Shadowess

Hey, just jumping in quick before I go to work. Salvo's boyfriend's name was Galiel 😉

It was a tense awkward and emotional wait. But after several minutes, Parker's eyebrows furrowed and he groaned a little. His head turned slightly to one side as he began to stir. The sound broke the silence and Damien couldn't help but let out a quiet gasp as he stared at his son. His heart was pounding, knowing that his awakening and coming to terms with his loss would be harder to bear than the wait had been. - "FUCKING USELESS!" a man could be heard shouting further down the corridor. "I've been waiting for hours! When is someone going to help ME?!" Outwardly, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with the man aside from a few scratches and bruises. "Sir, we are doing the best we can given the circumstances but right now there are other patients-" Nurse May tried to calm the man down but he shouted over her, his reddened face getting in hers in a threatening way. "I WAS HERE BEFORE HALF THESE PEOPLE! WHAT EXACTLY DO I PAY INSURANCE FOR IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT EVERY BUM AND SALLY SOB STORY BEFORE YOUR PAYING CUSTOMERS ANYWAY?!" It was clear by her red cheeks and the slight shake in her voice that May was becoming flustered by the altercation but she maintained a professionally stern approach. "Patients are seen depending on the severity of their needs, Mr Mitchell and our team are stretched thin due to the volume of patients that we currently have!-" "THAT'S NOT MY FAULT THOUGH, IS IT?! STOP COMING UP WITH EXCUSES, DO YOUR FUCKING JOB AND GET A DOCTOR TO TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW OR I'LL SUE YOU AND YOUR HOSPITAL INTO THE FUCKING GROUND!" "I would strongly suggest that you lower your voice, sir or you will be removed from the premises!" "YOU WANT TO KICK ME OUT? GO ON THEN. DO IT. I DARE YOU TO FUCKING TRY KICKING ME OUT. THINK I WON'T HIT A GIRL? FUCKING TRY IT!" He moved towards her threateningly, forcing her to take a couple of steps back while continually shouting in her face "TRY IT! TRY IT! GO ON! NOT SO TOUGH NOW, EH?!" --- "Didn't I tell you those spells would come in handy?" Rickster's voice came from the open doorway. He was leaning against the frame and giving Ricky a warm smile. Oscar straightened up, looking at him in surprise then looked at Ricky to see his reaction. Atma had also lost her train of thought, being caught so off-guard by Rickster's sudden return from Heaven. "Though I have to admit, our dear friend here," he gestured to Atma. "Has a great point. Those protection spells will only go so far and most of them will need some maintenance after that quake." He stepped inside and walked towards Ricky. "I can't stay for too long," he said softly while lifting his hand to caress his cheek. "The quake, as bad as it was, has given Angels in training a unique opportunity to earn their wings a lot sooner. I can earn mine but I need to help humans who need it. I just couldn't resist stopping by to see you again. Once I've earned my wings I'll be free to come back to you." --- "Boss!" Mon gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. He looked at Amelia and Charles desperately. "Y-you guys have powers, right? Isn't there anything you can do?" Amelia looked from Salvo to Mon and then back again as she shook her head sadly. "I'm so sorry," she replied in a gentle tone. "This isn't something that can be reversed but it doesn't mean that this is the end." she glanced at Bern, hinting that they already knew at least one likely scenario that could happen once Salvo passes on into his afterlife. She hoped this knowledge would be of some comfort. --- "Then we find her and bring her home as soon as you're ready to begin," John said to him. "She can help us to build our new Eden. Either as a wife or simply a friend." He looked around breifly. "My spells are done. This place is completely concealed. Outsiders will neither be able to see nor sense the entire grounds. The only people who will be able to teleport in and out is us. We're completely safe here. The people we bring will be safe. Eventually, from this point, Eden's beautiful garden will regrow to cover all of Hell. Then, we will be finally safe and strong enough to lift these spells." --- Carol was reluctant to let Sam leave with this stranger but ultimately Sam was old enough to decide for himself and she couldn't force him to stay. "If he hurts you or does anything dodgy, you call for me and I'll be there!" She said to Sam before lifting a threatening finger at Shezmu. "And if you harm a hair on this boy's head I'll make you regret it for centuries!" Shezmu merely smirked at her threat. "A warrior with a mother's instinct. You have my word, I will bring no harm to Sam." he then turned to the boy and gestured for him to follow. "Come, child. Let's find your beloved, then." --- Kyle had still been screaming in agony up until he was consumed and an eerie silence fell in the throne room. Azrael had not reacted. Although it was rare, Kyle hadn't been the first soul to be consumed and he doubted he would be the last. Lilly, however, had jumped to her feet upon seeing what had happened and gawped at Death in disbelief. "What-? What happened? Where did he go? Did- did you eat him?" she asked, confused and in awe. --- "What?" Henderson muttered at the hitman's outburst. He watched, baffled, as the man then fled the precinct. He stayed where he was for several minutes. His heart had been hammering in his chest throughout the entire encounter so this was his first opportunity to calm down. Gingerly, he stood from the chair and looked around the place to make sure he was gone. Then a realisation dawned on him. A murderer and cop killer had escaped on his watch. "Fuck!" he rubbed his forehead from stress. "Will's guna be pissed!" --- Feeling Nate behind him, Tom leaned against him while trying to decide on an outfit. "Hmm, I like the sound of a black suit. Maybe..." he ran his hands over the sleeve of a black jacket. "We could wear satin underneath? I love the feel of it against my skin."

For a long moment, Damien stood silently to one side. His eyes were wide as he stared at his son. He was feeling a mixture of emotions that were all new to him and he could barely fathom it in this moment. Was he angry? upset? Did he want to cry or punch the wall? He did none of these. In fact, he was practically frozen to the spot but hearing Carter's knuckles cracking somewhat brought him out of his stupor. He blinked and briefly looked around the room as he blinked back tears before stepping forward to gently place the stuffed bear in the nook of Parker's arm. He then stepped back and looked at Will. Giving him a sympathetic look as he lifted his hand to give his shoulder a comforting squeeze. He didn't speak. Fearful that if he opened his mouth to do so his emotions would erupt out of him in the form of a scream. Nurse May was caught offguard by James's comment and she flustered. Even blushing a little. "Um I- thank you." she said, not knowing how else to respond as she hurried off to see to other patients. --- "Desi!" Oscar half jogged down the stairs to greet them. "It's good to see you and your family are safe!" He bent down a little to smile at the sleeping twins. "And who are these cuties?" "Ricky, we really should talk security," Atma said as she also entered the room. "The spells you had on the place kept it secure but what about the riots? What if those reach our doors-?" she paused at the sight of the little family. "Oh, hello!" --- Mentally preparing themselves for anything, Amelia teleported them all to Salvo's location. --- "Is this in relation to the Forbidden Fruit?" John asked, curious. "We could try to find her and make her part of our new paradise?" he suggested. --- "Leave the boy in my care," Shezmu said. "I can help him locate his lover and deliver them both to Warren." "And why should we trust you? You're basically a stranger!" Carol argued, moving to stand in front of Sam defensively. "How do I know you're not sent here to destroy him? You'd say anything to get him alone!" "My dear girl, if I had wanted you all dead then you already would be. Alas, I am demonstrating a profound amount of restraint given that I am still famished from my centuries-long slumber." his eyes flashed red for a moment and chills ran up Carol's spine. "No! We'll take him to Warren and we'll find Dariel. You can go back to whatever tomb you crawled out from!" "You are trying my patience, woman," Shezmu growled. --- Kyle hit the floor and before he could even catch his breath the pain shot through his every vein, bone and muscle. He writhed, screaming in agony. His wide eyes stared up at Death who was blurred and obscured through his tears. Azrael did not react nor move. He felt this act was completely justifiable given the man's crimes. Lilly couldn't help but sit up in her chair. It was difficult for her to watch and she wasn't sure how to feel about what was happening. She, like Azrael, felt that this was justified. But she also found herself fascinated by Death's strength. Would she be able to learn to do this one day? Would she be as powerful as he is? "Stop! Make it stop!" Kyle screamed. "For fucks sake! What do you want from me?! I'll do anything! Just stop!" --- Henderson faltered. This wasn't exactly normal circumstances and it wasn't like he had anyone else here to back him up. That and he was an unarmed man against a clearly armed hitman. "Alright, alright." He said gently with his hands up a little. Trying to diffuse the situation. Worried that he might antagonise the man into taking his frustrations out on him. "Look, I can't promise anything. This is... a little out of my area of expertise..." Understatement of the year. "Let's just wait for my colleagues to get back and then we can discuss this with my boss, ok?" --- Tom grinned, excited by the idea. "I'd like that." he purred. "Let's get dressed up for it." he jumped up excitedly and hurried over to the wardrobe. Opening it up to look at their options.

Damien turned to James and gave him a thankful smile. "I appreciate it. Probably best for you to stand just outside the door." he sadi with a nod. Reluctantly, Sebastian left with River and Alex who walked out of the hospital casually until they were sure they wouldn't be noticed as River teleported them all to his home to wait. When Nurse May returned, Damien explained that only he and Carter would be going into the room while James stood guard. She was apprehensive but nodded. "Fine. I believe his boyfriend is already in there as we speak so it'll be a bit of a squeeze," she said before leading them to Parker's room. Parker would still be sleeping when they'd arrive. Covered by a blanket so as not to alarm him when he'd wake up, though the space under his knee was noticeably flat. --- "You're on the Redemption Programme. That to me is proof enough that you're making the right kind of changes." Cindy added. "I forgive you." "Now that we're all friends, let's get these little ones inside where it's warmer, hmm?" Desi chimed in as he lifted the stroller over the threshold and into the foyer. --- Mon stood. He'd heard about the looting and riots going on so he took his gun from its holster to make sure it was definitely loaded before replacing it. "I'm ready. I'm going too," he said resolutely. "Alright then, let's go," Amelia said as she held out her hands to take David's in one and Charles's in the other. David, being barely familiar with teleportation anymore, followed her lead and reached out a hand to Mon who took it. Mon then reached his free hand for Bern's. --- John watched Adam carefully for a moment. As eager as he was to create the new Eden, it wouldn't do their little paradise any good if their King was in mental anguish. "Do... do you want to tell me about it?" he suggested. --- This Devil didn't sound familiar to Shezmu but he committed the description to memory in case he were to run into him. Even if he was imprisoned now, there's no telling what the future holds. "Thank you, strange little one," he said with a nod and straightened up. "I will find Sam and deliver your message to Warren." He glanced back at Abbadon. He hadn't known this Devil either but he'd heard of him. To see such a champion of violence stricken to mortality was both unnerving and concerning. He needed to think of a way to destroy this red devil without risking his own power in the process. He could not allow himself to suffer the same fate as this one. "Farewell to you both. May his recovery be swift," he said before turning away from them and vanishing. --- Carol glanced around warily. "Dammit, we can't leave until our task is done. There's too much at stake," she said quietly. "And I'm not even sure where we could take you that's safe anyway... You're kind of a fugitive." she looked back at Sam and shrugged. "Look, just stay close by, ok? And do as we say. If we tell you to be quiet and hide, you do it. There are way stronger, more violent Demons on the loose after the cells collapsed. Once we've done what we came here to do we'll see if we can convince Amelia and Charles to grant you a pardon. You might have to go onto the Redemption Programme for a while." "The boy is old enough to be a soldier. Sheltering him would only make him soft." Shezmu's voice and sudden appearance had made Carol jump. She whirled around, taking up a defensive stance. "Stay behind me, kiddo," she warned Sam. "You needn't fear me. I am merely here to keep my word." "And what word would that be?" "I was sent by Warren to confirm his family's safety." He explained calmly then lowered his eyes to Sam. --- "N-no, no, no!" Kyle choked while tightly gripping Death's arm. "Y-you don't need to do that! M-maybe we can come to some kind of arrangement? I-I could work for you? Yeah! I'll work for you! Look, I'm really good at finding things. Valuable things. Rare things. Even people! You put me back on Earth and I could be your personal delivery boy! How does that sound, eh?" he bargained desperately. Barely able to contain his fear as he tried to give Death his best salesman smile. --- Henderson didn't understand how this man's sudden change of heart was an Australian thing but he wasn't about to argue with a professional killer. That was until the hitman said he wanted to go with them to confront his boss. "Oh no, if we're doing this we're doing it by the book. Which means we need to book and process you properly then get your statement. Then you sit and wait in a cell where it's safe while our guys raid your boss's place. Then we can talk about a deal in return for you testifying against your boss in court." Henderson said sternly, surprising himself that he'd managed to find his voice despite his predicament. --- Tom held on to his kiss for as long as he could. "Well, before you fly off to save this boy, let's make the most of tonight." he kissed his cheek. "We could go out and make a date of it. I hear there's going to be an opera at the theatre across town. Lots of private booths." he smirked playfully. "Or we can stay in and simply enjoy each other's company. Or do something else. What do you think?"

Damien took a moment to gauge whether Carter was being sincere or trying to distract him. Then his eyes softened a little and he broke into a small smile as he looked down at the bear in his hands. "It isn't much... I don't even know if he'd like things like this." "You lot really need to stop getting into trouble" Nurse May said upon walking into the waiting room to see a lot of familiar faces. "Are you all here for Parker?" she asked, looking around at them. "Yes, is he ok?" River asked, beating Alex to the punch as he'd also opened his mouth to speak. "He'll need a lot of support but he'll be fine and is expected to make a full recovery. He's just being taken back to his room at the moment and made comfortable. You'll be able to visit him soon but not all of you at once." she sighed, giving them all a sympathetic look. "I'm really sorry and I know I'm going to be asking a lot, but I need to ask that only a couple of you stay here to visit. The rest of you need to either go home or go somewhere safe." She glanced around at the chaos. "We're overwhelmed and simply don't have the room to accommodate full families of visitors. Not while we have so many patients and barely enough room for them as it is and even more coming in by the minute." She sighed and glanced around. "I'll give go and give you five minutes to decide who should stay and who should go. Then I'll come back to take whoever is staying to Parker's room to wait for him to wake up." with that, she hurried off to help other people. Alex and River looked at each other anxiously before looking at the others. Both wanted to stay but knew who Parker would want to see most upon waking up. "I think Carter should stay here. He's closest to Parker." River said. Alex nodded in agreement. "I can teleport me and the rest of us somewhere. We can always take it in turns to come back and see him." "I'm staying too," Damien added resolutely. "I owe it to him to be here now." Sebastian hugged Carter. "Be strong for him and take as much time as you need." --- Astonishingly, it was still standing. Desi teleported the five of them to the little courtyard outside the mansion to find that not a single pebble was out of place. Yet houses on either side had some level of destruction to them. "How?" Desi gasped in astonishment. "Ricky used to do shady deals with Demons and Rickster was literally a magician. I don't think it takes a genius to work out they used spells." Cindy commented. "Ah yes, I keep forgetting." Desi turned to look into the stroller. Both babies had fallen asleep and hadn't been disturbed by their sudden teleportation. "Aww, little blessings. Asleep at last," he commented as he started pushing the stroller up to the front door. Cindy rang the doorbell. --- Carol had been on high alert and ready for a fight as Eris approached the hooded figure. Then she saw his face and her guard faltered. She didn't care about the remark. She was simply relieved to see the boy alive and safe. This was evident as she marched up to him to pull him into a tight hug. "You matter," she said in a firm but gentle tone. As she let him go she faked clearing her throat and fidgeted on her feet awkwardly. "You tell anyone I hugged you and I will torture you, though." she bantered while looking around. "What happened? Are you alone here?" --- Amelia's and David's eyes snapped to Bern when he shouted. Mon, who had been quietly staring at the ground until this point reached over and placed a hand on his knee. "Bern, we gotta help the boss..." he said in a broken, tired voice. David sighed, unsure of what Bern's problem was. He'd sensed a strain when he'd tried talking to them on their own earlier but didn't know it was because he'd lost his memories. He looked back at Amelia and Charles. "Well, I'm in. You said you're my daughter and I wouldn't be much of a father if I let you wander into danger unsupervised." he chuckled. --- It had taken a few hours, a lot of patience and some headache inducing complext spells. But finally, John was done and the relief was immeasurable. Safe at last. He decided to look around properly and check up on Adam. When he finally found him, his heart ached to see him so upset. He rushed over to his on the edge of his bed. "Adam? What's wrong?" --- Shezmu stared at the Devil on the bed for a moment before turning to nod at Insanity. "I will deliver your message and find Sam. But first, tell me more about this Devil who can steal powers from others," he asked as he knelt down to give him his full attention. The news of a Devil that could potentially strip him of his power was a clear threat that Shezmu would not be able to ignore. He would need to learn more and, for now, be cautious not to cross paths with such a creature. --- The taxi's horn honked continually as the driver's body fell against it. The radio was still in his limp, hanging hand. Blood pooled around him, slowly dripping its way down his arm, over the radio and down his fingertips to drip onto the floor. "What the fuck?... WHAT THE FUCK?!" he screamed. He was standing just outside his vehicle, staring at his lifeless body. At his blood that had sprayed across his windscreen and the hole in the back of his head. "Am I dreaming?!" "No. You are quite dead." A voice came from his left and he jumped to look at the dark-haired man. Azreal was usually gentle with new souls but for this one, he glared dangerously. "D-dead? Shit! You're going to take me to hell, aren't you?" The driver panicked. "I know about your kind! I-" "I know your crimes." Azrael interrupted him. His tone was acidic. "Your affiliations with the humans who would treat other species as test subjects. Ordinarily, I wouldn't involve myself. It's forbidden, you see. We of the Realm of Death must maintain balance above all. But you. You." he growled. "You are a special case. You have sinned against the Realm of Death and for this, you will be brought to him for judgement." "Who? How the fuck did I do anything to the realm of the dead?!" Without another word, Azrael gripped the driver roughly by his shirt and teleported them both to Death's throne room where he threw him to the ground and stood aside. The driver looked up shakily. He didn't recognise Death, nor any of the servants going about their normal duties in the background. But Lilly. The raven-haired girl sitting by one of the high gothic windows, who's eyes widened at the sight of him. He'd met her and her friends on Earth briefly. Just before the earthquake had hit. They'd found a body in his trunk and he'd struck her across the face for not minding her business. When he realised she was a necromancer he'd fled the scene, knowing he was outmatched. But he'd reported her last known location on Earth to a very eager, very malicious organisation. "Oh fuck..." he muttered as he looked from Lilly to Azrael and then to Death so was obviously the most powerful person here given the look of the throne he was seated in. "I- I didn't know she was one of you." He started but deep down, he knew it wouldn't have mattered if he had. "Please, I didn't know. It was just a job!" "Sire, this wretch is known as Kyle Rothers. He spent his life selling drugs, weapons and people to the highest bidders. He sold the names and locations of various supernatural beings to agencies including but not limited to ADIEU. More relevantly, he not only assaulted your daughter but sold information about her to said organisation." Azrael informed Death while reading from his book. He then looked up and saw Lilly's pale face and the news that ADIEU might go looking for her at Storm's home. Putting Bob and the others in imminent danger. "I have already sent word to some Angels to keep an eye on your friends," he added to reassure her. --- Officer Henderson awoke with a start and jumped to see the hitman out of his cell and standing very casually in front of him. He eyed him and the gun warily. "W-why? Weren't you trying to kill us before? Why now?" he asked, confused. He heard the blaring sound of a car horn outside but he didn't dare take his eyes off the hitman. He didn't like this. He felt like he was being toyed with. --- Tom frowned and placed his glass back on the table. He got up and walked over to sit on his lap. Lifting his fingers, he gently brushed some of his hair from his eyes. "Oh, Nate. All we can do is try," he said softly. "And we must try. We must believe that there is good in people. He's just a boy. He's probably feeling lost in our world... sure, he might be angry but maybe he just needs someone to talk him around. To help him process his grief." He brushed his lips against his cheek. "Just promise me you'll be careful if you see him? Promise that you'll come back to me."

Sebastian turned his head to look worriedly at Carter. Given his history of depression and suicidal tendencies, the statement that he'd come out with was alarming. Sebastian's heart ached. He'd truly hoped they were past this but it seemed such an affliction wasn't easily cured. "Carter, look at me," he said gently while cupping his chin. "It will be alright. He's strong but he only got like that from looking up to you. Do you hear me? You're his role model. and he's going to need you to be strong for him now more than ever." At that moment, both James and Damien teleported into the room next to them. Among the chaos and commotion of the hospital, their sudden appearance went almost completely unnoticed. What did not go unnoticed by everyone in the group was the combined smell of liquor and weed on the pair. If that hadn't been enough of a giveaway, Damien's reddened eyes would be. He gripped the bear tightly and looked around at them all. "Any news yet?" he asked, then his eyes landed on Carter. Both he and Sebastian exchanged a worried glance. It had barely been 24 hours since Damien had attempted to leave the country to spare Carter from his withdrawal. Now he was standing in the same room, likely as Carter's cravings would be beginning to peak. "Damien-" Sebastian began in a warning tone. "Don't worry." Damien cut him off and gave Carter a stern glare. "I'm not weak anymore." he showed them his wrist, now free of the bracelet that had rendered him powerless. "I can defend myself, if necessary." --- "My old-?" Desi began and Cindy cut him off. "Oh no! We're not taking the children there! The smell alone..." she shivered. "I'm fairly sure the previous squatters cleaned it thoroughly before moving in but I take your point. Hell isn't exactly safe for children as it is." He relented with a chuckle then scratched his head as he thought. "We could visit your friends in that mansion? See if they're in a position to provide refuge? Or I could ask Blaire if she wouldn't mind us popping in for a little while until we can figure something else out?" --- Eris took her hand, "I was born ready!" In an instant, Carol and Eris were standing in the heart of Dead City. Abandoned buildings towered around them. The only thing they could see behind each window and down every alley was suppressing darkness. Silence. Aside from their own footsteps, the entire area was utterly soundless. Carol gave Eris an uneasy look, then a nervous smile. They would need to venture into the lightless buildings to expand their search. --- "It seems everyone is having a hard time right now. How are you though? Are you hurt?" Amelia asked, looking at each of them but resting her eyes on her father. "I had a couple of scratches but they healed up within seconds... perks of being a Demon, I guess." David shrugged. "Right... I keep forgetting this is practically new to you all over again." Amelia nodded. "How would you like to put your new skills to use? We could really use your help." "What do you need?" David asked curiously while taking his hands out of his pockets. "You too. May as well gather as many Demon hands as we can." Amelia added while glancing over at Bern. "For starters, let's check up on your boss. It's the least I can do for him taking my dad in while he's... um..." "Forgetful? An amnesiac?" David asked with an amused smirk. "Yeah... then we need to work with the Angels to help mortals as well as search for a way to close the portal. Charles and I will go and meet up with Raguel to come up with a plan that utilizes both our forces. The more ground we cover, the better." she looked at Charles to see if he was on board with her idea. "Portal?" "Oh right, you don't know. A large portal from another dimension opened up. That's what caused the quakes. Those quakes have hit Heaven and Hell too, by the way. There's this boy that might be linked to how it opened. We need to find him but until we know more I wouldn't recommend confronting him. We need to come to an agreement with Heaven on how he will be handled once we find him." "I'm sorry, did you just say 'another dimension'??" David looked between them, wondering if this was some kind of joke. Amelia frowned and nodded. "You um... this wouldn't be the first and... you were there for that one." "I was?! Did I meet an Alien?!" David seemed equally shocked and excited. --- It took several minutes. The building was larger than John had initially assumed. But the more he explored, the more it seemed perfect as a little hidden kingdom. Their own secret paradise, concealed from enemy eyes. A home. He found no occupants but curiously he found some blueprints that included two rooms with no doors or windows. Their only access would be to teleport in and out. He checked those too and found nothing but some old splattered blood on the floor in one and a large glyph painted across the floor in the other. Both rooms were perfectly circular. Perhaps, after some time, he could re-purpose these rooms as prisons for trespassers or rule breakers? An idea to revisit later. For now, having explored every inch of the grounds, gardens, and rooms, John was content that they were completely alone. He rummaged through various drawers and cupboards until he found the supplies he would need for his spells. He then set about spending the next few hours carving small glyphs into the marble bricks around the grounds and rooms while chanting under his breath. The spells he was weaving were complex and required his full concentration but once he was done, not only would living mortals be unable to leave but not a single soul, Angel, Demon, or Devil be able to locate or even see this compound from the outside. Not unless Adam or John personally teleported them in, at least. --- "Maybe he's just hangry?" Larissa suggested "Is that how the young ones say it now? he's just woken up and he's a Blood God. He probably just needs a deer or two and he will be fine." "Ay! Larissa, you are so innocent sometimes, you know this?" Bianka chuckled and bent to kiss her forehead. "Please don't change." --- "So, the other is gone then?" Shezmu asked. Though he masked it well, this had interested him. Perhaps he could convince Warren to sign his contract after all? He gave no interest to Insanity's pain nor his grief. Simply here to fulfill his end of the bargain. "Warren will grieve this news but it is you that he held most dear in his heart," he said as he gestured to Insanity then hesitated at his current form. "Though he may be shocked by your... change. He asked me to find his family. To confirm you are all safe." he glanced at the Abaddon on the bed. "Unless he has changed as drastically as yourself, I am inclined to assume that this is not Sam? Where is the troublesome son?" --- "You'll be burned." The taxi driver commented quietly. Of course, he didn't mean a literal burn. He meant that a hit would be put out on the hitman for trying to leave his job. After all, he'd seen, heard, and done too much to simply be let loose. The driver backed away from him. "Fine. If you want to throw your life away? Be my guest. I'm getting out of here." he said before hurrying out of the building. He wasn't just running to get away from the hitman. He was running to the radio in his taxi, to report what the hitman had told him to their bosses. The hitman said he was paying him to leave, but he didn't mention anything about keeping his mouth shut. --- "Easy, I used to be human, you know." Tom chuckled. "Stay away from the freaky green-eyed kid from another dimension, got it," he added with a nod. "That's awful though. I wonder why they came here?" He poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip. "Mmm, it's good... it's not your blood though," he smirked.

Aaaand that's all the blogs & character images added too 🙂 I think we're completely up to date now

Disturbing news of ADIEU's existence had spread throughout Heaven's ranks of Arch Angels. Although he couldn't be certain, Raguel even suspected that the imprisonment of one of their own as punishment for Blasphemy could very well have been the catalyst for the growth of this insidious organisation. So severely had they underestimated the mortals' abilities to combine science with malice, that they had entrusted an Angellic prisoner to them. Expecting that they would do nothing more than make the Angel's life a bit difficult for a few centuries. Not this. If that weren't bad enough, it would seem that some of these mortals had also managed to get their hands on Demonic spell books. Normally this wouldn't be alarming but a millenia of Angels and Demons courting humans had made more than enough mixed breeds to allow humans, even with the most diluted bloodlines, the ability to cast such spells. As such, every laboratory, outpost and meeting place that this organisation used was masterfully concealed. Making it almost impossible for even the most skilled Arch Angel to locate or track the organisation's activities. Raguel had a crisis on his hands and every day he was inundated with questions that he couldn't answer. Particularly from Heaven's news distributor, always wanting to know if this should be something the souls residing in paradise should be aware of. "After all" one of the reporters had reasoned. "The souls here may still have families or descendants on Earth and they deserve to know whether something like this will affect them." The reporter had also pointed out that if mortals had access to after-life spells, technology and the like then what's to stop them from inevitably invading Heaven one day? Raguel had already considered this which was why he had his Arch Angels working around the clock to track down this ADIEU organisation. Of course, he couldn't give these reporters any information yet. Doing so could cause unneeded panic among souls who shouldn't need to worry about such things. So Raguel did what he thought was best. He pretended to laugh the questions off and told this reporter that such rumours were simply preposterous. Not even Lucifer himself has ever managed to breach Heaven's gates, much less a mortal. He shooed the reporter before returning his attention to the task at hand. The Devil Duo had been having more luck than his Angels at finding and destroying the various organisation locations. Raguel needed to know how they were getting their information, especially as he needed to find the specific location of the prisoner Angel before they did. But there was a new problem. His chosen informant hadn't reported back yet and he was overdue. Stepping around his desk, Raguel took a breath before summoning a group of four Arch Angels. He looked at each of them with a serious expression before his eyes rested on the leader of the little group. A tall, lean male with very short, black hair. "Any word?" "No, sir. He's been late before but not for this long. We've tried to contact him but he's not responding either." "What of the girl?" "She doesn't seem any the wiser. Before we lost track of him he'd made plans to meet her for a secret date at a restaurant." "Has her brother shown any signs of catching on?" "No, sir." Raguel nodded. Although he wasn't pleased that something nefarious may have happened to Tuzo, he knew he now only had a small window in which to act and ending the war took a much higher priority than ensuring the safety of one Angel. "Use the date to enact Plan B," he ordered. The angels bowed their heads in unison and the leader of the group could barely contain a sinister smirk before they all vanished. --- September 14th 2001. Damien had been so relentless in his pursuit of finding Lucifer that Amelia feared she might miss the date she had arranged with Tuzo. Together with her new friend Sebastian, Amelia had managed to convince Damien to finally take a night off from hunting down ADIEU locations and just in time for her date! Of course, she hadn't told him where she was going or that she was even dating anyone. If he ever found out, Amelia dread to think how furious he'd be. She was certain that he'd destroy them both. Either that or destroy Tuzo and punish Amelia severely afterwards. But she didn't care. In fact, she sort of got a thrill from all the sneaking around. She had bought her outfit and squirrelled it away, out of sight until tonight. Excitedly, she'd put the knee-length red dress on with some heels and made her way to the restaurant Tuzo had picked out. She sat at a table and waited... and waited... He was ten minutes later. She glanced at the clock then her eyes darted towards the door as it opened. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought for a moment that it was him, only for her heart to drop as she watched a stranger walk in instead. She ordered a glass of wine to sip while she waited. Maybe something came up and he got delayed? She looked at her phone. No messages but then there wouldn't be. They didn't exchange numbers in case they'd get found out. She was checking the time again. 30 minutes... 40 minutes... she drummed her nails against the table impatiently. He didn't forget, did he? 50 minutes... a waiter walked over to her with a piece of paper. "Excuse me, miss? Is your name Amelia Magpie?" "Yes?" Amelia looked the waiter over suspiciously. But she also somehow knew that he was about to deliver some bad news. "A gentleman called and asked me to give you a message." "Did he say who he was?" "He just said that he's 'someone who cares' and then he ended the call." "What was the message?" The waiter gave her an apologetic look before timidly handing her the piece of paper. Amelia looked at the words and at first they didn't register so she read them again. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. 'It cannot continue. I'm so sorry.' That was it then? Just like that? Sure, she knew it would have to end eventually. They both did. It couldn't possibly work between them. Not with this fucking war. So they'd agreed that whatever they had would be nothing but fun. Nothing more. So why did this hurt so much? Why did it feel like someone was crushing her heart? Distraught and struggling to hide it, Amelia stood from the table and stormed out of the restaurant. She strode around to an alley to hide in the shadows. There she wiped away a few tears that had escaped as she tried to calm herself down. "Don't cry." A voice said and at first, Amelia felt humiliated as her Hellian upbringing had ingrained the idea into her that tears were a sign of weakness. It was the reason she'd hidden herself in shadow in the first place. But then it occurred to her how odd it was that this voice had come from the dark alley to her left, rather than the well-lit street to her right. Narrowing her eyes, she turned her head to try and get a look at the stranger. Her eyes widened fearfully at the sight of large white, feathery wings. Instinctively she'd been about to teleport away when the Angel gripped her arm roughly and started trying to pull her further into the alley. Keeping her balance in the heels she'd worn with the dress was difficult but she strained to ground herself. This wasn't the first time she'd been attacked by an Angel and she was fully prepared to defend herself... until three more appeared around her. One of them had grabbed her other arm, twisting it behind her back. She tried to grow crystalised spikes under their hands to repel them but the sound of clicking behind her told her that a handcuff had been placed onto one of her wrists. Within seconds, the short crystal spikes she'd managed to conjure slipped off her skin as sand. She began thrashing and kicking at them but this only prompted the remaining two Angels to grab each of her legs to further restrain her. She let out a frustrated cry as she continued to struggle. One thing is consistent among Angels, Demons and Devils. They are born (or created) with standard abilities that all of their kin share, as well as their own individual abilities. For instance, all Demons, Devils and Angels have the inherited ability to teleport. Some are better at it than others. Just like Telepathy. Some Devils are so strong with this ability that they can also pick up the emotions of others...whereas some, as is the case with both Amelia and Damien, can barely pick up a single thought from others most days. On this particular day however, knowing that she was overwhelmed and wouldn't stand a chance on her own against four Arch Angels, Amelia let out a terrified scream that was not only audibly loud but that Damien had managed to hear in his mind from another country entirely. "DAMIEN!!!!" Then all five of them were gone. Not a moment later, Damien appeared in the same alley. He looked around frantically. Marching up and down the alley. "Amelia? Amelia?!" He tried to teleport after her but couldn't sense her. His heart was beating hard. Memories of Jessica, the sister that he had failed, flashed through his mind. He couldn't fail Amelia, he just couldn't. "AMELIA?!" --- Amelia had been locked in a room in an unknown location for a week. There were no windows here. Only the metal door, the constant humming noise and a horrid smell always lingering in the air. She was handcuffed to a small bed. She needn't fear the Angel's doing anything sexual to her though. She learned very quickly that this particular group of Angels were quite racist and she didn't doubt that the idea of lying with a Devil would be 'dirty' to them. The Angelic cuff prevented her from using her powers or escaping while the bed was a small effort on their part to make her 'comfortable.' Over the course of a few days, the Angels would take turns visiting her. Caleb, the one with ginger curls, would spend an hour a day reading parts of the bible to her. Mainly the parts that emphasise God's love. He would also spend several minutes correcting the mortals' version of events that were written in the book by informing her of 'what really happened.' Once or twice, Amelia had taken this opportunity to get a quick nap in. This Angel loved the sound of his own voice so much that he barely noticed as he got wrapped up in the stories he was telling. Esther kept trying to 'bond' with Amelia by pretending to be her friend. She'd 'sneak in' a slice of cake or small bars of chocolate while commenting 'Don't tell the boys. Us girls have to stick together.' Amelia strongly doubted that the other Angels were unaware of these 'treats'. Then she would go into a long speil about how Amelia can really trust them. That they just wanted to be a family and end the war but Damien was evil because he just wanted to keep the fight going, and kill people and yada yada yada... Amelia stopped listening after the first attempt but this woman was persistent. At least the chocolate was something to look forward to. Amelia feared a visit from Elijah the most. He was the Angel with short, black hair. Unlike the other three, he never made any attempt to try to win her over. He made it clear, right from the start, that he was only interested in information. Specifically, how she and Damien were figuring out where to find the ADIEU sites, how certain were they that Lucifer was held captive by them, what were Damien's war plans, etc. Each time he'd start by sitting across the room from her and asking his questions coldly. She'd stare back at him defiantly and not say a word. He'd repeat himself irritably. Then he'd get up and yell it in her face. Then he'd briefly leave the room and that's when Amelia knew she was in for it. Elijah had a particularly nasty tool that he liked to 'punish' her with. It was a short, leather rod with Angelic feathers sewn around it. He'd come back into the room and shove her so that she'd be face down on the bed and proceed to whip her back. With each crack, he'd ask his questions again. If she didn't answer or swore at him in response, he'd whip her again. This would continue until she'd eventually pass out. After being left for a few hours to recover, the last Angel known as Anna would slowly enter the room so as not to startle her. She'd sit on the bed next to her and stroke her hair in an effort to comfort her. Then she'd tell Amelia, in a fake caring tone, that she'd brought the pain upon herself by not cooperating with Elijah. All this pain could still end if she'd just told them what they needed to know. That, if she thought about it, Elijah was doing her a favour by punishing her for her sins now so that she could start anew with them. She even promised that Amelia would be welcomed into Heaven as one of them if she just vowed to devote herself to God and denounce Damien's rule of Hell. But Amelia wasn't nearly as naive as the Angels had first assumed. She knew immediately what they were doing and that she would likely be destroyed as soon as they got all the information that they could possibly get from her. Either that or they hoped to completely mentally break her in order to brainwash her. She'd hoped that Damien would find her quickly but after a few days, the realisation that she might be alone in this began to dawn on her. As the days progressed she also found herself speculating Tuzo's involvement in this. Had the Arch Angels discovered their affair and he sold her out to save himself? Is that how they'd ambushed her while she was alone? Or had he been playing her the whole time? Either way, it would explain how the Arch Angels knew so much about her and Damien's activities. As if being stood up and dumped at a fancy restaurant hadn't been bad enough... --- "Where do you get your information on ADIEU's whereabouts?" Elijah asked again, barely containing his anger as he sat across from Amelia. She stared back at him, defiant as always. By now her back was a mess of red, blistered sores. If her dress hadn't already been red, it would have dyed red from her blood by now. This time, Elijah had brought his rod into the room with him in anticipation of her defiance. Amelia was certain now that he enjoyed striking her. He gripped the rod with both hands and tensed so that the whip creaked in his grasp. Amelia shivered but maintained her stare. "I will ask just one more time. Where. do you get. your information. on ADIEU's whereabouts?" he asked again through gritted teeth. The whip creaked a little more as his grip tightened. Amelia shook but then she took a breath and opened her mouth. Elijah leaned forward eagerly, expecting her to finally break. "Up your ass. On the second shelf," she answered with a snide smile. Then she laughed despite her fearful tears blinding her vision as she saw Elijah's face turn crimson with rage. But, for a moment, she didn't care. All she could think of was how proud Damien would be when she got out of there and told him what she'd said. Crack! Amelia's face snapped to one side as pain exploded across the side of her face. She spat a spray of blood at the wall as she fell off the bed, dizzy. The only thing keeping her off the floor was the handcuff. Crack! Pain across her shoulder. Crack! Now across her already sensitive back. Crack! Crack! Crack! There were no questions in between this time. No steady rhythm. Just violence and pain. "Elijah stop!" Caleb's voice came from the door. The other Angels had to wrestle Elijah away from her. "That's enough!" "No! I've had enough! She's just like the rest of the Hellions! Stubborn and foul! She'll never change! She'll never talk! and if we allow it she'll just become another Lucifer!" Elijah raged. "Well, I say the best way to end this war is to just eradicate them now while they're weak!" "We need her, Eli!" she heard Anna implore. "She might be the key to finding him then we can really put an end to it all!" "You're right..." Elijah huffed reluctantly after a moment. "Y-you're right. In my anger, I lost sight of why we were doing this... What's that?" Footsteps as Elijah approaches her. Amelia felt a tugging around her neck- her Angelic Crystal- and she weakly tried to push his hand away. "Where the hell did you get this?!" Elijah asked angrily as he broke the thin chain of her necklace and stood up. "Did you steal it, you little thief?!" "N-no!" Amelia gasped breathlessly as she tried to look up at him desperately. "Please-!" she reached up for it but he turned away while giving her a disgusted look. He then lifted the crystal for the others to see. "A trophy she kept from killing one of our own, I suspect!" "No! That's not-!" "Oh, don't bother with your lies!" Elijah sneered as he turned to look at her again. "You Hellions are all the same." he handed the crystal to Esther. "But if I can't kill you and you won't turn on your brother willingly, then I suppose we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. I'm going to make every waking moment of your life agony. In the end, you'll be so desperate to be destroyed that you'll tell us everything we wish the know. But before I do destroy you, I'm going to make you watch as your betrayal causes the destruction of your brother." --- September 21st 2001. After Elijah's threat, Amelia had been locked in her cell with no company, no food or water for almost a full day. Finally, just as Amelia was beginning to wonder if she'd be left like this for days on end, the door opened. All four Angels stepped into the room. One had a key in their hand. Amelia recognised this tiny key to be for her handcuffs. They were going to attempt to move her. This could be her only chance of escape. "Don't try anything," Elijah warned her. He had his whip with him again. "Where are you taking me?" Amelia asked but none of them answered. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. It couldn't be anywhere good for her. Caleb and Anna took each of her arms and held her tightly while Esther started unlocking the handcuff that was locked around the bed frame. The second it was loose, Amelia headbutted Anna then knee Caleb between the legs. They both went down. Then she whirled around to face Esther who only had time to widen her eyes at her in surprise before Amelia rammed her body into hers, smacking her against the wall behind her. She heard the pin-drop sound of the key hitting the floor but before she could look down to find it, she felt the rod strike her shoulder again. She fell to her hands and knees. By some crazy luck, she felt something small and metallic under one of her hands. She looked at the others. They were scrambling to find the key before she could. She then looked up at Elijah, he'd lifted his rod again threateningly. "Find that damn key!" he barked at the others. "And you! Get up! Or do you want me to beat you bloody again?!" "You can still stop," Amelia told him shakily. "Just let me go. Please. Don't make me hurt you." Elijah laughed. "Is that a joke? You're not in any position to be making any threats! Now GET UP!" "You know..." Amelia stood slowly. As she did, she drew both her hands into fists. Subtly picking up the key as she moved. "For people who hate Devils, I have to say... You're really no better than the monsters you make us out to be." "You bitch-!" Elijah lifted the rod again and Amelia braced herself. Just as the rod struck the side of her face again, the handcuffs clattered to the ground. While he'd been distracted by her, she'd taken the opportunity to free herself. As soon as the Angels realised what had happened, it was much too late for them. Without her crystal to keep the Devil's Rage at bay, Elijah's strike had awoken the sleeping fury. As she turned her head to look at him, her eyes had turned jet black while her irises shone crimson. Amelia was by no means used to the Devil's Rage taking over her, but something about this felt different this time. She felt hot. Unbearably hot. And, although she no longer had control over herself, she was still conscious and present. Like being stuck in sleep paralysis but the paralysis demon is using your body to enact revenge. Within seconds, her eyes changed from red and black to pure gold. Her hair lit up as if it were irradiated. Her dress caught fire and melted off of her. Sensing the impending danger, the Angels had attempted to flee but with a flick of her wrist, Amelia had slammed the door closed. Trapping them all in the room with her. Her expression was emotionless but inside she was screaming as she was forced to watch the four Angels desperately clawing at the metal door. As much as Amelia tried to reverse what was happening she couldn't. It was too late. She was at the point of no return. No longer in control. Tears evaporated from her heat just as quickly as they welled in her eyes, making little whisps of steam in the corners of her eyes. The Angels' screams were deafening then there was a blinding, white flash. The heat was so intense that Amelia was sure she would even end up destroying herself in the process. All she could hear was the roaring of flames all around her. She couldn't even hear the screams anymore through the noise. She couldn't see anything. Just white upon white upon white. Then black and silence. --- "Amelia! Amelia!" The shouts sounded far away at first. Then very close. "Amelia! Holy fuc- what the fuck? How the fuck-? Amelia?!" "Dam-Damie-?" Amelia tried. "It's ok! It's ok, I've got you. I'm here. But we need to get out of here... I don't know what happened but there are Angels coming and they are PISSED. Fuck, that's hot! Shit! Ow! Ok... hold on..." She felt Damien lifting her into his arms and heard what sounded like him jogging over gravel. "Fuck! fuck! fuck! hot! hot! hot!" he hissed under his breath the entire way until she finally felt the relief of a cool breeze gliding over her skin. She sobbed openly. Unable to contain it. She still couldn't see. A temporary side effect of whatever the fuck just happened to her. "Damien!" "Shhh, it's ok. Let's get out of here first and then you can tell me what happened, ok?" "How-? how did you find me? Where were you?!" "I've been looking for you for a week, sis. I had all my best spies on the case. As for how I found you..." Damien sighed. He turned to look at the enormous crater where there once stood a large chemical factory. Now just a smoking, smouldering pile of tiny pebbles "After what you just did... you were kind of hard to miss..." "What did I do? What happened?" "I uh... I'll tell you about it later. C'mon, let's go home..."

Raguel had been monitoring the two new Devils closely since Lucifer's disappearance. Particularly Damien as he seemed to be going well out of his way to live up to Lucifer's expectations even without his teacher around. The girl was an unexpected anomaly but so far hadn't given him much cause for concern. Still, given her upbringing, he knew it would be best to keep a close eye on her in case she turned into yet another Lucifer. One was bad enough. Raguel wasn't stupid either. He knew this might be their best opportunity to put an end to the war once and for all. The fact that Lucifer had disappeared so suddenly gave him hope. If he hadn't been destroyed already then this could only mean that he was weakened and in hiding somewhere. Perhaps these fledgling Devils could be the key to his destruction? According to his spies, Damien had received at least some training from Lucifer himself prior to his disappearance, so he knew that trying to trick him in any way posed a high risk. Whereas the newest Devil had never met Lucifer, was practically brand new to her powers and was beginning to learn about the world from Damien. Perhaps she was still new enough to be manipulated? He had heard of an Angel on Earth who was adept at hypnosis and spent most of his time encouraging mortals to procreate either with himself or others. He had ordered this Angel to seduce the female Devil with the intention of gathering any information she learned from her 'brother'. This had been several weeks ago. Raguel now stood, in plain mortal clothing, outside a cafe. He hated hiding his wings but the only way this Angel would report to him was if he met with him on Earth. He glanced over in time to see said Angel round the corner and approach the cafe casually as if he were on his usual stroll. "Lovely weather." Raguel greeted him. "let's hope it doesn't rain," Tuzo responded in a tired tone as he pushed open the door to the cafe. Chuckling, Raguel followed him inside and sat with him at one of the little tables. Being approximately seven feet tall and very muscular, he made the cafe table seem like a toy from a doll's house in comparison. Tuzo sat opposite and stared across the room with a bored expression. "Any new information from your 'secret lover'?" Raguel asked in a hushed voice. "Well she just learned the reverse cowgirl but I'm thinking I might change into my female form, get her some mango-flavoured lube and- Oh you mean about Lucifer?" Tuzo responded cockily. A flicker of irritation crossed Raguel's expression but he maintained his composure. "Yes." "They still don't know." Raguel's shoulders dropped slightly out of disappointment. "But, have you heard of a mortal organisation called ADIEU?" Tuzo asked, his expression suddenly becoming much more serious. "Why should I care about some mortal affairs?" Raguel sat back and waved dismissively. "Because these mortals could become very dangerous. For Hell and for Heaven. Dangerous enough that my 'lovely new lady love' practically trembled when telling me what Damien had told her... whether that was from fear, anger or both, I couldn't say." "And what makes these mortals so dangerous?" "Look around you," Tuzo said while glancing at the various appliances in the room. "Look how far mortals have come technologically and in such a short space of time. Now imagine a mortal with that kind of ingenuity not just searching for proof of life after death, but hunting it. Capturing it. Experimenting on it without the slightest hint of empathy or morality." "Impossible." Raguel laughed but Tuzo's expression remained serious. "Damien doesn't seem to think so. What's more, he's convinced that Lucifer might actually be a prisoner of one of these secret facilities." Raguel paused mid-chuckle then his facial features dropped into a dark, determined stare. "Tell me everything."

To calm down, Amelia decided to wander around the city on Earth for a while. Even though it was incredibly dangerous for her if she was caught on her own by a group of Arch Angels, she was utterly fascinated by the way Earth worked. The exchange of currency for products. The vehicles and electronic devices that would never work in the depths of Hell. The wild variety of personalities around her. Sweet and exotic smells. If not for the constant danger of simply being here, Amelia felt she could easily lose herself in the experience of it all. Though nothing would ever compare to the first time she'd arrived on Earth. Now THAT was an exciting day! But that is a story for another time. Trying her best to put her argument with her brother to the back of her mind, she wandered into various shops to browse the countless, mostly useless trinkets. She found herself wandering into a cafe at one point. The strong smell of coffee had caused her to wrinkle her nose at first but she quickly got used to it. Her curiosity drew her to the counter where she purchased her first latte. It wasn't bad. After adding a little sugar, she enjoyed it more. However, she was unsure if the coffee was responsible for her sudden burst of new energy or whether that was simply the excitement of sampling a human beverage. Either way, she felt she needed to use it up somehow so she began to wander the city once more. By then the sun had gone down and the city had a new lease of life. Girls wore smaller clothing and higher shoes. Men wore more fashionable clothes. Flashing lights and loud music everywhere she turned. Until she found a large sign lit up above a pair of doors. One door was painted black and the other was painted white. 'Equilibrium' the sign read. Staring at the sign, Amelia was reminded of what the Angel had whispered into her ear. The way he'd made her feel. Would he be here now? What did he want to show her? What if it was a trap? These questions ran through her mind but she found herself pushing the doors open and stepping into the dark corridor as if being pulled in either by an invisible force or her own curiosity. The carpet was black, yet soft under her shoes. The walls all around her as well as the ceiling were also painted black but they were bejewelled with millions of tiny fake diamonds that reflected the dim light of a few ceiling-high lamps that were attached to the walls and evenly spaced apart. It was like Amelia was walking through a night sky as she wandered further into the building until she reached another set of double doors that resembled the first set she'd walked through. These doors led to a staircase. Although the floors here were covered in black linoleum instead of carpet, the walls and ceiling were exactly the same as in the previous room. Here she could hear the low rumbling of music from downstairs. The faint smell of alcohol hit her nose. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Is this one of those 'night clubs' that Damien sometimes mentioned? Will Tuzo be here? Gingerly running her hand over the handrail, she descended the steps. Reaching yet another set of painted doors, Amelia notes that these doors were not only thicker, which muffled the music behind them a great deal, but they were also guarded by a large man in a black suit. He looked over Amelia briefly and without a word he lifted his arm to push one of the doors open for her. The volume of the music suddenly popped and she felt each beat pulse through her as if trying to beat along to the rhythm of her heart. She nodded to the bouncer in thanks before stepping into the club. She stood for a moment to take it all in. Through the dry-ice fog and flashes of light, Amelia could make out the silhouettes of dozens of people. This place was absolutely crowded. Most people were dancing in the centre of the room. A few crowded the bar and rest areas. She wandered over to the bar but it was difficult to even get close. The moment a spot opened up, someone else dove in to shout their order at the bar staff over the music. She watched for a moment to see how the others moved. Finally, a spot opened up nearest to her and she dove in. The barman nodded to her and she felt a rush of victory that she'd managed to get this far. She tried to shout her order. "Demon's brew?!" It was the only strong beverage she knew. The barman wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly over the noise so he placed a hand around his ear and used his other hand to gesture for her to try again. "DEMON'S BREW!" she shouted and still the barman looked confused. Deciding to go with what he assumed she'd meant, he poured some popular ale into a plastic cup for her;- Doom Bar. The colour was exactly the same as what she was used to so Amelia couldn't tell the difference. She smiled and took out her purse which made the bartender also smile as he assumed he'd guessed correctly. He shouted the price over the noise and Amelia paid a little more than she needed to. The bartender had assumed this was a generous tip so hadn't corrected her. Happily, she took her drink to a less crowded area in the club and took a sip. She stared at the beverage, mildly confused then took another sip. 'Boy, the Devil's Brew here is really weak...' she thought to herself as she looked around. A few more trips to the bar though and not only had she gotten used to the weakened taste, she found herself relaxing more. Eventually, she made her way to the centre of the dancefloor and let the music take over her movements. Then she saw him. The dark curls and deep, hypnotising eyes. She stopped dancing as she caught his eye and he turned to smile at her from across the room. His mouth moved and although she couldn't hear him, she could make out the words his mouth had formed. "You came!" He seemed genuinely happy to see her. Blushing and suddenly feeling shy, she nodded while unable to contain her smile. This time when he approached her, she didn't feel so anxious. But maybe that was the drink? As he got closer though, he hesitated and looked around warily before looking back at her. "You're brother?" he mouthed. "Not here." she mouthed back while she shrugged and grinned at him. He grinned too and continued to walk closer to her. Once close enough, he leaned in so that she could hear him. She felt that same rush of excitement that she'd felt back at the bar when he'd whispered into her ear. "I'm glad you came. I was worried about you. You looked upset earlier." She was touched that he cared. "I'm fine," she said but her lip quivered as she'd said it. Ordinarily, she'd be able to bury her emotions but the alcohol in her system made this very difficult. Seeing her upset, Tuzo gently took her hand. "Let's go somewhere quieter?" he asked and she nodded, letting him guide her to a back area that was decorated the same way the first hallway had been. It was a shorter hallway and another set of doors in the room led out to a smoking area. Amelia leaned against the wall tiredly and vaguely felt the small, plastic jewels dig into her back. The room span a little but all she could focus on was Tuzo and how beautiful he was. "You sure you're ok?" he asked her with a concerned look. "Yeah..." She nodded and glanced away from him while trying to keep herself composed. "I don't want to think about it. I just want to enjoy this." she smiled as she gestured to the doors that led back to the club. "I've never done anything like this before!" she told him excitedly. "Really?" Tuzo asked, surprised. "Well, I grew up in Hell and never really got to explore when I first came to Earth..." she admitted. The truth flowed out of her with little to no filter. It barely occurred to her that she was talking to an Angel who, for all she knew, could be trying to get information from her. "That sounds lonely," he observed and for once, Amelia felt seen. She looked back at him with a small frown and nodded. "It is lonely." she then stirred from her thoughts and gave him an inquisitive look. "What did you mean back at the bar, anyway?" "Oh." he chuckled and Amelia could swear his cheeks turned pink. He stared at her for a moment as if trying to make a decision. He then licked his lip and leaned in to whisper to her. That shiver again. "Did you want me to show you?" She turned her head, her own cheeks turning red. "Show me what?" He pulled his head away ever so slightly and stared into her eyes purposefully. A strange feeling washed over Amelia and the room spun a little more than it had been already. But she didn't care. Her focus was on his eyes. His closeness. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek, his thumb glided over her lips. She shivered, practically melting at his touch. He leaned in and instinctively she tilted her head slightly to catch his lips as he pressed them against hers. They tasted sweet and felt soft as he recaptured the kiss again and again. Each time he kissed her she felt that tingling sensation and it motivated her to keep going. She felt his fingers running through her hair then his lips moved from hers to leave smaller kisses across her cheek. She sighed softly and tilted her head back a little as his kisses found their way to her neck. She bit her lip, unable to help the small moan that escaped her. She heard Tuzo chuckle as he pulled away to smile at her. "Now your brother's really going to kill me." he joked. "He'd have to get through me first." Amelia grinned breathlessly. "Well, if we're both already in trouble..." He took her hand and gently tugged it to bring her into his arms. "Then why stop here?" Together they vanished, marking the beginning of their secret affair.

Before Sebastian had been found at the ADIEU facility, back when Damien and Amelia's sibling bond was just beginning, and Atma had tried once again to open a bar as a neutral meeting place, the pair entered the building with a cocky yet cautious air about them. "Are you sure this is safe?" Amelia asked as they stood in the doorway and looked around for an empty table. On one side of the building, the Angelic aura was so strong that they could practically smell it. But despite a few glares their way, none of the Angels made any attempt to confront them. On the other side of the building, the Demonic aura was just as strong as its opposing counterpart. This side was far more welcoming as a few Demons raised their glasses and cheered the arrival of their missing King's protégé. "Relax, sis. This isn't the first neutral bar to exist and Atma is seriously good at keeping the peace. She might be a Spirit of Life and incapable of killing anything but she sure knows how to make your life hell for crossing her. Besides, there are always a few dozen loyal Demons around to watch our backs." Damien explained as they walked towards the bar. Despite still being on his guard, Damien seemed to be considerably more at ease than Amelia was. But then again, Amelia was still new to Earth, being a Devil, being hunted by Angels and the war. So she was far more tense as a result. "Just don't get too drunk, keep your wits about you and don't stray too far to the Angel's side of the bar." "Got it." Amelia nodded as she placed her arms on the bar and smiled at the bartender. "Demon's Brew?" the bartender asked in a bored tone. "You go ahead. Relax here and mingle with a few Demons." Damien surprised Amelia. "You're not staying?" "I've got a lead on something... I can't say right now but I'll tell you about it when I know more. I just gotta meet someone upstairs to get some details. I shouldn't be long." he explained and patted her on the shoulder. "Um-!" Amelia's eyes darted over to the Angels nervously. Seeing this, Damien leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Don't forget what I told you. If they see your fear they'll use it against you. You'll be fine and I'm not far." She turned to say something but found that Damien had already left. She sat on one of the bar stools in a huff. The bartender placed the glass of Demon's brew in front of her. Still getting used to the idea of money and having to pay for services, Amelia pulled out her purse with an uncertain look. "How much is it?" "Free. Compliments of that guy." The bartender told her while nodding to the Angel's side of the bar. Following his nod, Amelia's eyes landed on a dark-haired Angel who raised his own glass at her with a charming smile. Unlike his fellow Angels, he seemed friendlier. Amelia genuinely couldn't tell if he was being sincere or if he was trying to mess with her. Either way, he paid for her drink and she knew there was no risk of it being poisoned as the drink had been made by the neutral bartender. So, to be polite, she took the glass and smiled with a nod of thanks to the Angel, hoping that would be that. She then tensed and felt her heart freeze when the Angel stood from his stool and started walking over to her. She hadn't meant to invite him over! The Angel's eyes glanced behind her as he walked and then he stopped and seemed to hesitate moving any closer. Amelia turned her head and saw a couple of Demons had risen from their tables to glare at the Angel. A warning not to try anything funny. The Demons glanced at Amelia questioningly and she knew immediately that they were looking to see if she was ok with his approach. She thought about it for a moment. It's risky but if what Damien said was true then there wasn't anything the Angel could do here that wouldn't result in earning Atma's ire, Not to mention, the Demons that already looked prepared to defend her despite Atma's rules. For the first time since their arrival, Amelia actually felt she was safe when visiting Earth. She nodded to the Demons to assure them. She was curious to see what the Angel wanted. After all, she could always tell him to piss off if he got on her nerves. She turned back to watch the Angel who looked back at her with a relieved and thankful smile. He began to cautiously move closer again. He sat on a stool next to her while maintaining a short, respectable distance. "Thank you for the drink." Amelia greeted him. "Thank you for allowing my company," he responded. "Aren't you worried what your friends will think?" she nodded to the Angels behind him who were watching with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. The Angel didn't bother looking behind himself as he simply shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. It's not every day that I get to sit next to or even talk to a Devil. They can judge all they like, but really..." he leaned forward a bit and whispered with a cheeky smirk. "They're just jealous. Most of them are Arch Angels that would get royally bollocked by their superior for so much as saying 'Hello' to a Demon." "You're not an Arch Angel, then?" "Oh no, that life isn't for me." the Angel grinned as he sat upright in his seat again. "I'm practically a civilian in comparison." he hesitated before extending a hand to her to shake. "My name is Tuzokath Amor but you can just call me Tuzo." Amelia hesitated before taking his hand and shaking it a bit. "I'm Amelia Magpie." "Lovely to meet you, Amelia," Tuzo said and Amelia felt his thumb gently caress the back of her hand before he let her hand go. She blushed, unsure of how to react. She instinctively pulled her hand away. "So, um..." she stammered while tucking some loose hair strands behind her ears. His approach, cool manner, and unexpected contact had caught her off guard and she found herself feeling something new. She wasn't entirely sure what it was yet but she knew that she was fascinated by the Angel sitting near her. "What kind of Angel are you then? If you don't mind me asking." "That's an interesting question." Tuzo chuckled. "You're still new to all of this, aren't you?" "To Angels, at least," Amelia admitted. "So far the only Angels I've met since becoming what I am have tried to kill me on sight." "I'm sorry to hear that... to answer your question though, not all Angels have titles. Some, like I say, are merely civilians. The only time they get called for any work is if it's something small but impactful. Like helping someone with a drug addiction to get clean. Those kinds of Angels aren't trained to fight and would usually just avoid Demons or Devils as best they can." "Oh, I didn't know. So, is that what you are? A Civilian Angel?" "Almost." Tuzo winked with a smirk and Amelia couldn't help but blush again. "I specialise in primal passions." "What does that mean?" she asked naively. Although Amelia was in her early twenties by this point, she hadn't had the time or the opportunity to find romance. That and being sheltered for most of her life meant that she was still quite innocent. "May I whisper it to you?" Tuzo asked quietly. Intrigued, Amelia nodded and sat perfectly still as Tuzo slid from his stool and slowly approached her. The way he looked at her, the warmth radiating from him as he drew closer, the way his fingers felt as they gently moved her hair away from her ear and his hot breath on her cheek made her feel a sort of excitement that she'd never felt before. When he whispered into her ear she felt a shiver run through her as well as a tingling sensation run down her spine. "Come to the Equilibrium sometime and I'll be happy to show-" "The fuck are you doing?!" Damien's bark as he pushed Tuzo away from Amelia had made her jump. Tuzo had stumbled back. He immediately held his hands up and backed away a bit. Amelia looked at her brother and was alarmed at how furious he appeared to be. He looked ready to tear Tuzo apart. "Damien wait, he wasn't doing anything!" she pleaded while jumping from her stool. "We were just talking-" Tuzo tried. "That didn't look like talking to me!" Damien raged as he grabbed Amelia's arm and pulled her behind him. "You stay the fuck away from her! You hear me? You look at her again and I'll burn you to a damn crisp!" By this point, all the Angels on the other side of the bar had gotten up from their seats and looked ready to defend Tuzo. Meanwhile, the demons on their side had also gotten to their feet and also seemed ready to fight. "Damien, stop! It was nothing! He was just being nice!" "Their kind aren't nice without an ulterior motive!" "Pfft! This coming from a Devil!" One of the Angels snapped back. "You wana say that again? You feathery fuck!" One of the Demons shouted. "ENOUGH." a woman's voice boomed and immediately, everyone in the room had the look of a sheepish child who had just been caught doing something they shouldn't. Atma, with her golden locks loose and covering her eyepatch, stepped into the room with a very stern look. "Unless you all want a multi-lifetime ban from my establishment, I strongly suggest you all behave like civilised adults!" The room was still for a moment before both Demons and Angels began slowly returning to their tables but not without exchanging a few nasty stares. Atma turned to Damien who hadn't moved and was still glaring at Tuzo. "You should know better." she scolded him. "Lucifer wouldn't have behaved so irrationally." "What would you know about him?!" Damien snapped, sounding almost hurt by the statement. "I knew him better than most think," Atma said simply then walked away, making it clear that she had no intentions of elaborating further. Damien glared at her then back at Tuzo. His shoulders dropped in defeat but his gaze remained menacing. "I meant what I said. Stay away from my sister," he warned before marching towards the door. He hadn't let go of Amelia's arm so naturally he pulled her along with him, whether she wanted to go or not. She gave one last apologetic look to Tuzo before being pulled through the doors. Once outside, she yanked her arm free and rounded on Damien. "You didn't have to do that!" "How could you be so stupid?" Damien hissed at her while turning to stare her down. "After everything I taught you. After all the times we've been hunted and attacked by his kind and you let him get that close to you? What were you thinking?!" "Oh, come off it!" Amelia rolled her eyes. "They can't all be in support of the war! If they knew- if we just tried my idea-" "Here we go again!" Damien threw his arms up dramatically while shaking his head. "But it could work! I know it can!" "It's just a dream, Amelia! They hate us! They will always hate us! We will always be hunted by them!-" "Not if it ended the war-!" "Oh for fucks sake will you grow up?!" Damien shouted. "It will never happen! It's a childish dream and it's about time you let it go or it'll be the death of both of us!" he shook his head. "Pfft! I've been coddling you. All the more reason to find Lucifer. He'll set you straight." he turned and started to walk away. "C'mon, I have a lead-" "No." Amelia's voice broke a little but she stood firm. Surprised, Damien turned to look at her. Her cheeks were red and she was shaking with rage as she held back tears. He saw faces in the windows of the bar behind her and knew their fight had drawn some attention from the patrons inside, both Angel and Demon alike. "Amelia-" "Just leave me alone," she growled and vanished. Damien sighed heavily. He knew she just needed some time to calm down after their fight. He decided he'd wait for her inevitable return before he'd talk to her about it. Maybe she'll see how silly she was after having some time to think about it.

Thick, long black hair was untangled easily by the paddle brush carefully running through it. Glasses still missing, Jessica stared at her reflection in the mirror on the vanity table. She thought how odd she appeared to herself. After all, she was so used to wearing them constantly. As she brushed her hair back, behind her shoulders, the small, light brown bruise on her neck became visible. For a moment, she merely stared at it in her reflection. The puncture wounds had almost healed completely and were so blended in with the bruise that they were no longer visible. More than anything, the bruise looked more like a hickey. Jessica chuckled at the thought. What would her mother think if she'd seen it? Jessica, her innocent and pure daughter with a hickey! Gently, Jessica places her finger tips on the bruise and winces a little. It was still sensitive. At least she didn't feel light headed anymore. There was a knock on the heavy wooden door behind her, shortly followed by the voice of the vampire that had bitten her. "Jessica, may I enter?" "Yes." She answers simply, calling through the door which opens immediately after. The dark eyed, dark haired vampire entered swiftly yet elegantly, closing the door behind him then turning to look at Jessica with his hands behind his back. A forbidden excitement passed through Jessica for no more than a moment. When this vampire had been connected to her, she too had been connected to him in a way. Through this connection, he had allowed her to learn his name while offering soothing words telepathically to keep her calm. As if the immense, seductive and euphoric sensations caused by the connection were not enough to take her breath away and render her completely helpless. "Render you helpless? You were already tied up if I recall." The vampire smirks, causing Jessica to blink in surprise before shaking her head and sighing, half laughing. "Must you intrude on my thoughts like that, Edgar? It's rude." "It's hardly intruding when you offer them so freely." Edgar laughs. His features then become serious. "They're waiting. Are you almost ready?" Jessica takes a deep breath, letting it out heavily before turning to look at herself again in the mirror. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be...What happens...when they all know I'm telling the truth?" "That's for the elder to decide." Replied Edgar as he wanders towards the four poster bed. His fingers tracing the detailed carvings in the bed post. "One thing is certain. You will be safe. You have become so important to us and that is a fact that I am certain has not quite sunk in for you yet, am I right?" He turns his head to look in Jessica's direction. She was still staring at herself in the mirror. "I feel your tension. You must relax. You have nothing to fear." He says as he walks boldly towards her and kneels by her side, looking up at her as she turns to look down at him. "You wonderful being. None of us would be able to express our gratitude enough." His words were warm, as was his smile. "It's not that I'm not flattered...but what exactly have I done? What happens when they all learn what I know? I feel like I'm blind folded, being led to some unknown future. It's frightening." Edgar's smile slips, but his gaze is soft and understanding. He lifts a hand to cup her cheek gently. "All will become clear very soon. Come, let's not keep them waiting." --- The Grande Hall as Edgar called it, was located in the building's cellar. Although Jessica had no idea where in the UK she was, after all she did have a bag over her head during the journey, she did know however that she was currently staying in a castle so large that it could house the inhabitants of a whole village. Or at least, that's what Jessica thought. Nothing but moors for miles surrounded this luxurious castle. But getting back to the cellar, Jessica and Edgar had to climb a couple of flights of stairs before reaching a very large, metal door which was opened at the sight of them by two guards with astonishing ease. Once inside, Jessica saw that there were no windows (obviously), and that the large, circular room was lit by several candelabras standing on tall, black metal frames around the room. It was almost as if she'd stepped back in time. Were they even aware that they could use electric lighting? Jessica heard Edgar chortle beside her and glanced at him curiously to see him looking at her while trying (and failing) to keep a straight face. She was about to ask what he was laughing at when she heard his voice in her mind. 'You're going to offend someone with such thoughts. Try to focus.' Jessica's cheeks reddened a little as she quickly then glanced around the room at the hooded figures standing by the walls. There were so many of them. All eyes on her. She noticed a couple of them smirking and her cheeks grew even redder. Leaning towards Edgar a little, she whispers to him. "Can they all read minds?" 'No, not all. But I'm sure a couple caught what you thought just now.' She hears his voice in her head. The centre of the room was clear, as all the other figures lined the walls. Only one figure stood in the centre of the room. His robe that of a deep crimson colour. He was the only one in the room (except Edgar) who had his hood down to reveal long white-blonde hair. His features that of a young man, barely in his twenties. His eyes such a bright shade of green that they could rival her brother's eyes. Her brother...Jessica wondered where he was now. What he was doing. If he was alright or if Lucifer had hurt him to spite her. Just as she thought this Edgar nudged her elbow sharply to bring her back to herself. She noticed a couple of the vampires around them were now squinting at Jessica suspiciously. The vampire in the centre meanwhile had extended an arm to her with a serious expression. Jessica gave Edgar one last uncertain look before walking to the centre to stand near the vampire. He looked over her briefly before addressing the room. "You all know why you have been summoned here today. This mortal has brought word that our God, Ravios has made contact with her. Edgar, step forward." Edgar steps into the center beside Jessica obediently. "Please provide us with your statement." Giving a short bow, Edgar looks around at the other hooded figures. He holds his hands behind his back as he begins pacing around while confidently telling the room of how they captured Jessica while she was stalking Vampires. Her words once they had gotten her into the interrogation room and the memory he'd uncovered while drinking from her. He concluded his statement by saying he was convinced she was genuine. Nodding, the the blonde vampire looks around the room. "Vampires. Elders of the largest, most respected covens. This is why I have summoned you here today. If this story is true, then our wait is over." "Why would Ravios choose a mortal? Why not a vampire?" One of the vampires pipes up. Murmurs spread through the room until the blonde vampire held up a hand to silence them. "It is unclear as God's actions always are. However, if the Blood God has chosen to send his trusted messenger to this mortal as Edgar claims, then perhaps he views her as equal to ourselves or worthy of our sacred blood." Turning to look now at a very nervous Jessica, the blonde vampire addresses her. "Jessica Sedley. As the oldest vampire, I must access your memory in the same way that Edgar has done. If you are telling the truth, you will be treated and viewed as royalty. The vampires here will confirm this story to vampires across the world. You will become close to that of a deity to our kind and the story of today will be passed on for generations. But if you are found to be lying, you will be tied to Edgar who will be tied to a stake to await the burning sun. You will both burn together as he would combust under it's rays. Do you understand?" "I understand." Jessica replies while terrified of the extremity of the punishment. "To blaspheme in such a way as this is deserving of such a punishment Jessica." The elder says, having clearly read her mind, while extending a hand for her to take. Jessica takes his hand and the elder pulls her arm towards him. At first, Jessica assumed he would drink from her neck but the elder doesn't pull her so close. Instead, he holds her arm gently while bringing her wrist to his mouth. She feels hands on her shoulders and glances up quickly to see Edgar watching her with a calm expression. Then, with a gasp, she feels the sting and the throbbing pain in her wrist as the elder begins to drink. Feeling the sensations taking hold again, her legs feel weak. Jessica leans back a little against Edgar, glad that he had a hold of her. Just as she felt she might faint, the elder stopped. Still holding her arm, he looked at the bite mark and the blood oozing from it for several moments before licking the wound and biting his tongue to rub his own blood into the wound. While this would not turn Jessica, it would heal the wound. Letting go of her hand, he withdraws a handkerchief from his pocket and pats his mouth dry. The room seemed to hold it's breath as it waited for the Elder's verdict. Placing the handkerchief back into his pocket, he looks back at Jessica before looking around the room. Then he smiled. His smile grew wider. Jessica felt chills running up her spine. What had she done? What did this mean now? "The mortal speaks the truth." The room immediately came alive with murmurs and excited chatter before being interrupted by the Elder as he shouts over all of them. "Silence!" The room falls silent. All eyes on the trio in the center. "It is the end of an era. The end of hiding in the shadows. Our God has sent word through his messengers and we must answer the call. The mission is simple. Spill blood." The elders smile becomes more crooked. More menacing and Jessica felt helpless to stop any of this. It was all happening around her and all she could do was watch. "No more sparing the lives of those we hunt to remain anonymous. Drink until they're dry. No more drinking from one mortal a night. Drink from as many as you please! The more the better. Spill some of their blood on the ground for good measure. For every four you hunt, turn one! Build our numbers. Destroy the non believers. Destroy all those who will not follow but be sure to drain them before burning them. Before long, humanity will be at our mercy. They will become nothing but slaves and cattle. We will overpower the hunters. Will will dominate this world in preparation for our Gods arrival!" The room was now filled with cheering before gradually being emptied. The elders wanting to get back to their covens as soon as possible to spread the word. The elder had also left the room. Jessica stood, still leaning against Edgar. She felt the strangest combination of numbness and sickness. "What have I done?" She whispers, staring at the ground. "Something wonderful, my lady." Edgar whispers in her ear, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. But this was no comfort to Jessica. She had just condemned humanity to being hunted and enslaved by vampires. How will she ever forgive herself? What can she do to set things right? "Shield your thoughts, my lady. You heard the elder. Royalty or not, they will not hesitate to destroy you if you falter." "You're hesitating..." Jessica half laughs, though she currently feels nothing. "I dare say I've grown quite attached to you, my lady. I also understand that you could never possibly understand what it's like for us. You've never had to live like us. How could you know?" She feels her hair being pulled back, away from her neck and his breath on her skin but she doesn't recoil or pull away. She was in far too much shock to care. "But I could help you to understand...?" she felt his lips on her neck but he didn't bite her. He seemed to be waiting for an answer...or permission. "No...I need to...think" He kisses her neck softly. "The offer is there. For now, I will be your guard." He lifts his head to rest against hers, his lips just lightly brushing her ear. "My lady." "Yes..."

Another bit of creative writing I had been working on on Vampirefreaks.com. ---------- Hands bound behind her back in metal cuffs. Head pounding from where she'd been hit. Darkness. Something over her head. Jessica was stumbling as someone gripping her arm tightly forced her to walk blindly. She could hear their footsteps. Too many steps to be sure how many were walking with her. Then they narrowed down to two sets of echoing footsteps. Hers and her guide. She heard the sound of a heavy door being opened. "The chair in the middle." Came a male's voice, deep and commanding. Jessica was pushed forward a little more hurriedly, stopped, then turned on the spot before feeling hands push her shoulders down so that she was forced to sit on a chair. Her arms still bound behind her didn't feel a back to the chair, which meant she was sitting on a stool. The dark, fabric bag over her head was pulled off harshly and she had to allow her eyes to adjust to the sudden light. She squints, her eyesight not brilliant as it is without her glasses, she watches the large wooden door being closed and locked. Leaving herself, the man stood next to her that Jessica assumed had guided her here, and another male leaning against the door with one leg crossed over the other and his arms folded over his chest. Dark eyes stared at her, putting her on edge. It felt as if he was looking into her. "Wher-" "Quiet." That deep voice interrupted her from across the room. "I'll be asking the questions". The male then walked forward, his footsteps soft, barely audible in comparison to what hers and her guide's had been. When stood close to her, he bends his knees to squat in front of her, staring at her carefully. She could see him much more clearly here. Chiselled, pale features and a strong jawline. He was quite handsome, particularly the way his short, dark hair was combed back. His deep brown eyes continue to stare into her very soul. Jessica sat tense, and rigid as he looked over her carefully before opening his mouth to speak finally. "Who sent you?" He asks and Jessica was slightly taken aback. "Sent me?" Her voice shakes and the male in front of her sighs heavily. "Who are you with? Secret Services? Vampire Hunters Guild? Supernatural Observers?...You were caught following one of ours towards our coven. Why? Who. Sent. You?!" Jessica shivers, her pupils dilated in fear. She hadn't realised in her tracking that she'd be mistaken for a hunter. Or anyone else for that matter. Until a few weeks ago, she had even been sceptical at the existence of vampires! But she had a mission to fulfil. Whether they will listen might be another thing. "R-Ravios sent me-" Jessica starts then lets out a squeal as the one who'd guided her into this room pulled her head backwards by her hair to force her to stare at the fangs he bared at her angrily, hissing. His eyes seemed to glow in his anger. "Do not blaspheme! Do you wish to die?!" "No!" Jessica cries out, tears stinging the corners of her eyes, mainly from the mild pain of her head being pulled back by her hair. "Enough! Let go of her." The male in front of her says sternly. The guide then releases Jessica's hair with one last angry hiss. "I would advise that you refrain from lying to us. Especially about our religion." "Your religion?" Jessica blinks and the male in front of her narrows his eyes. Feeling their mistrust, Jessica leans forward a little, desperate for at least one of them to believe her. "I-I didn't know it was your religion, I swear. I'm telling the truth! Omkara came to me, he told me about Ravios. You must believe me!" The male continued to stare, though his eyes seemed now to be looking through her in deep contemplation. "I swear I'm going to kill this bitch if she insults us one more-" "Leave us." "...B-boss?" The male in front of Jessica looks up at her guide coldly. "Leave us." He repeats in a harder tone. Jessica, for a moment, looks hopeful. Did he believe her? "Boss, either she's mad or she's lying! Either way, she knows of our existence! She's a threat!" "That's my call to make. I will not repeat myself, Bogumil. Leave." The guide, now known as Bogumil, made one last scowl towards Jessica before storming out of the room, being sure to slam the door behind him. "Y-you believe me then?" Jessica asks naively. "No." the male answers shortly, rapidly dashing any hope Jessica had gained. "He's right. Either you're lying or you're crazed..." The male sighs and looks to the ground. "Or I'm telling the truth!" Jessica blurts out desperately. The male doesn't react at first. He remains as still. Seemingly lifeless as a statue which makes his sudden movement, although merely a simple nod, all the more alarming a few seconds later. He smiles a little, and despite the immense fear and desperation, Jessica felt weirdly comforted by it. The male looks back at her in wonder. Once again, seeming to be in deep thought as he lifts a hand to gently cup her cheek, his thumb moving over it softly. "There is one way I can find out." He says as his hand moves down and his thumb strokes her throat. Jessica stiffens. She could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Are you going to kill me?" She half whispers, her breath held and her throat feeling tight. Her heart quickens as the male leans towards her, his face just inches from hers. At her question, he chuckles softly, lowering his face towards her neck. "Only if you're lying...or mad." He whispers softly, his hand supporting her back while the other moves her hair behind her. Jessica closes her eyes.

This was a story I was working on on VampireFreaks.com when it was a social media site. Please consider it an example of my writing skills. ***Had to do some research on The Vatican as it's not something I'm familiar with so please forgive me if I get anything wrong.*** It has been about two weeks since Damien's funeral. Sara and Jessica haven't been staying in one place since. Always on the move in an attempt to be difficult to track. Sara had sold the café and bought an RV. All their belongings on board as they drive across the states day by day. They had no goal. No plan. Simply survive and avoid another run in with Lucifer. Sara couldn't bare to lose her daughter as well as her son. Funnily enough, Sara hadn't cried since his death. She wouldn't allow herself to. She needed to be strong for her daughter who grieved openly. No, she needed to focus on trying to keep them one step ahead, which in itself is difficult to do when you have no idea where your enemy is nor how they move around. To Sara, Lucifer had always seemed to simply "appear" in her life then just as swiftly disappear to not return for a random amount of time. Sara was driving, the only sounds she could hear being the engine as they cruise down the highway and the occasional quiet sob from Jessica who sat in the passenger seat, staring out of her door window at the scenery outside. She was still coming to terms with their loss and Sara knew she felt responsible for Damien making the choice that he did. She blames herself for not signing the contract. Wanting to take her mind off things, Sara leans towards the centre of the vehicle's dash board and turns on the radio. Bon Jovi is halfway through singing the chorus to "You give love a bad name" when Jessica suddenly turns the radio off again and looks at Sara. "It's never going to end, is it?" Sara blinks at her daughter before returning her gaze to the road. It had been the first time Jessica had spoken since Damien's death. It takes her a moment to find the right words and just as soon as she opens her mouth, Jessica speaks again. "Damien said...we're damned anyway...is that true?" Sara didn't take her eyes off the road but she could feel Jessica's eyes on her. "Why didn't you tell us? You kept it from us..." Her voice sounds broken but the accusation is heavy in her tone. Sara sighs and flicks on an indicator before pulling into the hard shoulder to park up. Putting on her hazard lights so she wouldn't be bothered by police, she turns off the engine and sits back in the chair. Resting an elbow against the glass of her door window, she rubs her forehead with her fingers. Her eyes closed for a moment. She knew Jessica was still staring at her. "I wanted to protect you. Both of you." Sara sighs again. She hadn't considered that her own contract might still be affecting Jessica, despite Jessica having not signed one. "I don't know...I don't know..." Sara wanted to much to cry and break down but at the same time, she felt numb. Almost lost. Jessica on the other hand was staring out of the windscreen thoughtfully. "You said my dad is an Angel..." Sara didn't move nor answer. "Maybe...maybe we can get help from them...there must be a way to reverse it all...maybe they know how." Sara lowers her hands and turns to look at her daughter who seemed to be looking back at her with new hope. Sighing again, she puts the vehicle into gear and turns the engine back on. "Worth a shot..." She says as she drives down the hard shoulder until they pick up enough speed to join the other cars on the road again. Sara was uncertain but if it was a chance to keep her child safe, what other choice did she have? Jessica meanwhile was now smiling a little as she watches the scenery out of her window pass them by once more. They finally had a plan. *** After driving for several hours to the nearest airport, a quick phone call to one of Ryan's "friends", paying for tickets and finding somewhere safe to keep their RV before take-off. Sara and Jessica boarded a plane to Rome, hoping that they might find Arch-Angel's in the Vatican City. Once there, they took little time to see the sights before getting themselves a hotel room. Only moments after placing their bags in the room, they lock the door and leave the hotel to head straight for St Peter's Square. To avoid being confused with tourists as well as avoid any security that might try to stop them, Sara led Jessica around the back of the building where they managed to climb in through an unguarded, open window. Now to find one of the priests... It didn't take them long. Upon walking out of the room they'd climbed into and walking along the corridors that echoed with each footstep, a priest in black robes with a purple belt caught sight of them. The elderly man with the purple cap that just about covered a balding head shakes his hands before him in shock at seeing the intruders and begins calling down the corridors in Italian. "Help! Help! intruders!" Inwardly thanking her father for making her travel the world with him when she was younger, Sara shouts back in fluent Italian. "Wait! We need the help of Arch-Angels!" It was a long shot but it was straight to the point. Unable to understand the language, Jessica is left to watch everything unfold with uncertainty. "We're seeking to escape the grasp of the Devil! Please help us!" The priest pauses as the Swiss Guards come around the corner wearing what appeared to be police uniform. They begin barking orders at the two women when the priest raises a hand to quiet them. His eyes not leaving Sara and Jessica, he tilts his head a little then speaks again. "Elaborate?" He says while watching them carefully. It was clear that he was debating whether or not they are being genuine or if they're simply mad. Sara and Jessica don't move while under the glare of security who held guns pointed at them at the ready. "I am Sara Rai and this is my daughter Jessica. My husband is Ryan Rai, an Arch-Angel who is currently on duty in Hell to search for missing Angels...." Sara pauses and gulps, a little nervous to explain the rest but continues regardless. "Myself and my father were visited by Lucifer before I met Ryan. He forced me to sign a contract that I refused to sign...please...please help us. You're our last hope. If not, it's not only my soul that's damned but the souls of any generation of my family after mine." She finishes close to tears and barely notices that Jessica had placed a hand on her shoulder as she'd been talking. The priest is silent and regards them both thoughtfully for several seconds before sighing and taking steps towards them. As he does, the haggard old man dissolves and a younger, more beautiful male stands before them in the same robes. His features seemed more chiselled and full. Shining, ginger hair with just a kink of a curl fell to his shoulders. Large white wings appear behind him and he wears a warm smile as he comes to a stop in front of Sara. He turns to look at the Swiss Guards, who don't seem the least bit surprised, and makes a gesture with his hand to prompt them to lower their weapons. "You may return to your posts. These women are not a threat." He says then turns to look back at the two. "They are our guests." He smiles, his tone soft and comforting. "Come, I will take you somewhere you can relax while I gather others to listen to your story then we can decide whether or not we can help you." The Angel says and begins leading them down the corridor to a room with dark wooden walls and a red carpet. He walks to the centre of the room and holds his hands together in front of him while turning to look between Sara and Jessica. "You may wait here. Make yourselves comfortable, I shall be back soon." and he was. He brought five other Angels with him, three of whom had remained looking like the old, human priests. All of them had a very stern gaze, even as Sara explained her whole story to them. It wasn't a surprise that her faith would be called into question by one of the Angel's but Sara was prepared to answer for herself, saying that in the years since, she had no reason to not believe and that she'd done everything she could to help herself and her children by taking them to church, repenting her sins and generally trying to live a good life. It only seemed to be when Lucifer came that she'd need to resort to violence. The angel's didn't seem entirely happy with her answer but thanked her for her honesty. After asking Jessica a few questions as well, they exchanged glances between them before finally asking that Sara and Jessica wait in their hotel rooms while they discussed the matter. Thankful to at least have been given the chance to be heard, Sara and Jessica returned to their hotel room where they waited until around midday the next day. A couple of the Swiss Guards knocked on their hotel room door and escorted the two women back to St Peter's Square. Sara and Jessica were escorted into a different, smaller room this time. It appeared to be more like an office, with a large chair behind a desk that the Angel they'd spoken to the day before now sat in. He gestures across from him to the two chairs on the other side of the desk, closest to them. They each take a seat and Sara looks at the three other Angel's in the room. One stood directly in front of the now closed door, the other two on either side of the desk, facing them with their hands behind their backs. The two beside the desk could easily be twins. They looked identical from their brown, cropped hair, right to their slightly crooked noses. The one at the door was blonde, with brown eyes and was staring at the two with a frown. All of them had large, white, feathery wings. Sara didn't like this. Something felt off. The way they're positioned...almost like guards. She returns her gaze to the one sat across from them who seemed to have a sad smile but was waiting patiently for them to settle into their chairs. "I'm just going to ask you a couple of questions. Just to confirm that we understand everything. Is that alright?" He asks in that soothing tone. Sara nods, as does Jessica and the Angel sits back a little. Shuffling his wings slightly to make himself more comfortable. "You signed a contract with Lucifer?" "Against my will." Sara answers, being sure to make this point crystal clear. The Angel nods, looking at his lap for a moment then bringing his gaze back to Sara's. "And this contract was signed with your blood?" "Yes." Sara was getting a little agitated. She didn't like repeating herself and she couldn't help but feel like they were accusing her. "And this contract, not only binds yourself but all of your children and future generations from those children?" Sara takes a breath to calm herself. "Yes." The Angel now looks at Jessica. "Is this your daughter?" "Yes." "Do you have any other children?" Sara hesitates then lowers her gaze. "Not any more." "Condolences...Has your daughter been bound?" "No." "Will her children be bound?" "Not if I can help it!" Sara growls but the Angel holds up a hand to quiet her, his gaze returning to her with a gentle smile. "But they would be if you were not there? Is that correct? You're not immortal Sara." "Which is why I'm here!" Sara snaps but once more, the Angel holds up a patient hand to quiet her. "There is one way we can help those future generations..." The Angel nods to one of the twins by his desk and the twin gestures for Jessica to stand. As she does so, Sara looks between them with confusion before returning her gaze to the Angel behind the desk. "But-!...what about Jessica? What about my son?...me?" She asks, some fear coming through her voice. The Angel's warm smile slips into a saddened frown. "Whether or not you were willing to sign that contract, your blood is on it. There is nothing we can do. If you seek release, it's Lucifer you need to speak with but even then, I would advise against making any further deals with the Devil. He is not to be trusted." Sara's heart sank but then a realisation began to dawn on her as she returned her gaze back to her daughter who was now being told to close her eyes. If they couldn't help because of the contract Sara had signed then how else would they "help future generations"? By helping them not exist! Sara realised this a little too late, "JESSICA!" she screams, diving out of her chair to attempt to grab her daughter but by the time she'd reached her, the twin Angel had plunged a knife, hidden under the sleeve of his robe into Jessica's stomach, twisting it sharply before retracting it and stepping back in time for Sara to catch her. Kneeling on the floor, holding onto Jessica who coughs up a little blood before her eyes roll, Sara begins breathing heavily, starting to panic. She taps her daughter's cheek lightly while trying to put pressure on the wounds with her free hand. "Jessica! Jessica stay with me!" She begins to cry. The Angel behind the desk had gotten to his feet and was looking at Sara with a sad expression. "Don't worry. The knife is glazed in one of our poisons. Jessica will drift into a deep sleep before she passes. You'll be joining her very soon." Unable to believe what she was hearing, Sara looks up at the Angel then eyes the twins holding a knife each warily. "Why?! We came to you for help!" She shouts at them, tears falling freely now. "This is the only form of help we can offer. We cannot free you from your contract but we can ensure future generations do not suffer the same fate. If by some miracle, you both survive the poison, where we strike should leave you both barren." "You bastards! If you couldn't help, you could've just sent us away!" "I'm afraid your contract poses a far greater risk than you realise...but we thank you for bringing it to us as quickly as you did." "What risk?!" "I'm afraid I've told you too much already. I wish you the best of luck in freeing your family Sara Rai." The twins begin approaching Sara but by this point, Sara had begun to see red. Her last hope dashed. She'd come to them for help and what do they do? Kill them? If not leave them barren for life? Sara was growling as she slowly moved to stand straight. Her teeth lengthening into fangs. "Saints." She looks between the twins, her eyes shifting to her demonic red ones. "My." Sara's finger nails harden and sharpen, changing into claws. "ARSE!" Sara doesn't recall what happened after. Having blacked out. But she can remember the angry shouts, painful screams and savage growls clearly. By the time she'd calmed down enough to see straight again, the room was practically painted red. Feathers, skin, innards strewn across the whole room. Sara was standing over the battered, mutilated body of the ginger Angel. Her features slowly returning to normal but still contorted in rage. Apparently swords had been brought into the mix. A couple of the Swiss Guards had run in, only to be ripped apart as well. A price for having her blood on Lucifer's contract was the slow transformation into one of his demonic servants. Sara could hear sirens in the distance. She had to get out of here...before more security turns up...before the authorities turn up...she had to get Jessica out of here too...get her to a hospital. Moving across the room, she looks at her daughter on the ground, now splattered with Angel blood. Sara's lower lip trembles, her eyes threatening tears. Not yet. Have to get out first. She beds down and picks Jessica up, turning to leave through the window, the pauses as the Angel coughs some final words. "These...events will...not be...forgotten...You only...served...to damn yourself...further...There is...no place...for one like you...in Heaven." While the words stung, Sara looked down at her daughter's relaxed, sleeping features. If Heaven would take her children's lives..."Fuck Heaven." She growls and leaps through the window.