Chapter 2

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Fang

I leave Andrea with a night with her new husband. She seems so happy, now that she has fame and money. Humans are just so shallow.

"Max?" I find her just outside the royal chambers, ready at any moment to protect her emperor. Who knows, maybe Andrea will turn out to be an assassin.

She turns, her brownish-blonde hair shimmering in the moonlight that slanted through the windows. Her russet and white wings are folded neatly behind her. Her big brown eyes are warm and peaceful. She's beautiful, even for an angel. "Fang. What is it?" I missed her voice, the way it lilted and the way she spoke, so sure of herself even when she was fighting for her life.

I gesture to the balcony, "Care to join me?"

She nods and walks with me to the marble balcony. "How have you been?"

"Alright." I couldn't think of anything else to say.

She scoffs, "Same old Fang then, a man of many words. And here I was worried you changed."

I remembered her, during the Great Rebellion, how she fought by my side. Her wings were pure white back then, and so were mine. I smirk at the memory. Max was there to pull me out of trouble, and I was there to pull her out of hers. She was fierce and protective. Just like the way she stared at the emperor today. It was like she was his mother, and he was her hatchling. The way her careful eyes scrutinized every inch of the Hall and the way her stance was graceful, yet ready to fight. She's been a guardian longer than I have, she's protected people longer than I have, and I could read it in her brown eyes. She was born to do this.

Max

Back in Egypt was the last time I saw him. I was the guardian of Nefertiti. He had been there at the time to perform a holy purge. A band of lesser demons were raging havoc on a nearby town. He was there and he brought with him the memories.

We'd first met during the Rebellion. I was accused by the fallen angel Cearbh of being a conspirator against the Lord. I was lined up to fall too until Fang here came to my rescue. He fought for me, just as we had for each other during the Battle. He was given mercy as well as I, but my wings were stained red with blood of those I killed, and his were tainted black, as a mark to other angels what he'd done for me, and how it was considered betrayal. We were made guardians, the lowest form of angel, the closest to human.

"Do you regret it?" I ask.

He's surprised at the sudden question, "Regret what?"

"Regret fighting for me, and protecting me, and becoming a guardian." I ask, biting my lip.

He smiles at me, it's more of a lopsided smirk than a grin but it is Fang, "Eh, it's not as bad as most of the others make it sound. Besides I'm not restricted to being guardian. I'm assigned on purges and things like that."

Unlike me. I'm only allowed to be a guardian. I've guarded countless people, rich or poor, important and insignificant, and I'm not bitter. Everyone I guard is different, and I feel a connection to all of them, but I'm just me. I'm considered a traitor, though I didn't do anything wrong. I'm only trusted to protect.

"How is it for you, becoming a guardian?" Fang asks, shaking me from my thoughts.

"It's not bad," I decide, "Taking care of people is my second nature, I guess. It's almost as if I'm meant to. Keeping people in line, saving the human race."

"And how was the wedding?"

"You were there, you know," I smirk mischievously, "But you can hear how it's going for them."

He grins back at me.

Fang

The next morning

I sneak a glance at Max. Her blonde hair was like a halo in the early sunlight. Her back was to me, facing indoors.

"Waiting for the lovebirds?" She whirls around.

"Will you quit doing that?"

"Quit what?" I smile at her lazily, surprised how easily we can fall into the same old routine, when she was my friend, and nothing more, "Breathing?"

"You know what I mean," she scowls, "Where did you come from anyways? I thought you left in the middle of the night."

"I was right here the whole time," I tell her.

She rolls her eyes.

I blend into the background and her eyes widen. "Believe me now?"

"Sure."

I don't know how I do that. I just do. It was a gift, I guess.

I missed her, since the last time in Egypt. She was there, her face solemn; as she watched the demons disintegrate into thin air. It had been a triumph for her ward then, Nefertiti, and they had worshipped her for it. The townspeople and villagers had thanked Nefertiti for what the angels did. Max was always so patronizing over her wards, trying to help them in any way she could. Would she do that for me?

Max

Fang. There really are no words to describe him. He's dark and he's brooding, but there's a side to him that is hidden from the rest of the world. There is a caring side of him, and I've seen him fight for me, see him save my life with his own at risk. We've known each other forever, literally forever.

But what was this emotion? He is my friend, an ally when I need one. I haven't seen him in a millennium. Yet for the past millennium, he crossed my mind more times than I can count. He's a distraction from my duty, from what I'm supposed to do. I'm meant to protect the human race, not to think about him all the time. So what was this emotion?

Love was for humans, the kind of love between two people that consumes and yet feeds. Angels can love, but it's a patronizing love, a love between a parent and offspring. Was I becoming too much like a human? Am I spending too much time around them to forget my own ways?

And did I love him?

Fang

Max stands there, hovering over her emperor as he and his new wife sit down for breakfast. Her brown eyes are troubled.

The new couple seem happy, after their wedding night. Andrea is seated beside the emperor, with a clamor of guests arranged by rank to congratulate the royal couple. I can see the danger in this too. There are so many people and only a few of them have their own guardians stationed around the perimeter. I saw Max talking to two of the other guardians, one with light flaxen hair and blue eyes, and the other with dark skin and dark hair. She chatted with them a little about who knows what, and then they left.

Max shakes a little then crumples to the floor, holding her head. I rush to her, "Max!"

Max

I couldn't see anything. Maximum, a Voice spoke, protect your emperor, but remember, you must have allies.

Why? I ask the Voice.

A dark calamity is coming, and you must protect those you love. And you must have friends by your side.

What's going on?