9

Everything was normal again as I sat on the couch in the den room with Chris. Raphael and Michael stood near us, looking out of the window towards where Astaroth had attacked us and was subsequently banished back to Hell. It was now two hours later, and it felt like the tides were changing again. In fact, the whole game plan had apparently changed for the three Seraphs who were now involved in all of this.

The first thing that had happened shortly after we'd gotten in was for them to call a meeting with their own. For this, Chris, Zane and I had to wait in the kitchen. That had been kind of nerve racking. All three of us became a little bit worried that maybe Micah and Malakai were changing their minds about this whole thing.

But as it turned out, that wasn't the case. The three had changed their minds, but it was more about their approach to everything that was happening. As far as they were concerned, keeping a number of their Nephilim there wasn't going to work to their benefit if there were more attacks like Astaroth's. So, they'd decided to only keep four for now, and those would be Raphael, Michael, Carlton and Carroll.

"Why just those four?" Zane had asked after Micah explained this to us.

"It's quite simple. Raphael and Michael are the most powerful of all the clan Nephilim as of this time, and keeping Carlton and Carroll is in our benefit because they come from me. We need Emeralds to make sure that this pregnancy goes well, and that the child is born safely. Carroll is well suited for such a task, and Carlton has a talent for keeping trouble at bay when we truly anticipate it." Micah elaborated.

"Yeah, just like you anticipated Astaroth." Chris muttered, resting his cheek against his hand as he sat beside me at the bar.

"We've admitted some folly to that, and to be honest with you, I admit more guilt because I did not heed Carlton's warnings that he felt something dark impending. We had thought that we would've picked it up earlier ourselves. But for now, this seems to be the best way of dealing with things. Besides, there is also the lingering issue of the two Fallen that are remaining here with us now. We do not need a lot of trouble out of them, and that could become the case if there are more Nephilim around." Micah explained.

"Why am I not surprised?" Zane commented, leaning back against the nearby wall with his arms crossed. There was still blood on the front of his shirt from where Astaroth had dug his claws into his neck. He hadn't been able to change it yet for all that was still happening.

Micah humored him, "There's no need to think too much into this. Both Jade and Saffron are partially purified due to the Seraphita, and both seem to have an interest in the child being born for better purposes with the Shadow Wings. For now, I don't mind them being here, but that doesn't mean that I will not be keeping my own eye on them, as will Malakai and Kinsley."

"They're both staying around then?" Chris guessed.

"They are." Micah confirmed.

"Seems a bit risky to me, especially with Jade mentioning that Raphael has a little kid." Chris pointed out.

"You may have to ask him about that one yourself. I personally don't see where it is something that Jade would be interested in, but I know that Malakai has taken his own steps to make sure that his Nephilim remain safe, as have the rest of us." Micah admitted.

To be honest about it, none of us could understand why Jade would mention Raphael's youngest child like he did. But we couldn't really question it much either. Jade guarded his secrets well.

Sitting there in the den now, I tried to discreetly study the two Nephilim standing near us. This was the first time that I'd really gotten to compare the Renaldi brothers. It seemed a bit obvious to me that Raphael was the older one. Even though he didn't look that much older than Michael, he had that air about him that told you he was. He was kind of an intimidating figure too. Tall and handsome, his blonde hair was also lighter than Michael's, and he was as nicely dressed.

The biggest thing that stuck out to me though was that he had deep, dark blue eyes. They were eyes that you felt could look right into your soul. In a way, that unnerved me a lot about him.

Chris finally decided to speak, addressing Raphael, "So, you've decided to help after all, huh?"

Raphael and Michael looked over at us.

"I did, but I will admit that I didn't believe I'd get involved this much. Michael was supposed to be well suited to handle all of this." Raphael responded.

"No one says that I'm not, but you've heard what Malakai wants. The game plan has changed with how hard these angels and demons are getting ready to push, not to mention you did say you couldn't leave this alone for good conscience." Michael reminded him.

"This is true." Raphael relented, "And here I thought that we may never have to meet up with Astaroth again. But I'm glad that I didn't have to deal too much with him. That was more for Jade and that other Fallen."

"Why not? Him and Saffron have been gunning for the ones like Astaroth for years. It's a natural thing for the Fallen to go after each other." Chris told them.

Hearing that, I had to speak up too. The truth was that the whole thing about Raphael's son was bothering me. Maybe it was because I was about to be a mother myself, and I couldn't see having to leave my child for any reason.

"Raphael, are you sure you want to do this? They said that you had to leave your son for a while."

Raphael seemed surprised as I said that, but his expression softened just as quickly, "It's fine. Eli is in good hands with my son Raziel and his wife. I know that for a fact, and even though I don't like the idea of having to leave him, this is an important matter. I can't just leave a pregnant woman to be harmed, no matter what she or her child are supposed to be." he told me.

"Good enough, so I'll go ahead and say it now that stuff's being settled. Thanks for the help back there." Chris added. He sounded a bit begrudging, but was at least being civil towards them.

"It was the least I could do. I have nothing against any of the Shadow Wings. The fact is that we've been looking for you for years in order to learn more about you and how you may be like us. But it seems like fate is finally bringing the two breeds of Nephilim together." Raphael explained.

"So, what about your child? You all mentioned that he is the youngest." Zane probed. He seemed curious now about the whole thing.

"He is." Raphael confirmed, "He was rather unexpected as well. There were very unpleasant circumstances surrounding his creation and birth."

"Unpleasant is an understatement." Michael muttered, looking at him with a slight frown.

I tensed up as I heard that. Unpleasant circumstances surrounding his creation and birth. Could this have been the child that Zane had been talking about, the one that a Grigori had made and abused before?

I was debating on whether to try and broach the subject when we heard the door open. Jade and Saffron were coming in. Raphael and Michael watched them closely. They didn't make any moves that showed they were against them being there, but they didn't seem as relaxed as before.

Chris moved closer beside me, holding my hand tightly. It looked like he was watching Jade very closely for any signs of aggression towards me.

"It seems that they weren't alone, but one wouldn't expect any less here." Jade commented as he stood near us.

"Of course not. I doubt that anyone here fully trusts either of you, whether you're partially purified or not." Raphael informed him.

"As it should be. Just because we have a little bit of purification does not mean that we will not do harm as we see fit." Jade responded.

Saffron sat beside me as Jade spoke. Oddly, he looked quite content.

"It seems that you've still got quite a bone to pick here. Are you that upset over a tiny bit of taming Jade?" he teased. He was hoping to get under Jade's skin now.

Jade wasn't biting, "You'd do best to keep your mouth shut. Even if I would refrain from violence in front of this girl, it does not mean that I won't do it later."

"It looks like you two are just as volatile as ever towards one another. It appears that won't change even with all of this." Raphael noted.

"Do not assume anything concerning these events. Even if I was willing to purify completely, I would still hate him." Jade sneered.

There was venom in his voice now. It seemed like he was seething with rage over being stuck there with Saffron. I wondered why. In that vision I'd had, they'd seemed like they were incredibly close as they worked and fell together. What could've happened to turn them against each other?

Chris scowled at him, "Shut up. You're only making things worse."

"Am I now? I would've imagined that the girl was used to all of this." Jade responded, sounding mystified. It was obviously an act to get on Chris's nerves.

"Cut it out! You know I hate it when you act like this, especially in front of her!" Chris countered. He was now restraining himself from getting up.

The room became silent. Jade seemed to be thinking things over as he regarded him. Then he stepped in front of me. I watched him cautiously as he placed a hand over the bulge of my belly. I could recall all too well the last time we'd been face to face. As soon as he'd sensed this child, he'd tried to attack me. But this time, he was very calm and showed no signs of repulsion at all.

He finally drew his hand back, "So that's how it is. Very clever." he muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked him, though he didn't sound as forceful now.

"You can sense it, can't you?" Raphael guessed, "That's why they asked me to find you. You're the only one on our side who can sense the intentions that are now coming from that Seraphita's memories. Even Micah can't delve that deeply into them."

"Is that true?" I asked Jade.

Jade was smug now, "Very much so. It was a talent for me long before I fell. I could sense the memories of many things, so for this remaining talent, they wanted me here to see exactly what was going on with this Seraphita when it decided to do all of this." he explained.

"What did you see?" Zane asked him as he pushed away from the wall and walked behind the couch that we were sitting on.

"Should I really say it here?" Jade mused.

"It would be best if you did. It is something that we must know as well to allow this to continue." Malakai spoke up as he and the other two Seraphs came in.

Carroll and Carlton were with them. I noticed that Carroll looked a bit worse for wear too. He had a healing cut on the left side of his face and his clothing was ripped in a few places. It looked like none of them had gotten any time to change.

Jade frowned at them, "You'd really take away any fun in this?"

"We are not here for fun. Now tell us what you saw." Kinsley ordered. I noticed that he looked tired. But then, he probably didn't like having to deal with two somewhat stubborn Fallen.

"Very well. I suppose I'll concede." Jade relented. He glanced back at me, "This particular Seraphita feels like he is the Northern One. He has acted on his own, although the other three are aware of his actions. As for the reasons, well, it's both beneficial and rather strange."

"Strange? What do you mean?" Michael asked him.

"Just what I said. I suppose that I will have to break things down a bit. As I said, there are two reasons that this has happened. It was indeed planned out ahead of time, and this Seraphita knew right when it could execute the plan if Ariana happened to agree. What it told her was basically the beneficial part for all involved. It can and most likely will be the starting point for the true salvation of the Shadow Wings. However, there is also another strange reasoning hidden behind this, and that is what it truly wants in this semi-immortal life." Jade explained.

"What does it want?" I asked him.

"Simple. Love."

I think you could've heard a pin drop in that room. I was shocked too. It wanted love? But this was an angel. It was supposed to be one of the most powerful angels in existence. Why would it want this kind of life just for love?

Chris managed to speak, "You're not playing a game here, are you? Why would a Seraphita do all of this just because it really wants love?"

"Damned if I know. They've always done whatever they please." Jade responded.

"Well, there may be a reason behind it if we really think about it." Kinsley offered.

"What are you thinking?" Malakai inquired.

"Just consider the facts. The four Seraphita are indeed considered among the most powerful of all the angels in existence. They can even transcend the factors of the holy and the damned. They are free to make their own choices, and they can give life or take it without a second thought. It's all within the power that was given specifically to them by the Holy Trinity. But there's much more to it than just power. All you all are aware, the four Seraphita represent the four points of the world: North, South, East and West. They are never truly together, and because of their power, there are very few who even get to see them. Centuries can pass without a single being coming into contact with them, although there are several angels who may guard the entrances to their realms. Even they do not speak with them a majority of the time. For all of this, would it be that illogical to consider that perhaps at least one of them began to feel some loneliness?" Kinsley explained.

His words made a lot of sense. I couldn't imagine what that must have been like for any creature. I knew how it felt being so secluded just from living with Mama before, but I still got to be around other people as I got older. These angels must not have had anyone for centuries. It was so sad.

Saffron seemed to be thinking this too, "So that was his game. He could use all this tension to allow himself a way out. Very clever indeed." he agreed.

"We do not know that for certain, but it seems likely with what Jade has sensed." Kinsley admitted. He didn't sound happy that he was agreeing with them.

"It's the case. I am certain of that much." Jade confirmed. He glanced at my belly, "This foolish yet powerful creature wanted a way out, so he's used this as an excuse to get it. Even though he will be able to bring redemption for what is considered the damned children, he's also allowing himself a true life, and with that, he intends to extend whatever power he can to protect the two that gave it to him. Even growing in a womb, he does have a lot to him that will extend out, and he has no hesitation in using it if necessary."

"You're saying that he's still carrying his intelligence as what he was?" Zane guessed. He sounded a bit skeptical.

"Not really. He's just already taken the steps to ensure all of this beforehand. Let's just say that he's done a lot of planning ahead." Jade answered.

"But why us? He could've picked any Shadow Wings, couldn't he? Is it because of how involved we are with everything?" I asked, laying a protective hand over my belly. I felt Chris put his hand there too.

Jade sighed, pressing two fingers between his eyes, "No. That's not why he chose the two of you. From what I saw, he's been watching you both for a long time. He apparently knew about me and that bastard father of yours as well, and thought that we were quite interesting; and when he saw the two of you meet and fall for each other, he felt that it was the perfect match for his parents."

Saffron sat back and closed his eyes, smiling to himself, "Such kind words you tend to say of me, even after all we've been through together."

"No arguments." Malakai warned before Jade had a chance to respond. He stepped between them, "As of right now, you both know that you are to remain here as part of this deal. If you want to see this child born, then this is the only way that it will be assured."

"I suppose that can be done. We have had to coexist in the same space many times before, and most of the time we can manage it without tearing each other apart too badly. Besides, I am much more interested in seeing your Nephilim here. It's quite a group of misfits, isn't it?" Jade mused as he looked around the room.

Carlton glared at him, "Misfits huh?"

Carroll remained as calm as always, "You can call us what you want, but you know that there is no true difference between us and your Shadow Wings. I'm sure that you've seen enough with our kind to know that by now." he informed him.

Jade just smiled, turning his attention to Raphael, "By the way, there is something else that I must bring up. I'm sure that Saffron is wondering too. Where is that grandson of yours in all of this?" he asked.

"Which one? As I recall it, I have two as of right now." Raphael responded.

"You would know very well. The one that decided to intervene several years ago with that soul we had been stalking. I believe that the boy was called Noah." Saffron clarified.

I recalled that name well. He was the Nephilim that had been with Mari Hanes when I'd gotten to meet her, but he'd claimed that he was only visiting, and had been getting ready to leave. I did recall that he'd known about my father and Jade too. Maybe better than I'd thought.

Raphael remained unconcerned, "You'd really want to know why Noah isn't here?"

"It would not hurt to know, now would it? After all, the boy was quite involved in all of this before, and I know that he has met Ariana." Saffron interjected.

"That is all true, but he's caught up in his own things at this moment that require all of his attention. I will say that if he had not been, then he would have come here as well to help however he could." Raphael answered.

"His own things huh?" I said quietly to myself.

I wondered what that could've been. From what I'd seen of Noah Renaldi, he hadn't seemed like he'd had anything urgent going on. Maybe something had changed for him since then.

"If that's quite enough, I believe that it would be better for us to call it a night. There has been much unrest and it's not good for Ariana or any of you to exhaust yourselves. We will speak more in the morning of what will be done next." Micah told everyone.

I looked at Chris and Zane as we walked out of the room, "It's strange, isn't it? Why were they so interested in Noah not being here?" I wondered.

"They probably thought they had a bone to pick with him. From what I've heard, he was the main reason that the woman's soul was set free. I do admit that I didn't realize that he was Raphael's grandson. I would've liked to have seen him for myself." Zane replied, glancing down the hallway where Michael and Raphael had gone in the opposite direction.

"I definitely saw a resemblance there, although I think that Noah's got prettier looks, if that makes sense." I admitted.

We were being joined by Carroll and Carlton, "It seems that we've still got some company." Zane noted.

"If you don't mind, I was hoping to check on things with the child. I believe it's in our benefit to do so after all of the trouble with that demon." Carroll told us.

"I guess so. It's better to be safe than sorry. But seriously, what are they expecting in all of this? They've kept this down to just you two and those Renaldis. Do they really think that this is enough just because they managed to wrangle in Jade and Saffron?" Chris asked them.

I could hear the skepticism in his voice. Not that I blamed him. I felt it too.

"I wouldn't underestimate it." Carlton responded, taking a quick glance around, "We've been lucky to get Raphael here, and with Jade at that. From what Micah told us, he was the one who caught Jade and convinced him to come. It was supposed to have been under Malakai's orders too."

"Really? He must have some power to him then. Jade's not an easy one to do that with, especially when he feels this uneasy with things." Chris commented.

"Very true, and to do so under orders from his Seraph; I agree, Raphael's not one to be trifled with." Zane acknowledged.

Carroll smiled, "Yes, all of that is true of Raphael, although I'm sure you'll find that he's a very fair and just man at heart. For now though, let's go back to your room and I'll make sure that everything is going smoothly."

I can't say that I didn't like Carroll and Carlton. Being around them felt comfortable, even though their personalities seemed as different as night and day. Carroll had remained very reserved since we'd gotten there, and it made me wonder if he wasn't used to being around new people. Carlton, on the other hand, had no problem at all speaking to us about whatever he wanted. It was a real personality clash when one realized that they were twins.

Sitting on the bed in my room, I watched as Carroll stood in front of me and laid a hand over the bulge of my belly. There was a slight glow under it as he did

"It seems that everything is still fine. He's growing at a normal rate now, and he has completely absorbed the other that was within your body. In fact, he's using him a little bit too. I believe that he was reading Jade as well." he told us.

"So they read each other huh?" Chris said as he sat beside me.

"It seems so." Carroll replied, "But I don't believe that it's causing any problems. At the rate this is going, I'd say perhaps another month or so."

"Another month? But I thought it would be longer than that!" I protested.

"I had too, but it seems I was being fooled as well. That or the Seraphita has decided to speed itself up again due to the things that have begun happening." Carroll reasoned.

"Can it safely do that?" Zane asked him.

"From what we've always heard, they can do whatever they want, although I do think that he wouldn't do anything to harm his mother either." Carroll answered.

He looked out of the nearby window at the night sky. All of the stars were coming out, and everything was quiet. What a stark contrast to what we'd just been through.

"That is so." Saffron spoke up as he stepped from the shadows in the far corner of the room.

Carroll frowned at him, "A simple knock would show common courtesy." he reminded him.

"And where is the fun in that? I've never believed in such." Saffron boasted.

He came over to stand in front of me. Chris glared at him, but he didn't bother saying anything. It probably wouldn't have done him any good.

"Even with the slight purification on you right now, you remain more of a Fallen One. It makes me consider how much it truly takes to change one of you back." Carroll went on. He kept a poker face, but I had the distinct feeling that he was watching what he said.

Saffron didn't seem concerned, "One cannot change what is inside of them, and I sincerely doubt that even a Seraphita could. Some of us are simply meant to be Fallen."

"And you would be referring to yourself, wouldn't you?" Chris guessed.

"If you want to read it in such a way, although Jade certainly has not been happy over such things either, especially when he must consider what's happened to you. This whole thing has certainly only put the rift deeper between the two of you." Saffron continued.

"That's none of your business." Chris scoffed.

But Saffron wasn't letting things go, as usual, "You'd say such, but I know that it bothers you deeply as well. For as much as you'd enjoy being able to connect with Jade again, you know that it is no longer possible with what he is; and now, the connection is almost completely broken with your new 'son' on the way. Whether you want to admit it or not, that part of all of this has left a very sour taste in your mouth. But wouldn't it, considering that it makes you choose between your little family and your father?"

I'd heard enough. For as much as I couldn't make myself like Jade, I didn't think it was fair that Saffron would use him against Chris. Maybe they did have their problems, but nothing was going to change that bond that they had at least once shared.

"Stop it Saffron. You don't need to make this worse for either of them." I ordered.

"You'd really think so? Jade certainly hasn't been that good about you either. But then again, he does hate me, doesn't he? Perhaps that is expected though, especially for my getting over on him so many times." Saffron responded.

I shook my head, "You're wrong."

"Am I now?"

"I know you are." I responded, "Maybe Jade is a Fallen, and maybe he doesn't like what's happening with all of this, but I know for sure that he doesn't hate me. He's done way too much to help me. He's even saved my life a few times, even though he could've just let me die or get hurt. He helped take care of me, and he even helped train me to get stronger. He didn't have to do any of that. So don't stand here and try to say what he does or doesn't think just because you want to be in control of something or cause trouble."

Chris sighed, "She's right. He doesn't hate her. If he did, he would've killed her a long time ago. My father's not stupid and you know it. He knew exactly where she was for years, and he was the one who helped guide me to find her, even if everything he told me was vague. He may hate you, but he's never been able to hate her."

"Is that so? What an interesting revelation; and here most thought that you just had a bit of luck in finding her." Saffron noted.

"You knew better, and you knew that he was watching her. He told me that himself. He just never could get that close because of that witch you found to take care of her. Her spells repelled just about everything except for you." Chris responded.

"And that was how I wanted it." Saffron growled. He'd turned to a quick bit of anger, "I told her a long time ago not to trust any who came for Ariana, and he was part of my reasons why. But the game was changed after the disaster with that soul. That was the unexpected twist that I personally will always blame that Renaldi boy and Jade for."

"You can blame them all you want, but everything happens in a design. That curse you set went on for far too long, and one of these clans was bound to notice and end it. It's part of their job." Zane informed him.

Carlton agreed, "Exactly. We clean up the messes that the ones like you make, and what Noah did was exactly what he was supposed to do, though I'm sure that he did it more for conscience too."

Saffron became very quiet. I halfway wondered if he might try to lash out at them for those comments. But thankfully, he refrained from that and simply played coy.

"If that's what you'd like to think. However, the truth of it in our minds will always remain."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Chris asked him. He was clearly getting annoyed with Saffron's presence.

"You would enjoy driving me off, wouldn't you? But unfortunately, at this time I truly cannot stay in here. Those others here still have an interest in speaking to me and Jade separately. No doubt they don't trust us together yet, though I cannot imagine why. Oh well." Saffron shrugged. He ran a gentle hand through my hair, "I'll be seeing you soon enough darling."

He then disappeared into the shadows.

"He only came in here hoping to start trouble." Chris huffed.

"That's just in their nature. They may have had a little bit of purification, but that doesn't mean that they've changed that much yet." Carroll assured him.

"By the way, there is something that I wanted to ask you about." Zane added. He walked over to the stand-alone closet and opened the doors, looking for a new shirt.

"What's that?" Carlton responded.

"I was wondering if you knew why Noah Renaldi isn't here. I get that they didn't want that many, but from what I've heard and am still hearing, he seems deeply involved in all of this." Zane explained.

"Yeah. He was there when I met Mari Hanes, that girl that's the last reincarnation of my birth mother, and he seemed to know a lot about Saffron and Jade." I added.

"Yes, he would. What they've said about him is very true. Noah was the first to get involved with freeing that soul several years ago. From what we know, or at least what he's told others, he met Mari Hanes by chance and realized that something very strange was happening to her. Of course, he couldn't in good consciousness let it go, and eventually he became one of the main ones to bring all of it to an end. I see that it may have put a mark on his head though." Carroll explained.

"No kidding. Even though Jade admitted defeat about that soul to me, he still resents that one particular Nephilim. But you haven't answered our question yet. Where is he now? Raphael said that he had something important come up. It must be something major to keep him out of all of this." Chris pointed out.

"Hmm... is it really our place to say?" Carroll sounded a little amused.

"Don't patronize me. It's been a long day, and I'm in a bad enough mood to make me not care if I get in trouble with those Seraphs." Chris warned him.

Carlton quickly spoke up, "Hey, hey. It's okay." He gave Carroll a stern look, "You know, you've gotten into a bad habit of causing trouble when you don't need to. It's not like what's going on with him really affects them."

"I do not cause trouble. I simply stated the truth of the matter." Carroll retorted.

Zane shook his head as he pulled a shirt from the nearby drawer and changed out of the bloodstained one that he'd been wearing.

"If it's this much trouble, then I'm sorry I asked. But be as it may, the question still stands. That is, if either of you are willing to speak on the subject." he continued.

Carlton let out a long breath, "It really not that big of a deal that Noah isn't here. Jade and Saffron are just making it out to be because of their resentment. But seriously, how long ago did you say you saw him, Ariana?" he asked me.

I had to think about it, "Well, I saw him with Mari Hanes, and that night I ended up going back with Jade. I was there for a while with him and the others. Then we had the whole thing with Lennox. That was about, um, maybe five or six months ago?"

Chris thought it over too, "Sounds about right." he agreed.

"Okay, that makes sense then." Carlton said, nodding to himself.

"Is there a reason to know exactly when Ariana saw him?" Zane asked him.

"Well, yeah. It does have to do with it. Now how do I explain this without getting too much into Noah's personal life?" Carlton muttered.

Carroll frowned at him, "Just tell them what Yuki told us."

"Yuki?" I repeated. Now that was an unusual name.

"Yeah. He means Yuki Renaldi." Carlton explained, "Anyway, he talks a lot to me and Carroll now, and sometimes he'll tell us when big things happen within their family. Anyway, a while back, the Renaldis had lost two family members. Raphael's youngest son was the first born to replace the first lost, although I won't go into details about that incredible story right now. Anyway, there was a second spot that stayed open for a while, and just three months ago, we got to find out that it was being filled."

Now I was getting the picture, "So, he has a new baby?" I guessed.

"Yet you don't make it sound like this was such a good thing." Zane noted.

"It was and it wasn't." Carroll admitted, "From what Yuki told me, Noah was in a serious relationship for about two years, but the girl suddenly broke things off with him. It was very abrupt, and the reasons were never really given. But it was incredibly hard on him. From what we know, it took him quite a while to move on from it. But it seems that shortly after Ariana saw him, if the timeline we're getting is correct, the girl called him and claimed to be pregnant. They did confirm rather quickly that it was his, and he took steps to take the child once they were born, considering that the girl apparently wanted nothing to do with them."

We were all staring at him now. I felt mortified.

"What do you mean she wanted nothing to do with it? It was her baby too." I managed.

"It is, but I suppose the best one could say to that is that some women are not meant to be mothers. Unfortunately, this one wasn't. So, Noah took steps and from what I heard the other day from Yuki, he's just returned to the states with the newborn, a boy he's named Milo." Carroll went on.

Now it made complete sense as to why Noah wouldn't even think of showing up there. He was taking care of his newborn son. In a way, I felt bad for him. I didn't even want to think of having to have my son alone, and yet the girl that he'd once loved had just left their son with him and walked away like they'd meant nothing to her.

Chris let out a long breath and stood up, "I guess anyone could get those circumstances, and he is taking care of his top priority. But right now, I think it might be better if we called it a night and let Ariana rest." he suggested.

"Yes, I believe that would be best. We will see you in the morning then." Carroll agreed.

Zane let out a long breath as the two left the room, "My, my. So many things have apparently been happening at once. It's no wonder they're all on edge." he commented quietly.

"No kidding. Two fairly new Nephilim in the Sapphire clan and now a new baby with the soul of a Seraphita's coming, along with the possible end of the war against us; and we thought we had a lot of shit to deal with." Chris agreed.

"I just don't get it." I sighed, rubbing the bulge of my belly. I felt a small kick as I did, "I didn't think that I'd ever be able to have a baby, and that woman just gave hers up like it meant nothing. I couldn't do anything like that. Even though I'm worried and scared, I still want him so badly."

"Unfortunately, there are women out there that are like that. They simply are not fit to be mothers. Even though we have never truly experienced it ourselves, we do know of them through years of experience around normal people. Thankfully this child went right to where he belongs, and I'm certain that Noah will take very good care of him. He obviously loves him very much to do all that he's done so far." Zane told me.

Chris agreed, "That's true. If he really took all of those steps to make sure that he'd get him, then you know he really wanted him. But I think that this is enough for now. I meant what I said when I told them that Ariana needs to rest. This can't be good for her in this state." he told Zane.

Zane nodded, "I understand, and to be honest about it, I think that I need some rest myself so that I can fully recover. My wounds may have closed, but I'm still having quite a bit of pain. Getting some sleep will do me good."

"Are you sure that you're going to be alright?" I had to ask. I thought about getting up, but decided not to. With as tired as I was beginning to feel, I'd probably struggle doing it.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine now. Just let yourself rest and I'll see you first thing in the morning." Zane reassured me.

"Alright. Goodnight Zane."

I still felt a bit uneasy as Zane left though. I knew how badly hurt he'd been by Astaroth. But at the same time, I had to trust that he'd know whether he'd be okay or not. He'd probably been badly hurt by his father more than once in his lifetime. But also, another thing nagged at the back of my mind.

It was knowing that Kira Martell had to leave.

I wasn't stupid about Zane's new friendship with that Violet Nephilim. Seeing how quickly he'd gotten close to her, I couldn't help wondering if maybe he was starting to fall for her. But it looked like anything more between the two would have to wait until all of this was over. It was obvious that Kinsley was concerned for her safety, and that would come first for them. Zane had no choice but to let her go for now.

I was pulled back to reality by Chris walking over and kneeling in front of me.

"Hey, are you going to be okay?" he asked softly.

I blinked to bring myself back to reality. As I did, I realized how worried he looked. Maybe I'd been overestimating his strength in all of this again.

"I'm fine now. It's been a long day, but I'm doing fine and so is the baby." I promised him.

Chris gently rested his head on my hands, "I've been through so many things. I've faced almost certain death so many times. I've looked demons in the eye and felt no fear of them; but I feel like I can barely stand right now for the fear of losing you or our son." he softly confessed.

I wasn't sure of what to say. He was finally admitting some of his fears to me. This was something that Chris really didn't do. But at the same time, I understood it all too well. I carried the same types of fears, but mine were for him and our son.

"Chris, I'm going to be okay and so is he. We'll make it through this and then we can be a family." I promised him.

"That's all I really want out of this." Chris went on, "I just want our family. I don't give a damn about what they think this kid's supposed to be or the hunts stopping, just as long as I can have you and him. I just want to be able to have something normal for once in my life, even if the three of us really can't be."

"Maybe not, but I know that we can do this Chris. I know that you're strong enough. You've been here for me through everything, and we've had good friends who have been too. Even our fathers, whether they wanted to or not. We're not alone, and neither is our baby." I reminded him.

Chris took a deep breath, then managed to bring himself back to his feet, "Yeah, you're right, and maybe I needed that little breakdown moment; but I think I feel a little better now. It'll help to get some rest while we can."

I nodded and returned his smile. I could still see some of the uncertainty in his eyes, but he was trying hard to fight it now. I couldn't blame him for all of that. I had it myself, and I was willing to bet that a good deal of the ones with us felt it too.

But as I laid on my left side and looked down at my belly, I felt a peace come over me. Okay, so maybe this whole thing was a bit overwhelming, but at the same time, it should've been a happy thing too. So what if a Seraphita had done this and would be this child's soul? He was still our child. He was still born from the two of us. That was all that should really matter in the end.

I heard Chris come out of the bathroom as I laid there. He'd gone in there shortly after I was done to get in a shower.

"Feeling better now?" I asked.

"Somewhat. Sometimes a relaxing shower helps." he admitted as he finished drying his hair, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. I'm comfortable now." I responded, turning to snuggle against my pillow. The bed was feeling more and more comfortable, and I felt like sleep was starting to call my name.

"Alright." I heard Chris say. I felt him climb into bed with me, resting a hand on my belly. A soft movement, probably a kick, greeted him, "Seems like he's awake."

"I hope he doesn't do that when he's born. I like getting some sleep at night." I joked, not bothering to open my eyes.

I heard Chris chuckle, "No kidding."

I liked the peacefulness that had settled upon us. It almost made me forget about all the bad things that had been happening for so long. But as I laid there enjoying that, another thought entered my mind.

"You know, he still doesn't have a name."

Chris blinked. It looked like he'd almost been asleep, "Yeah, that. I haven't even thought that much about it." he admitted.

"Well, we're running out of time now. Carroll did say that he thinks it's just one more month left." I reminded him.

"Trust me, I didn't need to be reminded of that." Chris moaned.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"It's not anything bad. I was just hoping to have a few things for this kid before he decided to come, and now we're stuck here, and I've got nothing. It sucks."

So it was a daddy complex. Chris was upset because he hadn't gotten anything for his son yet.

"You know, it's not that bad, and you still have a month." I reminded him.

"I know, and I'm going to at least get something small for him when he's born." Chris affirmed.

"Anyway, I think it would be a good idea to think about a name now. We can't just call him 'baby' when he's born." I joked.

"That's true." Chris agreed, "Did you have something in mind?"

"Not really. I'm not that good with baby names." I confessed.

"Neither am I, but I've never had to think of one either."

"Do you think that it should have something to do with the Seraphita?"

Chris shook his head, "I don't think it's that important. Personally, I'd rather name him something that we both like. It doesn't need a deeper meaning to anyone else but us."

He was right. We didn't need to do anything that others would consider extra special. Any name that we truly liked would be special to us. But I was kind of at a loss too. I'd never had to think about names before. Names were just what you called someone. They didn't have any special meaning to me until now.

Chris was thinking about it too, then finally gave me an answer, "You know, there is one that I've been thinking about for the last few days."

"Really? What is it?" I asked.

"You'll probably think I'm pretty old fashioned if I tell you."

"Trust me, I'm not judging anymore. I already know all about that with you and all of the other Shadow Wings I've met so far."

"This is true." Chris chuckled, "But seriously, I've been thinking about this a lot, and I just feel like it fits him. Elijah."

"Elijah?"

I hadn't heard that name for a very long time, but I had to admit, it certainly felt like it fit to me. There was something about it that felt so right.

Chris looked back at me, keeping a hand on my belly, "What do you think? Would that be the right one?" he asked me.

"It feels like it to me, and I like it. I think it'll fit him perfectly." I told him.

"Alright then. He'll be Elijah." He gave me a quick kiss, "Let's get some sleep."

I nodded, closing my eyes and allowing myself to relax. I could feel the shifting of the baby within me, and it added to that comfort that I was already feeling.

But drifting off to sleep, I slowly began to fall into a strange darkness. I opened my eyes in this dream, and to my surprise, it looked like I was in a large, cave-like room. It reminded me of where Saffron had once been confined, though I had the distinct feeling that this was not in Hell. The room was earthen and dank, and I could see streams of water running down the walls. There was hardly any light in there, but I could still see perfectly.

I stood still as I tried to figure out where I was. Looking down, I saw that I was still pregnant, even in this dream state. But now, my belly had a radiant glow coming from it. It was a glow that seemed to be rotating quickly in every color imaginable. It reminded me of how the Seraphita had appeared to me before. Was this glow from its soul, even though he was still growing within me?

I was pulled out of my wonder about this by the sudden sound of footsteps coming up behind me. I spun around and was shocked to see Will walking towards me. But he didn't seem to see me. He walked right by me, as if he was in a hurry to get somewhere. I immediately followed, wondering where in the world he was going. I didn't know whether this was real or not, but I still had to see what was going on.

I hadn't seen or heard from Will since we'd first found out about the baby. He'd been unable to handle being around him, and had needed to retreat from us for a while. That had hurt. No matter who Will really was, he'd still been like a brother to me, and one of my closest friends.

Finally coming to another opening deeper in the cave, Will entered the room and stopped several feet from the center. I stopped short as I saw the room. It definitely didn't look like just another part of the cave. The room was very large and decorated in many glowing black candles. I saw them everywhere I looked. They were set on ledges, on the floor, and even in a circle around the center.

A pentagram was drawn onto the solid ground in the middle of the circle of candles. It was done in what looked like dried blood. This place reminded me a lot of where I'd been taken by Lennox and Belial. Nothing about this could be any kind of good.

Will raised his left hand towards the pentagram. It lit up with an unearthly red glow. I took a step back, instinctively shielding my belly as the room turned ice cold. In that instant, a warm glow surrounded me. I realized that it was radiating the same colors as what I'd seen when I first looked at my belly. This Seraphita was protecting us.

A mass slowly rose from the center of the pentagram. It was very large and pitch black. As I watched, the darkness began to unfurl. I realized that what I'd initially seen had been black wings. Six of them to be exact.

The figure that they were attached to was a tall, darkly handsome man with hair blacker than night and glowing violet eyes. I gasped as I saw him, putting a hand over my mouth. I would've known that frightening visage anywhere.

It was the Ruler of Hell, Lucifer.

Will lowered his hand, regarding him solemnly. For a long moment, the room was eerily quiet. It was Lucifer who finally broke that silence.

"I see that you've decided to show up to my summons."

"I did." Will responded, "But now that we're here, I believe that you already know my stand in all of this."

"You may have spoken it, but I do not believe you. You have never been able to defy me, and you will not now." Lucifer warned him.

The coldness deepened within the room as he spoke, and I saw the candles flicker as he flapped his large black wings.

Will remained firm where he stood, even as the cold wind blew through his hair and billowed his dark shirt. There was a set look of defiance in his violet eyes.

"This is my final stand. I refuse to be under you for the rest of my existence or see those under me with targets on their backs. I choose salvation, not damnation."

His words enraged Lucifer, "You would defy me after all I've done for you?!"

"You have done nothing! The only thing that you've ever given me is my title, and it is a title that none would ever ask to be born under! I do not want to remain the Prince of the Damned! I will see to it that they are born and that you and those hypocritical angels never harm them!" Will declared.

A wave of darkness came flying at him. Will reacted quickly, throwing out his hand to bring up a shield of black flames. The shield cut through that darkness, and it flew around him and smashed into a wall, causing it to crumble into a mass of rocks and dirt.

Lucifer was in front of him as this happened. Will barely had time to raise a black sword as a pale, clawed hand came down at his head. He struggled hard to keep it above him.

"You would dare to challenge me boy?! I can make any number like you! You have always known that you are expandable!" Lucifer growled.

His features had now changed. His eyes were glowing red, and his hands were claws that reminded me of Saffron's. There was also a black lace pattern that had appeared on his neck and crept up to just under his left eye. I stared at all of this wondering what that was. Did all of the more powerful Fallen Angels have this strange tattoo? Although I'd never seen one on Jade, I hadn't really seen him truly get angry before. Even when he'd tried to attack me, he'd held back a lot.

"You're wrong! I was not born to only serve you!" Will yelled.

He jumped back, bringing out his black wings. For the first time, I noticed that there were tears in his shirt and pants. They must have come from the blast that he'd barely been able to shield himself against.

Lucifer snarled, the darkness swirling around him as he flew upwards. Will brought his sword up, but somehow, I knew that it would do him no good. Lucifer was far too much for him to handle as he was.

"Call out his name."

I stiffened as I heard this soft voice. It sounded like a young child. Yet I felt compelled to do what it said. While I'd never once referred to Will by that name, it felt like this one time I had to in order to save him.

"Abass!"

It felt like the entire world froze in that instant. The blast of darkness was still coming, but I could now see a light enveloping Will. It was golden and very bright, filling the entire room.

Will's wings changed as it did. The light moved down them at an incredible speed, turning the feathers from black to golden. The sword he was holding also turned golden, and I could see flames matching that color flare up from the blade.

"I said this is enough!" Will declared, swinging the blade towards the darkness.

The blast of light against darkness was blinding, and I had to shield my eyes as I stepped back. But before I could open them again, I heard that same voice of a small child speak one more time.

"Now he is ours."