Casey stirred in her sleep. A baby was crying. She stirred again and sat up. Something inside her responded to the sound, which seemed ironic to her since she’d always said she did not want children. After her childhood, she decided to leave parenting to others who’d had better role models. There were enough screwed up kids in the world without her adding to the population.

The cry sounded again and she got up, pulled towards the noise. A deep swell of emotion stirred in her heart as she pushed open the door to the room beside hers. A white crib sat in the corner. Casey approached it and looked inside. A beautiful baby boy stared up at her. As soon as it saw her face it stopped crying and smiled a crooked smile, sucking its fist contently. Casey reached for the baby, her heart swelling with love.

“There, there,” she cooed. His warm weight felt natural in her arms. She kissed his head and inhaled the clean, soft scent of his downy scalp. “Momma’s here. Everything’s going to be OK.”

“No it isn’t. Because this is a dream and he’ll never be born.” The evil words were more growled than spoken and Casey gasped, clutching her infant tightly to her as she turned towards the source of the sound. From a darkened corner she could make out to ice-colored eyes, narrowed and glowing.

Her own scream woke her up. She looked around frantically at her empty arms and then sighed with relief. A dream. It had just been a dream. And then another memory came back to her - the memory of being held in Gabriel’s strong arms, of being overwhelmed by him as he thrust into her over and over and over, of the scripture he’d quoted - an enigmatic passage from the book of Genesis.

“The sons of God came down and mated with the daughters of men…”

Did angels sleep? Casey turned and looked at him. He was staring up at her, his hand on her back. He was rubbing her in a comforting fashion.

“Tell me about your nightmare,” he said. “I think I already know, but tell me anyway…”

She shook her head. “No,” she said. “It’s time for you to give me some answers, Gabriel. Besides, if I am pregnant you can hardly punish me for disobeying you.”

He sat up; even in bed he towered over her.

“I can still spank you, Cassandra,” he said. “You are but newly with child and there are implements that can sting your bottom most severely that will not have the impact that my hand has. This child will not be hurt. Trust me.”

“Oh really?” Casey slid from the bed and recounted her dream. She shuddered as she recalled the eyes in the corner, the growling threat against her child.

“Whatever it was, it told me this baby would never be born,” she said.

Gabriel stood now. “The attacks will be worse than ever now,” he said. “The dark host will seek to invade your mind. You must gird yourself. You must learn to shut them out.”

“You’re going to teach me this?” she asked.

He smiled gently. “I wish I could,” he replied. “But I am a warrior, Cassandra. I am a guardian, an elite protector. The one who teaches you wields armor of a different kind. He will test you and challenge you. He will be firm, but you must listen or else the Dark Ones will run you mad. I will protect you body and soul. But your mind…you will have to protect that and it will take special training to learn how.”

Casey hugged folded her arms. Tears filled her eyes. She felt afraid. She looked at Gabriel, so beautiful, so fierce.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” she said. “Why, Gabriel? Why me?”

He smiled. “One of your ancestors asked the same question.”

Casey shook her head in confusion and mentally scrolled through the list of grandmothers, aunts and great aunts. They’d been an unremarkable lot - school teachers, secretaries, housewives. If something extraordinary had happened to them then surely she would have heard of it, especially given the gossips on either side of her family.

“But we’ve no time to discuss it right now.” He picked up her still unpacked bag and tossed it on the bed. “We have to move.”

“Move? Where? We just got here!” Casey hurried to follow Gabriel from the room.

“I need to get you to Philemon.”

“Philemon? Who…?” she began.

“I’ll explain on the way,” he said. “The dream means they know about the conception.”

Pregnant. It came back to Casey that she was carrying a child, although if she remembered her biology correctly it should be several days before the egg actually implanted. Conception wasn’t spontaneous, but Gabriel seemed so sure. Maybe things were different with angels. And she did feel different, more…significant somehow. And the baby in the dream had seemed so real.

Casey tried to tell herself to accept what was happening without feeling crazy. She could no longer deny her circumstances, no matter how unbelievable they seemed. She could not deny that Gabriel had shown up out of nowhere to protect her from dark forces, had appointed himself her guardian, chastised her when she disobeyed him and had now impregnated her as part of some divine prophecy.

Gabriel had donned his clothing - black t-shirt, black jeans, black overcoat. He turned to her, his face serious.

“Casey,” he said. “When we step outside this house, you’re going to come under attack. You should know that…”

“Attack…?” Casey could hear the panic in her own voice.

“Listen,” he continued, putting a forefinger to her lips to silence her. “They were strong enough to penetrate your dreams even though you’re in a warrior angel’s lair. They’re going to be strong enough when we step outside. I can protect you physically, but you are going to have to push yourself to shield your mind. You’ve not been trained, Casey. You’ll see things…”

Casey’s mind flashed back to the dream. It had been so real. She couldn’t imagine feeling that kind of fear again. She began to shake her head.

“No, Gabriel,” she said. “I can’t do this. Please…”

She tried to turn away but he grabbed her. “Casey, we’re going to the truck. NOW!”

He opened the door and thrust her out. The sky was dark. Clouds swirled above the house. The wind chimes on the porch clanged loudly. The leaves on the trees were being whipped by the wind, revealing their silvery undersides.

Casey caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Something was coming towards them - something black and unformed. She saw Gabriel move his arm and the flaming sword was suddenly in his hand. The nebulous mass tried to skirt around him. He hit it. The thing screamed and evaporated in a puff of acrid smoke.

Gabriel pulled her to him and turned to face a group of beings coming through the trees. He raised his sword. Casey grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing?” she cried. “They’re just kids!”

There were five of them. They ran towards the couple, laughing and giggling. One little boy looked to be about four. He had curly blonde hair.

“Hi!” he called. Gabriel pushed her back. Casey fought him, pulling at his massive arm.

“NO!” she cried, pulling with all her might, but suddenly she was propelled back as his wings split through the back of his jacket and emerged. They shielded Casey’s view and she heard the horrible hacking sound and the cries of children as they were mortally wounded. She sank to the ground and screamed. A moment later, Gabriel was at her side.

“Look,” he said, trying to remove her hands from her eyes.

“No!” she cried. “They were kids! You fucking monster!”

“Look!” It was a command and he pulled her hands down. Where the children had been standing were five bloodied and grotesque creatures with twisted faces and sharp, jagged teeth. The corpses began to bubble and dissolve.

Gabriel picked her up. “You did not see them in their true form,” he said. “You saw them as they wanted you to see them.”

She was shaking. She wanted to throw up but swallowed the bile that built in her throat. She was only vaguely aware of her angelic protector depositing her in the seat and locking the door. He moved in a flash to the other side and settled behind the steering wheel.

“Are we safe in here?” she asked, her voice quavering. Tears were running down her cheeks and Gabriel leaned over to smooth them away.

“We’re safer in here than we were outside, but you will still see or hear things. Try to block as much of it as you can. Keep your eyes closed when we get on the highway.” He started the engine and pulled out onto the road. Immediately, Casey screamed.

“STOP! There’s a truck!” But it evaporated as soon as it made contact with their vehicle.

“Things like what you just saw,” he said calmly.

Gabriel did not have to tell Casey more than once. She spent most of the trip with her eyes squeezed so tightly shut that her head began to hurt from the effort. When she began to hear noises, she covered her ears and repeated a litany along with Gabriel.

“It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not real.”

By the time they arrived at their destination, she could hear the sounds of trains, tornadoes, rushing tsunami waves and the screams of humans and animals without screaming herself. But she could not bring herself to look for fear that the images would push her over the edge.

The truck guided to a stop and Gabriel cut the ignition. She heard him get out and a split second later he was at her side. He lifted her from the truck, cradling her as his wings folded - shieldlike - around her. She could hear noises, but indistinct and faint, like static. She could hear angry grumbles, which sounded as if they were far off and muffled.

“It’s safer here with Philemon,” Gabriel said. She heard a door open.

“Is this her?” The voice was serene, melodious.

“It is,” Gabriel said.

“Well done, soldier,” the beautiful voice said.

Gabriel set Casey on her feet and opened his wings. She heard a soft hiss as they withdrew into his back and she found herself face-to-face with the most beautiful being she’d ever encountered.

Philemon was almost seven feet tall, taller even than Gabriel. His skin radiated a light that was soft but not glaring. His eyes were ice blue, his long, straight hair white as snow. His face was timeless.

He put his hand out and it hovered an inch from her face. “May I?” he asked. She nodded, strangely flattered and touched that he’d asked permission. Philemon laid his palm on her cheek.

“She’s a mess,” he said. “Her mind is fractured, battered. She and the babe need food.”

He turned. “Bring her.”

Gabriel ushered her to follow and Casey got her first look at her surroundings. The house was large, the furnishings old and classic. A huge grandfather clock chimed. The floors were covered in worn but beautiful rugs. Casey glanced out the window and stopped. She blinked and looked again before grasping Gabriel’s arm.

“Am I hallucinating?” she asked. “Because we were traveling for what? Three hours? We should still be in the south but this looks like…”

“…the English countryside?” he finished. “That’s because it is.”

She looked at him in wonder. “How?”

He put his arm around her. “Angelic vehicles are….different,” he replied.

“I guess it was a good thing that I didn’t look, huh?” she asked.

“A very good thing,” he replied, although the clouds were particularly lovely today.

In the kitchen, a sturdy farm table held a feast that would have fed ten visitors. There was ham, baked apples, greens, Yorkshire pudding and a pitcher of ice-cold milk. Casey did not see a cook and did not ask how the dinner had come to be. She was suddenly famished.

“This looks wonderful,” she said, and was surprised to see Philemon open an oven above the hearth and pull out a breadboard bearing two piping hot loaves.

“Philemon loves to cook in his spare time,” Gabriel explained. Casey looked from one beautiful face to the other. “You’re kidding, right? Angels cook?”

“Well, not most of us,” said Philemon, but when we’re on assignment and things are quiet it’s nice to acquire some quaint human skill. He began to pile her plate with food and then handed it to her. Casey could tell by his expectant look that he was waiting for an assessment of his new skill.

Everything was delicious and she told him so. She was downing her second helping of baked apples when she looked up at the pair.

“You don’t eat,” she said.

“No,” Philemon replied.

“But you cook.”

“Yes.” He paused. “It was either this or making fireworks. They’re fascinating, but bound to draw attention. Food is beautiful. It smells good, is colorful…and humans seem to like it.”

“Yes.” She took another bite, pondering all of this, before looking at the angels again. “The baby,” she asked. “Will it eat?”

“Yes, Nephilim eat,” Gabriel said.

“Nephilim?” Casey asked.

“Our child. Half angel, half human.” Gabriel paused. “Half you, half me.” He said the words tenderly. Casey felt a shiver go up her spine.

“Why?” she asked. “You never told me.”

“It’s not yet revealed to me,” Gabriel replied. Casey looked at Philemon.

“Me either,” he seconded. “It just ‘is,’ little one, and now we must protect you and teach you ways of protecting yourself.”

“Then what?” she asked. “Can I go back home?”

The two angels shared a knowing glance. Casey did not like it.

“Don’t do that,” she said. “Don’t leave me out. I have every right to know. This is my body, my life.”

“You have every right to be curious,” Philemon said. “But your life has been dramatically changed. And it will continue to change.”

“And I have no say in it?”

The angels shook their heads.

“She’s willful, even after everything she’s been through,” Gabriel said to Philemon. “I’ve had to punish her several times.”

“Humans are like children,” Philemon observed. “Stubborn and short-sighted. They need correction or the threat of it since they lack self-preservation.”

“I’m not going to sit here and be insulted.” Casey’s cheeks were flaming from anger. Yes, Gabriel had saved her, but that didn’t give him the right to talk about her as if she weren’t even there. She got up.

“I want to be alone,” she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

“Not yet,” said Philemon. “Sit down. You’ve not finished your dinner. The baby needs food.”

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

“You are,” said Philemon. “You’re just being stubborn. Do as you’re told.”

But Casey held her ground.

Gabriel sighed and stood up. Her heart began to thud as he approached. She resisted the urge to run away.

“Remember, I’m pregnant,” she reminded him.

“Remember,” he said. “I can still correct you without hurting our child.” He took her arm. “In fact, I believe you need a lesson so that you will not be tempted to use this pregnancy as an excuse to disobey.”

Gabriel reached over and pulled a thin willow switch from the tall basket by the fire. He flicked it in the air and it hissed menacingly. He looked at Casey, his expression hard.

“No,” she said, but he ignored her and let her to the end of the table.

“Bend over,” he said. “There will only be ten, to teach you to respect the lash. After that you can sit down and resume dinner.”

Casey’s defiance melted away.

“I’m sorry,” she said, tears dancing at the end of her lashes. “I didn’t mean it. I’ll finish my dinner.” She tried to move back to her seat, but Gabriel took hold of her and shook his head.

“Bend over the table,” he said. “Bend over and present your bottom or I’ll strip you bare in front of Philemon and stripe you until you scream.”

He delivered the threat with the calm of someone who knows he is destined to win. The tears dropped from Casey’s heavy lashes and with a sob of humiliation she obeyed. The blue jeans she wore were worn but well-fitting. The sting of the switch, even through the denim, was excruciating. Casey dissolved in a hail of tears and begged for leniency. But Gabriel, true to his word, did not cease until he’d given her the full ten lashes.

He helped Casey to standing and wordlessly guided her back to the chair, where she obediently sat with tears running down her face. She was humiliated and could not look at either angel. The feelings of insecure frustration returned and she tried to avoid slipping into despair as she cleared her plate under Philemon’s watchful eye.

The two angels spoke of the trip, and she heard Gabriel recount some of what she’d been through at the house in Louisiana. Philemon nodded knowingly, as if none of the horrific images she’d seen came as a surprise.

“Yes, yes,” he murmured. “She’ll certainly need to start bright and early with her training. This can’t go on. It’s not good for her or for the baby she carries. She needs peace. Peace and strength.”

Casey silently wondered how she could find peace or strength with all her choices made for her. She wanted to ask, wanted to stand up and demand that they see things through her eyes, but she got the feeling that they saw her as insignificant. Her sadness deepened and she realized that it was because she’d let herself care for Gabriel on some level. She thought he cared about her, too, but she was clearly just part of whatever mission his higher-ups had sent him to do, which meant that impregnating her was just another day’s work.

She sniffed and stifled a fresh wave of tears that threatened to erupt.

“She’s emotionally taxed,” Philemon observed. “She needs some cheering up.” He smiled at her - a beautiful, serene smile. “I have just the thing.”

“What?” Casey asked.

“Cake for dessert,” he said almost cheerily. “It’s my favorite. Angel’s Food.”