There was stillness on both sides. If hatred was visible the air would have been scarlet. Then suddenly movement, so much force in every blow. Alexander rained blows onto a blood drinker as if he meant to smash him into the very earth and the blood drinker did the same. Each didn't just want the other dead, they wanted him smashed, obliterated, nothing left to bury.

Albia slashed the head of the blood drinker and Parisa burned it from her fire.

It was pitch black, a blood drinker crowd gathered around the castle, ready to attack any minute.

"Parisa, there's a huge blood drinker army out there. I don't think we'll be able to stand against them," Elizabeth said, dragging Parisa out of the fightings.

"But we can't just give up," Parisa argued, her gaze fixed on the scene. She saw Albia and Alexander cooperating with each other to destroy the blood drinkers.

"We can't risk loosing more lives. Send everyone into the bunker. I'll take our mothers into the bunker and send a message to Ever." Elizabeth placed her a small knife on Parisa's palm. "Keep this knife with you so that I can track your location."

"Elizabeth, we can't surrender," Parisa protested.

"We aren't surrendering. We'll just wait till Ever reply to my message."

Parisa sighed and stared at Elizabeth in disappointment. "Eli, this is our land. We can't let those blood drinkers take rule of our own land. If Ever was here she'll never hide in a bunker."

Parisa ran back to help Albia and Alexander. Elizabeth stared at them for a moment and walked toward the hospital wing.

A sudden gush of pain jolted throughout Alexander's body. His stomach ached, his arms lost tension and his legs began to weaken. He dropped to the ground. His tongue was soaked in the taste of blood. Bruised and winded, with a leg in agony, he grabbed the foot of the blood drinker and pulled him to the ground. His head was pounding. He brought a fist to the blood drinker's face, snapping his nose into a grotesquerie. Parisa pushed the silver knife which Elizabeth gave her into the blood drinker and created fire in her palms and burned the blood drinker.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Alexander asked weakily, still laid down on the ground.

"She went to send a message to Ever." Parisa walked away from Alexander and began to attack every blood drinker that came in front of her.

* * *

Ever watched the sunset at the horizon, spreading its largess into a grateful sky. Rich hues of red blended with oranges, purples, crimsons. The sun cast its golden rays down upon the clouds of billowing smoke, turning them bright red; fire red. The beauty of the sunset only intensified Ever's pain. Without her family there could be, should be, no beauty in the world. The defiant sky adorned itself with brilliant reds and oranges, clothed itself in garish splendour. She glared back at the mocking swirls of colour, the whites of her eyes pink by crying and pinker by it's refection and without warning an epiphany struck. Her weakness was her strength.

"How long are we going to stay here?" Cael asked,placing some fruits on Ever's palm.

"When the sun's gone we'll go through the tunnels." Ever put a cherry into her mouth.

"How do you know about Azera?" Cael asked.

"I've been here."

Cael stared at Ever with his wide opened eyes. "How?"

"I came here with Julian and Aruda."

"But that's against the law. Only the mother Angels are allowed to come to Azera."

Ever chuckled lightly. "I love breaking the law."

"Nobody will ever imagine that you'll breaking the law." He laughed.

"Why?"

"Because everybody thinks you're perfect."

"Breaking the law doesn't make you imperfect."

"You're so..."

"Shooo," Ever cut him off. She had her index finger on her lips, signaling Cael to be silent.

Ever slowly stood up and took slow cautious steps toward the trees. Fire began to sparkle on her palms, Cael followed Ever.

"Who's there?" Ever ordered. "Show yourself or I'll burn you down into ashes."

Ever created a fire ball and sent it to the first tree, the fire ball flashed into the tree with boom sound and a man jumped out from behind of the tree. It was Julian.

"Julian?" Ever was stunned at the sight of Julian.

"Hi," Julian said uncomfortably.

Ever turned, but too slowly to be normal. When she spoke her voice trails slowly, like her words are unwilling to take flight. There is a sadness in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry but I didn't want you to come here without me." Julian swallowed his breathe.

"Why?" Ever narrowed her eyes. Cael was watching them with several mixed expressions on his face.

"Because you've never been to Azera without me."

"Are you an idiot?" Ever yelled. "What did I told you? I told you stay in the Capital. I told you to help Eli and Cedric but..."

He cut her off. "This is most dangerous part, Ev. I just couldn't let you go through this alone."

"Julian, I am the queen of Angelic. I can take care of myself."

"Ev..."

"Shut up!" She yelled. "I knew you would do this. Why are you doing this? My everything is in danger. My mother is dying, I'm not even sure whether I'll be able to save her. I wanted you to stay in the Capital and look after my family." A tear poured down through her cheek. "Can't you see? I am losing everything. I can't risk losing you too."

"Ev..." Julian began to speak but Ever walked away from them into the forest. "Don't talk to me. You are an idiot."

Nor Cael or Julian dared to follow the angry Ever. Cael picked an apple from the sandy beach and gave it to Julian. "Welcome to Azera, buddy!"

"We'll be starting the journey after the sunset," Cael said and sat on the sand beach.

Julian sat next to him and began to eat the apple. "Did Ev eat?"

Cael nodded. "Why are we going after the sunset? Cedric told me that the blood drinkers are allergic to the sun so if we are going after the sun set that would be a disadvantage for us."

Julian shook his head. "No, they sleep in the tunnels during the day time and come out after the sun set so that means after the sunset it's safe to travel through the tunnels."

"Why aren't we going now? If they are asleep in the tunnels right now?"

"The tunnels are safest way to travel to the temple."

"Have you been all around the island?" Cael asked, focusing his attention on Julian.

Julian shook his head. "Azera is dangerous. There are portals that take you into different worlds, wrong step can destroy your whole life. There are numerous magical creatures here, they destroy the living."

"How's it like to be Ever's best friend?" Cael changed the subject.

Julian laughed lightly. "She's best thing that has ever happened to my life."

"Then you must know everything about her."

"Almost everything about Ever."

"You're lucky."

"You're the luckiest."

"How?"

"You stole her heart. She loves you. She loves you the way she never loved me."

"Do you love her?"

Julian became silent and avoided replying Cael's question.

"Do you envy me?"

"No, Cael. I'm happy for you."

"Then let me tell you something. She's mine and I'm hers. So, it's better if you keep your distance with her. I don't like it when she always runs for you and when you always run for her. I want to be her everything." He looked at Julian whose attention was set on setting sun. "She's mine," Cael repeated.

Julian smiled and looked at Cael's fire eyes. "Love her and protect her. That's all I need you do. And believe me if you dare hurt her I'll be your doom."

Cael too looked at the setting sun. "She's my everything. I'll never ever hate her."

Julian felt as if Ever is the Earth, Cael is the sun and he is the moon.