Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

Helena zipped opened the grey tent flap, taking in a deep breath full of sea salt. The sky was in different shades of pinks and oranges as the sun began to set, casting an eerie glow against the ocean waves. The tent was finally set up for the next few days since the group had been traveling extensively. It would only be a quick two day break, but it would be enough time to get some good rest and continue down the remainder of the coast before they were caught.

Digging her toes into the cool sand, Helena brushed her black hair back and looked towards the sea. Karma was in the ocean, floating on the surface as she watched the sky. Helena then looked up, seeing the clouds glide slowly across the sky as they formed shapes. Karma sat up carefully in the water, her dark hair flipping around as she flashed a smile in Helena’s direction before diving under, water splashing up and glistening around her purple tail in front of the sunset.

“Hey, Helena,” Sophia called. Helena turned around and saw Sophia sitting on one of the weather-beaten logs that surrounded the small campfire Tsuna had prepared for them. The bluish-green fire had grown tall, but Tsuna still searched for some more firewood to keep them warm. Sophia had her legs crossed, Tale of Two Cities falling apart on her lap as she leaned around the fire. Her blonde hair was up in a messy bun and she was smiling. “Come here and sit. You look a little tired.” Helena smiled.

“Yeah, alright,” Helena said. She walked across the sand and sat down on the log beside Sophia’s. With her elbows on her knees, Helena leaned forward as her eyes found fascination within the fire as it danced around the wood.

***

Helena walked out onto the street, the door shutting loudly behind her as the comforting smell of alcohol wrapped around her and lifting away with the slight breeze. She moved her hair over to her left shoulder, the hilt of her blade showing just casually over her right. Not many civilians were in this part of the city, so no one would question her weapon. Her eyes glances up to the darkening sky, the sun setting slowly behind the buildings, casting strange shadows over the city of Seattle, Washington. Taking another glance behind her shoulder to the bar, she straightened up her blazer and turned on her toes as she started towards her apartment.

As she turned the corner into the alleyway that led down to her complex, bright flashes in the shape of triangles caught her attention. The flashes seemed familiar, but it still caught her off guard. She hadn’t seen those types of flashes since she had been in a Training Academy years ago. The sky grew even darker and the breeze began to turn into a gust. There was really only one explanation for what she saw. Helena tilted her head to the side and swore under her breath and started a run, her heels clicking loudly against the concrete. Another flash took place and she was nearly blinded as she flattened herself against the wall and inched towards the corner. Her right hand instinctively went to the hilt of her blade as she reached her head out. There were two people yelling at each other, and they were surrounded by the flashing lights.

“You … You cross into guarded territory,” the man said, shaking his head. “And then you try and play it off as if it was nothing to you.” He laughed. “Silly girl, don’t you remember? You were banished centuries ago. You can’t just walk around on Holy Land and not expect to pay the consequences.” Helena leaned forward. This wasn’t quite the normal conversation. Territory? Banished? Holy Land?

“It is not my fault that the only way I could get to the other side was through that piece of land!” the girl countered, her hands balled into tight fists, her knuckles pale. “And besides, idiota, that happened many years ago! I can’t believe you’re trying to avoid my question!” Helena raised an eyebrow and took a step back until she saw something that answered every question she had about the argument. The man released a pair of black wings and flew backwards, the flashing lights growing brighter with each pulse. Helena realized that is was a boundary line, to prohibit the mundanes - humans - from viewing the battle. And the only way in was to throw yourself inside.

The man’s wings stretched out around him, sending out a powerful gust in all directions. The girl jumped backwards, releasing a pair of white wings. From where Helena was standing, they seemed to be pure, but according to the man, she was a banished Angel; part of the Fallen, meaning her wings shouldn’t be there. Fire began to form in the palms of the man, his black wings flashing red around the edges. The girl stretched her wings out and covered herself with them, creating a shield that seemed brighter than the flashing lights.

“Hey!” Helena yelled, covering her eyes as she broke into a sprint and threw herself at the boundary. The lights parted as she made contact, and she stumbled into the middle. The man lowered his hands as he saw Helena standing up straight, her hand at her blade. The girl opened her wings slightly, her mouth slightly opened.

“Sicarius,” the man hissed, his eyes narrowing at her. “This is not your fight!” The fireball in his palms began to grow bigger and brighter. It seemed to have been taunting Helena, threatening to fly out at her any second.

“Hell, you bet it is,” Helena said as she unsheathed her blade in one swift movement, holding it out stiffly in front of her. The pattern along her blade were glowing an eerie blue under all the white lighting from the boundary lines. “State your name, under Covenant Law.” For a moment, the man faltered, his eyes growing wide as he noticed the patterns on her blade. But it wasn’t enough for Helena to be figured out completely.

“I do not follow the Law which your hypocritical kind follows,” he said, smiling wickedly at her. “Therefore, I don’t have to answer to you, little Cloud Chaser.” Helena narrowed her eyes at the man; she hated when other supernaturals referred to her kind as Cloud Chasers.

Before Helena could retort with something witty, he threw the fireball at her at such a speed, everything became too bright to look at again. She held her blade tightly in front of her, sending a quick prayer to the Angels above as the space around her grew warm. The fireball hit her blade and bounced back, disappearing into thin air in front of the man’s face. He hissed at her again, a smoky color hovering around his body as his hands balled into fists. Helena lowered her blade as she realized what he was.

“You’re Half,” she whispered. It was rare to come across half demon half Angel bred children. Many times the demon side would become too powerful and they would fall under the power of the Fey, but when they were split down the middle, they were like this man; hazy, too pure and too wicked all at once. His eyes were a dark purple, almost hypnotizing and his red hair was the perfect shade of red, one black strand framing his angular face.

“Oh, quit it,” the girl said from behind them. Her high-pitched voice sounded annoyed as she took two steps towards the center. Her emerald green eyes were narrowed towards the man, but when they shifted over to Helena, they softened. “Sicarius, as he said, this isn’t your fight to deal with.” Helena searched her eyes, her brows furrowing. That’s when Helena noticed a blue impurity that surrounded her white wings. The Angel tucked a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear nervously, waiting for a response.

“You guys are being a public distraction for those who can see behind the wall,” Helena said. “Also, both Angels and half-breeds are under the Law, and I uphold the Law, even if I don’t always agree with it. Surely this is my fight to end.” The Angel spread out her wings again and they fell behind her, dragging against the floor as she neared Helena, her hand touching Helena’s arm softly.

“The Half-Angel and I have unfinished business,” she said with a soft smile. “Even though it’s pathetic of him to bring it up, it’s still unfinished. You must leave it be, as it is stated under Covenant Law.” Helena took a step back, the Angel’s hand falling back to her side. She narrowed her eyes at the Angel and then looked over at her shoulder to the man.

“Well then,” Helena said as she sheathed her blade and rubbed her wrist, right where the first crest on her skin was. “Can’t really argue with that.” She started to walk away as the boundary began to fade away. Pausing for a moment, she turned around and walked backwards slowly. “If I catch one of you guys - alone, that is - I’m holding you responsible under Covenant Law.” She nodded towards both of them and began to turn away from them.

“It was a pleasure meeting you,” the man called, sarcasm dripping in his voice. Helena rolled her eyes at him, pushing up the sleeves of her blazer as the first crest on her wrist was revealed. It was small enough to not be quite as noticeable, but it covered that patch of her fair skin rather harshly.

“Likewise,” Helena called as she turned the corner.

Tsuna let out a loud sigh, his back relaxing as the Sicarius walked away, the tattoo on the inside of her wrist seeming much more prominent the farther she got. He could barely make it out, but it didn’t give much indication to her lineage. Her blade tapped the back of her thigh, her long black hair swaying in the wind as she turned the corner underneath the dull streetlight. Tsuna began to wonder how many humans thought it was normal to have a blade to your back at all times. A small shiver passed through Tsuna, knowing that he could’ve been reported or murdered if Sophia, the blonde Angel and a lifelong pain in the a*s, hadn’t defended him; that girl meant serious business.

“Could you not bring in the Unity next time?” Sophia snapped, hiding her wings. The sky had grown black, the streetlights above them casting shadows all around them. Her emerald eyes were narrowed at him as she cracked her knuckles impatiently. He gave her a small smile, taking a step towards her.

“It was only one.” Tsuna hid his wings as Sophia rolled her eyes at him, almost in the same manner the Sicarius had. Sophia turned on her toes and started to walk away from him, the boundary lines fading to black and turning in a few circles around them before vanishing. “Ah, ah, ah.” He shook his finger at her, placing his other hand on her shoulder to turn her back around. “We still have unfinished business, Sophia darling.” She let out a bright laugh that was void of humor, her head tilting back.

“You’re hilarious,” she said. “I have nothing to finish with you. E ‘tutto fatto!” She shook her head. “You tried to kill me when I did absolutely nothing. I explained myself and everything and you couldn’t even brush it off. It’s not my fault that you guards are a bunch of idiots.” She shook off his hand from her shoulder, her head turning to the side. Tsuna bit his lip and shook his head again. “I thought we were friends.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Tsuna said, removing a piece of dirt from underneath his nail nervously before looking back at her. “You told the girl that we had unfinished business, so you must’ve meant that, right?”

“Only to get her to go away. But, I’m … I think I’m going after her.” She turned her head to him. “I have nowhere to go. Perhaps she could find me a place to crash at until my next move. Or some advice on how to get your friends to keep their promises.” Tsuna rolled his eyes at her.

“You’re being dramatic again,” he said as he grabbed her by the arm. “Let’s go.” His voice softened, his thumb brushing against her forearm. “My apartment is just a few blocks up and I promise to help you.”

“You always said that you’d help and it’s been four hundred years. Each time, I’ve been rejected by everyone and I’ve become some street urchin, hoping to get back to the palace.” She sighed. “Besides, you’re a Guardian of the Gates. One, you’re lucky that she didn’t recognize you.” Tsuna stiffened. “And two, you have better things to do than take care of a Fallen working up the ladder.” She tugged her arm away from his grip.

“Sophia!” he called, but she was already gone.

Sophia ran behind one of the buildings surrounding her, glancing around nervously. She could hear Tsuna cursing nearby as his feet shuffled against the gravel. No civilians were running around, and a good thing too. Not many of them hung out in this area of Seattle. Rolling her shoulders back, her wings exploded out from behind her. The feeling of free wings was liberating, making her smile as she pushed herself off of the ground and launched into the air. The air was cool, civilians walking down the sidewalk as they headed back home from work or just taking care of a few things before calling it a night. The sky was turning different shades of blue, slowly fading to black. Soon enough, Sophia spotted someone with the same black hair the girl had, walking in a deserted alleyway headed towards an apartment complex.

“Sicarius!” Sophia called, diving down and twirling in the air before landing a few feet away from the Huntress. Gravel and trash began to lift around her as her wings furled out and behind her. The Huntress raised an eyebrow, lifting up her hand to run it through her hair that reached her hips. Her blue eyes were much darker in this lighting, piercing through Sophia. They were so dark, they resembled the sky. She shifted her weight over to one leg and for the first time, Sophia realized that she had been wearing heels.

“Turning yourself in I suppose?” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm as she placed her hands on her hips. “State your name.” Sophia nodded as she wet her lips quickly before taking a deep breath as she followed procedure.

“My name is Sophia Luna,” Sophia said. “I came to you for help.” She glanced down at the ground, her hands going behind her back as she brushed her feathers.

“You expect me to help you after all of that?” the Huntress asked, giving a soft laugh and shaking her head. “What do you need help with?”

“Well, I … I need a place to stay and I was wondering if you knew of any available places in the area. After all, you are part of the Unity.”

“A place to stay?” She was silent for a moment. Cars and buses were the only noises coming from the street that ran parallel to the alleyway. Sophia felt her breathing slowly becoming shallow as she watched the Huntress think. Her face was thoughtful, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Well, I’m sure I can find something somewhere for your kind,” she said after a few moments.

“You … You can?”

“Of course I can! After all, I may be Unity property, but I live in the one town they don’t care for. Helping you technically isn’t against Covenant Law since you came directly to me.” The Huntress was still smiling. “You’ll be living with me then.”

“Wait what?” Sophia’s eyes widened.

“I’m going to let you live with me,” the Huntress repeared. “I mean, why not?”

“But, you said you would turn me in!”

“You came to me anyway.” Sophia held her breath, not knowing what to say. She felt her cheeks turning red. “It’s a good thing, too, that you came to this Unity member.” The Huntress pointed at herself with a grin. “I’ll allow you to live with me until gets everything sorted out between you and your little lover from back there.” She started to walk past Sophia, pulling out a key from her back pocket.

“Little … lover?” Sophia asked, tilting her head to the side as she followed behind her. “Oh, Lord!” Sophia blushed again. “You can’t think that him and I are together!” The Huntress glanced over her shoulder and shrugged, the corners of her mouth pulling down slightly into a frown. “We are not together. He’s just an old friend of mine.” Sophia gave a nervous laugh. The Huntress gave Sophia a half-smile, a deep dimple showing.

“Hmm,” she said. “Well, I apologize for thinking that you two were.”

“So, what’s your name?” The sky had grown completely black, only one light leading the way up the stairs to the apartment complex. The Huntress’s heels clicked softly against the metal stairs, the edge of her blade tapping against her hamstring.

“Mon nom?” the Huntress asked in smooth French, placing the key in the keyhole and slowly turning the knob. “My name is Helena Amélie of the Nightshade linage.” Sophia recognized the name. The Nightshade lineage is very prominent in England. “I was born in France and lived there for a few years.”

“That’s a very beautiful name,” Sophia replied, walking after Helena into the apartment. Helena flicked on the lights in one quick movement, blinding Sophia for a few moments. “And, to be honest, I would’ve never guessed that you were French since you do not have a strong accent from there.” She began to look around. The apartment was pretty roomy; there was a nice sized kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a wooden table set for four, a large metallic couch in front of a television, and a black upright piano in the corner, music books by all composers and sheet music stacked and scattered around the floor. “I speak Italian since I ended up falling in Italy.”

Helena removed her blade from her back and set it gently against the wall, removing her heels and placing them by the door. Sophia also removed her shoes, placing them right next to Helena’s. Sophia then noticed that they were the exact same height. Helena then removed her blazer and hung it up on the coat rack, smoothing her hands down her jeans and loosening the short-sleeved white button-down that was tucked into her pants.

“There’s a room in the back,” Helena said, pointing down the hall. There were paintings of people and flowers lined down the hallway, leading down to the room. “It’s a spare. My room, though, is up those stairs.” Sophia looked at the stairs and felt confused. Not many apartments had the feel of houses. She began to wonder how much Helena paid to have this apartment and why she had so much space. “Feel free to come and go as you please, because rules are boring.” Helena walked over to the kitchen cupboard and pulled out a small metal object and tossed it to Sophia is one swift movement. When she caught it, she opened her palm and looked down. It was a key to the apartment. “But, if I do find you breaking the Law-”

“Then I must be turned into the Unity, as stated under Covenant Law and the Angel Council will be contacted,” Sophia finished in a quiet voice as she stared at the silver key in her hand. She had known everything about the Sicarius Covenant Law as an Angel of Heaven. They worked side-by-side and it was the most valuable information to know and use before she had Fallen.

“Glad someone knows their stuff.” Helena looked around the kitchen. “Do you drink?”

“I do,” Sophia replied as she walked over to the piano and opened one of the larger books of music. The book was a book of solos, classic works bookmarked, pencil markings covering the empty spaces.

“Well, I have plenty of wine and beer in my fridge. Feel free to drink whenever. I also have ridiculous amounts of food.” Helena smiled. “My home is your home now.” Sophia smiled.

“You play?”

“Often,” Helena said, walking over to Sophia with her arms loosely crossed. Sophia knew the Sicarii were fond of music, but this was the most music she had ever seen a single Sicarius own. “If you need anything else, I’ll be upstairs.” She paused before walking up the stairs. “Oh, let me write my number down for you.” She grabbed an empty sheet of paper and a pencil from the piano and scribbled down a ten-digit number on a piece of paper, handing it over. Sophia recognized the area code being from California. Helena gave a quick half-smile before ascending the stairs. Sophia heard a door close with a soft click.

Sophia went to close the book of music, seeing works from Debussy and Chopin - two of her favorite composers - as well as Beethoven, Mozart, and Dvořák. Passing by the kitchen table, she let her fingertips trace over the white tablecloth, bending her head forward to smell the roses that were in a gold vase in the center. When she began to walk down the hallway, she noticed three doors. She also noticed that the paintings of people looked like they could be Helena’s family. Reaching for the first doorknob, Sophia opened it and saw a bunch of old clothes scattered around the floor and hanging on handles. Disregarding the room, she closed it and opened the door across from it. It was a large bathroom with a futon in the corner and dressing curtain on the other side. It was very neatly decorated, but Sophia began to wonder why you’d need a futon in a bathroom.

Before she opened the last door, she noticed a fourth door off to the side, the Nightshade Crest painted on top of it. Narrowing her eyes, she crept towards it, placed her hand on the handle, but then found it best that she should leave it alone. Walking back to the third door, she opened it. It was a bedroom with a full-sized bed pushed up against the wall, a large closet with some clothes in there and another bathroom. Sophia looked around, scratched her head and shrugged. The walls were painted a soft blue color, the curtains pushed back, revealing a decent view of Seattle.

“It’s like she knew this room would be used,” Sophia muttered as she closed the door behind her.

Tsuna walked up the streets, not sure where to go or what to do at this very moment. Seattle was currently dead, not many people out and about, but he knew the only places to go at this hour to have some company would be a bar. Usually, he’d be talking to Sophia or he would be somewhere else in the United States. He never thought that he’d be back in Seattle for any reason, but there had to have been one, right? Looking up at the sky, he saw that the sun was gone, replaced with a bright full moon that drowned out the stars. His wings were hidden as he opened the door to the nearest bar, which he realized was one of his favorites from the past.

The bar had extremely dim lighting, a soft humming coming from the television sets scattered around the bar. People shuffled their feet across the wooden floors as they sat down at the tables, the drunkards sleeping in the corners, covering their faces with napkins. The bar wasn’t as busy as it could’ve been, but there was still enough business.

When Tsuna walked inside, a lot of the murmuring ceased as they looked up to see him. Many knew Tsuna as The Guardian, although there were many other Guardians, but he was the oldest currently. The ones before him seemed to have vanished into the wind, leaving Tsuna was the title, commanding those below him. Narrowed eyes followed him across the bar and Tsuna returned their scowls and glares with one of his own. By the sensation that prickled against his skin, he could sense another Sicarius in the building - but it wasn’t the one from earlier, thankfully. He looked around, seeing Werewolves, Fallen Angels, Fey, Vampires, and other strange creatures of the supernatural. Coming towards the bar, there was the Sicarius he sensed. He had fair hair that was very tousled, as if he had just woken up.

“Sir,” Nic, the bartender said. “What’s the matter?” Tsuna looked over at the Hunter from the corner of his eye. The term “Hunter/Huntress” was just another nickname used for the Sicarii. The bartender placed a shot of dark liquid in front of the Hunter. He lifted the glass with his slim fingers, took the shot and slammed the glass on the counter, letting out a dragging sigh.

“Even with the help of Ensis, I cannot find Helena,” the Hunter said. Tsuna could tell by the way he spoke, Ensis was his Angel, the Angel of his lineage. It was also a name very familiar to Tsuna’s ears. “She hasn’t been answering my calls or my messages, and I’ve been to her apartment but she’s never there.” He placed his head on the counter, his fair hair moving in other directions.

“Who’s Helena?” Tsuna asked, taking a seat next to the Hunter. Here, at the bars, rules never mattered. People spoke to anyone about anything and everything. Everyone was just a person with a story.

“She’s someone who I want to marry.” The Hunter lifted his head slowly and looked over at him. His green eyes were rimmed with red; sorrow.

“And she’s Sicarius, like you?” Tsuna knew that, under Covenant Law, the Sicarii must marry within their race unless granted special permission by the President of the Unity. It was rare that the President allowed the Sicarii to marry outside of the race, but it was a thing. Tsuna recalled of a man he met in the late sixteen hundreds who was madly in love with a Vampire and they fought for marriage and won.

“She is,” the Hunter said, sitting up carefully. “I don’t suppose you’ve ran into any female Sicarii recently?” Tsuna smiled, thinking of the Huntress who almost beheaded him. “It’s not like there are many of us in this area.”

“Actually,” Tsuna said, still smiling. How common was it to see a Huntress in these parts, anyway? “I just crossed paths with one.” The Hunter stopped drinking, his eyes flashing to him. The bar grew silent. Many knew of a Huntress in these parts, but she was a rare one to see. “Maybe she could be the girl you were talking about …?”

“How did she look like?” The Hunter began to lean closer to Tsuna. Tsuna felt himself lean back slightly, almost into the man next to him. The Werewolf grunted and glared at Tsuna, who mumbled an apology. Tsuna then felt like he was better off keeping his mouth shut for the sake of the girl. But describing her wasn’t a difficult task; after all, she was a very pretty girl.

“Well, she had long black hair that reached her hips like a waterfall. She also had this blade on her back that probably weighs more than she does, but she sure swings that thing around like a champ. There’s also a tattoo on the inside of her wrist, but I couldn’t make it out … And her eyes are blue. A very deep and hypnotizing shade of blue.” The Hunter smiled.

“That’s definitely her!” The Hunter stood up and grabbed the lapels of Tsuna’s coat, leaning closer into him. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol, but it obviously had no real affect on him. His green eyes were glistening in the lighting as the grew wider with excitement. “Which way did my darling Helena go?”

“I believe she was headed north,” Tsuna said as he placed his hands on the arms of the Sicarius to loosen the grip on his coat.

“North?” The Hunter blinked. “That’s in the direction towards her apartment, but I was just there earlier. Perhaps I could try again. Thank you,Guardian.” Tsuna nodded, smirking at the formality. The Hunter swallowed the last of his drink before paying the bartender. He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and started for the door, almost knocking over a Vampire.

“Crossing paths once more with the Sicarii, eh Tsuna?” Nic asked, placing a glass of O’douls in front of him. Nic was a nice bartender, even though his appearance made it seem like he was a mean man. Nic was strong and muscular, a scar running from the corner of his eye down to his lip. Many thought he was a Werewolf, but in fact, Nic was a regular human, a civilian with Visus - the Sight of the supernaturals.

“Hah,” Tsuna said, smiling as he lifted the glass to his thin lips. “I had a little quarrel with Sophia because of a few previous actions and a Huntress intervened.” He took a sip of his drink and then placed the glass on top of his napkin. “One can only assume that it’s Helena. Sophia went after the Huntress after the argument.”

“If I hadn’t known any better,” Nic said, smiling, “I would say that you have quite the liking towards Miss Sophia.” Tsuna nearly choked on his drink, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. Nic began to laugh as Tsuna started to cough.

“Please,” Tsuna said after a few moments. “Sophia is more like a bratty little sister to me, you know. More than anything else.” He folded up his napkin and placed it off to the side.

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s fun to joke around with you, though.” Just then, the bar door opened again, a soft breeze causing everyone to grow silent. It was the Huntress from earlier. Eyes followed her in admiration and hatred as she neared the bar. She was weaponless, or at least it seemed like this. Her dark jeans hugged her legs tightly, the muscles pulsing with every step she took, her heels clicking softly against the wooden floor as she approached the counter.

“Now, Helena,” Nic said, preparing a drink for her. “You do know that you have James running around in circles, looking for you.” She gave a small smile as she reached the chair next to Tsuna, the one James was sitting in. Removing her leather jacket, she placed it against the back of the chair and Tsuna caught the tattoo on the inside of her wrist; it was a small crescent moon.

“Has it ever occured to you, or anybody else,” she said as she adjusted herself in the seat, “that maybe I don’t want to be found by James, let alone found by anyone in the goddamn Unity right now?” Nic gave her a small smile as he placed a napkin in front of her. Helena reached for the salt and began to sprinkle it on the napkin. “James is a damn idiot, too,” Helena continued. “He literally ran right past me, and I thought that he had something important to do, but it seems like he’s still looking for me.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes as she crossed her legs.

“Well, my apologizes, kiddo.” He placed the drink in front of her, and turned away from the counter to do something.

“It’s all good,” Helena murmured, sipping her drink. Her fingers were bare, except for one little mark on the inside of her left index finger; a small elegant S. It was the mark of her dominant Angel. Her nails weren’t too short or too long, and they were painted a soft pink color.

“Good evening, Huntress,” Tsuna said, smiling. She looked over at him as she placed her glass down on the counter, shaking her head. Just then, time seemed to have slowed down as Tsuna began to analyze her up close. Her blue eyes seemed to have lightened, or maybe it was just the lighting. She had a small freckle right above her left cheekbone. Her lips were full as she gave him a small smile. She was fascinating.

“Ah, so I run into Sophia and now I meet you,” she said, turning her head away from him for a moment as time sped up. She brushed her black hair over onto her right shoulder, tapping her nails against the counter.

“You found Sophia?” Tsuna asked. “Oh, and to be formal with you, my name is Sir Tsuna Izuna.” He bowed awkwardly in his seat towards her.

“I know who you are.” When she turned her head again, her eyes seemed to have been sparkling. “Sir Tsuna Izuna, a Guardian of the Gates of Heaven and Hell.” She took another sip of her drink, looking down. Her eyelashes were thick and full, casting a long shadow onto her high cheekbones. “Oh, and correction. Sophia found me.” Tsuna nodded.

“So, you like your beverages strong?” He gave a slight hand motion to her drink, seeing her cheek raise up slightly with the hint of a smile.

“One thing about being a Cloud Chaser is that it’s nearly impossible for me to get drunk and do regrettable things.” He could tell she hated being called a Cloud Chaser. He guessed that in these parts, it was considered an insult.

“Oh, really?” Tsuna raised an eyebrow. This fact interested him. He didn’t really known this about the Sicarii, since he’s seen a few of them drunk before, but then he began to wonder since James didn’t seemed affected by the amount of alcohol he consumed. “Could you tell me exactly how hard it if for you to get drunk?”

“For me to get drunk, I’d have to drink a lot,” she said. “I’m not a light weight at all, and due to the Angel blood, it removed impurities and anything that can hinder us, but if you consume enough alcohol, the Angel blood will stop working, and we become human for a brief moment in time. And then I’m drunk for a while.”

“And do you get hangovers?”

“Rarely.” Tsuna blinked.

“You must really enjoy drinking then,” he said. Helena gave a small smile, tucking some hair behind her ear as the bartender placed a small cup of water next to her drink.

“Helena would win the Olympic gold medal if drinking was considered a sport,” Nic said, reaching over the counter to nudge Helena’s arm. She gave a tiny laugh, shaking her head again as her slim fingers wrapped around the cup.

“So, where’s Sophia?” Tsuna asked, sipping his beer slowly. He had almost forgotten about that little brat. Helena took a sip of the water, tilting her head back slightly.

“Back at my apartment,” she said, shrugging. The act almost seemed childish. It was as if her mind was some place else. She was staring at the bar lights above them, her eyes flickering back and forth. Her black hair fell backwards, pooling over the chair. For a moment, she looked younger. “I, uh, I told her that I was heading out for a bit and she just said ‘see you in a few!’” She tilted her head back upright, looking down into her glass. Silence began to creep up slowly behind them.

“So,” Tsuna said as he cleared his throat. “How old are you, anyway?” His eyes grazed her face, down her body to her feet, and came back up again. She seemed young, an attractive glow about her charming presence, her skin showing no flaws of any battles, but he knew the scars were there. Every Sicarius soldier had scars.

“How old do you think I am?” She scratched the back of her neck softly, and Tsuna caught another tattoo. So far, she had three noticeable ones. It was on her other wrist, two small overlapping circles to indicate that she was a Huntress - one of the Sicarii. It was the Mark of the Unity. They liked to brand their kind at very young ages when they began training. It was a universal Mark seen all around the world.

“Oh, I don’t know … Seventeen, maybe?” He smiled when Helena broke into a short, crisp laugh followed by one of the most attractive half-smiles Tsuna had ever seen. He could tell that that specific smile had to have driven a great deal of men - not only in Seattle - crazy. There was even an indication of a dimple. Tsuna felt a wave of infatuation take hold of him that he couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“Tu penses,” she began, shaking her head. Tsuna smiled again. She spoke French perfectly. “You think that I, being seventeen, could walk into a bar and order a drink made for the top experienced drinkers?” Tsuna began to notice that even when she spoke English, there was a very faint indication of a French accent, one that could only be caught by trained ears. It seemed to be that she spoke French as if it were her first language. For all he knew, it probably was her first language.

“Well, not many supernaturals care about the age rules and all of that …” Helena laughed again, a simple laugh. “But really, how old are you?”

“If you must know,” she said, that half-smile still on her face, her eyes narrowed slightly, a flirtatious gesture. Tsuna leaned in closer to her. “I’m twenty-one. Us Hunters age differently, you know, which makes me look younger than I really am.”

“So, let’s play a guessing game.” Tsuna adjusted himself in his seat, placing a fist over his mouth slightly, his left hand lightly touching her bicep. He could catch a faint scent of flowers and a soft powder from her perfume. “Drinking is, perhaps, your third favorite hobby as a Sicarius.” She raised an eyebrow, that half-smile coming back.

“Oh alright,” she said. Her left hand was placed casually over her neck, her right hand still lingering by her drink. She didn’t seem to mind the closeness. Her eyes were still narrowed, obviously teasing him. “If you think you know all, what are the first two then?” He looked down, letting out a small laugh, smiling. There was something deadly about the way she looked, how she laughed, how she did everything. With her long black hair and those piercing blue eyes, she reminded him of a panther; beautiful yet so deadly. He always had a huge fascination for panthers … It was strange that this girl reminded him of one.

“Number one,” he began as he leaned back, still holding her gaze, “is the complete obvious, of course.” He took a sip of his drink, breaking the eye contact. He thought for a moment. “Killing things, fighting, things like that. You enjoy training.”

“Close enough.” She took a small sip of her drink. “Do tell me, what is number two if you know everything about me and my kind.” He laughed, placing his drink carefully on the counter.

“Playing an instrument,” he blurted, glancing over at her again. A smile began to form again on her lips as she held the glass to her mouth.

“Lequel?” Tsuna smiled again at her French. It was so smooth and perfect, Tsuna was beginning to believe it was her first language. “Or do you not know one thing about me, or about Cloud Chasers in general?” Her tone was teasing, challenging his knowledge.

“The cello?” She smirked. “Or, perhaps you’re more of the flute type of girl?” She laughed, shaking her head. “Wait! I’ve got it! You’re a heavy metal type of girl and you play the bass, both types no doubt.”

“I can play them all,” she admitted. “But, there is one instrument that has been in my heart and blood since I was born and if I don’t play at least one masterpiece a day, it will drive me fou.” He smiled.

“Oh, the piano?” The answer came without him thinking. “I mean, many Sicarii take on the piano when they’re children, so why would you be any different.” He was joking, but in an instant, her expression changed.

“Correct,” she said, as if she had grown bored. “And, I am plenty different.” She finished the last of her drink, pulling out money from her pocket to pay Nic. “The Sicarii are hypocrites, but at least I admit my faults.” She picked up her leather jacket and shrugged it on as she stood up.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Tsuna asked, almost starting to reach towards her, but he caught himself. She looked over her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to -”

“Ne pleure pas. Demons don’t cry.” Tsuna blinked at her expression. He had heard it before. She walked outside, the leftover crowd following after her.

Sophia was sitting on the edge of her new bed, staring at the now empty closet. There were clothes scattered around and she had asked Helena what to do with it and she simply said “do whatever you want with them”. There wasn’t much to do without Helena here. Sophia had so many unanswered questions about Helena and what she could do to help Sophia get what she truly wanted: her wings.

Standing up, Sophia rolled her shoulders back and released the pair of wings she was granted once she fell from Heaven. They weren’t stripped away completely due to the fact that once she Fell, she had become lost on the map. The other Angels had trouble tracking her. It was a rare thing, to lose someone once they became Fallen, but it was an even rarer thing to not remove their wings before the Fall. Sophia thought of it as a sign, a thing to help her keep going to regain her rightful status back in Heaven; to fight the darkness. Without her perfect set of wings, she would just be a target for the Hunters and Guardians like Tsuna.

Sophia looked at herself in the reflection of the mirror, her fingers going up to touch the rough edges of her wings. Many thought that wings were soft, fluffy, but the wings Sophia had were rough. They were scarred and had seen battle multiple times. They were sturdy and would drag on the ground behind her when she would walk. Sophia knew how to walk better with her wings than without them. They were her support as they glistened in the sunlight when she would rise above the clouds every morning to watch the world.

The edges of her wings were stained blue, a sign that she had been found by a Guardian and that the removal process had began, but it was never finished. Somehow Sophia had managed to escape and keep her wings for longer than she was supposed to have them. Tsuna had found her in the woods. She was frantic, grabbing onto her wings, tears streaming down her face as she spoke the words “they found me”. Tsuna promised that he wouldn’t remove her wings, but that he would help her regain her status in Heaven and that her wings would return to the pure white they once were. But for many years after that promise, they’ve had trouble in training and sticking together long enough to request a summon. So, Sophia had to learn how to watch her back properly and sustain herself on her own.

But now that Sophia met Helena, there seemed to be hope. Since Helena is an experienced fighter and a prized warrior of the Unity, perhaps she could help Sophia in training her and getting the summon to Heaven to appeal for her status. If Helena wouldn’t help her, Sophia would then be at a complete loss.

The apartment door opened and closed with an audible click, a pair of heels being removed and loudly falling to the floor. Sophia opened her bedroom door and hid her wings, seeing that Helena was already back and headed towards the kitchen. The fridge opened and closed, and something was being placed on the counter, a loud clank against the stove. Sophia carefully creeped out of her bedroom and down the hall, turning the corner to see exactly was Helena was up too.

“Stop being so noisy,” Helena said. She hadn’t even looked up or turned her head to look at Sophia. I can literally hear everything you’re doing, Sophia.” Sophia stood up straight, her eyebrows shooting up as she came into view.

“Me? I’m being noisy? You’re the one who’s throwing heels across the room and clanking pots and pans.” Helena smiled, pulling out a knife from the drawer and setting to chop carrots and onions. “Hold up, you’re cooking?”

“Would you like me to order some high-sodium takeout s**t and feed you that?” Helena asked, looking up at Sophia from underneath her eyelashes. “Or would you rather have a nice home cooked meal and know exactly what’s going inside of here and what you’re consuming? I know we just started living together like two hours ago and all, but c’mon.”

“I didn’t realize you were quite the chef,” Sophia said as she sat down at the table, her fingers going to the rose petals that were beginning to fall softly onto the tablecloth.

“My mother taught me how to cook when I was very young. I have all of those old family recipes from both sides of my family, some handwritten.” Sophia smiled.

“You told me that you’re French,” Sophia began, “but Nightshade is an English lineage.” Helena flashed a grin as she threw everything in the pot and set it to simmer.

“Aren’t you an intelligent one,” Helena said, leaning against the counter, her hip digging into the drawer handle. The lighting was bright, Sophia able to see the smudging of Helena’s makeup underneath her lash line. For a moment, Helena wasn’t so perfect, but real, human. “My mother was French and my father British. They met about twenty-five years ago, got married, had me about two years into their marriage and that’s that. The rest is history.”

“Where are they? Are they in England?”

“Oh, I’m, uh, not sure,” Helena said in a small, hesitant voice. She then turned away quickly to fumble around in the pantry. Sophia raised an eyebrow. She was hiding something, but Sophia found it best not to pry. “When I graduated from the Academy, I lost communication with them. I haven’t really talked to my family since then.”

“How depressing!” Helena turned around, her hair flying around her.

“Depressing?” she asked. “How so?”

“Well, you don’t speak to your family!” Sophia clarified. “Family is the most important thing. It’s love!”

“Love?” Helena echoed, shaking her head. “My family … I wouldn’t associate the word love with them. We were more like business partners. They did their job and I did mine. There are many reasons why I stopped communicating with them and went on my own little path. I like being alone, and they like living in solitude away from their daughter.”

“If you like being alone, then why are you letting me live with you?” Helena laughed, reaching for a spoon to stir the soup with.

“You may not be so noisy, but you sure are nosy,” Helena said, placing the wooden spoon off to the side. Sophia could feel herself turning pink as Helena looked at her again. “I let you live with me because I was commanded to.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I came to Seattle, I had vision from my Angel. He told me that I would meet these three people and I will help them and they will help me,” she said. “It was weird, but I created this huge apartment with the help of the landlord and just waited for the day I’d meet these people.”

“And I’m one of these three?” Sophia asked.

“Apparently,” Helena replied, smiling again. “There are two that are going to live with me, and they’re going to both ask me for help. And the help I offer will be to live right here, in my apartment. Then it goes into much more extensive help later on, of course.” Sophia blinked.

“Who’s the other person?”

“All I know is that they like water enough to have a huge bathroom all to themselves,” Helena said. “Now, the third person may or may not live with me … That can be debated later.”

“How interesting,” Sophia said. “So, meeting you was fate.” Helena rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the soup.

“I’m sure you can call it that. Fate, destiny, or whatever other ridiculous name you could possible think of.”

“I wonder who the other two could be. When do you think we’ll meet them?”

“Hell if I know. I mean, it took me two years to find you.” Sophia laughed.

“Well, I guess it’s just you and mean now, right?”

“Yup,” Helena said. “Just the two of us, eating soup and drinking nothing but wine and watching lame movies until the other two decide to reveal themselves.”

“You have quite the collection of lame movies,” Sophia said. They both laughed for a moment, a bright sweet sound that mimicked the sound of bells. Sophia looked around the apartment once more and smiled.

What a great place to call home.

Reviews

[Jack Wolfe]

Helena brushed her black hair back (you usually want to avoid inserting your POV Character's characteristics, early, try inserting them when from another characters perspective.)

Helena zipped opened the grey tent flap, ( here you begin from Helena’s perspective, thus she cannot tell me what Karma is seeing.


Tale of Two Cities (great book)

Suddenly the (in novels nothing happens suddenly)

“It is not my fault that (the)y only way


but according to the man, she was a banished Angel—this implies she has no clue what's going on, but then she can counter argue, and spread her wings.

This was a very entertaining read, a few minor errors. You manage to keep the action flowing, and the theology or fantastical well-balanced, the problem is the main character is two-dimensional—yes she's action-packed, but there's no motivation, of understanding of who this character is, at least with out you 'telling' me. Flesh out the character and watch your showing, rather than telling. A enjoyable read. I'll look for the next installment.

I hope this helps:

Jack Wolfe

[Karina Gomez-Castillo]

Wow, I didn't expect to get anything on the first day that I posted this! Thanks so much! I do know that there are some things to fix and I do understand that Helena does seem a little two-dimensional, she's meant to seem two-dimensional in the sense that she doesn't want to give anything of herself away. She wants to seem driven, but she doesn't want to reveal what drives her. But through the perspectives of Tsuna, Sophia, and later Karma, they'll be able to reveal what it is that makes Helena three-dimensional versus being two-dimensional.

And I know there are some issues with Sophia being a Fallen .. I'm working out the kinks, but I just wanted to see what kind of reaction she would get. So, thank you for you review on her. This definitely helped!

Karina Gomez-Castillo

[Coyote Poetry]

The opening chapter is amazing. I like the set-up of the story and the characters. The story got more interesting and the storyline stronger. The language and the detail description made me want to read more. Thank you for sharing the excellent chapter.
Coyote

[Karina Gomez-Castillo]

Oh my goodness, thank you so much!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome. You are a talented writer.

[Trevor Barnett]

A very nice read, but I agree with Jack on the Character development; that being said, I enjoyed your version of an apocalyptic world!