The Black Feather universe contains several mythological and religious themes, including angels, demons and The Watchers. The abilities and appearance of these supernatural beings in the Black Feather Series of books may not have any bearing on similar themes in the real world. To that end, I felt I should explain a few of the concepts as they appear in the books.
The Bond Between Guardian Angel And Ward
What Is A Guardian Angel?
A guardian angel is an invisible companion, appointed by Heaven to watch over a human. They are assigned to a soul at the birth of their first human incarnation and stay with them through all lifetimes lived by that one particular soul.
What Do They Do?
Their duties include gentle encouragement and nudges in the right direction along a soul’s chosen life path. They can whisper suggestions into the mind of their charge, making them believe they are their own thoughts, but they must not make decisions for them or interfere in a human being’s free will. Ultimately, the choice to take one path over another belongs to the human whose decision it is to make.
They may keep their charges safe from harm in small ways, by making them change direction or delaying them in some way in order to avoid a dangerous situation. In the same vein they can manipulate events to bring about fortuitous occurrences, e.g. being in the right place at the right time. Most people put this kind of thing down to coincidence, but in reality there are no coincidences.
This is not the same as the miraculous escapes from death that some people experience, walking away from major accidents and crashes without a scratch on them for example, or like those tales that we’ve all heard of, where a mysterious stranger has appeared to warn against certain dangerous, life-threatening courses of action. These are the domain of The Watchers and will be explained in another post.
In most cases, humans are never aware of their guardian angels and blunder through life after life, oblivious of the divine help they receive. Guardian angels are careful not to reveal their presence and believe falling in love with their human charges is forbidden because of the enormous risks involved, but as Ashrafel says to Kate:
“I didn’t fall because I loved you. I fell because of the consequences that came about through that love.”
The connection between Ashrafel and Kate in the Black Feather books is far deeper than that of any other guardian and ward. They are soul-mates, in every sense of the word. Ashrafel has, and would continue to spend lifetimes searching for Kate’s reincarnated soul, and without him by her side, Kate feels lost and alone.
Whether they can overcome those consequences, battle the evil that has stalked them through five centuries and find a happily ever after remains to be seen…
Nel Ashley is the author of Black Feather and Immortal, the second book in the Black Feather Series. She is currently working on her third novel, Dandelion Time, a time slip romance novel.
You can also connect with Nel on Facebook
Nel Ashley - Indie Author 
Pingback: Angels – The Good, The Bad and the Misunderstood. | Nel Ashley – Indie Author