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reaching again for the sound of Elizabeth’s
voice, but there was nothing.  Could he summon the connection at will if he
tried hard enough?  Closing his eyes, he did just that…and failed again.  What
did it take and what was the key? 
                “I think it might.”
                Lev rose slowly to his
feet. “Perhaps there is a different way.”
                “Which is?”
                Lev hesitated. “Change me
back.”
                “How would that help? 
You have two, soon to be three, angels already working behind the scenes.  How
could switching you back alter things in our favor?”
                “None of you share the
connection I have with her.  Earlier today, I heard her voice for a few
seconds, but I couldn’t focus it, and I couldn’t glean anything from it, unlike
when I was an angel.  If I had those powers back, I think I’d be of much more
use than I am like this.”
                Evan took a deep breath
and walked over to his son.  “I understand your reasoning, and it makes sense,
but it’s not my call, Lev, not even close.”
                Evan walked down the
hall, probably heading back to talk to Celia, when Lev cut in front of him.
                “Okay, maybe it’s not
your call.  I get that.  But you know whose call it is. You’ve always paid more
mind to who was in control because it affected you more.  You’d know who to
speak with.  They’d have to listen to you because you’re so well-respected.” 
He shook his head in frustration.  “Griffin accused me of just letting this
happen.  He never would’ve done that if I were still an angel because she’d
still be here.”
                Evan frowned, and Lev
knew the conversation was over.  “You’re right; I do command their respect. But
that doesn’t mean they’ll grant your request—or even listen.  In fact, I don’t
even want to know what kind of discussions went on up there as they regarded your
becoming human in the first place.  It’s something that, before you, simply
wasn’t done and will likely never be done again.”
                “Father, please,” Lev
begged, his eyes bright with desperation.  “You above all others know that I am
floundering in a mortal body and have been since I took this form, yet I do not
regret it.  All of this I have done for Elizabeth.  Her reincarnations were my
teachers, so that I might learn to love humans, and I have.  You know I have. 
But what good is that if I fail her?  What is the lesson in this kind of loss? 
Please help me find a way.”
                Evan’s shoulders sank. 
“Lev, I don’t think it’s possible.  Once your transformation was complete, it
was irreversible regardless of the outcome. I’m sorry.”
                Evan stared at his human
son for a moment longer, sadness shadowing his face, then stepped determinedly
past.
                “I guess that means
you’re not even going to try, doesn’t it?”
                Evan stopped but didn’t
turn, but still Lev could picture the sullen frown on his face.
                “I never said that.  Just
don’t get your hopes up.”
                “Don’t get my hopes up,” Lev
repeated.  He wanted to tell Evan his every hope had been taken with Elizabeth,
and right now he was just trying to hold on to getting her back, knowing that
he’d do anything he had to for her, including giving up this mortal life, but the
words died inside of him.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
                “This is pointless.” Lev tightened
his grip around the sword hilt.  “I’ve been using weapons for years, or have
you forgotten that?”  He glared at Evan.
    “No, I haven’t forgotten anything,”
Evan replied as he stood near the back porch.  The grass was wet with dew, and
the