"I'm not gonna apologize for trying to get closer to you before I-"

I can't finish my thought. The room falls silent. Suddenly I'm aware of how I'm dressed. I had changed out of the nice clothes Miku got me. I now have on pajama bottoms and a T-shirt featuring the forgetful fish from "Finding Nemo.

" It read "Just keep swimming."

Great, now we're alone, I have his undivided attention, and I'm dressed like I'm headed for a sleepover with Sponge Bob Square Pants...

"I know you're embarra.s.sed but honestly, you standing in my living room half naked...I wouldn't take that back if I could."

I smile bashfully and turn away.

"I know I've been all work lately but it doesn't mean I don't think about 'Play,'" he insists.

"When you see us being together, who makes the first move?" I ask.

He answers me by wrapping his impossibly strong arms around me, carrying me over to the bed and laying me down. Given the magnitude of his strength, I'm taken by the gentleness of his touch.

He longingly gazes down my body. It's as if he can see right through my clothes; in his mind's eyes, I am naked. A moan escapes his slightly parted lips. He likes what he sees.

He kisses my fingertips, eyelids, and earlobe. He traces my jaw line with his thumb, raises my head slightly and nuzzles the nape of my neck. Nerve endings are ignited with every kiss he gives me. Once our lips finally meet, a chaos of warm sensation travels down my body.

The euphoria of his touch causes me to lose all sense of time and s.p.a.ce. His kisses leave a trail of pleasure long after contact. My Angel looks up at me as if to ask permission to take my shirt off. I signal that I'm ready. Then, his cell phone rings.

d.a.m.n...

I sigh heavily and lay back. Marcus, equally frustrated, answers.

"What?" he barks. He listens for a few seconds, then reluctantly agrees and hangs up.

"Who was that?" I ask.

"Your father. If you don't go talk to him, he's coming over here."

"Perfect," I reply, rolling my eyes.

Marcus laughs suddenly.

"What?" I ask.

"Your father calling and demanding you follow his rules, you with a guy in your room...for a second it feels like we are leading normal lives."

"Are you saying not everyone gets tortured and chased by Akons?"

"Hard to believe."

He takes my hand and we head back to the house where I was humiliated just a few hours ago. I would not have gone back, but Marcus pointed out that Julian was in fact very serious about coming over to my apartment if I didn't come see him.

It irritates me that Julian has decided to act like a father now. He has been absent for years and now he wants to run my life. I don't care what the Council said or did. He was supposed to be there for me and he wasn't.

That isn't to say I would even want him here. I can't forgive what he did to my mom. Okay, maybe she was in love with him in some past life. But that doesn't make it right. And no matter how hard he tries, Julian will not be allowed to force his way into my life.

When we enter the Guardian's house, we find Julian and everyone but Rio waiting on us.

"We thought we'd stick around in case you guys came to blows," Miku says.

"My money's on Emmy. She's tapped into her abandonment issues. Lots of rage." Jay remarks.

Ameana shoots Jay a look that tells him this may not be the time to joke. She is right.

"Who are you to demand that I come and see you?" I ask Julian.

"After what I witnessed earlier, I see that you need help making good decisions," he retorts.

"Yo, what happened earlier?" Jay asked. I ignore him and address Julian.

"You freaking kidding me with this? You think you're the person to show me how to make good decisions? Let's see what have you done that was so good? Oh yeah, you broke the Council's rules, got my mom kicked out of the Light and then you raped her."

"You don't understand how much I loved your mother"

"When you love people Julian, you support them and let them make their own decisions. Did you even ask my mother if she wanted your help finding her way into the Light?"

"No."

"Of course not."

"I helped her get into the Light."

"Yeah, then you helped her get kicked out. She has spent like a thousand Cycles here because you're a selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d"

"Emmy-" Marcus starts.

"Let her continue," Julian replies.

"The truth is, I wish you never entered my mom's life."

"You don't have to...like me. But I am going to protect you anyway I can."

Both of us start shouting at each other.

"QUIET !" Marcus shouts. The room falls silent immediately.

We were too deep in our argument to notice Rio had entered the room.

"Rio, what is it?" Marcus asks.

"They know the Triplex is inside Emmy."

"Who knows?"

"Everyone."

Everything happens in slow motion. I look out of the bay windows and see a slew of Demons in the air, surrounding the house. They encircle the ground floor all the way up to the roof. The house is now at the center of a giant twister-like swirl of Demons.

On the street below us, there is a motorcade of black SUVs that pull up to the front of the building. The car doors open and an army of Runners and p.a.w.ns with guns, make their way up the stairs.

Suddenly, cracks spread across the living room ceiling. Someone or something has landed on the roof. Just then, I spot the most beautiful birds making their way past the stream of Demons. They are twice the size of bald eagles and made entirely of flames.

There's a peaceful glow that emanates from the awe-inspiring creatures. I can't take my eyes of their fiery wings. There's a beam of red light shining from their eyes, bringing with it a beauty too powerful to ignore. I could spend eternity looking at them. Suddenly they open their mouths. I await a magic, a wonder like none I have seen before. I reach out for it.

"Emmy, no!" Marcus tackles me to the ground. Just as we hit the floor the birds spew out a river of fire. The Guardian's home explodes into a ma.s.sive ball of red and blue flames. Everyone and everything is catapulted into the sky.

The streets are littered with body parts and debris. The block where the house used to stand has been all but decimated. Marcus and I land several yards away. There's a dull pain traveling along the left side of my body and my head landed on the pavement causing a ma.s.sive migraine.

"Emmy!" he calls, as he tries to stand up.

"I'm okay. Where are the others?"

"We're good!" Ameana says, as she heads over to us along with the rest of the team.

"Jay, you have to get Emmy out. I don't have a Port on me."

"Can't," Jay replies. That's when we realize one of his wings has been badly injured.

"Jay, are your wings...?" Marcus asks.

"No, I'll survive but for now, I can't Glide. Let alone fly."

"It's not a good idea to take to the air anyway, too many Fire Swans."

I look up in the sky and find the flaming birds still hovering above us.

"Miku-"

"I can't sing, Marcus. There are too many p.a.w.ns here. They would all die."

From the corner of my eye, I spot Rage headed directly for us. The team spots him before I can even open my mouth. Rio quickly raises his shield a mere second before Rage sends a fireball our way. We can hear Rage laughing as New York City burns down.

"Give us the human!" he shouts, as he attacks Rio's shield again.

"We have to move. The shield won't hold up!" Miku says.

"We can take to the sky long enough to escape to another country. We can regroup there," Jay says.

"No, they will follow and we can't let them harm anymore humans," Marcus orders.

"We need to do something, I'm fading," Rio says between clenched teeth. As soon as he says that, Rage doubles his efforts by adding the Fire Swan's blaze to his own. Together, the sea of fire is too much for Rio; his shield is down.

The instant that happens we are swarmed by Demons, p.a.w.ns, Runners and Akons. It would be nothing for the Angels to take out the Runners, but having p.a.w.ns in the mix slows things down. Since p.a.w.ns still have a soul, killing them is forbidden.

Ameana and Rio tackle Demons to the left of me while Miku sings softly to a group of Runners. Marcus takes on the remaining Akons while trying to shield me from them. I have never seen a battle on this large a scale. Lucy has emptied h.e.l.l and sent an army after me. All around Demons are getting their wings ripped off, Guardians struggle to gain control, and New York City burns.

"We'll hold them back. You make a run for it," Marcus instructs me.

I open my mouth to protest.

"No arguments. Go to the Sage. They won't attack you there. Run and don't look back,"

Suddenly, I hear Rio cry out. I look over and a Demon has plunged a metal rod right into his chest.

"d.a.m.n it Emmy, RUN!" Marcus screams.

I take off down the street, my heart feeling like it's going burst out of my chest with every step I take. I force myself to keep going although I desperately want to check on Rio and the rest of the others.

What if Rio is seriously hurt and Miku can't get there in time to heal him? What if Jay can't fend off the Akons because of his wings? Will Ameana and Miku be okay against so many demons all at once? And Marcus, one miscalculation, one misstep and his wings could end up spread on the White Mountain in Difi...

The picture of the morose mountain made of Angel wings makes me queasy. My body pleads with me to slow down or better yet stop.

Emmy, keep going...

I order my legs to keep moving. The buildings go by me in a blur. I pay no attention to them or my screaming muscles. The burn inside my chest grows with every step I take, but I ignore that, too.

Then a few feet to the right of me, a man is set on fire. His cries fill the air. I look up and find Rage in the sky. He throws another fireball and the entire block goes up in flames. I run faster but I know it's hopeless since I can't match his speed.

The only advantage I have over Rage is that it is against the rules for him to use his powers in a big crowd of humans. I look around anxiously for the most crowded street I can find. In New York City that isn't usually a problem but it wasn't even day break yet.

Finally, I spot a group of guys at a warehouse loading and unloading their trucks. I run right into the warehouse and pray there are a lot more people inside. Thankfully there is. I stand in the middle of the floor. Rage and I now stand separated by a crowd of humans.

Rage stands outside just a few yards away from me. I can see from the look on his face, he's thinking about whether or not to take the risk.

"Rage, don't," I say breathlessly. The crowd starts asking each other what's going on.

Rage looks into my eyes.

"So, you really have it in there, don't you?"

I don't respond. He doesn't need to know I'm scared. He doesn't need to know that at any moment my legs are going to give out on me.

"We're going to get it from you. We will tear into your flesh and pop out your eye b.a.l.l.s," he says with a sweet smile.