Sara intercepted me just like she had the night before. She cried out in relief when she saw me and wrapped her arms around me. I felt like crying but no tears came. I was so relieved that I was back in the angel realm, that I was safe again. I clung onto Sara and felt like singing out my relief. But I stayed quiet and closed my eyes.

Her voice brought me back to reality. "Mia! You're alright! Oh, we thought something bad had happened."

She waited for me to reply but I didn't. I just stared out into the space over her shoulder. She nudged me but I still didn't respond. "Mia?" she asked tentatively and unsure. I want not totally out from my thoughts.

I sighed. "I'm alright. Something did happen but I'm fine now." I murmured. I could feel her rush of questions coming on. They weren't something that I wanted to face right now.

But Sara surprised me. Instead of the interrogation I had been sure would come, there was silence. She wordlessly took my hand reassuringly and sighed. "I'll kill him." She murmured fiercely.

I shook my head. "No, I will."

She looked at me in shock. "What? What did he do? Are you sure that you want to k-kill him?"

I sighed and shook my head. "No, I'm not sure, but a few minutes ago I wouldn't have cared if he died. They were a nice few minutes - no confusion, no love - only extreme hatred." I closed my eyes and slowly shook my head.

Sara seemed to be burning with curiosity but she kept her questions from bubbling to her lips and flew with me back to the castle. When we got there I could see that the place seemed to be in an uproar. Guardian Angels were patrolling the perimeter and everyone had a frantic and disheveled look about their appearance.

Once we had been sighted, a guardian Angel blew on a horn - our way of signaling something - and more horns started to blow in response. Soon it was as if there was a loud fanfare going on around us. I guessed that the horns had been a signal to God because he flew out to meet us.

He quickly examined me before asking "Are you hurt?" in a concerned voice.

I shook my head. "I'm fine, at least I am now. I was injured before..." I trailed off after noticing their expressions. They ranged from aghast to shock. I stayed quiet and tensed my back. I glanced over God's shoulder and could see more Angels approaching. I couldn't help a small groan. A council meeting was the last thing that I wanted to do right row.

God noticed my frustration and quickly said "Ah, let us take this someplace more quiet and secluded." I nodded eagerly and began to fly away.

"What about me?" Sara asked.

"Go and spread the word that Mia is unscathed and has returned." He commanded.

She muttered something unintelligible. I thought she said something along the lines of "Because no one has realized that yet and word won't spread quickly at all." Her voice dripped sarcasm. But she obeyed and turned to leave.

"Bye Mia. I'll talk to you tonight." She promised.

I nodded seriously and added "Don't worry about me. You'll probably see me before tonight anyway. Actually, no, you won't. I'll probably be sleeping." I said dryly.

She cracked a smiled before flying away. God ushered me into the castle and, as promised, into a quiet and secluded room which I hadn't known existed. "Where are we?" I asked, curious.

He shrugged. "Just one of the many rooms which is never used. Now, tell me what happened?"

I hesitated but answered him. He didn't exactly have to know but it was probably important that he did. "I went to the hill of ashes to meet Vlad and he was there waiting for me alone. I told him that we were considering his offer and that I wanted to know certain conditions. As he spoke about his 'offer', I realized that he had been lying all this time. When I questioned him on it I realized that it had always been only his plan and never the demons. I then started to worry and I began to back away from him. When he admitted that he was going to kidnap me, I flew away. But he was too quick, however, and stopped me before I could reach the portal."

I took a deep breath and God motioned for me to continue. He was listening intensely.

"He subdued me and began to take me somewhere but I broke free. I wasn't able to get my wings to work properly in time so instead of flying away I crashed down to the ground. I was severely injured and I couldn't move. I had effectively been rendered useless. He landed beside me and examined me. He picked me up g-gently and examined me. He told me that he was taking me to some human hut. He also said that he would heal me. I didn't believe him but I couldn't make my lips move to tell him that as he had cast a spell on me which eventually forced me to pass out and I slipped into unconsciousness."

He looked like he was about to say something but he didn't. "Continue." He encouraged.

"When I woke up I was tied down to a bed. He was there and told me that he had completely healed me. As far as I could tell, he had. He said some th-things about us, and we yelled at each other." I chose my words carefully, not really that interested in sharing the kiss we had, had with God. "He left the room because he was angry and I br-broke free from the knots he had used to tie me to the bed."

God didn't seem to notice that I was leaving things out. He was concentrating on something very hard and motioned for me to finish.

"I laid on the bed until he came back. He had brought food for me and when I had finished it I threw the platter at him. He then became murderously enraged and started to manhandle me. I screamed back at him and he said some insults whic-which cut deep. I then tried to leave but he didn't let me. He shoved me back to the ground. I screamed at him to let me leave. He still didn't let me. I said that I hated him and that made him stop in his tracks. He said that he could feel my hate and I retorted back at him, saying that I could feel the lie that his life was. When I tried to get past him, this time he let me and didn't seem to come back to reality until I was out the door and about to fly away. And fortunately he didn't pursue me."

I stayed quiet once I had finished. God's brow was turned down into a frown as he concentrated. "That is interesting. You said that you hated him?" he asked me.

I nodded my head. "And you meant it?" he queried.

I sighed and nodded my head again. "Would you still say that to him now?" he asked. I nodded. "Yes, I would." I declared softly.

He nodded slowly and was quiet for a minute before he clapped his hands together. "I will think more on what you told me. For now, I am worried about your wounds."

"I have no wounds anymore." I pointed out.

"Yes, I know, but I'm worried about what else he may have done. You may not even be completely healed and you could be bleeding internally. You will see our medics and have them examine you. Do that now and then get some rest. I will send for you after I have thought some more." He commanded.

I nodded and almost bowed to him, but bowing wasn't something that angels did. We were taught that we were all equals. "Yes, God." I murmured as I walked out of the door.

The hall ways were fairly deserted but anytime I walked past someone, they would stare. I ignored them and looked straight ahead past them but it was still uncomfortable. I sighed in relief as I arrived at the hospital wing.

I stood outside the door for a minute, unwilling to enter, but I knew that I had to so I gritted my teeth and went through the door. I was met by a pair of concerned eyes, belonging to Edith, the head medic.

"Mia, I heard about what happened. Are you alright?" She enquired.

I sighed impatiently. "Yes, I'm fine. God wants me to be checked - just in case. Are you able to examine me now?"

She nodded. "We only have another angel here who was injured during training, but his injuries aren't serious. I can work on you for as long as you want."

"Oh, I don't need long. I just have to be checked to be safe." I hedged.

She nodded seriously. "Better safe then sorry." She murmured.

I quickly told her about the injuries that had been on my back and how Vlad had healed them. I also told her about God's worries that Vlad may have done something to me whilst I was unconscious. She added her concerns with his and told me to get on the cot she had prepared.

She brought me a glass of water which I drank before I laid down. She drew the curtain around us before turning back to me. "You will have to take off your shirt so that I can examine your back." She said in a medical voice which held authority.

I did as she asked and lay down on my now bare stomach and chest. I blushed, not because of what she was seeing, but because of what Vlad would have seen whilst I was unconscious. I had no idea what he had done to me during that time. The thought of what he could have done made me shiver.

Edith lightly ran her fingers over my back and asked me if I could feel anything. I said that I couldn't.

After a while she declared that, physically, I was completely fine and that Vlad must have healed me. This thought made me uncomfortable because I didn't like to feel like I had to thank him or that I owed him anything.

I quickly walked back to my room. This time I only saw Kale who nodded his head to me in acknowledgement, but otherwise ignored me. I was grateful for that. I wasn't in the mood for people asking me questions or staring at me.

When I got to my room I instantly plopped myself down on the bed and tried to go to sleep. I briefly thought over how my days and nights were getting turned around. I groaned internally; another problem to add to my ever-growing list. How nice.

It took me a while to fall asleep and even when I did, it felt restless and I still felt awake. Eventually I did slip into a deeper slumber.

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It was the war and I was facing him, preparing to fight him. He dropped down to his knees and begged me not to hurt him.

"I love you, Mia. I won't hurt you!" He declared.

I laughed without humor as I prepared to strike him.

"Isn't it a pity then, Vlad, that I no longer love you. I hate you and I am going to kill you right here, right now. Are you ready to get killed?" I asked him, viciously.

He shook his head but I ignored him. He straightened up and didn't make any move to defend himself. "If that's what you wish. I will not hurt you in self defense." He murmured.

I shrugged. "All the more easier." I said conversationally and I shot a beam of pure light at him. He convulsed as it hit him and he sank down to the ground where he cried in pain.

I stared at him without emotion as I watched him die.

"I have always loved you Mia." He said those last words before he died. It did not move me, that his dying words had been a declaration of love for me. Instead it only disgusted me. He had shown weakness in the final minutes of his life. People always showed how cowardly and weak they were in their last few minutes of life. This meant that Vlad was weak. I felt ashamed to have ever loved him.

←→

I woke up with a start and frantically glanced around the room. I sank down onto my bead and pushed all thoughts of the dream out of my head. I buried my face in my hands prayed that I would never be as cold and heartless as I had been in that dream.

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Next update: 18/06/2017

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