it bolted back to its mother. Nathaniel smiled. At least he had the animals to keep him company. Guiding Eloise for eighteen years with no angels to talk to was taking its toll on his psyche and he was beginning to think no one knew he existed.

As the sun began to rise above the horizon, Butcher Birds, and magpies swooped down from their branches to hunt for food. A baby bandicoot scurried across the lawn and disappeared under a dense grevillea bush. Nathaniel smiled. He was happy to see the tiny night-critter escape the birds of prey. Now it could be with its mother and sleep in a nest of leaves until dusk.

With so many nocturnal animals coming from the forest to forage around the house, they had to expect strange noises in the middle of the night, but Nathaniel didn't mind. It kept him alert in case Devlin turned up. He hadn't seen him for eighteen years, and though he still didn't trust him, he prayed he hadn't weakened and sold his soul to Lucifer. Although if he _had_ lost his wings and been banished to Earth, he'd most likely come looking for Eloise, especially now she'd grown into a beautiful young woman.

Deciding to do a thorough security check in case Devlin was lurking nearby, Nathaniel raised his arms above his head and shot up to the sky. Instantly relaxing at the thrill of flying, he circled the area, spreading his wings and catching the wind beneath them as he glided over the rooftops and surrounding forest. He couldn't see anything suspicious, but he knew if he ever did see Devlin without his wings, he'd crush him with his bare hands. No way was he letting him anywhere near Eloise, especially if he'd become one of Lucifer's demons. Even if Devlin turned up as an angel, he wouldn't forgive him unless he apologised for his bad behaviour when Eloise was born.

As he zoomed around the neighbourhood, he was tempted to take off into the atmosphere and skyrocket over the ocean for a few hours, but knowing he couldn't, he sailed back to the house and landed softly on the roof. Standing with his arms folded, he gazed across at the river. He loved how it shimmered through the gaps in the trees that grew along the riverbank, especially on such a beautiful day. He'd needed something to cheer him up. Not being able to go on night flights for so many years had made him extremely restless—though guiding Eloise now that she was a young woman certainly kept him busy, especially when she stayed out later than her deadline. She was stubborn and sometimes took no notice of his psychic warnings, which forced him to step in and help when she came across dangerous situations—and there'd certainly been plenty of them over the years.

He knew he was lucky to be in such beautiful surroundings and he began to feel guilty for grumbling about not being able to go on night flights anymore. At least he wasn't stuck in some dismal desolate place like he had been many times in the past. Besides, Eloise was such a sweet and endearing girl, he knew he should appreciate having her as a ward instead of feeling sorry for himself.

He swooped back into the house to make sure no one had sneaked in while he was flying around the woods. It was a Saturday and Eloise wasn't up yet, but Madeline was in the laundry doing the washing. With Matthew away on a work trip again, at least it was peaceful and quiet. Whenever he was home, he'd either be hammering in his workshop or mowing the lawns.

After checking Eloise was in her room, Nathaniel wandered over to the window and peered out. All he could see was animals and birds, but when a movement in the woods caught his eye, he shot outside. With his hand on his sword, he looked towards the trees, then he saw what he dreaded, but also what he missed.

Leaning against a tree at edge of the forest, Devlin stood grinning at him.

Nathaniel reached for the crucifix around his neck and crossed himself, then he flew to the bottom of the garden to stop him from entering the property.

Flashing his pearly whites, Devlin strode towards him. "What's the matter, Nate, did you think I'd given up?"

Nathaniel stretched to his full height. "Oh, I knew you'd be back. In fact I expected you sooner."

Devlin smirked. "Ah, so you missed me, then?"

"Not particularly." Nathaniel glanced at Devlin's wings, relieved he hadn't lost them, then before he could stop him, he flew over the fence.

Standing next to him, Devlin pretended to punch him in the belly. "Oh, you missed me all right, Nate. Your face is a dead giveaway."

"In your dreams." Nathaniel looked him up and down. He was even more flamboyant than ever. His hair was still slicked back, but longer and his black silk shirt was open at the top, exposing his chest, but his jeans, oh dear. They were so tight, it was a wonder he could move at all. He obviously hadn't been to rehab. He looked more like a movie star than an angel.

Spreading his arms out, Devlin gazed down at his clothes. " _What_ , you don't like my outfit?"

"Oh, it's a great outfit—for a human." Nathaniel smirked. He wanted nothing more than to pull Devlin into a bear hug and wrestle him good-humouredly to the ground, but he wasn't about to encourage him to hang around. He was pretty sure he was only after one thing, and it wasn't for friendship.

Devlin glanced at the house, then back at Nathaniel. "Is Eloise indoors?"

"You're unbelievable, Devlin. You haven't asked about her for eighteen years, so why now? Anyway, you should be guarding your own ward, not spying on mine."

" _Your ward?_ " Devlin stroked his chin. "Now that's funny because we both know that you stole Eloise from me."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Oh, we're going through that again, are we? You know very well that I was called upon by Michael. It wasn't my fault Eloise was born early, or that she had a difficult birth. I told you at the hospital that Lucifer turned up and I had to fight him to get him out of there, so how dare you accuse me of stealing her from you? You're the one who put her life in danger by leaving her vulnerable without a guardian, and all because you were too busy lusting over women at a surfing competition."

"Ah." Devlin, wagged a finger at him. "So you _did_ know where I was."

Nathaniel sighed. "No, I didn't. I found out later. You didn't tell anyone where you were going. Look, Devlin, it was eighteen years ago, so why are you still harping on about it?"

Devlin clasped his fingers together. "Because Eloise should have been mine. I've always felt that, I still do. Please, Nate, I'm begging you, hand her back to me?"

"Don't be absurd. Angels don't own people. Anyway, I can't give her back to you."

Devlin spun away from him and held his head. "Why not? You betrayed me, Nate, and you were supposed to be my friend."

"I _was_ your friend, Devlin and I _didn't_ betray you." He wrapped his arm around Devlin's shoulder. "Listen, try and understand. I had no choice in the matter. I was ordered to take over as Eloise's guardian. I didn't ask for it. It hurt me as much as it did you. Ask Ramiel if you don't believe me."

Devlin shrugged him away. "That's rubbish. If you were a genuine friend, you would've flat out refused, or at least tried to find me, but you didn't. And if you are a true friend like you claim to be, prove it." He flipped a hand in the air. "Hand her over to me now or at least share her with me. You owe me that much at least."

Confused, Nathaniel stared at him. "What is it with you, why do you want Eloise so much?"

"The same reason you do, you hypocrite."

Nathaniel raked his hands through his hair and sighed. "Look, we're just going around in circles and I don't have time to stand here and argue with you all morning. I'm not sharing her with you, Devlin, and I never will. Anyway, I'm sure you've got better things to do than annoy me. You must have wards to attend to, so why aren't you with them?"

Slumping his shoulders, Devlin smiled. "Nate, I'm here now because I couldn't stand us fighting any longer. Though you don't admit it, I know you missed me—and I miss you, so I decided to come and see you. Anyway, I left my ward with his mother's guardian. Okay, I'll admit that I that want to see what a descendant of a fallen angel has turned out like, but I also want back what was taken from me. It was my _destiny_ to guard Eloise." He gripped Nathaniel's shoulders. "Come on _,_ Nate, you were my best friend for thousands of years and we never fought before Eloise was born. You know you can trust me, so _please_ , just share her with me?"

Nathaniel looked deep into Devlin's eyes and though he tried to see into his soul, something was stopping him. Believing he had an ulterior motive, there was no way he could trust him with Eloise, so he pushed him away. "No, and that's my final answer."

"Why not?"

Nathaniel blew out a frustrated breath. "Because you're irresponsible."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Nathaniel looked at him for a long moment. "Listen, Devlin. I know you won't believe this, but I would love nothing better than for us to be friends again, but first, you have to move on and forget about guarding Eloise. Please, say that you will and we can ..."

Before Nathaniel could finish his sentence, the back door flew open and Madeline walked out with her laundry basket. Devlin's jaw dropped and as she walked down the garden to the washing line, he stared at her bare legs and whistled. "Wow, she's still as stunning as ever."

Grabbing Devlin's arm, Nathaniel frowned. "Okay, it's time you left."

Devlin wasn't listening to a word he said. He was too busy gawking at Madeline in her skimpy nightdress. And from the hungry look in his eyes, it was going to be hard to get him to leave. At that moment, Devlin's obsession with Eloise became suddenly clear. He didn't just want to guide her because she was a descendant of a fallen angel, he had a crush on her beautiful mother **.**

Nathaniel gritted his teeth glared at him. No way did he want Devlin hanging around and gawking at Madeline like that, especially since Eloise had grown up to look like her, except for the colour of her hair. He shoved him hard. "Did you hear me?" he yelled.

Devlin blinked. "Huh?"

"Okay, I don't know if you're doing this just to annoy me or if you've lost the plot, but you, my friend, need to go to Angel Rehab to recover from your addictions. And until you do, I don't want you hanging around here. So it's up to you."

Devlin's eyes flashed. "Jesus Christ, Nathaniel, don't start with that again. I'm not going to no angel frigging rehab again. Michael got me there once and that was enough."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "I see you're still blaspheming and using your potty mouth."

Devlin glared at him. "Why are you being so sanctimonious?" He pressed his hand to his chest. "And to think I use to idolise you, confide in you, but then you went and doublecrossed me. You crushed me, Nate."

"I didn't doublecrossed you, Devlin. Nor did I ever repeat what you told me in confidence. I ....." Ah, he was wasting his breath. Devlin wasn't even listening to him. He was more interested in gawping at Madeline as she bent over to gather stray pegs from the grass. Nathaniel shook his head. Devlin hadn't changed. He was just using their friendship to get what he wanted. Well it wasn't going to work. And no matter what, he had to get him to leave before Eloise came out. No way was he letting Devlin gawp at her the way he was looking at her mother, and if he saw how beautiful she was, he'd try everything to get her to her. Then it occurred to him that Devlin might have already been spying on her, and if he had, he'd know what she looked like. He clenched his fists. That was it! He had to force him to leave.

Chapter Six

Regression

Nathaniel thought his day couldn't get any worse, but when he saw the curtain move in Eloise's bedroom, he totally lost his patience. He couldn't change Devlin's behaviour, but he didn't have to put up with it here. There was no point in asking him to leave. He seemed set on being downright irritating, and he knew what he was doing. Clenching his teeth, Nathaniel reached over and plucked a large feather from Devlin's right wing.

"Hey." Devlin spun around and frowned. "What's the big idea? Are you crazy?"

"I'm not sure about me, but I know you are. Why would you want to give up eternity for a few years of physical pleasure on Earth?"

"What are you talking about?"

Nathaniel raised his eyes to the sky. "You know very well what I'm talking about. You haven't taken your eyes of Madeline since she came outside."

Devlin's lips twitched with amusement as he pointed at her. "But look at her, Nate. She's drop-to-Earth gorgeous. Are you telling me _you_ haven't had wicked thoughts about her?"

Nathaniel glowered at him. "No, I haven't, and I think you'd better go."

"Oh, come on, Nate, we've seen _everything_. Don't you ever wonder _why_ humans enjoy sex so much?"

"No, Devlin, I don't. Angels don't have hormones like men, so we shouldn't be tempted."

"Really? Well, what about Eloise's grandfather? He got tempted."

"Yes, and look what happened to him. His wings were burned off. Is that what _you_ want?"

"No, but I am curious about human pleasures and what they feel like."

Nathaniel gripped his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Listen, Devlin. I'm pleased you're being honest with me, but you have to quit these desires for human pleasures while you can. This sort of obsession will only lead to your downfall, so _please_ , just give it a rest." He shook him. "And yes, I've missed you terribly—more than you'll ever know, and I would _hate_ to see something bad happened to you. But you have to understand, I've had the responsibility of keeping Eloise's soul from Lucifer thrust upon me for eighteen years, and I've had to make sacrifices. You could ease my burden by going to rehab, then we could be friends again. So _Please_ , just promise me you will?"

Devlin pulled him into a bear hug. "I knew you missed me, Nate."

"Hang on a minute." Nathaniel pulled away. "What about your promise to book into rehab?"

Devlin flashed a cheeky grin. "Okay, I'll go, but first I want to show you something. Just watch Madeline's face."

Before Nathaniel could stop him, Devlin flew up the garden and wrapped his arms around Madeline's waist. Although she couldn't see him, she dropped her pegs and froze on the spot.

Devlin laughed. "See, Nate. She can actually feel me."

Losing patience, Nathaniel shot over to him. "No, she _can't_ , she can only sense you."

"Okay, I'll prove it." Devlin held his hands above Madeline's shoulders, then slowly moved them over her breasts. Shivering, she crossed her arms, then she bolted back into the house.

Slapping his thigh, Devlin laughed. "See, I told you she could feel me. She quivered at my touch."

Mortified, Nathaniel glanced at the house to see if Eloise was still there. Although she'd moved from the window, he prayed she'd stay indoors until Devlin had gone. Turning back to him, he sighed. "Listen, Devlin, you're playing with fire, and if you don't stop, God will burn your wings off."

"No he won't. It's not as if I can _physically_ do anything." He grinned wickedly. "Though if I could, I would."

"Enough," yelled Nathaniel, running a hand through his hair. He knew now, Devlin had no intention of keeping his promise and he wanted him out of there. "You're being absurd and I think it's time you left."

Devlin scoffed. "Aw, don't be such a killjoy, Nathaniel. Anyway I'm not going anywhere, not until I've had more fun with the lovely Madeline, and I haven't seen Eloise yet."

Nathaniel felt a rage like he'd never known. He couldn't believe Devlin would stoop so low. He didn't want him anywhere near Madeline or Eloise. Not now, not ever. Clenching his fists, he glared at him. "If you don't leave right now, I'll make you!"

Devlin's eyes flashed with obvious fury. "Is that right?"

"What are you really here for, to make a fool of me? Is that what this is all about, revenge?"

"No, but I'm not having you dictating to me that I can't have a bit of fun with a human."

Nathaniel squinted at him. "What is wrong with you? Have you gone completely mad?"

"Oh, come on, Nate, you saw how Madeline reacted. It's fun, you'll see. Just try it."

His fury building, Nathaniel reached for his sword. "Don't push me, Devlin. I'm warning you, you'll feel my wrath!"

" _You're_ warning _me_?" Devlin held his belly and laughed. "Ha-ha, you don't know the meaning of wrath, my friend." His face suddenly hardened into something quite ominous. "But if you don't give Eloise back to me, you'll surely find out."

Tightening his jaw to keep his anger in check, Nathaniel stared at him for a long moment. He'd seen Devlin intimidate angels before, but he'd never seen him look so sinister. Devlin might be slightly taller than him at six-foot-one, but they both had similar powerful physiques and strengths, and he had no qualms about challenging him to a duel.

A malicious grin spread across Devlin's face as he stalked around him. "Cat got your tongue?" he said, his eyes bright with excitement.

Nathaniel held his stare. He had no fears about using his sword if he had to, and he was sure he could beat him.

"Well?" Devlin pointed at the house. "I've changed my mind about rehab. I'll have Eloise back instead."

"I might have guessed you would go back on your promise. Well, I'm not interested in your childish threats. I won't be giving Eloise back to you, not now, not ever!"

Devlin grabbed Nathaniel's shirt, yanking him towards him until their faces were only inches apart. "Understand this, my friend. I'll watch over Eloise, with or without your permission."

"Is that right?" Nathaniel shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backwards. "Don't mess with me, Devlin. You know what I'm capable of." He strode towards him and shook his fist. "If you go anywhere near Eloise, I'll personally burn your wings off."

Devlin scrambled to his feet and leapt in front of him. "What _you're_ capable of? You're no challenge to me, Nathaniel. You're nothing but a gutless wimpy hypocrite. And you'd never have the nerve to burn my wings off."

As Nathaniel gripped the handle of his sword, a whirlwind of mist swirled around him. "Go ahead, try me and see."

Whipping out his blade, Devlin danced backwards. "You can hide behind you stupid aura all you want, _'Angel of Frigging Fire'_ , but believe me, I will cut you into a trillion little pieces."

Orange flames erupted around Nathaniel's feet as his aura exploded with his fury. There was no turning back now.

Leaping forward, Devlin gritted his teeth as he thrust his rapier through the flames.

Nathaniel summersaulted into the air, landing at the other side of him. "Not if I slice you up first."

Smirking maliciously, Devlin circled him. "Don't have your flames to protect you now, do you, Golden Boy?"

"Don't need them," said Nathaniel, slashing the silver buttons from Devlin's shirt.

After glancing down at his bare chest, Devlin threw his head back and laughed. "Is magic all you've got?"

Taking the opportunity, Nathaniel snatched Devlin's weapon and held it above his wings. "I don't want to hurt you, Devlin, but if you don't get out of here and leave Eloise and her mother alone, I _will_ obliterate you."

Devlin raised a defiant brow. "So, are you going to chop my wings off with my own blade?"

"Stay much longer, and you'll find out." Nathaniel pressed his sword against Devlin's chest.

His eyes gleaming with defiance, Devlin sneered. "You don't have the guts, Nathaniel, and if you don't give Eloise back to me, I'll wait my opportunity, and then I'll kidnap her."

In a flash, Nathaniel pointed the swords to the sky, turning the clouds dark and ominous and sending a lightning bolt zigzagging downwards. As it shot through the air, it suddenly turned and headed straight for Devlin.

With fear in his eyes, Devlin opened his wings to their full width and shot off in the opposite direction, creating a whoosh of wind as he jetted upwards. As he disappeared into the clouds, he wrote a message in the sky.

OK, Nathaniel. Gloves are off. Let our battle begin!

Nathaniel turned away and paced the garden, his fury building inside of him. He'd have to guard Eloise every second from now on, even when she was asleep. Devlin had turned vile and there was no way on Earth he would _ever_ trusted him again, not now he'd threatened to kidnap Eloise. Hopefully, Michael would pick up on what had just happened and either force Devlin into Rehab or burn his wings off.

Zooming back into the house, Nathaniel made a mental note to find out where Devlin's ward lived. Surely Michael would tell him after what just happened. Making sure Devlin hadn't come back, Nathaniel dashed through all the rooms and peered out the windows, but there was no sign of him anywhere. It was hard to believe his best friend was now his archenemy. He missed the _old_ Devlin, the _kind_ one, the one that made him laugh. They had been friends for so long, it was hard to let go, but he had to accept it now. There was no turning back, not ever, not unless he wanted to risk the safety of Eloise, and the safety of her mother. He had to face it, Devlin was doomed and he was obviously planning to drag him along with him. Then the same horrible thought crossed his mind. Lucifer must have put him up to it.

Chapter Seven

Taken

Nathaniel wandered into the kitchen to see if Madeline was all right after her encounter with Devlin. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop on and a cup of coffee in her hand. Leaning over her shoulder, he peered down to see what she was reading. His eyes went wide when he saw she was doing a search on ghosts. He rubbed his chin. Oh, so she really did feel Devlin near her. He couldn't believe Devlin had done that to her, and he certainly hadn't expected him to threaten to kidnap Eloise. Sure, he'd always said he wanted her back as a ward, but to kidnap her was downright evil.

Things were turning out much worse than Nathaniel expected. He shouldn't have become too complacent over the years just because Devlin hadn't showed up. Now he was even more afraid for Eloise's safety, especially now she was no longer a child. And he couldn't help but fear for Devlin's future. The way he was going he'd end up as one of Lucifer's demons, and though he might enjoy a happy life on Earth in return, eventually he'd spend eternity in Hell.

Nathaniel covered his face with his hands. It was a good job angels didn't usually cry for he would surely shed many tears. He felt empty like he'd lost something special. Though he was happy he still had Eloise to guide, the dream of having his best friend back one day was gone forever. Just the thought of Devlin suffering infinitely at the hands of Lucifer was tearing him apart.

Shaking himself from his deliberations, he glanced around. There were no breakfast dishes in the sink, so her guessed Eloise must be still in her room. Though he knew she liked to sleep late on Saturdays, he decided to check on her.

When he wandered into her room, he scowled. She was still in her bed, but she was wide awake with a pained look on her face. Worried Devlin might have been in her bedroom, he moved closer to her to try and read her thoughts. Before he had a chance, Madeline tapped on the door and poked her head in. "Sweetie, I'm going shopping today. Do you want to come?"

Eloise glanced up and frowned. "Not today, I don't feel good."

Madeline walked into the room. "Why, what's the matter?"

"I have a sharp pain in my stomach."

"Maybe you're just hungry, love. I'll make you some blueberry pancakes."

"No, thanks, I feel nauseous."

Madeline headed out the door. "Okay, I'll bring you some tea."

Nathaniel moved closer to the bed. It wasn't like Eloise to refuse her favourite breakfast. She usually had such a good appetite. He rubbed his chin. He didn't like the sound of this. Eloise rarely got ill. As he was about to connect with her mind to see how bad the pain was, Madeline came back in with a steaming mug and a plate of cookies. "Here, drink this. It's herb tea, so it might make you feel better."

Eloise sat up and sipped on the tea. "Thanks, Mum, but I don't want the biscuits."

Madeline put her hands on her hips. "You're not on some silly diet, are you? I see you've lost weight lately."

Eloise rolled her eyes. "No, Mum, I'm not. I feel really sick and I have for weeks now. I'm probably gonna die."

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Eloise." She placed her hand on her daughter's brow. "Hmm, you feel really hot. I think you might have a temperature."

Pulling the covers back around her, Eloise shivered. "Well, how come I'm cold?"

"You've probably got a chill, so maybe I should take you to the medical centre."

Eloise scrunched her face up. "I'm not going anywhere. I can't even stand up to go to the bathroom. I'm in agony."

"Oh dear." Madeline wrung her hands together. "Hold on, love. I'll go and phone for an ambulance."

Eloise held her side and groaned. "Please hurry, Mum, the pain is really bad. There's something wrong with my stomach."

"I'll be back in a minute," said Madeline, dashing out the door.

Nathaniel gazed down at Eloise. This didn't look good and her father was away with his work again. He'd seen wards with symptoms like this before and it turned out they had appendicitis. He prayed Madeline would get Eloise to the hospital for tests because if she did have appendicitis, her appendix could burst.

Rushing back in, Madeline handed two pills and a glass of juice to Eloise. "Here, baby, take these with a cookie. It will help the medicine go down. The ambulance is on its way."

Nathaniel glanced at the ceiling. Thank goodness she'd called for an ambulance, but he wished she'd call the hospital before administering pills to her daughter when she was in this condition.

After swallowing the tablets with the juice, Eloise nibbled on a biscuit, then laid back on her pillow. "I hope those tablets work soon because the pain is getting worse."

"Just hang in there, sweetie. Help will be here in ten minutes."

"Thanks, Mum. You'll come with me, won't you?"

"Of course, honey." Madeline wiped Eloise's face with a damp washcloth. "I'd better hurry and get dressed so I can follow in the car." As she rushed out the door, Nathaniel sighed with relief. At least Eloise would get the best treatment at Creed Valley Hospital.

As Eloise curled up in her bed, Nathaniel paced the room and peered out of the window, then he sighed with relief as the ambulance pulled into the driveway. When Madeline opened the front door, two burly paramedics rushed in with a stretcher.

"Where's the patient?" asked the older one.

"She's in there," said Madeline, pointing to Eloise's bedroom. "Please hurry. She's is in excruciating pain."

"She'll be right," said the younger man. "We'll have her at the hospital in no time."

After checking Eloise's blood pressure and temperature, and getting all her medical information, the medics fastened Eloise onto the stretcher.

"I'm sorry," said the older man. "I know it hurts with movement, but we'll be at the hospital soon."

As soon as the paramedics had secured Eloise into the ambulance, Nathaniel hopped in next to her. The young medic climbed into the driver's seat and the older one sat in the back with Eloise.

"Don't worry," he said. "We'll go slowly so you don't get bumped about too much."

"That's impossible on these bumpy roads," groaned Eloise. "It hurts more when I move."

"It won't be long," he said, checking her blood pressure again.

Her face looked quite pink and Nathaniel guessed she had a raging temperature, but she was still shivering as if she had a chill. As the paramedic wrapped a blanket over her, she held her stomach and groaned. "I feel sick."

As they rumbled out the driveway, the medic gave her a bowl. "Don't worry. We'll be on the highway in a minute, then we'll have a smoother run."

"Is my mother following?"

The driver glanced out the rear vision mirror. "Yep, she's right behind us."

Nathaniel sent comforting messages to Eloise, but as he watched her suffer, he wished he was able to physically communicate with her to put her mind at ease. Although Eloise had lost weight lately, he was pleased she was healthy. Hopefully that would help her to recover quickly. So far, she'd only had the usual childhood illnesses, other than having a tonsillectomy when she was seven. He gazed down at her. He hoped if she did need an operation that it would go as smoothly as that one had.

When they arrived at the hospital, Eloise was wheeled into Emergency and checked by one of the doctors. After tests, he came out to speak to Madeline.

"I'm afraid your daughter has appendicitis and will need an urgent operation, Mrs O'Connor. I've booked her in to have an appendectomy this afternoon with one of our surgeons." He handed her some forms. "Once you've filled in these and handed them back to the desk clerk, a nurse will take Eloise to her room."

"Okay, thank you, Doctor." With a worried look on her face, Madeline filled in the forms and handed them back to the receptionist.

After checking them, the lady smiled. "Just follow the nurse and she'll take your daughter to her room."

When the nurse wheeled Eloise into a lift, Nathaniel followed. So far there'd been no sign of Devlin, but knowing how sneaky he was, he couldn't afford to take any chances. After Eloise was settled into a private room, Nathaniel became even more edgy. Although he would've liked to go and chat to other angels in the hospital, he decided against it. It would be just like Devlin to turn up as soon as he left the room.

The nurse smiled at Madeline. "Doctor Reynolds will be here shortly to talk to you and your daughter, Mrs O'Connor, but it looks like Eloise won't be able to have her operation until later this afternoon."

Madeline frowned. "But she's in a lot of pain. Why does she have to wait?"

Obviously embarrassed, Eloise glared at her mother. "Mum, there are other people here as well as me."

"It's not that," said the nurse. "They can't operate for six hours because she's had medication and food this morning."

"Oh, I see," said Madeline, not looking at the black look Eloise was throwing her way.

The nurse handed Eloise a white hospital gown and bottle of yellow liquid. "Can you take a shower and wash your hair and body with this antiseptic soap, then put the gown on and hop into bed so I can check your vital signs."

Eloise scrutinised the garment, then curled her nose up. "There aren't any buttons on this ugly-looking thing. Do I have to wear it?"

"I'm afraid you do," said the nurse. "It has a tie at the top and one at the side, so it can be easily taken off when you have your operation. Oh, and take your bra and pants off too."

"What?" Eloise glared at her. "You mean I won't be wearing _any_ clothes? Not even my underwear?"

"That's right," said the nurse, "But don't worry. Someone will cover you up with a sheet."

"But that means everyone in the theatre will see me."

Madeline patted her shoulder. "It's okay, honey. No one will see you but the nurses and doctors."

Eloise frowned. "Well, that's bad enough."

The nurse strapped a plastic ID bracelet on Eloise's wrist. "Can you check your details are correct? We don't want staff mixing you up with another patient."

Eloise stared at her. "You mean that actually happens?"

"Not if we make sure you have the correct information on your ID bracelet," said the nurse.

After scrutinising the label on her arm, Eloise sighed and walked into the bathroom. "OK, it's my info so you better not mix me up with anyone."

While Eloise had her shower, Nathaniel looked out the window to make sure Devlin wasn't lurking around. He wouldn't put it past him to turn up now. Word quickly got around when there were angels about, especially in hospitals.

With her face scrunched into a scowl, Eloise padded out of the bathroom and pointed at the gown. "Mum, just look at this sack. It's so gross. I can't believe I have to wear it."

The nurse pealed back the bed covers. "Just hop into bed, so I can put your pressure stockings and socks on."

"Pressure stockings?" Eloise's jaw dropped. "You're joking?"

The nurse held out the long, white stockings. "Nope, not joking."

Eloise climbed into the bed. "Jeez, I hope no one I know sees me."

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Elle, how old are you, twelve?"

"It's alright for you to say," said Eloise. "You wouldn't like to look like a granny. I mean, what if someone from school sees me."

"That's highly unlikely," said Madeline.

As soon as the nurse had finished, Eloise pulled the covers over her legs. "It's going to be a long six hours with this pain in my stomach."

"It's less than five hours now," said the nurse. "Oh, and you'd better take that necklace off. You're not allowed to wear jewellery in theatre."

Holding the crucifix, Eloise scowled. "You're kidding me, right? This isn't just jewellery. It's my protection."

"Give it to me," said Madeline, holding her hand out. "It's only for a few hours."

Eloise shook her head. "No, Grandpa gave it to me. He said I should always wear it. And whenever I've taken it off, something bad has happened."

The nurse sighed. "Well you can't have an operation if you don't take it off."

Madeline rolled her eyes and began unfastening the chain around Eloise's neck. "That's just superstition, Elle. You shouldn't take any notice of Pop. He's a silly old man."

"He's so not." Eloise snatched the crucifix from her mother's hand. "Dad wouldn't like you saying that about his father. Anyway, if I can't _wear_ my gold cross, I want to hold it." Keeping it in her hand, she turned on her side away from her mother and the nurse.

Nathaniel grinned. Madeline would have a pink fit if she knew Pop was a fallen angel and that her daughter was a descendant of one.

The nurse gave Madeline a sympathetic smile. "Once you've spoken to the surgeon and anaesthesiologist, you can go and have lunch, or go home for a few hours if you like. Just be back at three o'clock if you want to talk to Eloise before her operation."

"I'll stay here if that's all right," said Madeline, fussing over the pillows. "My daughter needs me."

Eloise glanced over her shoulder. "No, I don't. My belly hurts and I'd prefer to suffer on my own. I hate it when you fuss over me. I'm eighteen, not eight. You may as well go shopping or something. Besides, I'll only be a grouch all day."

Madeline stroked Eloise's hair. "Okay, honey, but phone me if you need anything."

"I just want this over with, so I can get out of here. I so hate hospitals."

"All right," said Madeline, giving her a kiss. "I'll be back before you go into theatre."

"Okay," said Eloise, holding her side.

As the nurse put a blood pressure cuff around her arm, Nathaniel went for a quick check around nearby corridors and rooms to make sure Devlin or Lucifer weren't sneaking about. When he flew back to the ward, the nurse had already placed the pulse oximeter onto one of Eloise's fingertips and stuck the metal heart monitor electrodes onto her chest, but he knew what was coming next. Eloise always fainted whenever she saw blood and she was about to experience things she definitely wouldn't like.

As soon as Eloise saw a needle in the nurse's hand, she flinched.

"It won't hurt," said the nurse. "It's just to stop you getting a blood clot."

"But I thought the pressure stockings were for tha...."

Before Eloise had a chance to finish her sentence, the nurse jabbed the needle into her belly. "They are, but this is an extra precaution."

Eloise's face went pale, but at least she hadn't fainted. "Oh, you're right. I hardly felt that."

That's a change, thought Nathaniel. She normally passed out.

The nurse pulled Eloise's ponytail back, then popped a net hat on her head.

"Great, now I really do look like a granny," she moaned.

The nurse chuckled.

"Hey, it's not funny," said Eloise. "There are some cute interns at this hospital. I've seen them."

"I wasn't laughing at you," said the nurse. "I was thinking how pretty you looked even with the cap on."

The door suddenly opened and a tall dark-haired doctor walked in and smiled. "Good morning, Eloise, I'm Doctor Reynolds. I've already spoken to your mother and I'm afraid you have an acute appendicitis, so you'll be having an appendectomy a bit late this afternoon."

Eloise bit her lip. "Will it hurt?"

"You won't feel a thing, and when you regain copiousness, you will be given pain medication. You're a healthy young woman, so don't worry everything will be fine." He turned to leave. "Right then, Dr Allen, the anaesthesiologist, will be in to see you shortly and I'll see you at three o'clock."

"Thanks, Doctor," said Eloise.

After he'd gone, Dr Allen walked in and asked Eloise some questions. After writing his notes, he smiled. "Okay, young lady, I'll leave you in the good care of Nurse Susan. She'll look after you and get you ready for your operation and I'll see you later this afternoon." Nodding to the nurse, he headed out the room.

The nurse drew the curtain around the bed. "Right, I'll leave you to rest for a while."

Nathaniel felt sorry Eloise had to wait for her operation, but it was better than her getting sick from the medications and cookie she'd had earlier. Though he knew Eloise was healthy and would probably survive the operation without difficulty, he couldn't help worrying. There'd been a few wards he'd been confident about in the past, only to lose them unexpectedly.

He glanced down at Eloise and sighed. She seemed to be in too much pain to sleep and was struggling to get comfortable. After an hour, she managed to doze off, but fifteen minutes later, the nurse checked her blood pressure and woke her up.

"Sorry to disturb you, Eloise, but it's nearly time to go up to theatre and your mother is here to see you."

Eloise's eyes fluttered open and she held her side and groaned.

"You'll be all right, sweetie," said Madeline. "They're going to take you up to theatre so the anaesthesiologist can get you ready for your operation. I'll be waiting here for you, so don't worry."

Before Eloise had the chance to complain, a male nurse wheeled her down the corridor towards the theatre. Nathaniel followed and as soon as she was pushed into the pre-op room, Doctor Allen walked in and smiled. "Okay, Eloise, just relax while I get your IV line set up, then I'll give you something to relax you, Okay?"

Eloise glanced around and scowled. She obviously didn't like being in a room so close to the theatre. As Doctor Allen searched for a vein to put the IV line in, she stared up at him, watching his every move.

Uh-oh. Nathaniel knew what was coming next. She was bound to pass out this time because this procedure usually hurt.

As the doctor held the needle and tube near Eloise's arm, she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists.

Doctor Allan adjusted the intravenous bag, ready to administer the medications and fluids that would flow into her bloodstream through the tubes. "Don't worry, you'll have no pain soon, Eloise."

Nathaniel smirked. The doctor didn't need to worry about hurting Eloise. She'd passed out as soon as she'd seen the size of the needle. By the time she came around again, the IV line was already connected, but as soon as she saw the little tube in her arm, she retched like she was going to throw up.

A nurse grabbed a bowl. "Here, use this."

After wiping Eloise's face with a damp wash cloth, the nurse pulled the blanket around her shoulders. "Try and rest. Doctor Allen will be giving you a pre-op medication that will relax you, then before you know it, it will all be over."

"Nurse, can I please have my undies back? They're only operating on my stomach."

The nurse smiled. "It's okay. You don't need them."

"But they're really small."

"You don't have to worry, you'll have a sheet over you," said the nurse. "Doctors operate on people all day."

As the nurse took the bowl away, Eloise tucked her blanket tightly around her body, obviously afraid it would fall off.

"I'll be back in a little while," said the nurse, heading out the door.

Nathaniel chuckled. At least Eloise had tried to save her modesty. When he glanced at the clock, he realised it was nearly time for her operation. At least then she'd be out of pain, even if it was only until she woke.

After checking the monitors, Doctor Allen asked Eloise her name and birthday, then checked her vital signs. The sedative entering her bloodstream through the IV needle seemed to be taking effect and she closed her eyes. But as soon she was wheeled through the large double doors into the operating theatre, she glanced around, her eyes wide.

"It's okay," said Doctor Allen, administering the anaesthetic through the intravenous tube. A second later, her eyelids fluttered and she drifted off again. After checking to make sure she was unconscious, the docto inserted a thin soft tube into her nose and pushed it down into her stomach to suck out any fluids that might interfere with the operation. Nathaniel had seen this done many times, but he never liked it. Nor did he like watching the pliable tube that was connected to a ventilator being pushed down her throat and windpipe, but he knew it had to be done in order to help her breathe throughout the procedure.

Though he hated the sadness in hospitals, he loved the excitement and energy of new births and recovering happy patients. Having the company of angels would have been a bonus, but Eloise's safety came first. He didn't think he could bear it if anything happened to her and he felt privileged to be her guardian. Although he sometimes felt a twinge of envy knowing other guardians got to travel and go on night flights, there was no way he would risk her safety, especially now that Devlin had threatened to kidnap her. Nathaniel loved guarding Eloise more than any ward he'd ever had and he'd never risk her safety. Gazing at her under the bright lights, he sighed. The poor girl was going to be in pain for a while until she recovered from the operation, and he prayed it would all go smoothly.

When all the monitors were checked and the doctors were satisfied that Eloise was breathing properly, the surgeon began to mark where the incision was going to be in her abdomen. Nathaniel glanced around the room. For some strange reason he had a horrible feeling of impending doom and he prayed it wasn't because Devlin and Lucifer were hanging around in dark hidden corridors, though he couldn't smell the vile stench of Lucifer.

Hovering above the operating table, he gazed down at Eloise. She seemed to be totally unconscious, yet she was making the strangest murmuring sounds. He tried to enter her mind to see if she was still in pain, but for some reason he couldn't get in, which made him worry even more.

As the surgeon inserted the knife into Eloise's flesh, Nathaniel turned away and cringed. He couldn't understand it. He didn't normally get squeamish during operations, but for some reason he couldn't bear to see Eloise's body being mutilated like that. Closing his eyes, he pressed his fingers to his temples, hoping to clear his mind. Angels weren't supposed to have hang-ups like that and he knew he should be watching the operation to make sure his ward was coping. Determined to do his job properly, he glanced back at Eloise. She looked so vulnerable, he had an urge to scoop her into his arms and take her to his cloud to comfort her. He couldn't do that, so he whispered to her soul. "You'll be all right, Eloise. Just stay strong and fight and you'll be back in your own bed before you know it."

Once the doctors had finished the operation, Eloise was stitched up and her vital signs checked before she was wheeled into a recovery room. Nathaniel was relieved the surgery had gone smoothly, but he couldn't relax until Eloise was conscious again. Hovering over her body, he tried to enter her mind to see how she was coping, but when he couldn't reach her psyche, he began to panic. As he paced the room, a nurse kept checking Eloise's blood pressure and heart rate, and from the concerned look on her face, it seemed he wasn't the only one that was worried. When the nurse called her supervisor in to help, Nathaniel reached for his crucifix and prayed.

"What's the problem?" asked the Sister.

The nurse scratched her head. "This patient seems to be taking too long to come around. Her blood pressure is a bit low, but she should be awake by now, unless she was given too much anaesthetic. What do you think, Sister?"

"She seems to be breathing all right and her heart rate isn't too bad. She'll probably wake up soon, but you'd better let the doctors know. I'll keep an eye on her as well."

After the nurses left the room, Nathaniel gazed down at Eloise. She might be eighteen, but she looked so small and vulnerable just lying on the hospital cot like that. He just had to get through to her psyche to make sure she was all right, but when he tried to enter her mind again, he realised her soul was gone. As he froze with shock, an image of Devlin with Eloise in his arms flashed into his mind.

Jesus Christ!

Crossing himself, Nathaniel stared down at Eloise's body. No wonder she couldn't be roused. Devlin had kidnaped her soul. He clenched his fists as he tried to work out how he'd been outsmarted, but then it occurred to him that Devlin must've found a loophole to get to her soul while she was sedated with powerful mind-numbing drugs—but where had he taken her?

Flying out the door, he tried to think. Then he shot through an open window into the clear night sky. There was only one place Devlin would take Eloise where his lies would be believable—and that was to his cloud beneath Heaven.

Chapter Eight

Temptation

Fuelled by fury, Nathaniel rocketed upwards at cosmic speed. Knowing Devlin wouldn't give up without a fight, he wished he'd worn stretch pants instead of a robe, and he couldn't _believe_ he hadn't worn his sword, but every second counted and there was no time to go back.

As he zoomed through the atmosphere, he wondered why he'd been so careless. He should've been prepared for Devlin to be so underhanded that he'd take Eloise's soul while she was under anaesthetic, especially after he'd threatened to kidnap her. Eloise was the sweetest and most precious ward he'd ever had and he didn't know what he'd do if anything happened to her. He just prayed he was heading in the right direction. If not, who knows where Devlin would take her.

Propelling himself higher, he darted around the stars and shot towards the Heavens. He had to get to Eloise before Devlin bargained with Lucifer, that's if he hadn't already.

Once Devlin's cloud came into view, Nathaniel slowed his pace, then as softly as he could, he swooped beneath it. When he looked up, he could clearly see Devlin next to Eloise on his bed, but worse, his arm was around her shoulders and he was stroking her face. With rage zapping his core, Nathaniel balled his fingers into fists. He wanted to crush Devlin's head with his bare hands and scorch his wings off forever, but there was no time for that. He had to get Eloise back into her body, and fast. Stretching his arms up, he burst through the cloud and grabbed her by the waist, then holding her tight, he back-kicked Devlin with all of his strength, sending him tumbling backwards into the dark night sky.

Eloise writhed and thrashed in his arms as she tried to free herself. "What are you doing? Let go of me."

Gripping her tighter, Nathaniel flew off into the night. "It's okay, settle down. I won't hurt you."

"Oh, my God!" she squealed, peeking below. "Please don't drop me! I'm scared of heights."

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall." As he held her to his chest, he realised with shock that she was totally naked, and for the first time in his whole existence he felt the stirrings of something he'd never known. With his loss of focus, they began plummeting towards Earth at full speed.

Eloise clung to his neck and screamed in his ear, bringing his mind back to attention.

He blinked twice, then in a flash, he adjusted his wings and shot upwards. He couldn't understand it. He'd held thousands of souls throughout the centuries, yet none had disturbed him like that before.

Trembling in his arms, she stared at him. "Holy Crap! You're the bad angel, aren't you?"

Nathaniel threw his head back and laughed. He was so ecstatic he'd managed to save her, he didn't care if she believed Devlin's lies, but he wanted to put her mind at ease. "Of course I'm not."

"Take me back," she yelled. "I'm scared of heights and I don't believe you."

"I wish you'd stop screeching in my ear like that." He flew to a nearby cloud and put her down, then he whipped his robe off.

"Oh, my god," she screamed, crouching into a ball with her hands over her breasts. "What are you doing?"

There was a full moon and now that he was facing her, he could clearly see she was terrified of him. Ashamed of himself, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "It's all right, Eloise. Don't worry, I'm not a bad angel and I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just giving you my gown." As he tugged it over her head, their eyes locked and he froze. Even as a spirit she was beautiful.

After quickly adjusted the robe, she looked him up and down and smirked.

He glanced down at the skimpy piece of silk he was wearing around his hips and silently cringed. Then he lifted her back into his arms to hide his embarrassment as well as his nakedness.

Holding onto his shoulders, she gazed into his eyes. "Have I died and gone to Heaven or am I in Hell with a demon?"

"Neither," he said, zooming off into the night again. He'd never felt so energised in his entire existence and he didn't know what to make of it, but as he zipped under the moon, she clung on tighter and rested her head against his bare chest.

"I'm still scared," she said. "So don't drop me."

"It's all right, Eloise, I would never drop you."

She glanced up at him again. "This is just crazy. I must be having a nightmare. Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"I'll tell you soon, but hold on because I'm about to descend."

"Oh, please don't go fast again," she pleaded, gripping onto his bicep.

He jerked as a power surge shot up his arm, but instead of plummeting again, he sailed on a breeze, then swerved to the right. _What_ was she doing to him?

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please slow down."

He smiled. "Don't panic, you're safe with me."

As she squealed into his ear, he zigzagged around the twinkling stars and pointed to a meteor storm. "Look, Eloise. You have to see this."

She gazed up and gasped, "Wow! That's so beautiful. What is it?"

He flew to a nearby cloud and put her gently down. "It's actually a shooting star, but you're seeing it close up." With his arm around her shoulder, they watched as shiny pieces of stardust fell from the sky like raindrops from Heaven.

Laughing, she reached out to touch them, but they were too far away. She smiled up at him, her eyes luminous. "I don't know who you are, but I must be having a beautiful dream. I've never seen _anything_ like this before.

He knew he should take her back to the hospital, but first, he wanted to give her something to protect her from Lucifer. She'd obviously lost her crucifix. Picking her up with one arm, he raised the other above his head and rocketed upwards. As Eloise held onto him, he grabbed one of the particles, then swooped down, plummeting below the mist and heading back to Earth.

She waved her right arm up and down. "I'm a bird."

Nathaniel smiled. She looked more like an angel than a bird, especially the way her hair was blowing around her face.

When they descended beneath the clouds, the vast oceans and city lights came into view. Eloise threw her arms around his neck. "Holy crap. Now I can see how high up we are, I'm _really_ scared. Oh, please, don't let me fall."

As she shivered with fear, he squeezed her tighter to his chest. "Hey, I'm an angel. Don't you trust me?"

She gripped his shoulders and gazed into his eyes. "I don't know what to believe."

Nathaniel quickly looked away. Being so close to her was giving him strange pleasurable vibrations and they were causing him to lose focus. Shaking his head, he forced himself to pay more attention to where they were going. As he flew towards the beach, Eloise peeked over her arm. "Oh, my God, there's Creed Valley. You're taking me home."

"Not exactly," he said, but before he had a chance to finish what he was saying, she gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. Stunned at her actions, he blinked as a jolt of electricity shot from his lips to his toes. Her face was so close to his and her eyes were mesmerising him, sending his mind into a spin.

"Watch out," she screamed, gripping hold of his hair. "We're going to drown."

When he snapped back to reality, he was shocked to see they were plummeting at full speed towards the Tasman Sea. Alarmed at his own carelessness, he propelled himself upwards, only seconds before they hit the ocean. _Jesus Christ!_ What was she doing to him? At this rate, God would burn _his_ wings off before ever getting to Devlin's. Shaking his head, he glanced sideways at her, but she was too busy staring down at the water to notice his reprimand. When they reached the lookout, he fluttered gently down and landed on the cliff top. "There you go. Now you're safe," he said, furling his wings behind his back and putting her on the ground. "Though you're lucky we didn't fall into the sea after what you just did to me."

Her brows bunched into a frown. "What do you mean? You're the one who was navigating, not me. I'm not an angel."

He smirked. "Aren't you?" He was tempted to tell her she was the descendant of one after what she'd just done to him, but he couldn't do that.

She squinted at him. "Look, why have you brought me here? You're obviously not human and I was supposed to be in the hospital. I feel like I'm wide awake, so I can't be dreaming. _Please_ , you have to tell me the truth. I'm dead, aren't I?"

He brushed a stray curl from her forehead and smiled. "It's all right, Eloise. You're not dead. You're just having a dream and I'm a figment of your imagination." He hated lying to her, but if he told her the truth, it would put her life in danger.

Folding her arms, she looked him up and down. "I _so_ didn't imagine you." Then she bit her lip. "But I guess you _are_ the sort of boy I'd dream about."

"Oh, I'm a boy, am I?" Before she could answer him, he grabbed her right wrist and opened her fingers, then he placed the silver rock in her hand. "I want you to always keep this for good luck and protection."

As she stared in awe at the glittering crucifix-shaped stone in her hand, her mouth dropped wide open. "Oh, my goodness. It's the most beautiful gift I've ever been given."

"If you get your father to drill a hole in it, you could wear it around your neck like the crucifix you lost."

She looked up at him. "How do you know about my necklace?"

Uh-oh, he'd slipped up. Thinking quickly, he said, "Because you dreamed me up, so I think and say whatever you want me to."

She raised a brow. "That's bullshit because if I really did dream you up, you wouldn't have rejected my kiss."

He blinked twice. "I didn't reject your kiss. I'm an angel and angels don't kiss. Surely you know that from your bible classes."

"Whatever," she said, holding the crucifix tightly in her hand. "I can take rejection. You don't have to make excuses."

Holy Heaven, now what had he done? He quickly crossed himself. How could he have let her get a crush on him? He certainly hadn't encouraged it, had he? He frowned, knowing he'd better get her back to the hospital before she got him banished to Earth forever.

Feeling guilty for wasting precious time, he scooped her into his arms and flew towards the hospital.

"Where are you taking me?" she said, snaking her arms around his neck and gazing into his eyes again.

Nathaniel scowled. He wished she wouldn't look at him like that. She was awakening something in his soul he never knew existed, but what? Heavens above, is _this_ what happened to Devlin? Had a human tempted him, corrupted him? He gave her a stern look. "I'm taking you back to the hospital because your dream is ending."

She pouted. "But it's my dream and I don't want it to end."

"You have no choice. It's dangerous to astral travel for too long." He wanted to tell her it was also dangerous for him to be with her like this, but that would just encourage her.

She tugged on his curls. "But you still haven't told me your name."

He grinned. "You dreamed me up, so I don't know my name."

"Well if I did, I should've made you ugly."

Smirking, he sailed through an open window on the fourth floor of the hospital and headed straight to her recovery room. While watching a medic working on her physical body, Nathaniel flipped her spirit in his arms so she couldn't see what was happening. Then hovering above the hospital bed, he spoke softly to her. "Your dream is ending now, Eloise, and you'll wake up soon."

She shook her head. "No, please don't leave me. I don't want to wake up yet. You haven't told me who you are or why you snatched me away from that other angel."

Nathaniel scowled. "What did he tell you?"

"He said his name was Devlin and that he was my guardian angel. Then he said he loved me and he'd always protect me."

"Listen, Devlin's _not_ your guardian angel, Eloise, but I am. You have to believe me. Please, tell me you'll never listen to him? He's a bad angel."

When the doctors began to panic, Nathaniel knew he had to let her go. But as he readied himself to send her soul back into her body, she reached up and kissed his mouth again, sending a surge of electricity right to his core. As his whole being vibrated, he dropped her onto the hospital bed.

Chapter Nine

Sin

His head still reeling, Nathaniel grabbed his robe from the floor and pulled it on. The sister and a nurse were hovering around Eloise and checking her vital signs as she lay unconscious on the bed.

"Her blood pressure is nearly back to normal," said the nurse.

"That's great," said the sister. "Wake her, and then leave her for a while longer."

Nathaniel sighed with relief. Though he was happy Eloise's soul was back in her body, he wanted to see her conscious to make sure she was all right.

The nurse patted her hand. "Eloise, it's time to wake up."

Opening her eyes, she blinked at the bright lights, then drifted off again.

"Can you hear me, Eloise?" The nurse tapped her arm.

"Yeah," she mumbled, her eyelashes fluttering open for a second.

The nurse put another blanket over her. "Okay, we'll leave you for a bit longer."

"Thank goodness for that," said the sister, following the nurse out the door. "Check on her again in ten minutes."

Nathaniel peeked down the corridor to make sure Devlin wasn't around, then he hurried back to Eloise's bedside. Why on Earth had he told her he was her guardian angel? Now he had to erase her memory of him before she woke and remembered her dream. Closing his eyes, he made a mental note to delete her memory of Devlin as well. No way was he leaving her thinking an angel as evil as Devlin was her guardian.

Standing near the cot, he gazed down at her and wondered what she was dreaming about. She certainly looked peaceful and serene, so he hoped it was a good dream. But then a frightening thought crossed his mind and he prayed she wasn't dreaming about him.

Knowing he was about to find out when he entered her psyche, he felt suddenly afraid. What if she _was_ dreaming about him and the kisses she'd given him? As the memory of her touch came flooding back to him, he held his head.

_Holy Heaven!_ He couldn't stop thinking how good she felt in his arms and how gorgeous she looked in his robe—and without it. _Oh, my God, no!_

He quickly crossed himself. This couldn't be happening to him, it just couldn't. Covering his face with his hands, he fell to his knees and prayed for the lustful thoughts to go away. Angels weren't supposed to have these emotions and now he was no better than Devlin—probably even worse. After all, Devlin hadn't kissed her—had he?

He jumped to his feet. Well if Devlin had kissed Eloise, or if she'd kissed him, he had to know. Determined to find out, he closed his eyes and entered her subconscious mind.

Her lips broke into a beautiful smile. "Oh, you came back. Are you going to tell me your name? If you really are my guardian angel, I should at least know that."

"Eloise, please listen to me. I'll tell you my name, but first I have to know if Devlin kissed you. Did he?"

She bit her lip. "Why do you want to know that? Are you jealous?"

"Eloise, _please_ , I have no time for games, just tell me, it's important."

She folded her arms. "Not until you tell me your name."

Nathaniel sighed. She was as stubborn as ever. "Look, I'm your guardian angel. Devlin is not. He's a bad angel. He just wants to tempt you to do bad things."

Her eyes went wide. "Oh, like what?"

"Just answer my question. Did he kiss you?"

She smiled as if she was enjoying herself. "He might have. He's quite hot you know."

"Eloise!"

Smirking, she looked him up and down. "But he's not as sexy as you, or as pretty."

Nathaniel held his head. Oh, great. That's not what he needed to hear. "Come on, please answer me. I haven't got much time."

"Why? Where are you going? If you really are my guardian angel, you should be by my side all the time, shouldn't you?"

"I am by your side all the time. I never leave. You just can't see me. You're not supposed to see me."

"Prove it."

"For goodness sake, you're the most infuriating ward I've ever had."

She frowned. "Oh, and how many _females_ have you had?"

"Eloise, don't be facetious, I'm an angel."

"But I don't even know what facetious means, so how can I be it?"

"It means inappropriate, and you know what that means."

She grinned mischievously. "Okay, if you can prove you're my guardian angel, I'll tell you about Devlin."

"All right, your best friends are Brooke and Ruby. You love One Direction, Johnny Ruffo, Birdy, and ..."

"Oh, my God, you know all that? Okay, what song do I play the most?"

"Well, I don't know who sings it because it's new, but you drive me nuts when you play it over and over all the time."

"What's it called then?"

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "It's called 'You', and I should know because I've heard it a million times."

Eloise's held her mouth. "Crikey! You really must be my guardian angel if you know that."

"That's right, so now you know that I'm only looking out for your safety, you can answer my question?"

Leaning towards him, she ran her fingers though his curls, sending a thrill across his head and down his neck. As quick as he could, he yanked her hands away. "Please don't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm an angel. Do you _want_ me to get my wings burned off?"

She bit her lower lip. "Oh, so you _do_ fancy me after all."

"Eloise, just stop this, please."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gazed into his eyes. "If you _did_ get your wings burned off, would you kiss me?"

Oh no! Her beautiful heart-shaped mouth was so close to his, he was tempted to kiss her. Instead, he closed his eyes and wrenched her arms away. "Eloise, this is serious."

"So am I." She grabbed his wrist, sending a pleasure buzz right up his arm.

Terrified of how she was making him feel, he pulled his hand away and glared at her.

She sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you about Devlin if you tell me your name. I promise."

He stared at her. "You know, I can find out by reading your thoughts if I have to."

She squinted at him. "So how come you're begging me to tell you?"

Glancing upwards with exasperation, he sighed. "Because I want to hear what you have to say. Thoughts can change, but spoken words can't."

Folding her arms, she grinned. "Well, if you don't tell me your name, I'll just have to call on Devlin when I'm in trouble."

Nathaniel glowered at her. "That's not funny, and if you knew what he had planned for you, you wouldn't say such a thing."

Her mouth opened wide. "What do you mean?"

From the look on her face he'd obviously scared her, but time was running out and there was no time left for her silly games. "Okay, Eloise, I'll tell you my name, but you'd better keep your word."

"I will, I promise."

"I'm Nathaniel, Angel of Fire, and I am your guardian angel. Devlin is not, so don't ever trust or believe him."

Without warning, she stretched up and wrapped her arms around his neck, then before he could stop her, she crushed her lips to his—and just like before, he was zapped with a powerful volt of electricity that thrilled him to the very core.

Gripping her wrists, he pushed her away. "You mustn't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because angels are not supposed to kiss human girls."

A huge smile spread across her pretty face. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

He blinked twice. "Felt what?"

She held her hands out. "Electricity. Every time I kiss you, I get a zapped—and _you_ twitch."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "That's because it shocks me that you do it."

She grinned. "Maybe, but you still like it. I can tell, so why don't you admit it?"

"Don't be absurd. I'm not admitting any such thing. I'm an angel."

"Well, guess what? That song I play all the time is sung by a singer called Nathaniel. How cool is that?"

Speechless, he just stared at her, but when she grabbed his hand again, his whole being vibrated with joy. _Good Heavens_ , what was she doing to him? Now he had an urge to take her in his arms and fly up to his cloud with her. He yanked his arm away and crossed himself again. Then he realised with horror that if he didn't erase her memory of him in the next minute, he'd get his wings burned off for sure.

In a panic, he shouted at her. "What about your promise?"

A look of humiliation crossed her face and she lowered her eyes. "So you don't even think it's cool about the song?"

"Eloise," he said in a softer voice. "I'm sorry, but I really do have to go now, so if you want to keep your word, you have less than a minute."

"Okay. Devlin did try to kiss me, but I turned away, so he just kissed my cheek."

As Nathaniel stared at her pretty face, a sudden rage took over him and he clenched his fists. How dare Devlin take her soul away and try to kiss her? Now he knew what he was up against, he felt no guilt about burning Devlin's wings off, but first, he had to remove Eloise's memory of both of them, as well as her romantic feelings for him.

Gripping her arms, he looked deep into her beautiful eyes. "Eloise, you must never have anything to do with Devlin. He's a bad angel and he will put your life and soul in danger. You must wear your crucifix at all times and order him to go away. Promise me you will?"

She looked up at him. "Okay, but only if you kiss me before you leave."

He shook her shoulders. "Eloise, I'm deadly serious about this. It's no joke."

Bowing her head as if he'd crushed her very spirit, she gazed up through her thick dark lashes. "Now you're angry with me."

He let go of her. She was melting his soul, but he daren't smile at her. It was difficult enough to do what he had to do, especially when she looked at him like that. But just as he was about to wipe her memory of him, she whispered, "I _so_ love you, Nathaniel."

Shocked at her words and hurting deep in his psyche, he entered the most intimate part of her subconscious mind and zapped out her memory of him, then he deleted all of her recollections of Devlin.

Chapter Ten

Archangel Michael

Standing at the foot of the bed, Nathaniel held his head in his hands. Removing himself from Eloise's thoughts was the right thing to do, but there was no way he could wipe away the emotions he now had for her. Only God or another angel could do that. Raking his hands through his hair, he tried to think of who to call, but it was just too embarrassing. He decided to use self-control instead of humiliating himself in front of Archangel Michael, after all, he hadn't sought any of this.

When a familiar disgusting stench wafted through the air, Nathaniel spun around. And just like he thought, Lucifer, dressed in his Father Luke disguise was standing in the corner grinning at him.

Nathaniel ripped the crucifix from his chain and pointed it at him. "Get the Hell out of here!"

Snickering, Lucifer lifted Nathaniel's gown up with his staff. "Hmm, so Eloise likes your sexy silk undergarment, does she?"

Nathaniel whacked the cane away and glared at him. "Oh, I should've known you were behind all this. Trying to tempt me to sin, were you? Well, it didn't work, did it?"

Lucifer snorted. "I don't know about that, Nathaniel. You seemed smitten with your beautiful ward to me, and it seems she feels the same way about you. But if you don't take me up on my offer and sell me your soul, you won't get to have her—but Devlin will."

Gritting his teeth, Nathaniel moved closer to him. "I don't want to 'have her'. I'm her guardian angel, not her lover." He held the crucifix in front of Lucifer's face. "Now I command you to get out!"

"Okay, I'll leave, but you won't be her guardian for much longer. I have a meeting with Devlin this afternoon. I was actually being kind by offering you the deal first."

"I'm not interested in your 'deal', and you don't have the power to take Eloise or any other ward away from me."

"No, my dear boy, but I have the power to tempt Eloise, and the power to help Devlin to win her heart."

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Lucifer, but you're not the most powerful one." Nathaniel thrust the crucifix towards him and yelled, "Lucifer, by the power of God, I command you to leave!"

In the blink of an eye, Lucifer vanished and so did the stench. Making sure he wasn't hiding somewhere, Nathaniel scanned the room, then he shot into the corridor to see if he was still sneaking around. There was no putrid smell, so he guessed he must have gone—though he was most likely on his way to his rendezvous with Devlin.

After shooting back to Eloise's bedside, he opened and closed his fists as he paced the room. If only he hadn't left in such a hurry this morning, he would've remembered to bring his sword with him. It wasn't like him to go anywhere without it. How on Earth could he have been so careless when he knew Lucifer would turn up? He glanced at Eloise. Surely she wouldn't fall for Devlin's tricks and lies—or would she? He shook his head. Nah, she was too good a person and her soul was pure—but what about her raging teenage hormones? Yes, she had just said she loved him, but he had erased her memory of him. He rubbed his chin. Devlin could be a charmer when he wanted and Eloise had just said she thought he was hot, and why wouldn't she? He had movie-star good looks and a sexy, powerful physique. She might easily fall for him.

Jesus Christ! After crossing himself, Nathaniel raked his hands through his hair. Now he was jealous again, and that wouldn't help Eloise. His feelings for her were obviously too strong for willpower to work and he needed help. He sighed with dread. "I guess I'll just have to call for Michael after all."

"Nathaniel, you summoned me?"

Spinning around, Nathaniel was shocked to see the archangel standing in front of him. "Hang on, I only just thought about you, so how did you get here so fast?"

"Because you thought out loud and I was already close by. I knew about Eloise's operation, so I expected some kind of drama."

When a nurse came in to check on Eloise, Nathaniel scanned the room, then looked back at Michael. "I'm in trouble, big trouble." He held his head, not knowing how to start.

"Tell me what's wrong, Nathaniel, so I can help you."

Nathaniel held his hands out. "Well, it's sort of hard to explain. You see, Devlin took Eloise's soul to his cloud while she was unconscious, so obviously I had to go and save her. I managed to do that, but on the way back, she kissed me. Actually she kissed me three times. I couldn't stop her, and now I ..."

Michael's brows bunched together. "I get what you're saying, but did you encourage her to do that?"

Nathaniel scowled. "Of course I didn't. Why would I do that?"

Arching his well-defined brows, Michael stared at him for a long moment, then he shook his head and sighed. "Hmm, so you didn't take her for a joyride in your underwear, or give her a gift?"

"What?" Nathaniel's jaw dropped with indignation. "I gave her my robe because she was stark naked. She was having an operation remember? And ... and she was enjoying the shooting star so much, I just thought ..."

"Okay, I get the scene," said Michael. "But you were playing with fire and you know it. You should have brought her soul straight back to her body instead of leaving yourself wide open to temptation." He waved a finger at him. "You must have wanted her admiration."

Nathaniel blinked twice. "No, I didn't—well, maybe as an angel I might have. I did enjoy talking to her. It does get kind of lonely being isolated for eighteen years with no one knowing of your existence, you know. But for goodness sake, I certainly didn't expect her to kiss me."

Michael sighed. "Then I suggest you erase Eloise's memory of that episode as soon as possible. And be more careful in the future. You know better than to do things that might encourage a human to have a crush on you. You're an angel of God, not a flying super hero."

Nathaniel folded his arms. "I was just doing my job, or trying to. And I've already erased Eloise's memory of what happened, including her romantic feelings for me. I didn't encourage her, but for some strange reason, she seemed determined to kiss me."

"All right, well since you've already sorted the problem, I'm not needed, so I'll be on my way."

"No, wait! I do need your help. The problem isn't that Eloise has a crush on me because I fixed that. It's just that now, well.... um _I'm_ having strange romantic thoughts about her. Ever since she kissed me, I can't stop thinking about her."

"Oh, I _see_ , so you want me to erase _your_ romantic thoughts about her?"

"Yes, you see Lucifer set me up."

"Come on, Nathaniel. You put yourself in that position. I know Lucifer's been hanging around, but really?"

Nathaniel threw his arms out. "Are you insinuating I'm _lying_? Because I can assure you I'm not. Lucifer really did set me up, and he said so when he was here five minutes ago."

Michael pointed at the floor. "Lucifer came here?"

"Yes, he came dressed as a priest again." Nathaniel looked dolefully at Michael. "He offered to let me have a life on Earth with Eloise if I sold him my soul. He said if I didn't, he'd offer the same thing to Devlin."

"But Lucifer offered you that before and you refused."

"Yes, but this time, he managed to get Devlin to kidnap Eloise's soul while she was sedated. That way he knew Devlin would have a better chance of getting away before I saw him. And Lucifer picked a time when Eloise was totally naked, a time when her spirit was vulnerable to be taken so that any angel carrying her could communicate with her. Lucifer knew that a teenage girl would easily fall for an angel who was saving her from danger. Don't you see? He wanted us to fall for each other."

Michael stroked his chin. "Hmm, and it seems you _did_ fall for each other from what you're telling me."

Nathaniel pressed his hands to his chest. "But I had no intensions of that happening. I had to save Eloise from Devlin. And though I resisted the temptation to kiss her, I had no control over her actions. She was so close to me, I couldn't stop her. She caught me off guard every time. I'm not interested in falling to Earth, but I can't protect my ward properly if all I can think about is what guy she's flirting with or who she's dating. So I'm asking you to remove my desire for Eloise from my mind before it totally destroys me and puts her in danger."

"I think you're right about Lucifer setting you up. It certainly sounds like it."

"He practically admitted it while he was here, and he seemed to know everything that happened. And now that I think of it, Devlin didn't even challenge me when I took Eloise away from him."

Michael put his arm around Nathaniel's shoulder. "Well, you are in a pickle, aren't you? But that's okay. I can do what you requested. You've done everything you can to rectify this problem yourself, but you'll have to be wary in the future not to let Eloise kiss you again. Okay, are you ready for me to fix your problem?"

Nathaniel nodded. "Yes, I am."

"That's good, now close your eyes, Nathaniel, and I'll eliminate any romantic and lustful thoughts from your soul. Though you'll still remember saving Eloise from Devlin, you won't remember her kissing you and you'll have the same feelings for her that you had before her operation. Do you understand?"

"I do, but will I remember showing her the shooting star and giving her the crucifix?"

"Yes, like I said, you will remember everything except the kisses and your romantic feelings for her, and hers for you. Now, are you sure you understand?"

Nathaniel nodded. "Yes, go ahead."

Michael smiled. "Good, then then let's get on with it."

Nathaniel closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, he forgot what they'd been talking about. Holding his forehead, he stared at Michael. "Oh, I think I must've had a mind block or something. I've forgotten why I called you here."

Michael grinned. "Don't worry, Nathaniel. It's probably the stress of having to deal with Lucifer. You said he set you up and you wanted my advice on how to deal with it."

"Oh, that's right. I was telling you how Devlin took Eloise's soul when she was unconscious and that I had to go and bring her back. Lucifer set me up. He was hoping I would fall for my own ward and that I would sell my soul to him so I could be with her on Earth. Of course his plan didn't work and I declined his offer, but now he's threatened to offer the same deal to Devlin. I was worried because when Devlin took Eloise to his cloud, he told her that he was her guardian angel. I was worried that Eloise might believe him, so just before you arrived, I erased her memory of Devlin as well of her memory of me rescuing her. I guess I must've called you for advice on how to deal with Devlin and Lucifer if it happens again."

Michael raised a brow. "You mean you can't remember calling me?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "Um, I kind of remember calling out to you, but it was probably just a knee-jerk reaction to everything that just happened. Though I am glad you came."

"Well, you've done all the right things for this situation," said Michael. "Though I don't know why you aren't carrying a sword."

Looking down at his hip, Nathaniel cringed. "Yes, and that was irresponsible of me. I came with Eloise in the ambulance in such a hurry I forgot to grab it. Of course I had my crucifix, and that never fails me."

"Well you did fine, Nathaniel, and the only advice I can give you is to stay vigilant, never leave Eloise's side, and always call me if you need help. I will also be watching Devlin and keeping my eye on you. Now, is there anything else I can help you with before I go on my way?"

"No, I'm right, thanks."

As Michael headed for the door, he glanced over his shoulder. "Now, don't hesitate to call me if you need help."

Nathaniel smiled. "Don't worry, I won't, and thanks for coming." He couldn't believe he'd shouted Michael's name out and he'd just turned up like that. He made a mental note to be careful what he yelled out loud from now on or he'd have Michael turning up when he didn't need him. But for some strange reason after seeing the archangel, he felt more refreshed and relaxed than he had in a long time. Well, he couldn't complain about that. Shrugging, he wandered over to Eloise's bedside.

Though she still looked groggy from the sedatives, her eyes were open and she was staring at something in her hand. When Nathaniel peeked over to see what it was, he smiled. She was looking at the tiny crucifix-shaped rock he'd given her from the shooting star.

She held it up to the nurse. "What's this and where did it come from?"

"I don't know," said the nurse, picking it up. "But it looks like a piece of jewellery. Maybe that priest left it for you."

Eloise frowned. "What priest?"

"The one that came to visit you while you were unconscious."

"Really," said Eloise. "Well I hope I was covered up."

"He just wandered in, but he didn't stay. And yes, you were well covered up with blankets."

"Well, it's a beautiful crucifix, but where's the one I had in my hand when I came in?"

The nurse shrugged. "I don't know, but I'll ask if anyone found it. You should have handed it to someone before your operation."

"Well, I hope you find it. It's special because my grandfather gave it to me."

"Maybe your mother has it," said the nurse, checking Eloise's blood pressure again.

"She could have, but if I can't find it, I'll put this one on my gold chain when I get home."

The door opened and a male nurse walked in and smiled at Eloise. "I've come to take you back to your room." As he wheeled her bed down the corridor, Nathaniel followed. He couldn't help but smirk at how ironic it was that Eloise thought the priest had left her the crucifix when it was actually given to her to protect her from him. But the thought of Lucifer using Devlin to get to Eloise was making him angrier by the minute. Devlin would be only too pleased to sell his soul if in return he got to spend a lifetime with Eloise, especially now that she was a beautiful, fully grown young woman. Plus Devlin would enjoy getting revenge on him. After all, he'd been threatening it for eighteen years.

Nathaniel clenched his jaw. He no longer felt pity for Devlin. He just wanted to tear him to shreds and burn his wings off, then send him spiralling to Hell where he belonged. All of this was just too sad for Eloise, and she didn't deserve any of it.

Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his gold chain and fixed the broken link, then he threaded his crucifix back and fastened it around his neck. He had no intention of letting Devlin or Lucifer get to her. It was his job to protect her, and protect her he would.

Chapter Eleven

Tom

A month after her operation, Eloise came home from school in a mood. Knowing she'd been struggling to get through her assignments after been ill, Nathaniel decided to listen to her phone calls to see if there was anything else troubling her. He couldn't afford to take any risks after what had happened at the hospital, and from his past experiences with teenagers, he knew how sneaky they could be.

After following Eloise to her bedroom, he watched as she struggled with a word document on her laptop. As he started to send her suggestions on how to fix it, Madeline popped her head around the door.

"There's a new release on at the cinema tonight, honey. If you hurry up and finish your homework you can come with me. You can ask Brooke to come too if you like, her mum is coming."

Eloise rolled her eyes. "I can't. I have a heap of homework to do and I don't understand it. Why can't I just leave school and get a job like my friend, Sally?"

"No, Eloise, You're going to stay on and get a good education."

"But I'll learn more at TAFE. I want to work with animals and there's a job going at the pet shop down at Creed Valley. Please, Mum. Let me apply for it. I promise to go to night school."

Madeline frowned. "I don't know, honey. You'll have to ask your father when he gets home on Friday night. If he says yes, I'll agree, if not, you'll have to stay at school, okay?"

Eloise sighed. "I guess."

"What about the movie. Are you coming?"

"No thanks. I'm going to try and get through this."

"Sorry I can't help you with it, love. I'm no good with computers." I'll see you later then."

"See ya."

"Oh, and don't answer the door to strangers, you hear me?"

Eloise scowled. "Mum, I'm eighteen, not twelve."

Madeline raised her brows. "I'm serious, Elle."

Eloise fiddled with her computer. "Yes, okay."

"Right then, I'm off," said her mother, closing the door behind her.

Nathaniel was pleased Madeline had instructed Eloise not to answer the door to strangers, though he doubted she'd listen. She was such a warm-hearted girl and way too trusting of people.

As soon as he mother's car had pulled out of the driveway, Eloise phoned someone on her cell phone. "Hi, it's me, Elle, can you come over and help me with my homework. I'm having trouble with my word documents. They keep freezing on me and my assignment has to be in by tomorrow. I don't want to get into trouble again. Great, see you in five."

As she hung up, Nathaniel wondered who she'd phoned. From the sound of it, it was one of her friends from school, probably Brooke or Ruby.

It wasn't long before someone knocked on the front door, but when Eloise answered it, Nathaniel scowled. Instead of one of her girlfriends turning up, there was a motorbike parked out the front and a tall handsome boy with dark hair swaggered into the hall. After closing the door, Eloise smiled at him. "Aw, thanks for coming, you're a life saver. Come into my room."

What? Nathaniel ruffled his feather in frustration and followed them down the hall. Madeline wouldn't approve of this muscly young man coming into the house when she was out, and she certainly wouldn't allow him in Eloise's bedroom.

Though he was probably in her class, the boy looked older than Eloise, and apparently he shaved from look of the dark shadow on his cheeks. Smiling at her, the boy took his leather jacket off and hung it on a hook on the door. Wearing nothing but a singlet and tight black jeans, he looked awfully muscly for a school boy, and he obviously worked out at a gym. As he sat on a chair in front of the laptop, Eloise pulled a stool up next to him.

Nathaniel didn't trust him for a second and decided to stay close in case he got a bit frisky. Eloise wouldn't stand a chance with a hot-blooded guy like that if he took advantage of her.

After adjusting her word document, the boy smiled. "There, you go, Elle. It's all ready for you to type out your assignment and I've made you a template, so you'll have one ready for next week."

Eloise gave him a hug. "Oh, you're an angel for doing that. I was totally confused. Hey, it's great having you back. Have you moved home with your parents?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, unfortunately."

Nathaniel frowned. Hmm, looks like she didn't need her guardian angel to help with her assignment tonight. Seems she has a human angel for that.

The young man stepped over to the door and grabbed a book from his jacket pocket. "Here, you can borrow my manual for fixing document problems. If you get stuck, just give me a call."

Eloise stood up and glanced through the booklet, then put it on her desk. "Aw, thanks, Tom. That will save me from getting busted tomorrow."

Nathaniel blinked. Did she say _Tom_? Surely this solid young man wasn't the same skinny little Tom from her class that had left home a year ago?

Looking Eloise up and down, Tom smiled. "Anything for you, babe."

_Babe?_ He called her _babe._ Nathaniel stood in front him to see if he had a scar on his brow like the kid from her class, but as he peered at his face, Tom unexpectedly moved forward, passing right through him.

Disorientated, Nathaniel blinked. What happened? Instead of facing Tom, he was facing Eloise—and she was smiling at him. Surely she couldn't _see_ him again like she had when she was a child? As he opened his mouth to ask her, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

_Whoa!_ Nathaniel reeled backwards as a volt of electricity zapped his face.

Eloise stared up at him. "Are you okay? You're shaking."

His eyes grew wide. _Goodness!_ Not only could she _see_ him, he'd felt the warmth of her kiss. In all the years he'd been a guardian, he'd never experienced the physical touch of a human before. Still trembling from the shock of it, he reached out to see if he could touch her without passing through her body, but when his fingers met her face, strange tingles ran up his arms. _Holy Heaven!_ He could actually feel the silkiness of her skin, and oh, did she feel good. He yanked his hand away. "I'm fine, Eloise, and now that you're older, I guess it won't be a problem if you see me."

Something sparkled in her eyes, then without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his.

Oh, my God!

Holding his hands up, he froze as a tremendous surge of energy shot through his soul. _What on Earth was she doing?_ She was so close to him, her breasts were squashed against his chest. And her hands—Holy Heaven—they were raking through his hair and sending shivers down his back. Trembling, he gripped her shoulders to push her away, but when she moaned into his mouth, he totally lost it.

Closing his eyes, he gathered her into his arms and tasted the sweetness of her lips, her breath, her mouth. She felt like nothing he could ever imagine and the warmth and feel of her curves beneath his hands was blowing his mind. He tried to pull away, but when she slid her arms around his waist, an uncontrollable groan escaped his throat and he arched his back as inexplicable sensations like he'd never known pulsated from his abdomen and burned into his thighs. Never in his whole existence had he ever experienced anything so pleasurable or as painful, but the intensity of so many sensations hitting him at once was igniting him to the core. With no control over what was happening, his mind began to spin and he was sure he was about to spontaneously combust. Pulling away from the kiss, he buried his face in her hair and held her tight to stop himself from collapsing onto the floor.

She'd awakened something in his soul he never knew existed and when she squeezed him tight, a tremendous heat burned through every part of him. Unable to resist her, he thrust his hands into her long wavy hair and kissed her again. Though he knew what he was doing was wrong, she felt so good, he couldn't let her go. He wanted hold her in his arms forever and never let her go. Seizing her face between his hands, he gazed into her smouldering green eyes. "Oh, Eloise," he whispered. "What have you done to me?"

Though she didn't answer, she sucked in a sharp breath and he kissed her again. Her sweet innocent nature and her beautiful spirit had captivated his soul and all he wanted to do was—oh, _Sweet Jesus_.

Realising the depth of what he was doing, he moved away from her mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. _Holy Heaven,_ he was as bad as Devlin. He was _lusting_ after a human—no, worse, he'd fallen in love with one, and she obviously felt the same way about him. It was all his fault for encouraging her. He quickly crossed himself. _Jesus Christ,_ what had he done? Could he sacrifice his wings and all of eternity to spend a lifetime with her? Gazing out the window, he silently prayed.

Oh, Lord, give me strength. I'm so sorry, but Eloise is more beautiful than I ever imagined, and although I never wished or planned to ever hold her like this, it happened. And now that I love her, I can't let her go. Please, Jesus, forgive me?

Eloise rested her hand on his brow. "Are you okay? Your head is so hot."

Her touch made him weak at the knees and as he fell into her bottomless green eyes, he whispered, "I'm falling for you, honey."

Blushing, she lowered her lashes and rested her head on his chest, but when she slipped her hands around his waist again, he flinched as an excruciating pain ran across his shoulders and down his back.

When the burning intensified, he cried out in pain, then somewhere in his hazy spell of ecstasy, he realised what was happening.

_Holy Heaven!_ God was burning his wings off.

Terrified Eloise would get caught in the flames, he jerked away from her. "Eloise, I'm so sorry."

Her brow furrowed with concern and she grabbed his hand. "Tom, what's the matter? You look ill?"

_Tom?_ She called me _Tom?_ Nathaniel's jaw dropped as he realised what had happened. Eloise couldn't see him at all. Somehow he'd accidently possessed Tom's body. _Jesus_. He was about to get his wings burned off for nothing. Eloise didn't have feelings for him. She had a crush on Tom. Fearing she'd burn along with him, he tore away from her and shot out the window. Landing on the grass, he fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands. How could he have been so foolish to think Eloise was in love with him? And he'd _never_ felt that way about her before—but oh, how she'd felt in his arms.

As grey smoke billowed around him, he realised his wings were on fire. "Holly shit!" Flapping them wildly, he leapt to his feet, then with his arms stretched out in front of him, he shot towards the beach. When he reached the ocean, he dived head first into the white-capped surf, then froze with shock as the icy water hit him like a sword. Oh Lord! The sea had never hurt him before and for some reason he couldn't glide through it like he used to. His chest was killing him and his throat was filling with water. Raising his arms above his head, he gagged and kicked until he ascended upwards. When he hit the surface, he instinctively opened his mouth and gasped for air, then he coughed and spluttered and thrashed his arms about as he desperately tried to swim to shore.

Seeing a huge wave behind him, he stretched his arms out, hoping to catch it, but as it thundered above him, it dragged him under, tumbling him over and over and tangling him in seaweed before dumping him on the shore. Grateful he hadn't drowned, he collapsed onto the hard wet sand and panted for breath as salty water poured from his nose. When he tried to get up, a sharp pain knotted inside of him and he held his belly and heaved as water and bile shot from his throat. His back was killing him, and when he glanced over his shoulder and uncontrollable scream escaped his throat. _Holy Heaven!_ It was too late to pray for forgiveness. He'd already fallen.

He scrambled to his feet and ripped the seaweed from his hair, then he stared down at his naked body. _Jesus!_ As well as losing his wings, his clothes were gone. It was freezing cold and he was stark naked for the world to see. He glanced around, but there was no one about, at least not for now.

As blood dripped from the wounds on his back, he stepped into a rock pool and washed it off. He couldn't remember _ever_ feeling so miserable and lonely and he wondered what he was supposed to do next, but sitting and freezing to death wasn't the answer. Shivering, he gazed up at the ominous clouds and tried to think of somewhere to shelter from the brewing storm before he got pneumonia. With no clothes to warm his naked body or hide the wounds on his back, he knew he was in for a cold wet night if he didn't find a dry place to sleep.

He climbed out of the pond and shook the water from his skin and hair. He couldn't understand how he'd gotten himself into such a sorry mess, but surely he didn't deserve _this_? It wasn't his fault he'd accidently possessed Tom's body, or that Eloise had kissed him. He certainly hadn't been yearning for her. That thought had never occurred to him—not until he'd tasted the sweetness of her lips and felt the softness of her skin.

He raked his hands through his wet hair. Oh, _why_ hadn't he resisted the temptation of her? The way he'd held and kissed her was so wrong. He'd weakened and failed his duty as a guardian. Lowering his head in shame, Nathaniel realised with horror that he was no different to Devlin.

But what now? Should he try and win Eloise's heart, the one thing he'd risked his wings for? Or should he disappear into the wilderness and pray for God's forgiveness?

Deciding to beg God for his wings back, he knelt on the sand, but as he joined his hands together, a movement on the cliff caught his eye and he glanced up.

A White-bellied Sea Eagle was perched on the lookout, its evil black eyes fixed on him.

Nathaniel froze. Good Heavens. It was a bird of prey and it was after his blood. As he held its gaze, it flapped its huge black wings and glided south over the ocean. Nathaniel sighed with relief, but when it swerved around and headed back towards him, he stomach tightened and he started to run. When he glanced upwards, he couldn't believe his eyes. The eagle was circling above him and its large hooked claws were ready to tear him to pieces. Far out! It had a body the size of a large dog and its wingspan was enormous. As it descended lower, its hungry black eyes burned into him.

His heart pounding against his ribs, Nathaniel sprinted naked along the shore, but no matter how fast he ran, the eagle followed. Realising he couldn't outrun the pest, he prayed it would go and hunt for fish, but when he noticed his own blood, running down his legs, he knew there was no chance of that. The hooked-nosed predator was after a meal and determined to linger, ready to pounce.

Though he didn't fancy being eaten alive, the nearest shelter was half a mile away. Straining every muscle in his legs and arms, he bolted at full speed towards the safety of the public changing rooms. But it was no use, he couldn't outrun a hungry bird. He kept on running, but he only managed to get half-way to the white stone building before the Eagle swooped down and landed on the sand in front of him.

Freezing on the spot, Nathaniel held his hands out ready to fight it to the death, but instead of attacking him, the Eagle transformed into Father Luke. "What a pretty sight you are, Nathaniel."

Nathaniel glared at him. "You vile piece of shit, I should've guessed it was you behind all of this."

Lucifer eyed him up and down and grinned. "And what do you think of yourself now, Romeo? You're certainly are a fine specimen of a man."

Clenching his jaw, Nathaniel balled his hands into fists. "What do you want? Spit it out so I can leave."

"Oh, don't be so impatient," he said, lifting his cane and running it down the centre of Nathaniel's naked abdomen.

Nathaniel bashed it away with his hand. "Get away from me, you depraved pervert."

Lucifer laughed. "Now you've had a taste of human pleasure, my dear. How about selling me your soul for more? After all, not only can I make you rich, I can make it possible for you to be with Eloise for a whole lifetime."

"I have no intension of _ever_ selling you my soul. This was all your trickery, wasn't it?"

Lucifer walked closer to him. "I don't think you should disrespect me, Nathaniel. You're forgetting you have no wings and no powers. I can take you right now and imprison your sorry ass in my castle jail with all my other collections, and there'll be nothing you can do about it. So be a good boy and sell me your soul. Then I'll take you straight to your precious Eloise so you can begin your lives together."

Nathaniel raised a brow. "Oh, and what about Tom?"

Lucifer threw his head back and laughed. "Tom? What has he got to do with it? He's just a teenage punk. You don't owe him anything. The only thing Tom cares about is having a good time. Anyway, he's not in love with Eloise, but you are."

Nathaniel pushed him away. "Get away from me. That was an illusion. You put some kind of spell on me."

Lucifer shook his head. "I can assure you, I did no such thing. All I did was to make sure that Tom stopped at the right moment instead of passing through you." He grinned wickedly. "I knew you'd weaken, Nathaniel. Most angels do once they get a taste of human pleasures."

"That's not true, and you know it. Anyway, it hasn't worked with me because I'm not interested. Now get out of my way." Shoving past him, Nathaniel stormed up the beach.

"Have it your own way," said Lucifer. "I'll give you twenty-four hours to change your mind, and if you don't. I'll make the offer to Devlin."

_What?_ Nathaniel spun around to face him, but it was too late, Lucifer had turned back into an eagle and was already a mile away.

Chapter Twelve

Fallen

Nathaniel fell to his knees and held his head. Not only had he let God down by his stupid actions, he'd practically given Eloise to Lucifer. And if Devlin did sell his soul to him and fall to Earth, he'd use his good-looks and charm to trick Eloise into believing he loved her. Then Lucifer would have control over both of them.

Rocking on his heels, Nathaniel bit hard into his knuckle. There had to be a way he could warn her, but how? He couldn't just turn up at her house stark naked and homeless. Madeline would call the police and have him arrested. Staring up at the ominous sky, he held his arms out.

"Oh, Lord, I know that I deserved to be punished, but why have you forsaken Eloise?"

Hearing no answer, he glanced around, but the beach was deserted. Even Ramiel had abandoned him and so had Michael. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he rested his head on his knees, but that didn't warm him. Shivering with cold and pain, he got to his feet and started running along the shore to warm himself. At least if anyone turned up, he could dive into the ocean.

As he tried to figure out where to go from here, he pondered on why this had happened to him. He'd always prided himself on his willpower and morals, but now he'd weakened and broken God's rules. Though that didn't mean he was willing to join Lucifer and become one of his demons. He'd just have to find a job and a place to live. Then somehow, he'd find a way to help Eloise, though that would take too long. Closing his eyes he rubbed the back of his neck. There must be something he could do now. Lucifer had given him twenty-four hours before making an offer to Devlin, but who in their right mind would trust him? Guessing he'd probably already done a deal with Devlin, he knew he'd better find some clothing, and fast. Then at least he could go and warn Eloise.

He was already feeling tired but there was no time to stop. Looking ahead, he spotted the public restrooms in the distance. If he was lucky, there could be some discarded clothes in there that he could use. If not, as lest he could shelter from the wind for a while. As he sprinted towards the white stone building, a strong wind whipped sand in his face, peppering his skin as if he'd been stabbed by a thousand tiny needles. He sheltered his eyes with his hands and kept on running. Being human certainly wasn't easy. He was used to flying from place to place within minutes or even seconds, and the pain that humans felt certainly wasn't pleasant, though the mental anguish was worse. The ache in his heart and mind from the loss of guarding Eloise was tearing him apart and he'd never felt so useless.

It suddenly dawned on him that he was the only human on Earth who knew about Lucifer's plan to capture Eloise's soul and his stomach knotted like never before. He was sure he was going to throw up again, but he couldn't stay on the beach stark naked, even if it was getting darker. He'd be arrested for indecent exposure for sure.

Reaching the white stone building, he entered the men's changing rooms, but as he walked inside, he stopped in his tracks. The water was running in one of the cubicles and someone was whistling. As he tiptoed around to check the empty cubicles for any leftover clothing, he noticed a tracksuit and a pair of joggers on the bench. It was the only bit of luck he'd had since losing his wings, so without another thought, he gathered them up and bolted outside. With his heart pounding in his chest, he glanced around to make sure no one was coming, then he darted around to the back of the building. He guessed the clothes belonged to the guy in the shower, but he couldn't afford to feel guilty. Saving Eloise before it was too late was the only thing on his mind.

With a fresh feeling of hope, he dashed behind some bushes and pulled on the track-pants. He could hear the man singing from the shower window only a few meters away. His heart racing, he quickly shrugged into the jacket and zipped it up, then he curled his nose up and cringed. The top was damp with sweat and there was a horrible pungent smell under the arms. Unable to be choosy in his predicament, he shoved his feet into the sneakers, but as he tied the laces, the taps in the shower went off and the cubicle door squeaked open.

His pulse whooshing in his ears, he crossed himself, then tiptoed out of the scrub and bolted as fast as he could down the first sandy bush track he came to. As adrenalin pumped through his veins, he glanced over his shoulder. Holy crap! The man was charging after him, wearing nothing but a towel.

"Hey, you freaking shithead," he yelled. "Come back here with my clothes or I'll break your frigging neck."

Nathaniel ran faster, his legs aching like he'd never known. When he reached the street, he darted across the road and zipped into a supermarket. After hiding behind some shelves, he bent forward with his hands on his knees as he tried to get his breath back. As he waited for his heart to slow down, he prayed the man hadn't seen where he'd gone, but when he peered out the window, he spotted him across the road. He was standing on the other side of the street with his hands on his hips and a towel around his waist. Jeez, he was only a teenager. He didn't look more than nineteen or twenty, though he was well over six-feet tall and built like an ox. And from the way he was clenching his jaw and flexing his biceps and, he was looking for a fight.

Nathaniel bit his lip. He didn't doubt for a second that he would win any fight with a human. He'd fought too many battles with demons to be afraid of a muscle-bound teenager, but that didn't mean he wanted to engage in useless street brawling, nor did he want to hurt an innocent boy. Waiting for an opportunity to escape, he moved away from the window so he couldn't be seen. Time was running out and all he was interested in was getting to Eloise and warning her of the danger before Lucifer spoke to Devlin.

When a bus pulled up outside the store, it blocked his view of the road, but when it moved with the flow of the traffic, the boy was nowhere in sight. After waiting a few minutes to make sure he'd gone, Nathaniel strode to the exit, but as he passed a full length mirror, his jaw dropped with shock as he stared at himself.

His curly brown hair was windblown and sticking out in all directions as if he'd had a fright. There was sand and blood all over his face and dark circles under his eyes. And for the first time in his existence, his normally smooth chin was covered with dark stubble. Frowning, he glanced at his clothes in disgust. He looked like he'd slept in a refuse tip. The tracksuit was now stained with his blood and although he was six-feet tall and muscular, it hung from his body like a sack. Eloise would think he was a homeless person, but then that's exactly what he was. He had no money, no possessions, and nowhere to stay.

Knowing he couldn't afford to waste a second over vanity, he rushed outside. No wonder people were staring at him. They were probably wondering why his clothes were covered in blood. As he hurried up the street, the aroma coming from a restaurant entrance was making his stomach growl. He guessed it was the smell of cooked food, but having never experienced hunger before, he was surprised how uncomfortable it felt. He blew out a sigh. It was much easier being an angel and not having to worry about things such as food and grooming.

He raked his hands through his tangled curls and pulled his collar up around his neck. It was already dusk and he still hadn't figured out where he was going to sleep for the night, but looking for shelter would have to wait until after he'd seen Eloise and made sure she was okay.

Though it wasn't raining, the air was damp and cold and as he jogged along Beach Road, he was glad for the comfort of the shoes, at least they were the right size.

As he turned into the cul-de-sac where Eloise lived, his stomach flipped with nervousness. Although that was another thing he wasn't used to, he was also experiencing something strangely pleasant, a sort of anticipation at seeing her again. Just the thought of her was making his heart skip, though he didn't have a clue what he was going to say to her. But knowing Eloise's sweet nature, he didn't expect her to call the police on him, at least he hoped not. He wasn't so sure about Madeline though. If she was home, she'd more than likely get the broom to him, and then have him arrested. She could be quite fiery when it came to protecting her daughter.

The nearer he got to Eloise's house, the faster his heart raced. Nerve endings in parts of his body he never knew existed began to twitch and he took a deep breath to calm himself. His hands were sweating and his legs were wobbling so much, he was sure they'd buckle from under him. What on Earth was happening to him? He was behaving like a child. Grabbing onto the neighbour's fence to steady himself, he stopped to rest for a moment. His head was aching and his mouth was dry. With a sudden urge to drink water, he licked his lips and stared at a garden hose, though he feared if he turned the tap on, someone would come out and see him.

Deciding not to risk it, he turned into Eloise's driveway instead. Although he was pleased Madeline's car was nowhere in sight, he was disappointed to see Tom's motorbike, still parked on the lawn. He was hoping to talk to Eloise alone.

As he tiptoed down the side of the house, dried leaves crunched under his shoes. Freezing on the spot, he feared someone would come out and see him sneaking around. He began to feel even more self-conscious about seeing Eloise now that he was so close to her, and his face was burning with embarrassment.

Hearing her sweet voice, he realised he was standing only a few feet from her open bedroom window and his heart began to pound. It was already quite dark outside, so he hoped she couldn't see him, but when he peeked into her room, he sucked in a sharp breath and held his mouth. Tom was lying on the bed next to her and they were looking at a book. When Tom suddenly leaned over and kissed her, Nathaniel fell to his knees and held his chest. There was a pain in his heart as if he'd been stabbed with a dagger, he was sure he was going to die.

As he leaned against the side of the house, he covered his face with his hands. He shouldn't have come here. Spying on Eloise like this just wasn't right. He wasn't her guardian angel any more. It felt so wrong—but why, oh why did it hurt so bad to see her being kissed by Tom?

Taking deep breaths, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ease the ache in his heart. Neither the hunger in his belly or the burns on his back felt as bad as the mental anguish he was feeling. The image of Eloise and Tom kissing was tearing him apart, and he couldn't get it out of his head. He doubted any willpower or denial could stop the way he felt, but what on Earth was it? Love, lust, jealousy? Probably all three, but he had no idea how to handle it.

Stumbling to his feet, he clenched his fists. He was losing control again. He just wanted to drag Tom away from her and toss him onto the street, but not for the right reasons. Trembling with an uncontrollable rage, he staggered to the bottom of the garden and leaned against a gum tree. But no matter how many deep breaths he took, he was unable to control the fury building inside him. Growling like a bear, he punched the tree trunk with both fists, not stopping until blood squirted from his knuckles and splashed on his face and clothes. As he cried out in pain, he stared up at the night sky. It seemed fallen angels were just left to suffer for their sins with no help from the Lord, or his angels. Holding his wounded hands to his heart, he bowed his head in shame. Why wouldn't God punish him? After all, he was punishing himself, wasn't he?—even if he couldn't help the way he felt about Eloise. Tears filled his eyes. He had no more control of his feelings for her than he did of breathing air into his lungs.

He slumped against the tree and gritted his teeth as he laughed hysterically. The pain from his wounds was excruciating, but it hadn't overtaken the pain in his heart like he'd intended it to do. He still wanted Eloise more than anything in the universe, and if he had the chance to give her up to earn his wings back, he knew he'd refuse. Throwing his head back, he screamed up to the Heavens. "Keep your bloody wings. I will fight my battles alone."

To be continued in: Nathaniel Teen Angel...................
**To F** **ollow the Ominous Series:**

Nathaniel Teen Angel (Book One)

Ominous Love (Book Two)

**Ominous Angel (Book Three** **)**

New Series Coming Soon

A huge thank you to Patti Roberts for creating my wonderful book covers. Thank you also to Melisa Hamling for checking the medical terminology in the hospital scenes.

Thank you to my wonderful husband for putting up with my endless hours on my computer, to my mother for her encouragement, my father for giving me the confidence to follow my dream, my in-laws for always telling me I born to be an author, and to my family for their support.

To everyone that has read my books, thank you so much. You make it all worthwhile and I'm truly grateful.

Keep watching for more of Patricia Puddle's Books.

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