"Darian," a soft, melodic voice whispered in my ear. "Darian, we need to move out, the humans are advancing."

Adrenaline pulsed through my heart. I got up as quickly as my body, still weak will drowsiness, allowed me to. My eyes scanned the small cave we had been using for our hideout. No one was there except for me and Emily.

"Where is everyone?" I asked panicked.

Emily's hand rested on my shoulder, using her natural calming essence to soak over me, helping me relax.

"They're outside, ready to take off when you're ready. Come on, we'd better get you dressed quickly." Emily stood up and walked over to my backpack filled with my material possessions. She rummaged through to the bottom and pulled out a slightly wrinkled, long sleeved black and white striped shirt and a pair of black flared jeans. "Put these on and get your stuff together quickly."

I hurried to put my clothes on, not bothering to put on deodorant. It's not like I'd sweat that much in Murmansk, Russia of all places. I gathered my few belongings in my backpack and slid on my fur lined boots and ran to the mouth of the cave where my coven sat on their haunches, wings out behind them.

"What's been happening?" I asked all of them, not really caring who I got the answer from, just as long as I got one.

Brittany swiveled her head so she could se me, lowering her ecru wings in the process. "Ange says the humans found us. We're scanning the ground around the mountain to see if they're really a threat."

I nodded. "Well, are they?"

Brittany began to shake her head, but then stopped, cocking it to one side.

"What is it?"

Brittany, having the best hearing of the entire group, listened carefully to the atmosphere. Her eyes refocused on me when she recognized the sound.

"They've snuck up on us," she breathed, barely audible.

"What?" I said, not sure what to think. Humans may be cunning and stealthy in their own right, but they're not discrete enough to get past angel senses undetected. But they just had, hadn't they?

"Get down, hide somewhere!" She whispered.

"What?" I sputtered, still unable to believe that humans could sneak up behind us. The others began running down the mountain in different directions. "Where-"

"Get down!" Brittany screeched, pointing at the sky behind us.

My head snapped as I spun around to see what she was pointing at.

A new silent helicopter. It's blades were nearly silent except for the low thwips as they completed their fast revolutions. But that wasn't the only problem. The helicopter was filled with humans... who carried guns.

"How..." I breathed. "How?"

The pilot of the silent copter leered devilishly in my direction. He pressed a button on the copter's dashboard. An external sound system projected his voice at me.

"Angels don't exist in this world anymore, little one," he said in a heavily Russian accented voice. "You are of a dying breed, your kind is being wiped out. You don't belong on this earth. But you won't have to worry about that much longer."

Several big Russian men piled out of the helicopter from seven feet and rolled to reduce the blow of the impact. They made a circle around me, pointing the laser markers on their guns at lethal points along my body. Bad mistake.

I looked around to find an easy escape. I reached for the zippers on my back that would allow my wings to extend out of my jacket. The huge men cocked their guns and grinned evilly. The Russian pilot's smile grew.

"You thought you could just fly out of here, little girl?" he cackled. "You cannot escape."

I had a split second idea. I didn't let my face show that I was planning. I sunk to my knees, playing defeat.

"Fine. Kill me. That's all you're going to do anyway."

The Russian laughed again. "Little girl, you do crack me up. We're not here to kill you, just yet that is."

My thoughts stopped. My eyes traveled up to the Russian's. His evil grin set me on edge.

"And why not kill me? That's all you humans seem to be capable of. Well that and having your heads up your asses." My survival tactic, also my stalling tactic: act like an ass and talk like a bitch to get them to spill the beans.

He tisked. "My pretty little thing. Did you think that we'd let a precious thing like you become lost to science? Your brain capacity and function is far faster than any human. It would be a shame to let such an experiment slip through my fingers."

Okay, idea time. I just hoped that I didn't get killed.

"Sorry, bub. I don't do kinky stuff with men twice my age." That ought to set him on edge.

The pilot looked stunned. His face turned pink and I could have sworn his day old beard was prickling with embarrassment. He landed the helicopter and slid out the door. He trudged his way across the steep slope to where I stood primly. He stood straight in front of me, looking me up and down.

"Such a supple body, wasted on the likes of your kind."

I was almost flattered by this compliment, if it were not for what he and his men planned to do to me once they captured me.

"Well thanks. I'll take that into consideration. But you're not looking as hot."

The Russian fumed. His hand raised to slap me for my 'insolence.' According to plan.

The Russian's hand came down, almost meeting my skin. I caught his hand and pulled it behind him, hearing a loud crack, then a pop as his arm came out of his socket. I pulled out my knife from my boot and held it to the Russian's throat.

"Not so tough now that you're in front of the bullets, not are you?"

The Russian squirmed in pain, trying desperately to get free. "Unhand me, demon! I'll have your head for this!"

I tightened my grip on his arm, causing him to cry out. "Okay, first off, it's angel. And second, it's not very nice to to talk to a girl like that." I walked around in a small circle so that everyone could see I had their boss. "Now, everyone. As you can see, I have your boss, and I'm pretty sure that if you go back to the big boss without this guy here, that you're going to be in a world of hurt."

The soldiers watched carefully, trying to find a way not to hurt their commanding officer.

I managed an evil grin of my own. "Now, you two," I pointed at the two soldiers at the lowest point of the outcropping where we stood, "Move aside,or Bubba here gets to see God."

They obeyed and parted like the red sea. I walked slowly incase any of the soldiers had any bright ideas, which wasn't likely. I finally got to the edge of the circle and turned around to face the Russians. I took a few steps backward so that they could not shoot me from behind. Then I stopped.

"Tell whoever you work for," I muttered menacingly in the Russian pilot's ear, "angels never die out. We were created to protect you scum bags, and what do we get in return? We get shot like dogs. Think of what it would be like if you were exiled by your friends, by the world. Think of what it would be like if your mother were killed trying to protect you. Think of your wife dying in your arms before she's stolen away, never to be seen by anyone again."

I threw him into the snow at our feet and ran down the mountain. I needed to get far enough away to get a clear takeoff without the chance of my wings being clipped-- permanently.

I ran for what seemed like an hour. The white snow was blinding in the midnight sun of the arctic circle. I stopped and sat on a rock, catching my breath.

And then I heard it.

The sound of footsteps behind me, clomping in the wet snow. I looked frantically to see who my follower was.

A soldier. But how could he run for that long? Angels had more efficient lungs than humans, the only reason I was able to run so long. But how was he able to keep up with me?

I surged to my feet, ready to run another five miles if I needed to. The soldier stopped, his black uniform and helmet gleaming in the bright light. He raised his hands in the universal 'whoa, hey, calm down' motion. I didn't care how he approached or tried to reassure me, if he got within five feet of me, his personals would be getting acquainted with my boot.

"What do you people want with me and my family?" I interrogated him, probably already knowing the answer: to kill us, why else?

The soldier stood where he was on the slope. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he said in a very non-Russian accent. He was an American. "I've been following you since Portugal."

I was a little freaked out by this. "Okay, so you know how to stalk a girl. Well done."

And then the soldier laughed. He laughed. He didn't raise his gun at me and pull the trigger or anything. He just laughed.

"Who are you?"

He finished up laughing and then straightened up again. "You really can't tell? I guess it's been a long time. What, two years since the revolts?" Okay, now I was freaking out.

I stepped back a couple of steps, not wanting to get close to this guy.

Again, he held up his hands, trying to stop me from running, which he couldn't. But this time his hands went to his helmet. He undid the chin strap and slid it off. Then he took off the sunglasses that helped keep the glare from the snow out of his eyes.

And there he stood. My heart jumped into my throat at the same time as my stomach tunneled to my butt. I didn't now what to think, I wasn't even sure if I remembered to breathe normally or at all. I just knew one thing for sure: He was there in front of me.

Adam was alive.

I ran across the snow and crashed into him, almost making him topple into the snow. We kissed or the first time in two years.

He kissed my forehead and pulled away slightly. He stared deeply into my eyes as did I. I couldn't believe he was alive. After all this time believing he was dead, it was a miracle he was here with me.

He embraced my face with his right hand. "Didi," he used my nickname he'd come up with those many years ago. "I've finally found you."

"The coven's alive, they'll want to see you. Come on, before the Russians get here. I'm pretty sure I can carry you--"

Adam put his hand over my mouth. This wasn't like him.

I stopped immediately. He kissed my forehead again and looked solemnly at the ground. "You know I love you, Didi, and I'm sorry that I put you through all that pain. I don't know how I can ever take that pain away or make the scar I left heal. I'm so sorry."

"You can apologize later, Adam. But right now we need to get away from Whiskey the Pilot and his evil minions." I grabbed Adam's hand and started hurrying towards the rock spire (the perfect takeoff point) behind us. But Adam didn't move from his spot.

"Adam, come on." I said urgently. "I won't loose you again."

"You won't," he promised, kissing me on the mouth (passionately, I might add). I knew what was happening. "I'll meet you there, on the spot." He put a note in my pocket and pulled away. "I won't loose you."

Tears ran over my eyelids as I saw him walk back to a little ditch underneath a small cliff on the path he followed me on. He laid down in the snow like he had fallen from the cliff. "And you won't loose me. Deal?"

Diddo, I thought to him.

He nodded in approval and then played unconscious in the snow.

I ran to the spire, using all my strength to not look behind me. But then a bullet whistled through the air next to my head.

"After her!" the Russian said.

I jumped onto the spire and stopped. I heard the soldiers stop behind me, obviously thinking they had a clear shot. I turned on my narrow, rocky pedestal to face them. I smirked at their arrogance.

"What, you think you've got me?" I said, trying to keep the tears from my eyes. "I'm an angel. I'm a force of nature. You can't stop me. I go with the wind."

And with that I turned around and extended my ivory wings, impressive as ever. With a couple of hard down strokes, I was flying over their awestruck faces like a bird over a city.