CHAPTER 2 Who Am I? 

　　Abigail's POV

　　I never thought leaving everything and everyone I love behind would be this easy. I have spent years overthinking and talking myself out of doing this, but with each passing mile this coach takes, I travel further away from my Mother's tight apron strings and paranoia. Relief spreads through me, my shoulders seem to relax, and my mind finally clears of the fog.

　　I feel- Free!

　　As the coach rattled along the road, I couldn't help but notice how quaint this town was, having gone from smooth roads to dirt tracks and cobbled pavements. Gone are the built-up shopping centres that housed name brands and pricey restaurants, all with ample parking and valeting. Even the expensive houses with perfectly trimmed hedges and mowed lawns gated proudly with the iconic white picket fences have slowly vanished. What faced me now as I stared out my filthy coach window was heaven on earth. A mass of green trees as far as the eye can see.

　　Occasionally we rolled by a modest bar or shop; the parking lot would barely fit ten cars on its gravelled lot. The buildings looked like they had not been cleaned or painted in at least twenty years; if I had not seen lights on and people sat out in what I guessed was the beer gardens, I would have assumed somebody had abandoned them. I had yet to reach the central part of town when I decided, as I stared out the window at the luscious greens and browns that passed from the surrounding forest, that this was indeed where I wanted to be! Surrounded by nature but, most importantly, hidden from my past.

　　My phone vibrated in my lap for the fifteenth time this hour, the screen flashing with a picture of a slender woman with high cheekbones, flawless skin, and eyes as blue as the ocean, all framed by perfect blonde hair, the colour of sunshine, and spun gold. Hitting the reject button, I sent my Mother to voicemail like I had done every time before.

　　My eyes glanced back to the window and the reflection that stared back at me; even now, at 17, I am nothing like my Mother.; My hair is a mass of crimson curls, bouncy, wild, and free. My face lacked the high cheekbones or strong jaw; it was simply forgettable with its pasty skin and freckled complexion. Although slim, my small figure had more curves than my Mother's tall, athletic frame. She oozed grace and elegance, two words I would not use to describe me.

　　Sighing heavily, I pulled my eyes from the window; it was just another reminder that I was different!

　　Who am I?

　　That is a question I have asked myself daily for as long as I remember. I know my past; I relive it, fear it, and have spent years hiding from it. My Mother, the beautiful Grace – the angel of goodness! She is pure, sensitive, loving, and kind; she means no harm to any creature, good or bad, believing everyone deserves a chance.

　　My father, Bernael the Fallen, followed Lucifer on his fall from grace. Bernael, known throughout Heaven and Hell as the Fallen Angel of Darkness and Evil; his only care rests on his love for death and destruction, pain and agony; nothing else holds any place in his heart, not even me, it seems.

　　My Mother, heartbroken discovering the truth surrounding the man she loved, refused to speak of him with me. Only sharing that he was evil itself and we had to stay hidden for our safety.

　　Naturally, I rebelled against my Mother's lifestyle and choices to hide us from the world; instead of heeding her warnings. I have spent the last year travelling from town to town searching for answers, watching the ongoings of many of the fallen who left with my father to follow Lucifer. I watched them all from afar.

　　 A few powerful covens, werewolf packs, and powerful beings caught my eye along the way. Always drawn to their power. But I knew better than to make myself known; I always kept to the shadows. Lurking in the dark spot in their vision in hopes that one day soon, they will lead me to what I want: My Father. So that I can come face to face with the man who destroyed my life before I was even born.

　　The man who has made me question what and who I am, where I belong, and how to lead my life. What I want from him, I don't know; I just know seeing him is what I need to do. Am I an angel of light or dark? And what does my future hold? Refusing to acknowledge my gifts and their heritage until I see him, fearing that it will turn me into him.

　　A monster!

　　So absorbed in my thoughts, I had not even realised we had entered the central part of town; houses lined the cobbled paths, each completely different as if individually built to represent each owner's character and charm, like a fairy tale.

　　Grabbing my backpack off the seat next to me, I walked down the now empty coach to retrieve my case from underneath. Not a picket fence in sight; it was utterly unique. My crimson locks stuck to the back of my neck from the lack of air conditioning throughout the nine hours coach trip.

　　I couldn't wait for a shower! The driver approached to pull my case from the storage compartment; his sunken eyes met mine, a look of uncertainty playing on his worn-out face.

　　"You sure you wanna get off here? I can take you back a few stops if you like. I am going that way anyway." His voice seemed shaky; I assumed it was from the long drive.

　　"No, thank you. This is where I want to be!" I explained, my voice laced with wonder and excitement.

　　"Seriously? With the… freaks here! Whatever, kid, good luck. I hope you make it out alive!" He shrugged and plodded back to the bus, not even hanging around for his usual smoke break.

　　Pulling my phone from my pocket, I tried to load up google maps, but my signal was non-existent. Groaning, I pulled the handle up on my case, threw my backpack over my shoulder, and walked along the cobbled street, looking for the bed and breakfast I had booked. My case squeaked in protest at the cobbled pavements making me cringe. Every passer-by crossed the road to get away from me. Clearly, I was an unwelcome visitor. I wondered if I should have taken the driver up on his offer.

　　An hour of walking in what felt like circles in the late evening sun had my stomach growling and my pale skin burnt to a crisp. Checking my phone for a signal only to throw it to the side of me in frustration when the battery died! Pulling my case up to a bench overlooking a picturesque water fountain, I collapsed my aching body onto it.

　　"Great, now I'll die of hunger and boredom." I groaned, placing my head in my hands to stifle my dramatic scream.

　　"Lost?" A deep husky voice purred; I didn't need to look up to know whoever owned that voice would make my cheeks blush, so I kept my head in my hands and mumbled something sarcastic into them.

　　"I'm sorry I don't talk halfwit. Would you like to try English?" The husky voice came again; I could sense the smirk that toyed at the corner of his lips before I saw it.

　　I was right. He was gorgeous, devilishly so, in his blue jeans and fitted shirt that perfectly clung to each of his muscles. Tall at well over 6"4, his hair a dark brown with flickers of gold tussled at the front and cut short around the sides. His perfectly angular jaw locked in a smug smirk, but his eyes were by far his best feature, as green as the emeralds similar to mine but endlessly deep, the amusement that swirled in them as he stared at me instantly got under my skin.

　　I must have looked a mess, my plain face showing signs of sunburn and exhaustion, my red locks stuck to my face in a sweaty mess, not forgetting the scarlet cheeks that screamed innocence. I watched as his lips twitched, mirroring the amusement that swam in his eyes, and I couldn't help myself. The words left my mouth before I had a chance to stop them.

　　"I said: No, I'm not lost; it was my plan all along to travel nine hours to come and sit on THIS bench!"

　　"Nine hours?" He asked, raising a perfectly shaped brow, his eyes narrowing on me curiously.

　　"Nine hours!" I confirmed with a roll of my eyes which seemed to force the smirk off his face, at least for a second.

　　"That explains the smell." He declared, plainly sniffing the air around me as he sat beside me, picking my phone up and placing it on his lap. His fingers traced the edge of its dated and broken screen. Turning my head slowly to stare at him, the blush returning to my cheeks. I glared at him; his eyes locked on mine, completely emotionless. I can't tell if he is teasing or not. Pressing my lips together tightly to stop myself from snapping at the only person to talk to me since arriving in this town.

　　Using my angelic powers of mind reading, I tried to search his mind for some clue as to what was going on in his head. Pushing the connection into his mind only to come up against a strong barrier that kicked me out, taking me by surprise.

　　Most humans had no idea when I was doing it; the most they would feel would be the start of a headache. Supernatural beings, however, all responded differently. But never was I kicked back out of someone's mind. Without another word, I stood abruptly, grabbing my suitcase and stomping off in the other direction, unsettled by his resilience to my abilities; it's not very often that happens.

　　"You're going the wrong way!" His chuckle is such a beautiful sound I reluctantly acknowledge to myself. Spinning around, refusing to look at him, instead focusing elsewhere, knowing I would be lost to those sharp cheekbones and full lips if I wasn't careful.

　　"You don't know where I am going!" I declare triumphantly, "So how do you know I'm going the wrong way?" Tilting my head to finally gaze at him fully, my lips widening in a smug smirk.

　　"Because Alice's B&B is that way." He pointed behind him in the opposite direction to where I was walking. The smile quickly faded from my face, chewing the inside of my lip for a moment before sighing.

　　"Are you going to show me? Or will you sit there with that smug grin plastered on your handsome face while I walk around all night!" Instantly I regretted my choice of words.

　　"You think I'm handsome?" He teased pretentiously, getting to his feet and nodding for me to follow.

　　"UGHHH, You're infuriating!" I growled, frustrated at the whole situation.

　　"Come on, Red; it's not far." Rolling my eyes, I looked to the bench and then to him, deciding I had no other options really; I had to follow him.