Xavier fixed me with his brilliant gaze. "Beth, when this is over, we're going to have so many adventures. I promise."

"I hope so," I replied, trying to sound more positive than I felt.

A shaft of sunlight peeked through the curtains like a gold bar falling across the kitchen table. It seemed to be taunting me, trying to lure me out of the house.

"Xavier, look-it's sunny out," I began tentatively.

"Uh-huh." Xavier was noncommittal but I knew he hated seeing me unhappy.

"I really need to get out of here."

"Beth, we've been through this."

"I only want to go for a walk. It's such a simple thing."

"Except that our lives aren't simple. At least, not right now."

"This is ridiculous. Can't we go outside just for a few minutes?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Xavier said. But I could see his resolve wavering. He longed to make a decision and exercise some control over our lives as much as I did.

"Who's going to see us around here?" I persisted.

"Nobody I guess, but that's not the point. Gabriel and Ivy were very clear."

"We'll go as far as the yard and come straight back," I said. The idea of freedom, no matter how fleeting, had cheered me up so much that Xavier could hardly say no.

"Fine." He sighed heavily. "But if we're going outside you need to cover up to make sure you're not recognized."

"By who?" I asked sarcastically. "The paparazzi?"

"Beth..." Xavier said warningly.

"Okay, okay! What did you have in mind?"

Xavier didn't answer but strode out of the room and I heard him searching through the upstairs closet. When he returned, he was carrying an oversized military jacket and a hunting cap.

"Put these on." I gave him a skeptical look. "And don't argue."

I knew Xavier was just playing it safe, but so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Of course there'd been the mysterious lights in the sky, but I'd conveniently neglected to mention that. Xavier was tense enough already and besides, there was every chance it was nothing to worry about. We'd seen no white horses and no surprise visitors had knocked on our door. In fact, the last few days had been so uneventful it was hard to believe we were in any real danger. I even started wondering whether my siblings had somehow got it wrong. Maybe their contacts weren't as attuned to Heaven's will as they thought they were.

But I should have known that in our lives any period of calm usually preceded a storm.

WE made our way around to the tangled yard at the back of the cabin, where we found herbs growing out of a barrel tub and a tire swing hanging from the sturdy limb of a live oak. There was a rickety moss-covered footbridge leading to a lake that cut across the back of the property. I inhaled deeply, feeling my body shiver with sudden energy. We squatted by the clover-covered banks at the lake's edge and ran our hands through the rippling water. It was icy cold and so clear we could see straight through to the polished pebbles on the bottom. There was the hum of bees in the air and a gentle breeze wafted around us. The sun warmed our faces, and after being locked inside for so long the light was so bright it almost hurt our eyes.

We walked unhurriedly. At that moment it was hard to believe we were being hunted; the idea that I was an angel with a price on her head seemed almost absurd. For a moment we were just a couple in love. We looked around as if we were seeing the world for the first time. Xavier picked up some stones to test how far he could ski them across the lake. I tried to emulate him when he made a stone dance across the water but mine just seemed to hit the surface with a dull splash. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I would trade my immortality in a blink to have the chance to grow old with Xavier. I hoped Ivy and Gabriel understood that. Of course, I didn't expect the Sevens to understand. I could never explain it to them. In my mind's eye I envisioned them as a pack of wolves hungry for the prize. Whichever one succeeded in finding me and delivering me to whatever retribution awaited would no doubt be hailed as a hero in the Kingdom.

Although all angels were created to be without ego, the Sevens were an aberration to this rule. Some said they were driven by their need for recognition. Thinking back on how much Zach had changed just before his promotion just confirmed this theory. I knew how the hierarchies that existed on earth were mirrored in Heaven and what lengths some-human or angel-would go to in pursuit of power. I had fought demons before and won. But demons were fundamentally simplistic beings. Their motives were transparent-manipulate humans and lead them astray. An ambitious rank of angels driven by a thirst for justice might be a lot harder to deal with.

We couldn't have been walking around for more than ten minutes when I caught Xavier sneaking a glance at his watch. I noticed the sun rose and set early in this part of the world. I too was suddenly conscious of the waning light.

"C'mon, Beth. We better head back."

"Already?"

"Yes. We've been out too long."

"Okay. I'm coming."

Although I knew Xavier was waiting just ahead, I allowed myself a few more seconds to enjoy my surroundings before returning to the imprisonment that awaited us in the cabin. The thick woods surrounding us had such a magical quality and I longed to explore them. The sun breaking through the wispy clouds sent shards of light dancing over the water. I took one final look around. Who knew when we'd be able to spend time surrounded by the beauty of nature again? If Gabriel got wind of our escapade he might decide we could never be left unsupervised again.

I turned my back on the idyllic scene and made my way to where Xavier was standing. He reached out his hand to help me climb up a steep part of the embankment. He pulled me toward him and adjusted the cap that was falling over my eyes.

"Do you think it might be safe to lose the hat now?" I asked playfully.

Xavier didn't reply. At first I thought he objected to my tone but then I saw the color drain from his face and his jaw clench as something on the other side of the embankment fixed his attention. When he spoke, his mouth barely moved.

"Don't turn around," he said.

"What? Why?" I gripped his hand more tightly as panic set in.

"There's someone on the other side of the lake."

"A local?" I whispered hopefully.

"I don't think so."

I dropped to my knees, making a show of retrieving something I'd lost. When I straightened I turned my head a fraction and stole a look across the lake. I shook my head, thinking I must be hallucinating. At some distance from us, tethered between two sturdy trees, was a white horse. Its coat and mane were a silver unearthly color and it pawed at the ground with gilded hooves.

"A white horse." The words seemed to tumble out of my mouth, now slack with shock.

"Where?" Xavier sounded incredulous as he peered into the surrounding woods.

Xavier hadn't seen the horse because he'd been so focused on its rider. The immaculately groomed figure was dressed as if he might be going to a funeral. Despite his empty eye sockets, I felt he was looking right at me. I'd never seen one before but I knew the creature staring back at me was a Seven. There was no doubt about it.

This was the moment I'd convinced myself would never come. I was finally face-to-face with a member of the Seventh Order, beings who up until now I'd only known through reputation.

He stood by the water at its broadest point, just as it flowed around the bend. Ivy's words rang through my head and I knew I should be running from him, but I couldn't move. I was frozen. I noticed the Seven had very white hands and they were folded calmly as he watched us. Then without warning, he began to approach us. A moment ago he was standing on the other side of the water. Now, he was moving steadily closer, the weight of his feet gently rippling the surface of the lake.

"Beth, am I dreaming or is he..." Xavier broke off and took a few cautious steps backward, pulling me along with him.

"You're not dreaming," I whispered. "He's walking on water."

6.

We Need to Talk THE Seven was headed straight for us. It was like watching something happen in a dream: One minute he was across the lake and the next he was standing only meters away from us. In the distance his white horse whinnied and reared its head, but its rider paid it no attention.

I remembered what Gabriel had told us; Sevens were hunters, trained to stalk their prey. But this one seemed unconcerned by the fact that we'd seen him. Instead he continued calmly forward. It was as if he understood there was no need for him to hurry, because we had no chance of outmaneuvering him. If I hadn't been desperately trying to calculate a way out, I might have been annoyed by his conceit. The Seven only paused once and cocked his head slightly, as if to confirm my identity. There was something mechanical about the movement, like a device was being activated. It made me imagine his brain was wired to pick up everything from the shape of my skull to the smell of my skin. There was nothing human about him. But there was nothing angelic about him either.

Like others of his kind, this Seven was faceless. His lips and nose blended so seamlessly, it was almost impossible to distinguish them. He had no eyes, just empty sockets covered over by a white milky membrane of skin. The perfect contours of his face reminded me of the mannequins I'd seen in department store windows.

Suddenly my thoughts began to blur, sinking like melted butter into bread. I tried but couldn't shake myself free. The Seven seemed to have me trapped in an invisible vice-like grip. Luckily, he couldn't exert the same power over Xavier, who quickly realized what was happening. He didn't bother trying to snap me out of the trance. He just picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, and made a break for it. After a few moments, I felt the Seven's hold over me loosen. I slid off Xavier's back and, bolstered by adrenaline, we pelted down the path together, running without turning back to check our pursuer.

My siblings and I had long been able to communicate telepathically, and we were always attuned to each other's needs. I silently called out for my brother's help. "Gabriel! They're here. They've found us!" There was no response.

As soon as we made it to the gravel path outside the cabin, Xavier stopped to rummage in his pocket for his cell. He fumbled through his list of contacts, his fingers clumsy from stress. He was just about to hit the CALL button when we both came to a sudden halt. I was already halfway up the porch steps when I backed up suddenly, collided with Xavier who was standing right behind me, and knocked the cell phone right out of his grasp. Before either of us could attempt to retrieve it, the front door opened. The Seven was already there, waiting for us.

I looked around frantically for somewhere to hide but I knew there was no point.

"Leave us alone!" I shouted instead, backing away from the immaculately groomed figure. In response, he took a single step forward, as if to remind me that he could not be commanded. A loose board creaked under his feet and I remembered the sound being impossibly loud in the sleepy afternoon.

Where were Gabriel and Ivy? Hadn't they heard my plea for help? Or had they been intercepted? A shiver ran through me when I realized how much could change in the next few seconds. Staying calm was our only chance. I just hoped Xavier didn't do anything rash in a bid to protect me. The Seven would take his life in a heartbeat. The moist white membranes that covered his eyes made it impossible to tell exactly who or what he was looking at. I wasn't expecting it when he extended an elegant hand toward me.

"We need to talk," the Seven said. His voice was toneless, a dull vibration in the air. "Would you care to step inside?" He stepped aside, allowing room for me to enter. Up close the planes of his face were so smooth they might have been made of plaster. The way he smelled struck me as odd; it was the scent of cheap cologne mingled with a hint of gasoline that burned my nostrils.

"Think again, buddy," Xavier snapped. "Beth's not going anywhere with you."

"Xavier, please," I whispered. "Let me handle this."

The Seven seemed not to notice that Xavier had even spoken. Although I'd never encountered one before, I sensed how dangerous it would be to show overt resistance.

"It won't take long," the Seven continued in a parody of politeness. We both knew that if I followed him inside I'd never come out again. I took a hesitant step forward, my feet like lumps of concrete beneath me.

"Beth, wait!" Xavier caught hold of my arm and stared at me, his bottomless blue eyes full of horror. "You're not seriously gonna go with this ... freak, are you?" If the Seven was at all offended it didn't register on his face, which remained as perfect as a digital picture.

"Do not make this more difficult than it needs to be," he warned. He kept his face turned in my direction. I had to think quickly. I had to do something to stall him, catch him off guard. I kept asking myself, What would Gabriel say? I knew he wouldn't have to think about it. Maybe that was the key.

"You're turning on your own kind," I said suddenly. "You know that, right?" I wondered how shrewd the Seven was. Would he see through my ploy? If I could delay my interview with him even for a few minutes, maybe Gabriel and Ivy would make it back in time.

"I'm sorry, Miss Church, I'm not the one here who's turned." He spoke with such cold authority that it shook my confidence, but I wasn't about to let him see that.

"Actually, it's Mrs. Woods now," I said brazenly.

The corners of his perfect mouth seemed to twitch into a tiny smile, the first display of emotion so far. Was he mocking me?

"I advise you, Mrs. Woods, to comply with my request and there will be no need for bloodshed," he replied, casting a fleeting glance in Xavier's direction. I knew that beneath the courteous and businesslike exterior was a soldier with no other objective than to fulfill his mission ... whatever the cost. Again I had the feeling that my thoughts were clouding over.

"Of course," I said mechanically. "I understand."

Xavier grabbed my hand. "I'm not letting you go."

"It's okay," I lied. "It's just to talk." Xavier didn't look convinced but before he could react further I wrenched my hand away and moved toward the Seven. I knew Xavier couldn't protect me. It was my job to protect him now. If I had no choice but to ascend with the Seven, then I was going to make absolutely sure Xavier stayed behind unharmed. But Xavier wasn't about to take any chances with my life either. He ran forward and pulled me behind him so that he was the one face-to-face with the Seven.

"If you want to talk to anyone, you can talk to me." The Seven was forced to address him.

"Boy, what makes you think you can counter the will of Heaven?"

"Just arrogant, I guess."

"Step aside. I have no business with you."

"Beth's business is my business."

The Seven gave a sigh of impatience, or was it boredom?

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Don't hurt him, I'll do whatever you say!" I cried out, but it was too late.

The Seven raised his palm upward and a string of light poured from it. The thin beam, which I knew was tough as steel, wrapped itself around Xavier's throat. I watched his eyes widen and his hands grasp at his neck, but the struggle was in vain-he was choking. This was not a fight he could win. Xavier fell to his knees and I could see his body begin to slacken as he had lost consciousness fast.

"No one can divert the will of Heaven," the Seven said.

As I watched the scene before me, I felt the fog in my head begin to clear, replaced by something much more powerful: rage. The anger was coursing through me, pushing back everything in its path. I felt it swelling like water in a dam after torrential rain. In a moment it would burst its banks.

"I told you not to hurt him." I didn't raise my voice but I could hear the venom in it. Something inside of me had changed.

Rage often distorts one's perception of reality, but at that moment, I had never seen things with so much clarity. It released me from any hold the Seven had over me. I could almost feel the cogs in my mind turning and for a split second I felt like I was seeing the world through X-ray goggles. I could see the molecular composition of the cabin, pinpoint exactly where its weak spots were, and sense the places where the damp was creeping through the walls. I knew things nobody could possibly know, down to where the last raindrop from a summer storm had touched the ground. I was still looking at the Seven but now I could see through him. In that moment everything about me that was human seemed to dissolve and I felt at one with the universe-I was air, rock, wood, earth. I knew then what I needed to do, what I was capable of doing.

Quick as a flash, I stooped to pick up a loose brick from the few I knew were scattered at the bottom of the steps. I threw it like a Frisbee, so fast it collided with the Seven's neck before he even saw it coming. His finely tuned reflexes should have allowed him to catch it midair and throw it back with enough force to knock me out cold. If he were capable of expressing sentiment, the Seven would have looked surprised. But he wasn't prepared for retaliation and my attack had caught him off guard.

His head seemed to snap backward and he took a couple of teetering steps into the house. With a sudden burst of force I thrust my hand out and pulled the front door shut behind him. My fingertips started to tingle and before I knew it, the roof was beginning to smoke. What happened next was almost out of my control. The fire blossomed before my eyes, twining around the porch posts and shattering the windowpanes. In a matter of seconds, Willow Lodge was engulfed in flames. As the walls began to collapse, I saw the Seven, standing in his flaming suit. The fire wouldn't kill him.... It probably wouldn't even leave a mark. But it had temporarily slowed him down. I didn't know for how long and I didn't plan to stick around to find out.

I had one thought and one thought only: get Xavier to safety. If the Seven caught up to us now, he would probably kill him out of spite. I rushed to Xavier's side; he was passed out but still breathing. I couldn't rouse him, and carrying him on foot was out of the question. Through the window I could see the Seven already moving toward the door like a blazing torch.

My wings flew open with a resounding crack. The sound reverberated through the forest and the birds scattered from the treetops. I grabbed Xavier from behind, wrapped my arms around his chest, and lifted us both off the ground. My wings were so powerful, he felt weightless in my arms. I headed for the road, flying low to avoid detection; the treetops brushed the soles of Xavier's feet.

My thoughts weren't all that coherent but I planned to land somewhere and flag down a car. Instead my heart lifted when I saw the familiar black Jeep speeding down the dirt track that led to the mountains. My brother and sister saw me at exactly the same time. The car shuddered to a halt and Gabriel was at my side in an instant, taking Xavier in his arms and laying him gently in the backseat.

"Where have you been?" I said, tears trickling down my ash-smudged face.

"We came as soon as we could," said Ivy, sounding breathless. I pointed at Xavier.

"Can you help him?"

Ivy placed a cool hand on Xavier's forehead and a moment later he began to regain consciousness. He groaned and instinctively put a hand to his head.

"You're okay," I told him. "We're okay."

As the memory of the last half hour came back to him, Xavier tensed and quickly sat up.