Illium sat on the rooftop of Archangel Tower, the most beautiful structure in New York City. His jet black hair dipped in sapphire whipped in the cool night breeze, his beautiful blue feathers edged with silver danced gently with the cool flow and his ancient eyes, young in the eyes of the immortals stared far into the dark blinking horizon of the Hudson.

Was it already this far gone? It felt like it was just yesterday when he had met his mortal lover. She was curious, lively yet gentle at the same time. His woman had a philosophy Illium cannot quite grasp. It was all so mortal. And the more mortal she was, the more she fascinated him. But that had made him slip to break the angelic law when he told her the secrets of angel kind and he had paid a terrible price.

His feathers. His beautiful feathers plucked. Removed. Mercilessly dethatched from him like he was poultry.

The sound of wings...

Of amateur flight...

"Bluebell?" A familiar female voice. Illium did not even turn around to look over his shoulder or be alerted. It was a voice he trusted. The voice of his sire's consort.

"Hello, Elena." Illium smiled and greeted, still not looking at her.

"What are you doing here?" Elene asked, her platinum blond hair, almost golden silver whipped in the air as well. "It's not like you to be so...quiet."

"You speak of me like I am a loudmouth." Illium chuckled. The sapphire winged angel patted the empty space beside him to signal for Elena to take a seat.

'Guard her.' Raphael said in Illium's mind. The feeling of waves and sea was a heavy presence within his mental walls. 'But know your limits.'
'Yes, my sire.' Was Illium's obedient telepathic reply.
'I will be back before midnight.'Then Raphael was gone.

"Raphael going on a night business trip, huh?" He grinned as Elena took a seat beside him, their legs dangling over the edge of the tower's high and deadly plunge. Below was a busy street where mortals and their vehicles buzzed with life.

"He's going to meet with the Cadre." Elena's mouth was a thin line. Illium knew that Elena despised it when her archangel lover is away, especially if he was going to meet with the Cadre wherein Michaela was present.

Illium nodded. "What brings you here?" he asked with a playful and challenging smile. "I thought you prefer to have a verbal wit battle with Dmitri." he made a teasing pouting face. "I'm so jealous, Ellie."

"Shut up or I'll gut you." Irritation was conspicuous in Elena's fine and feminine hunter features at the mention of the sensual yet irritable vampire, leader of Raphael's Seven, Dmitri.

Illium just laughed and looked at the waxing crescent in the sky.

"Reminiscing and a moon fetish, Bluebell?" Elena raised a perfectly arched brow at him. Her wings of midnight and dawn stretched a little bit then held back. "Who knew you had a thoughtful side to you."

"You insult me, Ellie." Illium made a mock sigh to appear offended while grinning at the same time. His slight British accent slipped in for a time making his words sound rich with chivalry. "I'm hurt."

Elena just rolled her eyes. Illium and Elena shared a sibling relationship, though it seem to piss Raphael from time to time when Illium gets a little too carried away.

"I just like the occasional quiet time, believe it or not." Illium said. "One where in I just stare at something dramatic like in those sappy drama movies with the cheesy music and think about my life blah blah..."

Elena laughed and was about to make a witty comeback of sympathy for Illium when a gust of strong wind blew down on them, carrying a scent Elena had never came upon on before. It was coming down fast... like it was falling from a deadly height.

Moon kissed lavender petals dancing in the wind.

"Elena?" Illium asked, his dark brow crunched up and his mouth a thin serious line. He prepared to materialize Lighting, his sword, in case there are unwanted intruders who may want to harm his sire's consort. Since it's an obvious fact that Elena is the chink on the armor of the Archangel of New York.

"Someone... is falling?" Elena's statement sounded more like a surprised question. "Whatever. We gotta find whoever that is before CNN reports a corpse with a smashed head on the Manhattan pavement tomorrow morning."

Illium was already on the move. With one graceful move, he went airborne by just pushing himself off the edge from his sitting position. Mere play of an angel child that Elena is not even able to do.

Elena stood up and jumped off flapping her wings with effort until she leveled with Illium's flight.

"Lead the way, Ellie." Illium drew Lightning, the beautiful sword that exhausted its deadliness gleamed under the light of the waxing moon.

Elena led the way, beating her wings in a hurried rhythm to get her to the source of the scent. The wind blew again and the smell of lavenders got stronger and Elena had hope that they were near. Then, something swooshed beside her, falling in a deathly speed and hurling towards the ground.

"Illium!" Elena cried. She can't catch up to whatever the hell that thing was since she hadn't mastered free-fall flying yet. But Illium, he can dodge a bullet, a knife or whatever. His speed was blue and silver lightning.

Illium sped towards the object and flew past it in an amazing speed. Flaring his wings to halt in mid air, he opened his arms to catch it. His gold eyes caught a glimpse of the falling form; rich chestnut brown tresses, blood, and a .45 pistol held by a broken hand.

It was a woman.

Illium caught her and she landed with a hard thump in his powerful arms.

"Bluebell!" Elena called from above since she was in a higher altitude.

"Hey, hey... wake up." Illium ignored Elena and tried to shake the woman to consciousness. The sight of blood, pale skin and blank inhuman eyes made him realize that this woman was a vampire. She however, did not answer him. Her eyes were open, but they were glazed with a blank stare. She was bloody and wounded, but she wasn't dead. It was hard to kill a vampire but this woman Illium had in his arms was young; physically looking, she was 23. In vampire terms, she seem to have been Made not long ago, probably 85 years of age. Not many young vampires survive, but she look...felt different.

"You didn't answer me, Bluebell." Elena was on the same level altitude as Illium now. She crossed her arms sternly but when she saw the woman, the Hunter can only gape. "Is she dead?"

Illium shook his head. His attention, strangely enough, did not leave the woman's face. His own face held a serious look in them which Elena knew, spelled something out of the ordinary. Illium's had a carefree personality, by this time he should already be joking around. But no. He kept staring at the woman.

"Illium." Elena said again. "We have to get her to Medica. Hey... Hey? Bluebell!"

That caught Illium's attention. "Oh yeah, right." he said, clearing his dry throat. "Medica. I've already contacted sire and Venom's on his way to meet us there. Let's go."

"That's so not you, Bluebell." Elena brought up as they flew quickly but in cold and awkward silence. "You're usually not this serious even with a broken vampire present. Is something wrong? Do you know her?"

Illium shook his head and glanced over his shoulder to look at Elena as they flew. His gold colored eyes had their spark back as he gave her a smile. "No. I just thought she was someone I used to know."

Illium looked at the injured woman in his arms, his face serious now that Elena couldn't see. This woman resembles someone Illium knew from the past, but it wasn't her. It can't be her. He watched her die with old age. He was sure she was dead.

"Larissa." He muttered. "It can't be. You died. You died with mortal age. I saw you pass away… I held you as you passed away." He shook his head slightly as the thoughts engulfed him. "It can't be you."

The vampire squirmed and twitched slightly. Good, the healing must be kicking in but it wasn't enough. She needed medical attention. Then as the moon peeked out from the clouds, a silver glint from the bloody folds of the woman's blouse collar caught Illium's eye. His blood froze, but his wings seem to develop a mind of their own in sheer reaction and they beat faster and he sped off.

"Illium, wait!" Elena called from behind and sped towards him. She's better in speed flying now, but not yet an expert. She would need it anyways for escaping and emergencies.

What Illium spied, was a silver locket hanging on a delicate silver chain around the vampire's neck. On the lid was a lifted crest of a crescent moon with a star in the middle and the edges of the pendant was decorated with fine hand carved ivy. An antique clearly a work of art and age.

Of course Illium knew that and how much it was worth.

Because he was the one who made it.

A/N: Hi there! I was bored in the library so I decided to surf FFN for any Guild Hunter stories. It was a shame that there was only one. SAD SAD SAD. No one knows this awesome book! So anyways, this is about Illium x My OC x Venom (cuz those guys are smexy. lol! and my fave characters.) i haven't written anything in years so my skills are kindda rusty. I hope I get more sparks of inspirations to continue this story that sprung up from boredom.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Guild Hunter Series. Nalini Sign does cuz she's amazing and I love her! ^^

Please R&R! 8D