Monsters are definitely not what they used to be. They don't even know how to shut up anymore.

Grace sat cross-legged on the grass in her favorite part of the Garden, her back pressed against a thick tree trunk. The home of the Angels mimicked every environment existent on Earth - from lush jungles to snow-capped mountains and even deserts - but she enjoyed the more classic forest scenery. Not to mention that it was closest to the Sleeping Quarters, Training Hall, Cafeteria and the Gate.

She picked up a dandelion puff and blew into it. The white-winged seeds flew over the glittering surface of a pond. The woods ended with her tree, giving way to a flower-filled meadow. Stereotypical, yet safe and relaxing. But the usual effect was lost today. As hard as she tried to lose herself in the solace of her surroundings, Grace couldn't loosen up.

It felt like she was missing something - an important detail that would make all the difference. Her evening with Nate had only gotten better. They'd talked, laughed, danced and eaten. He hadn't entered mentor mode again. And, as an added bonus, when he dropped her off in front of her door, he'd kissed her again. The simple memory made her shiver with pleasure. Then why the unease?

"Hey, BFF!" Faith poked her head around the tree trunk.

Grace looked up at her. "Hey. Where'd you run off to this morning?"

"Well, unlike you, some people work in the daylight as well." Faith rounded the tree and sat next to Grace. "Sorry I had to leave so early. You never got to tell me about last night. How was it? Where'd he take you? What'd you do? What'd he say?"

"Whoa, slow down, chatterbox." Grace laughed. "It was great. He took me to Purgatory, we talked and danced, and he said I'm very special to him. Satisfied?"

Faith's eyes widened until they looked like gray disco-balls. "He took you to Purgatory? That's huge!"

"It is, isn't it?" Grace drummed her fingers on her chin and watched the leaves dancing in the breeze.

"Did you kiss?"

Grace snapped back to attention. "Um, yes."

"You should have said that instead of 'hello'!" Faith grabbed Grace's hands, pulled her up and started waltzing her around. "I'm so excited! How exciting that my best friend and I got our first kisses in the same evening. We'll both be leaving on the Journey. How great is this?"

"Wait, what?" Grace tried to stop her twirling friend, but Faith took no notice. She kept spinning like a dreidel, cheeks flushed, dreamy smile in place. "Fay, what are you talking about?"

Faith stopped, a huge grin on her face. "Azriel spoke to the Creator. We're leaving on the Journey. And when we return..." She clenched her fists in front of her chest and bounced on the tips of her toes. "We're getting married, Grace. Azriel and I are getting married!" She flung her arms around Grace's neck.

Grace hugged her back absently. Faith and Azriel had been hinting and flirting for years, so the Journey and kiss were the next natural steps. For them. As far as she and Nate were concerned... Azriel had done it right, while prim and proper Nate hadn't. That was how Angel relationships worked: friendship, flirting, confession, the kiss. And if the Creator thought the Angel couple could work, He would send them on the Journey - which usually ended with a proposal. The only thing was... the kiss and planning the Journey usually went together. Whereas Nate went from friendship to kiss and... Grace frowned. How come this hadn't struck her last night? Even if she knew he loved her, he'd never actually said it.

"So, when and where are you guys going?" Faith held her fists under her chin in an obvious effort to stand still.

"Oh, we're not leaving on the Journey."

Faith frowned. "But Nate kissed you."

"I know. To be honest, I kinda like it better like this." Even if Grace loved Nate, the Journey was a terrifying thought.

"Weird. But as long as your happy." Faith took in a big breath and chatted on, giving details on their destination, but Grace couldn't concentrate.

Sure, she'd missed this huge detail last night, but the realization that it didn't bother her and that something else actually nagged her sucked all the joy out of her.

Faith sighed. "I wish we could've gone on the Journey at the same time."

Grace shook her head and forced herself to focus. "Yeah, me, too." If said Journey took place much later. She and Nate had a lot of work to do. Like permanently shutting down mentor mode. "But maybe it's for the best. I always thought I'd get my sword before getting married."

Faith rolled her eyes. "You and your obsession with that sword. It takes hundreds of years to earn. So I wouldn't expect it any time soon if I were you. Nate's proposal on the other hand..." She planted a quick kiss on Grace's cheek. "I have to go. Some very pure souls need their guide to Heaven. Not all of us fight Demons." She winked and ran off, skipping over the green hills.

Grace watched her vanish behind the Gate. It was beyond her how Faith could deal with dying people every day and still be so bubbly. Grace wished she could be more like that instead of reading into everything.

⚔⚔⚔

Dark clouds blotted out the moon and stars. Like a strobe light, a flash of lightning illuminated everything for a second. The deep rumble of thunder followed.

Grace lowered her binoculars and sat on the roof of the dark office building. Since Azriel hadn't been assigned a new partner yet, he still hunted with her and Nate. Not that she minded, Azriel was nice and everything, but it unfortunately meant that she'd be assigned to different tasks. Like keeping lookout instead of hunting. And it was sooo boring. But she'd promised Nate she'd try to change her ways and renounce her human vices. This implied not spending as much time among humans - and that meant stalking instead of searching. One of them had to watch the other's back, make sure they wouldn't get caught unprepared.

She pressed her earpiece. "Did you find anything, yet?" She was in no mood to get soaked to the skin by the incoming rain.

"Grace, patience is a virtue," Nate replied, his tone cheerful. "We're close. I've seen some Negri hanging around your building. It's only a matter of time until we find their target."

She sighed and rested her forehead in her hand. Nate and Azriel surely followed every step of the human cohabitation procedures - the limited interaction, the care for their feelings, sparing a good word for each of them. She usually skipped most of that, roughed people up for information and did the tracking much faster.

Grace brought the binoculars back to her eyes and surveyed the foot of the building. Another flash of lightning made it seem like daytime momentarily. Nate was nowhere near. She couldn't even sense his aura.

Annoyed out of her mind, Grace tossed the binoculars aside and closed her eyes. What was the point? Nate was so old and powerful, she doubted anything could even touch him, let alone hurt him. Plus, he had Azriel with him. If there was something dangerous enough out there to bring two experienced Demon hunters down, she'd be of no help. Why did they have to split up anyway? They would do a much better job together.

A cold shiver running down her spine had the hairs on her arms standing on end. Something approached. Grace raised her face and frowned, trying to pick up on the unholy presence. Negri. She felt them coming closer, together with their Demon boss.

Body tingling with excitement, she wrapped her fingers around the handle of the lightgun. Two shadows appeared on the edge of the building and crawled across the roof, hissing low, like burning flesh. She pointed the barrel of the gun and shot two rapid fires. The shadows shrieked in agony as the light evaporated them into oblivion.

A third shadow, a much larger, denser one, appeared on the edge of the building. For a second it just stood there, staring. That's no Negru.

Grace holstered her gun and grabbed the hilt of the long, silver-blade dagger. The Demon inched tentatively toward her, his frame oddly hunched to the side, as if he was dragging a hurt limb. Lightning zigzagged across the sky. Thunder boomed.

Grace shuddered as the flashing white light revealed the creature. No Demon either. He was dark, like all of the Enemy's servants, but he couldn't pass for human like Demons could. His face was thin, sharp and feral, but what really got to her were the eyes. They were deep black holes without any whites. A too-sharp tongue darted in and out of his mouth. A Nexum - a human who couldn't uphold his deal with the Devil. As punishment, he would be nothing but a slave to other Demons for eternity. Or until she killed him and freed his soul.

The Nexum took another few steps toward her, head up as if sniffing the air. Grace tightened her hold on the dagger. This was the strangest thing she'd seen since Blackwing bled like a human. Nexi could hardly control themselves, let alone Negri. Why was this one different? He should have attacked her by now.

"Come, Angel," the Nexum said, his voice rough like sandpaper.

Come? Grace frowned. She'd never heard a Nexum talk. She hadn't even been sure they could until now. They were usually brainless and full of rage. "Come where?" Someone must have sent this guy to... to what?

Thunder rumbled so loud, it seemed to shake the world. The Nexum opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something else. His tongue darted out and in again. Grace held her breath, awaiting the answer. The Nexum's body tensed. A scowl followed and his face contorted with rage. He let out an ear-splitting shriek and charged.

Grace dodged and twirled on her heels to face her opponent. "So much for an answer," she mumbled.

The creature charged. Grace skidded out of the way again, tossing her dagger from one hand to the other, trying to decide what to do. She knew what she had to do, but killing him would mean she'd never find out who sent him.

The Nexum faltered for a moment as though his orders still battled his violent nature inside what was left of his brain. Grace's heart drummed in her chest. Come on, come on. Give me an answer.

He roared and lunged again, his thin fingers turning into talons as they cut through the air. Grace side-stepped his claws and drove the dagger into his back. Black blood squirted out. A human-like yell escaped the creature.

She yanked the dagger out, grabbed the creature by the neck and thrust him to the ground. The sound of cracking bones joined the screaming. Her fingers curled around the creature's throat, his coarse skin rubbing her palm. She locked her eyes on his. She'd made up her mind. She wanted answers.

The Nexum growled and twisted. Grace focused on the place where the creature's pupils were supposed to be, pushed her senses beyond her body and entered his mind, focusing on the part of the brains that controlled locomotion. The monster stopped squirming. His muscles relaxed in her grip and his jaw dropped open.

"Who sent you and why?" she asked between gritted teeth.

The Nexum looked at her, his tongue lolling from the corner of his too-large mouth. Grace loosened her hold on his mind enough to allow him to speak. He stayed silent. She jabbed the dagger in his shoulder.

Another yell broke through the night. She ignored it. Human sounds of pain were a defense mechanism for these wretched creatures, meant to appeal to the Angels' sensitive side. Those tricks didn't work on her. She'd seen what Demons and Nexi did to humans one too many times. They deserved no pity.

"I know you can speak now," she snarled.

The Nexum used the little freedom she provided him with to spit in her face. Grace fought the impulse to let go and wipe her cheek. She fully paralyzed him. If he wouldn't tell her why he wanted her, she'd find out on her own. She drilled her senses through his brain, focusing on his memories, trying to find who had ordered him to find her.

Everything turned hazy. Images bounced in and out of focus: fire, tar, smoke... yes, she was in the Pit with the Nexum. She saw Demons, hellhounds and hoards of Negri through his eyes. Heat seared her and the smell of cold sweat and sulfur assaulted her nostrils. And standing tall on his throne was the abnormally large shadow she knew was the Enemy.

Grace's stomach turned over. She couldn't look directly at him, only at the grotesque image he projected on the walls - horns, forked tongues and spider limbs. Snakes, fangs, chains and red eyes. Sweat trickled down her back. Even if she wasn't really there and knew the Enemy couldn't see her, fear crept inside her bones and froze her in place. Her heart drummed a march, about to explode. No! She loosened her hold on the Nexum's mind. Was the Enemy after her? Why? The images slowly faded as she extracted herself from the creature's subconscious.

Or maybe I'm after you. Blackwing's face popped in front of her eyes in sharp focus for a fraction of a second. She screamed in surprise and pulled out completely, releasing the Nexum. He shook his head, his mind still confused by her interference.

Grace scrambled back. Her heart pounded in an uneven rhythm and she panted as if she'd run a mile. Had she really seen Blackwing inside the Nexum's head, or was it just her mind playing tricks on her?

The creature got to his feet with erratic movements, as if trying to free himself from a net. Grace stood, too, wishing more than ever that she had a sword. The best she could do with the knife was injure the monster.

The Nexum roared and charged again, fists flailing in the air. Grace grabbed the blade by the tip and threw it at the incoming creature. He made no move to dodge. It sank in his throat. The creature gurgled as thick, black liquid oozed out of the wound. He took another few steps and landed face down at Grace's feet. He breathed in rasping fits and gurgling wheezes.

She stared down at him, disgusted. There was no way she could kill him, unless she cut his head off with the knife. She couldn't do that. It was too cruel, messy and would take forever. She pressed the earpiece to activate her communicator. "Nate, how far away are you? I need your sword." Her voice came out blunt and even.

"My sword?" He sounded worried. "Grace, what happened? What did you do?"

"Just get here, will you?" She switched off the communicator and stared at the thrashing Nexum without really seeing him. The human screams made her skin crawl, but there was no way she was pulling the knife out of his throat. He would attack her in an instant. Thank the heavens for the thunder and the height of the building which masked the noise.

A lightning bolt cut the sky, casting flickering shadows on the rooftop. Thunder momentarily drowned out the wailing creature at her feet. Grace stared at the skyline, trying to detach her mind from her body and see beyond her fear, her confusion, her disgust. She felt oddly empty inside, as if she'd done something horribly wrong. Angels were supposed to be objective, but she felt like crying. She didn't usually get sentimental over a kill, but this was more than that. Slaying things that yelled like humans couldn't be the sole purpose of her existence.

A low rustling sound distracted her. Nate and Azriel climbed over the edge of the building, swords in hand. They stopped short, staring from Grace to the Nexum. For a moment, Nate lowered his sword. Then, with firm steps, he approached the writhing creature. He raised the weapon, and in one swing, the inhuman head rolled off the body. Grace's knife clattered to the ground. Black blood pulsated out of the neck stump in the rhythm of the Nexum's last heartbeats.

Nate lowered his sword. Blood dripped down its length, toward the tip. "That was a Nexum."

"I know," Grace said, her tone just as flat as his.

"We found the Demon's targets. A couple of investment bankers deciding whether to commit fraud or not. Three Negri stood ready to make up their minds for them. And a Demon. We killed him." He prodded the body of the Nexum with the tip of his boot.

"He had Negri, too. Two of them."

Nate shook his head, his eyes still on the carcass. "Nexi are mindless. They can't control Negri."

"This one could. You told me Negri never travel out of control." Her breath became labored and her eyes stung. "He wanted me to go with him."

Nate turned to her, gray eyes wide. "He spoke?"

"Yes. He..." She swallowed the knot in her throat. "Is there any chance that the Enemy might want me?"

"What? Grace, that's nonsense. Of course not!" Nate shoved the sword in the sheath between his shoulder blades and pulled her into a hug. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I-I..." Oh, she'd never hear the end of this, but his answer was more important than the lecture she was about to receive. "I entered his thoughts to see who sent him after me."

Nate grasped her shoulders and pushed her at arm's length. "You did what?"

Oh boy, here it comes. Obviously, what she'd done was wrong. Her skin itched and she watched her right hand turning red. Nope, she still didn't care about the lecture.

"What's wrong with you? Do you know what can happen if you plunge into a Demon's mind?"

She sighed. "Yes, I know what happens, but this was a Nexum, not-"

"He could've pulled you in! Is that what you want? Your body left an empty shell while your soul is slowly killed off by the Demon's unholy nature?"

"No. I knew there was a risk, but-"

"We don't scout Demons. Ever! They can tell you're in there and trap you. How many times do I have to tell you this?"

"Actually, this is the first time I broke that rule. And can you get over it, already?" she snapped. "I'm more interested in who is after me and why."

Nate let her go and stepped back as though her rash would spread to him and eat him alive.

"Yeah, awesome boyfriend behavior, Nate." She knew she should be above sarcasm, that the guilt would pour in, but she didn't care. Not then. She threw a fleeting glance toward Azriel, but he'd wandered off to the edge of the roof, kicking at the ground. Well, at least she wasn't the only one who hated their current working arrangements.

Nate sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, fair point. But please, stop calling me Nate. I hate it. My name is Nathaniel. Can you do me this one favor, girlfriend?"

Fighting the impulse to roll her eyes, Grace nodded.

"I don't know who's after you and why." Nate ran his hand through his hair. "I honestly think this is all a misunderstanding. It's happening too suddenly and without a reason. I'll look into it." He glanced at Azriel too, but didn't mention taking him along. Nate probably wouldn't. Even if he practiced safe everything, he did have a bit of lone ranger in him.

"Wait, why do you have to look into it? Shouldn't we both be looking? This is about me, after all."

"Yes, but I might have to use some skills and relations that are beyond you."

Great. Why did he always have to make her feel insignificant? "Fine. As long as we do something about it. I'm sick of weird-acting Demons. First Blackwing, now-" Something clicked inside her head. The little thing that had nagged her all morning and was driven out of her head by the date with Nate. Blackwing.

"I agree. We'll get to the bottom of this." He took her hand gently and pulled her into his arms. "I promise I'll never let anything bad happen to you."

His warmth entered her veins and calmed her down. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. "You said you'd tell me about Blackwing."

"Oh, Grace," he murmured in her ear, sending goosebumps all over her skin. "Do you really want to let that Demon ruin our moment?"

Her body clenched in protest, but she urged it to relax. She felt safe and loved in Nate's arms. Even if he was bossy and a bit of a snob, he loved her. Though he'd never told her, she knew. There was no other reason he would always protect her, try to do what's best for her. Why he would hold her this way and whisper in her ear. If they were to investigate the matter of strange Demon behavior, she would find out everything about Blackwing. Patience was a virtue.

And for it, she was rewarded with a quick kiss before they joined Azriel and flew back to the Garden.