Rafael came into the kitchen behind Victurus arguing with him. Victurus turned and pointed at Rafael, giving him a hard serious look as he spoke to Rafael in Spanish.

Rafael turned and left the kitchen.

"He wants to come?" Leo asked as Victurus sighed heavily as he ran his hand threw his hair.

"He think he can handle this." he said. "The boy is hard head.”

“Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.” Aracelia said as she and Leo chuckled.

“The boomerang won't be flying back, sister.” Victurus said as he looked at me quickly. “Miss Righteousness.”

“I blame her father.” she said and I rolled my eyes.

My mom came into the kitchen with a box in her hands and she set it down on the small table. I chuckled when she smiled at me, “Mom, what is this?”

“Well,” she sighed happily. “Since we know the sex of the baby, I remembered we had this box of boy stuff in the attic.”

I put my mug of tea down and stood up confused, “Why do you have a box of boys stuff?”

“Well when I was pregnant with Courtney, the doctor told at first she was a boy and well, your father and I got a little too excited and bought some stuff after we seen the doctors to find out four weeks later she was actually a girl. Let’s not mention that to her, she's a little sensitive bring up your father.” she said. “We were saving them just in case I ever got pregnant again but—here, open It.” she said as she slid the box towards me with a force smile.

I opened the box to see a much of different blue stuff. My eyes widen as I grabbed a blue onesies with bears on it and I picked it up, “Look how cute this is! I can't believe a baby this small.” I freaked down and grabbed Hadrian, lifting him up, “Look at how cute this all is. Wow, there's so many clothes in here.”

“For newborn to three months.” she said. “Trust me, babies live in onesies. Their messy and you will be changing him every time you feed him.”

“What is this?” Hadrian asked as he picked up a bottle and I laughed.

“It's a breast pump.” she said and he quickly dropped it, making me giggle. “Hmm, I don't know how that got in there.” She placed her hand over my stomach to rub and smiled, “I can't wait to throw a baby shower, this is so exciting. My first grandbaby! He won’t have a tail right?”

I started laughing at her and even Hadrian found it a little funny, “No, no he won’t.” he said. “He seems to be using his gift as much as possible so you can see what he looks like when he wants to visit.”

“Oh, strange.” she said. She smiled down at my stomach, “But still in every way precious. What was that name you picked? Zariah?”

“Azariah.” Hadrian said.

“I'm going to call him Ezra though.” I said as I rubbed my small bump.

I heard a heavy slam and I turned my head to see Aracelia walking out of the kitchen. I completely forgot she was here and I felt bad quickly. I was sure what she just seen must have made her feel some type of way and that was the last thing I wanted to do. I looked at my mom and she must have felt the same way. I put the onesies down and walked out of the kitchen. I saw the door open so I went over to the screen door, seeing her leaning against the rail of the porch.

I opened the door and stepped out, “Aracelia, I didn't mean to hurt you in any way.”

“Hurt me?” she questioned. “You didn't.”

“Then why'd you walk out so angrily?” I asked as I moved over next to her.

“Because,” she said and hesitated. She turned her head to look at me, eyes sad, “That should be me doing those things for you. I'm your mother.”

I was in an awkward position as we looked at each other. My hands played together nervously and I looked down at my shoes for a moment before looking back up at her, “Then do it? Help me plan something.”

She turned to face me, “I can't.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because I can't help you when you’re having a baby that's apart of him.” she said and I knew who she was referring to. “I could if this the paternal was someone else.”

Feeling like a knife been stabbed threw my chest, I was hurt. My eyes stung with tears and I brought my hand up when a tear slipped out of one of my eyes, “He's still my baby, Aracelia. A part of me.”

“And a part of him.” she said and I scoffed. “My bloodline will continue with him? He's not a child, he's a weapon.”

“He's my child.” I said as my hands came to my stomach. “Sorry I'm not perfect like you wanted me to be.”

“You are perfect, but he—“

“Don't!” I said as my eyes closed tightly shut as I wanted to explode. I didn't want to hear her say any more negative things about Azariah. He is perfect and nothing like she says he is. There has never been a child like him, so how would she know? How would she knows what he'll be like? I opened my eyes when I felt like I wasn't going to break down crying, “My child is not going to go anywhere, he will be with me and you can't say anything about that. You want to do things for me, then accept it because he isn't going anywhere. Why are you angry?”

“Because—because you deserve better.” she said. “You deserve better than Hadrian Falco.”

“Why do you say that? Give me any other reason other than because he's a Demon. Hadrian doesn't hurt me, hit me, he treats me right.” I said and she scoffed, looking away. “You prefer me with some like Nick don't you? You tried getting us together and if Hadrian hadn't come into my life, I would have but he did. It couldn't have just happened, we were supposed to meet. And you're right, I am allot like my dad. Fell in love with someone who we aren't supposed to.”

She lowered her head for a moment and lifted it to look at me, “That was different.”

“How?” I asked coldly. “Because you're an Angel? Not all Angels are good, Aracelia. Not all Demons are bad, they can be good to. Hadrian is one of them, why are you in such denial?”

“He's killed before.” she said.

“So have you.” I said. “I'm not saying it was right and I can't believe it either, but he's different now. I'm going to go inside and finish eating before we have to leave. I don't want to talk about this anymore with you.”

I turned around and walked over towards the door. I heard something come down the street so I turned my head to see someone on a motorcycle driving down the street. I looked at Aracelia and she had a calm look on her face as her back straighten. The guy on the motorcycle stopped the bike and took his helmet off.

“Been awhile, Malachi.” Aracelia said as the man got off the bike and walked over towards the house.

“Where is she?” he asked in a deep heavy voice.

Aracelia brought her hand up to her mouth, “Shh, she doesn't know.” Aracelia came over to the door and I gave her a confused look. She nodded once before opening the door, “Nellie, will you come here?”

“Oh sure.” Nellie said as she came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a towel. She had on a small smile as she looked at me, “Nevaeh, you better get your behind in there before all the guys eat those stack of pancakes and there isn't any lift for you.” Aracelia stepped aside and Nellie was confused until she looked at the man on the porch. Her eyes widen with her mouth parting, the small towel falling from her hands.

“Hey Nel-Bear.” the man said to Nellie. She looked up and down at him, did a double take, and she stumbled a little. My arms had gone out to catch her until she caught herself and I had a good guess what she almost fainted when she seen this man.

“Y-you look the same.” she said. She smiled a little, “My boy Shawn looks like you, allot.”

He walked over to her and I stepped back to give them space when he took her quickly in his arms, “I was so scared when I heard the news. I thought—I thought I would come here and you would not be here. I would hate myself for eternity if I lost you before I could talk to you again and explain.” He kissed the side of her head, “I've always been around, Nellie. I wasn't completely out of your life. I was there when you graduated, got married, when your mother passed. I was there for allot of the most important stuff in your life.”

I watched as tears slid down her face.

+

I walked over to Dante after we packed all three cars filled with weapons, “We have enough weapons to have an army, and was it necessary?” I asked. We just drove to Arizona to the Church where Father Miguel lives since they supply lots of weapons there.

“Senka is an army himself apparently.” he said. He opened the passenger door of Uncle Carter car, “Got to have everything to stop him and his followers.”

“How are we going to get across the border, huh?” I asked coldly, arching my eyebrow. “There is a knife in the back seat.”

“Tell em who we are and we're across. Just got to hope it's the right people.” he said as he got inside the car. “But if Senka wants us to come to him, I’m sure his people will let us threw.”

Aracelia walked over to us, “They’re not going to touch us once they see me and Victurus. They know better.” I looked at Gavin car where he was closing the trunk. Nick was talking to Victurus about whips since Victurus was apparently an expert about using whips in battle. “We should get going, it's getting late and the border is a good two more hours.”

I nodded and walked over to the car Hadrian had rented. It was pretty nice Dodge car and he seemed to love it. He drove pretty quickly in it so fast I had to remind him a few times to slow down because cops like to hide in space and it won’t look pretty to be stopped. Demons run the police.

I got into the car and Hadrian turned to look at me, “Did she really have to come?”

I chuckled, “Yes, the more help, the better.”

“She's going to try and kill me I’m sure.” he sighed heavily as he started the car and I hit his arm, rolling my eyes.

+

Hadrian drove carefully down the crowded street of people in the city of Angelic. So many people were walking the streets to my surprise. I never been in Mexico before, so it was new sunrise to me. I realized Mexico was so much more different than I expect. Some places weren't as nice as the resorts.

“I have to use the bathroom.” I said and Hadrian sighed heavily since I had to use one an hour and half ago. It means we have to stop again and I knew everyone was getting annoyed by that.

“We should be in Hermosillo in twenty minutes, can you hold it?” he asked.

I shook my head, “No, I can't. It feels like it reached the point in my bladder where if I don't go the bathroom soon, I'll pee a little if I sneeze.”

“We'll need to get you in diapers.” he mumbled.

“Excuse me?” I questioned coldly.

He shrugged, “Nothing.” he said. I thought so, I heard him I just wanted to give him a chance to correct himself. “Okay, just a moment to find someplace to go.”

He stopped in front of a bar and I saw some mean looking people going in. The bar itself looked like the ones I've been to in the rural sides in America though.

I opened the door and got out, “Again?” Dante groaned and I glared at him before running over to the bar. “Wait, Nevaeh, don't go in th—” I opened the door and allot of people turned their heads to look at me. I forced a big and walked over to the bar tender. He was in his fifties probably and looked like a biker.

I cleared my throat, “Uh, bano?”

He pointed to his right where I saw a sign that said Mujeres.

I nodded and smiled, “Thank you.” I turned to go, but a guy got in my way. He was pretty tall compared to my 5'3 height with wide shoulders. “Oh, uh, lo siento.” I wasn't very good in Spanish, I took French in school and barley passed that language. I just used what I knew and what I heard Dante say. My pronunciation was a little bad.

I started to go around him but he grabbed my arm, pulling me back. He smiled down at me and spoke in Spanish to me.

I shook my head, “I don't understand, sorry—hey dude! I'm very impatient right now so back off.” I said when he pressed my back against the bar.

He chuckled and spoke in Spanish, tighten his arm around mine tightly.

I saw Hadrian coming in the corner of my eyes, speaking in Spanish to the guy but before Hadrian could start a trouble, I just dealt with it. I snatched my arm out of the man grip and punched him in the throat. His eyes widen as the air was wiped out as he fell down to his knees, making some of the guys around start laughing, “That is not how you treat a lady.” I said to him before I raced around him and went to the bathroom.

In the bathroom it was pretty dim and two girls in the skimpiest outfits were applying lipstick to their mouths. They gave me a weird look as I came in, so I awkwardly walked over to one of the stalls. I brought my hand up to my mouth as my face scrunched in disgust. I never went to the bathroom back in American bars though so I didn't know what to expect. The toilet was in need of cleaning. Knowing I didn't have any other choice, I closed the stalls and didn't dare touch the toilet as I went, just hovered over it.

The girls were gone by the time I came out so the two sinks were open. I walked out of the bathroom where people went to minding their own business. I saw Dante chugging back beer and Hadrian talking to Uncle Carter.

As I walked passed Dante he spoke, “I told you not to go in here alone. Women who come in these types of bars are prostitutes, which explain why the guy grabbed you and mistook you as one.”

I turned and gave him a stiff smile, “I had to use the bathroom, so oh well. I took care of it.”

“You punched a guy in the throat, any hard you could have killed him.” he said.

“Well he didn't die, maybe next time he'll think better then assume things.” I said as I walked away and went over to Hadrian side.

+Courtney.+

I watched as Senka messed around with some of the guest. He had made some of them float up in the air and he was tossing them around. The guest were laughing though, not scared. Senka was strong, he was holding fourteen people. The last ball was elegant looking where this party was some carnival theme.

As Senka said, my dress was Caribbean blue. It was a high low dress was some ruffles. Around the bodice had diamonds all over it and they winkled as light flashed on them. It was a pretty dress, more something my age would wear to dances. My shoes were even comfortable, they were only two inches. Haidar always gave me something red to wear, that was his favorite color. It was something always more adult with high shoes. My hair wasn't forced into some up-do. It was just straighten and put in half up-do with a clip holding my hair.

I looked down across the table where Gaspar was sitting in his white tux. He felt my gaze and turned to look at me. We both looked at Senka and we are scared of him. All day I have been seeing what he can do. With just a look, he could kill someone.

Senka finally put his guest down and he had the band start playing music. He joined us at the table in the middle of Gaspar and I.

“This is one of my favorite parties I had in such a long, long time.” he said as he sat back in his chair and smiled. “There will be more to come once I become king of all seven continents, I will finally rule Earth.”

“You sound very confident about that.” Gaspar said.

Senka chuckled, “Because it is true, I'm the strongest of the seven of us thanks to you my mind friend. No one can defeat me now, not like they could before though. I can kill an Angel with my bare hands now.”

“You can't kill an Angel.” Gaspar said coldly.

“Oh, Gaspar, you can. You start by ripping out the heart and then eating it.” he said and my back stiffen. “You see, Angels were made to be soldiers meaning they were hard to kill but doesn't mean it's impossible. An Angel will kill a Demon before it could even try to kill, but now I am ten times stronger than any normal Demon. Don't you agree, Courtney?”

I opened my mouth, hesitating, thinking of my world carefully. I saw him look at me in the corner of my eyes and I turned my head to look at him, “Of course, Senka.”

He smiled, “You two aren't enjoying the party? Stand and go mingle.”

As if someone had pushed me out of my chair, I stood up and my chair was slid away from me. Gaspar was the same way and we looked at each other before we were forced to turn different way and we walked down the small stage where Senka had his highest court and himself sit on for everyone to see.

One I stepped down on the last step, I was able to control myself. I placed my shaking hands in front of me, bring them together as I walked past the dancing group of people. I had to watch myself not to bump into anyone.

How long have I been here already? It's been a week now and I know I shouldn't worry if Nevaeh or Uncle Carter will find me, but this place and everyone scares me. I could feel some of their eyes on me and every time I look in the corner of my eyes some of them would turn into a hideous creature just to torment me.

When I look into the mirror, my skin had turned from a nice summer tan to pale. I had bags under my eyes and I was exhausted sometimes in the day. Haidar is weaken me, he draining me of energy by just being around me.

I didn't see the man stepped back and not having enough time, I bumped into his back. Like a basketball I bounced off and stumbled a little right into someone arms.

Into the last person I wanted to be thrown into arms.

“Careful, my love.” Haidar said as he set me up. I didn't dare look at him though as he took my hand and made me twirl, “Hmm, you don't look as bad as I thought.”

I stopped the twirling and gain the courage to look up at him, not letting him intimidate me anymore, “Thank you, Haidar.” He put his arm around me and led us over to a balcony in the ballroom, “W-where are we going?”

“Some place quiet.” he said as stepped out. He took his arm away and I stepped away, my heart beat racing since I didn't feel right about this. He closed the Curtis and the doors. He turned to me and grinned, “Think Senka going to protect you, Courtney?”

“Huh?” I questioned as I stepped backwards as he came forwards until my back hit the balcony ledge. “I don't know what you're talking about me.”

“Think Senka will protect you from me?” he asked. His grinned dropped and he looked pissed, “Well he's not!” he yelled as he put both hands on each side of me, trapping me. My back hunched and I closed my eyes and lowered my head, scared. “Well do you?” he asked coldly.

“Of course not.” I said. I worked up the courage to open my eyes and looked into his reddish-brown eyes, “No one but you can protect me, Haidar.”

“Even that is getting on my nerves.” he said as he reached up and grabbed my chin roughly, “You hate me, don't you?”

“N-no.” I said. “No, never Haidar. Don't say something crazy like that.” I said. My heart raced so hard I could hear it in my ears as he tilted me back, my hair falling to hang in the air as my back. He was pressing me back further out of the balcony. “Haidar!”

He raised his chin, giving me a hard look, “Stop being scared, Courtney. Be brave, I'll pull you back, you don't—well, I don't know about us then. I can handle Senka being angry, he's been angry at far more worse things then something like this. So be brave or get over it.”

I was breathing heavily as I turned my head to the right and looked down to see how far the fall was. A good twenty feet and I would be landing in the fountain that was a good five feet deep. Was I this crazy for wanting to get away from Haidar this badly to wanting to plunge myself there. 'Be brave' kept repeating in my mind, probably the only smartest thing he has said to me and I’ll actually listen to. This is probably risking my life with this crazy stunt, but I rather die than stay another night here with him.

I guess this is what Hadrian meant by I’ll go so crazy—I’ll want to commit suicide. I think I’m about to lose it. I rather be dead than be here.

I looked back up at Haidar and he grinned since I didn't look like I was having a heart attack anymore. I brought my near up roughly with a grunt and landed right in his manhood. His eyes widen as he gasped, his hand only loosen around my chin. I forced my foot up and building the strength up the best I can, I kicked him away.

And I fell back.

I felt myself falling and I couldn't bring myself to scream, like something was caught blocking it. My back crashed into what felt like a wall, but I sank down into the water. I could have probably felt my elbows hitting the bottom of the pool if my head didn't bang into it to. My eyes opened and I couldn't see anything but the light from the fountain.

Feeling water go into my mouth and swallowing it, going into my lunge I forced myself up and out of the water. My head was the only thing out of the water and I couldn't see very well across the wall of water falling, but I could faintly see Haidar before he turned quickly.

Gasping as I walked out from inside the wall of water, I didn't find him there like I had thought. My head was hurting badly, but I didn't let that stop me. I knew it would stop Nevaeh. I kicked my shoes off and pressed myself up out of the fountain.

I took in a sharp breath as I got out since my head was fucking hurting and I actually got dizzy. I brought my hand up to my forehead as I steadied myself. When I took my hand away, I saw blood. I couldn't think of that though right now though, I needed to get out of here. I couldn't go throw the front since people were there but the only way was the huge lake. Across it was a forest.

I took a step forward when I heard a growling. My body paralyzed as I slowly turned my head to see a wolf. This wasn't a normal wolf though, it looked like something out of the Wolfman movie but it was on all fours. The only wolf I know about here was some red head women name Scarlet and telling by its green eyes, it was her. She growled at me as she licked her mouth.

Be brave! Be brave! Be brave! I panicky thought as I looked furrowed and jetted off as fast as I could near the lake.

I only made it a few feet though when I felt her head push me furrowed me. I cried out as I fell and I turned as I watched her crawl on top of me, baring her teeth. I started panicking and crying as she growled at me, breathing heavily out of her nose and it fanned my face.

“Scarlet!” I heard Haidar voice and we both looked at Haidar who was standing by the entrance of door he was coming out of. “Leave her alone!”

I looked back up at Scarlet and before I could think, I slid the silver vintage bracelet off my wrist and pushed it into her giant mouth as she growled at Haidar. She howled in pain as she got off me and I forced myself up, running towards the lake.

“Scarlet, no! Don—“

Last thing I heard from Dante when I felt something painfully sting across my back like I was cut. I fell on my stomach and my face painfully landed on the ground. My back burned as if someone threw fire on me, but I couldn't scream but only whimper. I couldn't feel any other place on my body but the burning sensation on my back before everything faded black.