The song that had been playing came to an end, but before another could begin a very familiar voice rang over all the chatter and echoed all throughout the ballroom.

"Alright, I've enough of the classical, sappy, stuff.  I think it's time we really get this party started!"

    Kai and Evabelle glanced at each other, eyes wide.  Both of them quickly headed to the railing and looked down at the dance floor to see a tiny golden haired girl dashing across the stunning glass flooring, waving a small blue object in her hand.  Her iPod. Evabelle instantly recognized.  That girl never went anywhere without it.  Aza skidded to halt in front of an elf standing behind a table that was in front of the instrumentalists they had been listening to all evening. 

    To Evabelle's complete astonishment, the elf reached under the table and pulled out an iPod jack and plugged it in.  Aza leaned over and was helping scroll through her playlist, when the dark angel approached.  Evabelle closed her eyes and listened hard.  Anahalians were supposed to have super hearing too.  She focused on them and shockingly, Del's voice met her ears as though he were standing right next to her.  "This is a royal ceremony with ceremonial music, but of course you have to bring that."

    Evabelle opened one eye to see her friend stick her tongue out at him.  "Oh, please," her voice also made her seem so much closer.  "Because you were so enjoying that stuff."

    Del crossed his arms.  "I don't enjoy anything."

    "No durr."  Aza crossed her eyes and made another face at him, before turning back to the elf to choose a song.  Suddenly, lyrics to a song that Evabelle recognized blasted through the ever so elegant ballroom. 

Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep

Dreaming about the things that we could be

"Now this is what I'm talking about!"  Aza punched her fist into the air.

    Del turned with a sardonic wave.  "Yeah, you have fun with that."  He began sauntering away, sliding his hands into his pockets.

    "Oh, does someone not know how to dance?"  Aza mocked to his back.

    Del slowed, smirking.  "You saying that to me is hilarious."

    Aza put her hands on her hips.  "But who's walking away?  I mean, come on, anyone can do a simple waltz."  Del rolled his eyes.  "But it takes true to skill to dance this song into a masterpiece.  It's probably too much for you though, so I completely understand."

    Del rolled his neck and slowly turned back to the girl that was nearly an entire foot shorter than him, and paced right up to her.  It was around then that Evabelle realized that nearly the entire room was watching Del and Aza, first and second floor.  The shadowy man leaned in close and Evabelle had to strain harder to hear his whisper.  "You don't know the meaning of masterpiece, Picasso.  A masterpiece is taking the worst dancer in the room and still stunning the audience."

We'll be counting stars

    "And you can to that?"  Aza was grinning.  "Prove it."

Yeah, we'll be counting stars

    Right as the beat hit, Del's hand was out of his pocket, snatching Aza's and easily sending her whirling through the very adhering crowd which had made a perfect path for them.  Aza's dress fanned up like a blooming purple lily.  To Evabelle amazement, the girl didn't trip or even come close to falling flat on her face.  Del must have done it in such a way that the momentum carried her all the way through to the center of the dance floor.

    He'd so easily directed Aza with just a flick of his wrist, Evabelle just couldn't believe it.  She had both eyes open wide now as she watched just as everyone else. 

    Del slowly and casually stalked forward, following the whirlwind through the elves.  His feet hit the ground so perfectly with the music.  His hands were back in his pockets, the left corner of his mouth was turned upward and even from this distance, Evabelle could see those violets glittering.

    Aza was in trouble.

    The violaceous tornado finally slowed and Del reached her right as the words started again, catching her and pulling her close, one hand in hers and the other on her waist, right as the beat hit once more.

I see this life

Like a swinging vine

Swing my heart across the line

    Del moved forward and back so swiftly, taking Aza with him, for which Evabelle got a quick glance of the blonde's completely stunned face.  He did a quick flash out and back the other way.  The entire crowd of elves had made a ring around the pair, giving them plenty of room.  They were clearly enjoying this just as much as Evabelle was.

I, feel something so right

Doing the wrong thing

    Del crossed his hands, creating an x between them and spun Aza so that her back was to him, but hand still gripping hers.  He dipped right so that their hands seemed to be reaching for the floor and then quickly switched and dipped left.  Then he arced his left arm over Aza, and turned her back to him with their arm crossed again right as the music said:

I, feel something so wrong

Doing the right thing

    The Anahalian bowed and actually went to one knee, and in one move spun Aza to his other side as well as turning his own body, so that they remained facing each other as the music rang: 

I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie

    Then he easily glided up, catching Aza's wrists, their faces briefly millimeters away from one another.

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

    Right as the word "alive" sang out, Aza was smoothly sliding under Del's legs.  Then the angel released with one hand and swung his leg up and over spinning and pulling Aza up, so fast and so perfectly in time.  And they were back to slaying across the room.

    Evabelle could barely even breathe, and she wasn't even the one dancing with him.

    "Ah, If you don't ship em', you're wrong."

    Evabelle jumped in surprise and turned to see Faux beside her leaning over the banister, grinning down at the two.

    "Where's Opal?"  Kai asked from Evabelle's other side.  "You seemed to be enjoying yourselves."

    Faux straightened up.  "Oh, certainly.  The woman can barely keep her hands off me."

    Evabelle pushed herself up from the railing as well.  "It looked like it's actually true this time."

    Green eyes flashed onto her.  "Savage princess.  I like," he winked.  Then he glanced back up at Kai.  "As taken as she is, not even my good looks could stop the call of nature."

    Evabelle stared at Faux, wanting to say something.  She'd been in a similar position before, where she needed to talk to someone, to apologize for something that she had said and done.  It just happened to be the man on her other side.  They'd gotten that whole fiasco cleared up and everything was fine, but this time it was different.  Evabelle didn't believe she was wrong, but she could feel the lingering tension between herself and the red haired Anahalian.  She didn't want that.  She wanted to fix this, but didn't know how.

    Faux's gaze brushed back to her, but he must have seen the look in her own expression and quickly began to look away down to the couple dancing below again.  Evabelle bit her lip and instead asked, "Ship?"

    Faux perked up.  "You haven't heard of it?"

    Evabelle shook her head.  "I mean, of course I have, but I didn't know that they taught fandom jargon in Jovis."

    "Of course they don't."  Faux laughed.  "No, I've been studying the culture on the fascinating world of tumblr."

    "What?"  Evabelle just stared.

    "What do you think I do when I'm not sleeping with all you lazy bums?"

    "Apparently, being a lazy bum."  Kai shook his head.

    "Au contraire, Majesty.  I'm doing many, many things.  Researching whatever I can.  The library has yet to yield any info on ways to break the bond of familiar and witch for our dear friend, CJ.  Nor has it given any idea of how to cure this Annihilation plague.  So, naturally, I turned to the world of cyberspace."

    "But how?"  Evabelle asked.  "How did you get online in the first place?"

    "Callie's computer," Faux replied simply.  "She doesn't use it often, except for some online shopping, but I asked to take a look, and she supposed it was worth a shot.  Most of the human race don't know about us for real, but they still have ideas and thoughts about the magical world.  And of course there are the pixie sites."

    Kai tapped his chin.  "Yes, well, where does the whole shipping aspect come into it?"

    "Well, as I said, I may have wandered into a blue box that was a little bigger than I expected."  Faux shrugged.

    Evabelle's mind was whirling from all of this for some reason.  She'd read so many books about fantasy worlds where technology wasn't a part of it.  That was only for humans since the other world had magic.  But she had read about pixies of this world and how they actually helped advance human technology to where it was now.  It still felt bizarre.        

    Faux saw Evabelle's confusion and grinned.  "Yes, we Anahalians do understand the internet."

    "It's your first time actually on it though."  Kai leaned his back against the banister, a small smirk playing his lips.  "I can see you're surprised, Evabelle.  We may be away from the world, but we're far from oblivious.  We have speakers in this room obviously, for this song to be playing."  He gestured casually as the song said.

I feel the love

And I feel it burn

Down this river every turn

Hope is a four letter word

  "We know more than Anahalians though, since we've been here."  The elf prince continued.  And they can only watch and learn from afar."

    "I truly had no idea what I was missing."  Faux grinned.

    "So are you on tumblr too?"  Evabelle stared at Kai, the idea sounding so ludicrous as it slipped out of her mouth.

    Kai shook his head and laughed.  "No, I know of the internet and how it works, but I am also aware of the addictive prospects of social media, which is why we are sparing with it."

    Evabelle was still blown away, but that at least made sense.  She glanced back down at the couple as Faux and Kai did as well.  They were now doing a slightly altered version of a move Evabelle recognized from a movie where the couples were swing dancing.  Del's arms would slid up Aza's arms and then spin her in against his body, and then out again, and back.  It really was mesmerizing.  Faux might just have a point about them.

    The singer went high again and Del now had Aza's wrist and was spinning around with Aza like the needle of a compass, her feet not touching the floor, just gliding above like a professional figure skater.

I, feel something so wrong

Doing the right thing

    Evabelle just couldn't believe how well Del made Aza look like she truly was a superb dancer.  He really did know how to, in his words, 'create a masterpiece'.

I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie

Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly

    Right as the word "fly" hit, Aza was thrown high into the air her silky purple dress flowing around her, the silver, glitter stars, glimmering as if they were the real thing.  How did Del throw her so that she wasn't a wind-milling mess as such a height?  Then she was down, caught perfectly in the dark angel's arms, bridal style. 

    Evabelle just couldn't get over the expression on her friend's face, that had not changed an inch from pure shock.

    Now they were doing a fancy barrel roll, one would spin then the other.  Then they were back to sashaying across the room.  And then a spin, a slide, a lift, all in perfect succession.

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

    As that one hit, Aza was flipped over Del's head, as he turned as slick as a cat and was there to ground the girl, only to slide her under his legs again.  Around the floor they went.  No one could take their eyes off them, just as Evabelle noticed the couple themselves couldn't take their eyes off each other.  Evabelle was so captivated that she didn't even realize the song was reaching its end.

Take that money and watch it burn

Sink in the river the lessons are learned

Take that money and watch it burn

Sink in the river the lessons are learned

    The last hit perfectly matched as Del spun Aza one last time and had the girl in a killer dip.  The entire crowd erupted in applause, including Evabelle and the two boys beside her, as Del pulled Aza up, released her hand and backed up a few paces.  The dark Anahalian shook his head, messing up his fixed hair, that had miraculously stayed that way through the dance, allowing it to fall back into his face, bringing the return of the ever sexy windswept angel.  His grin was rock hard ice as he slowly raised his hands at his sides and said.  "Just call me Da Vinci."

    Then Del spun on his heel and left the dance floor, leaving a completely astounded blonde ogling after him.  Though, it didn't take long for her to shake herself out of it and begin to run after him, shouting.  "Wait, a second!  I'm not the worst dancer in the room!"

    Evabelle, Faux, and Kai burst out laughing.  This was amazing!  Evabelle, had been so negative about so many things, but to have these people by her side, couldn't keep her down.

    "That showoff," Faux wheezed.  "He's so oblivious."

    Evabelle thought for a moment.  "Del isn't normally one for showing off, actually."  She mused.

    Faux shook his head.  "No, not normally.  You noticed that, huh?  Yeah, surprisingly, he's not.  He sticks to the shadows because he generally doesn't want people to see him.  Aza seems to think he is a showoff, probably because he stands out to her."  Faux smirked.  "Although, he does tend to make more of an effort when that squirt is around."  He sighed and hunched over the banister, staring down as the crowd began filling in the cleared floor again.  A new song was playing, still from Aza's iPod.  Evabelle was fairly certain it was an Killer's song, and the elves were dancing to it just as well as the stuff that had been playing earlier.  "It's just that every once and a while, he likes to show off that he's more than everyone's precious oracle."

    Evabelle watched Faux, anxiously.  His eyes were having a harder time changing from silly to serious than usual.  Everyone's mask slips away, and we all need to be prepared for what's underneath.  "Faux,"  Evabelle began, but not a moment after his name had left her lips, another voice called it out.

    Evabelle turned and saw Opal stumbling through the crowd, waving furiously.  "Are you ready to dance again?  The music is fun and crazy now!"

    Faux straightened up, his face drew back in that confused expression.  "Ah, yes!  Excellent!"  he replied.  He turned and gave Kai and Evabelle a bewildered smile and went to meet his date.

    "I'm glad everyone seems to be having fun."  Kai smiled watching them go.

    Evabelle refocused her attention again.  "You, know I've never seen you so relaxed.  You've been so light and teasing tonight.  I don't think I've ever seen you like this." 

    Ash eyes landed on her.  "Hmm, I suppose what they say is true about the truth.  It really sets you free.  I didn't realize how liberating it was to let you see me here, know my story and everything."

    "Us accepting you as you."

    Kai smiled and nodded.  "Yes, it's been a while since I've felt this happy."

    Evabelle couldn't help but smile back.  From the corner of her eye, she could still see elves staring, and murmuring to each other, but now wasn't the time to dwell on them.  Dwelling on anything negative doesn't push you forward.  It only drags you down.  And if Evabelle ever wanted to fly, that negative way of thinking had to end.

    Suddenly, a thought occurred to Evabelle.  "Wait, you're the heir!"

    Kai's eyebrows went up.  "That's probably why there's this celebration going on."

    "No, no that's not what I meant."  Evabelle shook her head.  "Um, you...uh..."  How did she ask this.  "Do you...ever have...dreams?"  She bit her lip.  "What I mean is, do you ever have dreams about your people?  The future, kind of like an Oracle?"  Zion had told her about how all the leaders and heirs of the angel borns had a fragment of Specula's oracle power.  Her own dreams of her friends had terrified her, but maybe...maybe she wasn't the alone.

    Kai slowly nodded.  "Oh, you're talking about Specula's Touch."

    "So you do?"  Evabelle leaned forward.

    The Heir shook his head.  "No,"  Evabelle's excitement slipped, but then Kai added quickly.  "I used to.  Before I was Turned, I did, but ever since then, I haven't."  Kai gave her a hard look.  "But I take it you do now."

    "Yes," Evabelle nodded.  "It's kind of scary."

    "How did you know that I would have had dreams like that too?"  Kai was staring at her rather strangely.

    "Um, what do you mean?"  Evabelle blinked.

    "The fact that angel born leaders and their successors having this gift is not widely known.  How did you know that I would have had that ability?"

    "I--"  Evabelle still hadn't told anyone that she'd actually been talking to her father.  "Well, I've been remembering things from my past, and my father told it to me."  It wasn't a lie.

    Kai bought it.  "Oh, okay.  That makes sense."

    "But you know how it works," Evabelle pressed.  "I really hope your father will let you come back with us.  I need you.  Even as a vampire, you are one of the most princely, angelic beings I have ever met."

    Kai chuckled.  "You are far too kind.  The key to being a good leader is knowing there are many keys, many lessons."  He took her empty cup and went to go place it on the table.  When he returned he held out his arm, which she took.  "Would you like to go dance again, or something else?"

    Evabelle fanned herself a little.  The soda had helped, but it was still pretty hot.  "I don't know."

    "How about we go outside?"  Kai nodded toward large glass doors where the full moon shown through them and onto an enormous rounded balcony.

    Evabelle gave a relieved sigh.  "Perfect."     

    Kai pushed the doors opened and the two slipped out into the blissfully cool night.  Somehow the moon seemed even larger now.  "I've only seen it like this in movies."  Evabelle murmured softly.

    The elf prince slipped his arm out of hers and walked to the railing of the balcony and stared up at the bright night.  "It's interesting how light can outshine itself."

    "Hmm?"  Evabelle slowly followed him over.  "What do you mean?"

    "The stars are always there, but you never see them in the day, because the sun shines too fiercely.  And in the city, at night, it's hard to see because of all the artificial light.  Now," he gestured to the great white sphere in the sky.  "Even the moon, sister to the stars, outshines them."

    "Am I supposed to find the philosophical connection to this?"

    Kai turned to her, his skin and hair seemed to be glowing themselves as the moonlight, enveloped him.  "Do you ever feel like a faded star?"

    Evabelle blinked.  "W-what?"

    "You are an insecure person.  You find it hard to take action sometimes.  I wonder if it's because when you stand by someone like Aza, who is always so fierce and bright, you feel you are insufficient in comparison.  Someone faded, that no one can see."

    Evabelle shook her head, roughly, making some of her perfectly placed hair fall into her face.  "No!  I'm not the way I am because of Aza, I just...I just..."

    "You misunderstand."  Kai put up his hands.  "I'm not saying it's Aza's fault.  We are who we are.  Sometimes we're not the brightest star in the sky, and that's okay.  Even the smallest star is beautiful, and it still gives off light.  I just wondered, if you ever felt you weren't good enough, because there was someone giving off a more intense glow standing right next to you."

    Evabelle wrapped her arms around herself.  "I...I don't...well maybe."  She surprised herself by saying.  "My whole life, I've been introverted.  I didn't want attention.  But at the same time, I always kind of wanted what Aza had."  Evabelle unfolded herself and put her hands and the smooth wood of the rail and looked back up at the moon.  "But Aza, the brightest star, saw me and thought I was special."  Evabelle gave a little laugh.  "And then, on my sixteenth birthday an angel came and scooped me up, telling me he believed I was the brightest star."  Evabelle cheeks flushed, and an ache bounded in chest.  Evabelle hadn't seen that angel all night, and it almost gave her the bizarre urge to cry.  Where was he?

    The Anahalian princess looked up to the elven prince.  "Sometimes light is a matter of perspective.  It depend on where you're looking, or who's looking.  I used to think of myself as the shadow that the light cast.  Nothing, but what was left behind from someone else's glow, but I don't see myself that way anymore.  I can't."

    Kai had a small smile on his lips.  "Then tell me what you see yourself as now."

    Evabelle took a deep breath, thinking back through since the night when the Annihilators first attacked and she had done nothing but get in the way, up to the moment where she faced Averno and banished him with her own power.  She could see the steps were small, but they were there and she was putting one foot in front of the other.  "I am a star that is growing.  Little by little I'm giving off more light.  And maybe someday," She feared presuming too much, but the words still slipped out.  "I'll be brighter than the sun."

    The incandescent vampire bowed low to Evabelle.  "It will be a pleasure to finally stand in the light of the sun again when that day comes."  He rose.  "You know you say you need  me to help you to learn more about being a royal, but you are on a good path."

    Evabelle shook her head.  "I said I'm growing, which means learning.  I'm still a ways off before I'll be ready.  I'm still a coward.  I'm not good at taking charge.  Lucis is the one that's good at that."

    "That's because he doesn't show how scared he is."

    "Scared?"

    "When we get into a bad situation, the best thing to do is to stay calm, sooth those who are panicking.  The best way to do that is to be someone sturdy and firm.  They may have to make decisions that they doubt, but they can't tell the others.  If they can insure faith from them, you are more likely to succeed.  The leader's path can be lonely, and it is always difficult.  But you can't let the people know.  You need to be the pillar of support, strength, and confidence."

    "All things that I struggle with."  Evabelle nodded glumly.

    "Don't be down."  Kai warned.  "You might end up in a situation where you have to take charge and you're the only one who can.  You've had Lucis and Calandra to help for now, but they might not always be there."

    "I know," Evabelle nodded.  "You're right."  She turned out again and rested her elbows on low wall, staring down and a marvelous courtyard.  Cobblestones glinted from the silvery orb that lit the night.  Millions of small white and yellow flowers surrounded the area that wasn't quite as foresty as the rest of the island. 

    But there was something that completely drew Evabelle's attention.  There was a large, immaculate fountain that made the one in Calandra's garden pale in comparison.  The base rounded like a clover.  The stacks when four falls high.  The water didn't even look like water.  It seemed to be glowing supernaturally blue.  However, it was what was on top of it that held Evabelle's gaze.  There was a tall man wearing simple black slacks and a white dress shirt.  The dark coat was being held in one hand over his shoulder as he stared out, his back to her.  Gold hair, that paled to almost as white as Kai's, blew a little wildly in the wind and wings, so white that could blind a man, arched on his back. 

    Kai cleared his throat from beside her, causing Evabelle to jump as she was broken from her trance.  "I am right about many things, such as I believe our night has been a most lovely one, but it might be time that we mingle with some other individuals."

    Evabelle turned to the prince a wide grin spreading up her face.  "Thank you!"  She nodded and ran back into the palace.  But she quickly turned back Kai.  "As being right as you are your Majesty, it would be foolish not to follow your own advice.  You don't want to be considered a fool, now do you?"  She gave the slightly startled elf a wink and whirled away.

* * *

Evabelle practically flew through the crowd and down the steps, onto the dance floor again.  She pushed her way through the people, ignoring their stares after her as she finally made it to the simple door, leading out to the  lit clearing.

    The girl's heels clacked across the stones, and she nearly stumbled gracelessly to the ground before she finally reached the fountain where she straightened up and quickly smoothed out her dress and tucked stray hairs behind her ears.  "Look who's avoiding the party.  Is it so beneath you Mr. Perfect?"  Evabelle teased, trying her best to not sound breathless, even though he had to have heard her clumsy arrival.

    Lucis who still had his back to her, chuckled.  "So, you've caught me Princess,"  He slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder, to give her a side grin, but the smile dropped, and his daylight eyes widened as they landed on Evabelle.  The coat he had over his shoulder, slipped from his fingers, and he swiftly spun the rest of the way around to catch it, but his eyes never left her.  Evabelle's flushed face, felt hotter and she silently scolded herself as being as obvious as Opal. 

    The angel stood gaping at her, but she herself couldn't stop staring either.  Unlike the other guys, his suit didn't look custom made.  There were no fancy colors or silky trim lapels.  It was simple black and white. 

    Normally, Lucis did have a cleaner look, but now he had his tie untied, draped over his shoulders.  Several of the buttons were undone, accenting the soft curve of his throat and the elegant slope of his collarbone.  The buttons on his sleeve were undone as well, showing off the tight muscle lines around his wrists, and the wind had blown his usually kept hair all around him like a wild halo of gold. 

    This man was so beautiful.

    In a way it made Evabelle feel exposed.  For a moment, she was reminded of when she had opened the door at Etheldreda's, to meet with Averno, and found him disguised as Lucis.  He hadn't been wearing a shirt, and had flaunted around the room.  But her Lucis wasn't like that.  He was as stunning as a god, but he never showed it off.  In this moment, he wasn't showing off, by letting loose.  It was like he had finally decided to relax, and Evabelle was seeing him, as the raw gorgeous angel that he was.

    Lucis drifted down from the tall fountain head, and stood before her, his face, so lost on her.  He bowed low just as Del, Faux, and Kai had when they had seen her.  "What do I owe, the privilege of your company, your Majesty?"

    Evabelle took a deep breath and waited for him to stand straight again, before reaching out her hand to him.  "I wanted to ask you to dance with me."

    Blue gemstones lit up, outshining the great moon in the sky and blinding all the stars.  "There's no music out here you know," he whispered. 

    Evabelle grinned.  "I have a theory about that." 

    Lucis placed his jacket and tie over the side of the fountain, then turned back to her and placed his large, gentle hand over hers, his smile enveloping the girl.  "Then it would be the highest honor Princess." 

    Then that strong, kind man drew the slender, gold girl to him and they began to glide around the shimmery stone path.  The night, itself was their only witness.  The faint sound of water flowing from the fountain was the only noise that resonated around the small area, but Evabelle didn't hear that.  She heard her heart.  She heard his heart.  She heard the light in his eyes, the shape of his smile, the wave of his hair, the touch of his fingers intertwined with hers and against her waist.  They were the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard until her angel drew her up onto the edge of the clover shaped fountain, and she let out a cry of surprise, and he laughed.  Now that sound was pure music.

    Lucis easily guided the girl around the wall of the fountain as Evabelle instinctively drew closer to him, shying away from the water, but a mischievous glint in the man's eye made Evabelle tense.  Then the sneaky Anahalian purposely slipped on the rim, and pulled Evabelle into the bottom pool of the fountain. 

    Evabelle screamed out in shock and slammed her eyes shut, but when they splashed into the water she didn't get wet.  She opened her eyes and blinked in wonder.  She was held tight in Lucis's arms who was grinning down at her.  Her eyes traveled to the water itself which she hadn't really looked at until that moment.  It had seemed to give a faint glow, but she had thought that the bottom must have some blue lights shining upward.  No, it was the water itself that glowed, and it wasn't even water, Evabelle realized. 

    The closest things she could say it resembled were the little wisps of glowing lights that her father had shown her in that box.  They had been the memories of past Anahalian kings, she remembered.  But now it was like there were millions of them, swimming together, flowing down from the top of the fountain and surrounding the two of youths. 

    "What is this?"  Evabelle slowly sat up, pushing away from Lucis, rolling off his lap, and sitting beside him.  She stared as her dress semi floated around her and the blue strands swam all around her, feeling like light warm butterfly kisses brushing against her skin.  There was a strange feeling hovering inside her, making her feel slightly lightheaded, and giddy.  She suddenly found herself beaming for some insane reason, and wasn't sure why.

    Lucis cupped a group of the glowing blue threads in his hands, staring fixedly as they swirled around between his palms, before slowly letting them swim away.  "Feelings," he murmured.

    Evabelle scrunched her eyes, but was still smiling.  "What?"

    Lucis looked back at her and grinned at her expression.  "This fountain is called Auxilia Gaudium which roughly means 'to heal with happiness.'  Elves primary purpose is to take care of life.  They have many methods of healing the broken.  Sometimes it's not a physical injury that needs to be taken care of, but an emotional one.  They collect memories that have brought joy to them, or peace, or love, and split those down to the pure feeling itself.  It's a sort of therapeutic treatment, for people that have suffer from PTSD, depression, anxiety, any kind of trauma."  He leaned his head back against the pillar in the middle, looking up at the falling luminous cerulean, letting glowing strands wash over his face, breathing them in as if he had never had a taste a pure fresh air in his life.  "Unfortunately," he whispered.   "The biggest flaw they have is that it's only temporary."

    Evabelle watched the angel soak himself in joy, love, and peace.  His tense bearing, which Evabelle didn't realize were tightened until she saw the pressure slip away under the glow, relaxed.  Normally, the thought might have made Evabelle sad, but sitting in this pool, being washed in these pleasant emotions, made her sigh in relief, the own strain on her shoulders, evaporating.  "So you cheated again?"  She gave a little laugh.

    Lucis's eyes opened and he pushed his head up.  "This time it was you who asked me."  He arched and eyebrow, smirking at her.  He rocked himself to his feet, waded through the glowing light and stepped over the fountain's frame, out of the pool.  Then he reached a hand out to her, which she took, and he pulled her up onto the wall, so that she was now taller than the man. 

    Evabelle glanced behind her at the swimming sensations that still sounded a lot like water to her.  Their glow was soft, and not what she would call dim, but not particularly bright, unlike the moon that night.  Her gaze travelled up to that great light in the sky, it was so bright, but it was not what made her feel so happy.  "Sometimes we're not the brightest star in the sky, and that's okay.  Even the smallest star is beautiful, and it still gives off light."  Evabelle grinned, standing by what she had said.  Light truly was a matter of perspective. 

    "A dream."

    Evabelle turned back to the man who held both of her hands.  Those oceans shone as that full moon gleamed silver within the azure.  Soft gold windswept tendrils danced lightly across his forehead.     

"What?"  She asked.  She realized she'd said that a lot tonight.

    Lucis smiled, lighting up Evabelle heart, more than the fountain's wisps ever could.  "I've been trying to find a word that fully encompasses you, but there was too many.  You are indefinable to me.  You are the sun, the moon.  You are the sea, the sky, the Earth, the air.  You are the garden of every stunning flower you can think of.  You are every star in the heavens.  You are the light.  The only other thing that cannot be defined are dreams, so that is what you are to me."

    Evabelle's heart was banging against her ribcage.  She wasn't sure it had ever pounded this hard before in her entire life.  The air was gone from her lungs, and there was no explanation as to how she was standing up straight, considering her vision seemed to be going vertigo.

    Lucis himself had started shaking.  His large hands seemed to be debating whether to keep holding onto Evabelle's, or to pull them free and make a run for it.  The Anahalian ended up being the one swaying.  He staggered forward, closer to the fountain, his head bowing, briefly breaking eye contact with the frozen princess. 

    It seemed he couldn't breathe either, because he was struggling and gasping, and Evabelle's trance was nearly broken as she was about to jump down to see what was wrong, but then Lucis's hands tightened.  "I don't care!"  He growled under his breath.  "I don't care if it's..."  He grit his teeth and shook his head.  "I can never be selfish, but you always let me.  You let me be selfish and weak and I just--"  Lucis's head snapped up so quickly, Evabelle did let out a gasp.  "Amor vincit omnia."  He whispered.  The blue eyes were burning holes into her, their light cracking the barrier, pieces of it falling away.  Almost involuntarily, Evabelle's hands tightened around his as if to stop him from pulling away this time.  "You're different from when we were younger, but at the same time you're exactly the same.  The way you love with every single part of you.  The way you don't stop loving someone, ever.  The way you feel for every person, how you wish you could take away their pain and let it rest on your shoulders instead.  You let me be selfish, when I couldn't."  He let out a shaky laugh.  "Wow, I sound terrible.  But beyond myself, it was you who made me fall in love with books, an escape from reality that I didn't know I needed at the time.  The way you described things to me.  You'd tell me your dreams about hearing music in your heart, that made me think beyond the way I saw things.  Your dreams were vast and beautiful, and then you became my dream, far more vast and beautiful than anything I had ever known."  Lucis took one more deep breath before finally saying it.  "You know what I'm saying.  Evabelle, I love you, I have for so long.  You are my dream in this reality that I have been cursed to live in."

    The wall was gone.  Evabelle saw a man with the wings of an angel.  She saw a boy with so much joy and light bounding inside his soul, an adventurous heart that soared up to the sky.  She saw a child standing strong as his world crumbled on top of him.  She saw a man taking that weight, and never letting anyone see the pain.  For one moment, Evabelle did see that pain that was always hid.  That pain that she had known was there for a long time, but now she saw a glimpse of just how immense and destructive that pain was.  But this invincible man was still standing before her.  This invincible man, who was not invincible, but was human. 

    Deafening silence stretched through the night, blue and gold unable to move from one another.  Evabelle's mouth opened, but her knees betrayed her, buckling beneath her.  She fell forward, right into his arms, against his chest where his heart beat like a drum.  She looked up into his eyes, which were wide and deep, practically swallowing her.  His breath was warm, stirring her eyelashes.  The princess's hands curled around the collar of the unbuttoned dress-shirt, his face drawing closer, his eyes lids starting to close, and Evabelle felt the brush of lips against her cheekbone.  Her head slowly turned toward the touch, her own breath barely able to leave her lungs.  Her own lips found the corner of his mouth.  Lucis's hand tightened around her back, stealing the last of her air, now unable to breathe all, as one hand found the back of her neck, holding so hard to her, that it hurt. 

    Evabelle put her hand flat against Lucis's chest, uncertainly pushing away a little.  "Lucis?"  Evabelle gasped, but then a voice rang out, shattering the moment completely.

    "Lucy!  Princess!  Are you out here?" 

    The two of them sprung apart as if, someone had zapped them with a cattle prod.  They looked over to see Faux standing in the doorway back into the reception ball, waving them over.  "Oh, there you are!  We're doing the you know what now!"   

    Evabelle gave Lucis a quick glance, but he kept his eyes averted from her as he turned to pick up his jacket and tie, and then marched forward, past Faux, and into the party again, without so much as a word.  Evabelle felt so lost and confused, her heart sinking lower and lower when it had been towering so high just moments before. 

    As she passed the scrawny Anahalian man, he gave her an apologetic smile.  "Wow, I really do know how to ruin a moment, don't I?"  He gave a little shrug.

    Evabelle had the very uncharacteristic urge to hit him.

~(A/N: Hey guys!!! I'm so sorry again for the late update! It's been a real struggle juggling writing and work lately, plus the half of this chapter was really tough to write for some reason. So I'm sorry if it feels rough! I really wanted this one to be amazing, but I know that there's a lot of info dump again. I bet everyone's asking "Where's the action?!" and I'm totally with you. I hope it was still a fun enough one with the Counting Stars dance and the little fountain confession moment ;) I can promise more action is coming up!

Okay, so speaking of those two moments, please tell me what you thought!! I'm still going to work on that end bit there, because I'm just not sure I'm completely feeling it yet, but let me know what you think!

And hey, I almost forgot to mention, the pic above this chapter, it kind of how I pictured Aza's dress to look. The gold trim, would obviously, be silver, and the stars aren't on the one above, but just the general style came from this! :D

So I have several announcements. So sorry again. 1.) First thing, is that I'm going to be officially putting this book on a hiatus. I know it's practically been on one several times, but I've never really had it official. It's just I'm tired of being behind on updates, as I'm sure you guys are too. So until, I have at least five chapters completed, I won't be updating this story. And I'm really sorry, considering how this one ends >:) 2.) Second, is that before official hiatus, I do want to do one more shout out, but I know I don't have everyone who had been so amazing and supporting me and this story. This will be the LAST shout out, because I just can't keep up, but if you do want some specific recognition then PLEASE LET ME KNOW before I put it up!!!! You guys are the best and I don't want anyone to feel left out!!!!!!! 3.) Lastly, Angel Wings has nearly reached 100k!!!!!! Guys, I cannot believe it!!!! THIS IS SOOO INCREDIBLE!!!!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!!! And Demon Heart has reached 20k!!!!! I never thought I would really get this far, so I can't thank you guys enough!!!!!! And I really do want to do something awesome for you guys, but I don't know what. If you have any ideas, just comment! It really is cause for celebration!!! I may not be updating this story for a bit, but maybe I'll try posting a new one??? Or I don't know, but just thank you all!!!! You're the absolute best!!!!!!!

Okay, finally CHALLENGE TIME: "QUOTE CHALLENGE"

1. - Favorite inspirational quote from either Angel Wings or Demon Heart.

2. - Favorite funny quote from the same ^

3. - Favorite sad quote from the same ^

4. - Favorite romantic quote from the same ^

5. - Favorite overall quote from the same ^

MY ANSWERS (JUST FOR FUN) :P

1. "The sun will rise and the shadows with fall just like they always do." - Zion

2. "I often wonder why the unique utensil, the spork, is so rarely used.  It is probably one of the most useful utensils ever invented and yet I believe it is sorely underused and underappreciated." - Faux

3. "It will be a pleasure to finally stand in the light of the sun again when that day comes." - Kai (I know it doesn't sound sad, but contextually I found it to be pretty sad. Technically Kai's whole story it just heartbreaking. I swear, half the things he says, just makes me want to cry. Another one that will forever kill me is "Father, forgive me.")

4. "You are our princess.  I know this.  You may not now, but we will help you.  While you doubt yourself, I refuse to.  While you do not believe in yourself, I will believe in you for you." - Lucis (I don't know if I'd exactly say romantic, but I've always felt this quote to be powerful.)

5. There are to many for me to choose one. And I suppose that's cheating, but I'm the author ;b But if you have a hard time, I get it. And btw, you don't have to do it word for word, but I'd still love to see what some of your favorites are, regardless! Thanks guys!!!

Any other thoughts about this chapter, PLEASE share!!! You know I LOVE input!!!!! Once again, I've just got to say thank you soooooooo much for all you guys have done for me!!!!!!!!!!!)~