A frightened gasp escaped Astrid's lips at the sight of the bottomless blackness opening in the ground so close behind her.

As she stared into the black hole, mesmerised by its fathomless depth, her eyes started to adjust to the darkness which it emanated, and she noticed how strangely unnatural it looked.

Even though on the surface the crack was long and irregular, an opening that could have easily been caused by an earthquake, only a few metres below it became perfectly circular and smooth, or rather conical-- Astrid perceived how the round walls of the pit seemed to be coming closer together, their perimeter diminishing farther from the opening. It was like looking inside a deep well or an inverted, hollow hill... Like the one above Starling, on top of which her castle stood, but here, instead of a road, a spiral staircase, crudely cut into rock walls was leading into the darkness, winding its way around and around...

"Lady?" Azrael's soft voice pulled her from her reverie when she remained silent for a long while. He gave her time to collect herself and meet his eyes before he pulled her to a safe distance from the pit, where the other men stood waiting for them.

The girl was scared, Azrael could feel her trembling in his arms. That's what he was hoping for, that the sight of the pit would frighten her, and make her change her mind. Oblivis wasn't a place for someone like her. But he understood that she would not return home, despite her fear, even before she realised that he was still holding her, too close for her demon's comfort-- Azrael could feel, with a strange satisfaction, that she didn't mind his closeness for herself-- and took a step away from him.

"So this is the pit. Lead the way, Azrael," Astrid said.

Her voice shook slightly, making Azrael want to scoop her in his arms and fly with her to a place where no one would find them... No. He would simply carry her back to her safe castle and leave her there, out of his sight and mind. She didn't belong in his life; she was a complication he couldn't afford...

"Lead the way, Azrael," Ramiel repeated seriously, but Azrael could hear his laughter in his mind, followed by a thought, Focus! The way is long and dangerous, we can't fly them all down, we will have to walk.

Azrael nodded to Astrid while he replied to his friend mentally, Don't worry about me. Just keep an eye on the demon. His men are safe, but I don't trust him.

Azrael saw Ramiel nod in reply as he stepped over the rim of the pit, his bare feet finding the first step easily, even as Astrid accepted his hand and followed him, the soles of her shoes slipping slightly on the smooth black rock.

"I always wondered how can you walk barefoot..." she muttered more to herself than to him, making him laugh as she slipped again, and he, anticipating it, caught her in his outstretched arms.

"Maybe we should stop talking and concentrate on our steps, Lady? We'll never reach Oblivis if I'll have to carry you all the way," he said, one eyebrow raised teasingly as he let go of her, keeping only one of her hands in his.

Astrid smiled, she was sure that carrying her to the bottom of this pit, or the end of the world, would not be a trouble for him, she could perceive powers she couldn't name within him, he was strong and self-confident.

"But I have too many questions!" she whispered when she looked over her shoulder and noticed that despite her clumsiness, they were much faster than the rest of their group, and a wide gap started to form behind them.

"All right. I answer one of your questions, and then you'll answer one of mine, and so on. How does that sound?"

"Perfectly unfair!" Astrid called in pretend indignation, barely suppressing a giggle. "You can already read my thoughts."

"And as I said before, you can stop me, Lady."

"How?" she asked, intrigued.

"Use your powers. Focus. Block me."

Did he know about her setting things on fire when she was angry? Did he know how she could perceive the moods and characters of most people? she mused.

He nodded in reply to her unspoken questions, smiling, as he steadied her when she slipped again.

"There's more than that within you. You just need to discover and learn to use your powers," he said.

"But how, why do I have them?"

"I answered your first question. It's your turn. Who were your parents? How are you related to Arcturus?"

"Queen Venus and King Sirius," Astrid muttered the line as if it was a knowledge learned from a book. She sighed, not even pronouncing those names stirred any feelings within her, apart from anger, anger at those who took her parents from her before she could know them, leaving her in the hands of her uncle. "My father, uncle's older brother, died before I was born, my mother a few months after. They were... killed by one of you..." she added in a whisper, gripping Azrael's hand tighter as her head spun with the thought that he was her enemy, but she couldn't make herself to feel like it... He felt so close...

"They were killed because they were demons. It's our right to kill those on the Black Nights. But the two couldn't have been your parents."

Not realising that they reached a short stretch of flat stone, a sort of a landing, and despite having stopped walking Azrael didn't let go of her hand, she muttered, her voice barely audible, "No, that's not true... What do you mean? Demons? And why do you kill...?"

"Later, Lady," he replied, looking beyond her, and she turned around to see the group approaching them. "Here is the cave, boy," he addressed Rigel, nodding towards the rock wall behind his back, where a cave Astrid hadn't noticed before opened. "Hide your balloon and everything else you want to leave here. Eat and rest. We won't stop again until nightfall."

Orion rushed towards Astrid as he reached the landing, pulling her from Azrael while the other men followed his orders.

"I'm... sorry, Astrid, I..."

"No, Orion. I don't think you really mean it. I don't want to listen to this. You took your choice, you chose my uncle over me," she said, letting him lead her towards the men who, after having carried to balloon into the cave, were preparing a simple refreshment.

She sat down with the men, accepting a piece of bread and cheese from Rigel who smiled at her encouragingly, before she turned back to Orion, who spoke again.

"Forgive me. I only want the best for you."

She let her eyes stroll towards the two fallen angels sitting at the other end of the landing, not like them huddled to the rock wall but at its very edge, their legs dangling in the void. They were not eating, nor talking like the rest of them, but Astrid was sure that they were communicating and reading everybody's thoughts at the same time...

I can't read your demon's thoughts as well as yours, the alien thought penetrated her mind, and she recognised it as Azrael's. She shook her head, frustrated by this most annoying talent of his, by his lack of decency and politeness, by the arrogance, and honesty and strength she could feel emanating from him, from his every move and touch...

Why, thank you, Lady, another unspoken line disturbed her train of thought, making her blush and want to hide. I'll learn to stop you doing this! She let Azrael read the thought before she spoke to Orion.

"I'm not sure that I can forgive you for this, Orion. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget."

Astrid wanted to tell him that she didn't think they should get married when they return home, that she needed time to think everything through, but there were too many prying ears, and minds surrounding them. She would tell him when they were alone.

"Very well," Orion hissed, looking away from her.

Once they finished eating and repacked their bags, Orion took Astrid's hand in his, leading her towards the two angels who had already reached the next flight of stairs.

"I need to talk to him. Let me go, Orion," she said, and he released her hand as if it had burnt him.

"They are enemies, Astrid. They've been murdering our people for centuries!"

"I feel like... it's our own fault, though... Our ancestors did not treat them fairly; my uncle pursues them, Orion. Think about the witch trials, and Jophiel's words..."

"No, Astrid, you're wrong. You mustn't listen to them."

"I've been listening to you and my uncle my entire life, and I'm tired of your lies and half-truths. I need to hear them out now."

She walked away from him, feeling that she had just crossed the point of no return. But she didn't care. Not too much, not until she started thinking of all those years that they had spent together, planning a future that suddenly flickered out of existence.

Only a few hot tears escaped her eyes as she reached Azrael, who was expecting her, his hand outstretched to accept hers, on top of the stairs.