My Fallen Angel

"What about that one?" Ashley muttered at me, and I glared at him. He wanted me to pick a human to murder or sleep with.
"I'm not doing that," I snapped at him. We stood backstage at one of the shows, and I was watching the crowd from behind the curtain, spotting several of our kind, all of them showing their age of being here.
I glanced at Ashley. We all started off normal, almost like a human, but after a time of major sins, our appearance would warp, twisting our once ethereal appearances into monsters, into demons.
Ashley had held out his form a surprisingly long time, but his teeth had changed to fangs, and even his ears were turning sharper, and when he snarled he looked more animal like then anything.
I glanced away before he caught me looking, my eyes scanning the crowd. I stiffened, and my hand latched onto Ashleys, causing him to jerk and look at me in surprise. "There," I spotted her. "The dark haired one."
Ashley frowned, searching, and then finding her. "Damn, she looks good human," he muttered, and I glared at him. "Ashley!"
He flashed me an amused grin, squeezing my fingers. "Don't freak out yet, Kenna. She's just in the crowd. A lot of them visit, you know that. We won't worry unless she's backstage, cool?"
I nodded unhappily.
"Yo, Ash, it's almost time to go on!"
"Okay, CC, hold onto your sticks!" He glanced at me, and then playfully ruffled my hair as if this was some game.
I punched his arm. "Stop it!"
He laughed, moving away from me and to his band mates. Andy stepped out of his dressing room, war paint covering his body, and I watched as he laughed at something said to him with a sigh.
I looked back out over the unruly crowd. It was probably better this way, him unaware of what was going on around him. It was the only way he would be safe.
"Hey." I glanced over, stiffening anxiously as Andy stepped to my side.
I forced a smile at him. "Hey."
"It's different looking at them this way, isn't it?"
"Very, but it's preferable." I frowned. "I don't like being in a crowd."
"Why not?"
"You can get lost," I shrugged, absently twirling my hair around my finger; it had always been my nervous habit. "In a crowd you're not yourself anymore, you're part of something bigger, less individual. It's never been my thing."
"You seem like an easy person to find in a crowd." Andy looked at me curiously. "I don't see how anyone could miss you."
I blushed, turning my eyes up to his. The blue orbs seemed to burn into mine, making everything else disappear for a brief few moments.
His brows furrowed as he looked at me.
"Are you sure we've never met before?" he asked softly, and I nodded, averting my eyes from his.
"Yes. Never." I glanced over, and stepped away as the rest of the band stepped forward, prepared to go off on stage.
I glanced at Ashley as I walked by, but he ignored me, his guitar resting against his hips, his shirt miraculously gone.
I rolled my eyes, and stepped into their dressing room, intending to wait for them to return. I sat down in Ashleys chair, his stupid Outlaw jacket hanging off the back, and ran my hands through my hair.
Their dressing room was messy, clothes and makeup and other devices I had no name for thrown about the room, an exit door in the corner if they needed to leave quickly. I looked down at Ashleys mess, and wrinkled my nose in distaste.
I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I had never figured Ashlandil would make it so damned annoying to be here.
I could hear their music from here, and they didn't sound bad. Andy did quite well at enthralling the crowd, and I could hear them screaming for him, excitement and adrenaline coursing through the air. He had always been good at that.
I jumped to my feet as I felt her near, and strode forward, stepping into the doorway just as she started to step in. Seraphine froze, and then her eyes narrowed as she recognized me.
"Kenali," my name sounded like a curse word coming from her red lips. "When did you Fall?"
I didn't respond, just glared at her.
"You can't have him, Seraphine," I kept my eyes on hers.
She was taller then me, her hair raven black as it fell straight down her back, glistening unnaturally. Her black eyes seemed to large for her face, and her painted lips were pulled back into a snarl as she looked down at me.
"A petty little brat like you isn't going to stop me." she snapped, digging a red nail into my shoulder. "He's mine for the taking; I warned him if he ever cursed this world in human form I would ruin his soul."
"And I swore I would protect him," I refused to budge from the doorway. "So you. Can't. Have. Him."
Seraphine straightened to her full height as she gazed at me, measuring how much of a threat I was going to be. I felt like a mouse being stalked by a snake; I could tell her tongue was already forked as her sins ravaged her once pure body.
She gave a slow smile. "You're fresh, you've yet to commit any mortal sin to chain you to this world, to make you strong against its smog. I could bend you around my finger in seconds."
"I'd like to see you try," I snarled, tensing. "I haven't had a good fight in decades."
Seraphine gave a laugh. "Please. You were a dancer, not a warrior. I tear these humans flesh with my nails, shredding them, and I can do the same to you, little one."
I still wasn't budging.
"Fine," she glared at me as she realized I wasn't intimidated. "I'll show you how painful this world can be."
I took a step back as she jumped at me, and her nails went for my throat. I grabbed her wrists, grappling with her as we fell back. She whirled, smashing me into one of the mirrors, sending glass shattering everywhere.
I felt the pain briefly before my adrenaline kicked me, and I shoved her forward, she crashing through the chairs. I jumped on her, latching my legs onto her waist as I went for her throat, her nails ripping through my shoulder. O
ur blood sizzled as it touched the air, disappearing into white smoke. Our blood was toxic to the touch for any human, and it evaporated quickly when it touched the air.
She rolled, putting me against the ground as she tried to smash my skull into the ground. I wiggled my knees between us and pushed, sending her flying over me and into the wall.
I rolled to my feet, and she hissed at me before taking off for the exit door. I chased after her, and we splashed through the dark alley.
"I'll crush you into oblivion," she shrilled at me, using a dumpster as leverage as she attacked. "You'll be nothing but a memory, you snooty brat!"
I grabbed her arm as she lunged, using her force as leverage as I slung her into the brick wall, her hit causing several of them to break off the wall.
"You'll never get that chance!" I snarled at her, standing protectively in front of the back door. I had to protect Andiel, even if it meant my very existence.
The sharpness in my shoulder throbbed painfully, an experience I wasn't enjoying. Serpahine hissed at me again, prowling back and forth as she looked for N opening. Her eyes caught on my shoulder where she'd jabbed me, and then she was attacking again, her nails ripping through my shirt as she threw me.
I yelped as I hit high on the brick wall, and my fingers closed around the edge of the roof. I swung myself up, and Seraphine climbed the wall, her demon form growing as she clambered over, skin becoming a mottled black.
We thrashed, and great booms came from the sky as a storm started to form above us. I threw Seraphine to the side, lightning barely missing us as the skies opened and harsh rain hit our skin.
I glanced up worriedly.
Was He angry with us? I wouldn't blame him.
I yowled as Seraphine struck me in the face, and I stumbled back several steps in pain as my vision swam.
This was a pain I never wanted to experience again.
I whirled, and my fist smashed into her mouth, her sharp teeth cutting my skin. She staggered back, black blood bursting from her mouth.
"You bitch!" she howled, stepping to the edge of the roof. "When I come back, I won't be alone, and I'll make you watch as I tear your precious Andiels human form to shreds!"
She suddenly jumped off, and I ran to the edge, watching as her dark form disappeared into the street, completely disappearing from my sight before I relaxed.
I waited several moments before I collapsed.

Notes