Rayline. "Where are we going?" I asked worriedly as he drove on. The area we were traveling through was so strange to me, and the further we went, the fewer houses I saw, replaced by the forest that enveloped the area. "Just a place I like to visit from time to time," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. After a few minutes of driving, he pulled into a secluded parking lot and unbuckled his seatbelt. The area was surrounded by forest, with not a single resident as far as the eye could see, and it was almost completely dark. "Did you bring me here to kill me?" I teased. But Cole just laughed and shook his head. "No, we just need to walk for a while and I'll show you where we're going," he said in a mysterious tone that made me feel uneasy. I looked at the dark trees around me and swallowed nervously. "What if we run into a wild animal or something?" "I'm the most dangerous thing we'll meet here, trust me," he said with a grin, though I wasn't so sure. "But what about these
Rayline. When the wings were fully extended, he slowly turned his head toward me, and there was a faint glimmer of light hazel in his eyes. Why was he afraid? I tried to understand his feelings, and he looked at me intently. "I'm not afraid," he said, looking away. "Just nervous." I jumped, but then I realized that he had been able to read my mind and answer my question. It felt strange because the two feelings were related, stemming from the same emotion: fear. "Why are you nervous?" "Nothing," he tried to answer but stopped short. "No one has ever seen my wings like... this." His eyes locked with mine. "They usually look disgusted... or horrified." "Because they're black?" He nodded slowly, staring at the grass. "I guess you could say I'm a little self-conscious." I was saddened to hear that. Cole had always seemed very confident in his appearance in the human world, so it was strange to see him so affected by the opinions of others. I'm sure he had heard the comments about h
Rayline. I could hear birds chirping in my ears and wondered why it was so noisy. When my eyes finally opened, my head was on something solid. It was only when I heard slow breathing next to me that I realized it was Cole. At first, I wasn't too worried, honestly, I felt quite comfortable with his arms holding me. But when I saw the blue sky above us, I gasped. "Oh my God!" I shouted, looking around at the open field, and he groaned as he started to wake up. "We fell asleep!" "Wh-what?" He tried to open his eyes, trying to figure out why I was yelling. "We fell asleep!" I said again, and he sat up on his elbows, his wings folded behind him. "My parents are going to kill me." I frantically pulled my cell phone out of my jacket pocket, and luckily it was still on. I was about to call my mom when I saw a message from Darren, "I told your parents you were staying with me." "You're welcome." "Have fun with Cole." "You owe me one." I breathed a sigh of relief and flopped down on the
Rayline. While I waited for him, he knocked on the door and rang the bell a couple of times. After about a minute, Taylor opened the door, and I could tell from the obviously sleepy head and narrowed eyes that he had just woken up. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Cole joked. He didn't say anything and just stepped aside to let us in. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked us in his morning voice. As Cole closed the door, I looked around the house and saw how messy it was, the glasses on the floor, the things that had fallen over. It must be a real pain to clean up, but he probably has people for that in a place this big. "We were asleep when we went out. Rayline wanted to know if she could use your bathroom." Cole explained to him. "If that's okay," I added. "Yeah, that's fine." He started up the main staircase and me and Cole followed behind him. "You can shower in any of the guest rooms, but I can't tell you which one is empty." "Great." I raised my eyebrows. "You're wearing t
Rayline. There was a moment of silence while I thought about what he had said. The more I thought about it, the more I started to believe that he was right. The party that night was a perfect example. They tried to grab me to drag him out into the open, and if Jesse and Taylor hadn't intervened, they would have. Because I knew that Cole would have gone after them. So he was right. "I-I won't let that happen." I stuttered as I answered him. To be honest, I didn't even know and didn't expect it. "You almost did." He blurted out in a frank way. Oh my Gosh, what have I done, I said to myself. I raised my hands to cover my face. Then I pressed my lips together and took a long breath. "Alright. Then let's make a deal." Jesse raised his eyebrows. "If anything happens to me, don't let Cole come after me. That will be your job." "Heh, you're funny." He replied mockingly with a sneer. "You said he would get killed because of me, right? So if something happens, make sure he's with his mothe
Rayline. "Yeah, but that happened more when I was younger. Chase and I used to keep an eye on the mortal world and point out places we wanted to go together... He did that a few times in the few years we were up there." His gaze dropped. "He always told me about the places he went when he visited." "So did you fly together after you got your wings?" I asked and he nodded. "Only a few times. He can't stay here too long." he answered frankly. "Then why did you stop?" I asked, furrowing my brow. "Well, when my mother's condition started to deteriorate, we thought she should have someone with her, or at least close to her. So we had to put that aside," he said and I nodded. There was a short pause between us as I tried to think of something to say. "Maybe I can take you somewhere sometime." He said suddenly. "Really?" He saw my eyes light up with a smile and he nodded. "Really. Anywhere in the world." He smiled softly at me. Then I took a bite of my food with a grin, and he continue
Rayline. Now the sun was going down. The day was going by much faster than I had expected. Well, Cole turns out to be much more competitive than I expected and wins most of the games we play. After the arcade, we walk around a little bit buy some food, and finally go back to the car. The car is parked on the outskirts of town near the forest, which I don't mind at all. We can both enjoy the ride home in comfort. I open the passenger seat and put my stuffed doll down while he gets into the car on the opposite side. "Wow, that was a fun day," I grin as I settle into my seat. "Yeah, it was." He smiles as he closes the door and we are both silent now. I look at him and see that his eyes are fixed on me. "Hey, is something wrong?" I asked, waving my hand in his direction while giggling. "Huh?" He jumped in surprise. "You're staring at me," I replied with a chuckle. "Oh, sorry." He looked down. "You're so pretty when you smile." "Oh, shut up," I muttered as I looked down to hide the
Rayline. He followed, while the other man, whose name was Levi, watched from behind, and they led the two of us to a small field in the forest. My cell phone was still in my hand, but I didn't have a chance to contact anyone at this speed. As I hovered near the edge of the grass, I tried to tap my phone, hoping to find something, but Chris pulled me up and pinned me against one of the nearby trees, and I dropped my phone on the ground right then and there. "Let her go now." Again, Cole tried to make his point, but Silas just laughed as he stepped closer to him. "That was a nice offer, but I don't think you understand the position you're in." Suddenly, Silas threw a hard punch at Cole, hitting him in the face and knocking him to his knees. Silas then walked over again and punched him in the stomach, making him groan in pain. "Cole!" I yelled as I struggled in Chris's grip, but he held me down easily. "We've got both of you, so you can't negotiate with us." Then I saw Cole's eyes s
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