ash

Julio crumples the note up in his left hand and throws it across the office into the bin, and then takes a sip of his tea from the Styrofoam cup in his other hand.

Gabbro smirks from his seat in the tattered stuffed armchair. "Who was that?"

Julio takes another sip of tea. "Banquo," he says noncommittally. "Says we've got to hurry up."

"Tell him we are. Merox is taking care of it."

Julio sinks back into his high-backed office chair, setting down the cup. "Then Merox'd better hurry up."

…

Angelica is beautiful in her ivory gown, her face pale and devoid of colour as she leans down to fasten her fangs in Dominic's neck. Midnight eyes now single pinpricks of blood red on eye white.

Dominic doesn't know this Kindred woman; doesn't know what she is doing to him in a sharppainredbloodice haze of blurry features. He only knows that he is crying, he can only feel his tears wet on his cheeks as his life is being drained away.

And then he feels the painful prickling sensation on his skin, and he knows without looking that grey fur is rapidly appearing all over his body.

…

Pabla's blood red wings, mottled with black, touch Damien's pure white ones, tip to tip, joining them.

heir wings form a circle around them of which they are part of, and there is a slight quiver in them.

"Where is the werewolf?" Damien inquires quietly. "He should be with you at this time, you being his guardian."

Pabla bristles at the mild rebuke. "He left me."

Damien's mouth becomes a thin line.

"We fought, and he walked out."

Damien withdraws his wings in a sudden jerky motion, causing Pabla to stumble, reeling from the sudden separation.

"Please," Pabla pleads, "I need your help to find him. He transforms tonight."

"I can't keep doing these things for you, Pabla. He was your responsibility."

Pabla knows she is going to cry; knows she is going to lose her composure- what is left of it- in front of Damien. "Please, Damien," she begs brokenly; tears well up in her eyes.

Damien tries to turn away but finds that he cannot. Taking a step towards the younger flight he pulls her into a firm embrace, wrapping his wings around the both of them. Lets her bury her face in his shoulder.

"I won't always be around for you, Pabla."