Somehow, while spending my day plotting and planning, I had forgotten the fact that I don't know where Ash lives. I mean, I know the general location but not the actual building. This minor oversight is probably the reason that I have passed the same half demolished building for the fourth time in an hour.

Plotting had kept me from losing my mind today. Marcus spent most of his time pretending not to follow me around in case I made a mad dash for the front door which, by the way, I had seriously considered this a few times. It wouldn't have worked out well for me. Marcus is half archangel, meaning he is wicked fast.

Kristoff tried to keep my occupied. And by keep me occupied I mean forced me to spend hours either learning more self defense tactics or reading any book he could find on demonology. While this might actually be useful in the future, it did nothing to settle the unease growing in the pit of my stomach.

Apparently getting me a new phone wasn't on anyone's list of 'to dos' for the day either. I had mentioned it probably close to a thousand times and each time was given the same response. Go ask Marcus. At that point I would have settled for asking Demi but she had decided to join her father back on his trip to wherever the hell they went to.

This meant that it had been two whole days since I had spoken to Ash. Not a word since he dropped me off that morning. Haven't been able to let him know what happened with Aryn. Hadn't been able to let him know to lay low. Hadn't been able to let him know I was okay so that he wasn't tempted to kick the door off the hinges and come looking for me.

Obviously that shouldn't have been a concern because it has been well over and hour since I made my trip into the city in search of him and he has not managed to find me. What should be a concern is the fact that, now that I have given up my search and decided to head towards the empty loading docks, I am having that strange feeling again. The one from the mall the first time I saw Ash. The same one I had on the streets right before I was attacked. Kinda of like when you are on a rollercoaster and it hits that first big drop. Your stomach twists and your adrenaline kicks it into high gear.

I keep walking, listening for footsteps. There are none. This does nothing to shake away the feeling. Whatever is following me is a pro at this. At stalking its prey. This gives me an advantage as I make my way into the empty field off to the side of the docks. It has no idea I know it is there. No idea I am leading it into an open area.

My hand slides into my jacket pocket, fingers grasping at the knife I put in there before sneaking out. I may be crazy enough to wander the streets while there are tons of demons gunning for my head but not crazy enough to do it without weapons. I have a gun tucked into my boot but going for it now would be too obviously.

"If you were thinking this was going to be an simple ambush," I announce, not even bothering to turn around. "Then you are seriously underestimating me."

A laugh comes from behind me and the feeling in the pit of my stomach instantly dissolves. For the moment I am glad he cannot see my face, he might take the smile on it the wrong way. That husky sound can only be coming from one person.

"You're right," Ash says from behind me. "I am underestimating you. I've been following you for twenty minutes now and I was sure you hadn't notice. Clever, brining me into an open field. Nowhere to hide."

Wiping the grin off my face I turn, barely catching the smirk on his. The one that fades the second he sees me. Ash is in front of me in the blink of an eye, his hands cupping my face as begins to turn my head to the left.

Another oversight to my plotting...the bruises and cuts from training. The ones I refused to let Marcus heal after each session. The ones Ash is so thoroughly examining right now. His finger brushes across my lip and I flinch.

"What happened to you?" he demands. I take a step back, the closeness of him starting to affect my thinking.

"It's nothing really," I reply. "Kristoff has spent the last two days upping the hours of sparring I do. He has become obsessed with my learning better self defense tactics."

"As much as I don't agree with the results, it worked. You senses seem to be sharper. You look like someone took a bat to your face. The half breed couldn't fix it?"

"I wouldn't let him," I admit. "I don't know. Something about the pain has made being locked up the last two days a bit easier."

He regards me with a strange look, taking my hand and placing it in his.

"Heal. Heal now," he demands.

I almost snap back at him. Almost let the slew of insults come flowing off my tongue, but I don't. Something stops me. Okay, not just something. The look stops me. The look in his eyes. The one that flickers across so quickly I am not even certain it was really there in the first place. Concern.

The pull is easier this time. Quicker now that I know where to find the source. The pain in my jaw I have grown accustomed to over the last two days fades away and I know I have fully healed.

"Happy now?" I ask. Ash smirks. I try not to let the buzz moving through my veins take hold but fail. I take a seat on the cool grass, watching as he joins me.

"Where have you been?" he asks quietly.

"On lockdown, kinda. Our plan isn't going to work as we thought. Aryn, Marcus's father, knows something is up. Not with me but with the whole demon thing. The increase in murders brought him down here. He knows they are looking for something. For someone. Just doesn't know what yet."

"Your point?"

"My point?" I ask in disbelief. "My point is this guy is THE guy in The Movement. He is the one you go to when you have a demon problem you can't solve. So when he tells everyone here not to do anything until he returns, they listen. And that is exactly what he did. Then, to make things worse, he has forbid anyone from killing a demon. We are supposed to bring them back for questioning. How long do you think it is going to take some lower level demon to crack under the false promise of being let go? Until one of them tells Aryn exactly who they are looking for? He might not have ever come out and said he believes the supposed rumors about my father but I don't think it is going to take much to convince him to try and kill me. He has already done it once."

The last comment seems to bother Ash and I see his hands ball into fist. See the tightness in his now clenched jaw.

"He did what?"

"It was years ago," I try and explain. "Demi tried to wake me up during a nightmare and I accidentally pulled from here. Almost killed her. Aryn was just trying to protect her."

"Or so he says," Ash argues.

"Look." I brush off his potential argument. "The simple fact is that our plan isn't going to work anymore. I can't just make up excuses to keep going out so I can train with you. Aryn will notice. Do you know what he would do to you if he found you?"

"Tell me how amazingly good looking I am?" Ash jokes.

"I'm serious!" I raise my voice. "I might not know exactly what kind of demon you are but I know its a powerful one. I could feel it before I pulled from you and, now that I have, I know you're twice as strong as you feel. Aryn will torture you for any information he can get. I wouldn't be able to stop him."

"You underestimate how powerful you truly are. You go on and on about how strong I am without realized you are thousands of times stronger. Don't argue with me either. It is in your genetics. You are probably the most powerful creature there is, next to Lucifer himself. And even that is up for debate. That is why he is so hell bent on having you killed. You could end up stronger than he ever was."

I sigh, laying myself back onto the grass. The stars above me stare back at me, demanding I make a choice. Any choice.

A/N: hey guys it's been awhile! Work has me swamped. Thanks for being so patient and for reading!! Don't forget to comment, follow, vote and show this chapter some love!