"Are you real or just something from wanderlust?"

+1+

Callum looks particular rugged this evening with a fresh layer of stubble on his chin. We barely look at each other as we move stealthily from rooftop to rooftop over Brooklyn. He’s quick on his feet and I struggle to keep up. Luckily for me Dante is slower.The switchblade in my pocket feels heavy as I make the next jump. I swallow hard because tonight is the night I'm supposed to become a killer. It's the night I get a big win against Helios. When we reach Queen Anne’s we drop from the roof and take side streets over to the edge of Prospect Park where the entrance to the campus sits.

“Did we have to bring him ?”, I said pointing to Dante.

“You don’t trust me ?”, Dante asks.

“Trust isn't just given around here.", I say again.

“Shut it”, Callum says, "Dante's our distraction."

We circle around the campus where Callum locates the same break in the gate Caden Kellers had used to enter the school. The only problem is the imposing black and gold gate on the inside.

“Dante”, Callum says, "Ready ?"

Dante breaks away from us and stops just a few feet away from the guard post at the inner gate, he starts chipping away at the gold intermixed with the onyx in the gate. An SGI Angel comes charging out of the guard station and Dante runs away as fast as he can. Something garbled comes out of a radio the Angel is wearing.

“Some kid”, The Angel says into it, “I think he was going after the gold in the gate. . . okay. . . I’m on it.”

The Angel leaves his post searching in the general direction Dante ran in.

Callum and I move fast  and use the controls to open the gate. Once inside we stick to the foliage finding the manual entrances and exits and leave several unlocked for a fast getaway.

“I think this is the Angel dorm--”, Callum begins

“No, Seraphina has a room in Helios mansion. . . I noticed when I visited last time."

“Figures”, Callum says.

He pats me on the shoulder, this is where we part ways and Callum becomes my look out.

“Let’s show him we don’t back down,” Callum offers as a pep talk.

While Callum hides in the trees I grab on to the decorative trellis on the side of the mansion and start to climb to the balcony attached to her bedroom. When I reach the  balcony I  hook my arm around the balustrade and pull myself onto the landing.  I take a needle out of my sleeve and pick the lock on the doors, they swing open into a swell of sheer curtains. Then jump back into the shade.

I get lucky.

I lean over to peer through the window. Searphina is asleep on a white and gold sette that barley fits her height.  A  small paperback is nestled in her arms. Her shiny hair is in perfect spiral curls and hangs over the edge of the chair. A quick look around the room reveals a oversize chandelier, gold and white damask wallpaper and a large extravagant bed with a pure white headboard etched with an intricate pattern.

I whistled.

Helios sure knew how to woo a woman. I  approached her cautiously, then in one motion I wrap my arm around her neck and pointed the blade right where Damien said would be lethal. Her eyes open and she tightens her lips which are painted glossy  deep coral. She drops her hand to the silk shift dress she is wearing. The knives she usually conceals are lying on her bed. There are a pair of 6' inch heels pushed under the chair. I realize she is caught completely off guard.

I know it will be a tough cut, I hadn't exactly had time or means to practice. Up close I can see the slight frown lines on her face  and eyes.
“Why ?”, I ask, “Why did you try to kill me ?”

She lifts her neck higher and I grasp it tighter, letting my anger  take over. The anger of seeing Isobel cry.

“Because of my mother”, she breathes.

“I didn’t know your mother.”

“I know.”

“Do we have some sort of history ?”

“No”

I keep my eyes on her and after what feels like several minutes she blinks. I take my arm away from her neck but keep the knife at her jugular.

“Here”, she says, “You’ll want to start here.”’

Carefully she reaches up to grasp my hand and pulls the knife a half an inch up her neck. I noticed the assortment of gold and diamond rings on her fingers. A tiny gold ring falls from her pinky and I catch it before it falls to the floor.

I move to the front of the sette placing one knee on the very edge for leverage.

“I don’t want to kill anyone, but--”

“Then don't”, she says as if it's so simple.

“I don't want to be killed either. Helios clearly has no problem with that. This is just the way of things.”

“Spare me”, she said plainly, “And I won’t harm you. . . or Isobel  unless Helios gives the order which he hasn't and won't. He still needs you.”

“You were going to drown me.”

“I. . .wasn't. . .”, she seems unsure if it’s a lie or not.

I know time is short and I'm just one wrist flick away from ending this... or will I be starting things.

I move the switchblade up and down her perfect warm tinted neck, then I pull it  away. She runs her hands over her neck and then takes the switchbalde from me, or more like I let her. She sets it on a table, I'm frozen in my spot. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it.

I start to breath a little hard from the adrenaline, not being able to stand how still everything is. I'm afraid if I make one move it will be my last.I flinch when she runs her hand through my hair carefully pulling me closer to her. I brace myself on the sette when my mouth hovers over hers.

"What are you doi--"

“You're so , warm”, she says and I feel the breath of every word on my mouth, "I just. . . I"

I follow her gaze down to her hands, she flexes her fingers along the silk and tugs the fabric up from around her knees, every inch of her skin is perfectly tanned even up to her parted thighs, I look away.

The tip of her long nails is resting under my chin, her cold fingers on my lips

“S-seraphina. . . I think. . . I .”, I stutter.

There is an echo down the hall and we both turn to the door, when she turns  her cold cheek brushes my lips. I shiver a bit when she turns back to me.

“You get this once chance Prince. Run. ”

I pick up the knife and slip out onto the balcony shutting the french doors just as her bedroom door opens and Helios saunters in. I keep my back to the wall and peer back to see her kissing Helios.

“What. ..the ...hell. . . . has . gotten… you ?”, Helios says between breaths.

I don’t waste a second jumping down from the balcony landing awkwardly on bended knee. I signal to Callum and we jog straight for the first exit we see.

“Did you do it ?”, Callum asked

“She.. . wasn't there ?”, I say between breaths

“What ? Let’s go bac--”

“No, I saw Helios. He seems suspicious. . . we will have to think of something else."

"What the hell, Paris. This was our something.--"

The lights around the courtyard turn on and we duck out of the exits and into the outer yard.  We don't stop running until we've made it a few streets down. Once we are clear Callum cuts in front of me and pushes me against a wall.

"The fuck, Paris. I mean seriously."

"Callum, not now. We have to met up with Dante at the station--"

"No, Paris I'm serious. I'll respect and placate you infront of the others, but this is fucked up. Shit is getting real out here and you've done nothing. He's going to kill us all one by one and I'm hoping he starts with you--"

"I didn't ask for this", I said pushing him back, "I never thought . . . I just need some time Callum. We will think of something else"

"Yeah", he says, "We will"

He continues running and I know that "we" he spoke of wasn't directed at me. I pulled my hoodie down and followed him down to the station.  Perhaps I'd spent so much time worrying about SGI, Helios and Seraphina to realize the ones to kill me first. . . might be my own Brothers.

At the thought of her I pulled the solid gold pinky ring from my pocket. Upon closer inspection I realize that it's a dark gold that has been weathered just a bit with age.  Inside it is inscripted with words and symbols I vaguely understand. For some reason I tuck it back in my pocket.

+++

“What. . .mmm. . . has gotten into you ?”, she says

Isobel still smells like icing and sugar whenever I kiss her, even though she hasn't worked at the bakery in weeks. She pulls off my shirt tracing my skin with her fingertips. I pick her up and she warps her legs around me, her hair is wild and loose around my hand.

She opens her mouth for me again and I feel myself melt into the touch of  her.

“Paris”, she practically moans my name which is very very encouraging.

“Tonight was a failure. I want to make it a win.”

I hadn't made it back to St. Lilith's before Callum and Dante. I'd barley been able to stand the way Callum ranted to Ashe, Jonah and Damien about how I'd failed. He'd torn every little thing I did apart and halfway through his second wind of insults I'd grabbed Isobel and dragged her to our room.

"Paris", she says a bit more down to earth, "It's okay . . I know"

I pull back and look at her.

"What ?"

"You lied.  You said Searphina wasn't there, but you lied."

"What ? Is,--

She reached into my sweatshirt pocket and pulled out the ring that had fallen off Seraphina's finger. She sets it on the table.

"Lie to Callum and the rest all you want, but don't lie to me."

I dropped my eyes

"I lied. I just don't know why. She was asleep and everything I just--"

"I do ", she says.

I do a double take when she says this then realize she is answering my own question.

"You do ? Thank goodness because I sure as hell don't know why I didn't kill her,"

"You're not a killer, Paris. Which is what I love about you. I was just so angry at her for what she did to you. I'm sorry I put you in that position."

"No. It's good. I need someone to push me or else I'm just standing still."

I need you. I think to myself

I hold Isobel's hand, counting down the hours until our trip Boston. It would mean a lot of things. Signing those papers  would mean  I'd officially be the owner of Father's property, I'd have everything he'd worked all these centuries to give us. I also hoped I get one more thing.

I give her a reassuring smile and fetch my shirt off the floor, heading for the shower. A cold shower.

"What about making this night a win ?", Isobel says.

"Today", I said, "Was far from it"

-2-

I opened my eyes underwater.

I could see dancing brightly colored aquafoligae and tiny fish swimmng around me. With a burst of upward momentum I broke through the surface of the water. Relived to see I am no longer being pulled under.

I welcomed the sound of the stream and the forest around me. I turned back to the shore to see the Angel by the tree line. It looked smaller and I realized it was kneeling or sitting but the structured dress still kept its solid form. Giving the illusion she had sunk into her dress. Her veil fluttered in the wind as she watched me.

I swim back to the river’s edge to catch my breathe, pulling myself out the water.

I laid on my back and let my tough skin dry in the sun. After several minutes A shadow comes over me and I see the Angel has moved to hover over me. Her long fingered hands holding my tunic. I sit up realizing I am still shirtless.

She dropped the tunic and turned to  pick up the wooden children toys with her long nails. I watched with fascination as she tried to grasp and study them. Her long clawed nails making it very difficult

She set them up and I found  I didn’t  have to search my memory to remember how to play. A numbered tile game if I remembered correctly.

“Where exactly did you come from ? We don't see many Angels around here.”

She set down one of the tiles and pointed a long talon to the south. The south was where the Angels lived.

“Why did you come here ? “

She ran two fingers across the ground.

“You ran from something ?”

She nodded.

“Something so terrible you would run into the outskirts  of Lucifer’s Citadel ? Do you know what horrible things happen to  Angels who wander out this far ?”

She nodded meaningfully. She turned suddenly, her dress and all in a quick seamless movement. One wing fluttered and a blackened burnt feather floated to the ground from where her wings were burned. She turned back around eyes wide. Whatever she was running from. . . it had burned her.

“The thing. . . . the monster you are running from. . .could it come here. Could it attack the Citadel.”

The Angel dropped the tiles and gracefully rose to full height. She reached down for me and she began to move quickly taking tiny steps.

“No, no”, I protested, “We can’t run. I can’t run away from it.”

The Angel stop and like a clockwork figure turned slowly back around.

“I have to find this. . . thing. .  and destroy it. After all I am the prince. If you haven't noticed.”

Her pale eyes are wide, but she does not continue to flee. she scratches out a simple image of people and homes and as soon as it is done she slashes through the people and homes as quickly and furiously as she had created them.

“You can try and run if you’d like. . but there is nothing past the Citadel but Demon land and The Badlands. You know what will happen if you are discovered by someone less. . . understanding."

She flexed one hand, indicating the razor sharp talons.

“Those won’t protect you from everything.”

She turned back to runaway. My next words stopping her.

“To be honest my father doesn’t think to much of me. I think perhaps  If I could do something great, like kill this creature maybe he would. I have no  idea where to start looking for this thing. Perhaps you can help."

She had turned back around.

“If you helped me. . . I promise I won’t let it hurt you. Think of it. Our respective rulers may see the advantages of our races working together. I’m sure you tire of this war as much as I do."

I reach out my hand.

"Let's kill the beast. Perhaps unite our kingdoms at last."

She studies my hand for a long time, turning her head and then very slowly. She takes it.

+3+

We head south, back to where the Angel had come from.

Our trek across terrain is quiet. Once we clear Citadel limits there is nothing but rolling hills and clear sky. It’s so vast, but dangerous because this empty space between enemy lines was lawless. The land is beautiful; nothing but fading blue sky and green grass for miles and miles

There had been a preliminary stop at my Father's armory where we liberated a bow and quiver of arrows, short arm scythe and axe. The weapons seemed ancient somehow but I didn't know what to expect from this monster.

The Angel leads the way showing me from where she came. I’m  hoping the thing is still in her village or maybe hiding out here. Occasionally there is the sound of a bird or creature and we both stop to marvel at it.

I do most of the talking, mostly to distract myself from this nagging feeling that this is something I should have done a long time ago or something I did a long time ago. Or something I’m not doing at all.

The Angel could speak of that I was . . . sure ? It was Angel custom for the females to be quiet, modest, docile and submissive so I did most of the speaking.

Occasionally her steps would slow and she would turn almost as naturally as she walked, rotating like a toy caught in a singular draft. I carefully study the hem of her dress expecting  to see the kick of feet or something to hint at what causes her grace.

I gather she must notice me watching this because the next time she spins she does it again this time she encircles me. It's make me laugh.

"How do you do that ?"

She doesn't respond and the wise expression never falters.

Up ahead clouds are starting to darken, but it should not get dark for a few hours. I studied the weather, It was going to rain soon and there was nothing for miles and miles except flat grasslands. We couldn't escape the downpour and it would be coming soon.

Suddenly we reached the end of the world, or what seemed like it. The land just split in half and spilled into a large canyon.  There might have been a bridge but it was gone now.  The only way to cross it was to have wings, we were close to Angel territory.

I turned to see the Angel had her back to me,  her head tilted up causing her veil to drag on the grass. I followed her gaze and  see what looks like a flat topped mountain at the far end of the canyon.

I squinted making out small white buildings on the flat mountain surface.

"A village?"

“Is that your village ?”, I asked.

She shook her head her whole body moving with it. Then she pointed further south, past the canyon indicating her home.

“It’s going to rain soon. We should stop at that village until the storm passes. I am a royal, they have to grant me quarters. They won't like it, but there is a storm coming--”

Her wings ruffled a bit, clearly put off put off by my show of privilege.

“Can you make it”, I ignored her disposition. The village looked  far away and one of her wings was damaged.

She looked up at the distance and gave one fierce nod and her wings spilled open. A few downy feathers fluttered loose. She gestured me with the slight head movement, kneeling down into her skirts.

I approached her thin figure with trepidation. Could she possible be stronger than she looked ? Her talons scratched my arms as she pulls my arms around her neck. I maneuvered my legs around her stiff skirts carefully keeping my hands in appropriate places.

Before I could even fathom what to do next she shoots off at an impossible pace.  I let out a yelp of surprise and suddenly my feet are off the ground. The wind howls past me as we soar farther into the clouds. I feel like I’m going to fly right through the world.

Her veil catches in the wind and blows off her head. I reached for it with one hand and hold on to it tight. The unbalancing causing her to shift.  I curse as the silk blows past me and the veil disappears into the clouds.

“Sorry”, I whisper.

I try to hold up as much of my weight as possible the speed is incomprehensible. The village becomes more and more clear.

“Amazing”, I manage as I make out the white flat top buildings.

In seconds we crash land on the smooth marble surface of the mountain village. I tumble off the Angel's back and she rolls a few inches away, landing on her side.

I pick myself up and  gently take her by shoulder sand help her stand back up.

“You did well”, I said, "Are you alright ?"

Yes

She nods

Angel villages were picturesque. They were a vain race and liked everything to have artistic merit, but this particular village was a step above. The buildings and roads were paved in shiny marble with gold accents. Door ways marked extravagant merchants and luxuries. Every building and statue was a work of the most intricate detail and artistic endeavor.

It was lovely and quiet. Very very quiet.

The Angel peered into a shop just off the white marble road. She put her hand around her eyes and then slowly tapped on the window with her nails.

She pushed the door open and stepped in. The door frames were so high up she didn’t have to duck.  I followed, feeling as if i was a little to small for this world.

The shop was covered in mirrors and reams  of lace, chiffon and chartreuse covered the walls. The Angel reached up and picked up a sheet of interwoven lace and chiffon. It was a veil.

This was a veil shop.

“Hello”, the Angel called. Her voice was like a soft song, like single note on a violin. I stiffened for a second, the sound was piercing. I turned to see my reflection in the hundreds of mirrors on the walls. That's when I saw it.

“Angel”, I said. Calling her as if it were her name.

I pointed down to where the edges of her skirts were tinted with red blood. She stepped back noticing the thin stream of blood pouring out from a backroom and into the room,  seeping into the tiles.

She left the shop at once,  the stolen veil still in hand.

“It twa’s here”, she said

We continued down the marble road, encountering quiet homes and city blocks. Up ahead the red continued to flow out of doorways and  through the spaces inbetween  the marble tiles. After searching house and after house it became undeniable.

The thing had killed an entire village. What was utterly terrifying is that no matter where we searched there were no bodies, no feathers. It had simply eaten them all up, leaving nothing but the blood.

-4-

After finding another house empty, the Angel had wandered away and I found her back by the village entrance. She was lining up candles she had pilfered from homes and shops. Hundreds of looted  candles were lined up on the street.

“We must go”, I said, “There is nothing here. We need to find this thing. If it reaches the Citadel it will kill everyone”

She kept to her work, silently and dutifully. Lining each and every candle up individually. She counted to ensure the rows were even. The stolen veil was now safely affixed to her hair.

“The souls of Angels find their way to eternal  peaceful rest by candle light”, she said. Her words sounded more like song than speech.

She shakes her head and counts the candles.

“There are not enough.”, she says wistfully, "Some will not make it"

With that she begins the slow work of lighting each and everyone of the hundreds of candles.

I end up falling asleep when she is about the light the 100th one. When I awake I see another couple hundred flames are dancing now.  There are still so many more left to light. This will take forever.

I pull myself off the ground and pick up one of the candles, using it to help her light the remaining. She stops and  watches me for several moments.

“Is this alright ?”, I asks realizing it could have been seen as disrespectful.

She says nothing so I continue. We reach the last candle at the same time and I graciously make way for her. She hesitates before lighting it, but does so slowly.

Despite what it means the candles look beautiful. She leans down and blows out the candle in my hand, with a quick wave hers goes out as well. We turn at the same time to face the road of glowing candles.

If this thing could do this to an entire village, what hope did the Citadel have ? What hope did I--we have of stopping it ?

"We need to kill this thing", I said watching the flames flicker over her face, "If this thing is caught or worse trained by either Angels or Demons it could mean extinction."

She nods.

At first I ignore the spritz of perspiration that runs down my forehead, but it is followed by another. I wipe my forehead but I’m not sweating.

The Angel looks up as a thin mist of rain begins to fall. Her eyes go soft and glassy as the candles go out one by one. She runs to the candles knocking them over.  Pushing them to the ground with a few grunts of anger as the rain picks up.

“Stop”, I say suddenly and she freezes.

I bring my fingers to my lips and listen. Something low rumbles beneath the rain. Something not quite like thunder.  Her head cocked up hearing what I heard. A faint scream. The Angel reached back for the bow and arrow on her back. A  sythce burning in my hands.

From the other side of town a spherical cloud of smoke and clouds is barreling towards us. It was a swift gray  cloud with sparks of thunder and electricity sparking inside it. It made a horrible gargling noise, like the screams of an entire village. The Angel opened her mouth and pulled the arrow back her hands shook.

The arrow sailed right into the creature, but did not make its way out.

We had found the thing we were looking for.

It was still here

And it was still hungry.

---

Fair warning. We won't hear from these two for a while.