The remaining angel had been about to dive; overhearing, it twisted in the air, looking for Willow’s human form. Alex lifted his gun as it spotted her in the drive. It came at them in a rush of light; Alex shot and the creature veered away sharply...and then it soared off and disappeared over the back wall.

Remembering the dozens of angels in the square, Alex’s pulse quickened in alarm. Oh, Christ, the thing had gone to get them – in minutes they’d have an angel army coming down on their heads, all of them intent on killing Willow.

He broke from the shadows, pounding across the courtyard where Willow’s angel still feinted with the female. No one seemed to have realized he was there; he saw a rush of startled faces as he lunged at the wall; scaled it quickly and dropped to the ground. He ran down an alleyway, bursting out onto another street. The angel was flying fast, heading away from him.

“Hey!” shouted Alex, his feet pummelling the pavement as he ran. “Hey!”

The creature whirled in surprise as Alex shot. Rage creased its glorious face and it came at him, swooping down like a giant bird of prey. It was faster than he’d expected. Alex dove to the ground as the angel screeched overhead, its fingers grasping towards his life force. He rolled and was up on one knee in seconds, wishing for his rifle; it handled ten times better in situations like this. The thought flashed past. He took aim as the angel roared towards him again in a fury of light and beauty, taking care not to look into its eyes, to keep his gaze only on the halo—

He shot.

Leaving the remnants of the angel floating gently behind him, Alex tore back up the alleyway. The whole episode had only taken a minute or two; as he dropped back into the courtyard, he saw Willow’s angel still holding off the larger female. Their wings blurred as they fenced and parried, and he could tell that it was Willow’s vulnerable human form the angel was now trying to reach. A couple of people stood watching with open mouths; the others dashed back and forth, trying to take aim at the angel. Tex was just struggling dazedly to his feet.

Alex tracked the angel, getting her halo in his sights. “I’m on it!” he shouted to Willow. Immediately, her angel twisted away, plunging back towards her human form. The creature started to follow and then wavered, turning towards Alex as it sensed a trap.

It was all the time he needed. The muffled sound of his silenced bullet thudded around them and the last angel vanished into a fountain of light.