Rayline. "I didn't know Jesse was going to take over his business," I told him. I knew that Jesse's role had more to do with his demon status than his human world, so I didn't think he would be involved in that aspect. "Yeah, his mom really wants him to, so." He said, emphasizing a little to make it sound like he wasn't talking about his own mother. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of business does he run?" Dad asked, and normally I would have scolded him again, but I was honestly curious. He never really mentioned it. "Well, my father made his fortune early on, so now he invests in smaller companies and products," he said casually while taking a sip of water. "Really?" Mom chimed in. "Yeah, I don't visit much anymore, but when I do, he always has big events and things to do, so he's not home very often." He said casually as he explained about his father's business. "Wow, that sounds luxurious." She replied with a bit of awe. "Yeah..." he paused and looked down. "But Ray
Rayline. As I walked across campus to my house, ready to start the weekend, my phone vibrated. I immediately hit the answer button when I saw Cole's name. He's calling me to come over to his house. It seems like he's in the middle of something, which is why he asked me to come over. It only takes a few seconds as I walk to the front of the house and knock on the door before Cole opens it. "Hey." He stepped aside with a beaming smile. "Hey." I walked in and he closed the door behind me. "Why do I have to be here?" I followed him into the living room and saw Taylor sitting on the couch. "Hey, Ray!" He smiled and greeted me. "Oh, hey, Taylor," I said as I looked between the two guys in confusion. "So, I was thinking about what you were saying," Cole began, "about me working on my powers, so I was thinking, how about we do a little training?" "Training?" I asked looking at him and he nodded enthusiastically. "Okay... but why am I here?" Cole grinned grabbed a small cloth bag and
Rayline. I felt trapped in the middle of an incredible power struggle between Cole and Taylor. The flames controlled by the two of them were an awesome sight, but they soon turned into a real threat as they began to grow and get closer to me. The fire in front of Cole was receding, but on the other side, near Taylor, it was still raging fiercely. Even though Cole tried to control the situation, I felt more and more trapped in the shrinking circle of flames around me. "You better hurry before this forest burns down," Taylor shouted in an alarmed tone. The fire was getting closer and the heat was becoming unbearable. Although the fire near Cole was well under control, the fire near Taylor was still raging fiercely, and I felt the heat getting unbearable. I saw Taylor watching me from the side, and his narrowed eyes gave the impression that he was planning something. I panicked as the flames began to penetrate the circle around me. I tried not to show my fear, even though the tempera
Rayline. Slowly, he walked over to me and held out his hand for me to hold onto. He pulled me to my feet and placed me in front of him, his hands on my shoulders as he leaned forward and I could feel his breath in my ear. He starts to whisper something, but it's too quiet to be heard by Cole, who is still sitting on the ground with a puzzled expression on his face. "What did he say?" Cole asked, but none of us answered. "How is it, is it okay?" Taylor asked me, and I pursed my lips together, but I nodded my head. "Can I hold something?" I said in a nervous tone. "Yeah." He took my hand and put it on his arm. "Just squeeze me and don't worry about your nails, okay?" "Okay." Then I took a deep breath. "What are you guys doing?" Cole asked, but again none of us spoke. As soon as Taylor's other hand turned into a demonic claw, he dug one of his nails into the skin of my arm. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" I glanced over as Cole asked frantically, his eyes widening. Taylor's
Rayline. "You don't have to fly me back," I chuckled as my feet touched the ground of the forest, and he landed there, his wings disappearing behind him. "It's risky because it's too early." I looked up at the darkening sky, it was a little late now, but still. "It's all right, we live above the forest," he said with a grin and pulled his shirt over his head. He took my hand and led me to the side of my house, and when I came out of the trees, I saw someone waiting on my terrace. It took me a moment to figure out that it was Darren. "Darren?" I called out as I approached him, my hand still clasped in Cole's, and his head looked up at me. "H-hey," he said as I approached. "What are you doing here?" I asked in a puzzled tone. "I - um, I wanted to talk to you... Your mom said you were out, so I thought I'd wait here." I could hear the seriousness in the way he was talking, and I saw him take a look at Cole as well. "I'll go then," Cole cut in. "Text me when you get home, okay?"
Rayline. "I don't know, do you think it's too much? Or is the color a bit much?" As I stood in front of the mirror, I let my eyes observe every detail of the elegant dress reflected there. My body was gently embraced by the metallic silver Channel brand dress, creating an alluring silhouette. Delicate spaghetti straps crisscrossed the shoulders, adding a feminine touch to the whole look. The revealing back of the dress shows the shape of my backside, creating a mysterious appeal. Every curve and detail of this dress has been meticulously designed as if to create a living work of art on my body. "I think it's beautiful," my mom said as I stood in front of the dressing room mirror. "And I'm sure Cole will think the same." She grinned as she raised both eyebrows. Then I spun around once more and caught a glimpse before smiling. "Okay, let's pick this one." I stepped into the dressing room to take the dress off and put it back on the hanger before quickly changing into my casual clothe
Rayline. For a second I was frozen, and then the sound of Irish's voice pulled me out of my reverie. "It's okay," Irish said with a smile and moved to let the boys in. Here I tried to be casual, as if I didn't know them. It was so hard to do that. Honestly, I had no idea if the girls were familiar with the two demons. "So who are these lovely ladies?" Chris asked, his eyes falling on me as he put his hands on the table. His smirk showed that he already knew who I was, and it was clear from his expression that he was interested in playing games with me. "This is Mandy, Jane, and Rayline," Irish said, pointing at each girl and me, while Kody looked me up and down. "Hmm, you look familiar to me, Rayline, have we met before?" he asked me in a meaningful way and I swallowed. Whether he was pretending not to know me or just playing mind games like Chris, I could never tell. "Uh, no... I don't think we did." I fiddled with my fingers as he tilted his head. "Are you okay? Your face loo
Rayline. He let go of his grip and Chris fell to the ground, gasping for breath as Jesse watched from above. Out of nowhere, Kody suddenly appeared behind Jesse, ready to strike, but Jesse moved more quickly than I could have ever imagined and caught the demon by the wrist. "Nice try, huh?" He reached up and spun around to deliver a hard punch to poor Kody's stomach, throwing him back a few feet as he screamed in pain. Then Chris stood up and lunged at Jesse, who stepped aside to easily dodge the attack before grabbing Chris' arm and twisting it. All I could hear was the snap of his arm as it slipped out of position, and Chris screamed in pain. "Cole may hesitate to hurt you, but I won't," he said through clenched teeth. It was the first time I had ever seen this side of Jesse that was so terrifying. He let go and straightened up to look at Kody, who was now sitting on the ground in a pitiful state. "I suggest you guys get the hell out of here before I get really mad at you." Wast
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