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Lance

"He didn't tell you anything?" I asked incredulously. Jeez, this poor dude. His dad just dumped him up here with no money, no resources, no goal or idea what he was doing? That must be frustrating.

Keith frowned, "I'm sure he had his reasons," he said defensively, and I tipped my head to the side, not saying anything. "By the way, before, on the street- what did you mean by 'you choose what they see'?" He'd lowered his voice.

I leaned back in my chair, sipping my macchiato serenely. "Exactly that. If you don't want them to view an aspect of yourself, or your whole self entirely, you can cast it out of their sight," I dismissed. I'd retracted my wings for now- they're heavy- but I could push them back out any time I needed them.

Keith swirled his plain black coffee with a wooden stirrer, thinking over this. I glanced outside. It was late- the Starbucks we sat in would be closing in 15 minutes and the rain was showing no signs of letting up. What to do, what to do...

Draining my coffee, I stood, pulling on my jacket. Keith looked up at me, unamused as always. I had a strong feeling that he strongly disliked me, but that wasn't my problem. My problem was that he was a devil roaming around the Midworld and he couldn't be left unsupervised.

"Come with me, I know a place you can stay tonight."

Keith glared dully at me. "I don't need your help," he said defiantly, reminding me of an insolent toddler.

"Yes, you do," I countered, "Because this place is closing, you're in the middle of a city you don't even know the name of, and you've never been to the Midworld before. So yes, little devil. You need my help."

He huffed angrily, "Don't call me little."

"I'm taller than you. Now up, let's go."

The reluctance in Keith's steps was mocking as he slugged towards the door, looking out at the rain with an unamused expression. I turned back to the barista, waved goodbye, and then pushed Keith outside. He mumbled something angrily at me, but I ignored him, shifting our appearances to invisibility as we stood on the open street.

My wings sprang from my shoulders and I shook them out, frowning as I felt my halo circle my head. Ugh, it was so cliché. Keith wasn't looking at me when I scooped him up in my arms, taking a running start to launch us into the sky. He immediately started squirming.

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He shouted, shoving at my face.

I glowered at him and snapped, "We may be invisible but I cannot make us mute, so please shut your quiznak before I drop you."

I could see him about to tell me that I was saying the swear wrong, but he looked down and froze when he saw how high we already were. He immediately looped his arms around my neck. That shut him up.

Flying wasn't easy in the first place. It took strain on my wings, especially in the windy rain, not to mention the devil I held in my arms, one forearm under the back of his knees, the other supporting his back. I pushed my wings down hard as we flew up through the street of the city, weaving through buildings until we were high enough to soar above them. The rain had us both soaked again in a matter of minutes.

Once we were high enough up, I looked down at Keith, making sure he hadn't passed out or anything. His eyes were pinched shut and I was surprised to see two small horns on his forehead, matte black. I felt something slide around my arm and I nearly shrieked, but then realized it was a tail. Keith's tail, to be specific. The same color as his horns and ending in a delicate spade which lay flush against my bicep.

I chuckled softly. "Afraid of heights, o great devil?" I teased.

Keith opened one eye to look at me, "Something the matter, Halohead?" He retorted angrily. His muscles were taught.

I laughed again, but held the devil closer to my chest, feeling just a little bit bad for him. I flew higher, squinting through the rain, and eventually, we made our way out of the city and drifted into the suburbs. I knew this city (I knew every city) by heart, and I knew just where an abandoned barn was that was still in great condition. It would serve as Keith's shelter for tonight. It was the best I could do.

On a hill just off the highway, I angled my wings down to land. Because of the added weight, we landed hard, my legs feeling like jelly as I stumbled to catch our fall. Heaving for breath, I slowed to a walk.

Keith immediately jumped away from me, tail thrashing in the wet grass. His eyes were angry, but he didn't say anything as we trudged up to the barn. Hauling the double-doors open, we stepped inside. It was warm and dark and the sound of the rain falling on the roof was comforting. Keith looked around. "Quite a hovel you've got picked out," Keith grunted. I rolled my eyes.

It was two stories, the first with empty stalls on three of its sides, likely used for horses in the past, and the second was a wide hay loft accessible by a ladder that leaned against its platforms.

"Be grateful," I replied simply, leading him up the ramp to the hayloft. It smelled sweet and dusty and I pulled a few wool blankets from a shelf on the wall, handing them to Keith gingerly. "I have to go to the Upperworld to let Missus know about you and the situation. I'll probably be back tomorrow morning, but... they might send another angel instead."

Keith scoffed, "One of you is enough," he grumbled, settling into the hay.

I bit my lip. "Goodnight, Keith."

...

My wings dragged through the clouds heavily as I walked towards the palace. There were no guards, no sentries. We didn't need them- only angels could get up here. Unlike Mister, who only had three sons, the devils (including Keith) and then about 2 dozen of his personal advisors and guards, the Blade of Marmora, Missus had hundreds of kids.

It was complicated why she needed so many angels to look over things, but it had to do with the fact that the dead didn't need to be monitored as much as the living did. I pushed open the front gate, stepping from clouds onto very realistic grass. A few angels wondered around the yard, playing with each other or watering the flowers or reading books.

Today, the palace was a large farmhouse with a wrap-around porch. I spotted my mother sitting on a rocking chair on the porch, a purring cat lounging in her lap. It seemed like she and Mister both had the habit of changing their surroundings constantly (I'd heard rumors that Mister changed his throne every day like Mother changed her house).

She was examining a floating bubble in front of her that displayed a scene of people. I hoped it was something pleasant and not one of those terrible crimes that she sometimes watched, trying to decide whether or not to interfere. I cleared my throat quietly, and Mother looked up.

Her appearance was kind, to say the least. She could appear as anything but preferred a simple human woman. She said it made her feel more connected to society. Her face was impossibly beautiful, so much so that it was hard to look at her sometimes, so I focused on her hair for a moment. It was long and dark brown, set in large, wave-like curls that always stayed perfectly fresh and bouncy.

"Hello, Lance," she said happily. I leaned forward and kissed her smooth cheek, smiling. You couldn't help but smile around her.

"Hi, Mom. I just got back."

"How's Keith?" She asked, stroking the white cat on her lap gently.

"He's..." I hesitated, "He's resentful."

"Oh," Mother looked genuinely troubled, "I'm sorry to hear that, although it is understandable. Where is he now?"

"A barn in New Hampshire," I answered, then added, "hopefully sleeping."

Mother nodded. Her eyes were dark blue. "What are his plans?"

"He doesn't have any. Mister just sent him up here to explore, I think. Keith didn't talk much about him."

"Just like the Twins..." Mother mused. She straightened, "Well, they had angel guides too. Matt and Adam, I believe."

My thoughts turned to my brothers and I couldn't help but smile, "I remember that." Matt and Adam were two brothers that I was close with, although they were much older than I was. I remembered watching them with the Twins down in the Midworld, laughing and talking and getting along perfectly.

They'd been the first to break the anger between the Upper- and Underworld. I wondered if Keith and I could ever have a friendship like that. With the way he was acting, not likely.

Mother gently placed the cat down on the ground and stood as it scampered off. She walked forward and pushed my hair out of my face. I felt my energy return to my wings as she momentarily fussed with my hair, then sighed, smiling.

"I can already tell he's a trouble-maker," she said fondly. I smiled at her half-heartedly.

Flicking her hair off her shoulder, Mother turned away, lacing her fingers together. "He needs a mentor, a guide, Lance," she commented vaguely. I didn't want to assume anything. "Are you up for the job, my dear?" There it was.

I nodded seriously.

"Good," she whispered, eyes sparkling, "Now go. I'm sure he won't sleep for long."

Saluting, I recited, "Amore Vobiscum."

"Amore Vobiscum," Mother replied, then walked down the lawn to attend other matters.