When I woke up the next morning, Jack was gone. I figured he went to work, but when his phone rang on the bedside table, I was immediately worried. I picked up his phone and saw it was Tom, so I answered it. Tom asked me if Jack was with me, and why he wasn't at work.

I looked outside and his car was gone.

Jack is never without his phone, so as soon as I saw that his car wasn't in the driveway, I started to panic. I had no idea where he was, he never showed up for work, Sean made a surprise appearance the night before, and I had no way to contact him.

I probably wouldn't have worried so much if Sean hadn't come out. He said it had something to do with Sarah, a good friend of ours that was killed last year by Dark. Mekiah, Sarah's girlfriend, lived with us for a while after Sarah was killed, but she decided it was time to move back home about six months ago. She never went through a proper grieving process after Sarah died because we were all still fighting for our lives, looking for ways to kill Dark, and learn about our new-found bloodlines. I spoke to Mekiah daily, though. Besides Jack, she is my best friend.

I called her.

"Hey, Markimoo! What's up?" she said cheerfully when she answered. I didn't call very much. We usually texted or chatted on Skype, so she was surprised when I called on the phone.
"Not much... um, have you by chance heard from Jack? Or seen him?" I tried to sound casual, but she knew me way too well.

"No, what happened?! Is everything alright?" She paused for a second, doing her little psychic brain thing, then whispered "Sean... He was there! Are you okay, Mark?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. He showed up last night, but he wasn't around for long. I went to bed with Jackaboy last night, but when I woke up this morning he wasn't here. He left his phone," I told her.

"Welp," she said, and I could hear her stand up, "looks like I am making an unplanned visit today, friend!" she said. She sounded excited to come see me, but the circumstances were just all wrong.

"Kia," I said to her before we hung up, "there's something else... something you need to know."

"What is it, Mark?"

"Sean. Last night. He said the reason he came back is because of Sarah."

"W-what do you mean?" I heard her gasp and her voice cracked.

"I dunno. He was really vague. He said he wasn't there for me, but that Sarah is alive and she has something that Sean wants."

"H-how...? I mean, remember when I had my little breakdown last year before you did your angelic therapy session? I saw Sarah, I reached out to her, touched her. I felt that she wasn't gone... But that was the only time. I have never seen, heard or felt her again after that."

"Just... get here as fast as you can. We need to find Jack and figure out what the hell is going on. And Kia? Be careful. Please."

I hung up and of course my brain wouldn't be still. Relax, Mark, I told myself. He probably just ran to the store or something. He is fine.

I really started to panic when he didn't come home that evening. By that time he had been gone for 14 hours.

Mekiah made dinner for the two of us, but I couldn't eat. "I'm going to look for him," I said, grabbing my phone and looking for my car keys.

"Do you want me to come with you? I may be able to guide you to him," she said, looking worried.

"No, please just stay here in case he comes back."

"You sure?"

"Yep. I kind of need some time alone. I need to put myself in the mind of a demon and figure out where he could be."

"Put yourself in the mind of a demon? Mark, you are part angel… how could you possibly figure this out on your own?" she asked.

I figured now would be as good a time as any to reveal to her what I had been training myself for. I stood up before her and reached down to the depths of my being to access the power of my angelic DNA.

"Jack and I have been learning some things recently, Kia. I have been training my mind and body to be able to tap into my natural abilities, to be able to call on them and use them at will," I said quietly.

She just looked at me with wide eyes.

I continued, "Jack has been training to be able to do just the opposite. He has learned how to push Sean out if and when he ever comes. Last night was the first time he ever had to put his training to use, and he actually did it! He was able to knock Sean right out of him, although it took me having to get through to Jack to tell him to do it. I don't think he knows when Sean takes over."

"Well, it's a step in the right direction, right?" She asked me.

"Of course it is!" I said. She just stared at me, looking like she wanted to ask me something. I knew exactly what she wanted.

She wanted to see the angel.

I gave her a knowing smile, and nodded. I lowered my head and clenched my fists, drawing my power in the way I had done so many times before while I was alone and naked, Book of Angels in hand.

It took a while before I was able to complete the task on my own, without reading words, performing small rituals and swearing in frustration. But I eventually learned.

Head down and fists clenched, I drew my own power from myself, from the atoms and molecules of my blood. I felt that rush of heat deep within my belly, and I relished the feeling as it spread through me. I felt the overwhelming surge of power and strength flow through me, from my core down to my fingertips. I let out a primal roar and my whole body quaked and trembled. It was something that I just couldn't control, not that I wanted to.

The transformation takes less than fifteen seconds, a little longer if I am tired or hungry. Fear, stress, or immediate danger made it happen almost instantly.

Once I felt that the transformation was complete, I put my head up and opened my eyes, looking at Mekiah. She gasped and fluttered a hand to her face, covering her mouth, eyes wide.

"Mark? A-are you…? Your… your eyes… " Her voice shook.

I laughed. "Of course. I don't change and become someone else like Jack and Sean. I am still me, just… much more powerful. Call me immediately if he comes back." I grabbed my car keys and headed for the door glancing back at her once more with glowing, golden eyes.

Once I was in the car, I sat still. I tried to concentrate, to feel him, to distinguish which direction I should head.

I felt nothing, and that filled me with fear.