chapter 1

A pair of eyes opened slowly, a small groan coming from their owner as the bright lights blinded him. He quickly tried to turn over, but that proved difficult. Everything was sore. It felt like he hadn't moved in ages. He tried opening his eyes again, and this time the lights weren't so bright. It's not like the room was anything to really look at though. The walls were white, the ceiling and floor were white, and even the bed he was currently lying in was white. It was all so bright to him.

He sat up slowly, placing a hand against his forehead as it began to ache. He then noticed that there were bandages wrapped around it. He looked to his arms and noticed that they too had bandages. He also noticed that his robes were gone, leaving him in only his black pants. He quickly reached to his neck, sighing in relief when he felt the beaded chain of his necklace. At least he hadn't lost it.

He turned his eyes to the bed sheets, searching his mind for an answer as to what had happened. He had been falling, and then he had slammed into something hard. That was all he could remember. He began to wonder just how badly he had hurt himself. He couldn't quite remember what had happened to him or how he had gotten to this world. Why had he been falling? Something about this just didn't feel right.

The door to the room opened, and he snapped his head in that direction. A woman dressed in a white nurse's outfit stepped in, flashing him a kind smile. He only stared back at her, not saying anything.

"It's good to see you're awake," she said to him as she looked through the pages on your clipboard. "According to this, your injuries were minimal, but you must've taken a pretty nasty hit to the head. Anyway, enough about that. You have a visitor." On cue, another woman walked in, this one being much younger than the first. She was dressed strangely in black and white, but it only made her bright green eyes stand out more. Her hair was almost as dark as her black skirt. She had a smile on her face as she walked into the room.

The nurse left, closing the door behind her as the other woman pulled up a chair next to his bed. He just studied her for a while, not saying anything. He couldn't help but wonder who she was and why she had wanted to see him. And what was with that smile? What was she so happy about?

"I'm glad to see you're alright," she said, her smile only widening. "I'm Jaids. What's your name?" He was silent, so she took the moment to study him a bit. She already knew he wasn't your average teenaged boy. That was evident by his strange clothing and the pair of wings she had seen. However, there was something else. His eyes were open now, and she could see them clear as day. She was sure that even if the room was pitch black, she would see them shining in the darkness. His eyes were the purest shade of crimson she had ever seen. Was that natural, or was he wearing contacts? She wasn't quite sure.

"…It's Arius," he answered at last, his voice lacking any emotion. The very tone of his voice would give someone the impression that this wasn't a man to mess with. It was a bit deep, but he didn't sound any older than the boys at her school.

"It's nice to meet you, Arius," Jaida said brightly. "Mind if I ask you a question?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "Why were you on the roof of my school?"

"I fell," he answered.

"From where?" she asked, earning her a glare saying that he wasn't going to tell her, nor did he want to. "Okay then, you don't have to tell me. I'm just glad I found you when I did. You were in pretty rough shape." This drew Ariu's attention. He remembered falling and crashing, but he couldn't remember how he had gotten so beaten up. Then the same question of why he had been falling soon flooded back to his mind. This was all so very confusing. However, he understood one thing at least. This girl was the reason he was here. She had helped him out, so he owed her. There was a certain amount of honor he had to uphold. He would find a way to repay the favor.

"Was there anyone else?" he asked her, earning him a look of confusion from Jessie.

"What?" she asked, not quite hearing the question.

"Was anyone else with you when you found me?" he repeated.

"Just my teacher, but he came quite a bit after I did." Something seemed to be troubling Arius, and Jaida had a sneaking suspicion that it was about his wings. "Don't worry," she told him with a smile. "I won't tell anyone about your wings." Jaida was soon overwhelmed with a sense of fear as Arius snapped his full attention to her, a deep glare on his face. His hand shot out, locking around her throat.

"You saw that?" he asked her in a dangerously low voice. Jaida could only nod as he tightened his grip on her neck. "Then I'm sorry, human, but I can't allow you to live."

"Wait," she managed to get out, opening her bright green eyes to look back into his hard crimson ones. "Please stop. I can help you." She felt a small moment of relief as confusion washed through his eyes, but he quickly smirked, and she was surprised at how wicked he looked in that moment.

"Help me?" he practically laughed. "Help me how? You're nothing but a human."

"You're not used to being here, right?" she asked him, and this time he didn't respond. He only stared at her, allowing her to continue. "Humans aren't used to seeing people like you. You need to blend in, and I can help. I can provide you with a cover up so you'll appear like a human to the rest of the city." Surprisingly enough, Arius released her throat, and she inhaled deeply, rubbing at the sore skin. She was sure he left a few bruises with that stunt. At least he seemed to be thinking about her offer.

"Very well," he said at last, and Jaida sighed in relief. "However, know this. If you tell anyone about me, I won't hesitate to kill you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she told him, managing a small smile. She wouldn't slip up. She wasn't stupid. Now that they were on friendlier terms, she had a few more questions for him. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded, signaling for her to continue. "Exactly what are you? Are you an angel?" She shrank down into her seat when she saw the anger return to his features. His eyes were flaring with a fire as bright as his crimson irises.

"How dare you?" he asked her angrily. "Don't insult me like that! I'd never be associated with those cretins!"

"Okay, sorry," she told him, trying to get him to calm down. "Man, usually calling someone an angel is a compliment." Arius just gave a small, arrogant sounding laugh before he smirked widely.

"I forgot," he began. "You humans still refer to angels as messengers of God. You don't even have a word for what I am or for what a real angel is."

"Well, if you're not an angel, then are you a demon?" she questioned curiously.

"Again, don't insult me," he said while crossing his arms and scowling, something she was sure he did a lot of, because he was very good at it. "I'm a Deslyan, and before you ask what that is, don't. I've said enough as it is." Before Jaida could ask anymore questions, he swung his legs over the bedside and stood up, stretching a little. His muscles all hurt, but he was going to ignore it for now.

"Come on," he said as he began heading for the door.

"What?" she questioned, getting up to follow him.

"I'm fine now," he told her. "I'm ready to leave." He already had his hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it.

"You can't," she stated. "You have to check out. If you try to leave without paying the bill…" Then she realized that that would be horrible. They'd try to force him to stay, and there was no way he'd stand for it. He'd destroy whoever got in his way. Perhaps they'd have to sneak out.

"Pay?" he asked. "As in money?" She just nodded. "Don't have any." Jaida sighed, realizing that for the good of the people in the hospital, they'd have to sneak out. No matter how much Arius wanted to blend in, she honestly doubted he'd let anyone get in the way of him and whatever mission he was on. That was something else she'd have to ask him about.

"Then I guess we'll have to sneak out," she said, giving a defeated sigh. Arius only smirked and walked over to the window, easily lifting it open. "What are you doing?" He must have sensed the fear in her voice, because he only smirked more and put one foot onto the windowsill.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" he asked her arrogantly, enjoying the rather annoyed and scared look on her face.

"You can't! You'll…"

"I fell from the sky," he reminded her. "I don't think this'll kill me." He crouched down on the windowsill, preparing to jump.

"But someone'll see you," she insisted.

"No they won't." He glanced around a bit, looking for an area that was a little less populated. "Just meet me at that store over there, the one with the bench in front of it." Before she could confirm the location of the area he meant, he had leapt out the window.

Jaida walked down the street, her book bag hanging on her shoulder. In her arms were Arius' black robes that she had taken with when she left the hospital. She had gotten lucky that no one had stopped her in the hallway. She figured that as long as they didn't know Arius' name, they wouldn't be able to find out about him. After all, he had no residence, no parents (at least on this planet), and no last name. How could they possibly track him down?

Eventually, Jessie managed to get to the store he had been talking about. Arius was there, sitting on the bench, a rather impatient scowl plastered across his face. He stood up as she approached, grabbing his robes out of her hands.

"Took you long enough," he snapped as he pulled his robes on. They fell just above his knees, but they were rather form fitting, made up of two layers of fabric. They hugged every aspect of his body, minus his legs.

"Let's go," said Jaida, trying to be nice to the rather cold and arrogant young man. He had a serious attitude problem. It's not like she could really blame him much. He wasn't human, and he was probably raised to think of them as nothing more than miserable insects.

Jaida began to walk down the street, and Arius soon fell into step beside her. He had his arms crossed as he walked, his eyes constantly glancing around. He seemed rather curious of all the different buildings and all of the very different people. He had probably never seen anything like this before. It was hard to tell if he found the city fascinating or just plain boring.

"What now?" he finally asked her as they walked.

"Well," she began, glancing at him. "I guess it's a good thing you like black, because that's what color the uniforms are for my school."

"School?" he questioned, sounding both curious and uninterested. Jaida already knew he'd be a hard one to understand. He just kept getting more complicated.

"Yes, school," she told him. "It's a place where we learn things."

"I know that," he told her sternly. "Why do I have to go?"

"Because all teenagers go to school," she explained. "Besides, in order for you to have a cover story, you'll have to go to school. You'll be staying at my house, and my mom would get suspicious if you didn't act like a normal teenager." Arius just gave an annoyed sounding growl and turned away from her, his scowl getting worse by the second. It was somewhat entertaining for her as she stifled a small laugh. She didn't want to upset him, after all.

Jaida glanced down at her wrist, watching the hands on her clock. It was only four thirty. The school wouldn't officially close until seven, so they still had time to get a few things done. She sped up a bit, and Arius easily fell back into step beside her.

"Just where are we going?" he asked her.

"To my school," she told him, earning her a questioning glance from the boy. "You see, my school's a bit different. Only the rich or the smart can get in. In order to attend the school, you have to take an entrance exam. It'll determine whether or not you can attend and then how much money it'll cost." She seemed a little nervous as she looked up at him, meeting his intense gaze. "Do you think…you can pass? And not only pass, but could you get every question right?"

"Why?" he asked her, raising one eyebrow.

"You see…" she began, seeming just a little embarrassed. "I can attend that school because of my grades. My mom doesn't pay anything. However…you don't have a way of paying, and I can't ask someone to pay the money for you, so…"

"So if I wanna blend in, I need to pass the test." He gave a rather tired sigh. "Being human is harder than I thought it would be," he mumbled under his breath.

"Can you do it?" she asked him.

"As long as it's not history. Otherwise, the rest of your knowledge is rather basic. What's on the test exactly?"

"Math, science…some reading and interpretation stuff…" she began, trying to recall the way it was when she had had to take it. "It's pretty easy."

"Don't worry then," he told her smugly. "I'll pass." Jaida only smiled, seeming a bit smug herself.

"Good," she told him slyly. "Because you're going to take it now." His posture faltered a bit, but he quickly straightened himself back out.

"Fine," he stated. "It doesn't matter." She hoped it wouldn't. The outcome would definitely affect her cover story, especially since the story she had to feed her mother and the one she would tell the school were a bit different. She was still working through the details, trying not to leave any openings for questions. She didn't want anyone to become suspicious of Arius, considering the fact that he was already suspicious enough the way it was.

It didn't take long to reach the school building, and Arius was impressed that it was so large. There were obviously a lot of kids that attended it. This wasn't just your average public high school, not in the least. He began to wonder why he had been dropped off here of all places. What had his people been thinking?

He followed after Jaida as she passed right through the gates, which were currently opened. The entrance to the school was led to by a paved pathway. There was a grassy yard all around it, the area being encased by a rather high stone wall. The gates they had just come through were made of metal bars, spanning the same height as the brick wall. It wasn't just a school, was it? It seemed pretty well protected, what with the gate and the wall. Then again, this was a school for the rich and smart. They obviously had a lot of money, because the majority of the kids probably couldn't pull straight A's.

They both walked casually into the building as if they owned it. Arius followed Jaida down a hallway and towards a room that was still glowing with soft white light. There were people inside who seemed to be working on something. Arius followed silently as Jaida led him into the room. He wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to do, so he decided to just stay quiet.

"Excuse me," began Jaida, drawing the attention of a man dressed in a gray business suit.

"Ah, Ms. Carlson," he said with a warm smile. "What brings you here?"

"This is Arius," she introduced, motioning to him with a smile. "He'd like to take the entrance exams." The man in the gray suit turned his attention to Arius, giving him a skeptical look. Arius didn't falter once under the man's gaze, obviously not intimidated at all by him. This was a larger man, well over six feet. He didn't tower too far over Arius, but it was enough so that he could look down on the boy. None of this seemed to bother the Deslyan, and Jaida knew why. To him, even this man was nothing more than an insect that he could crush easily if given a reason.

"Very well," said the older man as he went over to a desk and opened a drawer. Inside were a bunch of paper packets. He pulled one out and then took a mechanical pencil from his desk. He walked over and handed them both to Arius. "You have until seven o'clock to finish."

"Fine by me," he said as he turned towards the doorway.

"You can take it in the classroom across the hallway," the man told him before leaving the area, heading back into his own room inside the office. Jaida then turned to Arius before he could walk out the door.

"Remember, you have to pass," she told him.

"I know," he told her, sounding a bit agitated. "It'd be an insult to my people if I didn't." With that said, he walked off, leaving her alone in the office, alone to wait for the next two hours. At least now she could get her homework done early. Something told her she'd need the weekend free. There were a lot of preparations that needed to be made if Arius was going to stay with her and her mother. She still had to work on his story a bit. Everything had to be perfect. There was no room for error on her part. If she didn't keep her end of the promise, there was no doubt in her mind that he'd dispose of her.

Jaida kept glancing over at Arius as they walked. There was a disbelieving look upon her face as she watched the way he strolled down the street. He strutted as if he was better than all of them, as if everyone should make room as he came by. He was arrogant, proud, and incredibly smart. The principal had sent the test through their automated grader, and it had stated that Arius hadn't missed a single question. Not only that, but he had finished the test fairly quickly. The principal had announced that he didn't need to pay for his attendance. The plump man even gave him a uniform and said that he couldn't wait to see Arius in school on Monday.

Jaida returned her attention to the streets. It was starting to get dark again, and her mother would worry about her if she stayed out for much longer. At least she wasn't alone. Even if it did get dark, no one would even dare attack her if she stayed with Arius. He was rather intimidating, what with his scowl still present across his face.

"We're here," announced Jaida as she turned to face her house. Arius didn't ask any questions, nor did he make a single comment about its size. He only followed after her as she walked up to the door and opened it. "I'm home, mom," she called out as she took her shoes off and kicked them aside.

Arius glanced around the entryway, making sure to close the door behind him. He was rather fascinated really. After all, he had never seen a house quite like this. He had never seen a city this large before either. Human technology was interesting, and he realized that there was quite a bit he'd have to learn about. That or he could just pretend nothing interested him. That would probably be the safest way to go, but he knew he wouldn't be able to repress all of his questions.

"Hello Jaida," greeted her mother as she walked into the entryway. "I'm glad you're back. I was beginning to worry." Her eyes then fell on Arius, who was just standing there, glancing around. "Well Jaida, who's this?" she asked with a smile.

"His name's Arius," Jaida introduced, and he only nodded in response. Jaida's mother smiled brightly at both of them before Jaida took a step forward. "Actually mom, I need to talk to you about something. Arius, you wait here, okay?" She then took her mom's arm and pulled her into the living room. They both sat down on the couch, and Arius' mother gave her daughter a questioning look.

"What is it?" she asked, wanting to know what this was all about.

"Well," Jaida began, trying to find the right way to ask this. "You see…I have to ask you something. It's about Arius." She noticed that her mother was paying full attention to what she had to say, so she took in a deep breath, preparing to tell the biggest lie she had ever told. "Well, he…you see, his parents sent him here so he could go to school," she explained. "However, he can't find anywhere to stay, and they didn't give him enough money to stay in a nice apartment. So, I was wondering…if maybe he could stay here…in the guest room." Her mother crossed her arms, her expression showing that she really was thinking about this.

"I don't know," she began. "How do you know that's really why he's here?"

"I just do," she told her mother. "Look, he needs help. He's the boy I mentioned yesterday, the one Mr. Owens and I took to the hospital. Can he please stay here? Please mom?" She was really begging now, and her mother only sighed. Out of what, Jaida didn't know, but she smiled afterwards.

"Fine," she gave in. "For now, he can stay here, but if he causes us any trouble…"

"Thanks mom," said Jaida excitedly as she stood up. Her mother followed suit, shaking her head a bit.

"I swear," she began. "You and Mr. Owens are way too much alike, always helping strangers."

"He is a good teacher," Jaida joked as she ran out of the living room, finding Arius still standing in the entryway. She winked at him and then motioned for him to follow her up the stairs. He did so, not saying a word to her. They went down the hallway, and she stopped at one of the rooms.

"This is your room," she told him, motioning to the dark area before her. She flipped a light switch, revealing a very nicely kept room. The walls were a midnight blue color. In fact, everything about the room was dark. It seemed almost perfect for the way Arius was: dark and mysterious.

"I have a question," he began as he stepped into the room. This startled Jaida a bit, but she waited there for him to ask her. "That woman was your mother, right?"

"Yeah," Jaida responded, wondering what he was getting at.

"Well, don't you humans live in family units?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to have both a mother and a father?" He watched as Jaida's bright eyes faded a bit, her smile switching from one of content to one that was forced.

"I suppose you're right," she answered, sounding insulted or maybe even hurt. "My parents are divorced, meaning my dad lives somewhere else."

"Why?" questioned Arius, probing her further even though he could see this wasn't one of her favorite topics. He was just too curious. He had never heard of this "divorced" concept.

"My mom and dad just didn't get along anymore," she explained. "So when I was seven, he left the city and moved away. I still see him though. On the longer school breaks, I go visit him, and I spend half the summer with him too." Arius watched as she fought back what appeared to be tears. "What about you?" she asked him. "What about your parents?" Arius just shrugged, giving a rather arrogant looking smirk.

"I don't have any," he told her. "Unlike you humans, we live alone. Family means nothing to me." With that said, he closed the door to his room, leaving Jaida standing outside. She sighed to herself and walked to her own room. Things were really starting to get complicated. It seemed that no matter how smart Arius was, there was still a lot he needed to learn. He knew basic knowledge, but human culture was anything but easy. She had a lot to teach him, and she was suddenly starting to dread school on Monday.

Jaida closed the door to her room and dropped her book bag. She began emptying its contents onto the floor. A bag was among her books, the one containing Arius' uniform. Along with it came his school schedule, and by her request, the principal had put him in all of her classes. It's not like he wouldn't have been anyway. Classes were arranged by skill, and he seemed just as smart as she was. She figured she'd have to help him with his homework though. It was a good thing that they didn't usually get too much, and the passing periods were long enough to get some of it done. Still, she'd have to try her best to keep him at the school. His grades wouldn't be allowed to drop, because there's no way he would be able to pay for it.

Jaida flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Things had suddenly gotten so complicated. Sometime over the weekend, she planned on asking him a few questions. It was a little hard to believe that he wasn't human. He looked like one, that was for sure. As far as she could tell, Deslyans were nothing but black winged humans who were strong enough to survive a fall that would kill any normal person. This made her wonder just why he was here. Who had sent him? What was his mission? Maybe he was there to destroy their world, to punish the human race that he seemed to hate so much. She highly doubted that though. If he had wanted to, he could have killed her and her mother so easily. Arius, just what are you after? Why do you hate humans…and the angels so much? With that last thought, she drifted off to sleep, in dire need of a good night's rest, because once she woke up, things would probably get even more complicated.