The world outside was flooded with sunshine when Rigel led Astrid and Orion out of his parents' cottage and towards the town.

Vega was more of a village, Astrid decided as they reached the first unpaved lane, after they walked across the vast meadow on whose very edge Rigel's home sat, huddled to the small copse. All the houses that Astrid could see were similar to Rigel's-- small, white cottages, built much farther apart than those which Astrid had seen in Starling, or in the other towns they had passed through on their way here. The air around them was redolent of the multitude of wildflowers growing around the cottages in unkempt lawns and something else that Astrid had never smelled before and could not name, a fascinating, complex scent...

"It's the sea, Astrid," Rigel said, and Astrid turned to him, finding him observing her with a smile. "We're not far from the coast, a few hours' ride, no more."

Astrid felt excited about the proximity of the sea; she had only seen it in pictures in geography books and imagined it from descriptions in her novels. She wanted to ask Rigel if they would reach the shore tomorrow, but Orion, who had been silent since they left the house, spoke before she could open her mouth.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at a man appearing on the lane far in front of them, riding... an object...

Astrid knew what it was. She had read about it, but she couldn't recall its name. She looked curiously at Rigel, expecting his answer like Orion.

"Bicycle, my lord," Rigel said. "Some people make them from wood; others manage to scavenge parts of old bicycles made of metal and put them back together. Not everyone can afford a horse, and bicycles help those who can't move faster. See, many families live off fishing, and reaching the shore on foot takes too long..."

Astrid tuned out the men's chatter about industry and technology, her attention distracted by the beauty of the world around her. Flowers swayed in the gentle breeze, birds fluttered in the sun-lit sky above their heads and, when she turned around, back towards Rigel's house, she could see the burned tree far in the copse, hit by lightning the previous day. It was incredible how fast the weather had changed; there was no sign of yesterday's downpour... or the angels she heard whispering... Where were they now... where was... he?

That's why you are here; to find out, she reminded herself of her mission. She still didn't know how she would approach the angels about the treaty once she found them. But maybe she would meet him again, and he might help her, she mused, forcing herself to focus on her surroundings.

Vega did not seem to have many inhabitants, but its scores of white cottages were spread out wide, scattered randomly, and it took Astrid and her two companions a good while to reach its centre-- a tiny square dominated by a ruined church turned into the only Vega's inn-- and continue into the other part of the village, where they finally stopped in front of one of the very last dwellings.

"Here we are..." Rigel said, letting his voice trail into a sort of insecurity that surprised Astrid.

"Is this where your friend lives?" she asked, observing him as he took a deep breath and knocked.

"Father's friend," Rigel explained, knocking again even as the door opened.

Orion pulled Astrid closer to his side, his arm coming around her waist protectively at the sight of the tall, imposing man who appeared in the doorway.

Astrid gasped-- she was certain that the dark-clad, blond man was a fallen angel, and judging by Orion's behaviour, he had come to a similar conclusion.

"Are you..." Astrid stuttered, "...one of them?" The words were out before her mind caught up, making the stranger raise his eyebrows at her.

"And you are? What do you want?" he demanded, cold and unwelcoming.

"Jophiel," Rigel said, attracting the man's attention to himself.

"Rigel! You've grown up, why, you are a man now." The dark-clad man chuckled. "Regulus said that you left, that your mother sent you to Starling..."

"That's true, I'm only visiting." Rigel smiled. "Jophiel, I'd like you to talk to my friends."

"Who are they?" Jophiel asked, his eyes leaving Rigel's face to glare at Orion, who still observed him suspiciously.

After a few interminable moments filled with perfect silence, when the world around them seemed to come to a standstill, Astrid pulled at Orion's sleeve, making him glance at her, breaking his and the man's eye contact. Shivers ran up her spine, she had a feeling that this man, angel, whatever Jophiel was, could read their thoughts.

"Let me introduce you Lady Astrid and Lord Orion, Jophiel," Rigel said. "They need your help."

Jophiel nodded, staring into Astrid's eyes now, and she found herself unable to look away from his ice-blue irises; they were profound and mysterious, ancient and wise... She was aware that he was reading her thoughts, all of them, even those she didn't want to share with anyone, making her feel exposed and unprotected; she could feel blush flooding her cheeks and yet she couldn't stop him, nor look away.

Finally, Jophiel smiled, and seemingly satisfied by what he had seen, released her from his grasp and returned to look at Orion.

"Come in," he finally said, frowning, as if he would rather make Orion wait outside. "How can I help you, Princess?"

Astrid followed Rigel inside a room very similar to his parents' sitting room, and sat at a table placed by a small window next to him, opposite Orion, her eyes struggling to adapt to the semi-darkness after the bright sunshine reigning outside.

Jophiel pulled a chair towards them, sitting down at the head of the table from where he could see all three of his guests easily, his eyes trained on Astrid, expecting her answer.

"I..." Astrid started, cleared her voice, and started again-- Jophiel was making her feel nervous. "I'm looking for the fallen angels to improve the ancient treaty. The Black Nights must stop."

Jophiel nodded seriously, but his eyes were mocking when he spoke. "And you expect that the fallen angels, forced to hide because they are not welcome in your kingdom, will listen to you? What will you offer to them, how do you propose to improve our situation? This," he added, waving his arms around in a gesture encompassing the room, "is not the sort of life many of us choose, living in your world shunned by society, pursued by the nobles, looked upon as if we were criminals, all for refusing to take part in those Black Nights which offer us the only possibility to get our wings back, and return to Heaven?"

Astrid opened her mouth and closed it again. Thoughts were churning in her mind like storm clouds; she tried to grasp what he had just said, but it was too much. She didn't understand, she needed time to think. Jophiel's eyes never left her face as she collected her thoughts and finally spoke.

"I'll make it possible for them to live in Eurovea comfortably should they want to, I don't want them to hide, and feel unwelcome," she said, then stopped again, thinking. It didn't feel enough, what else could she offer...?

Jophiel sighed, shaking his head, but his eyes seemed to melt a little, and a faint smile played on his lips as he said, "You are an open book, Princess, so easy to read, your heart is incredibly pure... As you already know," he continued, giving Rigel a stern look, "the fallen angels are hiding at Land's End. However, reaching them at the bottom of the pit won't be easy, and making them consider changing the treaty will be even more difficult. They don't trust Regent Arcturus. If you still want to try, Rigel will take you there. The way you are considering to take to reach the promontory is the best, boy," he addressed Rigel without looking at him again, standing up. "Good luck, Princess."

He walked towards the door, and his three guests scrambled to their feet, surprised by the suddenness with which the interview was over.

Jophiel just opened the door for them when a female voice reached them from an adjoining room.

"Let me see the girl, Jophiel. Only the girl."

The man took Astrid by the arm, steering her towards the invisible source of the voice even as Orion opened his mouth to protest, and Rigel walked outside, pulling Orion with him before he could speak.

"We will wait for you here, Astrid," Rigel said.

She nodded, unable to speak, and, frowning in confusion, let Jophiel lead her into a small, windowless room, illuminated by a lively fire. A middle-aged, blonde woman sat there in an armchair placed close to the flames, her bright, unblinking eyes trained on Astrid as she approached.

Astrid gasped. Half of the woman's face was burned, the flesh of her left cheek devoured by a fire a long time ago, reduced to bone covered with a thin layer of scarred, purple skin. The disturbing, milky eyes looking towards Astrid were blind.

"Stella," Jophiel said in a voice so gentle that it did not seem to belong to him.

He knelt on the floor next to the woman, taking her hand in his even as she, without opening her mouth, spoke within Astrid's mind through images, making her head spin.

Astrid didn't know how long she stood there, looking at the witch, when Jophiel leapt to his feet and led her outside, to the men waiting for her.

"Don't forget what she told you, Princess. Good luck," he said, looking at all of them in turn, before he closed the door.

"Thank you both!" Astrid called after him, a second too late.

"What did she tell you? And who is she?" Orion asked as they walked down the lane holding hands, next to Rigel.

"I... don't know..." Astrid said truthfully, the images still swirling in her mind without much sense or reason, even as they started to fade. "So, we go to Land's End, Rigel."

Rigel smiled at her, nodding, but didn't say anything, making Astrid wonder if something had passed between him and Orion while she was kept inside.

It was a long walk back to the cottage, with all of them absorbed in their own thoughts. Astrid could perceive a change in Orion but she couldn't quite put a finger on what was different about him, it felt as if that strange coldness she could feel about him since the witch trial suddenly intensified, his mysterious, dark determination grew. She sighed, she didn't understand anything anymore.

Rigel's home was empty when they got back; both of his parents were out. After a quick refreshment, Rigel returned to planning their journey, Orion walked out to tend to the horses, and Astrid made a beeline for Regulus's library, sitting down in an armchair with his copy of Wuthering Heights on her lap.

Astrid helped Andromeda to prepare dinner when the woman returned, then left the others soon after the meal with the excuse of having to pack. She needed to be alone, to organise her thoughts, and recall the images the witch had made her see. She was just getting ready for bed, hoping that sleep would help to clear her mind when someone knocked on the door of her room.

"May I come in?" Orion's voice stopped her frantic search for a suitable piece of clothing to wrap over her nightshirt.

"Of course," she said.

She smiled at him as he entered and closed the door behind him, waiting for him where she stood, next to her bed, to cross the tiny bedroom. He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her as he laid her on the bed.

There was an unusual urgency and... persuasion in the way he kissed and caressed her tonight, making her skin tingle and burn under his touch, making her hope that the moment would never stop... until she recalled the coldness she had felt around him before.

"Orion," she forced herself to whisper, breath faltering, "please, wait... You came to talk to me. What's wrong?"

It took him a while to compose himself, but finally, he pulled away from her, and they sat on the bed next to each other.

The light of the small oil lamp flickered in his eyes, lending them its reddish hue, as he said, "We are not going to the Land's End, Astrid. We are going home tomorrow."

"What?" Astrid gasped. He couldn't be serious, now that they finally knew where to go, where to find the angels...

"We did what we were supposed to do. We found out where the angels are hiding. Now we go back, get finally married, and crowned. Your uncle will deal with them." He waved his hand in the air in a dismissive gesture, as if he didn't care at all what her uncle would do with the angels.

"What?" Astrid called, surprise, confusion and incredulity clouding her reason. "What about the treaty? This is my trial, I must talk to them!"

"Please, tell me that you didn't believe that it was true? Arcturus only sent you to find out where they are hiding because people living out here, people who actually know some of the angels, don't trust his guards. He was hoping that they would trust you more because you look like one of them. You did well, Astrid, we can go home now."

He wrapped his arms around her, his lips searching for hers again, but this time, Astrid pushed him away.

"No. You go home, Orion. I'll go to the pit with Rigel. I'll make the new treaty, a fair treaty from which both sides will profit equally."

Orion stood up slowly, looking down at her in the semi-darkness.

"You are such a dreamer, Astrid," he announced, running a hand through his black hair nervously. "As you wish. We will continue on our journey to Land's End," he added after a long while.

Bestowing a swift kiss on her forehead, he walked out of the room, shutting the door between them.