In seconds we were shooting through a black tunnel, darkness on all sides as Nocen kept the plane steady. The engine groaned under the stress, beginning to shake and shudder as I dug my fingernails into my chair's armrests.

"We're going to die!" I cried as a warning siren went off.

"I'd appreciate a little confidence." He said through gritted teeth, his hands tight around the plane's yoke.

A light shone ahead of us, our speed increasing rapidly and only making the dove moan louder. The tip of one wing scratched against one of the walls, sparks flying and making me jump with a scream.

"Oops. Lost some of the paint job back there." Nocen said, flipping a few more switches as the light ahead grew brighter. "Ready to fly, Kate?"

"No!" I shouted as the plane lurched off the ground for a moment, throwing me around in my seat.

"Up, up, and away!" He laughed, making me look at him. He seemed nearly insane, wide eyed with a dangerous expression. This man was aching to be free, and he was about ready to give everything for it, for her.

The sunlight shone so intensely that I shut my eyes, the rumbling of the plane dying away as I felt us soar off the ground. My stomach sunk low into my seat as Nocen pulled us straight up, the dove's beak pointing up to the sun.

As I opened my eyes, I could see the clouds, sunshine raining down on us like a halo. It was stunningly beautiful, but terror took hold of me when we started to spin.

I couldn't help but scream as we spun around and around like an ice skater, Nocen yelling with excitement unlike my horror. He pulled us to the right before finally leveling out, chucking like a crazy person as I gripped my seat like a cat hanging from the ceiling to avoid a bath.

"They're going to be tailing us soon, so be prepared. The flying's only going to get more fun from there."

"I'm going to be sick." I said with a shudder.

"If you projectile vomit on me, Kate, I'm taking my nice comments back immediately." Nocen said with a wrinkled nose.

"That should be the least of your concerns! Staying in the air should be number one."

This made him snort, "you're talking to me like I've never damn flown before."

"From the theatrics back there, I'd say that you aren't a Maverick or a Goose!"

"Such little faith!"

"Dammit even Raphael and Cybele flew better than you."

"Bullshit!" He replied, "I taught that woman everything she knows, and Raphael knows shit about planes. That's obvious just looking at him."

Nocen turned his attention to the controls, easing the plane to the left as he checked the map and coordinates.

"We should reach Gabrian in 15 minutes if we don't run into trouble, which we definitely will." He said, licking his lips as he shifted his headset. "Gabrian, Dove M324 requesting assistance. Mayday, Gabrian, Dove M324 requesting assistance."

The radio buzzed, Nocen adjusting the signal before giving it another try. Soon, a jumbled voice came in over the radio.

"Gabrian Tower, I have Kate Stratton on board and enemy pilots on my tail. Dove M324 needs assistance."

They exchanged more words before we were interrupted, the entire plane jerking forward as a loud explosion echoed in our ears. Nocen pulled the plane down in a flash as we skyrocketed to the right, spinning towards the earth.

Shooting towards the ground, I gripped the chair as Nocen jerked the dove right, making us spiral. Coming down through the clouds, he didn't pull up even as we grew closer and closer to the trees below.

"Nocen, what's happening!" I shouted, my head being jerked to the side as he pulled up on the wheel. Our plane nearly clipped the trees before we soared back up into the sky like an eagle.

"We got a little damage on the tail. Nothing to major. Hit with a shooting star."

"A shooting star?" I clamped my eyes shut as we were spun upside down before flipping so that we were headed straight for the ground again.

He swore under his breath, using all his strength to pull the plane up. "Damn, we're so close."

Shooting through the sky, we corkscrewed, avoiding more flaming balls of light that shot past us left and right. Down we went again, and I covered my eyes with my hands, feeling my stomach go up into my throat as our dove pushed itself to new speeds.

"Four planes behind." Nocen said into his head set, only making me feel more nauseous than I was before. He punched something into another screen, which gave way to an image of the sky behind us. Four planes were indeed on our tail, shooting in the air as they tried to keep up with Nocen.

In one second, one of the four planes exploded into pieces, pieces of metal ricocheting into the air like a firework. A shadow flickered over our heads as slowly a huge white dove settled in front of us right over our heads.

With the back loading door open, my eyes widened as I saw Tiffany strapped in at the end of the ramp, balls of fire brewing in either hand.

The radio screeched before a familiar voice came in over the static. "General Cybele reporting on Dove MX5. Responding to call for assistance and prepared for combat."

Nocen's smile was wider than any I'd ever seen before as he responded, "Golden girl, long time no see. Thought about me?"

"What else had I to do but love you?" Cybele's voice echoed from the radio, making Nocen chuckle as he rubbed one of his eyes.

"You've always had a good memory." Nocen said softly, "I've missed you, Rose."

There was static once again on the other line, but before she could reply, our plane was hit again. A siren went off, making Nocen curse as he took hold of the yoke to keep the plane steady.

His other hand went to the controls before grinding his teeth. "Cybele, keep our ass covered, Love. One more solid hit and we're going down."

"What?" I shouted, gripping my chair as I felt all the blood leave my cheeks. "Oh my Fate! Nocen!"

"Get a grip, Kate. Sweet mercy, we still have time." Nocen jerked our plane to the right just as Tiffany shot out a gigantic fireball. It whizzed right past our left wing before sending another plane to the ground. "Tell the human canon to please mind the wings or else I won't mind her's if she shoots us out of the sky!"

The two remaining planes swarmed behind us, both Cybele and Nocen guiding their planes left and right to avoid more hits. Shooting stars and fireballs were flying back and forth as though we were in an asteroid field.

"Are we almost there?"

"The shield is right there." Nocen shouted, turning the plane to line us up right below Cybele. "Entering in in three, two..."

Our plane was thrown forward, the loudest explosion I'd ever heard ringing in my ears. I screamed as the dove lurched to the right, Nocen pulling back with all his might on the wheel.

"Mayday, mayday! Direct hit! Steering compromised! Going down!"

The plane began to spiral out of control, corkscrewing towards the ground as Nocen lost all ability to steady us again. We were only spinning quicker with each second as I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Kate!" Nocen was yelling, but I could hardly hear him or even see, the world spinning so fast that I couldn't comprehend anything. His hand shot out and snatched mine, and in the next second, the world bled away into a grey mass.

When the hurricane of silver came to an end, I was sprawled on the ground on my stomach, my head spinning as I coughed. Lifting my head, I took in the fallen leaves scattered around my head, tree trunks split in half as heat licked at my legs. I rolled over, catching sight of Nocen on the ground beside me.

The wreckage of the plane was nowhere to be seen but a trail of torn trees and the smell of smoke in the air alerted me that it wasn't too far off. Struggling onto my hands and knees, I shivered, my stomach in a knot. I'd nearly been in a plane crash and could have died. It was enough to make me dry heave.

"Get it all out." Nocen wiped the sweat from his forehead, "because we have even bigger problems."

I looked up, gazing through the wreckage of trees into the distance where the top of Secta's manor peeked out among the foliage. My heartbeat quickened; Finn and the others were over there. I had to see them.

"Shit, your head's bleeding." Nocen was on me like mother bird over her nest, trying to pat at my forehead.

I swatted him away, "it's fine. Come on, we're back! I can see him! And you finally can see her!"

"Now I'm going to be sick." He rested his forehead against one hand, sinking onto the ground.

"Wait, why?"

"It's been over 60 years... Kate..."

"And she loves you still just like you love her." I patted his arm. "Come on, let's walk up there."

"Secta's going to go for my throat when he sees me."

I snorted, "let's see him try. You're with me, and I'm not letting him touch you. You saved my life, Nocen."

Standing up, I took hold of Nocen's hand, which he accepted. He hoisted himself up on his own, giving my hand a squeeze before we began to walk up the broken earth trail towards the training field. Using both hands I brushed my wild hair from my face, taking in its new dark color. What had been the purpose of this?

Together we walked through the scattered trees, some sliced in two like toothpicks. Emerging over the hill, I saw Gabrian from where I stood on the training field.

Wings were everywhere as guardians flew in, standing at attention on top of the hill. They looked down on us with their weapons drawn, and I realized then how ridiculous we must have looked.

I was in a muddied and torn dress the color of a nectarine, my hair black as night with blood coating my forehead. To make matters better, the man beside me was a Haditian demon, one that Secta was practically giddy to kill.

"Look at all those eyes." Nocen whispered, "and they're all plotting every way to dismember me."

"I won't let them, and anyways if I can just talk some sense into Secta, you'll be home free."

"Kate!" Samaria yelled from on top of the hill, peaking out among the masses while waving a hand at me.

"Who the hell is that?" Nocen snorted.

"Raphael's girlfriend."

"Bullshit. She can't be fucking Eeyore, no goddamn way."

I felt energy pulse behind me, sending shivers up my spine as I turned to look over my shoulder. Nocen stiffened too, glancing at the woods and back to me.

"You feel them too, don't you?"

"Them?"

"The demons." Nocen snarled, cracking his knuckles. "Fucking Maven just had to drop a couple stowaways on my plane."

"How'd they get through the shield?"

"Anything in a dove gets in here." Nocen said, "why else do you think Felix stole one for a test run?"

Shouts, hisses, and snarls rang out into the air, making me draw in a breath. From the pulsing that shook my core, I knew that Maven had managed to get a lot of demons in.

"Ready for a fight?" Nocen asked me, eyes turning black as night while veins began to crawl across his cheeks.

I looked to him, my meraki running through my veins as I felt my eyes burn. "I can take them all."