Rayline. I walked along the sidewalk, keeping my eyes on the street. Cole's house is pretty far away, but that didn't mean I didn't have other places to visit, so I decided to go there. Although it would have been better if I'd gone earlier, because it was late afternoon now, which meant the sun would be setting soon. I looked at each house number, following it until I reached the one on the paper Taylor had given me. The house was small and simple. There was nothing strange or out of the ordinary about it. In fact, it looked cozy to me. I saw a path, but I stopped walking when I started to wonder. After all, Cole wouldn't be expecting me; maybe he'd be upset... or maybe he'd be mad at me. Maybe I should try calling him first. I started walking around with mixed feelings, unable to make a decision. After a while of stalling, I took a breath. "I'll ask if he's okay... yeah..." I muttered and straightened my body before starting to walk back to his house. When I reached the door, I r
Rayline. We both walked into the small kitchen and saw his mother pick up a small vase of pink roses and put it on the table before walking over to the table with the food. I walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, and then Cole sat down next to me. "Rayline, would you like something to drink?" his mom asked as she stood by the refrigerator. "Just water will be fine, thanks," I replied and she nodded and eagerly got a glass of water for me. "Don't push yourself too hard, Mom," Cole added, and his mother just laughed. "Well, we never have guests, do we? So I thought it would be fun." She walked over and set the glass down. "Thank you," I smiled, and then she sat down. "Look, this food is delicious, let's try it." She grinned and started to scoop up her own plate, and we both did the same. Once the plate was filled with food, I couldn't resist eating it right away. It was because I hadn't eaten all day, so I didn't realize how hungry I was. "Mmm, Mrs. Spencer, this food i
Rayline. "Chase is an angel. He was born during my mom's first marriage, but they separated after a while. So when I was born, people assumed my mom had me before they split up. At least the timing of it was almost right." I nodded along with him, and he took a deep breath. "For us, angels get their wings when they reach a certain age, around fifteen. I remember when Chase got his wings, they were bright and beautiful, sparkling like freshly fallen snow..." he continued. "And I'll never forget the day I got my wings - the look on everyone's faces, the horror when they saw my black wings... One look and they all knew." His eyes were sparkling blue as he explained, and I felt my heart begin to sink. He was just a boy who had done nothing but be judged by his peers for the way he looked. "This is why they dragged my mother from our home before the archangels, and my mother knows there is no way to hide it. I was living proof of her sin. So as punishment, she was stripped of her powers
Rayline. I looked down at the table to hide the blush on my face, but when I looked up, his jaw was almost touching down, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Y-you mean it was your kiss..." he stuttered, looking almost surprised at the statement he made. "Yes," I smiled. "But... that means you're..." I knew what he was going to say next. "Still a virgin? Yes," I nodded awkwardly and he frowned. "Why do you look so surprised?" "Well, I was just guessing..." He leaned his palms on the table and his expression slowly began to fall. "And I just walked away like a jerk after..." "Hey, it's okay." "No, it's not okay." He stood up and walked over to where I was sitting, placing his body near my knees on the edge of the table and placing his hands on either side of my body. I swallowed nervously at how close he was, and his eyes flickered downward as he spoke. "Can I..." He paused, "Can I make it up to you?" For some reason, my heart began to pound, and I took a deep breath as if to ca
Rayline. It was now Friday, and I hadn't seen him since that night, he was still busy with his own business, while I was too busy with my college work. But at least he always makes time to text me when he's home, and we had a few phone conversations as well as some unimportant text messages. After talking to him on the phone last noon, I put my cell phone on the nightstand as I walked to the closet. I didn't think I needed to dress up too much, but for some reason, the fact that I was going to meet Cole made me want to at least look good for him. So I grabbed a cute pair of shorts and an attractive top before applying my makeup and styling my hair to make it look better. I look down and see his jacket on the floor - the one he left me the night he flew me home. I had accidentally forgotten to return it. So I reached over and picked up the jacket and packed up my laptop and books before I left. ***** I walked down the small path to the front of his house with my backpack on my shou
Rayline. Jesse raised his eyebrows at my answer and I could hear Cole burst out laughing. I don't know how else to put it, Taylor was so shocked when I found out he was a demon. Meanwhile, Jesse was exactly how I imagined him, dark, arrogant, confident, always looking like he was up to no good. "Remember how I told you that I met Taylor after I met my dad?" Cole asked and I nodded. "We only met because he and Jesse were friends." Oh, well, that made sense, and thinking about it now, I also remembered that Taylor had said that he had met Cole through a "family friend". "This might be a strange question, but how did it feel when you found out you had another brother?" I asked Cole curiously. "Lost in the shock waves of all the other things going on," he shrugged. "What about you then?" I asked Jesse. "I think the exact words are: 'How can I relate to a half-breed brother?'" he said with an amused look on his face. "I told you not to call me that," Cole glared at him. "Yeah, yeah,
Rayline. We both got out of the car and walked up the large driveway to the extremely large house. Just like last time, there was a hint of nervousness as I walked closer, passing all the groups of people. As we walked, I realized that I was going to a party with Cole Spencer - the guy that girls could never get enough of. And just looking at some of the girls outside, I started to feel uncomfortable. Yeah, because those girls' eyes were looking at me with a terrifying expression. As if I'd stolen their boyfriends. "What's wrong?" Cole turned to me and I shook my head. "Nothing... It's just these people... and I'm here with you." Then he furrowed his brow and I laughed. "Just a little self-conscious," I shrugged. Then he caught my eyes turning to the girls who were watching the two of us walk, and he quickly wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to his side. I gave him a strange look, but he continued walking towards the door, not even looking at all the eyes that we
Rayline. I glared at him, who seemed to enjoy teasing me. "Actually, I like you when you're jealous," he said, smiling cheekily. "You know, you're really cute when you're jealous." I tried to argue. "I'm not jealous!" I said in a slightly too loud voice. "Oh yeah? Then what do you call it?" He turned to face me and I felt trapped. His shoulders rested in the same place as he looked at me with a cheeky smile. I paused, trying to find the right words. "I..." My eyes were fixed only on his face, and he was still smiling cheekily, which made me feel even more awkward than before. "I just helped you chase a girl away. That's all." I continued, looking at him for a moment, and he was still smiling stupidly, and I rolled my eyes. "Ah... Really? If you want to make out with me in public, you can just say so, kitten." He said, still with that stupid smile on his face. "Shut up!" I slapped his arm and I knew for sure that my face was blushing now. "I can't believe I did that." I immediatel
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