Author's Note: Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who's read this far! I only thought I'd get one view, but the last time I checked I had 63 and one star! Enjoy!

Jack's POV:
"I'm worried about Cole. He went with Moniqué, but he seems really depressed. I think Elle's being gone has been rougher on him than any of us thought it would be."

Ralem twirls a pencil in his hand, idly working on algebra problems to pass the time. "Yeah. I know exactly how he feels, though. When Emmeriell died, I felt the same way. I didn't even have the energy to try to let my wings out. I guess I was punishing myself. I thought I could have done something to stop it. Stalled her a few minutes longer or let her go a few minutes earlier."

"He's going to drive himself into the ground if he doesn't stop doting on her." I beat my wings, rocketing into the air to land on a ceiling beam. I frown and hang upside down, my hair hanging down. I fold my wings behind my back, fighting the urge to use them as balance. My hands hang toward the ground, my eyes following the path down toward the ground, pointing to Ralem's head.

I swirl my fingers, forming a puppet out of a blanket thrown onto a couch. It floats to Ralem and taps him on the shoulder, mimicking my movements and projecting my voice in a high, grating tone. "Hey, bub. What's you got for number two?"

I see Ralem's jaw clench in annoyance, and I snicker quietly, careful that the sound isn't carried by the puppet. His fisted hand strikes out to where the puppet's face would be, reducing the thing back to a blanket. He picks it up and tosses it into the air, suspending it and throwing a Glamour over the winged shape. A phoenix. He whispers something in its "ear" and it flaps up to me, sparks and flames trailing behind it.

It lands on my chest, his impeccable Glamour fooling my eyes. It cocks its head and squawks, then flames leap over it, making the image explode in a fiery cloud. Surprised, I yelp and careen off of the beam, flaring my wings to catch me and bring me to the ground. The blanket floats down onto a couch, and Ralem chuckles before returning to his work. The blanket rolls itself into a tube and takes on the guise of a snake, slithering around my legs and over my shoulder, pausing to hiss in my face.

"Real mature, Ralem. You know I hate snakes." Another thing I hate is that he's better at Glamouring than me. He's fooled my twice today by making me think he's been Elle. And twice today, I've punched him in the face.

"You started it. That puppet sucked, by the way." He shrugs and releases the hold on the blanket, and it slumps to the ground, once again an inanimate object.

"You suck, by the way." I narrow my eyes and walk away from him, absentmindedly walking circles around the expansive kitchen. Ralem watches me from the corner of his eye, and I can just barely see a hint of amusement under the mask of his studious expression.

I consciously stop myself and plant my feet, taking deep breaths to calm myself. Elle may not be my biological sister, but I can't imagine not having her as an adopted sibling.

"Ha! Sure, we'll pretend. And Gabriel's following them. They'll all be fine. I think Michoel's anxiety is bleeding over to you. Beelzebub wasn't Lucifer's general for nothing. He's capable. He's overqualified, even. You and Cole couldn't even protect her as well, as much as I hate to say it."

My face loosens as I think, my thoughts somehow both focusing on my sister and drifting away at the same time. "But how am I supposed to know if she's okay?"

Ralem shrugs and closes his binder, then pushes it away from himself. "Gabriel would come back to you if anything happened. You know it and I know it. He'd do everything in his power to make sure your sister is safe."

I groan and rub my eyes, trying to chase away the worry tainting my vision and blurring it. "I know, but I can't help it! She's been my sister as long as I can remember. She couldn't be more of my sister if we had been born together. I'm just so worried."

Ralem rolls his eyes and stands, adjusting his shirt. "I don't even know how I can make you feel better. You're blubbering like a girl, dude. Relax. Your sister is going to be fine."

"I guess you're right. But she's my little sister. How can I not be worried?!" I can tell from Ralem's expression that he's tired of trying to convince me that Elle's okay.

I sigh and hang my head, exhaling the air from my lungs. "Sorry. I'll stop."

I open the fridge, but the gust of cold air is overcome by a flash of heat from behind me. Ralem curses in surprise and I spin around to see Gabriel picking twigs and leaves out of his hair and the feathers on his wings.

Fear arcs in my chest as my breathing shortens in panic. "Gabriel, why are you back? You're supposed to be watching Elle and keeping her out of trouble!"

He laughs nervously and scratches his head. "About that. Um...your sister and Lilyth are standing on the front steps of the soldier barracks. Lilyth has Angels behind her, but Elle has Beelzebub and Lucifer. I think things might start to get messy."

Ralem's expression hardens and I see his Adam's apple bob as he gulps anxiously. "I'll go and try to help."

My brains freezes as it processes what he's just said. He wants to go to Hell based on the speculation that my sister is in a little bit of a tight spot. Yeah, I was worried, but she's my kid sister!

Gabriel shrugs and beats his wings slowly, his face forced into a calm expression. "We should go soon. Like, now. Something might have already happened."

He pushes his palms outward, and the air in front of him bends like a wave of heat.

A portal to Hell.

He steps through, and his image wavers. Ralem follows after tossing me a determined look. He disappears into thin air, and the wave of heat begins to fluctuate.

I growl low in my throat and sprint into the portal. I barely get through to the other side before it closes. I flap my wings to gain altitude, and a slight sting at the end of my right wing catches my attention.

The portal closed around the very tip of my wing, singeing it and cauterizing part of the skin.

Elle's POV:
Lilyth stares at me, malevolence burning in her bright yellow eyes. "You didn't think I was going to just let you brainwash my king into complacency, did you?"

I scoff and cross my arms casually. "I didn't brainwash anyone. You've just focused on your lie for so long that you believe it. If anyone's owed an apology, I think it's me."

Her pretty features twist into a snarl, turning her into a ghoul with neon eyes. "Never. I don't care if you're the Earthly One or not. I wouldn't apologize if it would save me from Annihilation."

I roll my eyes as she visibly forces her expression to a glassy calm, her facial muscles somehow both relaxed and strained at once. The only thing belying her frustration and rage is the muscle under her left eye, which is twitching uncontrollably.

"Are you angry? Is the great Queen of the Damned jealous of little 'ole me because Lucifer decided to stop trying to abduct me and try to be nice to me?"

She huffs, and I see the frustration harbored in her eyes. Her eyes show her as a hurt little girl, instead of the Dark Angel she seems to be. "It's taken me millennia to show him how dedicated I was to him. And then you come along and snatch him away without a second thought! Just because you decide that you want to have scores of men at your disposal. I don't think you realize who you've angered."

What? Is she crazy? Hell's air must be polluted to deadly levels or something. "I don't know what little bird's been whispering rumors in your ear, but you need to get your chicks in a row. I have no wish to make you angry or to make you hate me, but I will do what I came here to do. With you, without you, or through you. So will you help me, go against me, or will you just be dead weight?"

She laughs viciously and narrows her eyes at me. "Definitely not the first option, since I absolutely hate you. So of the last two, I'll choose to go against you at all costs."

I shrug and release my wings, flaring them proudly to either side of me. "That can be arranged. Just be prepared to be a little sore afterwards." I feel Energy build around me, crackling in a halo around my body.

I feel Beelzebub's hand on my shoulder, and I try to relax my quivering body.

"This won't get us anywhere. Both of you need to stop this bickering. Lilyth, you know she isn't trying to take Lucifer away from you. Just stop being so difficult." Beelzebub's expression pleads, but it's like trying to talk to a brick wall.

"No. She shouldn't have ever come here in the first place. If Hell is too rough for Ms. Popularity, she should go home."

"For your information, Lilyth, I think Hell is a perfectly acceptable place." Her expression contorts slightly in confusion, and she frowns slightly. I continue and allow a victorious expression to overtake my face. "It's you I have a problem with."

She laughs and sighs happily, evidently enjoying the situation. "You underestimate me and my kin. I have lived thousands of years longer than you. But you still try to challenge me. If the circumstances were different, I would ask to form an alliance."

"Well, I would not-so-politely decline. Lilyth, what are you trying to do? How is this going to prove anything?"

She cocks her head at me, as if the action will explain everything. "Oh for the love of immortality, you are stupid. I don't see why Beelzebub joined you. All of you will die in the end." She shrugs and chuckles darkly.

I narrow my eyes and wish I had something to fight her with, even just to shut her up. "I highly doubt that. I mean, you've just been talking this whole time. I'm starting to think you're just trying to psych me out."

"That would help me a lot, but no. I just want you and yours to suffer, and if I'm lucky, die." A vicious gleam overtakes her eyes, and she smiles bitterly.

A stream of angry actions and words flows through my mind, but I bite the tip of my tongue to hold them back. Like Beelzebub said, this won't solve any problems.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, counting slowly to push down the indignation rising from the pit of my stomach.

Lilyth's eyes widen as she stares at something behind us and growls low in her throat in disdain.

I turn and gasp in shock as three people land, spreading their wings in a show of power.

Jack, Gabriel and Ralem are standing together, their hair rumpled and wild, their expressions calculating and harboring varying degrees of smugness.

Jack walks up to me casually, laying his arm over my shoulder reassuringly. "Lilyth, why are you trying to kill my sweet little baby sister?"

She narrows her eyes and smiles coyly. "Why are you protecting the little whelp? She's bound to hurt me." She bats her eyelashes, and Jack scoffs before turning to Gabriel and Ralem.

"Can you believe her? She thinks I'd betray Elle because she's an Angel with a pretty face. That's really funny, Lilyth. You should go into stand-up."

She rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fine. You leave me no choice. I don't feel like killing anyone today, but sometime, in the near future, I will have had enough of your blundering. One of us will die that day, and I can confidently guarantee it won't be me." She walks past me, and toward Lucifer.

He holds out his hand and stops her, his outstretched arm barring her way. "Lilyth, you are no longer a soldier of mine. I recommend that you not appear in Hell for a long, long time."

She snarls at me, then a window of shimmering air appears before her. She steps through and disappears, leaving us standing alone.

"We should get back to Earth. See you in a few days, Elle."

Jack turns to leave, but I stop him. "Wait. How did you know I was in trouble?"

Lucifer chuckles behind me and answers for Jack. "He sent Gabriel to follow you. You didn't think I'd miss him, did you, Jack? Elle, just go back with them. I need to take care of this problem, and I don't want to have to try to keep tabs on you. I'll come find you once it's okay for you to come back. Keep in touch." He smiles and nods kindly.

Jack waits back for me as Gabriel and Ralem step through the portal. He gestures for Beelzebub and Maizen to follow them, leaving us alone.

"Elle, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why did you come? You know I can handle myself."

"Yeah. But I was already high strung. And when Gabe came back with the news...I sort of snapped. I barely made it through the portal before it closed." He shows me his right wing, where the feathers are slightly burned, and the skin is irritated, burned dark red.

"Ouch. We should hurry up and go, though." I pause and sigh. "Thank you for coming to help."

"I'd do anything to make sure my little sister is safe." He grabs my hand and pulls me through the portal, and I hear a sucking sound as the portal closes behind us.