Ethereal underground.

By Brooke Kennedy & Briana Gaitan.

The Mortal Rules.

RULE ONE: Do not take anything they say literally.

RULE TWO: Always a.s.sume the mortal has another motive. They usually do.

RULE THREE: If they try to kiss you, always kiss them back.

- Finlay.

The Ethereal Underground.

Prologue.

On a lush, green world in the farthest corner of the galaxy, the tiny planet of Cabalin stood far from the influences of any mortal being. Compared to the many larger planets which neighbored it, Cabalin stood out for a rare and exceptional quality. Its native inhabitants never died, and a portion of this magic extended to anyone or anything that lived there. Cabalin served as the ancestral home of a mystical race known as the seraphs, who lived in harmony with the planet, and possessed magical abilities drawn from its natural elements.

As many different species arrived and began to explore the galaxy around Cabalin, the planet was soon taken over by a humanoid race. The different races tried to live together in peace, but it was soon clear that the mortal beings were too violent and destructive for the seraphs. A powerful war began in the galaxy as different species tried to stake claims on all the newly discovered planets. Many of the immigrants in the galaxy sought refuge on Cabalin; even so the battles still entered the planet's atmosphere. Eventually, a force of strong warriors vowed to protect the planet from the hostilities and created an ecosphere under the planet's surface for inhabitants to live. The ecosphere consisted of nine layers of cities constructed from metal, and burrowed deep into the center of the planet. The warriors called themselves "the keepers", because they kept the raging war in the galaxy off of the planet. The inhabitants of the planet trusted in the keepers, allowing themselves to be relocated under the surface and permitting the new officials to remain above.

The seraphs watched the destruction of their planet from the building of the ecosphere and the separation from the surface, but being a gentle and more peaceful race, they did not interfere. They did the best they could to help with healing the mortals after battles, sometimes sending their own males to help fight. Over time, the seraphs decided that they could no longer sit by and watch the annihilation of their home. They retreated from the mortal's world, creating a separate plane of existence and closing the veil between the two. Shortly after their departure, the planet mysteriously began to die. The gra.s.s and trees withered away, the wildlife slowly died off and became extinct. For unknown reasons, many of the occupants started to mutate into vicious looking creatures who were then banished to the ninth layer, along with the remnants of the original inhabitants by the keepers. Ultimately, the seraphs stayed safely in their realm.

After centuries pa.s.sed, the existence of the seraphs faded away into legends, and the reality of their presence was written down as fiction. Even then, the wars that raged on outside of the planet continued on with no end in sight. The keepers had rid the planet of intruders as far as they knew, but continued to wage in galactic battles. Still, the citizens of Cabalin grew restless waiting for the day when the war would end and they could once again see the suns.

Chapter One.

Ash.

As soon as Ash walked into the Ethereal Underground, he was surrounded by smoke. The swirling forms of purple, black and blue drifted through the bar, carrying the patterns and emotions of the life form that blew it out. The smoke looked unusually eager this evening.

Ash smiled; it was a good night to be here. He had just won one of the biggest fights of the Underground, and tonight he was celebrating. He normally didn't have time to stop in and hang out at the Underground, but tonight he was free of obligation and commitment. He was taking a short sabbatical from his job as a keeper, and he finally had the time to step back and focus more on the fun things in life. He had spent his entire life within the keeper walls, being taught the importance of protecting the planet. The keepers patrolled the planet from the surface. The job was never ending and exhausting, and anytime he could Ash tried to kick back and blend in with the population.

The planet they lived on consisted of layers upon layers of cities. The keepers and other important Officials lived on the top layer, and the further down into the planet you traveled, the more dangerous and seedy the inhabitants became. In fact, he had to travel down eight layers just to get to his favorite bar, the Ethereal Underground. The people who surrounded him here kept their distance and never asked questions. Most of them disliked the keepers and he didn't blame them. The inhabitants were kept living underground with limited access to supplies and electricity. Here he wasn't a keeper; he was just a local n.o.body, and he preferred to keep it that way. He pushed through the hordes of bodies to make his way up towards the front of the bar. People danced up on each other as the sound of an ancient music box filled his ears. He recognized the tune immediately; that clunky wooden box only had a few songs inside, and since they didn't make jukeboxes anymore he knew every word of every song on the playlist. Ash pa.s.sed by a few small tables filled with Cabalins who were probably plotting something devious. They huddled closer as he walked by; afraid he might overhear their plot. He noticed a few drunken patrons were stumbling toward the exit, falling over every couple of steps. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and drinking to their heart's content. The place was jam packed tonight, and everyone stood shoulder to shoulder. Well, at least those who had shoulders; some of those who frequented did not have humanoid forms.

Ash nodded at a few familiar faces that stood out among the dark crowds. One of them was the young and beautiful Arie Raines. With her long curly red hair and tall athletic figure, her beauty stood out among the other patrons. Ash noticed a few locals staring at her, yet because of her father, they stayed clear. She was in the corner of the bar, perched at the top of a metal staircase railing drinking from a mug, all while twirling a small dagger in her right hand. No other girl could make that look so casual. Arie was a local bounty hunter whom the keepers hired often. She was also the only person in the bar who knew who he really was, but luckily she knew how to keep a secret. Arie tossed her fiery red hair back behind her shoulders and nodded at the bar where her father sat. They were probably here on business looking for a bounty. If you needed to find someone, the Ethereal Underground was the place to do it. Ash winked back at her to let her know that he understood to keep clear. He smirked as her face turned red enough to match her curly locks. He had known her since she was old enough to join in on her father's hunts, and she had never made her feelings for Ash a secret. Being a keeper also meant not being allowed the time for a real relationship, so Ash was careful not to give her any ideas. That didn't stop him from flirting with her every chance he got. He just couldn't help himself. Ash continued to push through the crowd, careful not to step on anyone and start a fight. He felt a few random people slap him on the back congratulating him on his win. Each word of praise was received with a c.o.c.ky grin before pushing past.

"Great fight," said a girl with long brown hair. She pushed up against him as she danced in rhythm with the music. She ran her hands through Ash's short brown hair, down his shoulders and stopped on his large biceps. She giggled as Ash impulsively flexed his muscles through his tight black shirt. "I'm Tanner. Buy me a drink?" Ash looked her up and down slowly. She was definitely a mixed species, but she could pa.s.s for a humanoid. He could definitely enjoy her, but wasn't in the mood for groupies tonight.

"Maybe some other time, find me later?" He stepped beside her and continued to push through the crowd. The low lighting mixed with all the smoke made it hard to see up close, but somehow he managed enough to make it to the bar where the owner Maize was handing out drinks. Maize's face lit up when she saw Ash.

"Ash, darling, it's been too long. Come have a drink on the house." She swung around to grab an empty gla.s.s from behind the bar and started to fill it up. Maize looked tough for being as small as she was. She stood only about three feet tall, but a small pair of translucent wings kept her towering above everyone else. She flashed him a wicked smile. Ash watched as her mocha colored skin lightened to match her wings. Even though he had seen her change colors a million times, it still freaked him out. All of the keepers he had grown up around were of a humanoid race. The species that frequented the Ethereal Underground were various and shockingly diverse.

Ash noticed Maize scowl at a local customer who sat on a nearby barstool with a drink in hand. As the six foot dribbler looked up and saw her face raging with anger, he quickly jumped up out of the seat and hurried to the other side of the bar far away from Maize. Dribblers were an unusual and ruthless species. They had abnormally large bald heads and tinted green skin. They had four eyes along the front of their head. All four were small and beady. Ash laughed as the big guy scurried away. Her influence in the bar could not be dismissed; she was known for having quite the temper. He took a seat upon the now open stool and graciously took the drink from Maize's hand. He felt his body relax as the cold brown liquid ran down his throat. He had been craving this drink all day. Maize brewed the best ale on the planet. She handed him an already packed hookah and pretended to tidy up the bar a bit.

"Now Ash, please don't make me beg for details, everyone in here is in a good mood tonight. Seems your little fight won a bunch of people a lot of money," she said and playfully poked a bony finger into his shoulder.

Ash held in a long drag and exhaled the purple smoke, which meant that his emotions were proud. Each color of smoke from a hookah gave away the emotion that the person was feeling at that moment. He watched the smoke drift away from him and mix in with a nearby patron's red smoke. They swirled together for a moment before disappearing altogether. The magical fruit that Cabalins smoked pa.s.sed their emotions into the smoke, leaving the smoker with clarity. It had become a huge craze among the citizens.

"Everyone knows better than to bet against me," he boasted arrogantly.

Maize pounded loudly on the metal bar counter with her fist, causing many of the patrons to stop and stare.

"In celebration of Ash's winning fight, drinks on the house for everyone!" she shouted.

A round of hurrahs and excitement poured from the crowd as everyone rushed up to the bar to get their free drink. Annoyed, Ash glared at a tall gammon woman who knocked into his elbow and caused him to spill his ale all over the bar. The gammons were solid blue humanoids with an extra set of arms that grew out of their waist. She pretended to ignore him and stuck a few arms out to grab a drink from Maize. Ash kept his anger in check and used a towel on the bar to wipe up the spilled drink. Nothing, not even this gammon, would ruin his good mood tonight.

Ash kept a careful watch from the corner of his eye on Arie and her father. To his left, Arie appeared to still be scouting the place out. A small man with dark brown hair and a full-sized beard sat about three stools down. He had his head down, and sat quietly with a drink in his hands. Arie's father, Sasha Raines, was known as the bar drunk these days, but Ash knew better than to underestimate him. In the last few years, the man had singlehandedly taken down more faces on the Official's most wanted list than all the other hunters combined. Of course, his profession wasn't a very well-known one. Most people thought he was just a simple deadbeat pilot. He had taught his daughter well so that she could take over the family business, but she had yet to surpa.s.s her father's deadly talents.

"You normally don't frequent these parts during the week," Maize noticed and raised a slim raven eyebrow.

Ash shrugged. He wasn't one to normally comment on his private life, but with Maize it was different. Maize was like the mother he never had. The keepers weren't big on motherly affection. He had lived with them since he was two years old, and even then he was treated like a grown soldier.

"I thought I'd switch up my life a bit. I've kind of been in a rut lately," he told her. He didn't want to tell her that recently he had rebelled against everything he had been taught his entire life. Maize worried about him enough as it was. She was constantly trying to fix him up with all her waitresses, and every time he fought she could never bear to watch. She preferred to stay upstairs at the bar serving drinks. Surprisingly enough, she had been the one to get him to fight for the first time. She had been looking for a new star, and Ash had been looking for a new way to release his anger. It was destined.

"Nothing ever happens twice at the Ethereal." She laughed hysterically causing her skin to shoot back and forth between purple and white. Maize wasn't good with jokes, but he knew she would be expecting a huge roar of laughter from him. Ash chuckled and tried hard not to laugh too much. The poor gal tried to be human, but she would never understand their sense of humor. Then again he didn't understand her quirky dancing. She danced like a dying unicorn with jagged limbs flailing about. He quickly tried to change the subject from her failing joke.

"By the way, you wanted details?" he asked Maize as he downed the last of his drink. "Keep a weathered eye out tonight, something is about to go down."

"What are you speaking of?" She leaned in and spoke softly so that no one else could hear.

"There are bounty hunters here tonight. I think they may be looking for someone." He stood abruptly and thanked her for the drink before throwing down a few gems for a tip. Maize looked around the bar. Her face became paler and more uncertain. She gave him a tight smile and went back to making drinks for the other customers.

"See you around," she called out. Ash knew that Maize would take him seriously. Whatever Arie and her father had planned, Ash didn't want his old friend to get caught in the middle. He gave her a short nod and walked away. The crowd was beginning to die down as curfew approached, so it was easier to maneuver across the bar. The curfew was set by the keepers as a way to lower the crime rate. When curfew time came, all of the electricity was turned off. Ash took a startled step back as he came face to face with one of Maize's new waitresses.

"Hey, you looked so great out there tonight," she told him, offering him a drink. Ash politely declined the drink and instead grabbed her by the waist.

"I've never seen you before." It was true. He knew all of the waitresses, and there was no way he would have forgotten this raven haired beauty. She blushed at the sight of Ash looking her over with his baby blue eyes.

"My name is Della, I'm new here."

"Well, Della. Find me later? Maybe we can spend some time getting to know each other better?"

Ash took the opportune moment to slip past the speechless waitress. He loved to mess with the girls here. He knew he could have his pick of just about any girl in the bar, but tonight he was only interested in his best friend. He was finally able to get to Arie's side of the bar. He scooted close to her and leaned in so she could hear him over the loud crowd.

"Looking good Raines," he whispered in her ear. He knew flirting with her was wrong, but he just couldn't help himself. However, he would never jeopardize their friendship by hooking up with her. He lifted his hand up and smoothed down a lock of her curly hair.

Arie bit her lip, before teasing him with her sultry brown eyes. "Careful Ash, Daddy is watching." Ash c.o.c.ked his head to the side and slowly turned around to look at the s.p.a.ce where her father sat earlier. Sure enough, Sasha had turned around and was now eyeing the two of them. Ash turned back to face Arie and ignored her father. Sasha could stare all he wanted; Ash knew to keep his hands in plain sight. He didn't want to get on Sasha's bad side. Arie leaned back against the railing and stretched her arms over her head.

"I am so bored," she whined. She slipped the dagger she had been twirling earlier back inside her black boot. Ash's eyes trailed up her leg. She wore a pair of tight black pants and a matching vest. He knew she had a gun hidden somewhere under it all. She never left home without it.

"Who are you looking for?" he asked.

Arie kept her eyes on the crowd while she spoke. Unlike Ash, she never let herself get distracted from the job. "A fallen named Loki." She was always so serious when it came to her contracts. He figured it was the one thing in her life she was proud of. Growing up in the eighth layer of the planet, she didn't receive many breaks. Not like he did, or so she always reminded him. Ash had grown up on the surface, and considering how many lived and died without ever seeing the suns, he could see how that might make him privileged. Nevertheless, Ash still envied her. Arie was allowed to make mistakes; she was allowed to be human. Ash was allowed nothing but rules, duties, and training. It was the reason he had enjoyed sneaking down to the Underground so much. Here he felt like he could relax and have fun.

Ash climbed up beside her and scanned the crowd. The staircase behind them carried people who came up from downstairs where the card tables were, so minus the threat that someone could sneak up behind them, it was a great scoping place. From here; he could see almost the entire bar. Patches of smoke moved across the bar like clouds, covering a few patrons, but most of the crowd was in plain sight. Why was she looking for a fallen? The fallen were the evil counterparts of an ancient extinct species, the seraph. As far as he knew, the fallen never really existed. He had never met anyone who had actually seen one. It was mainly rumors and hearsay, although some of the older keepers did believe in the species and spoke of them often. For some reason, in spite of his doubts, tonight his interest was piqued; he wanted to catch this Loki.

"Who wants a fallen? Are you sure this isn't a joke?" He tried to keep his voice even and nonchalant.

Arie laughed, "Don't be sly. You know I can't talk about that with you. Trust me though. They are real."

He shrugged, it was worth a try. She had to keep her client list confidential.

"I can tell you that someone has a very big grudge against this one, and if daddy's sources are right, he is supposed to be here tonight." He could feel her foot tap along the railing impatiently. A nervous tick that always made him cringe. He reached out and put a hand on her leg to steady her.

She was tense, more so than usual, she was scared of capturing a fallen. He didn't blame her though, not too often do you come across an immortal species who could take you out with a blink of an eye.

"How do you plan to capture him if he is immortal?"

Arie patted her side to show the gun she carried in a holster.

"Apparently they aren't really immortal. I have a weapon to stun him. He is wanted alive. By the way, where's your partner in crime?"

It took Ash a moment to realize that she was talking about Finlay. Finlay was Ash's sidekick in the Underground. Finlay scheduled his fights, and they both had an unquenchable taste for ale and women.

"He's around somewhere. He ran off after all the bets were paid out. I bet he has already found some random girl to dance with."

Arie snorted loudly in response.

They sat in silence, and scanned the crowd. He had never seen a fallen before, or even a seraph for that matter. If he could catch a fallen, Ash was sure that his status among the keepers would be restored. They were so mad at him right now; maybe this could work out in his favor. He remembered some of the ancient stories; keepers who claimed a seraph had healed them or protected them, and seraphs that could control elements such as water or fire. He had even heard a few rumors that fallen had eyes as black as night. That was all he had to go on, so he sat there scanning the fading crowd for a face with black eyes.

Annalise Standing up from her spot on the soft green gra.s.s, Annalise couldn't help but smile widely at her own creation. In her 1,500 years, she had never tried her hand at gardening, always relying on those seraphs blessed with an affinity for verdure powers to make sure her crops were sowed correctly. This season, however, she had gotten it approved through the Elders to try her hand at growing her own crops. Sometimes when she wasn't reaping she would help out in the market, but she wanted to do something for herself. Gardening was something the others were always boasting about, and she had always adored walking through the rows of crops and flowers, picking out what she wanted to adorn her home with and filling her basket to the brim.

Today, the sky had been the bluest and the ground the softest so she decided to give it her best shot. In her world, it never rained, the sun never set. In fact, there was no set location of what was lighting up the sky. If one wanted to see the night sky, they had to leave this realm and travel to that of the mortals. She had never seen one in person. Leon, her counterpart, had told her about the dark blue sky with stars and moons scattered across it, and she longed to see it one day. Only guardian seraphs were allowed on the surface of the planet to watch over their charges there. It was rare that reapings took place there, due to it being the home of the planet's government and their ability to keep the surface's inhabitants safe. On the rare occasion that someone died there, a guardian would bring the deceased to a separate layer of the planet. The reaper would then go retrieve the soul. This protocol kept the female reaper seraphs safe. Annalise wished for the opportunity to go there. This unfortunately, she knew, would never happen. Seraphs were not allowed to spend time in the mortal world, unless duty called them there. Still, she had found herself sheltered compared to the others, and it had recently been pointed out, much to her confusion. She had never felt that way herself, but now it made her wonder.

Annalise pushed the negative thoughts out of her head and gave a small giggle. As she did so, she stretched out her hands in front of her and felt the rush of power go through her body and out the end of her palms. Small droplets of water appeared over the ground, falling in the precise spot where she directed it. Her laugh grew louder, one that was infectious to others when she was around, even though she was completely oblivious to her own charm.

She was pleased with herself and wiped her now dirty hands on her pale yellow dress and her forehead with the back of her hand, smearing dirt across it. It was a gesture she had seen humans utilize after hard work, wiping the sweat off their brow, though it was just pantomime as seraphs don't sweat. She had found herself watching them from inside of her home on the globe, eager to learn more about gardening without having to ask Finlay for help. He was a close friend of her and Leon, although he rode the fence of what was appropriate for a seraph and was often very boastful. She couldn't wait to share her success with him when her plants sprouted.

Annalise heard the familiar foot steps behind her and knew that Leon had returned home before he cleared his voice, a small amount of amus.e.m.e.nt held in his words. "The garden is looking good, Anna."

Turning around, she gave him a big smile and ran toward him, stopping just a foot away and looking up into his green eyes. He was taller than her by several inches, broadly built and handsome. His light brown hair stood up slightly in the front, down all over the rest of his head, a consistent five o'clock shadow across his face. His sword was across his back resting in its hilt, his magnificent wings rested behind him, slightly gray and brown in color. His clothing was similar to all the other male seraphs, simple. His pants were a dark crimson red and his shirt was brown. It was slit up the back for his wings to go through when he needed them. In fact, there was rarely a time when his wings were not displayed openly and proudly. He had no reason to hide them, because he only went to the mortal world on missions and duties. Leon had been her counterpart for almost two thousand years, the one that shared her home and her life, her best friend. He understood her in a way that no one else did, made sure she was safe while he was around. He was partially the reason she hadn't seen as much of the world as she wanted. Since she had been created, Leon had led her along the righteous and straight path. He taught her how to stay loyal to the seraphs; how to follow the rules and not be cast out of their realm. This wasn't out of the ordinary. All seraphs were paired up, reaper to guardian, pairs to live together and help keep the balance in the universe. As a way to keep the females safe since they didn't have fighting skills, they were paired with the male seraphs and lived together in small homes across the realm. There was no emotional bond, just loyalty and a sense of protectiveness to each other. Bound by duty, each seraph had an affinity for a force: fire, air, water, verdure and more, as well as a set position, guardian or reaper. Leon was a guardian seraph, set to watch over his mortal charges and makes sure they were safe and following the path set before them. Other times, he would help fight alongside the other guardians when he was needed as a warrior. Thankfully it had been centuries since he was called for a large scale battle. Annalise herself was a reaper, a seraph sent to capture the soul of an individual as they die, sending it to the afterlife where it belongs before other forces could steal it for their own dealings. They were to do their duties, never stray from them.

Before she could say anything to Leon, he raised his hand up to her and brushed the unkempt blonde hair out of her face, "I think you have more dirt on yourself than the plants do."

"It is called pouring yourself into the soul of the garden," she said, as way of explanation that she could tell he didn't completely understand. She didn't care that she was covered head to toe in dirt; she loved nature. Still, he would give her that look, a small roll of his eyes, and a broad smile as he shook his head and looked down at her in adoration. He didn't always understand her, but he accepted her, and that was enough to keep her happy in her own little world. She turned around to head to the house, thousands of questions on the edge of her tongue about his journeys, but not sure where to start. Annalise knew that they were one of the most revered pairs in all of the land, on the straight and narrow path, lifted up for their loyalty to the cause. Many of the pairs were envious of their relationship, many of them losing a counterpart to evil ways and the fallen throughout the years.

As they approached their home, she paused and turned back to him and fiddled with the hem of her dress. Her form was small, thin, tanned with the light from the sky, stark white wings settled softly at her back, small enough for outside forces to harm her. Her blonde hair fell in waves down her back, tangled most of the time, except for when Leon would insist she sit down and let him brush it. Water was her affinity, not something to utilize in battle and barely enough to keep herself safe. To others she appeared fragile, making her the perfect target for an attack. Although Leon was strong, appearing tough and slightly ragged, the thought made her worry about him while he was gone. She kept her eyes low to the ground, trying not to show him her worry. Fallen were being seen more often lately, too close to home. More and more seraphs were disappearing every day. She knew that the missing seraphs were the result of the fallen hunting them down, and she did not want to see Leon be ambushed by those evil creatures. Worried, she forced the words out, "How was your journey?"

"Eventful, to say the least," he started as he walked ahead in front of her and through the opening of the round stone residence, "My charge was drunk and heading towards a horde of fallen."

He continued to speak, deep voice resonating through the home. Frowning to herself, she all but tuned him out, not wanting to know if or how he had fought a fallen. They were despicable creatures, once seraphs who now thrived on destroying her kind, devouring them to absorb their power. Annalise shivered at the thought of her partner battling such forces. She had never seen one, but she heard the stories: evil, deformed creatures who lurked in the dark of the night and sought out seraphs to sink their teeth into, or tempt them to change their ways and fall as well.

Letting her eyes trail up to the clear gla.s.s roof of the home, she was thankful to see the sky, thankful it was still its purest blue, and it made her feel like things would be okay, even if the fallen decided to attack. Leon was here and they were safe, Finlay's home not too far away. Their home was built of a speckled cream stone, shaped into a large igloo with an additional circular room in the back where they could rest. The floor was soft and plush, a technology only known to the seraphs. No furniture was in the main room, only pure wood shelves that jutted out from the stone for them to use as they needed. All cooking was done outside in the fire pit and the tools for that were found there. They were a simple race, relying on nature to every extent they could, all of their clothing and bedding made in their town center. All was purchased at the market and could be requested to be made there as well. They would trade goods and services there, and each seraph helped out with what they could.

The sound of buzzing caught her attention and made Leon's story come to a halt. She walked over to the center of the room and stepped over several pillows scattered around the large round globe in the center of the room. It was made of magical gla.s.s and stood several feet off the ground on its wooden stand. The wood curved around the bottom of the sphere and either seraph could look into it and see what they wished, including any mortal that she felt like watching that day. She could call her reapings by name if she knew them, and Leon could call his charges. Once they knew a mortal's name and it was attached to them for duty purposes, they could call upon them again. Sometimes though, Annalise would find a random human to watch when Leon was not around. They fascinated her, the way they would let their emotions run them, working as she did but not letting that dictate who they were and what they did. She did not understand that. Seraphs were made with emotions, even though they were not felt as deeply as mortals could feel. With their emotions not being as strong, relying on them could cause a seraph to become a fallen. They were never taught to use those emotions, however. They were discouraged from using them and shunned by the Elders whenever one was caught expanding their feelings past what was accepted. Humans were taught to use their emotions and rely on them. Most of the time, Annalise could only identify those emotions that were normal to her kind, and she would struggle to understand some of the feelings the mortals displayed. The globe also would show her and Leon what their new a.s.signments were, any new charges for Leon and any reaping opportunities a.s.signed to her. She found herself excitedly chewing on her lip as she peered into the globe, watching as the pink and blue clouds parted to reveal a fight between a human and a creature that she couldn't place. The larger being held a sword in one hand, the human was cornered against the wall. Turning her back to the scene, she looked over at Leon and forced a smile to her face. She could never stand to see the killing blow. Life was a prize, it was a privilege, sacred, and she hated to see it scuffed out. But it was always so exciting to get to travel to the human world. Each reaping was like an adventure to her, even though she would never allow herself to stay and wonder around. Leon had made sure that she was aware of the dangers of a fallen, and also the dangers of being made one if she did not promptly return home.

Annalise turned to give the brunette a small wave. Leon's face fell slightly as he walked over to her, hand cupping her face and making her look at him, "Please be careful."

"Am I not always careful?" she asked, pointing out the obvious to him.

He nodded, letting her go and taking a step back to give her s.p.a.ce.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and tapping the large golden bangle around her wrist. Annalise pictured the place that the globe had shown her, excitement filling her up as she teleported there. It wasn't anything new to her, teleportation was the easiest way to get anywhere, and she would rather do her job quickly. When she opened her eyes, she saw the larger unknown species walking away, the mortal laying in a pool of blood in the room. She was thankful for her strong stomach, it came with the job she supposed; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to handle reaping. The excitement of being in the mortal world again crept up into her as she walked over to the being. Looking around, she took in the gray metal walls all around, and the fluorescent lit sky above. She knew she was deep inside of the planet, but wasn't sure what layer it was. As she neared the mortal, she noted his slowed but labored breathing. He was trying to fight it. Even though she was invisible to him, her charges could always sense her presence, she could see it in his eyes. They were green, like Leon's eyes, and he struggled to look through the slits and see what had come for him. She lowered herself to a kneeling position beside him, wings widening to create a shelter over them. For a minute, she wondered what his life had been like, who he had been. Was he good? Bad? She would never know. She badly wished that she could speak with him, heal him and ask him of the stories of his life. However, Leon's words resounded in her ears as her thoughts continued to wonder. Reap the soul and return. You must get back to the Grand Hall before the soul is stolen by evil forces. She knew that she could never do the opposite of what she had been taught. Her counterpart was one of the highest ranking guardians, and she couldn't disappoint him. To do so would risk losing her position among the seraphs, one she had worked so hard to have, and risk becoming a fallen.

She reached out to him, took his face in her hands, and closed her eyes. After saying a small blessing for him, she let her power flow through her and wash over him. She relished the power, unleashing it and letting it work its magic to pull his soul from the center of his body and lay it, round and glittering, in her palms as she leaned back and brought her hands together. It felt so incredibly good to be able to let herself go, let the power flow from her body and do as it was meant to. It was as if she was free, an open spirit and light in the darkness. This was the only time she could ever truly be herself and be free, other than around Leon. From the outside, if she were to allow herself to be seen, there would be a great light, golden and bright, shining around the two of them, until his soul rested in her hands.

She opened her eyes, and tapped her bangle to teleport herself again, and found herself in the Grand Hall. Other seraphs took the reaping job as an opportunity to walk among the mortals, glittering ball trapped in their bag until they made their way back to the netherworld. Annalise, however, always went straight back to the Grand Hall, making sure she got the soul back as soon as possible, because she did not want to risk losing it for a few good minutes in the mortal world. Even though she yearned to mingle with the mortals, she knew what the punishment held. She never broke a rule, always doing as she was supposed to.

As she stood up, she noted the cold gray metal walls all around her. It was the darkest place in her world, the coldest. Even though the lighting was bright, the tall dark walls always made Annalise feel small and unimportant. Still, she continued down the hallway until she reached the door where the souls were sent to their afterlife. Annalise fell quiet as she walked, knowing it was prohibited to speak in such a sacred place. She nodded at the guard standing there. Tall and dark with dark gray wings, Slade was very menacing in appearance.

Slade nodded to her in greeting and pressed the b.u.t.ton to slide the door open without saying a word. She gave him her best smile in return and walked inside, her heart still racing inside of these prison walls even after all of these years. She preferred the openness of the outside world; this place was one built of mortal means, sealed of alien technology. There was no outside entrance into here. Only those with teleportation keys set here could enter. She continued to look forward, her peripheral vision the only cue that there were others there, sending souls on. Other female seraphs bringing back the souls they had collected. Each of them smiled at her as they pa.s.sed excited to reap yet another soul and complete what was asked of them. Annalise smiled in return, the other seraphs were the only thing that made this place feel like home. They were her people, her family in a sense. There was a loyalty among them that no other species knew, or so she had been told.

She knew this room well, making several visits here per day. It was perfectly square, bright florescent lights beaming down on her in an unnatural way, the walls lined with holes that somehow took the soul to the afterlife. She reached a circular hole across the room and gave one last look at the soul. It was continuing to glitter, the light bouncing off the wall in front of her and giving the only natural feel to the dark s.p.a.ce, colors swarming in a circular motion. It made her smile to know that she had saved this soul and could send it on to its resting place. The mortal would never again suffer. She held the ball out in front of her, offering it to the hole and continuing to watch it in awe. Carefully, she placed the soul into the hole and it was sucked away, off to the afterlife. Annalise took a step back, allowing herself to wonder where it really went, what really happened to them after she deposited them here. She turned around and walked back outside, giving a nod to Slade and wishing she could tell him goodbye. The two of them were acquaintances and he spent some of his free time with Leon. But this was a place of complete silence, and so she remained quiet, waiting until she was further down the hall before teleporting herself back home.

Chapter Two.

Ash The sound of Arie's communicator stirred Ash from his trance. He had been so busy studying all of the drunks who walked to and from the Underground entrance that he had s.p.a.ced out from the real world. Arie nudged him softly in his shoulder before leaning into his ear close enough so she could whisper in it. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of flower perfume that drifted off of her skin.

"Dad says that Loki is at the back entrance. I'll see you later." She jumped off the railing and started to make her way toward the back door only a few yards away.

Ash, not even taking a second to think, jumped off and followed her.

"Arie, wait for me," he called out. He caught up with her quickly. Curfew was almost upon them and citizens were already making their way home.

She swung around, hitting him with her thick mess of red hair in the process.

"Ash, this is my job. I really don't need to worry about saving your bender too." Arie held up a hand to stop him from walking any further. Her small hand pushed against his chest, she was strong and her height nearly matched his, but she was no match for Ash.

"Arie, my bender is fine." He gave his back end a soft tap and smirked, "So you can stop dreaming about it."