Rayline. "So where have you been all day?" my mom asked me as I walked into the house. "I... uh-" I stuttered at first, not sure what to say. I tried to think of a better excuse. "And who were you kissing in the car?" Then my father stood up, cutting me off. "What, are you guys spyin' on me now?" I replied with a snort. "You're not supposed to sneak around and hide things," he said, and I scoffed. "So I can't have a personal life?" "Not if you're not honest," my mom said, and my hand dropped to my side. "You're acting like I'm a fifteen-year-old girl. You're worried about me kissing someone when I could be sneaking off to do drugs." I said it, I was annoyed at them, they really thought I was still a kid. "Really?" my father asked, his eyebrows raised as if he was emphasizing, not asking. "No!" I shouted, and they let out a sigh of relief. "Jeez, I'm just out for the day." "Okay, so what exactly happened last night?" my dad demanded. "I...I slept over at Darren's, and...I hu
Rayline. As I lay on the couch watching a TV show, my Friday afternoon took an unexpected turn when Darren's name popped up on my phone screen. With a "Hey," I answered the call. "Hey, what are you doing?" his voice rang out clearly. "Just watching TV. Why?" I replied curiously. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to Taylor's." "Another party?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "A little smaller, but kind of. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go." I thought for a moment before answering, "I don't know..." "You could take Cole," he suggested, and I paused to consider the idea. "Really stuck playing third person this time." "Yeah, it's your turn this time," I teased with a grin. "Sure, why not? I'll send him a message." "Okay, I'll pick you up in about half an hour?" "Sure, see you." I ended the call and turned my attention to my messages, contacting Cole with an invitation to Taylor's party. When I sent him a message and he told me that he was sick and wouldn't be able t
Rayline. The atmosphere in front of the house was almost pitch black when I stopped and I was breathing heavily. Taylor offered to accompany me, but I declined, telling him that I wanted to talk to Cole alone. With a nod, he left, leaving me standing in front of the dimly lit doorway. The sound of a knock echoed in the silent night, and after a tense minute, Cole opened the door, shock clearly visible on his face. "Hey," I greeted him, concern etched into my face. "Hey. What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping forward. "I, um... I wanted to talk to you." Then he furrowed his brow, but he could sense the tension of the situation and invited me to come in. I stepped into the living room, darkness enveloping the familiar surroundings. Then he closed the door behind me, leaving the house noticeably quiet. "Is something wrong?" "Cole," I began, meeting his gaze, "why didn't you tell me?" "Tell you what?" he said with a confused look on his face. "About your mom," I said, and h
Rayline. His eyes flashed a deep magenta again and I leaned closer to press my lips to his. He placed his hands on my waist as his kisses began to move down to the nape of my neck, giving it a gentle peck before drifting over my collar to my shoulders, the sensation of his heavy breathing making me shiver. He reached for my bra strap, lifting it back to lock eyes with me as his fingers played with it as if asking permission to remove it, to which I nodded. He slides the straps over my shoulders before his hands move down my back, running over my skin before finding my bra clasp and undoing it, letting it fall from my chest and fall to the side. His breath was heavy as he looked at me in admiration and I had to fight the strong urge to cover myself. He slowly leans down and presses his kisses to my chest, his lips tracing my skin before pushing me down onto the sheets. His hands cupped one of my breasts, massaging it gently, and I gasped. He moved lower, his tongue planting a kiss bef
Rayline. He was silent for a moment before lowering his hand and placing it on my stomach. I wasn't sure what he was doing at first, but his touch was followed by warmth and the painful sting faded. It turned out he was healing me. My eyes snapped back open to meet his red, anxious gaze, and I placed my hand on his cheek and gave him a kiss before he moved on. Each time the burn returned, but it only lasted a moment before disappearing. By the time he reached his climax, there was no pain, and I felt only a feeling that I can only describe as "full". "Are you okay?" he panted. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said, smiling and lifting my hands to cradle his face and rest my forehead against his. A few moments passed, and then I realized he was waiting for me. "You can move." As soon as I said that, he pulled back slowly before thrusting forward, sending waves of unfamiliar pleasure through my body as we both moaned into each other's mouths. "Oh damn," he murmured under his breath. I moaned a
Rayline. I slowly opened my eyes to the blinding light from the sun coming in through the window and rolled over as I lay down. I breathed and looked around the room, only to find it empty, then sat up, holding the sheets over my chest as I turned to look at the mattress. I noticed the claw marks and tears scratched on it and smiled sheepishly to myself. Oh, right, I did that last night. He and I. I'm just about to get up when I hear the doorknob turn and there's Cole, shirtless and in sweatpants, carrying a small tray of food, looking up to see me awake. "Hi, good morning," he grinned and walked to the edge of the bed. "Morning," I said with some confusion. "What's that?" "Breakfast." He placed the tray on the sheets with an adorable smile, a stark contrast to his shirtless body. How could anyone be cute and sexy at the same time? "You don't have to bring it here." "It's no big deal. You could say that I paid you back for the time you took care of me," he said, and I let out a l
Rayline. As I felt his hands move underneath me, I heard my mobile phone vibrate, and I reluctantly pulled away with a groan, causing him to giggle. I got out of bed and walked over to my bag to see my mom's name, and I immediately panicked, praying that Darren was going to send her a text message. "Hello, Mom?" "Hey baby, what are you doing?" "Uhh, you know, just hanging out." I pretend to laugh and see Cole sitting up straight leaning against the bed frame. "Why Mom?" "Just making sure you're alive. Darren said you fainted last night. Thank God the boy texted us or we'd never have known you were killed." I heard my mom's voice in the distance. "Yeah, right," I laughed awkwardly. "I'm just really tired after all our fun and games. But I'll be home a little later." "All right then, I just wanted to make sure. I love you." "I love you too, bye." Just as I hung up, I saw an unread text message from Darren. "Looks like your favors are starting to add up!" "You're welcome." I t
Rayline. When I walked in the door, I saw my mom's car and I freaked out. Then I ran to the back as fast as I could, and luckily Darren opened the door in time. I looked around carefully, and when I looked into the hallway, there was Darren standing in the doorway from the back door to the kitchen, looking over his shoulder. "You're just taking a shower," he said as he pointed towards the stairs, and I nodded before quickly running upstairs. "So Darren, how are you?" my mom asked, and he turned his head as if to give a code, and I understood as I nodded. "Oh, I'm good, not too many activities besides college," he said. I could vaguely hear the sound of my mom's voice. "No, I'm sure you have all the girls swooning over you." I heard her voice answer jokingly. "Yes, but it would be nice if he would introduce us to one of them," I heard Aunt Gray's remark and chuckled. "Mom," Darren whined. "Oh, you should have been in shock when I had the news that Rayline had a boyfriend." "Rea
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