Prologue

Lazerous summoned Mallekai to his office around three o'clock in the afternoon on September the fifth.  He heard the exact moment when the boy stepped within two feet of the door.  Mallekai had always been harder for Lazerous to detect with his sharp senses.  He had always had the natural ability to walk much quieter than the other Nephilim.  Never had to learn the skill like the other Nephilim had to.  Perhaps, it was because he was such a thin boy.  But, he had such a heavy heart and mind.  Sometimes heavier than the other Nephilim.

"Enter." Lazerous called to Mallekai before the boy could knock.

The door to the office opened and in stepped Mallekai.  The boy brushed his long, dirty blond hair out of his eyes.  "You wanted to see me, Lazerous?" Mallekai never called Lazerous "sir" like the others did either.

"Yes, I want you to head a mission.  There is a girl in Brooklyn who is just now getting home from school.  She turned sixteen today and will be experiencing the Change any moment now.  My spies say that Damasen has picked her out.  He and his soldiers will be going in to kill her soon as well.  You must gather a team and rescue her before he gets there."  Lazerous explained.

He was looking at the boy now, his greenish DVD eyes twirling in the light in their nauseating way.  That was another thing with Mallekai.  He never made eye contact.  At least, not ever with Lazerous.  But, the leader was used to that.  Many people couldn't handle eye contact with him for very long because of his eyes.  It was just more noticeable with Mallekai because he made his efforts to never make eye contact with Lazerous very clear.

"Where do we need to go?" Mallekai said, his head down as he looked at the polished wood floor.

Lazerous picked up the slip of paper he had written the girl's address on when he'd received the telepathic message from his spy.  He placed it in Mallekai's hand. "Take Nirvana with you." He told the Nephilim boy.  "She's been itching for some time out."

Mallekai nodded and left the office.

The first place Mallekai went to was his room.  He replayed the brief meeting in Lazerous's office over in his head and pushed it out toward Nirvana.  Then, he thought of who he should take on the mission.  He'd need strong teammates for this in case they ran across Damasen and his soldiers.  Immediately, he knew that Marrah was another member he'd need and Shovik.  Who else?  All missions allowed up to six members.  He had four now, including himself.  He'd take Noah because he was his best friend and a pretty good fighter.  Marrah wouldn't go without Mandrake either.  So, now that Mallekai had his team together, he pushed the memory of his meeting with Lazerous out to Marrah, Shovik, Mandrake, and Noah so that they would get ready.  "Meet me in the front hall in ten minutes." Mallekai told them telepathically.

He took those ten minutes to slip into his gear and look at himself in the full-body mirror that hung on the outside of his closet door.  Not for the first time did Mallekai wonder why he was being sent on a mission.  He was heading one now.  Why would Lazerous choose him?  Out of all the strong, well-trained Nephilim that lived in Aerie, Lazerous chose him.  Mallekai was only seventeen.  He'd only been a Nephilim for one year.  There were other Nephilim around Aerie who had much more experience leading missions than he did.  Joel and Darius, for example.  Mallekai could never even look people in the eye when he spoke to them or they spoke to him.  Leaders did the complete opposite of that.  They looked their teammates in the eyes and gave them firm orders for their missions.  Mallekai could never do that.  He could never give firm orders, only take them.  

Why me?  Why ME?, the Nephilim boy thought as he looked at himself.  He didn't look like a strong leader.  He was a thin, gangly, seventeen-year-old boy.  He had very little muscle tone even on his arms.  No pecs and abs and biceps like Darius or Joel.  No firm jawline or thick neck or back muscle.  Nothing.  He was nearly the perfect definition of skin and bones.  You could nearly count his ribs. 

Mallekai sighed, catching his own sad hazel eyes through the strands of his dirty blond hair in the mirror.  He touched the half-faded scar on his right cheek and remembered where he'd gotten it.  Damasen had given it to him when he'd raided Mallekai's home at an orphanage when he was just turning sixteen.  The angel had broken in just after midnight and tried to kill Mallekai in his sleep.  Damasen's scythe had just grazed his cheek and woken him.  Mallekai had fought back, but later in the fight, Mallekai's cheek had been split open wide by that same scythe.  After that, the fight went downhill.  Mallekai had only been saved when his Change took over and gave him that burst of adrenaline that he'd needed to fight back and get away.  He'd come to Aerie that night on pure instinct and tumbled down on its steps when the adrenaline wore off and exhaustion and pain took over.

Heimdall had healed him as best he could, but the wound had literally split his cheek open like half of a Chelsea grin.  Heimdall couldn't heal something like that too nicely.  So, it had been stitched closed and monitored for the next few weeks until it healed into the jagged, risen scar it was now.

Lazerous liked to remind him that the scar should be something he was proud of.  He'd survived one of the most dangerous angels on his own and made it to Aerie for healing.  But, Mallekai couldn't bring himself to think that way.

Mallekai released his white wings from beneath his thin layer of skin and slightly thicker layer of clothing.  He could feel the bones of the wings and the feathers sliding under his skin and rising above it to slip through the slits in his shirt.  Then, he wrapped himself in them, closed his eyes, and pictured the front hall with all of its polished wood floors and plain, white walls.

He felt that familiar separation that came with mental transportation.  That separation from reality into some non-real place, that splitting of the mind and body.  Then, everything was slapped back together as his feet found the wooden floor of the front hall.  He opened his wings and saw that most of his team was already there.  Shovik stood beside Noah to Mallekai's left.  Mandrake was on Mallekai's left, completely unable to ignore with his pallor.  Marrah was beside him, looking like she was meant to be his sister, only with a better tan than Mandrake.  Nirvana was the only one not there.  Everyone knew why, though none said a word.  She was with Joel, of course.  The two had been nearly inseparable since they started dating.  Joel never liked letting her go on missions without him, though she sometimes seemed to do better without him there, hovering around her all the time.

Nirvana appeared a moment later with her long black hair woven into a rope braid that slithered down her back.  She had an aura of calm that was undoubtedly Joel's doing.  She was never calm about missions unless Joel took some time with her before them to play around.  

Mallekai was acutely aware that all eyes were on him.  He could feel the burn of their eyes as they waited for instruction.  He cleared his throat and raised his head.  His eyes would not settle on any of them, occasionally coming to rest on the floor or the stairs or the opening to a hallway.  Never resting on any one person for longer than a few seconds.

"Lazerous gave me the address to the girl's home.   We will fly there.  However, we need to keep an eye out for Damasen and his soldiers.  Hopefully, we can manage to swipe the girl and get back here before he does.  If we do encounter Damasen, protect the girl and fight back if you can.  Do not leave her unattended.  Understood?" Mallekai told his team.

The Nephilim nodded and headed out to find the girl Lazerous had sent them after.

Then, Lazerous' voice entered their minds, "Damasen's already there, Nephilim.  Go quickly and save her.  She does not have much time."