• Prologue

    The Antediluvians are the eldest of our kind. They are the only ones alive from the beginning of Heaven’s War, the war of demons and angels. This pointless war has gone on since men learned to hate. We demons were once angels, but we became tainted by the hatred, and they took our wings away. Our kind then merged with souls of the humans who could not pass on. This caused the Mortal World to split into two, forming earth and Hell. However, the angels protect their beloved humans, so we cannot expand. Our race is that of a dying one.
    Chapter 1: Aria

    “MOM! Where is my mask?” I yelled down the stairs.
    “What do you need it for? Why would you want to hide that beautiful face of yours?” She yelled back in her perfect British accent. She was over excited that I was actually participating in a social event, mainly because she was a chaperone. She was going as Queen Elizabeth.
    “It’s a MASQUERADE, Mom. Masks are kind of required!” I was going as a fallen angel, complete with black feathery wings and a cranberry red halter dress that would be used later at the prom. My mask was made with black feathers, designed to be held up next to my face.
    “It’s on the kitchen table, if you insist on wearing crow’s feathers on your face.” Her tone was calm, but her disappointment was obvious.
    I dug in my closet looking for the matching black heels that I bought, or rather my mother forced me to buy.
    “Oh where are they?!” I muttered under my breath impatiently, glancing at the clock and panicking more upon realizing that there was only seven minutes left before we had to leave.
    “Finally!” I shouted.
    “What are you yelling about now?”
    “Um, I just found my shoes.”
    “Well hurry up we are going to be late.” She said impatiently.
    “Alright, alright. Gosh woman.” I muttered, slipping on my shoes and dashing down the stairs.
    My mother was waiting in the living room holding my mask, her mask, and impatiently tapping her foot.
    “Are you ready yet?”
    “Yes, mom.” I replied rolling my eyes and taking my mask from her.
    Ten minutes later we were pulling into the school parking lot.
    “Mom do I have to go in cuz you know I could just wait in the car, and um…make sure no one steals it.” I begged.
    “No! Come on, we still have to finish setting up.”
    “But mommy that’s your job, and besides I’m grounded.”
    “What are you talking about?” She demanded impatiently.
    “I didn’t clean my room before we came.”
    She just rolled her eyes, took me by the wrist, and dragged me inside.

    Even I had to admit that the place looked magnificent. There were black and orange streamers surrounding our school colors of purple and gold. Only three of the usual eight tables were set up. The rest had been cleared for dancing. One table was dedicated to food and drinks.
    So far the only people here were the chaperones and their various kids, all two of them, both of which were preps, and I had never gotten along with them. I leaned against the wall waiting for something entertaining to come along.
    Thirty minutes later the doors were being opened to the general student body.
    As soon as she spotted me, Audra ran toward me. She was dressed as Cat Woman, whip and claws included.
    “Oh! You look great!” She squealed like the girl she is. “Who are you supposed to be?”
    “I” I said dramatically, “ am …”(insert dramatic pause here) “a…wait for it…Fallen Angle.”
    “So, since when do angles have wings?” She asked me her eyebrows arched to the ceiling.
    “I meant AnGEL not AnGLE!” I said in an exasperated voice.
    “Oh right. O-M-G is that Adrian I see?”
    “Shut-up. Someone is going to hear you!”
    “Hear what?” The voice was impossible not to recognize, it was Adrian .
    “Huh?”
    “Oh, never mind.” He said in the soft purr that was his voice.
    I punched him playfully in the arm.
    “Ow.” He muttered. I guess I punched him too hard.
    “By the way, WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?”
    “Don’t you recognize me?”
    “Oh my gosh, you did not dress up as Tuxedo from Sailor Moon!”
    “Oh yes I did!” He snapped his fingers, other hand on hip.
    “And I thought Zach was the only circle in our group of lines.”
    “What about me?” Zach’s high pitched voice echoed loudly in the cafeteria.
    “Oh I was just telling Adrian what an absolutely fabulous couple the two of you would make.” I said in a mocking tone.
    “Oh really! Nobody told me Adrian was gay, now I don’t have to hide my feelings for you any longer. By the way, I adore the Tuxedo costume, babe.” He said in a highly girly voice that would have put the preps to shame.
    “Sorry Zach, I don’t roll that way…YET.”
    “Aha! I still have a chance.” At that moment I realized that Zach was wearing a BARBIE outfit, nails painted and everything.
    “Alas, what lies beyond thou window break? ‘Tis the east and Adrian is the sun.” Zach was in love with Shakespeare.
    “Oh god, not that again.” Adrian rolled his eyes.
    “You know what, Adrian. That is it! We are sooo over!”
    “Oh guys stop it! Come on let’s dance, I mean we are at a ball.” Audra broke in for the first time.
    “Audra, stay out of this! Well, you know what, Zach, I think that fern over there is way hotter than you’ll ever be!” Adrian pointed at ME.
    “So I’m a fern, now?” I asked in false anger.
    “Hey! Not just a fern but a very sexy fern.” Adrian corrected.
    “’I still have freaking branches!”
    “Well I am thirsty and the punch bowl is calling me, anyone care to join me?” Audra asked breaking up our fun again.
    “Honey, I’ll go with you, but the punch isn’t what I’m looking at.” Zach responded. He was such a girl.
    “You and me both.”
    ***

    It was just Aria and me left in our little corner. She was so beautiful standing there under the glow of the rotating lights.
    “So…” was the only thing I could manage at the time.
    Out of the corner of my eye I saw Audra and Zach gesturing something. It was like playing charades. It took me a minute to realize what they were trying to tell me, and as if cued by their brilliant miming skills a slow song, the first one of the night, came on.
    “Ask her to dance!” they were practically screaming at me.
    “Ummm… so…” I couldn’t get the words out for some reason.
    “…” It was like she was actually waiting for me to ask.
    Before I knew it, Zach stormed over.
    “You. Her. Dance. NOW.” He pushed me towards her. “Now if you don’t mind I have a totally hot guy to check out.” At that he spun on his heal and marched back to where Audra was ogling at some guy.
    “So, um… Aria do you want to dance?”
    “Ferns can’t dance, you know! Even the sexiest ones have roots.”
    “You aren’t a fern.” I said in a slightly exasperated tone.
    “Ya think! Well, if you insist.”
    After we set our masks down on the nearest table, I nervously led her to the dance floor.
    ***

    I could feel the blood rushing to my face as Adrian and I danced. I never really thought of him as a dancer, but he was leading me so easily and in perfect time with the music. I wondered if he could hear how loud my heart was pounding. I would definitely have to thank Zach for this later.
    “You are a surprisingly good dancer.” His voice brought me out of my trance.
    “Is that an insult or a compliment?” I dared not drop my guard.
    “Compliment.” He smiled warmly.
    “Thanks. Then, I guess I could say the same about you. You are leading a klutz, after all, and I have yet to step on your feet.” I still wasn’t sure if I was really awake or not.
    “Well, I guess that’s a good thing.” I couldn’t tell if he was laughing or not.
    As I spun around the room with Adrian , I noticed my mother smiling in approval.
    “You’re beautiful.” I heard Adrian whisper.
    “What?” I couldn’t believe what he had just said.
    “Oh, nothing.” He, a guy, was actually near blushing.
    “Tell me.” I demanded.
    “I said, you are beautiful.” He spoke seriously.
    “Uh-huh. How much is Zach paying you for this?” I was now in utter disbelief.
    “Nothing.”
    “Audra?”
    “Nope.”
    “So, you’re serious.”
    “For once, I am.” I was about to die. There I was, hearing everything I wanted to hear; dancing with the guy I’d been crushing on for six years. It couldn’t be real. I actually pinched myself.
    “What’d you do that for?” Adrian asked me, confused.
    “To make sure I wasn’t dreaming.” I blushed, not believing what I had just said.
    “You know something, Aria. You are my Sailor Moon,” and then he was leaning closer. His lips just inches from mine. I felt my heart literally STOP beating as he kissed me.
    “My baby’s first kiss! PICTURES!!!!!!!!” My mom came out of nowhere. The heat rushed to my face as she snapped nearly a dozen pictures.
    “MOM!” I yelled. Adrian was practically having a laughing seizure.
    “I’m sorry, honey. Okay, just ignore my presence. I can’t help a Kodak moment, you know.”
    By now it seemed like the entire crowd was staring at me. Then, thank God, Zach showed up and saved me from my utter humiliation.
    “O-M-G! It’s like, Colby Kissinger! He is so totally hot!” Just about everyone turned towards the door in time to see Colby walking through the door, and as Zach had planned, I am sure, the crowd dispersed. And I never thought I would have a use for annoying jocks, though you got to hand it to the gay guy. He had more guts than anyone else I knew.
    “Zach, I am forever in your debt.” I made a deep curtsy. “Aria Isabelle Dowry at your service.”
    “Oh, you don’t owe me anything, girl. Just let me make you over for your DATE with Adrian .”
    “What date? He didn’t ask me out.”
    “Not yet, honey.” As if a sign from the heavens, Beauty and the Beast, the song, came on. At that moment I felt like I was living a fairytale. Adrian pulled me onto the dance floor and we were dancing again.
    “So…” Adrian started, AGAIN.
    “Yeah…. Sorry about my mom.” I blushed. I was doing a lot of that lately.
    “It’s fine. She is a mom, after all. It’s kind of their job.” He was sooo understanding.
    “Ugh! Do I have to do EVERYTHING?!” Zach was as impatient as ever. “You, my friend, are supposed to ask her to dinner. Don’t you watch romantic comedies, or Disney channel?”
    “Do you want to go to a movie?” Adrian asked, nervously. I still was having trouble believing that I made him nervous.
    “Movies work, too.” Zach nodded in approval.
    “Sure, that would be great.” I was almost sure I was dead and had gone to heaven. My dreams aren’t even this nice. Also, I didn’t show up NAKED to the dance- a tell-tale sign of dreaming.
    “What I’d miss?” Audra was clueless as to the past twenty minutes of my life.
    “Only EVERYTHING!” Zach shouted at her.
    “So they’re…together.”
    “Oh yes.”
    “FINALLY! It took them long enough.”
    “Huh?” Adrian and I said, in unison.
    “Nothing you would understand. Audra, come. Let’s leave these two alone.”
    “We are at a school sponsored event-there is no alone.” I reminded them since they seemed to be in a dream world.
    “Okay, fine. Let’s go ogle at that guy over there so that these two can enjoy their evening together without the accompaniment of their useless friends.” Zach amended in a falsely offended tone.
    “Oh stop. The ball wouldn’t be any fun if you guys disappeared.” I said to afraid to be left alone with Adrian again. This was all so very new to me. I have a grand total of three friends and never a boyfriend.
    “Yeah, you guys shouldn’t abandon your friends like that, what kind of friends are you?” Adrian cut in. something told me he was just as nervous as me. Call it a hunch. I mean it’s not like I was getting that from the fact that he wouldn’t look directly at me and I could see that he was sweating a little more than called for since the air conditioner ran constantly. It couldn’t be over seventy in here.


    ........... To be continued …………