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Raging Raven: Elfy, I like it. This chapter is especially for you and your suggestion.

Chapter 6

Morganna sat in her room, thinking. It was strange, being in the middle of a war, and yet being kept out of it at exactly the same moment. Lucian wanted to protect her from the vampires, or was it he wanted to keep her a secret? It made perfect sense to the angels. If Soren found out about her, well, it would mean a death. Whether it would be the angel's or the vampire's it was not clear. However, upon reflecting Morganna came to a decision.

"Mine, it would be mine," she muttered to the listening darkness.

Morganna had not been underground long, and yet time had ceased to have any meaning for her. She found herself longing for the sun. It had been the same before the war, when she was supposed to be a vampire. She found herself longing to live beneath the sunlight, to see fields of green grass, to smell fresh summer flowers. And see roses in full bloom. How Morganna loved roses, and yet they had the power to break her heart each and every time she saw one.

Flashback

A young girl with dark black hair and emerald green eyes tottered about on a warm summer's day. She was in a garden, dressed in a simple dress, running around barefoot. All around her flowers bloomed, filling the air with their unnaturally strong perfume. But to the girl it was a delight, she was an angel, and to her this was her heaven, here and now, this sun drenched day, with her in her favourite white dress, and her mother near her.

The girl's mother called to her, and handed her a basket, with a pair of sharp scissors. Now the girl carefully selected blooms of all colours, shapes sizes. But all of them were perfumed with the heaviness of summer. Finally the girl walked through an ivy covered archway, to a garden filled with roses, the angel's mother's favourite flowers. The girl wandered around, adding red roses mottled with pink, pink and white roses, peach and white roses, orange roses, and finally a single red rose.

As she placed the last rose in the basket her finger snagged on an unseen thorn, and a single drop of scarlet welled at the top of her finger. Tears welled in the girl's eyes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. But her mother appeared soon, and was there. Her mother wrapped a snowy white handkerchief around the cut, the white being stained by the scarlet. All the while her mother whispered soothing words to her, calling her brave angel and other endearments. But all that was a simple memory now.

End Flashback

In her memories that little girl never had a name. It had long ago been forgotten. As had her mother. Now all that existed was the memory of a shape, a voice. And the smell of roses. Always it had been roses, and always it would be roses. Morganna found herself longing for that rose garden, back in a time when everything had been simple. And there was her mother there, always with her, to care for her and cherish her.

Morganna felt a single tear fall from her eye and wind its way down her cheek. She had not dwelt on her past much over the past few hundred years. The world had changed at an incredible pace, and the angel finally realised what she felt. Tired and drained, she had had to change with the world, and it had exacted a price she was not sure she had been willing to pay. Now she was ready to slow down and yet the world pass her by.

She knew that was what she should be feeling, as an angel. She had watched her mother go through it, withdrawing more from the things she had loved. Passing through the gates with her god, with Morganna's god. Morganna had lived on, feeling the pull of life. Now she was feeling the pull of tiredness. She was young for an angel, and yet she felt as if her life had run. Perhaps the feeling would pass, as it had before.

Perhaps it would not. The angel felt the chill presence of death near her; she had felt it ever since she had entered the mortal world. Here she had watched passions play out and come to their end. Here she had seen heartbreak and laughter, sadness, tears, happiness and smiles. Yet always would she see death. Sometimes, when she was at her lowest she would call for Death, and yet it never would.

Flashback

Morganna stood at a large glass window. She rested a small pale hand against the glass, an invention that had come about only a century of two before. But Morganna cared nothing for this, or any of the other inventions, and especially not the factories and cities. They sullied the pure air, and covered what once had been pure green fields that Morganna had once been able to enjoy. Once.

Now she was a woman with money and titles. Why, wasn't it just the other day that her husband had passed on, leaving her his title and his money? He had had no family left alive that was why Morganna had married him. Was this why Morganna's face, reflected in the glass seemed pale and scared, her eyes reflecting like luminous gems in the gas light. No that was not it, hadn't Morganna done what every other young rich woman would do? Marry for more wealth and prestige. But not for love.

She had not wanted to be like that, at first. She had appeared, penniless, with nothing to recommend her but her beauty. How men had become attracted to her by her beauty. She had learnt to use it and her money as lures for more men. More men to loose in her snare. Morganna now had enough money, land and titles to retire from it all. And yet something stopped her from retiring.

She was tired of it all, true. Her beauty never seemed to fade, she never seemed to age, and yet her life was beginning to tarnish. What she had once thought would bring her all the comforts and peace she needed brought her nothing but a bitter taste in her mouth when she looked at the men she was supposed to love, even if only for their money, but she did not love them, she felt nothing for them, because she was countless ages older than them.

Her heart had been given to another, against her will, but still it was given. That was the reason she would never settle for a peaceful life. Because she would always be haunted by him. Perhaps travelling all over the world would make her forget him, he was supposed to be dead. If she was busy she thought less about him, although she would think about him, always she would think about him. And as she stared out into the inky blackness over the city, punctuated by gas lights she thought of him.

"Lucian," she whispered, finally letting tears and sorrow show on her visage.

End Flashback

Morganna squeezed her eyes shut tight, unwilling to let another tear fall. She didn't want to cry anymore. Not for the little girl in the rose garden, who had grown so old and jaded by life, not for her mother, not for her father, not for the passing of her god. Not for anything anymore. Not even Lucian. It seemed to Morganna that he would never feel the same way about her as she did for him, so why torture herself over it.

"Why indeed?" Morganna asked herself.

Because love is never rational, Morganna's inner voice rationalised for her. Morganna grabbed her hair at the roots with both of her hands and moaned. This was going to be one hell of a lot harder than she had first thought. She wasn't expecting one of the black moods she often had to hit here. She didn't want to be here, in this dank concrete room. She had never even wanted to be on the damn mortal world!

Morganna did what she had so often done, squashed her sadness deep inside of her, and let it turn to white hot rage. She was angry that she was here, in the middle of a war that she wasn't allowed to fight in. She was no wilting flower to be kept out of the fighting. SHE was an angel warrior, and that meant more than anyone knew. She was a more skilled fighter than the lycan rabble she had seen, even than the death dealers.

All of the other angels when she had lost her god had laughed at her. They had pushed her down to this pitiful existence. The warrior with Morganna was waking, and she was angry. Struggling with herself Morganna felt her teeth extend into fangs. This was her mark as a warrior, not as a vampire. Finally Morganna had to give into the primal rage of her warrior. She broke free, to the surface, and cried Free! Next the warrior simply screamed her rage.

Without warning the angel picked up a single glass vase and threw it hard against a wall. She smiled as she heard the crash. More was what the warrior called for. So she abandoned herself to her every violent whim, until the room looked like nothing it had been before. The angel smiled dangerously as she surveyed her handiwork. Yes it was better, much better now.

The angel cocked her head as she heard metal bolts scraping. Of course they would be coming to see what had happened to Morganna. Poor little Morganna, who didn't know what to do about the lycan leader. But this wasn't Morganna, this was the warrior that was passed down from child to child, it was the essence of the original angel that every smaller angel inherited on their coming of age, when they drank from the cup.

"Morganna?" It was the lycan Morganna knew as Jonathan asked, "Are you alright?"

"I am not Morganna," was the angel's answer as she turned her head, her green eyes glittering.

"Get Raze," Lucian commanded Jonathan.

"Yes Jonathan, go and get Raze," Morganna repeated what Lucian had said, her tone mocking.

"Her eyes," Jonathan commented.

"You mean you've never noticed them before?" Morganna asked.

"They're glowing Morganna," the young werewolf shifted uneasily, he was weak, the angel summarised, she could smell the fear on him.

"Jonathan, Raze, now!" Lucian commanded.

"Right, Raze," Jonathan nodded, before running off.

When Jonathan had left Lucian looked to Morganna properly. Well at least she still looked like Morganna. But the thing that was controlling her now has said she was not the angel. Well, at least, for the moment anyway, Lucian was assuming it was a she. Whatever had happened Morganna had suddenly gained an enormous amount of strength, she had managed to toss her bed halfway across the room, something the real Morganna never would have wanted to do, let alone accomplish. Lucian looked to her eyes, to see they were indeed gleaming green, and she had developed a perfect pair of fangs. It was easy to suppose if you saw her like this that she was a vampire.

"Who are you?" Lucian asked.

"I am not Morganna," the angel repeated herself.

"Please don't insult my intelligence, I remember you saying."

"But I am part of her."

"I can see why the vampires took you to be one of them."

"Why would I be one of those base creatures who lust for blood?"

"Why indeed. But how did you come to being if you are part of Morganna."

"I became a part of her when she came of age."

"How did you become a part of her, she wouldn't let something like you take control of her, or become a part of her?"

"I will let you ask Morganna herself wolf, I grow tired of games, where is your warrior?" Morganna demanded, suddenly changing her position so she was behind Lucian.

"What makes you think I need a warrior to protect me?" Lucian asked, not turning.

"You wouldn't be calling this…Raze, otherwise."

"No, I'm going to need Raze to get you under control."

"Why don't you try it yourself?"

"Don't tempt me." Lucian growled.

In answer the angel just laughed, as Lucian turned suddenly. When he regained his balance the wolf saw that the damn woman had changed her position again. This was going to get tiresome, Lucian thought to himself, getting ready to turn around again. But the angel was too quick for him, and soon had him pinned up against one of the concrete walls, his feet dangling away from the floor. Damn but she's strong now, Lucian thought to himself as he tried, and failed to escape.

"I know you of old wolf," the angel murmured almost against Lucian's throat.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lucian enquired, puzzled.

"I share her thoughts, and know her feelings."

"Interesting, I don't suppose you'd be willing to share any insights, as Morganna herself seems unable to?"

"Why would I want to do that, they're not my feelings."

At that moment the angel was lifted off, and Lucian was able to drop to the floor, gasping for breath, as Morganna, or the Morganna thing, had not been too gentle with him. Raze was now holding her, although she was struggling, hissing as no one had ever seen Morganna do. She seemed enraged, scratching away at Raze, who seemed immune to the wounds, although blood welled up. Lucian grimaced as he realised how deep the angel was cutting.

"Raze, hold her still," Lucian commanded as Morganna continued her struggling.

Raze did his best as Lucian stepped up to the pair. Taking Morganna's head he turned it gently but forcefully, until it faced him. Gazing into her emerald eyes he didn't see Morganna. All he saw was glowing eyes. The angle started laughing, and Lucian realised that he had allowed disgust to show on his face; this wasn't Morganna, this was something else that was part of her. Still holding her face Lucian smiled apologetically, to which the angel looked puzzled.

"Sorry about this Morganna," Lucian shook his head, as he brought his free hand up and smacked Morganna in the nose.

As soon as he had done that the angel went limp in Raze's arms. The lycan readjusted his grip before tossing Morganna over one shoulder, as if she was no more than a doll. She reminded Lucian of a doll, now that she was passed out, her limbs were hanging uselessly. As the leader looked down at his hands he saw blood. He remembered the satisfying crunch, as he had broken the angel's nose. If Morganna had had no real reason to be mad at him before she would be now.

"Take her somewhere and keep her safe, send someone to me when she waked up," Lucian ordered Raze.

As he was left alone the lycan leader thought on what Morganna would say when she woke up. It would almost be enough to make her truly angry. She had been right when she had said that Lucian no longer trusted her, but who would trust someone like that?! Morganna might walk out of the war altogether if Lucian was not careful, and he had the feeling she would. So why, if Lucian wasn't willing to trust her, had he asked her to help HIM? She hadn't been willing to help at first; Lucian had had to persuade her.

"If only I knew," Lucian murmured to himself thoughtfully.

If Lucian allowed himself to be truthful, it was because he had missed Morganna. She was a link to a past that he had lost, to something he should have had, and yet had been denied. Besides, the angel was a good fighter, and tactician, who had helped Lucian plan his first skirmishes against the vampires. Also she had managed to keep everyone's moral up with jokes, and simple compliments. And her eyes, they were so unusual, and yet strangely captivating…

Author's note: Oooooo, things get interesting. Okay, here we are again, another chapter. I would appreciate if you took the time to review, but you don't have to. And don't worry, everything about angels will be revealed next chapter.