"Angels are real, Almira, I saw one!"

"Ida, don't be silly. You didn't really see an angel!" Almira said, looking into her sister's green eyes as they laid on their bed. She had wish her eyes were as pretty as hers, instead of the stale-blue that she was stuck with. Even in the dark she could still make out the green.

"I did too! He was outside the window."

People wanted cute, and her sister with her green eyes was the definition of cute. If it wasn't for her, they might've been adopted by now.

"What was he doing outside?"

"I don't know."

***

Almira opened her eyes. It was still dark out, as it would still be for a while longer yet. She swore she practically had night vision by now as she got out of bed, shaking off the sleepiness and wishing she could do the same from the memories of her past. They seemed to come from another life, in another universe.

"Hey, Almira, you were talking in your sleep again," Diana spoke as she laced up her boots.

"Sorry," Almira mumbled, only feeling slightly remorseful. Sleep was precious, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She had stopped worrying long ago. Fumbling around, she haphazardly put on her work clothes and boots, well aware of the frowns she was getting from the others who were already on their way out of their sleeping quarters.

"You might be the youngest here, Almira, but that will only get you so much sympathy," Diana said by the door. "But don't think that will protect you if you draw attention to us." She ducked her head, lowering her eyes to the ground as she walked out.

Almira stared at the empty cots in the room, blinked, and questioned what had happen to humanity, to hope. In the dark, it seemed to have fled from the world. Wiped away when everything had changed. Everyone had just given up; it could be seen in their hunched backs, forlorn eyes, and the way no one laughed anymore as if they were attending their own wakenings.

Most likely they were.

She headed out, lowering her head as she passed the sentry in place but refused to completely keep her eyes down. It was her small act of rebellion. As little good as it did, it made her feel better than to just give up. It was the least she could do for Ida.

Walking out of the city, she left behind the skeletons of buildings that now only stood as grave markers for the civilisation that once thrived and stepped into the outskirts where wildlife tried to disguise the wreckage that was left. It was as if Mother Nature was mocking them and rejoicing in their downfall as she made her come back.

What a sick joke, for one to thrive the other must fall. Glancing to the right, she passed a car that had a tree consuming it and shook her head. She never got to drive one, though her and Ida had plans of traveling all over when they were little. Even Ida would've been old enough to drive by now.

She wanted to kick the rusting, rotting car. To beat it until it crumbled beneath her. Just so she could feel in control of something, to gain power over her life. Instead, she kept walking, knowing if she was late it would result in punishment. That word made her cringe inside every time she thought of it, and it couldn't help but to bring back the memories...

"Almira, we don't have to be afraid anymore, and when we travel, we'll be okay." Ida whispered to her from her bed in the dark. They didn't dare speak any louder for fear of waking their foster parents. It was her fault that Almira got in trouble again.

"What do you mean, Ida?" Almira asked, trying to ignore the sting from having been whipped by the belt. She pulled the blanket up, wrapping it around her.

"We've got a Guardian Angel."

She heard Ida say in awe and could almost see the smile on her face. "Not this again, Ida." She didn't want to squish Ida's innocence and hope, but she couldn't have Ida with her heads up in the clouds all the time either. She wouldn't be getting hurt all the time trying to protect her if she could be tentative to the world they live in.

Only it turned out Ida was sorta' right. Angels did come to walk among humans. They rained down from the sky, and those among the religious thought they were saved. Little did they know that they were welcoming demons into their homes.

She wondered if thing would've gone different if people knew that angels were aliens from another planet, that they weren't so different from humans, and that God wasn't real. Would they've fought harder then to protect their homes from the invasion that would almost turn them into an extinct species?

The sun was rising, bringing her back to the present as she felt its heat bearing down on her, a scornful reminder of the time. If she didn't hurry she would be late for work, well slavery more like it.

Biting the bullet, she took off at a run, having hate running and hating them more for it.

"Almira, cutting it close," a stern voice spoke to her, but she couldn't put a face to it as they must keep their eyes down. She could only see the looming shadow the thing cast with its wings spread wide.

Knowing she had cut it close, she didn't respond, there was no need, and yet she didn't move on either. Almira would say she needed a pause to catch her breath and that was why she stayed put, but that was a lie. Running had become a part of her life.

"Do you have something to say?"

She felt the whoosh of wind as it folded its wings in, could feel the warning and challenge in the voice, and knew she should walk away but didn't.

"No..." It wasn't what she wanted to say, not really. She wanted to scream yes, to say she hated them, to wish them all back to the hell they came from. Almira wanted to say that she was done working for them, done being a slave, and done running.

"Darlirk, see to the human. I think it has become ill."

"You forgot its name," Almira said, almost glancing up. "And it is most certainly not ill!" She didn't want to be taken away. Most who were sent away for medical reasoning were never seen again, or seemed to have forgotten who they were. Though she didn't particularly want to continue working the fields and growing food for them to live on, either.

"Darlirk!"

"Hey!" Almira shouted before she could stop herself when she felt a hand on her arm. "Let go!" She tried to yank herself free but stop as soon as she saw his face.

"Move," he ordered, giving no hint of recognition of her.

She did as told, no longer resisting. She didn't think she would've seen him again. After all there was a lot of them, and they had scattered across the world forming their own sort of nations.

The silence was aggravating Almira as they walked to who knew where. It had to be part of their evil design on torturing those who they deemed unfit to slave away for them. And Darlirk just kept moving, back straight, like he was God himself, not even sparing her a glance as if he was in the right. He may be a different species, but no matter the breed men were men.

"I hate you," she mumbled.

"Wouldn't expect anything less," he responded, not missing a beat in his stride.

"You killed Ida." That wasn't technically true, though it was because of him that she was dead.

That must had hit a nail, because he instantly stopped walking as he pulled her to a stop, his wings spreading out behind him. "I didn't kill her," he stated very clearly, looking down into her eyes. "I don't kill the defenceless."

"Really?!" Almira pushed him away from her. "Your whole kind came down here and murder us off as one would ants!" She yelled. "We were all defenceless against your weaponry and diseases." She thought she saw a flash of sadness in his eyes but chose to ignore it. "She trusted you!"

Almira started walking again. It didn't matter if she would get in more trouble by walking away from him, she just couldn't stand to be around him.

"I regretted what happened," Darlirk said softly from beside her. "She shouldn't have come looking for me."

"Why were you at our window that night?" Almira had been wanting to know that answer for a long time. It had turned out to be the night they were invaded.

"I had been a scout," he admitted, pulling his wings back in. "I had been visiting your planet to send reports back, but one night I had seen you."

"Oh?" She questioned more to herself than anything else. She didn't know if she wanted to hear more.

"The way you stood up to that man, your eyes were so full of fire," he smirked, "Like they were when you speaking to the commander."

She hadn't seen any of them smile before, not that she could when they were forced to keep their eyes down, but it did make him appear almost handsome, not that she would ever confess to anyone. No matter what he said the Fallen Angels were the enemy, or so she had just retold herself.

"You didn't flinch once when that man strike you... Despite your size, you were very courageous."

She remembered that night, though she wished she didn't. It was scarred into her memory as it was on her back.

"Thanks..."

"After that I was intrigued and kept coming back." He shrugged as if that was that.

"I still hate you," she added after a while of walking in silence.

"You wouldn't be my Almira otherwise."

"I'm not your Almira anything."

"'Course not," he said casually, almost too casually for Almira's liking.

"Where are we going?" Almira asked, looking around the trees as they kept going deeper into the forest.

"Scared?" He answered her question with another question and she caught him looking at her. The way he stared at her left her unsettled, she didn't know what it was but didn't like it.

"No," she half-lied. The further they got, the further away from everyone they will be if she were to scream for help. Not that it would do much good.

"Don't worry, Spitfire, I don't hurt the helpless," he grinned.

"I'm not the helpless," Almira protested.

"Oh, I know."

She didn't say anymore after that last comment as they continued to hike through the woods while the sun started lowering in the sky. It was settling on the horizon by the time they came to a stop. There was flickers of firelight seen through the foliage along with muffled voices heard in the distance.

"Darlirk!" a man shouted as he came out of the shadows. "You brought us another one?"

Almira was stunned. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't a human talking to, what they refer to them, a fallen angel as if they were friends.

"I do, and she's a spitfire of a one too!" He smiled back.

"Come, there's food," the guy said as he nodded in the direction of the fires, and they headed that way.

Almira stayed quiet as she took it all in, glad for the food that was handed to her. It was warm. She couldn't remember that last time she ate a warm meal. Everyone was smiling as they chatted amongst themselves in front of makeshift homes as they ate. It was good to see and livened up her spirit as she shoved the meat into her mouth.

"Easy there, Spitfire," Darlirk whispered in her ear, his breath causing her to shiver, as he sat down beside her. "There's plenty more."

She tried to act casual, not like she had been watching among everyone. There was something about him, it might've been the way everyone praised and looked up to him, but it left herself warming up to the man.

"I'm fine with what I got," she answered curtly, scooting away from him.

"We aren't all the same."

"You help them invade us."

"I was doing a job."

"And that should be enough to absolve you?" She asked, staring into his eyes lit by the campfire and setting aside her plate.

"It's complicated, besides if I hadn't had the job I wouldn't be here helping those I can now." He held her gaze, unflinching under the accusations.

"Oh, great," Almira said sarcastically. "Let's all bow down and worship you!"

"I wouldn't have been able to save you that night!" he rushed out.

He seemed really angry, and she didn't care. All of that didn't make up for what had happened.

"You got Ida killed!" She shouted back. "I rather I had died than her!"

She was cut off when his lips were brought down on hers. She melted into the kiss, giving in and opening up to him. It felt good. She was mad, angry, upset, and god help herself, he was extremely handsome.

He broke the kiss to nuzzle her neck. "What happen to Ida was a tragic accident," he said between kisses. "Nothing could've been done."

She pushed him away. "You could've done something!" She stared at him, not letting their kiss make her feel ashamed of herself, even if he was the enemy. "You could've taken her away instead of me."

"You know I couldn't, Spitfire." He took her hand in his, caressing his thumb over the top. "But I can now. We've been gathering those who oppose the leaders into groups like this one and been collecting weapons."

He kissed her again, and she let him, slightly in shock of how the events had turned out.

"Ida might be gone, but she'll get her revenge."