“Explain to me how you deal with that incessant prattling.”

Nate laughed, closing his bible and readjusting his collar. “Comes with the territory.”

“Honestly, the service was over an hour ago. Don’t they have homes to go to instead of yakking your ear off? I still don’t get all this, you know.” Charmian cast an unimpressed eye over the altar, the lit candles and the book, resting on its gilded stand. “You know none of what you’re telling them is true.”

“If the way they turn from sin and seek moral betterment is to believe in all this, then I’m happy to encourage it. I am a guide, you know.”

“Except organised religion actually…”

“Charmian.” Nate stated warningly. “You didn’t come here to rant at me about the excesses of religion.”

“True. I came to rant about what a big fat dead end I’ve reached and how if Alexander doesn’t stop trying to ride my ass then immortal or not I’m going to find a way to kill him.”

Nate gestured towards the front pew, frowning as he did so. Obediently Charmian followed and sat down beside him. Until he’d spotted her lingering in the back of the church midway through his sermon, he’d been having a reasonably pleasant day. He had after weeks of cajoling managed to pry a confession out of a parishioner which he thought would ease the woman’s mind no end. The collection plate had been reasonably healthy and judging by the lowered amount of in-church napping he’d seen in the crowd the service had been an engaging one. The second he’d spotted her, however, he’d known something was wrong. Charmian had no love of any religion and she didn’t come near the church unless she needed something.

“Alexander. Yes, I do recall he likes to hear the sound of his own voice.”

“He’s still bitter I picked first Car and then Zac over him. Especially Zac.”

“Yes, you did ruffle a lot of feathers with that one.”

“You think I was wrong?” She challenged.

Nate chuckled. “If I did I’d never dare admit it for fear of your wrath, but as a matter of fact I was in full agreement with you. He has enormous potential that’s best fulfilled by learning from the best.”

Charmian twisted the leather strap around her wrist, staring at the crest. “Who’d have thought wearing one of these would cause so much hassle.”

“I think you know as well as I it could be a t-shirt saying ‘I’m with Stupid’ and it would still be coveted,” Nate responded lightly.

“I know, I know. It’s not the object it’s the significance, blah blah blah.”

He stared at her face, trying to discern the emotion from her deceptively blank expression. Whilst Charmian certainly had her sarcastic side, it wasn’t like her to be belligerent – especially with him. They had a long standing and mutual respect for one another and she had always demurred to his greater age and wisdom. Whatever was eating at her, it was big.

“I’m too old for this, my dear. Would you like to tell me what’s really wrong?”

She slumped back in the pew, tipping her head upwards. She may have had little respect for religion but it certainly made some pretty stained glass windows.

“Alexander isn’t the only one on my case. They’re all accusing me of being evasive; I had to come up with some increasingly elaborate excuses for not training, and to top it all off I haven’t heard from Justin yet. Which wouldn’t bug me so much if I had any clue which rock Anton had crawled under and by the way did you work out what that stupid poison is yet?”

“So not much then.”

“You’re not funny, old man.”

“Are you healed now?”

“Yes, the bitch is back.”

“Do you have any reason to think Anton is anywhere near Justin?”

“No.” She folded her arms and chewed her bottom lip. “But with Anton that doesn’t always mean he isn’t. Slippery bastard.”

“Then the rest you can deal with. You’ve been putting Alexander and company back in their places for millennia now. You still have Michael’s confidence.”

“What does Just… oh, wait, Boss Michael. Not Michael in a new Justin guise Michael.”

“Have you told ‘Boss Michael’ what’s happening?”

“No. If I go to him with this anything less than one hundred percent under control it won’t be pretty.”

Her stomach did somersaults even at the thought of it. Few true immortals had made their way into human consciousness. Michael was one of them. Of course the story of him being an archangel who had sent Lucifer into the abyss was all hokum, but that he’d even registered proved just how far his reputation preceded him. He was a very scary individual and more than capable of thrashing her into the middle of the next century if displeased. He was a taskmaster who didn’t brook even the most blameless of failures.

“Well… we’re isolating the ingredients of the poison now. Hopefully once we’ve done that an antidote won’t be far off. Justin as far as we are aware is perfectly safe. What story did you give him?”

“US Marshalls. They received a credible threat on his life and true to government form have told him nothing more specific.”

“And in the meantime, your less welcome guests are at least making themselves useful?”

“Yep. We’re cleansing a lot of demons and we took out a couple of full possessions.”

“Then might I suggest that despite your ranting,” he said gently, “you actually have things under control?”

“Do you not understand that rational thought like that has no place in a freak out?”

Nate laughed quietly. “My apologies. Please, continue needlessly upsetting yourself and I shall endeavour to enable it.”

“You know sometimes you are very annoying.”

“I try. Now, was that it or did you have something more substantial to complain about?”

Charmian folded her arms, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “Honestly?”

“I don’t generally ask unless I’m willing to listen.”

“It’s… ahh!” She hissed out in frustration. “I just have this continual knot of dread in my chest and nothing concrete to back it up with. I mean, you’re right. I’ve handled Alexander before and Justin’s fine and we’re on the lookout for Anton but I just have this feeling in my gut that something bad is about to happen. I can’t explain it.”

“Then follow your gut, child.” She hadn’t expected him to be so blasé in his answer, but Nate was nonchalant as could be. “Be on the alert. If you’re right then you’ll be prepared and if you’re wrong then it never hurts to be vigilant.”

“You know, the way I come to you all stressed out and then you make it all sound like the easiest solution in the world is both comforting and really fucking irritating at the same time. I feel like some hysterical teenager.”

Nate sighed. “Once every few hundred years can’t be held against you. Someone you care about is on the line. Again. You are entitled to be worried you know.”

“Tell that to Alexander. Or Michael.”

“Charmian,” he clapped his hand on her shoulder. “You know what you could stand to learn from all this organised religion?”

“If you tell me a Bible story I am going to hit you.”

“The humans trust that there’s a reason for everything, that God knows what he’s doing even if they can’t see it. The light we serve chose you to guard Justin. Not Alexander, not Michael, you. Clearly it didn’t think the uncaring approach was in order.”

“And how many deaths later? I’m doing a bang up job.”

“Trust, Charmian. Trust your gut, trust your feelings, trust your love for him. Trust that you were picked because the light knows what it’s doing. I do. And cease the self pity because it’s not your most becoming attribute.”

“Still going to hit you,” she replied without moving a muscle. Nate saw the ghost of a smile and then smiled himself.

“And some century soon you’ll mean that.”