Authors note: Sorry guys! I've been without internet for awhile and have now got it back. Here is the next installment to this fabulous story and i hope to have more soon! Thanks so much for your support and feel free to review if you like!

I landed on the rooftop of a skyscraper. The air around me was thick with ash and smoke, and it was hard for me to see. I wiped the ash from my eyes and tried to see around me. Flashing lights caught my attention but I couldn't make out their source.

The Rooftop was littered with broken stone and brick. My throat felt raw and parched and there was no hope for water here. I was no closer to finding the portal. The city was too vast to find a portal that could be anywhere inside the city. It could be inside one of these very buildings and I would have no clue. I could have flown over it already.

My white wings were blackened with ash. I rubbed my hands over the downy feathers with a frown. My wings had never been reduced to such a pitiful sight such as this. There wasn't much to do about it right now. I had bigger things to worry about.

A solitary drop of liquid splashed onto my cheeks. It began to sizzle and burn. I reached a hand to my face and wiped it away, only to feel a few more splash onto my bare arms. With every passing second more rain began to fall. Each drop seemed to burn and I was at loss for words. I cried out in pain as the drops of rain began to intensify, and more drops began to fall and burn.

There was no other option for me. I had to get out of this rain, there was no telling what would happen if it really started to downpour. Would I burn until nothing remained? I didn't want to find out.

Across the roof was a small doorway, the darkness beckoned to me. There wasn't much I could do. With each passing moment the rain was dropping faster. I had to get inside before I got myself into deeper trouble. My skin crawling my waves of pain.

I slipped into the darkness of the building with my heart thudding in my chest. I had to squint to see as there was barely any light. I could smell a stench of rot and decay, the smell cloying. I extended my hands and walked slowly further into the building. There must be some place I could hide out for a little bit, at least until the rain stopped.

The doorway led me to a set of stairs littered with rotting debris. The smell was worse the farther I got inside. Yet what other choice did I have? I couldn't risk hiding out on the steps. There was no telling what lurked inside this hovel. I needed to find somewhere I could be safe and secure at least until the rain stopped.

My feet slid down a step, my stomach lurched and I grasped the bent railing for support. When I righted myself I took a deep breath to calm myself. I was allowing my fear to get the best of me and that wasn't a wise thing. They say that fear can cripple, make you react in ways that you normally wouldn't have. I couldn't risk the chance of allowing my panic to control me.

Faint echoes drifted up the dark stairwell. Each step down felt like I was descending into the darkness of no return. Goosebumps rose on my skin and I could feel my adrenaline rising. My sword was still clipped at my side. I unsheathed it and spoke the name, "Gabriel." The sword instantly began to glow with angel fire. It cast the stairs in twisting shadows.

Giving an angel blade a name of one of the higher angels gives it greater power. My sword had a piece of Gabriel's fire inside it. I could slice through any creature with my mentor's soul guiding me.

I arrived at a landing, there were more stairs leading down but I didn't want to stray far from the roof. The more I descended, the louder the noises. I could hear screeches, screams, and wails from down below. I peered over the railing and looked down. All I could see was blackness, even with the help of the angel fire.

A rotted wooden door was against the wall. I walked over to it and jimmied the rusty lock. The door creaked as it swung on its hinges. I peered into the corridor and could see nothing. I closed the door behind me, cutting off the dim light. The floor was covered in dirt and muck, slime oozed between my toes. I would need a good shower when this was all over.

Faint noises could be heard behind some of the doors. I tried my best to walk past it quietly, hoping that nobody inside noticed my presence. I would be horribly outmatched in these tight quarters and who knows how many opponents.

I came to a door. It was cracked at the bottom and in the middle of the door was a single, solitary handprint caked in what looked like blood. I pressed my ear to the slimy surface and listened. I could hear nothing coming from the other side. I reached for the doorknob and twisted, once, twice. The door swung open with an eerie creak.

The room before me was bare. Nothing but an empty room full of broken objects and trash. It resembled something like a prison cell, although I couldn't quite remember what that meant. My mind provided the word, just not the reference. Maybe it had to do with all the other human things I'd forgotten.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, taking several deep breaths. The faint smell of decay lingered. Okay, so I have a few minutes to relax before I try and venture out to see if the rain has stopped. What do I do from here?

It seemed as if the buildings ran on for miles. Each one holding who knows how many dead soulless creatures. My only solution was to stick to the air, but what if I missed things? I could be flying right over the portal and not even knowing it!

It was times like these that I really wished I could smack some sense into Calypso. She really had no clue as to what she was getting into down here. She'd just wanted her wings. It was a noble thing, but foolish. Perhaps we could be forgiven in time. I didn't want to even think about losing my wings after being a part of this whole fiasco. It wasn't my fault. I was just trying to make sure my friend was okay. God could see that right?

After twenty minutes or so passed, I wasn't sure; it was a guess. I put my ear to the door again. Only the sounds of screaming and groaning a few floors down could be heard. I grabbed the knob and turned, the door opened silently.

It was then that I noticed the smell. It was thick, viscous and nasty. It smelled like something that rotted, fermented, and then rotted again. I'd never smelled anything like it in my life. I almost wanted to run back into the small room and hide, but I knew that if I did that I was surely trapped. There were no exits in there.

I stepped out into the hallway and continued back towards the stairwell. If I could make it to the roof, I could make it out of here. If there was acid rain, so be it. I could burn a little if it meant I wouldn't be torn apart by whatever creatures lived in this place.

My heartbeat accelerated, my breath came out in big whooshes of air. I felt fear creep its way inside me. The roots of it digging in deep. Thoughts of monsters and pain became the only thoughts in my head.

At last, I made it to the stairwell and almost collapsed with relief. I allowed myself a few moments to take a breath and relax. At least enough to get my heart under control. Then I looked up. I could see the doorway that led to the roof, it was only a floor or so up. If only I could make it…

Scratch.

Creak.

Scratch.

I whipped my head around and looked behind me. There was nothing there, but what had been making that noise? It sounded as if somebody was dragging something behind them… Or perhaps something similar. Yet I could see nothing! The hallway was dark and empty.

It was then my eyes trailed downward, over the banister.

I could see it. A medium shaped thing that was too far down for me to see clearly. It was lumped and misshapen. I watched as it struggled to push and pull itself up the stairwell. An odd groaning noise was now coming out of its mouth. I could see one black eye staring at me from a tangle of hair and I knew that it saw me. It was coming for me!

I ran up the stairs, two at a time. I could still hear the creature thumping and bumping from behind me as it climbed the stairs.

When I reached the top landing, my stomach plummeted. The rain was pouring out there! I'd be nothing but bones in minutes! There was nothing I could do and that thing was coming for me! There was nowhere for me to run either. That thing was on the stairs and it was now closer to me than before. The landing I'd been on earlier was already passed by the thing in the stairwell.

I grasped my angel blade in my hand and prepared to meet it. Each second felt like an eternity as it slowly ripped itself up towards me. The closer it got, the more I could see it…. It was terrible to look at. It walked along like a crab, each limb jerking it forward. It appeared to be human, or at least at some point it was. It groaned as it moved. Thick, dirty dark hair hung from each side of its face. A dark, sinister eye peered from behind the hair. It eyed me malevolently.

"Stop in the name of the lord!" I cried.

It stopped in its tracks and for one second I thought my command had worked. Until it started to cackle. The sound shrill and unhuman. It began to move once more. I took a step back and unknowingly stepped back out into the rain. The drops burned and I could feel my skin peeling away. I cried out and jerked back towards the creature. It advanced even quicker towards me.

I didn't want it touching me. I could tell that its grip would be cold and unforgiving. I raised the blade as it reached one clawed hand out to grab me. I sliced the metal down, cutting a deep gash in its arm. It cried out in agony. The sound almost deafening. Everyone in a three mile radius had to have heard that!

I whipped the blade up and sliced another gash along its arm. The beast retracted its claws and then pounced. I wasn't expecting that. It landed on me, sending the breath from my lungs. We both fell to the floor. This thing was on top of me, its breath breathing hot on my face. I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst.

Except the worst didn't happen.

I felt the pressure of the creature leave my body. It's as if its weight was longer there when half a second ago it was crushing me. I opened my eyes and saw him.

He had the creature by the throat and was staring into its eyes. It seemed to wriggle and shrivel before my very eyes. Within a few moments, all that remained was ash. That was when the man turned to me. It was the same guy from the Realm of Lust!

His kiss still burned on my lips.

How could he be here? How had he found me? He stood in front of me, his chest heaving. His dark green eyes stared at me with an emotion I couldn't place. His black, raven wings were curled up at his back, his clothes dark and nondescript.

He smiled and extended his hand out to me. I just stared at it with distrust. Who was he and why was he helping me? I knew enough not to trust a demon. And a demon is what he truly was. His black wings proved it.

"I'm not going to hurt you." he said softly. His eyes never leaving mine.

"Who are you?"

"Edward, we met before."

"I wasn't sure if it was you… it's dark in here." I said, squinting my eyes.

"Let's step outside."

"But the rain‒"

I looked out the doorway and the rain had suddenly stopped. I turned to see Edward eyeing me again with that hungry look in his eye. I stepped out onto the roof and looked around. The rain had stopped only on top of our rooftop. Everywhere else it continued to pour.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"I am the son of Satan. I can do anything I want."

He was the son of Lucifer! This had to be a trap! He was here to drag me kicking and screaming to face his fathers judgement!

I turned and almost took flight, when he called out to me. "I can help you find Calypso."

Her name, and her name alone, made me stop in my take off. I turned back to face him. His features clearly defined in the gloom. He was still as handsome as ever. I focused on his eyes rather then the thought of his lips. That lust charm or whatever it was, was still fresh in my mind.

"How do you know about her?" I accused.

"I talked to her…"

"Where is she?"

"She's been taken captive."

"What!" I cried, stepping forward. I pointed my angel blade at his throat. "You better start talking!"

He smiled a tiny smile. His lips curling only at the corners. "I would tell you where she is, if I could. My father seems to have taken an interest in her. I believe she doesn't have much time."

"Then tell me where she can be found so I can go get her."

"You can't. Because I don't know. My father has secrets, even from me."

My heart began to break. If Lucifer had Calypso then everything was lost. There was no way I was going to get her back. "You said you could help me?" I said, my voice flat.

Edward nodded slowly, his eyes ablaze. "Yes, I believe I can. Together we should have a better chance at finding Alice."

Alice? How did he know about her? Did Calypso tell him everything? And if so, why?

"How do you know about her?" I asked.

Edward shrugged. "Everyone knows about my father's little pet. Although finding her is what is the real question. Do you perhaps have any idea?"

"Last I heard, she was in the home Realm."

"My sources say that is true. But where? The home Realm is huge. You'd have no hopes of finding her before my father's minions find you."

"Speaking of which," I said, "Why would you help me? I'm an angel. I work for the Maker. Why would a demon help me?"

He didn't answer. His face was set into a cold, hard line. His eyes seemed to appraise me with only a few movements of his head. I didn't know what to make of his silence. At last, he spoke. "I believe that I should help you. Don't they say that God works in mysterious ways?"

"But why me? Surely you should be reporting me to whoever is higher in rank right now. I should be questioned, tied up‒"

"You want me to tie you up?" he smirked.

"No‒I‒ oh never mind! I just am saying that this is all wrong. You should be crying for my blood right now not having a peaceful conversation."

"Not all demons are like that you know. I myself am a cuddly teddy bear when I chose to be."

I so didn't need that image in my head right now. "Okay, so you're saying you can help me. So what do we do next?"

"Well, we need to travel back to the home Realm. My portals only transport within each Realm, so I can't just fast travel. The Realm of Anger is next… I could take you there."

His voice was like soft caramel coated with sugar. I desired to just close my eyes and bask in it, but something wasn't right here. I shouldn't be feeling this way! I shouldn't have this overwhelming desire to rip his clothes off. Surely the harpies lust charm wasn't permanent? I'd never felt anything like this before.

"Why should I trust you?" I whisper, looking into his dark green eyes.

"Because. I'm the only one you've got."