When I open my eyes in the morning, Rhys is still here. Gazing down at me, looking as peaceful as I have ever seen him. "Good morning." He mumbles, stroking my arm with tender fingertips.

"Didn't you sleep?" I ask, laying my head on his chest.

I feel him shake his head, "No. We fallen angels don't require sleep. Plus, watching you sleep is rest enough." My heart jumps at that and I tighten my hold on Rhys. He chuckles, "I heard that." I blush and burrow my face in his chest shyly. "I think it's time for me to go." Rhys whispers into my hair.

I shake my head, or as well as in my position, "No, not yet. Stay for a while."

"Your parents are going to be up in a while. They can't see me here." He says and I know he's right. I hate to say it, but I have to admit it. He has to go. I sit up in bed, sighing and pushing unruly strands of hair back.

Rhys sits up and then runs his hand through my hair, "I will see you tomorrow." I look at him, about to protest but Rhys cuts me off, "I want you to visit Avril. Find out what happened after we left. I don't like leaving you, either, but it has to be done. After yesterday, I don't think I'm Avril's favourite person."

"Okay." I nod even though I still don't want him to leave.

Rhsy takes one look at my expression and sighs, "Come on, Donna. We both need some time apart. Patch things up up with Avril, she's your best friend. We'll have to find a more discreet way of weaning her off of Elijah."

I nod, "I understand, I really do. I just want you with me. To give me confidence and help me."

Rhys tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and leans in, "You'll do perfectly without me." He pauses to let his lips linger on mine for a brisk moment and then he's gone. I sigh and throw myself backwards on the bed. Mom walks in, wearing her silky robe and her hair scraped back in a ponytail. She's carrying two hot mugs of something.

"I heard frustration." Mom says, "I got you some hot cocoa and me some herbal tea. Tell me what's up."

I take the steaming mug and sigh, "Nothing much. Avril has this new boyfriend who claimed he's Rhys' friend but I asked Rhys and he said that the guy was just someone he knew, not a friend. Also, that he was known to be a huge player. I'm worried for her."

"Well, have you talked to Avril about it?" Mom asks as she sips at her herbal tea.

"Yeah but she's falling so hard for him, she's not taking any notice. She thinks I'm lying. She refuses to believe it. What should I do?"

"Sweetheart, let her figure it out for herself." Mom suggests, "If it really seems like it's going nowhere, talk to her again, but be more subtle and more sensitive to her feelings."

"Thanks. So, how's work?" I ask, crossing my legs.

Mom shrugs, "It's good. I got a bikini shoot offer but I refused. It's one thing for your father, it's another for me." Mom takes another sip, "They wanted some sort of couple shoot and they said something about on-camera intimacy. That's when I put the phone down."

"Good for you." I nod, "Creeps. Imagine how cheap that kind of shoot would be. Intimacy, indeed!"

Mom laughs and shakes her head, "You really are precious! So, how is he? How's it going with the relationship?"

"Good." I nod, "It's good. We're happy together. I like him... a lot. We're getting closer."

Mom smiles and then grins, "Don't get too close, Donna!" She winks.

I shake my head, "What? Why would you say that, Mom? What is the point of that?"

"Point of what?" Dad sticks his head through the door. I look at Mom and then we both crack up laughing.

I stand uncertainly in front of Avril's door. After taking a deep breath, I knock on the door. Avril's mom answers the door. She looks just like Avril; just an older, more wrinkly version.

"Hi!" I say, trying my best to act natural.

Avril's mom -- Linda -- bursts into tears.

"Linda?" I cry and invite myself in. I put my arm around her, "What's wrong?"

"It's... It's Avril. She hasn't returned home since last night. I've called the police but they've said it hasn't been twenty fours yet, so they can't do anything about it." Fear slams into me like a brick wall and my mouth goes dry.

My heart hammers against my ribcage, "What?"

"I stayed up all night, watching out for her but she never came!! I knew there was something wrong about that boy!" Linda sobs.

Mother's intuition, my mind tells me.

I lead Linda over to a sofa and sit her down, "She didn't call all night? Nothing at all?" Linda shakes her head in response, her desperate sobs of worry shaking her whole body. "Linda..." I fumble for lost words. Linda takes my hands in hers and her tear-filled eyes meet mine, "Find my daughter. Please. You're my last hope, Donna. Find her and bring my daughter back to me. I can't live without her."

"Linda, I'll try my best. I need to go. I'm going to look for her." I assure her, "Linda, I want you to go to my house. Just go there and tell my mom. Say to her that don't worry about me if I don't come home for a couple of days. I'm looking for her."

"I knew I could count on you." Linda collapses in my arms, a heaving lump.

"Please, Linda." I say, wiping her tears, "I will find her. Go to my house. Mom and Dad are both there. They'll look after you." Linda wipes her eyes and nods. We get up and I take my cell out, leaving the house.

I dial Rhys' number and hold the phone to my ear, running in the direction of Starbucks.

"Hello?" Rhys' baritone voice answers.

I hold the sobs back and sniff, "Rhys? It's me."

"What's wrong?" There's urgency in his tone.

I stop at a corner to get my breath back and then say, "It's Avril. She's missing. Her mom said she hasn't come back since last night."

"What?!" Rhys exclaims.

"Meet me at Starbucks. We have to find her, Rhys. I can't let Elijah get away with this!!" I say, crossing the road and resuming my sprint.

"I'll meet you there." The line goes dead. I come to a halt as I see the crowds in front of the movie theatre. There must be a new showing.

I sigh and then run again, elbowing my way through the crowd, making people shriek and cuss after me. I ignore them, pressing my way forward. I burst out of the last few people and sprint around the corner where Starbucks looms. I open the door and look around uncertainly. I catch the eye of Rhys. He has a shadowed, lonely table in the corner. I manoeuvre my way to him and sit down.

He leans across the table, "How are you feeling?"

"My best friend is missing." I snap, "How do you think I'm feeling?!" Then I sigh, "I'm sorry. I just... I need to find her at all costs. He can't take her like this."

"I know." Rhys nods. He takes my hand and squeezes it supportively.

I put my head down on the table, "Why is it happening? Whenever we start to be happy, something or the other happens. You have no idea how much Avril's mom had broken down. I've never seen her like this, not even when her mother died. You don't understand, Rhys. I have to find her, no matter what happens and what it comes to."

Rhys sighs and then scoots around the booth to my side, putting his arm around my shoulders and holding me tight. "It's okay. I promise you we'll find her." Rhys whispers into my ear, "If Elijah took her, there's only one place he would hide her. Where is that place?"

I sit up straight, looking blankly at Rhys. Then realisation washes over my face, "Riré!"

"Yes." Rhys says, "Okay, come on. We have to get to the Tower. I'm going to show you the entrance so now you can come whenever you need to, not just in your sleep." I nod. We get up and exit Starbucks. I recognise the alleys we travel through. They're the ones I went through when Rhys told me not to follow him and then I met Elijah for the first time.

We get to the dead end. "Rhys." I squeeze his hand, "It's a dead end. Why are we here?" Rhys grins down at me and taps the bricks like he did the panelling in the Tower. I gawk as the brick wall opens up and lets us through. "What do you think?" Rhys looks down at me as we walk through the mist.

I shake my head, "I must still be experiencing techincal difficulties from the accident I had."

Rhys chuckles and then pushes the gates open. We walk through into the Tower and then through up to his bedroom. He nods to the bed. I clamber between the sheets obediently, my head resting in his lap. "Rhys... promise me one thing." I say after a content silence.

Rhys answers without hesitation, "Anything, Donna."

"Don't leave me." I plead, "Don't ever leave me, Rhys. I know I sound desperate, but..."

Rhys looks at me with an expression so pained, it's like I'm feeling it myself, "I will never leave you, Donna, I promise. And no, you don't sound desperate. You sound like a girl who is afraid of losing everyone she holds dear."

I nod silently, closing my eyes, "Thank you for understanding me, Rhys." I curl my fingers between his and then drift off...

"Donna. Donna, wake up. We're here."

My eyes open and I look around blearily as Rhys lowers me from his arms. We're standing in front of a huge stone palace that is studded with turrets and towers, windows, archways and balconies. The ground beneath me is solid but obscured by swathes of rolling mist at my ankles. It is beautiful. To think Rhys spent most of his angel life here. He would have fit right in with all of this beauty.

Rhys takes my hand and we walk up to the palace. As I reach for the gold door knob, there's a blood curdling scream coming from inside.

Avril's scream.