We turned the corner of a street lined in the frames of burnt houses, watching the diversity of survivors peddle back and forth between Guardian settlements and their own make shift lodgings.

Cybele smiled as she greeted all we past by, and they did the same, looking upon her as a savior. She really was one, appearing like an angel straight from the clouds.

"You're really great with people." I said out loud and she only nodded as though she weren't walking the street beside me but far off. "Your name is Cybele? A friend of Finn's?"

"Yes, that's me." She replied. "I was raised to be able to make people like me. My ability to socialize was very important to my mother. She used to say that a woman is the most powerful person in the room when she knows the art of rhetoric. She was right; it's been a very important skill in my life for different reasons that she expected." There was a ghost of a smile on her lips though she held it back. I didn't pry.

"My parents never taught me anything like that. They usually just pushed me to do what I loved; they didn't think about power like that."

"They seem like good people." Cybele said.

"They were." She glanced at me, my change of tense drawing in her attention. "My parents were drafted into the army when I was young and they never came home. My brother and sister raised me." I looked back into her eyes, which had darkened and held that sadness I despised. I knew she meant well, but I still hated the pity so many had placed on me my entire life.

"Your siblings did a wonderful job." Her comment made me smile. "How many do you have?"

"Two. Andrew and Matilda. Andrew..." I stuttered, the pain still real and ever present. I didn't want to talk about him. "He didn't make it through the fire."

"I'm sure he was a lovely man." Cybele added, strolling beside me as she adjusted her ponytail.

"He was. Very smart. He loved to read and learn about history; he had a much bigger brain than I do. He would have loved to be here to ask you all about the world and what you'd seen. He wanted to travel and see the places he read in his books."

"The worlds are all beautiful and each so very unique. I'll spare you the long descriptions, but each has hidden gems everywhere. What of your sister? You must be looking for her."

I nodded. "I am. I don't know where she is except for the fact that Finn told me she escaped the medic ward. It doesn't surprise me. I'm just afraid that I actually know where she is, but I don't want to admit it."

Cybele frowned, glancing up at the sky as she adjusted her wings. "Where would she be?"

"The pub getting drunk." I sighed, shaking my head. "She developed a drinking problem a few years after my parents left. It's spiraled out of control since then and she doesn't run with the best crowd if you get what I mean. They don't treat her well, and I've had to bail her out of some nasty situations." I held up my hand, the cut from the glass bottle still red and inflamed.

Cybele's eyes widened as she took a hold of my wrist to examine it. "Where did you get this?"

"I had to fight her shitty boyfriend off with a glass bottle. Luckily, my friend gave a distraction so this was more my own doing."

She shook her head, closing her eyes. "You're the younger child. You shouldn't have had to deal with situations like those."

"It's the way of life here, Cybele. I know plenty of others who do this every day just like me." I shrugged and I could feel her sadness. I didn't even know why I was telling her this much; she wasn't even prying but something about her warm nature made me want to confide in her about my entire life story regardless of how boring or idiotic it might sound. She didn't seem to judge me in the least. "Tell me more about you and Finn, the Guardians. Why are you all here in the first place?"

"The Guardians are a group of specially chosen warriors who fight for the innocent. We were all chosen to be here and gifted our wings to fight darkness in the name of Fate under Secta."

"Secta?"

"He is the central head figure of the Guardians. He has a very powerful Meraki of light and he speaks with Fate, who chooses the Guardians." She bit her lip as though she wanted to say more, but held her tongue before speaking again. "Guardians are chosen on account if they were protectors of truth in their past life."

"Wait," I stopped and she halted beside me. "Meraki? Past life?"

"Meraki is a power or ability that allows you to do the extraordinary. It is a reflection of the soul in a sense, compatible with the person. There are thousands of different forms Meraki can take on in a person and millions around the worlds that have powers. Some can control the elements, others the mind and body like I do."

My eyes widened as I took bigger strides to match her pace. "You have a Meraki?"

She nodded. "Paralysis. Not permanent though. I can freeze people and usually their Meraki but mine isn't as strong as normal Meraki tend to be because of my Guardianship. My soul is divided between the two so I can't quite give a large sum of spirit to my Meraki when being a Guardian takes half. I wouldn't have it any other way though."

"That is incredible. What other Merakis have you heard of?" Is glowing eyes a side effect? Maybe I can figure out what I am. Maybe Meraki is the answer.

"Any and everything you could think of. Meraki has no limit to what power it can manifest." She turned a corner and I followed beside her. "It is a wonder that these powers occur at all."

"Are they inherited?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not usually. It all depends on the person and their spirit. I'm not sure exactly how the selection process goes with Fate, but I do believe that those with parents of Meraki will be more likely to inherit them as well. It is my theory, as not much is know about Meraki besides who possesses it."

"Do all the Guardians have Meraki?" I asked. A group of children scurried by and Cybele waved. They appeared shy at first until one of the younger boys smiled and waved in return. Cybele giggled and blew a kiss before looking back to me as though I hadn't been talking. Everyone saw the radiant light inside her.

"No, they do not. Guardians are separate from Meraki as Guardians are chosen for their actions in their lifetime. Some people do beautiful things without Meraki, and they are chosen on account of that in their past."

"The past life?"

"All Guardians died before they were chosen to live a second life as a protector of good. Every single one has lived before and been resurrected to serve."

I thought it over before looking at the dirt and then back up at Cybele. "You died?"

"I'm the only one that didn't." She shrugged as though it meant nothing. "I was the first Guardian. My wings came with me even from birth. I was a mystery until I met Secta and... our futures were intertwined. Guardians were chosen from then on and I'm their General."

This made me smile. "You're the General?"

"Yes. How does that confuse you?"

"It doesn't. It makes me hopeful; women are never chosen here to lead anything."

"That's a grave mistake, as all the most powerful leaders I've ever met were women." She winked before continuing to walk on.

I thought more about resurrection in awe. A second life? How even? "You're saying that Finn and Raphael and all the people with wings I've seen died and now live again?" It made me snicker as well thinking of Raphael who didn't believe in the Goddess.

Cybele nodded. "Indeed. They've all died. Anyone you see here with the gift of wings is living again. Finn was slaughtered. Raphael died..."

"Finn was slaughtered?" It shot from my lips so quickly that it surprised me. "Someone slaughtered him?"

Cybele's face went white and she shook her head quickly. "It's not my place to say. Guardians don't talk about how others died and some never share their own deaths either. It's personal and sometimes painful. They leave families and loved ones behind as well as memories of a past, usually more peaceful life."

I nodded, feeling stupid. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. You wouldn't have known."

We turned another corner and I realized we'd made a huge circle around different streets, walking down the original path we'd taken back towards the house where Cybele had been with the children.

I stayed quiet then, and Cybele didn't ask anymore questions. She must have sensed that I had humiliated myself and no longer wanted to speak. She really did understand people; her mother did one damn good job.

I narrowed my eyes at the clusters of people moving around main strip down the road, a flash of dark hair drawing my eyes. Matilda?

"Kate?" Cybele asked, noticing my new attention.

"I think I see my sister." I muttered, trying to strain my eyes further. I didn't recognize anyone else around her. Until the tall one wrapped an arm around her. "Fucking Jack Warren." The cockroach lives on.

"Who?"

"The boyfriend."

"The one that cut you?"

"He didn't cut me, but the same guy." I started to walk faster, Cybele matching my pace just as quickly.

"I'll go get her, Kate. I don't want you around that man."

I bit my lip hard, feeling a familiar pool of anger. "I'm not a child. I've handled this hundreds of times before, Cybele. Before you guys decided to turn up and make everything better with rainbow bandaids. Let me handle my sister."

She stopped in her tracks, dejected by my words before she started to backtrack. We'd past the house and I knew she was after Finn. He wouldn't stop me from handling my family business.

"Matilda!" I screamed as soon as I could without a doubt recognize her. She turned towards me, eyes widening as she laughed in joy.

"Kate! I'm so happy to see you!" Drunk. I'm not even surprised. "Look! I found Jack! He survived the fire! And he took me out to celebrate and now I see stars everywhere!"

"Why didn't you come look for me?"

"I was going to but..."

"She found me instead." Jack hissed as he pulled Matilda into his chest. She snuggled up against him as though he were a puppy instead of a rat.

I rolled my eyes. "She's coming with me."

"Fuck, I'm so tired of you being such a buzzkill all the time, Kate. Can't you see that we have fun together, your sister and I? You have a wrench stuck up your ass so far that you can't even live a little. I bet you've never had a drink in your life."

"I haven't." I snapped. "I see how much of an idiot it turns people into when they have too much. Also thanks for informing me about the capacity of the asshole. Have you tested it personally?"

Jack's face wrinkled up as it turned red, his friends snickering around him. "Watch it, Stratton. I've beat you before. I'll do it again."

"Wow, thanks for admitting that you've beaten up a girl. That makes you sound even better." I looked to Matilda. "Come on, Matilda. Let's go."

"Don't you want to see your boyfriend, Kate?" She yawned, rubbing her eye as she stayed attached to Jack's chest.

I froze, my mouth nearly hanging open. "What? My boyfriend?"

"Leighton. He's in the pub." Matilda teetered on her heels. "There was some girl with him. I tried to beat her up, but I couldn't hit the right one. It was a kalaiscopie in there."

"Kaleidoscope." I said, feeling my heart start to hammer in my chest. Another girl? Another girl?

Time to kick some ass!

I pushed past them. "Stay right here!" I warned Jack.

"Oh no, I'm coming in for this!" He snickered, running right behind my heels.

I stumbled into the pub where men and women who had someone survived were downing liquor. It baffled me that so many would decide to drink their life away as though nothing had happened, but I wasn't naive to think that addiction hadn't burned up with the rest of the city. There were faces I knew and others I didn't as I marched from table to table, looking for Leighton. I prayed I wouldn't find him.

"He's in the corner." Jack chuckled, pointing with his disgusting finger.

And Leighton was, drinking a big glass of alcohol with some ginger leaning on his arm. But, he saw me and froze.

I scrambled backwards, falling over as Jack caught my shoe with the front of his boot. Hitting the floorboards, it made the loudest squeak until the entire room went silent for a moment, staring at me before roaring back to life. I pulled myself to my feet as Matilda tottered after me.

"Kate! Let me hug you!"

Everything inside me hurt as I burst out of the door, stumbling down the front steps right into Finn and Cybele.

"Kate!" Cybele gasped, grabbing my wrists before realizing that I looked insane. "What's the matter?"

"Who hurt you?" Finn's voice was deadly as he stared through the open door of the pub as Matilda stumbled out.

"Kate! I'll beat him up... Just show me where he is." She hiccuped as Jack came from behind to steady her.

"You better run, Kate. He's coming."

Finn growled viciously at Jack. "Who?"

"You look like a freak show, wingman."

"Choose your next words wisely." Finn snapped, shoulders bristling like the fur of a savage dog.

"Finn," Cybele snapped, looking back to me.

I pushed out of her arms, hurrying away from the pub as tears started to pour from my eyes. He'd left me, just like that. He didn't care that we'd been dating, if we even actually were. Leighton had replaced me that quickly. Had he ever really cared?

"Kate!" Leighton's voice made me shudder as I stumbled, Cybele wrapping her arms around me. "You're ok!"

"Go away, Leighton." I warned, rubbing my eyes and pushing out of Cybele's warm embrace. "Go back to your new girl."

His eyes narrowed and he scoffed. "There is no new girl. Seriously? I can't help it that other people find me attractive but I wasn't doing anything with her. It's not like you weren't all cozied up to that dumbass Butterfly when I found..."

"Stop it!" I cried. A raw energy took over my body again, tunneling through my veins as I stared Leighton in the eye, feeling his presence come closer to my own. There was a fire burning inside him and I reached down, taking some of it for my own.

His eyes rolled back into his head as he fell forward, Jack screaming and pointing at me as he shoved Matilda away. Finn caught her as she fell, Jack sprinting back into the pub yelling words I couldn't make out.

Cybele began to pull me away and I felt her fire. I stole just a little of her own, yanking myself out of her hold as she fell to the ground.

Finn's face was close to mine and I could see his fire, though I couldn't find it in myself to tamper with it. It was hot to the touch as I pulled away from its heat.

He was screaming at me too, but I couldn't hear. I felt his warm hands against my skin, those calloused fingers yet so smooth to the touch. I closed my eyes, relaxing into his body to rest my head on his chest.

Finn's arms wrapped around me as everything faded away.