Prologue

      I inhaled deeply as I stepped out of my home, adjusting my book bag on one shoulder. I unfurled my wings as I called goodbye to my mother, and launched into the air. I laughed as I flew past my friends, who called, "Wait up gal! You're leaving us behind!" I stopped, beating my wings slowly to stay aloft. They soon caught up to me, laughing.

"Gee," Markus joked, "With how bad you do in fighting class, you'd think you'd be less enthusiastic to get to school." Emma bonked him on the head. "Behave, Markus." she said as he rubbed his head.

I smiled inside, happy for them. Their parents made the choice, but they turned their betrothal into a love match. I had great hopes for them.

My thoughts were interrupted as as Destined drew up next to me. "You think to much." he said. I smiled at him. "Really now? How about we solve that then?" I laughed. His eyes lit up. Obviously, he knew what I had planned. We got perfectly even, then took off.

I loved racing with Destined for one reason; He was the only person in the school who could give me a real race. We could match each other wing beat for wing beat, taking turns pulling up ahead. It was a fifty-fifty chance of either of us winning, and we loved every second of it.

I pulled up slightly ahead of him, and he drew up next to me, and then went a little further. We exchanged a grin, and I moved down and forward, then up again, ending up directly in front of him.

Destined moved to the side and forward, but stayed further back. "Getting slow, Destined!" I called over my shoulder. He grinned, and caught up to me.

We continued like this until we reached the school, and touched down at the same time. I grinned at my friend. “Looks like you can keep up, after all.”

Destined laughed, and shook his head. “No, no, you've got it all wrong, Silver. It's you who can keep up with me.” Destined joked. “I'd argue with you more,” I sighed, “But it wont do me any good, so instead I'm taking the mature option. See? I'm totally being mature and not continuing the argument, see?”

Destined laughed. “Silly Silver, that's what you are. Silly!” He poked my nose.


Oh, if only I knew then what would happen in just a few hours. Would I have treasured my last few hours I had to share with my friends more? Or would I have just run home and hid? I'll never know now.


I laughed with my friends, leaving the school. I waved goodbye to my friends as they made their ways off to their teachers, then allowed myself a small moment of self pity. I was the only one in our group who had yet to discover my calling, and I was, obviously, bored.

Hm... I thought, looking over to the blacksmiths guild. Maybe THAT'S my calling. I started over there, and saw something in the shadows move. I turned towards it.

Mathiss launched himself at me from the shadows as I turned to face him. “Ah!” I cried as he grabbed me by the hair. He pulled me into the shadows after him, and I was blessed with unconsciousness.


When I awoke, I was in the same clothes I had been, and I was in the middle of a pit. I looked up, and saw Mathiss. He smiled at me.
“Well, then, Silver. You're not the one I intended to grab, and kidnapping other angels is a crime. Hm, what to do, what to do..” He laughed coldly, pacing back and forth above me.

In the amount of time it took me to blink, he had jumped down and had me pinned against the wall. “I think,” he said, looking at me with a particularity evil looking gleam in his eye, “That I shall use you as a stress reliever.”

I let out a little gasp of surprise as he pulled back his fist, then slammed it into my stomach with all his strength. My vision darkened, and I doubled over in pain. He didn't give me time to catch my breath before her picked me up by the neck and threw me across the room.

Mathiss stalked across the room, and kicked me in the ribs. I heard a crunching sound, and screamed as pain ran through my body. My vision darkened, and I fell into the depths of unconsciousness.

I've never been sure how long I was there, every waking moment spent being tortured. Either by him when he was there, or strapped in a contraption when he wasn't. There was no light there, except for a dim red glow around him.


I felt myself being lifted by the neck again, and blinked groggily. Was he torturing me again? He looked down on me with a smile that chilled my blood. “Awake now, I see.” he said. “Good. I want you awake for this.”

I wondered what he meant as he carried me. When we reached out destination, I soon got my answer. We were at the falling hole. As would have been expected, there was no one else here.

I twisted my head around to look at him, and got a glimpse of his cold eyes, and chilling smile as he threw me through the hole. His laughter chased me down, echoing cold and cruel in my head.