Rayline. "Hey." That was how Taylor greeted us when Cole and I reached the doorway. He immediately came over to wrap his arms around Cole, then turned to give me a hug as well, much to my surprise. "Hey, Ty," I greeted him back while flashing a small grin. He then motioned us into the house, and we started taking all of our stuff with us. "Are you guys tired? Jetlagged?" "Not really, we slept on the plane," Cole told him. "You mean that I slept on the plane, right?" I asked, tapping his arm. "You should have taken a nap too, you know." "No, I'm fine," he shrugged leisurely. Just a few moments later, Jesse entered the living room along with Nicolas. I turned my head while flashing a big smile. "Hey," Nicolas smiled widely as he met my eyes, and I walked over to give him a hug. "Hey, Nick." The rest of us then spent a few moments greeting each other and talking about what had happened in Rome, but I could not help but cast a glance in Cole's direction to see how worn out he lo
Rayline. "Because..." Jesse started but cut himself off as his eyes locked with Taylor's. He shook his head with a sly smirk. "Taylor recently found himself getting involved in... steamy activities in the demon world." Cole lifted his brows. "Is that safe?" A hint of concern filled my tone. "Taylor can move into the shadows and get past any man that would be guarding, is that right, Ty?" Jesse pointed out. Taylor nodded in agreement. "They are all low-class demons, their minds should be easy to persuade." "You can do shadow shifting?" I asked Taylor, who nodded. "That is advanced demon magic. It requires an enormous amount of mental power, and since it's his specialty, then he can," Cole explained. "I would say shift into a worker, but your aura might be too strong to be a servant," Jesse added in a concerned tone. "I'd be fine to get around. My only concern is reaching the layers. You need clearance to go between them unless you can summon a portal." "What about Asmodeus?" C
Rayline. My mouth dropped open as my tongue felt tongue-tied. I knew that Cole had told me that Hayden had some sort of power, but I was not quite sure what it was. "Yeah... How did you know?" I managed to sound out. He shrugged and sat back down casually. "Everyone knows about him. He has the power to control those in this world and those not." "You never seem to have a problem with him though." "He's never given me a reason to be cautious of him. He never caused any trouble at all. Despite what the others of my kind think, I see no reason to fear him." My eyebrows shot up in shock. Never did I expect him to be so concerned about Cole. "But I'm sure he must have warned you about my kind, am I right?" I sealed my lips together and nodded slowly. "Let me guess, like untrustworthy, deceitful, having ulterior motives?" "Uh... yeah, something like that." "Hm," he grinned amusedly. "Looks like we already have quite the infamous reputation." He was being so open about it now. Hopef
Rayline. I'm woken up by the sound of knocking at the door, turning over in bed to look around and realize that it's going to be sundown soon. My head was feeling dizzy, and it hurt as I rolled onto my side to face my bedroom door, where I found Cole leaning against the door frame grinning. "Good afternoon." He made his way to the edge of the bed and squatted down to be at eye level with me. "Someone looks like she had a nice nap." "Hmm," I mumbled while flashing a forced smile. "Surprised you didn't come through the balcony." The corners of his lips curled up in a smile. "No need to sneak around," he shrugged. "Just had a nice chat with your father." I groaned in response and rolled over, making him chuckle. Taking my time, I slowly sat up, and Cole got to his feet to sit on the edge of my bed, while I lifted my hands and placed them on top of my head. Then I turned my face to cover my mouth as I coughed into my elbow, followed by a sneeze as I turned to him. "What's wrong?" His
Rayline. We were walking a pretty decent distance for a fairly long time. There was not much we could see beyond the trees other than what looked like the far-off mountains and the occasional flower bed in the fields. This made me wonder if what Hayden said was true, that the creatures out there were scarier than those on the mainland. On top of that, I was also curious as to what the creature guarding the relic looked like, and whether it was one of the creatures I should be wary of. In the end, I caught the reflection of the moonlight shimmering on the water, making my stomach start to churn. What if things got really bad, and we couldn't get the stone? Or worse, if Cole got hurt? Then Cole's grip on my hand tightens, and I steal a glance at him. He gives me a reassuring look, and to calm my nerves, I take a deep breath. As much as I was not sure if he had read my mind, or just knew what I was thinking, I was glad he was there to reassure me to stay positive. As we got closer, I
Cole. Everything was all black. My eyes could not see anything. Not even I could tell what was up and what was down. My breath was held, but it did not feel like I was in the water. Taking in a bit of air, I came to the realization that I could breathe, and my eyes opened wide. It turned out that there was nothing. Everything was pitch black as far as I could see. When I moved my feet and felt something that looked like dirt, I got to my feet. Spinning around, I tried to find something that could lead me to what to do next in this "test". As I looked out, I heard a familiar voice calling my name, and my whole body froze. "Cole?" the voice called again. I turned around to look at the voice, my eyes widened at the sight of a familiar figure sitting down, and my heart sank. "There you are." "...Mom?" I uttered, feeling a mix of doubt and surprise. "I was wondering when you would show up," she said as she stood up. She started to make her way towards me, yet my body refused to move. "
Cole. Another scream came, much louder, and my head snapped around as my chest started pounding so hard it felt like it was going to pop out of my ribcage. Something appears in front of me, a man screaming in terror. The first one... My hand unconsciously started to move itself toward the man's chest. "No." My eyes widened as I ripped my hand away, but the man was screaming, the same scream that had always haunted my memory. "Please..." The man screamed again, and my hand shot up to reach my head. Another scream rang out, and my eyes glanced around to see another memory. Other people, I was forced to kill. Tears began to well up and blur my vision. "Please stop." More screams, dozens of screams that echoed each other. Squeezing my eyes tightly shut and my hands over my ears, tears now streaming down my face. "Please." "But you have to see..." She walked around me as if mocking my sins. "All the things you have done." "I know what I have done!" I shouted from the ground. "I didn't
Rayline. The sight of his head emerging from the water as he gasped and desperately tried to catch his breath made everyone around me jump to their feet. He was struggling to move, his whole body feeling like a weight. "Cole!" I called out as I rushed to the edge of the water to get to him, but I could only hear him choking on the water. At the same time, Jesse did not waste a second before running into the water and swimming towards Cole. He wrapped his arms from under Cole, and I saw him flailing around for a few moments. "It's me," I hear Jesse whisper in his ear. "I got you." Then Hayden came in to help him as Jesse pulled Cole's body to ground level. Taylor was about to follow behind them when all of a sudden I felt an electric pulse of numbness in my body. In a flash, I grabbed his wrist. "What's wrong?" He turned to me, and my eyes widened. "Ty..." My voice sounded low, feeling that pulse throb again, and my grip tightened. "I... hold me down." It took a moment before da
Rayline. The meeting went exactly as I had expected it to go. Harvey briefly explained the entire situation and what he knew. Basically, all the causes of the riots and rebellion are related to years ago, and the roots have been resolved and dealt with. However, there would be unresolved loose ends and there were still ropes to be tied. Lilith most likely still has more allies and connections in places they have yet to discover, and they need to be sought out and dealt with. It may take a long time to clear things up, maybe even years, and the impact could be catastrophic. Harvey then asked everyone to share their stories and their connections. Cole spoke in front of us all, sharing everything. He talks about how he was first sent to Earth, and how Lilith gave his mother the disease out of spite and revenge. He spoke about the recent attacks, and how they were done as hatred towards him when they were actually related to the rebellion. He then spoke about me, how we met, how he bec
Rayline. As I lay nestled against his chest, I playfully drew small circles on his chest, the warmth of his skin keeping me wrapped in his arms, his wings spread out around me. The morning light sneaked in through the bedroom curtains while the two of us were still snuggled together on the bed, the sheets tattered messily. He ran his fingers through my hair, fiddling with the strands as I listened to his heartbeat, hearing every breath he took. "Did you fall asleep?" he asked softly, making me smile. "I should be the one asking you that." Spinning around to face him, my hand came to rest under my chin. "You were so busy as soon as we got back, and it doesn't seem like we got any sleep last night... or this morning." His lips curled up mischievously and his hand slid down my bare back, giving me goosebumps. "I'm doing okay. It was all definitely worth it." "Mmm...hmm." I tilted my head cheekily. Right now I was in his room at his father's house. As soon as the chaos died down, h
Rayline. He placed his hand on Cole's chest. There was light... a glowing white light that emanated from the archangel's fingertips, covering Cole's body. The light grew more and more, wrapping everything around him, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut because of the blinding light. I clutched Chase's hand as a wave of power pulsed through the room, shaking everything around me. I could feel my heart beating faster, my breath catching in my throat as the tension continued to rise in my chest. The light was retracted back into Cole's body, clinging to his skin. As I opened my eyes cautiously, I saw the light fading away as the archangel got to his feet and stepped back. Without holding myself back, I jumped forward, rushed to Cole's side, and with trembling hands, placed them on the side of his cold face. A few moments passed without anything happening, waiting. I gently brushed his hair aside. Then all of a sudden, his chest heaved, catching a deep breath that sounded so sharp, and
Rayline. A wave of cool air filled the room as the flames died out, leaving a trail of empty craters. No one moved. No one dared to breathe until the demon himself, Harvey stepped back. All the Nephilim watched his movements in awe, and some of them even bowed their heads in his honor. I leaned over Cole's body, my hands shaking as I brushed his hair, which had fallen to the side. Tears fell again, rolling down my cheeks without stopping. The sound of footsteps coming closer, got louder until they finally stopped right behind me. "Rayline?" I blinked slowly, turned my head towards the source of the voice, and saw Cole's father standing there. His expression changed as his gaze fell on his son who lay motionless in my arms. He swallowed, his gaze filled with such deep pain. "...Is there any other way?" I asked hoarsely. "Is there anything you can do?" He knelt beside me, pain filling his eyes. "I'm sorry," he says hoarsely. I look back down at Cole, and the sobs I have been holdi
Rayline. Seconds. In a mere few seconds, my entire world comes crashing down, shattering into pieces as the heart-wrenching pain rips through my soul. My lungs burned as I let out a horrifying wail, holding onto Cole's chest with all my strength, begging, pleading for him to come back to me. My hands are still clasped tightly in his now cold hands, while my tears are flowing freely. I clutched at his shirt, crying helplessly as if I could bring him back with the despair welling up from within me. Out of the blue, I felt a gentle hand placed on top of mine, and I jumped, before I froze at the sight of Jesse looking up at me, his tattered wings dragging behind him. Tears streamed down his face from pain and sorrow, and his eyes lowered to the motionless Cole. He bites his lip as he looks down, squeezing his eyes shut as more tears fall. A sob that sounded like it was choking his throat before he sucked in a deep breath, and his head lifted. He reached out his trembling hand over to C
Rayline. Chris lifted the sword back up with a solemn look, ready to chop his bones off, and started to swing. But before Chris could swing the sword, Lilith suddenly stepped aside, stopping him in his motion. "Hmm..." Lilith stepped forward, and Chris suddenly stopped in midair. "I think I have seen this before." He said, moving between me and Cole. "You are ready to give up everything, while the ones around you squirm helplessly." She went on, talking about the night Cole would trade himself... to let them kill him so that all of us could leave. Cole's head snapped up to meet her eyes, with a glint of hatred. "But there was something missing, something that happened afterward. What is it now?" She tapped her fingers on her lips, as if in deep thought. "Oh! I remember now!" She let out a maniacal laugh. "You lost the person you loved the most..." Then she lifted a sacred sword, the reflection of its light glistening down on the steel, as her eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a pie
Rayline. To my horror, I watched as the skin of his wings was ripped away from the bones that reached out below, leaving only shredded pieces of flesh. His blood spilled onto the ground, soaking the tiles beneath him. She did not stop. With an expressionless face, Lilith continued to shred her own son's wings... the most precious thing to them. "STOP!" Cole's shout echoed out, filled with pain. Tears flooded his eyes. In a fit of rage, he let loose a blast of power that sent the men flying across the room, crashing to the hard ground. Cole reached out his hand towards Lilith, trying to stop her. Lilith froze in place, while Jesse's screams stopped, his body falling to the ground with a sound that struck my heart. I rushed towards him, my heart sank as I made my way to his side at the sight of the remains of his wings in a pool of blood, and a sick feeling came over me, making me bring my hand to my mouth, trying to hold back the gasps. How could she do this? To her own son. "...H
Rayline. Cole let out a slow breath, as if trying to calm himself down. I hold on to his side, trying to provide support. "But I'm not done with you yet," Lilith continues with a sinister smile. "Cole!" I exclaim as his body abruptly slips out of my arms, throws onto the stairs of the dais, and lands hard on his back. A groan escaped his lips. "To think a half-breed like you could beat me." Lilith walked haughtily towards Cole, her smile full of disdain. "What happened to all those threats, huh?" she asked, her eyes flashing with cruelty as she lifted her hand, making his eyes widen and I could see her power take hold of his throat. "What happened to ripping me apart, hm?" She took a step closer. Cole remained motionless, his blood-red eyes locked on Lilith, full of malice. "What's wrong? Nothing left to say, mutt?" But then, Cole smirked. His blood-stained lips curled up, making Lilith frown, puzzled. Slowly, his hands opened, causing the melted pieces of metal to fall to the gr
Rayline. Chaos broke out in a split second. Before I could even see his movements, Cole was already whizzing over to Lilith. The blazes lining the entire wall burst with the sudden increase in heat, forcing me to lift my arms to protect myself. Screaming and roaring could be heard clearly as Cole furiously swung his claws at her while she quickly dodged out of his reach. Lilith sent a wave of fire that blasted across the room, scorching the air around her, which made Cole lift his wings and throw them off to the side. I ducked down to avoid the lick of flame that shot out when I heard my name being called. As I turned my head, I caught sight of Taylor staring at me, tugging on the enchanted chains that held both him and Jesse, and without thinking, I jumped to my feet and slid towards them. In another corner of the room, Levi and the other demons were too distracted with helping their leader to focus on me, in addition to the battle that was going on inside the room. Once I reache