She was here.

I hoped for this moment to come. The moment where I would get to see that girl again. She was different now, more grown up, as humans tend to do, but I could tell her apart clearly. Even from this distance I saw her bright green eyes, full of life and curiosity staring up at me. She hadn't gone through the Change after all. I smiled at her knowing there was no way she could see it. Still, from her expression I knew she saw me. I didn't even spare a glance at the rest of her group as I stopped mid-flight and changed my course heading fast for the ground.

Finally. My brain felt like it was about to explode as I got closer. The need to be at her presence became overwhelming and my body pulsed with anticipation. The time had finally come. I was surprised at my own reaction. So interesting.

Her group had started running away but I reached them with no trouble. In one swift move I lowered myself in front of her, blocking their way, my feet just an inch away from the dessert ground. They all came to an abrupt stop. For the first time I saw the people surrounding her. Two of them were Gage's recruits or would be once he found them and then there was the boy. I wouldn't have given him a second glare if it wasn't for the golden sword hanging from his hand. An angel sword. No, not just an angel sword, but the only angel sword on human hands, the only real threat against us. I knew I had to take it back. I made to move toward the boy but she blocked my way.

"Go away, they are not yours," she said her voice steady. It was so interesting how a girl like her could stand against me with such a steady voice while millions of men had faltered and begged.

"We meet again," I said and smiled. I knew if my smile didn't scare her away she was as intriguing as I remembered her to be.

She didn't even blink. Interesting. My smile broadened, bearing my teeth at them. The other girl and the little kid took a step back but she didn't. Nor did the boy with the sword.

"I said go away!" she screamed at me her irritation obvious.

I decided to land at that moment. I wanted to get as close to her as possible. She was so interesting. "Or what?"

That's when her resolve faltered. She looked unsure for a moment. She flipped her head back to her friends locking eyes with the boy with the angel sword. They nodded after a few seconds of mute communication and then she turned to face me.

"Or we will kill..." her voice trailed off as she stared at something behind me her eyes widening in surprise. "Crap!" she exclaimed and I turned to look at what I could feel was closing in.

"Bar!" Three dark angels came to a stop a few feet in front of me, still hovering above the ground. "I thought I sensed you," one of them said. I struggled to remember his name, tilting my head to one side. It seemed impossible for me to tell them apart. Truth be told most angels were so boring I didn't even spare them a single stare. Humans were much more interesting.

"And you are?" I asked unable to remember the smallest information about any of them.

It seemed like my words made them angry but they kept their cool. Instead of introducing themselves they flew past me, closing slowly to the group of kids. "We are here for some fun," one of them said.

"Fun?" I asked confused. It was common knowledge that angels didn't know how to have fun. Had I missed something? Some big upgrade making angels more interesting.

"We will kill them," another angel stated and all four kids gasped.

Oh, that. Of course angels didn't know how to have fun. They were only after one thing, killing. And those two kids with bright white eyes staring back at them were the perfect target. "Okay," I said and shrugged. What did I care about a couple of human kids, especially since they were about to turn to the light side. If the situation had been reversed and Gabe was here faced with two black eyed kids I was pretty sure he would have given them a big speech about waiting for the Tenth year to be over, but Gabe was not here and the only one I didn't want dead was her.

"You heard Bar," the first angel said with a creepy smile on his face that was no match for mine, of course. He slowly pulled his pure black angel sword out as the four kids readied themselves for the hit. "Kill them all!" He pointed the sword toward them and the other two angels pulled theirs out ready to attack.

"Wait!" In an instant I was standing between the two sides, humans on my back. I wasn't sure I've ever moved so fast. I could feel my skin vibrating with excitement and something else I didn't recognize. "You can't kill them all. Those two haven't gone through the Change, yet," I said even though things like that never bothered me before. If I was being honest with myself I just didn't want her to die.

"They are just two more kids," one of the angels said.

"Besides, we are bored, the Tenth year will be over soon. And he has an angle sword," another added nodding towards the boy behind her.

I needed to think quickly. There was no real reason for me to stop them. I had been in their position more times than I could count. Killing bystanders was something that came naturally to me, yet I couldn't move. I planted my feet on the ground and drew my angel sword. "If you want to get them, you'll have to go through me." What the fuck is wrong with me? I thought, but still my weird behavior made perfect sense somehow. I simply couldn't help myself.

The angel who seemed to be in charge shook his head, making an annoying clicking sound with his tongue. "Don't do this, Bar," he said not looking at me. "We want them." Moving as one the other two angels came to my side and grabbed my hands. The angel in charge flew toward me with the hilt of his sword at the ready, aiming for my head. "And we'll get them!"

Before I could manage to get free from the grasp, one of the angels holding me fell to the ground and my sword hand was free to stab the angel coming toward me. I felt his armor shatter under my pressure, thick neon blue blood running down my blade. The remaining angel holding my other hand had no time to react before I smacked him with the hilt of my sword making him fall backwards.

He took one step away, readying himself for flight when I reached him piercing my dark blade through his back, reaching all the way to other side. I pulled the sword out in one swift move and turned to see the first angel fallen to the dirt with one wing chopped off. I stared at his struggling form on the ground confused and then my eyes turned to meet a golden angel sword a few inches away from my face.

"Stay away," the boy holding the sword said. His voice sounded steady but I could see his feet trembling.

"I saved you!" I didn't mean to sound offended but in all truth, I was. This brat thought he could threaten me after I killed two of my kind for them. Even thought, technically, I did it just for her. The rest of them were just lucky to be there.

"You saved us? Dude, you were a dead man...I mean a dead angel. You should be glad I chopped that angel's wing off when I did." The boy didn't seem so scared now. He seemed almost brave. Interesting. A huge smile spread on my face making his expression falter a bit. He is an interesting one, too.

"What is your name, boy?" It was the first time I was interested in someone's name, I realized then I didn't even know her name.

"My name?" The boy seemed confused. He opened his mouth a few times but no sound came out. Maybe not all humans had a name. Before he could make a sound I caught a movement behind him. As fast as lightning, I jumped over the boy who still held his sword pointing to the now empty space I was a second ago. I raised my sword and brought it down hard on the head of the third angel who had managed to get on his feet.

A high pitched screamed escaped someone's lips but I ignored it. I slowly cleaned the blade of my sword from the bright cyan blood and put it in its scabbard. I flipped my attention back to the humans. They were all staring at me. "As I already mentioned," I said with a small grin. "I. Saved. You."

They just stared at me, no sound coming from them. I was getting annoyed from all the silence, so I cleared my throat trying to come up with something to say.

"What do you want from us?" she cut my thinking process short.

What do I want? I wondered. A simple question that I struggled to find an answer for. I couldn't come up with anything that would satisfy both them and me, so instead I decided I needed more time. When did my thoughts toward humans become so confusing? "You are running away, right? From Gabe," I said instead of giving them an answer.

"Gabe?"

"The big, bad, white angel that wants to take your friends away," I explained.

She just stared at me and then her two friends with white eyes. It seemed like every time she turned to look at her friends, she would become more determined. It was really interesting to watch. I wondered how she did it.

"Yes. Can you help us?" she asked, bright green eyes locked on mine. She wasn't begging me for help. It was just a question. Could I? Could I really help them? And, more importantly, would I? I didn't even bother on should I. Since I already knew the answer to that.

I couldn't answer any of those questions so I simply nodded at her. "But I need something first," I said shaking my confusion away. "What is your name?"

She seemed surprised, but after the initial shock had passed a faint smile appeared. "Reegan." She nodded toward the boy with the angel sword. "This is Grayson. And these are Zoe and Tommy," she motioned toward the two white eyed kids behind her.

"I only wanted your name," I commented. I shrugged and then moved toward Grayson pointing at his sword. He seemed cautious. Clever boy. "You all need to touch the angel sword. If you do Gabe cannot find you for twenty four hours."

They all looked shocked. "What about after twenty four hours?" the girl named Zoe asked.

Stupid girl. "You touch the sword again. Is it really that hard?"

She seemed embarrassed and Reegan gave me an angry look.

I turned brushing a hand through my hair. "Besides, once you're fully turned you won't be able to hide from him, or any other white angel. We have a way of sensing our own kind," I explained. My words seemed to shake the little girl but I was more interested in Reegan's reaction. I watched her closely as she walked closer to Zoe and put an arm on her shoulder. She whispered something to her that I couldn't hear and Zoe looked up at her with clear eyes and a faint smile.

"Everyone, touch the sword," Reegan said in a clear voice and they all did, her being the last one. I didn't tell her there was no need for her to touch it since her presence was already masked, she must have touched it before.

"What do we do now?" Grayson asked me.

"We hide. Gabe may not be able to sense you but he is on his way here and he will surely see you," I told them and they nodded like good soldiers.

I guided them through the dessert toward the first hiding spot I had seen on my way here. As we walked I moved closer to Reegan dropping my voice low. "What did you say to that girl and made her smile?"

She looked up surprised. "That I will find a way to save her." She seemed more sure of her words than I knew she should be. There was no way to save her. There was no way to save any of them.