Satan's Hunger

1

'Let me go! Let me go!'

The doors slammed shut behind them.

Zeke obeyed, but only once they were safely back in the abbey and on hallowed ground again. Just within the doors, he lowered Kaitlyn down carefully until her feet touched the cold, stone floor of the nave. Kaitlyn didn't hesitate, attempting to rush back out to Jacob beyond.

She didn't get far, Zeke seizing onto her wrist as fast as a snake.

'Let go!' She tried to fling herself away but he was much too strong, seizing onto her other wrist.

'Kaitlyn, be calm!'

'Be calm! Be calm? Is that all you ever say?! How can I be calm?! Jacob. Jacob!' Her throat tightened. It was hard to breathe. What was wrong with him? Why was he on the ground? He was so pale! And all the blood!

Her body seemed to be wrestling with Zeke on its own, her mind outside along with Jacob's limp figure, beyond the doors, out in the sunshine amid his bloodied feathers. She thrashed against Zeke's arms; she kicked out.

'Kaitlyn! ENOUGH!' Zeke's voice boomed around the nave. At a flash of bright light, Kaitlyn ducked and covered her head, quivering as Zeke stood over her in his angel form, towering, blazing and brilliant.

Kaitlyn slumped to her bottom with a cry. She dropped her head into her hands. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry!' Sobs racked her body.

Zeke grabbed her shoulder. 'Kaitlyn. Be patient.' His voice was normal again, his hand gentle and warm. 'He will be okay and you will see him again. In fact, you must.'

He dropped into a crouch in front of her. Kaitlyn lowered her hands from her face. He was no longer blazing, only glowing, his powerful angel light steadily fading away. His great white wings had already started shrinking into his back. She glanced around the nave but they were alone—luckily. His long black hair tumbled much too perfectly down his broad shoulders. His arrow-like eyebrows sat low over his amber-coloured eyes. He looked sad.

'It's because of me, isn't? The sacrifice,' Kaitlyn gasped. 'It has something to do with that, doesn't it?'

He frowned. 'How do you know about that?'

'He-he told me—Satan.' Kaitlyn tipped her face back as more tears flowed. 'I don't-don't understand.' She hiccoughed. 'I thought he had God's blessing.'

'He does have God's blessing.'

He didn't elaborate. Kaitlyn shook her head. 'Is he-is he going to be okay? What's happening to him?'

'He will be fine, Kaitlyn. It was his choice. He knew it was coming.'

'But what was coming? What's happening to him? He has God's Blessing!' She clawed her fingers into her head. She knew it! God had always failed her. And now He'd failed Jacob too. 'Why? Why'd he do it if he knew it was coming?' Whatever this was.

'For you. To help you. To save you. And ... because he loves you.'

Kaitlyn sucked in a sob. 'To help me how?'

'There's too much to explain now.'

Kaitlyn sucked in another shuddering sob. 'What's the point to all this if he's only going to die?'

'He's not going to die.' He lowered his voice. 'Kaitlyn, look at me.'

Kaitlyn met his amber eyes. They looked calmly into hers as he took her hand and squeezed it. 'He will be okay. He'll just be different, that's all. He won't be like us. He'll be more like you.'

Kaitlyn's heart clenched. 'What do you mean? He-he won't be an angel anymore?'

'He will always be an angel, Kaitlyn. He just won't be one of God's angels, and the change can be a little ... traumatic.'