The Caul by Nichole McCarter

Natalie is an Ohio law student preparing for the typical life of a busy attorney. But when her friend Clover convinces her to escape studying for a night on the town, Natalie soon realizes that perhaps her life isn't so typical after all. On that crowded night in the club Natalie is immediately drawn to Seth, a tall, strikingly handsome man she can’t stop watching across the dance floor. Natalie catches Seth’s eye, and realizes the immediacy of their connection when they talk. Without thinking, Natalie does the unthinkable and allows this stranger to drive her home. During the drive Natalie feels a strange vibe and knows that something isn’t quite right with Seth. She nervously realizes that she made a grave mistake by allowing him to take her home. Just as she begins to reconsider, Seth almost hits a creature that darts into the street before them. Bewildered, Natalie stares as Seth magically destroys a demon but not before the demon and Seth both realize that unlike most humans, Natalie witnessed the whole interaction. Seth knows that the demon (and more like it) will return to hunt for Natalie. He confesses to Natalie that he is an angel, and is left with no choice but to protect her. As Seth and Natalie miraculously elude attempts of her capture by Jack, son of Lucifer and leader of the demons, they are unable to evade their love for each other. But Jack’s cleverness halts such fairytales, and Natalie must discover her hidden powers and her true destiny if she ever wants to see Seth alive again. Natalie’s destiny encapsulates the struggle between good and evil, free will and fate, and set against the backdrop of an alternate reality that works in tandem with our own.