As Cassie walked into town, she appreciated being alone for the first time in months. She had insisted on this day to herself to get a break and see the outside world again, and she was already feeling more relaxed. Azazeal had been far too obliging for her liking but she couldn't argue about getting her way so she left Malachi with him in the early afternoon for a long walk. Just as she was reaching for the door to go into a café, she was confronted by Ella and Thelma.

"And what have you been up to?" Ella said.

"Oh not much. I'm surprised that I haven't see you around trying to kill me or my son lately."

Thelma chimed in "Well, I don't know, it may be that we didn't expect THE Prince of Darkness to be protecting you." Ella gave her an angry look.

"Him? He was just…"

"Yes, I'm sure he was, but really Cassie your choice in friends is becoming suspect."

"Enough," Ella interjected, "Cassie you have to bring Malachi to me. It's the only way."

"I don't believe that."

"So you actually trust them now, do you?"

"No, but Malachi is almost a man now and he's not the evil creature that you made him out to be."

"It's not him but what they will use him for that's the problem."

"Well, I'm not going to let you kill him so forget it."

"At least tell me what has been going on, what you've seen"

"Nothing out of the ordinary really."

"Except for the Devil…guy," Thelma added helpfully.

Cassie rolled her eyes at them and walked off.

On coming home, Cassie entered the church to find it filled with a large number of identically dressed men and women standing in groups of two's or three's chatting quietly amongst themselves. It was calm and inviting like a strange dinner party that she hadn't known she was throwing. She ran her eyes through the crowd and to her surprise she saw Malachi running in and out of these groups with such a look of joy on his face that it brought a smile to her face. Suddenly, the melodic sounds of their voices stopped and all turned their heads to look at her.

"Mom!" Malachi's voice broke the silence as he ran full speed at her and careened into her with a big hug. She hugged him back for a moment and then gently pulled him to her side.

Azazeal was now coming towards her through the crowd and when he got to her he said, "Let me introduce you."

She allowed herself to be lead around the room and to be introduced to each and every one of these peculiar beings. She reached out her hand to the first one Azazeal brought to her, but instead of shaking her hand, he took her hand in between his and smiled serenely as he looked at her, but said nothing and then let her go. As soon as she turned, the next did the same thing, and then the next. In between groups, she took the opportunity to look back at the first person to greet her and she unexpectedly realized that she knew his name and that he filled with a sense of relief at being here. As she met more and more of these angels, which she now accepted that they were, she began to be able to catch their name and greeting as they held her hand. Most were pleasant but there was, mixed in with the relief and happiness, some intense sadness and anger, though not at her. There was also a great deal of uncertainty and anticipation in them, but they seemed genuinely contented to be here. They were certainly not what she had expected, and she could tell that even though each was beautiful, each seemed to be dimmed as if a light had been turn out inside them. Only Azazeal seemed to be undimmed and he looked truly happy for the first time in a while.

She had lost track of Malachi but found him waiting for her in the altar area after she had met everyone. He was still delighted and said, "I helped them," but then ran off again.

Cassie turned to Azazeal with a questioning look, "Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

He smiled and said, "These are the first of my Nephilim to be summoned back to Earth. Now there are enough here so that they can begin…"

"Oh no."

"…summoning the others themselves," he paused, "They will not harm you."

"It's not me I'm worried about. An..And why are they not scaly monsters exactly?"

He chuckled at her, "We all have our human form. It's just not easy to hold and is not as powerful, but Malachi apparently has a knack for helping us keep it. I knew he'd come in handy," he said with a half-joking tone.

She gave him an annoyed look and said, "And?…What will our guests be doing now that they have arrived?"

He looked at her with a face that said that he wanted to tell her but was afraid to do so. He really didn't know why but he just assumed that she would not be in favor of what he was planning. It was silly to be so in love with someone and yet not feel that you could tell them that you were doing the only thing you could think of that would keep you together. He supposed that maybe because he was so afraid of losing her that he created this feeling himself, but now he would find out for sure.

"They are here to fight your new friend who will undoubtedly come after Malachi, and perhaps you too, to force the End of Days. We are now free which was part of the agreement but soon he will realize that I do not intend to keep my promise and free him and his followers. There will be a battle but not with Him," he glanced upwards, "it will be between the fallen."

She was shocked by this and moved to sit down on the couch. She did not speak for several minutes, during which Azazeal felt uncomfortable.

"You…I thought…Why?" she managed to get out.

"I had to help my friends, Cassie, they have been with me for a long time," he said in a anxious tone, "But we will not let them bring the End of Days and things will remain as they are now."

She said nothing.

"We can live among you unnoticed an…," he began.

"Wait! You're not going to take Malachi from me? I don't have to fight you? And in fact, you're going to keep the forces of e…well the other forces of evil from taking him?"

"We are not evil and neither are the others actually," he responded, slightly hurt.

"That's what he said…I just don't understand."

At this point Malachi appeared out of now where and said, "I understand, mom, remember?"

She smiled indulgently at him, "I don't remember, tell me again, honey," but he ran off again.

As she watched after him Azazeal said, "Cassie, I would do anything to protect you and Malachi."

She turned to him searching his face, she dropped her eyes and said, "I thought…I did not expect that you would give up your plan…but then I always assumed that it was your plan," she looked up at him, "I suppose I'm really going to have to believe that you love me now too," she smiled.

He smiled back and joked to ease his regret that she had not believed it all along, "I'm touched."

She smiled, looked out at their guest, and said, "Will they all be staying here?"

The next day when she woke she thought she was alone, but when she got up she saw one of the angels had stayed behind, apparently to look after her.

"Where is Malachi?" she asked.

"With the others," he replied pleasantly.

"Can I get you anything, Araqiel?" she asked as she was about to get some breakfast. She was starting to get used to the fact that she could remember each of their names so easily.

"No thank you," he said but he followed her to the kitchen.

He was a beautiful, blond and blue-eyed man with slightly curly hair. Somehow he managed to follow her around the place without really seeming to and finally she said, "What do you think they are up to?"

"They're summoning more of us. It takes a lot of effort."

"And you're here with me because…"

"You need to be protected," he interjected helpfully.

"Why is it that I get more out of you and Mr. Evil, then I ever get out of Azazeal?" she said with a smile.

Araqiel smiled mischievously but did not answer.

"Can you win this?" she blurted out.

"I do not know, but we will try."

She made a face.

"We were originally sent here to teach humanity and protect you from those who fell before. So it makes sense that we would do this now," he said with that same helpful tone.

She could now tell that he was a much simpler creature than some of the others, but despite he easy manner, he could be extremely dangerous if told to harm. He did not have the self-importance of Azazeal or the sadness and anger of others. He did not question, he just followed. She took this opportunity to try to find out all that she could about what was going to happen.

"Why is it that Azazeal says that your group can remain here and live with humans, but the others cannot?"

"Oh, I suppose some of them could," he said thinking to himself, "but most are not as near to you as we are." He paused, reflecting, "They could not be happy here," he concluded.

"Why is that?"

He thought hard but all he could come up with was "They do not fit."

He was with her the rest of the day and the weeks that followed and she had to admit that enjoyed his company because he was very informative and managed to not annoy her by constantly hanging around. She actually appreciated his presence and even more so when Malachi was with her because the reality of this situation was beginning to sink in.

The night before the battle began it was as if she knew, however Azazeal remained unaware of the immediacy of the threat, which was just as well, for this night may be their last together. He had started to miss her because of all of the time he was spending away from her, but he did not tell her this. He was so delighted that she was not unhappy with what he had planned that he didn't want to upset it, by speaking too much. As much as he had a knack for using words to pacifiy her, he also had a knack for saying the wrong thing. Besides he needed to remain focused on the task at hand.

He got into bed with her and she immediately reached out to him. She was more insistent than usual and the touch of her hands and her kisses felt possessive. He delicately led her to her climax, but afterwards, when he would normally have been devising how to pleasure her again, he waited and gently kept her aroused. It wasn't long before she turned to him again with the same intensity as before. Following her cues he allowed her to lead him through whatever positions she liked, each more pleasurable than the last. He was on fire and a normal man may not have been able to endure it, but he was capable of taking whatever she could give and staying here as long as she wanted. She would let him know when this was over. They continued like this for what seemed like forever, but he simply followed her and did not seek to distract her.

When she was ready to release him, they were sitting up together, facing each other in the middle of the bed, with her wrapped around him. As she moved against him she glanced at his face, then leaned in and gave him a ravenous kiss. It felt to him that she whispered in his head, "Now…come for me." At this, his eyes dropped closed as the desire built within him and allowed himself to let go. When the bright, hot sensation ripped through him and the waves of pleasure began to crash over him, he clung to her as the rest of his body moved uncontrollably. The feeling was intense and every inch of him ached but he inexplicably felt as though he could not give enough so he willed it to continue. As his heart and body silently begged her to accept him, love him again, expressing itself in ways he could never accomplish with words, he forced himself to surrender everything and slowly faded away.

When he awoke, she was leaning on her elbow watching him with a curious smile and he was now laying on his back looking up at her. She almost laughed at the serious look on his face, but she was sure that he wasn't currently aware of what his face was doing so she just leaned in, kissed him, and laid herself next to him. She was aware that Azazeal had been a very different lover tonight but dissmised the idea that it could have any significance. The problem was that she did not realized that she loved him only in that private way that one does when you think you'll never get to be with that person. The things about them that you love and make you smile are your secret and you always hide your delight from them. Cassie was uncomfortable with any signs from him that he truly loved her, because acknowledging them would cause her to feel more than she was ready to.

He was not entirely certain why he had reacted so deeply to her on this night, but he was not ashamed. You would expect that an arrogant man would deny, even to himself, that he had experienced such surrender at the hands of a woman, but Azazeal was not a human man. The feeling that she had somehow brought out of him was familiar to him, to all of them, but it had been a long time since he had felt the need to express it: the ecstasy of complete adoration.