~Chapter 33~

   He's a good fighter, way damn better than his demon followers. My attacks may be fast, but his are sneaky, cunning, like the sly fox.
   But the fox is no match for the wolf.
   I came at him repeatedly, and I was getting to him, he was breaking down.
   But he went for the one thing that would stop me. In a dodge from one of my attacks, he spun around, grabbing Adri in the process, and held his sword to her throat.
   I froze.
   "Now, what will the king do?"
   I put my sword on the ground. "Please, let her go."
   "No, Caleb-!" Kris covered her mouth.
   "Now, now, let the man speak."
   "I'll do what you want, kill me if you like, just please don't hurt her."
   Kris smiled. "You love this woman?"
   Adri's eyes were connected to mine, pleading for me to not do what he wanted. "Don't answer!" they shouted. My eyes returned with "I'm sorry."
   "I love her more than life itself." Kris narrowed his eyes. Then, he released her! Hope surged through me, and then completely disappeared when he doubled back and stabbed her in the stomach with the tip of his sword. As he stepped away I rushed to her.
   "Adri!!" She fell to the ground and I caught her by the shoulders.
   "Caleb," she said, "it hurts."
   "I know, I know it does Adri, but just... just stay strong. You're going to be perfectly fine." Strange, she was perfectly fine whereas I was shaking.
   She shook her head. "No, this is too deep. I'm going to die Caleb, you can't tell me otherwise." She spoke slow and her voice was so weak. She put her hand on my cheek and wiped away a tear. One fell from her own eye as well.
   I shook my head, "No. No, don't say that."
   "Shh..." she whispered. "Caleb, I'm going to die. But you and me, we're not done. We're going to be reborn, and I will find you." She took a shaky breath as more tears came from her eyes. "My soul will find yours and the very first time I lay eyes on you, I will know you are the one I'm meant for. You are the one for me. You are the one..." The smile on her lips faded and her body relaxed as her eyes stared off into the nothing behind me.
   "No," I whispered. "No, Adri no!" I held her tight and cried into her shoulder. "Adriana..."

~Chapter 32~

   "They're not stopping. They're killing anyone who stands in their way and they're headed straight for here."

   "How much time do we have?"

   "Not a lot," Miranda said as she rushed in. "Caleb, Adriana, you must get out of here, Heaven can not lose you."

   "We will go nowhere," Adriana said. She took my hand and we shared a look that said we were on the same page.

   "We will stay and fight," I said, "and if we do not win then we will die trying." Miranda nodded with a sad smile, then turned and ran out the door. Then Adriana turned to Ai.

   "Ai, go."

   "No." She stood firm.

   The door burst open and men with blood-stained swords and folded black wings on their backs rushed in. I immediately stood between them and the girls, defending them as the men advanced. But, of course, some got past me.

   "Ai, go!!" Adriana screamed. I heard her sword clash with another.

   "But-!"

   "No! You have to get out of here! Caleb and I will take care of them! You remember what I told you right!?"

   "Yeah, but-"

   "Ai!" I yelled. "Get out of here!!"

   Ai backed out towards the door. "I'll save you," she yelled, "both of you! I promise!"

   And then she was gone and Adriana and I were left to fight the demons. Since we died, we had both learned sword fighting skills as a fun pastime in the afterlife, and we'd gotten quite good at it. As the minutes went by, more and more demons fell around us. Just the two of us took on so many, as they kept coming and coming in waves at a time. But we held our ground, and we fought. Finally, there was not another wave. We looked at each other, completely exhausted, drenched in sweat, and covered in small drops of blood. I noticed some blood on Adri's forehead was her own.

   "You're hurt," I said. I tore off a strip of my shirt and wiped off the blood.

   "I am?" There was actually quite a bit of blood rushing out.

   "Yeah, it's a pretty bad gash. You're going to need stitches." I wrapped the strip of cloth around her head, covering the gash and soaking up the blood.

   "I hadn't even noticed."

   "Aw, did the delicate princess get hurt?" We both looked to the doorway to see a man leaning against it. He was about our age, tall, muscular, with short black hair and dark eyes.

   I turned to address him and pushed Adri behind me. "She's not a princess, she's a queen. May I assume you are to blame for all this death and destruction?"

   The man raised his eyebrows as he looked around the room. "All this death was caused by you two, not me." He took a few steps into the room. "My name's Kris, and I've taken control of Hell. Yes, I began the war. I encouraged the demons to attack.
   "You will pay for what you have done," I said as I once again weilded my sword. He slowly, deliberately took out one as well.
   Then, with an evil smirk on his face he said, "Make me pay."

~Chapter 31~

   I looked up at her. Her eyes were red, not unlike my own, and they showed an emotion I had seen on her face before. It was one of hope, but one that remained frightened. She wore it every time we made up after a fight.
   Sorry Adriana, we're not making up this time.
   "Adriana." She stood and didn't hesitate to step into the knee-deep water to walk over to me.
   "Why are you here?" She stood just barely out of my reach, afraid to approach me further.
   "Why are you?"
   "Because this is where I come when I'm frustrated."
   I nodded. "Likewise."
   "Why are you frustrated?" She looked genuinely worried. What a load of crap.
   "Isn't exactly easy to find out someone you love hates you." I looked away from her and decided to focus on the sky over the edge of the waterfall instead. She turned to look that way as well.
   "I know exactly how that feels," she said as if she had tasted something bitter.
   "Do you Adriana?" I asked, my anger reflecting in my voice. I once again turned and looked at her.
   "Yes, of course I do Caleb, or do you not remember you leaving me?"
   "I remember you turning your back on me when I needed you, whereas I would have given anything, anything at all, to stay by your side because I loved you so much."
   "Turning my back on you!? I did no such thing! You left me Caleb, you left me for...for them! For God's sake Caleb how could you do that!? How could you leave with the demons!?"
   "They have done nothing wrong! They have been forced to watch as corruption took over Heaven and were only trying to protect it!"
   She paused and looked more frustrated than ever, as if trying to wrap her mind around something. "What sort of crap have they been feeding you!? Corruption!? Caleb, corruption isn't possible! It's Heaven for crying out loud, the only souls that end up there are the good ones! You were the freaking King are you saying you were corrupt!?"
   "No!" We were both silent for a minute.
   "You're saying I was corrupt." It was a statement, not a question. And the look in her eyes was that of complete, total, betrayal.
   "Yes. And I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen again." Her eyebrows creased, and then widened when she saw the sword I pulled out.
   "No." She shook her head. "No, no, Caleb, no." Tears began to fall from her eyes. I lunged at her and she ducked out of the way. "Caleb, stop!" I lunged at her again and she ran around to the other side of me. "I was never corrupt! We were happy and at peace, as we had been for so long, until Kris took control in Hell!  Do you not remember!? He one day attacked without warning, he started the war!" I turned and lashed out at her, faster this time. I scratched her arm but she still managed to dodge my attack. "Caleb! He killed us!!"
   And then I froze.
   He killed us.
   Those three words struck me like lightning as they unlocked a memory that had been buried deep in my mind.

~Chapter 30~

   How can Liliana say that!? Caleb would never try to kill me! Even if they've twisted him into a demon that's impossible! I love him, I always have and I always will and I know he loves me too! Our love was never a lie not in this lifetime and certainly not in the last, so how could Caleb EVER try to kill me!? He couldn't! He wouldn't. That's not possible.

   In my frustration I'd ran to the town park where Caleb and I had our first date, in this lifetime that is. We hadn't even planned it. Caleb had suddenly showed up at my house with a white lily, wearing a light grey v-neck t-shirt and faded jeans. He took my hand without asking and we walked across town to the park. Then, when we were sitting on the edge of the fountain, my flower fell in the water. I jumped in to go get it, because I'm dumb like that, and Caleb came in after me. When I caught it we were in the middle of the pool, standing kind of close to the waterfall it led into. I picked up the flower and then stood up straight to find Caleb standing less than a foot away, smiling down at me. I asked what? And he said, "Miss Adriana, you are the silliest girl I have ever met." Then he paused as I looked away. "And the most beautiful." And then I looked back up at him. And he didn't put his hand on my cheek, nor on my shoulder, nor anywhere. He didn't touch me. He just bent down and kissed me. Soft and sweet and beautiful and perfect and just like a first kiss even though it technically wasn't.

   Then we of course got in trouble for being in the pool and were kicked out, but it was still the best day I'd ever had.

   That was just a year ago. Look at how far we've come.

   I sat in the very place we were sitting when the lily fell in the water. The sun was starting to set. I would need to get home soon. But my feet were glued down, my legs wouldn't move. I didn't want to leave this place, I didn't want to go home and pretend everything was perfectly fine. Not again. Not tonight. I just wanted to sit here in the park and cry. No one was here anyway, it was getting late, who comes to the park at this time? Only depressed girls.

   I heard a noise behind me in the water. I turned to look to see what it was and I saw...

   "Caleb."

~Chapter 29~

   Adriana is crying again. But this time it's different. These tears are out of frustration, not sadness. She's screaming and throwing things around her room.
   "Why Caleb, why!?" Why? Why what? "Why would you turn on me!? How!?" Me!? She  turned on me! "I loved you more than anything and you left me! You turned and walked away with HIM! Why!? How could you!? How could you betray me like that!?" I never betrayed anyone! I was betrayed!
   "I HATE YOU!!!"

   "ADRI!!" I sprang up from my bed and then immediately punched the wall next to me, where there was already a dent forming. Damn it!! Another dream! Why!? Why would she show me a dream of her saying she hates me!?
   I was suddenly dizzy and laid back down. Wooziness from sleep, I told myself. It mucks up the mind and makes it unclear. It always does.
   I hate you.
   Adri hates me.
   I...
   Adri, I...
   I sighed.
   I have no idea.
   Why!?
   A wave of anger washed through me. I left because you betrayed me Adri! I never betrayed you, it was you all along!! And now YOU hate ME!?
   No.
   That's not how this kind of thing works.
   You don't have the right to hate me, Adri. That's for me to do.
   If you hate me so much then why are you still contacting me!? Just stop it!
   Just stop it.
   Stop contacting me.
   Stop being connected to me.
   Stop.

~Chapter 28~

   Crap! It must not have worked! I haven't heard anything from Ai saying she'll come help so my mind message must not have reached her! RRRGG! What am I going to do!?

   "Liliana!" I looked up to see Adriana walking toward me. I'd still been sitting down in the trees behind the school, gripping my head in my hands, trying, desperately, to think of something I could do.

   I stood up and tried to smile at her. "Hey Adri." She scowled at me. "Liliana, I know you're only used to keeping stuff from me, but you've got to understand, the Adriana you're talking to now has lived three lifetimes and remembers them all. You can't keep secrets from me anymore." She looked strong, and stubborn, as always, but now I could see the woman that had once been Queen.

   So I took a deep breath. "Caleb is going to try to kill you." Adriana made a face that was similar to a child's face the first time they taste broccoli.

   "What?"

   She took a step back. "Look, I don't know what Kris did, but he somehow made Caleb so mad he wants to kill you, and he's going to try to today."

   "No." Adriana shook her head and took a step back.

   "Wait, Adri, let me-"

   "No! Caleb wouldn't do that!" She stumbled back another couple steps.

   "Adri, I saw it! But-"

   "No! No!!" And she turned tail and fled.

   "No! Adri!" But she was gone.

~Chapter 27~

   Die...

   Someone is going to die...

   DIE!

   The screaming voice was panicked, scared, desperate. It struck me so hard I fell off the bed, landing on the ground with a loud thud!

   "Ow..." I heard a shifting in the bed and looked up to see the beautiful light-haired girl in the white lacy nightgown looking down at me, confused from sleep.

   "What are you doing down there?" She murmured.

   I rubbed my head and grumbled, "I fell off the bed."

   She plopped her head down on the pillow and rubbed the place I was laying. "Well come back, I'm cold." I let out a small laugh and got back in the bed under the covers. She then scooted into my arms and I placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you Nolan," she whispered. I kissed her again.

   "I love you too Ai." Ai soon fell fast asleep, but I was left laying awake, unable to shut my eyes again. I knew that dream was important. I need to tell Ai what it said. But then I looked down at her. She was so calm, so relaxed, so at peace. She hadn't been like this in so long. She deserves one complete night of peaceful sleep. I'll tell her in the morning.