13

I sat up in the bed and stared out of the window at the coming dawn. It had been nearly six days now, and I was finally healing enough to bring myself back to some sanity. But as I did, the sad realization of everything had begun weighing on my soul, and it all culminated in knowing that more than likely, the man I'd come to love was now dead.

I admit that this whole thing had affected me on a level that I never even knew I had, and it had started after my agony of healing in the last few days when Saffron had told me that he believed Chris may be dead. He hadn't been certain, but he told me that with the injuries he'd had, he more than likely wouldn't have survived much longer.

Hearing those words were worse than anything else that had happened to me. Suddenly, all of my broken bones that were healing didn't matter anymore. They were nothing compared to the pain deep inside of my soul. It literally felt like my heart had been shattered into a million pieces.

So I laid there in that bed, and though my body healed, my mind remained locked in an abyss all its own. Saffron apparently decided not to bother too much with me after I yelled at him to leave me alone several times. Why he didn't do anything about that, I'll never know. One would've thought he might hit me or do something to make me back down to him, but he simply told me that it was as I wished, then left me to be.

The one person who did make themselves stay around was Zane. He just kept coming back. He even kept trying to talk to me and comfort me, but I didn't find that there was much for us to talk about. I didn't want to say any more about Chris because every time I did, I began sobbing uncontrollably.

It didn't keep Zane away though. Every day he would come back and sit with me for hours, trying to help me get back on my feet. Too bad that nothing he did seemed to be working.

So as the dawn came on this sixth day, I sat there watching it and thinking of how unfair this all was. Why was I still alive? Wasn't I meant to be with Chris? What good was being alive if the one I was destined for was dead?

I was so lost in all of this that I barely noticed someone sit beside me.

"Hey."

I turned to see Will sitting there. Dressed in dark pants and a dark button-down shirt, he was smiling at me, though I didn't miss that he still looked pale. In fact, the top buttons of his shirt were open, and I could see some of the bandages around his chest. He definitely looked much better than when I'd last seen him though. He was starting to heal now.

My surprise quickly melted to anger as I looked at him. I was still blaming him for what had happened. After all, he'd been the one who had brought us to Judiel in the first place.

"What the hell are you doing here? I told Zane that I didn't want to see you ever again." I told him as I turned my head away.

"Yeah, I know you did, but I needed to check on you for myself. Zane's been way too worried. Hell, even Saffron seems concerned now, and that never happens with the ones like them." Will admitted.

I wasn't surprised to hear that. Of course they were worried about me. Even I was getting a little worried about me. Being in such a deep depression wasn't healthy for anyone; but I also wasn't ready to admit that either, especially not to him.

"I'm fine. I just don't feel like getting up or talking that much right now, so leave me alone." I lied.

Will didn't buy it, "That I doubt. In fact, I think I know very well why you're secluding yourself in here, and I'm telling you, I think they're wrong. I don't believe that Chris is dead."

"How would you know? You didn't even get to see him before Jade took him away." I argued.

"I'm aware of that, but I also know him too well, and I can tell you, with the way he was always determined to protect you, I know that there's no way he would allow himself to die like that. It's just a gut feeling, but I know deep inside that he's still alive. I know you have to feel it too." Will went on.

"Just stop it." I managed through tears that were falling down my cheeks as I put my head down, "He's gone and there's nothing any of us can do about it. Even if he somehow survived, Jade will never let me see him again."

Will wasn't deterred, "He can't do that."

"He's his father! He's supposed to be one of the most powerful Fallen there is! Of course he can!" I protested.

Will shook his head, "No, he can't." he insisted, "I've known Chris for a very long time, and if there's one thing I've come to learn about him, it's how stubborn he can be. He's never missed a chance in his life to rebuff Jade when he believed in something strong enough, and I know what he felt towards you. We all did."

That last part came out in a whisper, like he really didn't want to say it out loud.

I looked over at him. He looked like something was bothering him now.

"What do you mean 'how he felt about me'?" I darked ask.

"You never really understood any of that, did you?" Will said quietly. He held my hands in his as he faced me, "I wanted to apologize to you for what I did too. It wasn't just because I was following orders. It was also from my own jealousy. From the moment we met, I was so fond of you. You were this beautiful, innocent girl who didn't understand a thing about the horrible world you'd been born into. But your attachment was to Chris alone. It was something I couldn't really understand back then, and something that ate away at me. Chris was always considered one of the most powerful of us, and always seemed to have it just a bit better in life. I wanted that for myself. But that was also the biggest mistake I've ever made. I broke you with it, and I lost one of the only others to ever not judge me for who I am."

I just stared at him. He had his head down now and looked devastated over everything.

"He really was in love with me from the start." I whispered.

Will nodded, "Yes. He loved you before he'd even gotten the chance to meet you. Chris believed from the moment he heard that you may have existed that you were born for him, and the more he was with you, the more he kept believing that he'd finally found his destiny. I'm sorry. I got jealous, and I ruined it all." he whispered.

I wiped my eyes with my blanket, feeling both devastated and relieved. I wished that I'd just told him how I felt when I had the chance. It would've made things a lot easier.

But at the same time, I felt bad for Will. Shadow Wing or not, he still had a heart. That human element was always there within him, just like the rest of us. Maybe it wasn't that strange that he'd done what he'd done. Jealousy was a monster all its own.

I leaned my head against his shoulder, "I can't blame you Will. I understand now, but I don't know if I can do this. Even if Chris is alive, what makes you think I'll ever see him again?"

"I know you will. Like I said, I know what I feel in all of this, and I'm rarely wrong. Besides, I'm going to help you along with Zane. All both of us want is to make things right. Hopefully one day we can have Chris back with us as well. But until that day comes, we'll stand by your side and help you in whatever ways we can." Will promised.

I'm not sure that I was completely willing to believe Will yet, but at the same time, I needed his comfort. I needed someone to say what he did to me. Whether the apology was real or not, only time would tell. But at least I could have him and Zane remain beside me for the time being.

It was shortly after my talk with Will that I finally pulled myself out of that bed and got dressed. It was a little hard at first, considering the fact that my whole body still felt very stiff, but I managed it.

Looking through the large dresser near the bed, I found a pretty black short sleeved shirt and skirt in there. I slipped it on and took a moment to look at myself in the full-length mirror on the room door. I didn't look any different, although I could see that I was pale. No doubt that was from the trauma of the last few days. Hopefully my coloring would get better once I started moving again.

I opened the door and peeked out into the hallway before stepping out completely. The hallway was dark, but I could see well enough to make my way down it. Walking to the nearby stairway, I wondered if I'd even know where I was going in this place. I hadn't been out of that room since I'd been brought there.

My hip protested a little as I walked, but I tried to ignore it. At least it was almost healed now. Apparently, I'd broken a lot of bones when Jade had slammed me into that wall. But I'd been in such a state of shock with everything that it hadn't registered for a while. It was only later that the pain had set in, and I'd spent at least one full night screaming in agony.

I walked down the long staircase, then stopped and looked around me again. I was standing in a large foyer that was dimly lit by a huge hanging chandelier. My footsteps echoed on the stone floor as I walked forward. I wondered where everyone was. Will had said that he was going to get some rest when he'd left me, but I thought that Zane should've still been around somewhere.

I shook my head as I thought of seeing that bandage across Will's chest, just underneath his shirt. He probably should've been dead right now. But Saffron had chosen to save him. Why, I don't think any of us were sure. But then again, Saffron was always making his own plans with everything. Nothing he did was ever without a lot of thought behind it.

"Ah, I see you've finally decided to get up."

I looked to my left to see Saffron standing in a nearby doorway. Dressed completely in black, he was an imposing figure in the dim lighting of the room. Yet I felt myself smile as I saw him. No matter how dangerous he was, no matter what he was, he was still my father; and somehow, some way, I knew that he'd never hurt me. Even if I was the only one he wouldn't harm if he saw fit.

"Yeah. I got tired of just staying in bed. It wasn't helping anything." I admitted.

Saffron smiled as he walked over to me, "Good. At least you've finally decided to come back among the living." he commented as he patted my head.

"Where are we?" I asked him.

"Just another hideaway I like to keep in the mortal world. We're not that far from Baton Rouge. This is an old plantation home that I happened upon and fixed up to my liking. Maybe one day I'll give it to you as one of your homes."

One of my homes. Obviously, he was considering what I'd do with my so-called inheritance, but I decided to leave that one alone for now.

I nodded, going over to one of the windows by the large front door to peek inside. A fine mist of fog had settled over the grounds in the early morning light, and large willow trees sat with their branches hanging down near the house. A large, old fountain was set out there too, though no water was running through it. Zane was seated on it, working on a painting.

"How in the world can he see to do that when it's still so dark out there?" I wondered out loud.

"All Fallen Children have perfect eyesight in any lighting. It's a perk of having such a prestigious bloodline." Saffron responded.

"I guess. Now that you mention it, it does seem like my eyesight got a lot better after I got my wings." I noted as I turned to face him.

"Indeed, but right now, I believe there are more important things for us to discuss. Why don't you come with me? We'll get started right away; beings you're feeling better."

I followed him into a large conservatory type room. It was a bit brighter in there, though not much. Both of us sat down at a small table with a glass top. It looked like it had been set up for us with some tea and biscuits.

"So, what's this all about?" I asked him.

"I suppose you could say that this is more me wanting the private time to talk about everything. After all, it has been quite a while since the two of us have really gotten to see each other, not to mention that you could know nothing before of your heritage." Saffron explained as he fixed some tea for us.

Everything he said was true, "I guess you're right about that. I was shocked when I realized what I was." I confessed. I took a drink of the tea he'd fixed for me. It felt good to have something cool to drink.

"I'll admit that part of that has always been in my plans. I'm sure by now you've come to realize that I've been guiding hands since long before you were born. You could say that it's in my nature to want to make my own outcome to just about any situation. I'll admit as well that I am a master manipulator when it comes to such things, but especially in this, I've found that pulling the strings was essentially working to my advantage. However, it seems that I've underestimated a few things in recent times." Saffron went on.

"You mean about what happened with Will?" I guessed.

"Yes. Wilhelm Marcos did complicate a lot of this, didn't he? But nothing I could not have foreseen perhaps happening in the future. After all, it seems that both Christoff and Zane had made an alliance with him years before your birth. My bigger concern has been the problems he caused with you and Christoff. Orders or not, it's messed up a few small things for the time being." Saffron continued.

I thought over his words. Will had done what he did under orders. I wondered who had ordered him to turn on us and why. What was there to gain?

However, there was also another thought that overrode all my questions about Will, and that was Saffron's words about Chris. It seemed that he was about to offer up everything he knew about Chris and our relationship. How could I pass up hearing that?

"So you did really try to make it so that Chris and I were going to be together." I surmised.

Saffron shook his head, "I just pulled the strings to allow it to happen. Fate had to play a role in that one. After all, I unfortunately cannot dictate feelings; but I'll be the first to admit that I was quite please to realize that Christoff was infatuated with you from the moment he heard about you. Whether Jade likes it or not, the hands of fate were already in motion, and neither of us would ever be able to do anything about it; and when he went looking for you and eventually found you three years later, things seemed to be falling into place. I was prepared to rest easy knowing that my seed would remain safe and sound in the mortal world with the so-called 'Prince of the Shadow Wings' protecting her. However, the longer things went on, the more I began to realize that perhaps that would not remain the case. So, I put the wheels in motion to get out and back here to take care of things myself."

"You and Jade said something about knowing that there was a spy with us. I guess you knew that it was Will all along, didn't you?"

"Not exactly." Saffron admitted, taking a drink. "We really didn't know who it was at the time because we couldn't pinpoint him. To be completely honest, which I never really am except on these rare occasions, we suspected Zane more than Wilhelm. But we couldn't catch him until just before, and even then, we had to stay out of it because of the orders given. Jade began to get a bit on edge about that, and even threatened to make Christoff disappear again, but I convinced him not to do such. It wouldn't be worth it, especially with the attachment that the boy felt towards you. The rift would only be driven deeper between the two if he took him away from the girl he came to love so dearly. Looking back at that now, I admit that doing so was my folly. Perhaps I should've just allowed him to go considering all that's happened."

I looked down as he said that, "I don't think he would've gone anywhere. He wasn't the type to just run away." I told him. I turned the conversation back to Will, "Who ordered Will to do that anyway? And why couldn't you or Jade step in and stop it?"

Saffron just smiled, "Who else? Lucifer did."

I stared at him in disbelief, "Wait a minute. Are you saying Lucifer as in the devil Lucifer?"

"It's whatever name you've come to know him as. He does seem to have many anymore. Men tend to do that with the things they cannot understand. But yes, his original and true name is indeed Lucifer. He's the ruler of the Abyss and all its surrounding territories in the underworld, and was the original Seraph to fall and create them." Saffron replied.

Okay, so maybe I should've expected this one somewhere along the lines, but I still felt shocked.

"So why did he give those orders to Will? Isn't Chris supposed to be the most powerful?"

"He is one of the most powerful, but that other boy's been fooling you. I was certain that you'd understand that just by looking into his eyes. They have quite a connection, but it's not worth getting into right now, so we can leave it for you to ponder." Saffron answered.

"Is that the reason you saved Will? Because he has that connection to the ruler?" I probed.

I didn't want to say Lucifer's name out loud again. I didn't want to invite trouble like Zane had once claimed it could with Astaroth. Better safe than sorry. I certainly wasn't ready to see the ruler of Hell yet. Everything that had already happened was more than enough for now.

"Why indeed. Well, part of it had just been personal choice. I know where Wilhelm Marcos, as he likes to call himself now, comes from and I know too that he's the strongest of the Shadow Wings left in the world. But also, I know what he ended up doing back there. He protected you even when it was about to cost him his life. That was something he's certainly never done for any before. For that much, I can offer a life for a life. But it's also granted that he keeps allegiance to you and does whatever you or I ask of him." Saffron went on.

Servitude. I couldn't say I was surprised to hear that one. But as he said that, I thought about what Will had said about Chris. If Will really was more than I'd taken him for, then maybe he knew things that we didn't.

"Hey Saffron, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, what is it?"

I took a deep breath before continuing, "Do you really think that Chris is dead?"

Everything became quiet. All I could hear was the sound of the bullfrogs croaking in the far-off distance. But finally, Saffron spoke again.

"If you'd like my opinion, then I suppose I can give it, and all bets aside, this is what I believe. I know what Christoff's injuries were, and I know that most Fallen Children would not have survived such. However, that boy is not like most of them. He's not even like most of those so called Pure Winged Nephilim. I do not believe that he would be so easily killed."

"But you said before that you thought he was. What changed your mind?" I asked.

It seemed very strange to me that he'd suddenly change his mind on the subject. They all must have known something that I didn't.

"You could call it intuition, although it's a bit more than that for me. Trust me, I've known Christoff since he was born, and I know the connection I have to Jade. I believe that if he was dead, Jade would be hunting all of us down right now for revenge. I am not the only one who's devoted to my offspring and having them live on in this world." Saffron answered.

He had a point. Jade probably would've killed me by now if Chris had died. He'd already threatened it, not to mention broken a lot of my bones when Chris was so badly hurt. An eye for an eye perhaps? I was leaning towards that thought.

I heard footsteps coming over to us as I thought about that. I turned and stared in shock at the woman coming towards us.

"Mama?"

"There you are Mabel. I was beginning to think you'd gone off on me again." Saffron commented as she walked over to stand beside him. She looked the same as the last time I'd seen her. Saffron had told me the truth about not harming her.

"No. I was just taking care of some cleaning in the kitchen." Mama answered. She looked relieved as she smiled at me, "I'm glad to see that you've been safe Ariana. Even though he's been telling me that, I've still been worried."

"When did you get here?" I had to ask. I hadn't seen a sign of her until now.

"I brought her down here right after I got out of the Abyss." Saffron explained, "It was my original plan to keep her close just in case. After all, a full witch like her is worth having around for a while longer, and beings she's very attached to you, it was the least I could do for her in her time left to let her see what you've become."

Mama nodded, "Yes. I had so many wonderful years with you. You'll always be my daughter, no matter where you came from. But I must admit that I have been a little concerned. You've been so hurt and upset since he brought you back here."

"I'm okay now, and I'm glad to see you're okay too." I told her.

I really meant that last part. Even though this woman had been raising me under Saffron's orders, she'd still been my mother. No matter how odd or overbearing she'd been, she'd protected me and taken good care of me. Only now I could understand why she'd had to do all of what she did.

"By the way Mabel, how is Wilhelm fairing? He should be able to move about more now." Saffron added.

"Yes. He was earlier, but he's laid back down. I'm surprised. I didn't think that he'd survive like he has." Mama admitted.

"That is the resilience of superior Fallen blood." Saffron boasted. He glanced towards the nearby window, "It seems that I'm being summoned, so I need to cut this short. Mabel, I expect you to make sure that Ariana remains comfortable here until I return. Be certain to alert me at once if Jade makes his presence known."

"Yes, of course." Mama bowed.

We watched him stand and disappear in a flash of black shadows. Mama let out the breath she'd apparently been holding once he was gone.

"Honestly, all of this for one boy. There are plenty of others he could've chosen to take care of you. One perfectly good one right here. The other one's son should've been the last choice." she complained.

"You knew who Chris was when I told you." I guessed as I stood up.

I had suspected it before, but I knew I never would've gotten a straight answer. At that time, she'd been far too worried about what Saffron might do if she broke the rules he'd set in place.

"I had a feeling about it, but I wasn't allowed to say anything. It would've ruined his plans from what he kept telling me. I never liked it though, especially when you just disappeared with him. Fallen or not, he wasn't there to take care of you all of that time. I knew what was better then." Mama responded.

"You don't have to worry about Chris now. Nothing else can happen if he's really dead." I reminded her.

"I doubt that he is. I wouldn't be that lucky." Mama let out a long breath, recomposing herself and smiling at me, "But enough of that. We should get you back inside before it starts getting cold out here. This fog hanging around does that at times in Baton Rouge."

"Okay." I agreed. I could at least be nice now. I owed her that much.

We were greeted by Zane as we came back into the house. It seemed that he had finally finished what he'd been working on and was putting away his supplies in one of the closets. He smiled when he saw me.

"Good morning. I'm glad to see you're finally up." he greeted me.

I took a few seconds to study his appearance. For the first time, I noticed something a bit different about him. Though he was smiling and seemed happy, his eyes didn't look that way at all. They seemed sad. I began to wonder if he'd just been acting for my benefit all this time. Maybe what had happened to us had affected him a lot deeper than he wanted to admit out loud.

I forced myself to smile back at him. Maybe I could talk to him about it later.

"Good morning." I replied, trying to sound more upbeat.

Mama shook her head as she looked at him, "I swear, you haven't changed at all in these last forty years, have you?" she commented.

"It's the gift and curse of what we are. Our clocks simply stop after we get our wings and change." Zane reminded her.

"You knew Zane before?" I asked. I wasn't aware that my mother had met any of the other Shadow Wings before me.

"Yes. We met when I was a little girl. He taught a few classes in my school. I wouldn't have imagined that he was a Fallen Child though. I was so surprised when I came here and realized that he was the same person." Mama admitted.

"I am what they like to call an unlikely Shadow Wing, but I am just as strong as the others. Looking harmless is a bonus when it comes to all of this." Zane bragged.

"I suppose." Mama sighed, covering her mouth as she coughed.

"Why don't you come with me for a while Ariana? I've been wanting the chance to show you around the house. You don't mind if I steal her for a bit, do you Mabel?" Zane requested.

"No, not at all." Mama breathed. She turned and walked back towards the kitchen area. I didn't miss that she looked a bit paler now, not to mention breathing a bit harder.

"Is she okay?" I asked Zane. I made sure to keep my voice down.

Zane shook his head, leading us up the nearby stairs, "I'm afraid not. Unfortunately, beings her usefulness to Saffron is just about over, she's beginning to succumb to her original illness. Saffron only stopped it for a time to make sure that you'd be taken care of, but at least he's allowing her to come here and be with you until the time comes. It's been an unexpected bit of mercy from one like him, although I look for him to keep her suffering for a while just to outweigh that." he explained softly.

She really was sick. That explained some things from the past too. It made me feel a bit guilty for doubting her sanity before, and it was sad for me to think that she was dying now because I was grown and changed. Hopefully it wouldn't be too slow and painful like Zane seemed to be thinking.

"So, what were you painting out there?" I asked, trying to change the subject as we walked down the hall.

"Just some scenery. This is a beautiful plantation home, and it gives me some beautiful muses. But more to the point, I'm glad to see you're up and about again. I was starting to worry that you may never come back to us." Zane admitted.

"I'm sorry. I guess I really was losing it for a while." I apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I think Will and I can understand that all too well. We're still pretty torn up over what happened to Christoff. It's been hard for us to think that we may never see him again."

"You know, Saffron seems to think that he might still be alive."

"It's quite possible, given the circumstances, but things are far too fragile right now for him to return anywhere near us. I'm a bit worried that he may never be able to, considering all of the powers involved this time." Zane confessed.

"I guess you're right." I sighed.

Zane stopped and turned to face me. To my surprise, he gently touched my cheek, "I am glad to see you moving about again. I've been very worried, and I know how hard this has been on you. I just wish there was more I could do to help you."

I stared into those green eyes as we stood there. Again, I could see what seemed like a lot of sadness deep within them. It was odd for me to see that with him. Zane never seemed like the type to be this way.

"Did I really scare you that much?" I asked.

"Well, quite a bit more than I like admitting to." Zane confessed, "I was beginning to think that perhaps I would end up completely alone again, and more than that, I really didn't want to see anything more happen to you. I feel bad enough that I wasn't able to do more to help."

"But you did help." I said as I hugged him, "You stayed with me, even when I kept trying to make you leave, and I'm grateful for that."

We stood there like that for a long moment. This embrace felt so comforting to me. But deep inside, I felt a strange worry too. Something seemed off about Zane now. I hoped I could help him with whatever it was.

He finally spoke again, "Thank you for this. I'm glad you're still with me."

He gently pulled away, looking at the door we were standing in front of. We peeked inside as he opened it. The room was dark with all the curtains drawn, but I could see Will lying there in the bed. I didn't think he was sleeping. He seemed to be trying to make himself comfortable. I again thought of the bandages around his chest. It had seemed like he'd been in a lot of pain earlier.

"Is he going to be okay?" I whispered to Zane.

"He's getting better, though he's going to have a longer recovery. It's a miracle that he survived at all. That wound gashed one of the outer chambers of his heart, but somehow Saffron was able to save him from bleeding to death. The recovery's been painful though. I was a bit surprised that he was even able to get moving around this morning like he was, but it seems like he was also determined to apologize to you. Not that I can say anything against that. He did owe you one." Zane explained.

"It was really that bad?"

I hadn't taken the time to consider how bad it may have been before, but hearing that, I understood that Will was truly lucky to be alive. I shivered though as I thought of what Saffron had told me. Will had a connection to Lucifer. He'd been under orders to do what he'd done. Apparently, this all had something to do with them getting to Judiel and those other angels. But why did he choose Will? What made him so superior?

Zane nodded, gently putting an arm around my wait and leading me into the room before closing the door. I sat down on the side of the bed by Will as Zane walked to the other side and lifted the blanket and back of his shirt to check his bandages.

"Everything looks alright. All you need for now is to rest." he told him.

"Is this much pain divine justice?" Will breathed.

"Like I said before, it very well could be. Just be glad that we're actually taking care of you." Zane responded.

His voice sounded a bit colder now, but it didn't surprise me. I had the distinct feeling that Zane was still blaming Will for all of this. As much as he didn't want to lose him, he couldn't quite get over what had happened because of his orders.

"Regeneration shouldn't be this painful. I should've figured out something for that. Maybe I'll work on that once I'm better. I need to get out of the fashion industry anyway. It's far too much work anymore." Will complained softly, closing his eyes again.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not following him.

"It's another thing that Will's always dabbled in. He's been studying medicine for over a hundred years now." Zane told me as he sat in the chair beside us.

"Really? So, you didn't just work as a designer?"

"That's just been a fun hobby, but it's been getting old lately. My real passion has always been science. It's just so interesting to me. Being able to dissect things, seeing how they work. Creation itself. We defy every single thing that science and nature knows to be true, yet we're living, breathing beings. I want to be able to explain it all, even though I know it's not possible and he keeps telling me that it's pointless for me to even think about it. So I started with myself back then. I studied my own regeneration and the effects it has on my body. It's always been fascinating. Too bad I can't watch my own heart repair itself." Will went on, chuckling slightly even though it was painful for him to do so.

"You're a complete mess. Only you would want to do such a thing, but you need to rest now. It will go a lot slower if you don't, and you're well aware of that." Zane reminded him.

"I would, but the pain won't let me. You know that from your own wounds. Lucky you that they've already healed. But cuts heal quicker than deep open wounds on us, especially ones as large as what I have." Will complained.

"Don't worry her so with such terrible things. You've worried her enough." Zane scolded him.

I felt bad then. It was no good to see a friend in pain, even if he'd brought it on himself.

"Maybe I can help." I offered, laying a hand on his side.

This was a trick that I hadn't told them about. I'd learned it with Chris only the month before. He'd usually end up sore from sparing with them, and I'd found that I was able to ease his pain when I touched an area and concentrated. Hopefully I could use this to help Will. It was the least I could do considering he'd helped me pull myself back together. Not to mention the fact that he'd saved my life twice, the first time from Judiel's hold and the second from that Shade.

Will sighed in relief, "Thanks. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep." he whispered, smiling softly as he closed his eyes.

Zane looked at me with some surprise as Will drifted off to sleep, "I didn't realize you could ease pain as well." he noted.

"It was something I learned a while ago, so I thought I'd use it. I don't want him suffer like this." I admitted.

Zane let out a long breath, resting his cheek against his hand, "It's odd for me though. You actually have it in you to be forgiving towards him and allow him not to suffer for what he did. Saffron has been the same, although only with saving him and making sure that he'll follow his orders. You I could see, but with him the purpose still eludes me and that worries me." he confessed, making sure to keep his voice quiet so that he didn't disturb Will.

"It's probably because of me." I reasoned, "He knew how hard it was for me to lose Chris, and I certainly didn't want to lose you and Will too."

"You really think so?"

"I know it's weird, and maybe most of the others aren't like this, but Saffron's told me before that I'm the only thing that's ever mattered to him. Even if he is a Fallen Angel or demon or whatever they want to call him, it feels like at least a little part of him cares enough about me that he would do anything he could to keep me happy." I explained.

At least, that was what I wanted to believe, but there was still a small piece of me that believed that Saffron had an ulterior motive for saving Will. Maybe it even had something to do with his connection to the ruler of Hell.

"Well, he does have a rather twisted personality, even when you consider what he is." Zane agreed, "I've heard a lot of stories about the one they call Saffron, and I believe every one of them now. If there is any that I could label close to the human term psychopath, he'd be it. He's cold blooded yet smiles to the faces of all those he meets. With the exception of you, I've heard that the more he smiles at you, the more he hates you; and trust me, I'm sure that you're the only exception to that rule from all I've gotten to see and hear. If it hadn't been for Will's orders in all of that and who he is, I'm certain that he would've killed him then."

So Zane knew my father's reputation fairly well. I couldn't say that I was surprised. After all, he was Astaroth's only remaining son and one of the oldest Shadow Wings left. But his words intrigued me. Honestly, I didn't know a lot about Saffron aside from what he'd done in the time between when he'd been with Faith Evans and when I'd been born. Maybe Zane could help me bridge that gap.

"So where did you get to hear about Saffron anyway? Was it from Astaroth?" I asked him.

Zane thought about it before answering, "Somewhat. As you know, I am a bit different from the other Fallen Children too, just like you, Chris and Will. I won't use my father's name right now, for as you've seen it can cause undo trouble, but in the times I've met with him before, it hasn't always been a fight and then goodbye. Sometimes he would stay and speak to me afterwards. This does of course demonstrate the twisted personalities they can have, but we won't get into that right now either. Anyway, there were several times he spoke to me about the other Fallen, and in particular, Jade and Saffron. I guess you could say that they amused him at times." he explained.

"Amused him huh?"

What a strange way of putting something, but we were talking about Fallen Angels.

"Yes." Zane confirmed, "I suppose part of it was just because of how those two tended to interact so much. They formed quite a partnership after their fall, and it's been rumored that they're connected to each other somehow. But apparently, Saffron also came to see Jade as one of his possessions in that time. He would become easily angered if Jade took an interest in any other besides him, and it led to many fights between them and others. They were often physical as well. I'm sure you've heard the story about when Christoff was born. Saffron made quite a few efforts to kill his mother before his birth, and it was all out of twisted jealousy. Even now he hesitates with Christoff because of it. Even though he wants him close to you for whatever reason, he still loathes him for being born as Jade's half human child."

"I understand that one after what I got to see." I admitted.

"But you know," Zane continued, "all of this has been something for me too. When Christoff first told me years ago that he was going to look for you, I really didn't get it. He knew that you were Saffron's child, and he knew that Saffron had aimed to take his life several times before, but he was so adamant about it; and the more I think about it, the more it's begun to dawn on me about why that was. It all ties into what he's always believed, even as a child."

I looked over at him, "You knew him as a child too?"

"Yes and no. He was still considered pretty young when we met. I meant every word when I told you before that I was only several years behind Chris in birth. Will is actually older than the both of us. We're the oldest three left."

Okay, so I'd definitely forgotten about that one. But his words caught me off guard. Will was older than them. So technically, that meant that Will was the oldest of the Shadow Wings, not Chris.

I again considered the connections he had, and slowly, a realization came to me. Will had a connection with Lucifer and wasn't like other Shadow Wings. Could it be...?

Zane easily caught onto my thoughts, "You understand now. Will is quite special among our kind. He's always going to be the strongest because of his connection to him, because he created him."

I looked back at Will in disbelief. It was true. Lucifer had a child in the mortal world. That explained the strange thing with Will's eyes. It was showing the power hidden deep inside of him.

"He made him do that because he's his son." I breathed.

Zane stood up, helping me up and guiding me out of the room, "Yes, but we shouldn't speak of it in here. It's better for him to rest and I don't want us to take any chances. I think you understand."

I still couldn't believe what I was hearing, "Hey, we need to talk now. I think you owe me an explanation about this." I demanded quietly.

"I understand. Come. We'll talk privately in my room." Zane offered.

The room that Zane chose to take there was towards the end of the hallway, not that far from the one I'd been put in. It was just as large and nicely decorated, although done completely in dark colors. I took that in as I sat by one of the large windows overlooking the front of the house.

Zane stood near me, fixing a sheet over the painting that he'd been working on earlier. I had noticed that it was of the house that we were in. He'd even incorporated me with my wings out into the painting, standing in front of it among the willow trees. It surprised me how he could do such detail from memory alone.

But at that moment, I also had more important things on my mind, "So how long have you and Chris known the truth about Will?" I asked him as I watched.

Zane thought about it, "Well, it's actually been quite a long time now, though I admit that we weren't completely aware of it when we first met him. I knew Chris before I met Will, and that had just been by chance one evening when the two of us were out exploring the streets of Venice. At first, neither of us suspected anything more to him. It wasn't until we were around him more that we began seeing the signs, and eventually it was hard to ignore the power he had, considering that he had to let it loose that one time."

"Let it loose?" I repeated as he sat down across from me.

"Yes. That's the best way to put it." Zane replied, "It was about two years after we met him when that ended up happening. At the time, the hunts had resumed, and they were going full force. Honestly, what happened with Judiel this time was only a prelude to what may come for us. He's been testing, seeing what can happen once they go on the offensive, and more than likely he's hoping to prove to the Creator that we should be eliminated completely."

No real surprise there. I didn't doubt that they were looking to get rid of us for good. But I still wanted to know just what he'd meant with Will's power.

"So, what happened then? Why did he have to let his power loose like that?" I asked.

"It was necessary in the end. At the time, a large number of us had been cornered in a small section of Rome. We'd gone there in hopes of finding a way to end all of the fighting between us and those angels. Contrary to what any of them believe, there are very few Shadow Wings in existence that really want to fight. We're not evil creatures like they make us out to be. Chris was hoping that he could find a way to speak peacefully with one of the leading angels about us and those clans that were getting ready to start. At the time, we had heard that the first of those women were pregnant. We wanted a chance to have our say and to plead our case. For a while we even believed that we may get that chance. However, the ones like Judiel intervened before we could get any messages to the higher angels, and that's how they ambushed us that night." Zane explained.

I stared as I allowed the vision to flood my mind. In it, I could see a group of people standing in a huge, round room. It looked like it may have been part of a massive church. Will, Zane and Chris were there with them. Looking at the others in there, which were maybe around twenty, I realized that they were all Shadow Wings like us. They seemed to be waiting with them for something.

But all at once, there were bright lights that came down from the high ceiling. Then there was bright white fire. They all would've been killed right then and there except that at the same time Will reacted. His eyes changed color from violet to bright red, and his wings burst out. With that, a bright burst of black flew up and effectively blocked the white flames. They were immediately put out. But it wasn't over yet. The black continued up, and I could hear horrible screams of pain as it did.

The feeling of Zane touching my cheek brought me back to reality, "As you saw, Will has a lot of power within him. He saved all of our lives that day, although he had a very hard time containing that power again once if was over. It nearly caused him to lose his mind, so he doesn't use it unless he absolutely has to. He's even been hiding himself since that day, going so far as to make sure that he changed his original name. He feared telling you the truth because you may look at him differently. No matter what Will came from, he isn't bad, and he doesn't want you to fear him." he explained gently.

I looked down, feeling the tears rolling down my cheeks. I knew that I could never blame Will for who he was. He wasn't any different from any of us. He didn't ask for his existence, or to be what he was. Apparently, the whole anti-Christ thing was a bunch of bullshit.

I was brought back to reality by Zane pulling me into a gentle embrace.

"I can't begin to promise that we can give you a good life in this, but I know that I personally will try to make you happy. Whether Chris comes back or not, I'm always going to be here." he promised.

I closed my eyes as I felt an overwhelming comfort come over me. I knew then how much I trusted Zane. I'd never wanted to believe before that he would've done anything to betray us. Zane was my friend, one of the closest I'd ever had. If I trusted anyone else aside from Chris, I trusted him. He was the one true thing remaining right now.

He was what I had left to cling to in this terrible existence.