Lucas - - -

Her aura hit me the second we pulled up to the Cullens. It was strong and smelled of wine, and my heart was already straining to keep beating and I was probably about a hundred feet away. I sighed, getting off the motorcycle and turned my attention to Bastion, "Hey, be careful, she's here," I mumbled under my breath, pulling off my glasses and pocketing them, along with my keys.

Then I found Bastion's hand and pulled him up to the door step, knocking on the door before entering. That's when her aura hit me. Full force, the smell of wine, Aro, everything from Volterra, all of it. I growled under my breath and stared at the wall for a few moments, counting the seconds it took until she realized I was here and her assault on me started. It took three. I felt like my heart was slowly being torn apart, but, it soon died down as Bella ran up to me, going right past me and to Bastion, wrapping her arms around his neck, nearly tripping on the way. The next female to appear just happened to be my worst nightmare.

Her hair was braided into micro braids and her eyes were dark red. Her nails, two inches long, no surprise, with spider webs decorating each. At the base of her neck where she had been bitten was a spider tattoo with a web and a gem was embedded there, too. She walked up to me, placing a finger under my chin and then on my shoulder, claws digging into my skin as she turned me around. When we did like each other, I had a matching tattoo on the small of my back, but now, it was made into something better, nothing, just a faint marking of what it had been.

She could see it, though.

"Get off of me, Mab," I growled, turning to stare at her but she moved her claws to my neck and dug them in.

"Who's this guy?" she asked, leaning against me, her head inches from my ear. "A friend of yours, Lucas?"

"None of your business," I mumbled quietly, regretting it instantly when the pain shot through my chest again. Damn the woman. "Why don't you be good, little sister, he's taken." She backed down and pulled me out of the way, walking towards Bastion and Bella. Instincts kicked in and I forced them down as I followed her. Like I said, B, be careful.

Bastion's POV

I glared towards Mab; her looks no where near intimidating to me. The way she had treated Lucas already got me pissed off. The one person you should be worried about is Bella, I'll be just fine. I looked towards Bella who had wrapped her arms around my own, looking towards Mab in fear.

"Bella, go back inside," I told her.

"But, Bastion," she argued, looking up at me pleading.

I diverted my attention towards her. "Please, Bella. Do not make me repeat myself. Get back inside and tell Edward and the others to stay there. Please, trust me."

Bella hesitated for a few moments, but soon gave in. "Be careful," she muttered before running back inside the house and locking the door. Within a few moments Edward entered my mind.

Bastion, what are you…?

Edward, I beg of you. Stay out of this.

Give me one good reason why I should, damn it!

I closed my eyes, Edward's raging anger clear and apparent. Remember what I told you? I started. That day when we finally admitted to being friends? Remember what I said as proof of you being able to trust me?

There was silence in my mind now. I couldn't feel Edward's anger anymore either. Thank you, I told him before focusing all my attention towards the woman in front of me. Lucas, if what you said about her is true, I suggest you get as far as you can from both of us. I had a feeling he wouldn't listen to me, but I had to try.

Lucas - - -

My tongue ran over my fangs as I pulled my jacket off and set it inside the doorway, closing it and shaking my head. Sorry, she's my sister. I know her better than anyone. I walked around her and towards Bastion, stopping beside him and looking him in the eyes. Trust me, please?

"Lucas!" She snapped. I could feel her eyes on my back and I turned, staring right back at her, eyes narrowing. At least she remembered my name. I was really worried about what was going on with Bastion and I turned my head to look at him.

Hey… what are you going to do?

"Lucas, Big Brother, you aren't siding with an Angel, are you?"

I laughed a little, "That's exactly what I'm doing," I mumbled under my breath, waiting still for his reply.

Bastion's POV

I sighed mentally. Okay, I'll trust you… I stated, giving in. Apparently there was no way I could stop him. I placed my palm over the top of my other hand, activating the seal. My wings appeared, unfolding behind me and shining in all their glory. My eyes turned into a deep blue, hair flowing against a non existent wind until it turned white, along with my skin. I wasn't going to hold back.

It's too complicated to explain to you now, I told him. I turned to look towards Mab, placing my left hand on my hip. But let's just say the word Angel wouldn't be enough to summarize just what may take place here… I turned back towards him, looking him directly in the eyes. Lucas, I started. Please… If I am ever to tell you to back away during this fight…do it… I don't want to hurt you… I realized that my voice had sounded cold, but if she were ever to unleash that within me...it would be very hard to restrain myself...

Lucas - - -

I stared at Bastion for a few moments, but nodded, reverting back to my panther form, much more comfortable in that form when I was fighting. But then again, I learned to fight first in this form. My ears flicked back as I nudged Bastion's leg gently before turning my attention to Mab.

Mab, however, looked like she normally did, except her eyes were narrowed to slits. She was dangerous, and she was probably already searching me for a weakness. She knew about Angel's, they were more powerful than she was, and she knew that there was nothing stopping Bastion from killing her on the spot. She had to get to him first. And that was something I wasn't going to let happen.

Bastion's POV

All supernatural beings had the ability to sense and estimate the amount of power from one another. It depended on the type of aura they emitted. From what I was sensing, this girl was no real threat. I decided to end it quick before it got too out of hand. I brought both of my palms in front of me. The space in front of my palms was beginning to form a bright, white light. When I thought I had a good amount I fired them as beams of light towards Mab. The light was so powerful it broke through the darkness like a star, shooting straight towards Lucas' sister.

"Goodbye!"

Lucas - - -

Mab instantly jumped out of the way, landing on top of the roof, staring down at Bastion for a few moments and before I knew it I felt pain in my chest again, and I still had my mind connected with Bastion. I growled under my breath and took a few steps back, shaking my head. This wasn't my fight now, this was theirs, but if he needed help I'd be here.

She smirked after a few moments, backing up a few inches before jumping down, running at Bastion, and from what I could tell, and felt, she was searching my mind again for anything useful.

Bastion's POV

I twitched from the pain. Apparently Lucas was in pain…and it was all Mab's doing. I growled, crouching down. If she was coming at me, then let her. I decided to use a new technique, covering my arms completely in light before running towards her. I tightened my right fist and thrusted it towards her. My arm appeared completely like a comet, the front being the brightest point while the behind appeared as the tail. I was aiming directly for her chest at a speed normally not used by me. Everything appeared to move at a slower rate with me moving this fast. I was becoming angry with what she was doing to Lucas. I hadn't noticed that the mind merge I had with Lucas made it apparent to him as well.

Mab- - -

I stared at him for what seemed like five minutes, probably only one second before moving to the left, dodging his arm and grabbing a hold of his left wing, digging my claws into it. My other arm went around his waist, my fangs inches from his throat. "So, you're Lucas' new boyfriend, aren't you?" I asked calmly. Lucas's mind was in perfect disarray, for once, and now, well, now, I had full range of what I wanted to do. I forced him back to his human form, forcing him to let his wings out. He knew I knew what being forced did to a Demon, or even an Angel. It would wear them out considerably, and sometimes, it would kill them.

Bastion's POV

I felt pain sear rip through my entire body, my mind trying to keep my angel form. I was gasping with pain, trying to fill myself with air, trying to lessen the pain, but it got worse. She found out that my wings were a wear point… I looked towards Lucas. I remembered what he told me, what a horrible person she was, how she made him feel pain… I couldn't be there for him; I couldn't save him from the pain… He had to live in darkness…like I have all this time…

I felt a sudden cold seize my heart. It's time… Lucas…get away… Now!! I screamed to him through the mind merge before severing the link. She had pushed me too far…much too far…

The air gradually became cooler and cooler, a chill wind blowing through the trees. The bleeding that had started from her attack suddenly halted and the blood that was lost froze in place. Everything became colder until breath became visible and still it became colder. I looked up towards her, my eyes an icy blue. My breath was still invisible…because the cold was originating from me.

"Succumb," I stated. My voice was piercing and painful. It cut through the ears like icy needles. The blood that was lost suddenly froze and disappeared, my wings now a snowy white, and it just continued to grow colder.

Lucas - - -

I tried to move, but I couldn't, something inside of me wouldn't make it. Blood was collecting somewhere in the back of my throat and seconds later I had to put out my hands to keep myself from falling, one on the ground, the other over my mouth. I couldn't stop coughing. My blood was cold, too, and my vision clouding. The next thing I saw was black.

Mab - - -

I stared at him with horror, then the smell of my brother's blood reach me, and I grinned. The fool was collapsed on the ground and there was a small pool of blood. Of course. Stupid fool. But, my main problem was the Angel. Even for me, it was cold.

"Just what are you?" I hissed out, but it turned to sound like a small squeak. For the first time since Lucifer and I were separated, I was scared.

Bastion's POV

Something inside of me clicked. I looked towards Lucas' direction, my eyes widening. Lucas was lying in a pool of blood… You couldn't protect him, were the words that came to my mind. You promised you'd be there for him, protect him from all pain… You couldn't do it… You've failed… You're a failure. I slowly turned my head back towards Mab, my eyes reflecting even more sadness and pain than before, but if Mab would stare into it, she would see her own suffering, not Bastion's. The temperature around them seemed to fall rapidly, the air practically turning blue from how cold it had become. There was a faint cracking sound. The arm that had attacked Bastion's wings was slowly forming ice, rendering the entire arm numb as ice crawled up Mab's arm.

"Do you enjoy slow deaths?" breathed Bastion. His voice seemed to split the very ice itself, making Mab as if she had just broken several fingers. Frostbite was slowly covering her body as ice formed everywhere, slowly consuming her. Bastion brought his hand to her neck, the feeling like a glacier strangling you. He placed his other hand's palm on her chest over her heart. The longer it remained there the slower it seemed to beat, ever pulse sending cold blood throughout her body.

"I am more than just an angel," answered Bastion. "But you are too weak to understand." Again the ice seemed to shatter sending sharp needles of pain throughout Mab's body again before reforming, crawling up her entire body. It wouldn't stop until her whole body was frozen.

Lucas - - -

I managed to open my eyes, staring at Bastion quietly, my hands shaking. He looked, he didn't even look like Bastion, it was cold, too, like, something Demonic. Again, Helena was running through my mind and that's when I realized why it was playing before. I was supposed to die.

And that's when I heard Mab's voice.

"Kill me and he'll die, too, Angel." She had snarled it. Amazing, even in her horrid state right now, she was able to act like Mab. The vampire was trying to get a mind merge with me, and something willed it away, most likely the cold.

"Or just get it over with and damn yourself for eternity." She closed her eyes against the pain and I felt her heart beat slow suddenly, almost to stopping point. My hands shook as I thought before I finally just allowed myself to collapse, listening to them. I couldn't fall unconscious, I wasn't going to. There was nothing that would make me, not now.

Bastion's POV

The ice stopped once Mab was covered in it, my frostic powers with it. As soon as she had died the cold stopped, leaving Mab in a crystal of ice that would never melt. The temperature around us gradually came back to normal, the frosty fog that had formed melting into normal water vapor. At least not if left alone. I rushed towards Lucas, holding him close to my chest and hugging him tightly, folding my wings over him protectively.

"Lucas!" I gasped. "Lucas! Please be okay! Don't die, don't die…!!" I held him closer until his own blood was on my clothing. I didn't care. Lucas would not die. He wouldn't.

"Lucas, please!! You can't give up, not now," I pleaded. I couldn't lose him. We had just started… Just agreed to live our lives together… Don't die, I spoke to him mentally. Please… I'm right here, don't die…

Lucas - - -

I stared at his chest for a few moments before sighing, resting my head against him. He smelled good, like, some scent I couldn't recognize. In my pocket my phone was ringing. It must have been about five, and I was probably late. Fidel was going to kill me the next time she saw me. "What happened to you?" I looked up at him, moving as much as I could, as slow as I could. "What are you? Bastion… that wasn't an Angel I saw, was it?" Some how I realized, the dry feeling in my throat, just happened to be my hunger, and Edward's scent was getting to me. Speaking of which, just where was he.

Bedroom window. He was staring down at us with worry clouding his eyes. And seconds later he was outside, kneeling down beside my Angel and me.

I closed my eyes, burying my face against his shoulder. "Bastion, what are you?"

Bastion's POV

I stroked his hair, running my fingers through it slowly, trying to calm the both of us. Having him this close to me felt good…felt right… I leaned down and kissed his forehead tenderly. I looked up at Edward, sadness still reflecting in my black eyes.

"Did the Cullens…?" I started. Edward nodded his head.

"They saw everything…and they want an explanation…I'm sorry, Bastion. They wanted to see what was happening," Edward explained. He seemed sorry enough. I shook my head and sighed.

"It's not your fault." I looked down at Lucas again. I wanted to tell him everything, but now wasn't the time…

"I'll explain it to you tomorrow, Lucas. With the rest of the Cullens, I swear…"

I brought him up higher, caressing his cheek with my head, nuzzling up against his neck.

"So Bella was telling the truth," Edward muttered. I looked up at him, half a smile on my face. That girl can never hold anything down for too long…