A/N: Thanks for reading! Image here is my inspiration for Sakura's character. Beautiful, dark skin, freckles...and very calm and collected! 

Hope you enjoy, she has a bit more development here, and so do Iggy and Kirsten. Comment your thoughts...do you like those guys? Larissa x

I awoke the next morning with my head clearer than ever, just as the rays of dawn shot across the sky.

I shimmied into my black uniform, mentally thankful that not all Angels had tastes the way I used to. I imagined a spa house filled with frilly-clad workers, and suppressed a snort.

I was exhausted, but determined. In between working hours, I had to repair the weapons I’d brought, and start practising with my power. As I combed my hair, I ran through a mental list of the things I would need to fix the bow. But I stopped as I realised that my hair, which had been at my elbows as a human, was now past my hips. I frowned. I had lost track of the days; was it a week since I left Earth? Longer?

But not that long.

If I had still been with Fabian and Scarlett, perhaps I could have asked them whether it was a normal thing. But here, I was alone. I was simply a traveller named Mina.

Then I remembered the day I met Fabian, and his hair had been so long and beautiful. Then he’d lopped it off by the time I saw him next, only for it to have grown enough the next day to tie it at the nape of his neck.

It made me smile. He was still helping me.

I left my rooms, only to find the corridors empty. There was a slight rumble from the guest quarters, where the guests were beginning to awaken, but few sightings of the night workers from the previous evening. I crossed my arms; a chill was in the air as I stepped through the main doors and headed for the open sky.

I walked casually around the Bathhouse, and the morning light was still red. The clouds above seemed daringly close; much closer than from Earth, and the wind that blew was strong and fierce, casting away the summer and making my uniform curve around my body. Now, whenever the wind stirred, it was as if Fabian was there, and it made my throat feel hot.

I had left, and that was it.

I was thankfully distracted by a whirring sound; suspiciously like something being fired. I stepped away from the path, and made my way across the pebbled floor around the Bathhouse, until a lone figure came into view. She had dark skin and bleach blonde hair, standing tall and silhouetted against the sky like the beauty she was. Her muscles contorted amazingly as she drew each arrow and sent it flying. Fluffy white wings were folded neatly against her back.

Sakura, an early riser, stood at the edge of the water, firing arrow after arrow towards a lone island between the waves. On it, a makeshift target had been set up. I watched in awe as Sakura moved, firing arrows that she held in her right hand in succession.

The tall girl paused as she heard my crunching boots behind her. She lowered her bow and surveyed me.

‘Early riser?’ she said. ‘Or couldn’t sleep?’

‘Possibly both,’ I shrugged, ‘I wasn’t sure what time I needed to wake. And I had a list of things to do…’

Sakura looked at me curiously. ‘Like what?’

‘I need to train my power,’ I said, and Sakura’s eyes widened in understanding.

‘Yes, Morwena mentioned you needed help. Is that why you’ve come to me?’

‘It was an accident, actually. I had no idea you could shoot.’

Sakura looked sad. ‘When I was little, people said that tall girls like me, we’d be good in a fight; but I wasn’t. I was too timid. I was an excellent shooter, though. I wanted to join the King’s guard.’

‘What happened?’

‘The Red Solstice,’ she shrugged, ‘maybe even further back. But after the Red Solstice, we had no home, and I had to find work, not dreams.’

The Red Solstice again. I really want to ask what it was; but that would risk exposing that I’m not what I seem.

Instead, I tried to look sympathetic. It was difficult for me.

‘It seems like this Kingdom needs a turn around,’ I said, trying to sound supportive; it had the opposite effect. Sakura’s eyes washed over with something again; understanding mixed with something else.

She gripped my arm. ‘You’ve come to the right place,’ she whispered. ‘But be careful; you never know who’s listening.’

‘Right place—?’

‘Shh! We’ll talk later about it, I promise. It’s too dangerous here.’

And now I know what happens to rebels, I can imagine they don’t take kindly to conspirators.

Sakura glanced furtively around, and then changed topic.

‘So,’ she said, ‘shall we begin practising?’

‘Practise what?’

‘Your power, silly.’

‘Here? Now?’

‘When else is Morwena going to let us off from work?’

---

An hour later, wishing I could go back to bed, Sakura and I traipsed back to the kitchens where breakfast for the workers was well under way.

I sighed. The hour long practice had proven only that I could steal Sakura’s power when she used it on me; I felt the tug like I had the previous times. But I had no idea how to return it, nor use it.

Sakura had been encouraging. Her power, the Amplifier, could only be used to boost others’, and therefore, I couldn’t try out using it without another power to boost. Practice, she said, would be better with Iggy, Kirsten or Hattie.

Sakura, who had enigmatic energy levels after the long morning, picked up her food and sat gracefully next to Iggy, who was opposite Kirsten. I took the warm toasted bread with cooked eggs, and a mug of the strange green tea, and flopped next to Kirsten.

Kirsten’s hair was still sticking up at the back. She turned and looked at me with deadened eyes. I could have sworn she was sleepwalking like some of the children at the orphanage.

‘’ning,’ she yawned.

Iggy snorted, and he jovially grinned at me. ‘Morning, princess!’

I twitched at the term, but luckily Iggy just thought I was affected by his presence and looked pleased. He had gone back to chatting away to the half-asleep Kirsten, and I relaxed, settling down to chew my food, my stomach knawing.

‘Nuh-uh,’ Kirsten groggily set down her cup. ‘The sexiest District ruler is definitely Fabian, shame he’s a recluse—’

The conversation halted as I choked on my bread. I coughed, caught out by the conversation.

‘You okay?’ Sakura looked at me with concern, and I waved my hand, trying to signal that I was fine.

Kirsten looked back at Iggy, who was frowning.

‘The Water Queen is beautiful, though,’ he countered, and Kirsten scoffed.

‘As if you’ve ever seen her,’ she said, and Iggy’s eyebrows rose.

‘I am a shapeshifter, remember,’ he said, ‘there’s no harm in becoming a merman for a day or two to spy a beautiful lady.’

I began coughing again, having swallowed my food prematurely for the second time because of a bizarre conversation.

‘Mina, dear Angel, chew your food!’ Kirsten huffed, pressing my tea to my hands. ‘Don’t choke on the tea, it’s hot.’

I gratefully sipped at it. A smile had split Iggy’s face once more, and I tried hard not to scowl at him.

‘Anyway,’ Kirsten continued, and Sakura watched them, eating her own food demurely. ‘I disagree. Fabian’s power is so awesome. If I could just meet him once, you can bet I’d have him hooked.’

Iggy snorted. ‘Your pheromones aren’t that strong, love.’

‘I’ve got more chance with Fabian than you have with a mermaid.’

‘Fabian’s been taken by the ghost of a girl for a long time,’ Iggy teased, ‘what makes you think you have a chance?’

‘Please, my pheromones attract men when I’m not trying. Like, seriously, it’s a pain usually,’ Kirsten drawled, ‘but if I actually used them? Fabian would be star-struck.’

‘Pheromones?’ I piped in. A green envy had been creeping away up my body as Kirsten bragged.

Sakura smiled. ‘Kirsten has the power Iggy wishes he had. She can secrete pheromones to attract both males and females.’

Iggy mimicked Kirsten’s dull tone, ‘And I can’t control it, just everyone is attracted to me!’

He then had to defend himself from Kirsten’s sluggish punches, chuckling.

‘I…it’s not like that!’ Kirsten looked at me, and I saw she had flushed red. ‘I hate the stupid power. I don’t use it, I swear.’

‘Well….’ I said, my tone indicating I didn’t believe her, ‘Poor Fabian…to think, you’d use your power on him…’

‘I have a crush on him. I need all the help I can get!’ Kirsten blushed. ‘He’s my dream man.’

I looked blankly at her. ‘Why?’

Iggy rolled his eyes. ‘Kirsten is a huge romantic. She used to live in the Opal district. She’d watch Fabian when he came to see Lumina.’

We were that famous?

‘He was so courtly!’ Kirsten said, ‘All the men I seem to meet, they judge me by my breasts, but Fabian isn’t like them. He said hello to me in the street once.’

I couldn’t believe I was listening to a girl swoon over the man I’d just jumped off a balcony to get away from. Not for the first time, I wondered if I had been a little rash, but quickly dashed the thought.

‘Kirsten, you tell us way too much information.’ Sakura’s teasing was extremely gentle.

‘No I don’t.’

‘We know all about your boyfriends, how far you’ve gone with each and why you broke up with each one of them,’ Iggy said flatly.

Kirsten looked haughty.

‘I can’t help it if I’m reaching for the tree,’ she said, pulling her shoulders back pompously.

Iggy burst out into raucous laughter, spitting his tea across the floor. Even Sakura gave a ladylike snigger. Our table received a few dark glances from around us; the other staff seemed to be as tired as Kirsten was.

‘Excuse me?’ I said, confused, ‘What do you mean you’re reaching for the tree?’

Iggy snorted hearing the phrase once more. He was shaking his head, unable to contain his laughter.

‘I don’t know either,’ Sakura said, but Kirsten had gone extremely red and silent.

‘Stop laughing, Ignacio!’ Kirsten scolded, but Iggy was still rolling with laughter.

‘I’ve never heard something so weird,’ he finally calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye. ‘What metaphorical tree are you climbing?’

‘I said reaching,’ Kirsten glared. ‘I read this motivational book—’

‘— well done,’ Iggy interjected, unable to keep a straight face.

‘And that was the phrase it used, not me!’

‘Reaching for the tree,’ I repeated, causing Iggy to go into another fit of hysterics.

‘It means that instead of picking up the rotten apples on the ground, I’m reaching for the tree!’

We all paused, curious.

‘I used to run at relationships, desperate for affection,’ Kirsten said shyly. ‘I would pick up the easy apples by my feet. But now I’m waiting to reach upwards, to pick my apple from the tree.’

For a moment, the three of us were silent.

‘And Fabian is your apple,’ I said, my tone flat.

Iggy howled with laughter.

Kirsten ignored him for the rest of the day.

‘I can’t tell if anything is happening. Is something supposed to be happening?’

I could feel my own pulse thud in irritation at Iggy’s loud whisper.

For three hours, I had practised. I had been able to steal Hattie’s power, and felt triumphant; in theory, I now had both hers and Sakura’s. But the moment I stole Hattie’s, Sakura blinked.

‘My power came back,’ she said, amazed.

From there on, the morning went on a downhill roll.

I failed to use Hattie’s power on anyone. I held Iggy’s wrist for about twenty minutes before he complained that the only thing I’d done was make his arm go numb. Kirsten had little more patience, and she kept fidgeting. Sakura was the perfect tester; she sat with her arms outstretched, her legs tucked beneath her, hardly moving. And even then I didn’t manage to do anything, which only increased my irritation that distraction wasn’t the cause of my inability.

‘At least you’ve got the hang of Stealing,’ Kirsten shrugged. ‘Maybe that’s all you can do.’

‘No,’ I said, as calmly as I could manage, ‘I’ve used other Angels’ powers before.’

‘Why haven’t you trained this power sooner? You’re the slowest Angel I’ve ever met,’ Kirsten continued, disregarding my feelings.

‘I already explained,’ my voice was darkening, and only the attentive Sakura noticed, ‘I was forbidden to use it when I was young.’

The lie was barely plausible, but I hoped that they wouldn’t ask too many questions. Luckily, nobody seemed to ask any questions around here.

My anger had finally gotten through to them. Kirsten looked disgruntled, and Iggy uncomfortable.

I tried to calm myself down. That night, how had I controlled Fabian’s power? It had felt so natural.

Like being with its owner, a sly voice at the furthest reaches of my lobes fretted.

I bit my lip. I had been trying so hard; I had presumptively thought that if I wasn’t under time constraints, I would easily figure this gift out. But it wasn’t turning out to be so simple.

‘You’ll figure it out,’ Sakura said sympathetically, ‘it’s only the first day.’

But I don’t have a lot of time. Somewhere, Reia could be imprisoned, or tortured, or worse.

Instead of saying anything, I nodded. Luckily, at that moment, Morwena popped her head into the room we had chosen to occupy; Sakura’s, who kept her room in immaculate order. Iggy had warned us that his was not fit to see, whilst Kirsten hadn’t even volunteered her room.

‘Guests are starting to arrive,’ Morwena told us. ‘Sakura, could you give me a hand? Hattie’s had to run out on an errand.’

‘Yes ma’am,’ Sakura stepped up. ‘Good luck, Mina.’

Morwena eyed the dejected group. ‘No progress?’

I shook my head, and she shrugged. ‘Keep trying. It’ll come.’

The two of them left, and only Iggy, Kirsten and I remained.

‘Let’s try again,’ Iggy suggested, and I concentrated once more.

I knew I had Iggy’s power. He had said so. But I couldn’t sense it at all.

‘How do you feel when you use your power?’ I asked him after ten minutes of silence.

Iggy lounged backwards. ‘Like I’m getting changed,’ he said.

Kirsten snorted. She had broken her record of ignoring Iggy, only to laugh at him. I looked confused.

‘You know when you get new clothes?’ Iggy said lazily, ‘When you put them on, you feel like you transform. Like a different person wearing another skin.’

I frowned. That hadn’t helped at all. Iggy’s thinking was abstract.

We continued to try for around another half hour, until the noise of the Bathhouse rose and we knew we should get to work. Iggy did not look excited at the prospect of returning to the kitchen.

‘I can’t wait ’til I’m rich,’ he said sourly, opening Sakura’s door and leaning on it.

‘As if you’re ever going to be rich,’ Kirsten said, ‘you spend your money on food.’

‘That’s the whole point of being rich,’ said Iggy, ‘you’re still rich even when you spend money on unnecessary things.’

‘How are you going to be rich, Ignacio?’ Kirsten jibed. ‘You’re nowhere near opening your own restaurant.’

‘Not yet, but one day, I’m going to be out there, in the Upper Quarter of this damn district, making tons of money of those rich old f—’

We all paused as a loud slamming on the door ensued.

I was still inside Sakura’s room, but I could hear clearly that someone was hammering on the front door of the Bathhouse, determined to be let in.

There was a gentle swoosh of the main door, and Morwena’s voice could be heard greeting her guests.

‘Oh my,’ I heard her enunciate extremely clearly.

I almost wished that I didn't hear what she said next, but there was no blocking it out.

‘Lord Dale. This. Is. A. Surprise.’