When can an attuned die?

[Archangel Beth]

The reason behind the official rules -- dissonance -- is that really, angels aren't supposed to be on Earth, period. They are creatures of absolute devotion, operating in a realm where absolutes are rare. Because of the nature of Cherubim, and the nature of the corporeal plane, any Cherub's relationship with an attuned human will be bittersweet at best, and tragedy at worst.

Cherubim can de-attune without dissonance, mind (if they make the Will roll). That's the bittersweet triumph of "I know this is how it must be, on Earth," over their angelic drive to protect. (Failing that Will roll symbolizes that they couldn't believe that what they were doing was necessary to the natural order of the corporeal realm -- and so they take dissonance for "harming" their attuned by trying to "desert" it. (IIRC))

While it's certainly fine to house-rule it otherwise, if one doesn't want to deal with the themes involved, I wouldn't want to change the canon on it -- those themes can be very powerful, and make playing a Cherub more interesting to some.