We Burn Brighter *ON HOLD*

Chapter 2: Typical Night with the Russells

As I walk back to the house with Liam, he keeps on giving me the same strange look. "Who were you talking to?" he asks me. "Grim says to not talk to strangers."

"He came to me, not the other way around," I remind him. "I didn't give him any information about me until someone decides to shout out my name for the entire world to hear."

"I'm sorry, Ana," he says before he hugs me so tight that I can barely breathe.

"Apology accepted!" I choke out, and Liam lets go and gives me a devilish grin.

"What's for dinner?" he wonders. I honestly don't know, but I'm guessing that Grim got takeout Chinese food or something for us. He usually makes meals for us, but since he's working tonight, also known as knocking from door to door and killing people, he can't be home to take care of us.

 The sky has dimmed since we've been at the park, and the moon is starting to appear. The cool October air causes both of us to shiver slightly. The walk back home is short. Once we arrive at the front, I pull out my key and unlock the door.

Our house is small, but cozy. Our basement is the training area with almost any weapon that you can think of, the middle floor has the kitchen and living room, and the top floor has all of our bedrooms. Grim says that it wasn't easy to find a house in this part of Michigan, but he needed to be here. Detroit is not only the city with the most crime, it's that most of the crime is from the Demons. Neither Grim or I know their plans, but he says that part of my mission will be to find out.

"Ana, go and get the food! I'm starving!" Liam yells.

"Get the takeout from the fridge and heat it up," I tell him as I lock up the front door behind me. He runs to the fridge while I run straight to my room.

One look at my bedroom and you'll automatically know that it's mine. The walls are painted light purple, but you can't see the paint underneath all of the photos, sheet music and band posters on them. My queen sized bed is covered in a black comforter with a dark purple swirl pattern on it, and my sheets and pillows match. The piano is in one corner of my room and my electric guitar is leaning on its stand near it. I place my acoustic guitar in the stand beside it and hop onto my bed.

I know that everyone has that moment when they just need to think about something important coming up. Grim always tells me that my mission is coming soon and that it will be serious. With Angel missions, it's a life or death situation. Apparently you "know" when you should start your mission and you don't have help with it. Not very many of us get missions, but when we fulfill them, we stop aging and become immortal. The non-powerful Angels die off after about a thousand years or so.

I get a text on my phone, and I pick it up to read it.

Grim: Ana, it's coming soon. Get ready.

That text alone put me in a panic. Grim's version of "getting ready" is more intense training, more weapon practice, and real life situation practice.

Trust me. You never want to try one of Grim's real life situation practice. It's insane.

I slowly walk down the stairs, the thought still haunting my mind. I would never admit this to anyone else, but I'm really worried. I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I don't know who knows the answers, so why waste my time worrying the unknown?

When I get to the kitchen, the reheated Chinese food is on the table and Liam is already stuffing his face with chow mein. "FOOD IS LIFE!" he yells as noodles fall from his mouth.

"Liam, that's disgusting!" I groan. "Don't talk with your mouth full of food!"

"Well, I was only stating the obvious," he rolls his eyes. "Food is life."