Those With Wings

Nearing Hell

Piper's POV

I bit my lip. "Alex?"

"Yeah, Piper?"

I took a deep breath before uttering my words. "You don't like me, do you?"

"Of course I like you!" he protested, his hazel eyes sincere. "Otherwise I wouldn't bother putting up with you!"

This made my lips tremble even more. "Do you like me more than Myhrr?"

Understanding dawned on his face, and he looked at the ground. "You know we can't be like that, Piper."

I nodded, disappointed. "But why can't we try?"

"Because, Piper," Alex muttered, "just because."

I swallowed my pride, and gave him another nod. "Friends, then?"

He grinned. "Friends."

Inside, my heart broke, and my hands starting shaking, but I kept them in my pockets, and looked the other way.

Zero's POV

I trudged after Luanna, the speed of my heart doubling with every step I took. She glanced over her shoulder, and it took all the control I had in order not to run. Her eyes seemed dark, but with a fire in them that burned its way through my heart, and seemed to destroy my muscles along the way.

I shuddered. "Lu?"

"Don't talk," she said quietly, serious without being snappish for once. I could tell she was preparing herself, trying to stay herself...

Yet changing already.

The birds seemed to get silent as we reached a forest, but Luanna didn't enter it, and followed a trail of rocks instead. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath, and the sun burned on my shoulders. My hand automatically found its way to the cold handle of the sword Luanna had given me, and the metal reassured me, somehow. The birds started chirping again behind us, though it seemed more of a warning call then the normal, happy whistles.

"Where exactly are we going? Aren't we supposed to go with Daisy?" I asked Luanna.

She didn't respond, and I decided to just follow her. Luanna knew where she was going.

A crow cawed, and I glanced around. A whole bunch of them flew over my head, and I shuddered. The air seemed to gather at the nape of my neck, and then tighten so much it made it hard to breath.

Wherever we were, we were nearing hell.