Bella POV

For a moment, I was frozen in shock. I stared at the incomers. They were both female, one only about four years old, and the other around twelve. They were clearly exhausted, but the older clutched at my arm.

"Please! There are monsters bursting through into the world! Every angel is fighting them, we're winning, but there's one coming after us, and we're too weak to fight it anymore!"

I morphed into a mountain lion. A perfect killing machine. Edward grabbed my tail. I growled.

"Please, Bella. You don't need to fight this monster, it could kill you."

The older angel sighed. "It can't kill her. She would just get stuck in Limbo for a few weeks. And she has to fight it, because it will slaughter any creature it finds. It is basically pure hate and rage bound in a physical form. I'd fight it, but I'm out of power.

I nodded. The angel smiled wearily, and cradled the younger cherub. I realized with a jolt that they were sisters – they had the same honey-colored hair and almond-shaped eyes. The cherub was crying, but whether it was for me or her I didn't know.

I stalked outside. There was a scent of something bad. Very bad. But before I could run away, a thing exploded from the woods.

It was the vilest creature I'd ever seen. Its head was short and squat, covered in slime, all of its features crushed back into its face. It had no body, just a billowing cloud of darkness, with skulls bobbing to the surface before being sucked back into its torso. It had no hands, just two blades of bone smeared with gore. I gasped. It was enough to make an angel terrified. Then my powers kicked in.

I roared at the monster, my version of 'back off!' It leered, and started shambling towards me. Scratch that plan then. Time for (ugh) physical contact.

I switched back into my divine form and attacked. My hand struck the monster on its slimy head. It snarled, and swung its piece of bone at my head. I ducked, and flew into the sky. It giggled, and stretched its body, the dark cloud reaching after me. I hissed. They could stretch? I would speak to Matthew about making me fight monsters with special abilities. He didn't mention that part when inviting me to be an angel.

I swooped through the mass of death before me. As I dived into the monsters body, I got flashes of horrible visions – a baby being ripped apart, flames devouring a city – but then I passed through, and the visions stopped.

It swiped at me again, and this time it caught me on my wing. I shrieked, and I heard Edward howl in unison. I tumbled back to earth, the monster looming above me.

I thought about closing my eyes. This was the end. I wouldn't be allowed to leave Heaven for decades. Edward would get tired of waiting and move on to Tanya. My life would be over.

It was that thought that hit home. No. Edward and I had just found each other again, and no monster could break us apart. If I had to kill the creature then fine, but we would not be separated.

My wing was bleeding, golden blood flowing from the wound. Then my first conversation with Matthew came floating back to me…

"Your blood will burn like acid."

I let it trickle onto my palm. Then I flung a cupful of the golden liquid at the monster. The effect was instant.

As if my blood was paraffin, the monster burst into flames. It shrieked in agony, and writhed. But the visions I had seen kept me from feeling any sorrow to what I'd done.

Then something occurred to me. The thing wasn't dying. It was in terrible pain, but it wasn't anywhere close to dying. How could I kill it?

A beam of light shot down from the sky. It thickened and twisted, until Matthew stood next to me.

"You did well Bella" he said quietly. "We've just about exterminated them, but we've got sixteen angels trapped in Limbo. Catherine, I need you to help the rescue party."

The cherub nodded, and spread her tiny silver wings. She flew into the sky.

Matthew turned to the Cullens. They were gawking at us. "Bella has been drained by this ordeal, and so has Charlotte." I assumed that he meant the older angel. "I would appreciate it if you would allow them to stay while they regain their strength."

Carlisle nodded. "Of course we will."

Matthew smiled. "Thank you, Carlisle." He bent forward and whispered something into Carlisle's ear. Whatever it was, it made the vampires face light up. Then Matthew scooped up the blazing monster and vanished.

"I hate it when they do that" Charlotte mumbled. I smiled at her, and she yawned. "I need to recharge. Do you mind if I use a bedroom?"

Edward nodded. "Not at all. Pick any."

She sighed, and gracefully sprinted back to the house. Edward looked at me, confused. "What did she mean by recharge?"

I smiled. "All angels are filled with a celestial energy. It flows into us from Heaven. But when we fight, we cut ourselves off from the energy stream. So she needs to link up to it again. I need to do it as well, but I'll only do it when I absolutely have to."

He looked puzzled. "Why, love?"

I snuggled into his shoulder. "So that I can stay awake. When we link up, we're rendered temporarily unconscious. I don't want to sleep."

He sighed, and lifted me, bridal-style. "Come on then."

He laid me gently down on the sofa. I looked at the rest of the Cullens. Their faces were bursting with curiosity, and I suddenly felt very tired.

"I think I'll link up now after all."