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Swann's Light Ch. 01

By: Thornerose



The kiss of autumn wind on his naked skin was as intimate as the sweep of her hot tongue over his pelvis. The dusky-gold skinned woman kneeling before him in the trash-strewn alley was no professional working the inns and streets of Bahl, but the skill she displayed as her teeth and tongue worked along his growing cock was beyond comparison to the base services such women could provide. Her black silk hair hid the silver eyes that had drawn him to her, those soft crimson lips he had hoped to taste to busy tasting him while still curled with the devilish smile she had first offered. The soft touch of her fingers was a sensual whisper along his tight stomach that drifted up and over his chest, her nails dragging lightly across the large black feather tattooed over his heart. 

Tilting her head back, the nameless woman flashed him the pert swell of her bosom, fingers lightly working at the darker gold of her nipples before sweeping down to cradle him between her breasts. Seeking his eyes amidst the wild veil of his honeyed brown hair, the woman's silver gaze soon found that every desire she had was reflected in his sharp green eyes. As the satin soft skin stroked over his hardness he let slip a long and liquid moan of delight, the added sensation of her lips working along the extra length of him offering even more pleasure. 

Staring down at her playing with his cock he could not help but savor the way his skin seemed just a hint lighter then her own, a little more golden and a little less dust. He also had to savor the effect she was having on his body.

The hardness of his shaft surprised even him, but the woman merely purred at the full thickness of him, her breasts slipping away to be replaced by the cool and gentle caress of her fingers. As those crimson lips slid down his shaft and the warmth of her mouth turned his skin red hot he felt the threads of her spell closing around them suddenly. 

Great black wings formed like smoke from her naked back, the dark feathers spreading wide to block his view of the alley then closing in around him until he floated in mass of darkness and shadow. Her lips moved so slow he thought the heat of it would drive him mad, her power spilling down his shaft and through his body to meet the threads of her spell. Together they leashed his body tightly to her control, the flare of darkness before his eyes filling with phantom colors that swirled and danced in hypnotic patterns. As his mind began to drift towards bliss, the distant sensation of heat like nothing else he had ever felt began to flow up his cock and towards the woman. 

"Angel" he whispered, just once as he used every ounce of his will to slide his fingers through her silken black tresses. He felt her pull the leash taut at the same moment his hands tightened into fists, but any pain he managed to make her feel was little more then foreplay as her spell reinforced the woman's control. The same phantom colors that swirled and danced in her wings flowed through her hair and up into his arms before they began to chill and numb. 

"Fallen Angel." her lips whispered as they slid off his shaft and laid a gentle kiss upon the crown 

"I have sinned, so many times" She said with a sultry edge that, despite knowing she would devour his soul, still managed to make his cock throb. Her head nuzzled against his hands, the strong feel of his fists making her more aroused then was sensible.

"Mmm" one slim hand drifted down her body, gliding between her thighs to work at the swelling need of her clit while the other guiding him back between her soft crimson lips. She sucked hard then as a sudden burst of fire poured up his manhood causing more of his spiritual energy, the very essence of his soul, to spill warm and hot into her waiting mouth. Each slow bob of her head, each suckling pull of her lips drained more of his power, more of his being, but it was the last drop she would save. That final spark of soul needed to be saved. 

"That's good" he whispered, the note of confidence in his voice taking a few long moments of blissful anguish to register with the fallen angels demanding needs. Her fingers worked faster, the moment of her own ecstasy so achingly close that he felt the threads of her spell weakening as more of his strength returned. Those silver eyes lifted up to meet his gaze, her body shivering as she pulled slowly off his shaft and whispered, "Do you want to help me be bad?"

The lyrical innocence in her voice almost confounded him, but as she leaned back to better display her ample breasts and the slickness that had gathered between her dusty gold thighs his hands loosened their hold on those silken black tresses. In a slow teasing motion his fingers traced over her forehead, across her cheeks, brushing her eyes closed as they slid down to trace her lips. A low moan of pleasure slipped form the angel's lips as he pushed one finger between her lips so she might stroke it with her tongue. Her eyes fluttered open, every whispered fantasy and carnal daydream he'd ever had promised to be fulfilled by the lustful silver gaze. His palm spread wide before those eyes, and a flash like a burst of sunlight exploded in the dark and trash strewn alley. 

Arching her back and wailing in pain as she rolled on the dirty back street, the man with the feather tattoo watched as the wretched creatures true form was revealed in a nightmarish strip tease. The dusty gold skin that had made her seem so exotic began to sallow and shrivel, her lush dark wings and smooth straight back becoming charred and twisted as every layer of magic she used to disguise herself was torn away. 

Rolling to her knees and crawling blindly towards the far side of the alley, the angel pushed herself up by clawing at the wall for support. Every part of her was shaking, her charred wings casting down a shower of burned feathers as she finally stood and pushed away from the wall to face him. Her limp and sagging breasts hung near her stomach, the diseased color of her skin helping to highlight every pink scar and bringing the black chain connected to her nipples and clit into stark relief. 

"The light of Avasei shows all things as they truly are," he whispered, his cock slipping limply into the dark leather of his pants before he tightened them. Anger and disbelief blazed in the blackened silver of the angel's eyes as she studied what he had done to her and began a slow rising shriek, her hands curling into claws as the tormented woman's body tensed. The pair began to circle one another, the angel's fingernails as sharp as any predator's, reminding him that she was still a deadly threat. 

"What have you done? Who are you?" she shrieked, faking a lunge before pulling back and watching him closely. The Fallen angel was testing his defenses, proving she was no novice to a streetlight, but if she hadn't managed to figure out whom he really was by now then he doubted she could finish anything she started. A smirk pulled at his lips, his feet shifting slowly and gracefully through the hunting dance of his opponent. 

"I want you to take a message to your boss." he said, stopping his movement and staring into the fallen angel's black eyes, thin threads of silver the only hint of the woman he had met not an hour before. 

She snarled at the mere mention of her boss, but everyone on the streets knew that any Fallen angel that expected to survive in Bahl worked for one man. That snarl told him more then her employer, it also showed him the measure of her dislike for the man called Churchill. That boded well; he doubted the messenger would survive very long after the delivery. 

"Tell him Swann was here" he smiled warm and genuine, a smile so charming that the Fallen Angel didn't think to close her eyes when another flash of light stole her sight and let him slip easily from the alley. 



The gleaming chrome of the elevator had long ago been enchanted to show the true reflection of whoever rode in it. As Churchill stared hard at his reflection, and that of one of the fallen angels who gathered souls for him, he felt his growing sense of revulsion slowly drifting towards rage. As far as he could tell the woman had been broken of her power, which not only drastically affected her appearance but also made her incapable of earning him any income. The urge to merely kill her when she first found him and shared her story had been pushed back out of necessity, but he had already made the decision to terminate her employment at the first opportunity. Assuming it wasn't done for him. 

The woman's reflection was as repulsive as his was beautiful, every inch of him that wasn't clothed shone like a star. His handsome face seemed sculpted from something to smooth and perfect to be flesh, his body a lean and muscled figure that only whetted the appetite of all those who glimpsed it. He had drawn in more then one angel with his smile had convinced so many to fall by filling his sky blue eyes with sympathy and passion. They melted down into sin in his arms, and when they surfaced they would do anything to please him. 

When the elevator reached the top floor of suites and stopped, the door opened to reveal one of his greatest conquests, and his greatest failure. Jessica Winters was the perfection of the female form given flesh, an Archangel whose power was eclipsed only by her beauty. Every part of her was something to be desired, from the long strands of chestnut hair to the slender thighs, her body had long ago meant to be coveted and revered. It had taken him less then an hour to seduce her out of the club he had met her in, it had taken her less then five minutes after that to learn the name of his boss and go over Churchill's head. 

"Churchill" she said coldly, her sparkling green eyes shifting from him to the wretched creature in tow. "What is that doing here?" 

He held up his hand to stall any further judgment, knowing that she had enough power to have them both removed from existence, permanently. 

"Is he in?" Churchill asked, his head nodding towards the heavy ash wood doors that led to Mr. Kole's office. He didn't wait for an answer, mostly because it always irritated her when he did. As he reached for the doors handles he heard the angel cowering behind him let slip a small whimper. For a moment he thought it was due to the man she was about to face, then his gaze settled on the intricate carvings in the door. The coldness in his smile could freeze a mortal's heart as he turned to face the wretched woman. 

Captured perfectly within the wood where the faces and figures of thousands of angels, their bodies exquisitely defined, their faces as clear as crystal. To those without magic the door might seem as no more then a macabre but obviously expensive antique. To those with power the door showed so much more. Every angel moved and writhed in carnal ecstasy, every one involved in acts so twisted they could be called torture. And for every angel, for every perfect form, there was a demon administering that brutal sensuality. Igniting their every nerve with pleasure that burned like fire. It was said that the reason every demon had the same face was because the angel's souls had all been taken by the same one, and every face was said to be a reflection of Mr. Kole. 

"Every story you've heard about it.... they are all true." He said so gently that it was almost a caress. His smile didn't fade as he pushed open the doors, nor did he stop to look at the carvings, the three robed figures standing before Mr. Kole's desk demanded as much attention and as much care as the man they had come to see. They didn't turn nor did they move out of the way, they didn't need to. Every one of the robed figures was like a thin black veil, a cloud of ethereal shadow that he could easily see through. The expression on Mr. Kole's face regarding his interruption made Churchill wish he couldn't. 

"Would you excuse us?" Mr. Kole asked. 

The three figures seemed to nod before fading away like smoke, the look in Mr. Kole's eyes one of hellish amusement. Those sharp steel eyes flicked like daggers towards the fallen angel, the man's slender mouth souring as he studied her then brought his gaze back to Churchill. 

Before Mr. Kole damned them both, Churchill found his voice long enough to whisper "He's back." 

As Ms. Winters entered the office, ushering the twisted angel inside and slowly closing the heavy ash wood doors, Churchill felt the chill of dark and powerful magic caging them in. Mr. Kole pushed away from the desk slowly; his expensive leather wrapped chair gliding away from him as he stepped around his desk and beckoned the young fallen angel closer. 

"Come here little one." He whispered, his finger crooking lightly as her head turned and her eyes became soft and dreamy. She seemed to drift across the room on some invisible thread tied to his hand, her body slipping so very close as the angel nuzzled his palm against her cheek. Her lips parted, perhaps to speak, perhaps to utter a romantic sigh, regardless Mr. Kole's long dark finger pressed softly to her lips as he whispered, "Don't speak." 

The angel let slip a gentle sigh when his finger pulled away, the feeling of her magic twisted in knots within her easing away in a wash of comforting dark energy. Her beauty slowly returned, her body arching in ecstasy as she was led by Mr. Kole's dark hand into a long and deep kiss. As the Fallen Angel's lush dark wings spread out behind her and she fell into Mr. Kole's embrace, the others in the room watched quietly while their boss devoured the woman's soul. 

Her body stiffened, a lingering scream dying before it began as the dusky gold of her skin darkened and became more ethereal. Then, like taking a slow and deep breath, the woman's body, her very soul, were drawn into Mr. Kole's lungs like the smoke from a fine cigar. Neither Churchill nor Ms. Winters needed to look to know that another angel had been carved into the door. 

Mr. Kole's eyes fluttered before he exhaled, a soft nod given if only to himself before he turned and move gracefully back to his chair. It glided into him as he sat, his fingers lacing before him as he poured over the angel's memories. 

"It would seem you are right Mr. Churchill. Our friend Swann has returned." 

"I knew the Maelstrom Brothers couldn't handle it. There was no way they killed him that easily." Churchill growled, pacing in front of Mr. Kole's desk before he finally shifted direction towards the liquor cabinet. He need not ask, instead he poured two glasses of a rare and vintage soul, delivered one to his boss and seated himself before he began sipping on his own. The swirl of the souls light contained within the glass was almost as soothing as the warm innocence it had died with. 

Mr. Kole didn't touch his drink, instead he turned his sharp steel eyes to Ms. Winters and spoke in the dark language of Ceor, pronouncing the brothers damnation with a note in his assistant's ledger. When his damning gaze turned back to Churchill, he tried to choke down the sudden urge to run. He knew better then anyone that he would never make it past the door if he did. 

"I will reach out to Mistress Black Feather tonight so she might be informed of his return." Mr. Kole said before lifting his glass. Churchill waited, the scribbling sound of Ms. Winter's note taking claiming the room for a moment while his boss savored the innocent soul. 

"Why do we need to tell her at all?" he finally asked when Mr. Kole set his drink back down. "He was working for us, that makes Swann our business." 

Mr. Kole nodded, just once, before he spoke. "Yes that is true. However since Swann was first claimed by Mistress Black Feather and is a long standing member of her organization then I am bound by contract to inform her of Swann's return and my plans for him but nothing more." Ms. Winters didn't miss a word. 

Churchill nodded, knowing enough about the intricate contracts Mr. Kole spoke about to understand the need for a sense of professionalism. Still, Swann had always been a thorn in Churchill's side and that alone was enough reason for Churchill to ask the next question he had in mind.

"Are you going to give me the job this time?" 

Mr. Kole lifted one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at the proposition. 

"Can you guarantee that you will not fail me as the brothers have Mr. Churchill?" he said softly "I would hate to lose such a valuable employee." 

Churchill could almost feel Ms. Winters smiling as she took her damn notes. 

"Yes Mr. Kole. I guarantee that I will personally deliver the soul of Joshua Swann." He said firmly, lifting his glass in salute before downing the rest of the innocent soul within. He rose, feeling the power pulsing through him as Mr. Kole nodded his consent. 

The bold look in Churchill's eyes earned him a curious smile from Ms. Winters as he passed her and left the office. 



The heavy door closed, leaving him alone with his assistant Ms. Winters. The woman who stood before him was a pale imitation of the ArchAngel Wintre, the being she truly was, but the form she had chosen still stirred the blood of mortal and demon alike. Her sharp mind had only served to strengthen all of the holdings he gave her access too, and much of his empire now ran more efficiently after her tireless efforts to control his minions bore fruit. Now there wasn't a demon in his service that was not at least as terrified of his assistant as they were of the man himself, and because of that he found himself in a position few of the other Demon Lords could boast. 

"I apologize for not stop him sir, I know how important your meeting was." Ms. Winters spoke so quietly the man barely heard her, his sharp steel eyes studying her intently as his assistant hung her head low and gazed solely at the tips of her fine leather shoes. 

"it is of no concern Ms. Winters. The Three had already made their decision before his arrival. All Mr. Churchill did was ensure that they gave him a moment of their attention, a moment to decide his fate." Mr. Kole said, his deep voice rolling through the room and sending a long shiver down his assistant's spine. 

"Will they kill him?" Ms. Winters asked, a strange note of disappointment evident in her tone. Something Mr. Kole did not miss. 

"I do not know, even I am unable to command the Three." Mr. Kole said cryptically. 

"If I may ask sir, what was their decision regarding your proposal. Shall I suspend the other operations?" Ms. Winters said softly, her head lifting and remaining high as she watched the man she had served for over a decade. 

"They have chosen to help guide things in my favor, though what outcome they have foreseen is still unclear. They did however warn me to beware the one with white feathers." He said softly, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he watched Ms. Winters mind work through the implication. 

"They were warning you about Swann." She whispered. "What does he have to do with your plans?" 

"The last job I sent Mr. Swann on was meant to bring about his death, the item I wanted him to acquire was so heavily fortified by magical and martial securities that even one of the Demon Lords would not risk trying to steal it. Naturally I assumed he would not survive. When he did and contacted me to arrange the delivery I decided to send the Maelstrom Brothers in to finish Mr. Swann, and the item." Mr. Kole said with gentle malevolence. 

His assistant heard the emphasis he had not expressed. 

"You wanted the item to be destroyed. Not Swann." She said

Mr. Kole nodded and pushed back from his desk, his chair gliding away from him as he rose to his feet and moved through the richly appointed office. It was rare, but for a moment she heard the sweet sound of his laughter, it faded as it always did but it left her warmer for hearing such music. 


Swann's Light Ch. 01



"One of the final security measures woven around the item was a spell that causes the complete destruction of the vault, and the building, that it was housed in." Mr. Kole said. 

Thorn wood furniture gleamed with magic, the wood as enchanted as the door, though laced with magics far more subtle and deadly. Here and there curios and rare artifacts were tastefully displayed. The curved grace of a sword older then most of the world rested upon a far wall, while another held a large and detailed map of the world. Mr. Kole moved past centuries of history and secrets, barely looked at the skull of an enemy that most would weep to know was truly dead. 

Instead he paused at one of three long bookshelfs, the volumes contained within so rare that they could be called unique. It took him only a moment to find the one he wanted and pull it down, his sharp eyes scanning page after page as he walked over to Ms. Winters. 

The grave seriousness in his eyes made the world stop. For the next moment, nothing mattered to the Archangel Wintre more then what he was about to say. 

"The Heart of the Sun" he said softly, pointing to a richly detailed illustration on the page. It took his assistant only a moment to read and translate the text, and by the time her eyes met his Mr. Kole knew that she understood the reason for care. 

"So where is the Heart now?" Ms. Winters asked

Closing the book Mr. Kole eyes burned with rage as he said "At home, in my personal vault." 

The fury she saw in his sharp steel eyes frightened Ms. Winters more then anything else could ever have "Then what's wrong?" 

Mr. Kole's voice seemed deeper somehow, darker. She felt the chill wind in his soul flowing through the room as he spoke softly "The Heart of the Sun is the only thing that can contain the Light of Avasei." 

He could not help but pleased at Ms. Winters quick thinking when she asked "Then how did Swann use the light on that Angel?"



In the city of Bahl there were a dozen streets where one could find a place to sate the hungers of the flesh, barter the coins of the soul or draw the dead back to the living realm. Of course all these cost far more then just money, and some debts could never be fully repaid. 

It was a matter of survival in Bahl, the city that sat proudly in the free lands caught between the Kingdom of the Damned and the Provinces of Heaven. A center for trade from both sides of an unending war, the city had grown into a strange mix of celestial and infernal citizens vying for home and hearth with the last of the human nomads. Strict trade policies and codes of conduct had long ago been instituted within the boundaries of Bahl, laws that were broken as often as they were cited, but much of the city still held to the oldest ideals of both nations. 

It was here that Joshua Swann had first been born, the child of reluctant parents whose lives were spent as much at work as at play. He could remember a few scant hours each day when his parents would both be home, a few hours of tension and anger that melted out the door as darkness settled. He could remember nights alone in one of the many small apartments his parents had dragged him to, nights listening to screams of pain or the growling of his own stomach while his mom and dad drank away what little pay they had earned. 

It wasn't long before the streets called to him too, and he learned one of the first real lessons of survival. No one makes it alone. 

He hadn't been as foolish as most of the kids in his neighborhood, hadn't joined up with the first gang that offered him a spot, didn't take the first mark offered to him just to have access to that power. It hadn't made him a lot of friends. He took more the one beating, and lost more then a few dollars, to the other kids around him for simply refusing to join in their stupidity. He also watched more then one of those kids die at ages far to young. 

It had been years before he made his first real friend, and through that friendship had earned the mark he had worn proudly all his life. After that day, the kids in the neighborhood knew better then to touch him, the thugs on the street knew better then to hassle his dad or leer at his mom. They knew that something in the dark was watching out for him and those closest to him. They knew that he had become part of a family. 

The Black Feathers had long ago earned a spot as one of the most powerful gangs in the city. Powerful, but highly selective about those they took into their house. The family had a more defined purpose then many of Bahl's gangs, operating almost exclusively as thieves and spies in the constant struggle between the two nations surrounding them. Their position of neutrality was meant to be a reflection of Bahl's own neutrality a simple statement that said the family was about business. 

The small and intimate nature of the Black Feather family had deeply affected Joshua, the early years of his training under the direct guidance of Lady Crow being among the most formative and influential of his life. Her skill with pick and blade, her knowledge of the most obscure and powerful larcenous spells, as well as her many years of experience had all had a hand in shaping him into the Master Thief he had become. She had also taught him another lesson, one much harder to learn then any other. Sometimes one could buy their way out of a family. 

Lady Crow had called it 'retirement', had claimed that after so many years and so many jobs the only challenges left were in training and even that could be better handled by others in the family. He never got the whole story, never quite found out what she paid for her 'retirement' plan. Joshua only knew that now just a few years later Lady Crow ran the most distinguished tattoo parlor in town. Bleeding Art Studios.

She didn't look up from her position behind the counter as he pushed through the shaded glass door Lady Crow didn't need to. He could feel the magic at the doors boundary, the soft veil of her power that washed over him and decided to be his friend. Not for the first time he stopped to wonder what would happen when her spell finally decided he was an enemy. When he caught her warm almond eyes and the amusement in them, he knew Lady Crow was thinking the same thing. He had disappeared rather suddenly. 

"So you've returned." She said softly before standing and moving around the counter. "Well let us take a look at you then duckling."

He snarled at the old nickname, but didn't dare disobey her either, instead he stepped forward for Lady Crow's inspection and did his best not to leer at his 'older sister'. 

He cared little for what the rumors and whispers had said when she left, Lady Crow was still a woman very much in her prime. Like him she bore some angel blood, some liaison with the light had touched her bloodline just enough to give her more then the usual bit of power. It made her, oddly, lighter. Much lighter, like him she had the weight of a feather and moved with the greatest of grace. It was a requirement for serious advancement in the family. Speed, stealth, sorcery. The arcane arts had to be as natural to the candidate as breathing, the rest as fluid as water. She had taught him all that, and every ounce of it poured out of her as she stroked her talented fingers along his arms and looked him up and down. 

He couldn't resist, not with the sweet scent of whatever she teased her dark auburn hair with filling his senses. Her skin was like pearl, the faintest hint of light ever present in each full sensual curve. In the weeks since she had first left the family Joshua learned a few other secrets about the woman he thought he knew so well. She had kept her full breasts concealed somehow, he had never asked what she did, he just knew that in the weeks after Lady Crow left her bosom doubled in size. The low cut top she wore now displayed them perfectly, tempting him to indulge his senses and lose his concentration. 

He fought back his urges by wondering what Crow saw when she looked at him, did his old teacher see the young novice still scrawny from lack of food, pale from lack of sleep. Did she see him as he had grown over the years, locking him in some pubescent body and ignoring every part of him that had grown. The question of whether Lady Crow saw the man he was, the well trained body, the firm muscle, the pale moon kissed skin? 

When his eyes lifted to meet find her fair face Joshua noticed she was still staring at his bare golden chest. "See something you like?" he asked playfully. 

The concern in her almond eyes made him shiver, the mind this 'sister' had never did make it easy for him to deceive her. "Where have you been?" 

He was shocked, frankly. It was one of the oldest rules amongst the family that when it came to the job, it was business. On rare occasions they would work together, and he knew of at least one piece in her establishment that Lady Crow had stolen so many times over her career she finally decided to buy it herself. But when it came to details of their no one in the family disclosed names, places, or items. It wasn't done. 

"You know I can't tell you that Crow" he said softly, his eyes hardening as he watched her dig in for a fight. 

"Can't or won't?" she said gently.

"Fine. I won't tell you that and you should know why, you were the one who taught me remember?" he asked, his voice growing more heated as he turned around and locked the door to ensure no one walked in one them. 

Lady Crow let slip a word in the old language that made him want to giggle. He hated when she tried that diversion to get him to open up about something he was hiding. 

"Why are you being so damned annoying Crow!" he growled at her, slipping around the counter with the familiarity of an old employee and easily finding the bottle of aged Mersian Whiskey he had procured for her last birthday. Skipping the glass resting beside it he took a long swig from the bottle before setting it down on the counter. 

She walked up to him so very slowly; her eyes downcast as she weighed over something and absently took the bottle for her own quick drink. "I heard you had died. I didn't believe it of course, not even the Maelstrom brothers could kill Joshua Swann." 

Taking another sip from the bottle, Crow handed it over to him and turned around to rest her back against the counter and look at the various tattoo examples hanging in frames on the far wall. "Why is your tattoo White Joshua?" 

"What?" he asked, his eyes immediately dropping to the black feather tattoo on his chest. The feather that had been colored black this morning. He said nothing, could say nothing. How could he explain it to her anyway? 

"Where have you been Swann?" she said again, his eyes lifting up in confusion to find her staring at him worriedly. 

"Gemisal." He said without thinking, the city deep in the Provinces of Heaven was known for its rich museums and personal collections. It was also a favorite target for the Black Feather family. "Bulcante's Vault." 

"WHAT!" Lady Crow roared, then grabbed the bottle and took a hard drink. When she was done the woman gasped, her eyes watering, but she made a motion for him to go on. 

"Some old art piece covered in black silk. I didn't even look at it, what was the point? I just tucked in my satchel and made my exit." Joshua realized he had just broken the first and most cardinal rule of the Black Feathers. 

"How did the Maelstrom Brothers find you?" she said then, guessing he had contacted his employer and arranged the drop. The simple question led her to the obvious conclusion about who had set him up, but she wanted to hear him say it. 

"Mr. Kole" he said softly. The same answer he had come to. It was time for another drink and he took one to match Lady Crow's last. 

He coughed once, shook his head then spoke slowly "They came at me just outside the rendezvous point, very casual, very intent on their target." 

Lady Crow nodded "I've heard some of this, Riel came at you with that burning fucking axe of his while Drafin worked up some kind of spell. I'm told it fell like he was birthing a nightmare for you to play with?" 

Joshua gave her a curious look then shrugged. " I don't know. I brought up a shield spell and pulled my wing blade but when his first fire wave hit me everything exploded around us." 

Lady crow nodded "We all heard it, thought it was Drafin's spell backfiring. I hear he is pushing deeper and deeper into the Chronicles." 

Joshua shook his head softly and said again "I really don't know. I was thrown by the explosion and lost consciousness. When I woke up the satchel was gone and the brothers were nowhere to be seen." 

She gave another nod and turned her gaze to the wall, letting her mind wander as Joshua walked out from behind the counter and made his way into one of the parlor's comfortable leather chairs. 

"Do you remember anything else?" Crow asked in a whisper. 

Now Joshua hesitated. This had been the reason he had sought her out. It had been stupid to do so, especially after sending his message to Mr. Kole, but he could think of no one who knew the arcane better then his old teacher. "The Light of Avasei." 

"What did you say?" Crow said in a startled voice. 

"The Light of Avasei shows all things as they truly are." He whispered again. 

"Where did you hear that? How could you know that spell?" She asked, her voice growing more frantic. Pushing away from the counter Crow ran over to door set in the far wall the up the stairs hidden behind it. He rose slowly, following as he heard the sound of her digging through something heavily. 

When he reached the top of the stairs he found Crow at the far wall trailing her finger over a long shelf of books, pulling one down and flipping through it before tossing it to the floor. Usually so careful with the rare and ancient volumes, Joshua felt a surge of guilt at how quickly she had been pulled into this. 

"I think I should go." He said.

"Sit your ass down Joshua!" Crow yelled, stopping just long enough to give him her hardest stare then turning back to her search. Finally she grunted, a sure sign she had found whatever it was she was looking for. 

"There is no bloodline, no demon or angel that we know of who still knows the secrets of that spell Swann. Do you understand that?" she asked, handing him a book that had been opened to the page she wanted. He looked at it for a moment, wondering if Crow realized not everyone could instantly translate the old language it was written in, then looked up at her with a mock smile. "You taught it to me Crow." 

"WHAT!" she said. 

"In a dream....we were in the clouds?" he said, his eyes shifting away as he focused on the vague memory. "You said the light of avasei shows all things as they truly are." 

"Okay." Crow whispered softly, accepting for the moment what he was telling her. 

"Anyway, last night I tracked down one of Churchill's angels. Got her to take me out back." He wondered how much to reveal then shrugged softly, knowing Crow knew the hunting tactics of the Fallen Angels.

"When she revealed herself I kept hearing it over and over in my head, I just figured I was thinking about you. When the angel tried to take me all the way I made my move, except the first thing that came to mind was the light." 

"So you attacked her with it?" Crow asked, then when Joshua nodded she turned away and began tapping her fingers against her soft pink lips as she paced the bedroom.

"Avasei is the name of one of the lost gods, the ones who created the human, demon and angel races in the first place. He was ancient and almost forgotten before the rebellion." Crow said, almost absently, then finally turned and faced him. 

"You were thinking about me when you were with a Fallen Angel?" she asked, a curious smile growing on her lips. 

"I..um" he stammered, trying to fight back a blush he knew was growing on his cheeks. "Maybe?" 

"Mmmm..." she said softly, her finger lingering on her lip as she stared at him. 

"What does that matter?" he asked hoping to change the subject "How can my tattoo be white now?" 

"Well." Crow said gently, her finger stroking her lip before she realized the unconscious action and stopped "I think you absorbed some of the light, since your half angel it wouldn't be harmful to you." 

"Ok. So we just need to find out what it was that I stole in the first place." 

Crow gave a gentle nod as her eyes grew distant "I don't know of any artifacts or books related to Avasei, but I can reach out and see if anyone has heard of something?" 

"Then if you don't mind I am going to take a shower and try to get some sleep." Joshua said with a hopeful smile. 

Shaking her head with a laugh Crow pointed back towards the bathroom before heading downstairs to reach out to her contacts. 



The sensation of Ms. Winters pouring into his mind like a cold and sluggish stream made a shiver run down Darfin's spine, the aged page he had been turning held still in his delicate white hands as he spoke to the intruding presence aloud. Unlike his brother Darfin had long ago mastered his powers and the subtleties of their use, he could easily block Ms. Winters from reading his surface level thoughts, and he believed deep down that if it came to it he could force her out of his mind if she tried to reach any deeper. 

A moment later he felt the vague sense of his brother Riel being tied to their minds, his brothers more vigorous activity sending waves of rage fueled lust pouring through the connection. 

"Riel" he said calmly, wondering how long it would take his brother to realize their link with Ms. Winters while he was rutting with the broken slave girl he had purchased the week before. Of course she hadn't been broken to begin with, but Riel was hard on his toys. "Riel!" he growled in his mind. 

His brother stopped with a grunt and lifted his shaggy head, his dark skin glistening with sweat. Darfin could almost hear the girl's vacant grunt as his brother pulled away and shoved her to the side. "What?" he heard his brother yelling, never quite understanding that he need not shout to be heard telepathically. 

"You asked me to inform you whenever Ms. Winters is present." Darfin said calmly. 

"Eh? You hear Winters?" his brother growled out loud. 

"Thank you Mr. Darfin. Hello Mr. Riel I am present as you say." Ms. Winters voice whispered in their minds. 

Darfin could feel Ms. Winters annoyance with the whole arrangement more clearly then ever before, making him wonder if she was truly focused on this task. He wanted to probe a little more, see if he could even skim the surface of the woman's thoughts while her focus was off. 

"What can we do for you Ms. Winters?" Darfin said, feeling his brother's agitation at the slow pace of the conversation. Riel was more action oriented. 

"I thought it best to inform you that Mr. Kole is displeased with your recent work." Came the cold words of Ms. Winters. For a moment he felt Riel truly awaken, the great dark beasts power deeper when he used his mind in conjunction with his power. 

"That is unfortunate, thought confusing as Mr. Kole is often satisfied by our performance. May I ask which matter you are referring to?" Darfin replied, no longer bothering to speak and simply let his thoughts flow directly to the woman in his mind. Riel was patient, making Darfin wonder if his brother was working to hide something specific or merely intrigued by the notion of them failing at any job they performed for the enigmatic Mr. Kole. 

"Joshua Swann is still alive." It was all Ms. Winters needed to say, the mere thought of it floating in both of their minds instantly put Darfin on the defensive. He could sense Ms. Winters further annoyance at offering them the courtesy of this conversation. 




Swann's Light Ch. 01



"That's shit Winters" Riel roared, the sound of it carrying easily into the next room where Darfin sat. The pale and thin man slowly closed the Chronicles and set the ancient book aside, a sigh slipping from his lips at the time lost in pursuit of the grimoires true secrets. He rose from his seat slowly letting the actions themselves carry his mind as his brother began to rant. 

"I burned that bastard to cinder weeks ago, did just what you asked nice and clean!" Riel was screaming as his brother slipped from the desk and left the room. A moment later he walked in and gave the barest motion, one that easily caught his brothers attention. With a nod Riel followed Darfin's lead. 

"Explain Ms. Winters, please. We are quite certain that the only thing left of Swann was the burned remains of his bag and the item we delivered to Mr. Kole. He seemed pleased with it, is that not still the case?" Darfin was fishing, and everything he said was just the bait. 

"I killed him. Simple as that" Riel grunted. 

"We have an eyewitness who was attacked by Mr. Swann outside one of the bars in Mr. Koles territory, you are free to speak with Mr. Churchill who will verify everything that I am telling you now." Ms. Winters said, her voice so stripped of emotion and bare that it caught Darfin's attention immediately. As Ms. Winters continued speaking to them he reached for her emotions first, the very easiest sense of another persons current focus in any telepathic link. 

In a way Darfin heard it as music, a distant sense of what was in the other persons heart. Usually he got the sense of annoyance, or disgust in Riel's case, thinly veiled by professional etiquette. He also got the sense of pride, or fulfillment, for some reason Ms. Winters liked giving them orders. Either it made her feel powerful, or it made her happy to be doing as Mr. Kole desired. 

Now he just felt nothing, no song, no distant melody. Silence. He rode that in, her voice dimming so much it was a faint whisper in the back of his mind as he dove into her thoughts and out a moment later, startled. 

"Ah at least Mr. Darfin understands the implications of all this. Now correct the problem, or I will be forced to terminate both of you." The last words she whispered in his thoughts were said with such fierce desire Darfin wondered if Ms. Winters had sensed his intrusion. A moment later he realized she just wanted him and his brother dead. He was used to that. 

"We will Ms. Winters. I will contact you soon." Darfin said absently before he felt Ms. Winters pull out of their minds. He took a moment, probing the farthest reaches of his thoughts then deeper then most people realized their minds could ever go. Nothing, she was truly gone. Relief, fear, delight? He felt all these things coursing through his body. 

"So what are we gonna do Mr. Darfin?" Riel said angrily, obviously infuriated that his brother had backed down so quickly. 

"We eliminate Swann, and then dear brother. I think we may be moving up in the world." Darfin said with a slow and devious smile. 

His brother raised a thick brown eyebrow, powerful arms crossing over his strong chest. "And how do we find Swann?" Riel growled. 

Turning his gaze to the far edges of the room Darfin watched the broken slave girl curled in a ball, staring blankly across the room. She was beyond herself, a puppet, a doll. In a day or so Riel would get bored, and at the best, leave her like that somewhere. 

"We go and talk to the one person in the Black Feather family who we can reach easily, the one who can tell us the most about our friend Joshua." Darfin grinned darkly as he came up and pressed his pale hand against his brothers dark shoulder. For a moment he was struck by the obvious differences in them, then staring straight into his brother's gaze he whispered, "Besides, I think you will like this girl. Think of her as a replacement for your old toy." 

When Darfin walked away he could feel the heat already beginning to pour of his brothers skin. Nothing brought the fire in Riel like the prospect of throwing fresh meat on the grill. 

From across the room the slave girl watched the Child of Nightmares and the Dark Flame leave, whispered a grateful prayer to her god, and quietly slipped from this world. 



Lady Crow hung up the phone slowly, biting her lower as she let her mind pour over everything she had learned. It hadn't taken Crow long to find out about a few artifacts linked to Avasei. Nor did it take the contact she had been speaking with long to inquire whether she had come into possession of a specific piece that had recently gone missing. Her contacts did so love to do business with Lady Crow; it was quite profitable for both parties. 

She walked upstairs and paused in the empty warmth of her bedroom, staring first at the rumpled covers on the far kings bed, the dark crimson silks thrown askew, another night of restless sleep evident in every wrinkle. The sound of running water drew her thoughts from what her contact had told her, to what it meant for Joshua. If he had taken the thing her contact had called The Heart of the Sun, then it meant he was far more skilled then even she had realized. 

It had never really occurred to Crow that she felt anything for Joshua, at least not until he disappeared. She had met him so long ago that the nine years separating them in age seemed immeasurable. Knowing enough about his background to feel a kinship with the boy, Lady Crow had taken him under her wing. He became the younger brother she never had. Her sense of professionalism took over after that, her belief that he was nothing more then the young talented partner of Lady Crow settled into her thoughts. Yet the moment he walked into her tattoo parlor she had been hit by the relief she felt on seeing him alive, and at how good he looked for a dead guy. In Bahl one could never tell, even with the dead. 

Going about shirtless and wearing tight black leather pants was not uncommon for him, not even when on the job. Though then he could usually be persuaded to don some kind of shadow armor. Still, it was not something Crow had never seen before. So it felt strange to feel that now, to find herself admiring the brownish gold of his skin, the hot green of his eyes. Using the excuse of 'inspecting' him to get closer had filled her nose with his scent, something she had not found unpleasant. In fact it was making her blood race a little hotter. 

That got her thinking about his stunt the night before, and what he had said. She was pressing her hand against the bathroom door a moment later without realizing anything had happened. As it creaked open Crow could hear Swann humming, see the vague outline of him behind the fog glass, shrouded in a glistening cloud. Crow's heart beat hard in her chest, making her blood feel hot as it poured up and down her body. The realization that Joshua trusted her enough to pay absolutely no attention to his surroundings flicked across her thoughts for a moment, making her feel all gooey. She ignored it completely. 

Her clothes were gone in an instant, lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. The simple spell that allowed Crow to phase through walls and doors over short distances also worked her to literally 'slip out of her clothes" in a heartbeat. It made her pause to wonder if she had ever taught Joshua that little trick. With that thought emboldening her, Lady Crow lifted her hand and let slip another of her spells.

The water stopped around Joshua like a moment frozen in time, each glistening drop still twisting and shifting as it hung suspended in air. Lifting a finger to poke one, he turned his gaze to the shower door just as Crow phased through it. The sight of her naked must have stunned him because he didn't seem to notice the water flowing again, in fact he seemed so very pleased and so very confused all at once. Each step towards Joshua made her body warm more to him, the sight of him so strong and masculine getting her hotter than the shower possibly could. 

Then her eyes swept over everything else Joshua Swann had to offer. 

"What are you...?" Joshua tried to ask her, he was really even rather sweet when Crow threw herself boldly into his arms and pressed into a long kiss. Trying to fight, struggling so futilely against her that each movement of his body made her wet flesh glide slickly against him. As he grew harder between their bodies Crow slipped one hand into his hair and pulled his head back, smirking into his wide and surprised eyes. 

"If I hear one comment about old woman then i am going to tear your lungs out." Crow said softly, making her eyes show just how much she meant that right now. A small part of her knew that the last excuse she had for not doing this sooner was the age between them. 

For a moment she saw the sincerely stunned expression on Swann's face, saw his eyes narrow for a moment as she stepped back and looked down at the body lying wet and naked in his grasp. When those piercing green eyes finally lifted up from a very slow inspection of her body Crow felt her heart still. 

When his hard and deep kiss touched her lips, when his hands grabbed her tighter and pulled her into that delicious wet body, Lady Crow felt her heart race into overdrive and burn with desire. His hands caught her buttocks as his body pushed her back into the shower wall, the hot rain above them shifting in form when Crow reached up to stroke the nozzle. As a hot mist filled the small shower with thick rolling clouds of pleasure and Joshua's teeth grazed her throat Lady Crow had only a moment to wonder what spells Swann was weaving into their sex that she didn't know. 

That constant sense of lightness in her body was something Swann shared, something that made them a great team. They could move in fast rhythm over any surface, twisting and angling their bodies to find a way into the tightest places. The hot rolling clouds of mist that filled the shower gathered around them in thicker and thicker masses, until it too was almost like another body in the room. This one as soft as air and hot as sin as it lifted their feather light bodies from the ground, with Crow clinging to Swann and kissing him hungrily she knew he would never see her as old if all the sex started this intense.

His lips and hands were teasing her so slowly it made her want to writhe and giggle, her breasts heaving as he gave them each a slow flickering encounter with his tongue. Hotter then she had felt in months, the strength in his arms made her quiver when he brought one of her legs up. The head of his cock was like a piece of smooth red hot coal, burning her with pleasure as it nuzzled between the folds of her pussy then drove up into her hard. He grunted, growling so very softly against her throat that she shivered from the sensation. 

He was taking her deep, his thickness spreading Crow open in such delicious ways. Her arms curled around tight around Swann's neck, pressing her breasts tight to his chest so that each pounding thrust of his hips and rolling counters of her hips made the hard tips of her nipples play over his skin. As her pussy began to quiver around the silken hot penetration Crows head tilted back, her throat exposed to Joshua's teasing lips. Licking and kissing her thundering pulse point, her body shaking as each thrust pushed her closer and closer to orgasm, Lady Crow was vaguely aware of her nails dragging deep into his back when that moment of bliss finally broke. 

Their bodies slid and ground together, that sense of floating cushioning both as Swann's deep fluid thrusts reached a point of pure bliss. Crow's orgasm took the fuel of his hot seed and burned all the brighter, making her back arch and the swell of her breasts to press against Joshua's face. Naturally he bit down on the first hard nipple he could reach. When he slowed his thrusts to a moment of stillness, Crow found herself regretting that it had ended. The sudden hard throb of his cock inside her made Crow moan out in delight as he whispered into her ear.

"To the bed then?"

The way he said it, that simple promise of more, made Lady Crow feel gooey again. This time she didn't ignore it. 



The feel of her floating his arms didn't slip away when she did, nor did Joshua feel the need to rush her to the other room. Especially not when Crow stretched out one long leg and, filling her palms with some softly scented crème, began stroking her fingers in slow sensual motions up and down her skin. The distraction proved so very pleasant, the warm atmosphere of the closed bathroom and the lingering magic combining to make every sense dream like. 

Her skin glistened, the soft feel of it against his skin as she rose and brushed her hands down his stomach sent a shiver through Joshua's body. His hardness throbbed, her slender fingers teasing up and down his shaft just once before Crow tightened her grip and began leading him from the bathroom. As the tips of her fingers played through the light hair around the base of his cock he resisted the urge to laugh, wondering if he should mention just how ticklish he could be in certain areas. 

The distant tinkles of a bell made them both go still, Lady Crow's eyes narrowing dangerously as she watched Joshua. He nodded softly, acknowledging her unspoken question. He had locked the door. The hiss of something burning drove Joshua into action, his arms curling around Crow protectively as he dragged her back into the bathroom. A moment later a spiraling burst of flame tore through the bedroom door and engulfed the furniture in flames. He came up the stairs slowly, the black fires of hell keeping him from any harm. When the man's hell fire eyes moved from him to Lady Crow, Swann could feel his blood turning to ice. 

"Swann." Riel said, but never once looked back at Joshua. Not with Crow pressed naked against him. 

"Riel" Joshua whispered, his gaze slipping down to Crow as she fought quietly in his arms. He held onto her for only a moment longer, and then trusting her to realize the danger let the Lady slip from his embrace. She turned at once, eyeing him closely then turning to point her palm at the room. There was a rush of power as Riel threw his arm up, the raw energies of magic making the hairs on his body rise and vibrate as Lady Crow channeled that power through her arm and into the burning bedroom. A small pop could be heard, and then the sudden draw of air rushing faster and faster through the building. 

"Go!" Lady Crow screamed as she ran towards the wall. The bathroom door cracked like thunder as it slammed shut but both of them knew that even with the spell draining all the air from the bedroom nothing that simple would stop Riel. 

"Naked?" Swann asked with a grin, never able to resist the opportunity to properly streak. 

"I really worry about you sometimes Joshua" Crow said dryly.

He felt the familiar spell rise in his partner a moment before he cast it himself, his eyes lowering to watch the sensual reverse strip tease that the magic produced. 

It started at her feet, the shadows beneath the very soles stretching out into a small pool. Then the dark waters within slid up the skin, a warm caress of ebony that curled and hugged every part of the flesh. He watched her disappear into that dark veil, watched it cradle her, embrace her like a lover born of shadow. The sparkle in her almond eyes made him throb one last time. 

"Your getting off on this aren't you Swann?" Crow asked, the teasing still in her voice. Obviously she was. 

His fingers curled into her hair as Joshua pulled her into a kiss then took her hand as Lady Crow offered it. With a final burst of magic Swann joined her in phasing through the bathroom wall. Slipping like ghosts through the thick concrete was one of the earliest spells he had mastered; one patiently taught to him by the woman that was dragging him into the alleyway behind her store. They scanned the alley as they emerged then began to run, even managed to get a few yards away before a second violent explosion tore the wall out of Bleeding Art studios. Thrown to the ground by the blast channeling through the alleyway, shielded by the shadow armor from the worst of the flames, Crow and Swann forced themselves to stand as Riel stepped through the opening and set his gaze upon them. 

"Swann. We have business!" Riel roared, his dark skin etched with flowing lines of molten red. The cores of his irises blazed with the power of hellfire, the heat of that energy making the blacktop beneath his booted feet boil and steam. 

"Nice Boots!" Swann called back. It was all he could think to say.

Riel nodded, lifting one thickly muscled leg and twisting his calf to show off the expensive leather boots he wore. "Custom. A man needs a good work boot."

The dark skinned man drove his foot down then, a burst of flame erupting around his body as the lines of molten red light on his body blazed. Each step made the street sizzle, made the temperature in the narrow alleyway rise a little higher. 

"Hello Darfin." Lady Crow whispered behind him. Swann had been quietly wondering when the other Maelstrom brother would appear. 

"It is an honor as always Lady Crow." Darfin replied, drawing Joshua's gaze down to the opposite end of the alley where the Child of Nightmares was waiting for them. The tall pale figure gave Swann a polite nod of deference, then turned his gaze to Riel.  

"May I try something brother?" Darfin whispered as a cold smile curled his lips. 

"Eh?" Riel grunted, his slow burning pace halted by Darfin's question. 

"Yea. Sure, but I want the bitch alive. Zombie girls never give it up quite as good as the living." Riel said before turning his hell fire eyes on Lady Crow. 

"You wouldn't live five minutes after touching me Riel" Lady Crow hissed. 

"Zombie girls?" Darfin said curiously, his eyes drifting up as he considered the possibilities, nodded and slowly crouched "I can do that." 

"Oh damnit Riel!" Swann yelled, feeling the sudden rush of Darfin's magic flowing beneath the street. In moments a half dozen spots appeared in blacktop, the spots pooling and bubbling like some thick mud. They rose slowly, their bodies being sculpted as they reached a height of five feet then floated above the pools that had birthed them. 

"Wicked" Riel murmured.

"Be ready." Swann murmured, crouching lower and reaching back to find the hilt of his wing blade. Like so many of the tools used by the Black Feather family, the wing blade had been crafted to be a discreet and perfect weapon. A sword that could be pulled from the shadows at any point and just as easily returned. His own wing blade was slightly curved and forged of something darker then shadows, older then light. With the weight of a feather and edges sharper then broken glass Joshua had found very little it couldn't cut through with the proper application of force. 

When the black tar girls dropped to the street in front of Darfin, their vacant faces and finely details bodies every bit the reflection of those under the zombie curse, he heard Lady Crow chuckle lightly beside him. 

"Really?" Crow asked incredulously. "This is what the great Darfin does? This is the art taught in the Chronicles?"

He heard Darfin's growing laughter, even the harsh chuckle of Riel and felt a moment's sympathy for his 'retired' partner. 

"Do either of you have any idea of how many zombie guards I have killed over the years? Or how many low level flunkies?" Crow finished, her voice laced with feminine outrage. 

"She's spooky when she's pissed. I like that in my bitches." Riel replied with a smirk.

"Call me a bitch again and I will tear out your eyes." Crow warned drawing Riel's hell fire gaze and causing the heat pouring out of him to intensify for a moment before casting his gaze to the pack of zombie girls and giving a low sigh.




Swann's Light Ch. 01



"The bitch is right brother. " the dark man finished. 

"Hmm perhaps some alterations are in order." He cast an eye at Crow and Swann, winked and gave a solid clap of his hands. The girls melted immediately, the pools swirled, in a second a pack of dark skinned humanoids took their place. Their pitch black heads and bodies glistened like fresh meat and grew in thick knots around bone hard protrusions that stuck out from their flesh at various points. Their blank socket less eyes turned at once to Swann, seemingly uninterested in Lady Crow. He could see what looked like grey holes in the middle of their faces pulling and twitching as they scented the air, a low rumbling growl emanating from their hunched bodies. 

"Go Crow. Now." Swann whispered, readying for a fight. 

The creature at the front of the pack went still, a thick line forming into a crooked mouth. The smile on its face matched Darfin's, its mouth parting impossibly wide to show the jagged shards of street their maker had used for teeth. One three fingered hand pressed to the ground as it began moving towards him much like a gorilla or primitive would, its fingers flexing as arms like bundles of steel cable dragged back to leave great gouges in the thick blacktop. 

"Come here little bitch." Riel roared, a pillar of flame shooting up at his left side to deliver his dreaded axe. The weapon had once belonged to a Demon king in ages past, a King who ruled by burning the world around him to ash. With everything in cinders there was no one left to dispute his rule. Riel claimed that it was an heirloom that had been passed from father to son since that long ago king's demise. Knowing how well he wielded the terrible weapon, Swann never saw cause to doubt that claim. 

The pack behind them let slip a chilling mutual scream as Riel began his charge, bursts of flame shooting out around each booted foot as they slammed the earth. The strange creatures his brother had created tore at the earth in their mad rush to catch Swann, making him wonder which of the two would reach them first. 

It was then that Crow turned to him and threw her arms around his body, nuzzling herself against his flesh as she whispered, "Remember that night in Kirilio?"

"What? Kirilio?" Swann managed to yell, his body trying to shift out of her arms as the thought that she wanted to die holding him slipped through his mind. A second later their bodies exploded into a murder of crows, each of the sleek back birds launching themselves skyward as the rushing beasts and the burning darkness powered into their final charge. The sudden collision of Riel's deadly axe against the leader of the creatures sent bursts of hot tar spraying around the alley. As the dizzying sensation of his body being separated into a dozen smaller birds then launching into flight passed Joshua finally remembered that night in Kirilio. 



Silver wisps of smoke lazily rose from Churchill's lips as he stood in the shadows on one the nearby roofs. A satisfied sigh blew the rest of the smoke from his lungs in a great cloud, the expensive cigarette falling to the rest at his feet and smoldering as he moved to the roofs edge and let his mind wander. He had heard Mister Kole damning the Maelstrom Brothers, and there were no stays of execution from his boss when it came to failure. Ms. Winters must have clued them in, hoping to get him out of the way in the bargain just by failing to do the job he had guaranteed he would finish. So wasn't it sweet that now he had the leverage he needed to gain the dominant hand in their relationship. 

The added bonus of having a front row seat to the humiliation of the Brothers was no small prize either, he just wished he had been able to better track the murder of crows once they had passed the Council towers in the heart of downtown Bahl. He reasoned that Swann and his enigmatic friend Lady Crow could be going to any number of places, but he was willing to bet the boy was still arrogant enough to go to the one place everyone would look for him. Home. 



The view from Mister Kole's office was exquisite, granting one a sweeping view of the city and a clear line of sight to the Council Towers just a few miles away. It was not uncommon to find the dark man standing before those windows, open or not, his mind lost in thought while his power swept slowly over the city in search of just the right soul to draw into torment and corruption. It was however uncommon for him to do so in the company of others whose power matched his own. 

The woman standing beside him was one such being, though her blood was as mortal as any human upon the streets. Tall and striking in beauty, her long dark hair and perfect features were beginning to show the hints and strains of power and age. She had lived a long life, longer then most, and the title she held came with powers that could easily throw back those years. Mistress Black Feather needed no such illusions. It was, perhaps, the reason Mister Kole respected her as an equal. It was also the reason he would one day crush her family and draw it into his own. 

"The Brother Riel." She whispered, her voice a song of midnight.

"I would agree. He is, uncontrolled. " Mister Kole answered. 

"He is an inferno, and one that will turn this city to ash unless he is extinguished." Mistress Black Feather said, or perhaps pronounced, turning her pure onyx gaze upon him as a slow smile curled her thin crimson shaded lips. "Shall I?"

He watched her then, his sharp steel eyes measuring the weight and worth of her soul. "They are in my employ, the matter will be dealt with internally." Then a slow smile brought the humor back to his features "Besides, are you not the one who often reminds me the Black Feather Family are not assassins. Anymore." 

Mistress Black Feather nodded once, her noble gaze turning towards the richly detailed doors. "You have added another angel to your collection." She said chillingly, turning her gaze to him as it narrowed. 

Mr, Kole shrugged absently and did not remark. "You understand my decision in this matter is final?" 

Mistress Black Feather turned her eyes back the city before her, watching the rising smoke that would not be far from where Lady Crow had opened her tattoo parlor. A sad smile touched her features, something Mr. Kole did not miss nor comment upon, instead he turned away and moved into his office. Approaching a small locked cabinet, then opening it with a touch of one dark finger, he reached within to pull out a small box of polished white wood. 

Small feathers carved into the wood drifted around the edges like they had been caught in some light playful wind. The illusion had always made him smile, and it touched his handsome if cold face now as he walked back towards the window. Mistress Black Feather turned as he approached again, her eyes showing no emotion but never leaving the box. 

Like Mr. Kole she stared at the box's lid, and one of the subtlest pieces of enchantment either had ever seen. Crafted by the same master demon that had first created Mr. Kole's door, the surface of the lid was a beautifully detailed scene of a lone leafless tree in a vast meadow. In the upper branches could be seen a single raven, its wings rustling, its head shifting this way and that. Eternally watching. With a touch of Mr. Kole's dark fingertip the bird fluttered away into the distance and the box opened with a distant caw. 

His fingers stirred the small pile of white feathers inside the box, his eyes catching details none but the most powerful would see or understand. He closed the box then, the raven returning to its perch before he lifted the box and gave the awe struck Mistress Black Feather a nod. 

"Long ago this was 'given' into my care as part of a contract between your family and my....business." Given was a charitable word, neither he nor Mistress Black Feather needed to mention the months of torment and suffering the box's owner had suffered through before conceding it to him. 

Mistress Black Feather reached out, her fingers stroking the silken wood as she drew it close. "Is this compensation for what you will be taking from me?" 

Mister Kole froze and sighed softly "It is the time for it to be passed back to the Black Feather family,." He seemed to fight the urge to speak for a moment then finished "and it was not my decision." 

Her head tilted in an oddly birdlike fashion before her lips curled "The Three." 

His eyes narrowed, his anger surging through him like a dark tide. Mr. Kole could feel his power rising, could feel the desire, no the need, to take her now. Of all those in the city of Bahl, the Demon Lords in their high and lofty Council Towers and the corrupt angels 'protecting' the streets he could think of no one to fear beside Mistress Black Feather. Especially since he had given her the box. 

Her laughter rose slowly, her onyx eyes alight with power as she dropped away. Mr. Kole closed the window and quietly applauded Mistress Black Feather for once more not being foolish enough to set foot in his office. 



Ms. Winters could feel Churchill's power buzzing around her mind like an insect before she finally granted him contact, trying to shiver at the cold warmth his mind radiated. She could feel his concealed excitement, and his hidden desires. 

"What can I do for you Mr. Churchill?" Ms. Winters didn't bother to physically speak, or even stop working. Few of the things Mr. Churchill had to say required her full attention. 

"Your boys failed," he whispered into her mind. 

"My boys?" Ms. Winters responded mentally, her pen slowing as she worked over the implication. 

"The Maelstrom Brothers just hit Bleeding Art studios." Came his boastful whisper "Some fire crews are there with the oath sworn now." 

Ms. Winters showed no emotion, she had stopped working. "I see. Thank you for informing me Mr. Churchill, I will make Mr. Kole aware of the situation immediately." 

She blocked him from her mind and rose slowly, the buzz of his power still trying to get at her finally thrown away by a blast of her own. Wondering how long it would truly take Churchill to see beyond his own lust Ms. Winters made her way towards the office with slow graceful steps. 

Knocking once then slipping inside she found Mr. Kole standing at the open window, watching the smoke staining the sky. "Can you explain this Ms. Winters?"

"The Maelstrom Brothers learned of Swann's survival and have made an attack on Bleeding Art Studios, presumably in attempt to make up for their failure to kill him previously." Ms. Winters edged. When her boss turned and stared hard at her, Ms Winters knew that he already knew the truth. 

He moved with slow elegance of a hunting cat, his finely tailored suit drifting away like smoke to leave him nude before her eyes. Well mostly nude. A loincloth of some dark wispy material hung from just below his pelvis to the middle of his inner thighs. Ms. Winters did not need to look to know that his tight ass was bare. Various macabre talismans and a small heavy pouch hung from the loincloths thin leather tie. 

As he moved, the rhythmic slap of the pouch against his muscled thigh sent a long shiver through her body. A smile blossomed on his lips, the hot masculine scent of him overwhelming her as he came so very close and stroked a single dark finger down her cheek. 

"I care not what games you play with others, but do not lie to me." He whispered huskily, his fingers brushing along the side of her face and then up into her hair to form a tight fist. Gasping softly as he shoved her to the edge of the desk, Ms. Winters barely caught herself, her legs shaking as she spread them wider for balance. His hands smoothed down her back, the warmth of his touch easily felt through the thin material of her blouse. 

It took one rough pull to rip away her clothes, and the veil of magic that disguised her true form. Six wings of silvered ice slowly unfolded from her smooth luminescent bag. As Mister Kole stepped back and gave her room to manifest her true shape a stirring could be seen low in his loin cloth. A cold and glorious light washed over him as she turned to face him, her limp feet floating just inches above the carpet. Those sharp steel eyes of her employer swept over her body once, alighting on her perfect breasts and the ruby like quality of her nipples. His dark hand reached up, pressing against her stomach, stroking down over her thighs and smooth sex then up over her perfection. 

"Winter. Angel of the Silver Ice." He intoned, sharp steel eyes locked upon her ice green gaze. 

"Master Koleian Soul Drinker, holder of this one's soul. How may I serve?" she whispered, her voice a chill wind. 

A flickering smile crossed his face before thorn wood vines shot from the surface of his desk and coiled around her wrists, ankles and throat. She gasped, her arms brought up and out as far as they could, her legs opened wider and wider. Knowing better then to struggle Wintre still felt the bite of the enchanted thorns, and knew the intoxicants laced within them would make every pleasure pain. 

"You have lied, for that you have earned five strokes." He said, determining her punishment. 

A thicker vine from the desk its heavy and curved thorns dripping the sensual intoxicant in thick beads. The first lash struck her back, the second as well. The next went to her ass, the thorns grasping skin and piercing flesh before it fell. When it rose again its touch was so gentle, so feather light against her inner thighs and sex that Ms. Winters simply shivered. When it stung, she moaned. The final lash teased her breasts, kissed her nipples before the vine drew back into the desk. 

Lashed at wrist and ankle, held high and open for his use, the Arch Angel Wintre watched in expectant need as her Master pulled aside his loincloth and approached her. He was long, thicker then four of her fingers put together, and covered with small shimmering bumps. Those bumps, she knew from so many intimate encounters, were capable of so many delightful and wicked things. 

He wasted no time, gave no words, he ground his cock head against her clit and pussy before guiding himself inside and shoving. Her hard grunt of pleasure made him chuckle as his teeth set themselves in one of her hard ruby nipples. With her luminescent skin pressed to his dark flesh, Wintre could see the illusion of his body beginning to glow as he took hers. Each thrust was painful ecstasy, his thickness spreading her open and pushing deep enough to make her gasp out for his edification. 

Then those shimmering bumps began to vibrate. The sensation of a thousand small warm beads covering a pistoning shaft became all that Wintre knew. His lips suckled and bite at her hard ruby nipples, the spill of her agony coming with the first burst of her climax. The beads turned to ice, her climax shattered her thoughts, his body pressed to hers all the tighter. Using her, thrusting faster, faster, then finally as the beads turned to fire he spilled his essence within her, and Wintre knew bliss in her service. 



Crow never let the sensation of freedom she felt when touching the sky in these feather forms slip from her heart. She never forgot the strange harmony she felt when dividing her power, and as such her soul, amongst the birds smaller bodies. Each part of her would sing with joy as she flew, as if each portion of her soul were but one instrument in a greater chorus, but all too often she flew alone. 

Now, linked with Swann's power as heir's fueled and guided their transformation, she felt all the pieces of his soul singing in joyful chorus alongside her own. She felt the warm light of his heart bathing every part of hers and together they dove and climbed, rolled and called. Together they touched the sky. 



As the murder of crows glided in towards the small tower held by the Black Feather family, the gathering of nearly twenty dark birds flying towards a tenth level window merged into a single spiraling mass of dark feathers. A pair of large windows opened softly as they approached, the touch of Swann's magic the 'key' needed to open any portal in his home. 

The mass of feathers split within the apartment and settled into the forms of Swann and Crow with a whisper of magic. He stretched slowly, working out the strange feeling of shifting from so many bodies to a single one. A low groan slipped from his lips then as he looked about his apartment and sighed gratefully. It took him less then a minute to sink lazily onto his couch and stretch out. 

"Its good to be home." He said happily, giving Crow a playful grin. 

"It's also the first place they will come to look for you after destroying my shop Swann." Lady Crow hissed, obviously upset. She began to pace slowly, one finger slipping to her lips so she might chew the nail as her eyes tracked the bare smooth wood beneath her feet. 

He gave her the time he thought she needed, simply watching her pace and letting her mind work through things as best she could. When she spoke, he found her priorities more then a little unsettling. 

"We need to figure out what the light of Avasei is, what it's meant to do." She whispered softly, though whether she spoke to Swann or herself he could not tell. 

"Shouldn't we figure out what was in the box first?" he said gently, hoping to draw her attention back to the world around her. 

"I know what was in the box," she said absently, her eyes turning to the window. 

"What!" he almost roared. 

She looked at him in confusion for a minute, and then blushing softly drifted across the room and sat quietly beside him on the couch. 

"I meant to tell you in the shower. I just got...distracted." She finished lamely. 

He smiled a bit, and then gave her a nudge to make her go on.

"My contact says there are only three artifacts genuinely connected to Avasei. The first is something called the Eye of Avasei. It's a gem set in an ornate necklace with vast mystical powers." She said softly. 

"Maybe that's it." Swann said with a smirk. "The box has been the right size to hold such an item." 

Crow was already shaking her head "No one has found the Eye. At least not yet." She said, then seeing the growing impatience in his look gave him the details he wanted. 

"Nearly two centuries ago, not long after the ending of the war, one of the nobles from the Province of Heaven was said to be in possession of the Eye. It gave him access to incredible amounts of knowledge and power, but it also overwhelmed and drove him into madness. Eventually he fled to a small island off the coast but never made it, his ship and the Eye were lost at sea." 

Swann sighed and nodded softly "The other two?" 

"My contact also told me about the Sunfire Page." Crow stood slowly, offering her hand to Swann so that he might rise and follow her. Leading him to the window she pressed her palms together in a shaft of waning sunlight then spread them open slowly. A thin sheet of sunlight touched each of her palms and appeared much like a scroll or piece of parchment.

"This a pale imitation of course. The true Sunfire Page exists in the physical world, some say it was carved from the fires within the sun itself. The god Avasei used it as a journal to record all that he witnessed from his place in the heavens." Crow said, her wondrous smile enchanting Swann as she enjoyed the small bit of magic she had woven. 

"The box could be holding that too." Swann reminded her. Somehow he knew that wasn't it. 

Crow shrugged "No one knows if it's even real. It's a legend amongst the scholars who have studied it. According to the story it was given to a human whose faith and devotion to the god was more then that of any angel in his service. Whether or not the human truly lived, or ever received such a blessing, is unknown." 




Swann's Light Ch. 01



"So the last item?" Swann said.

Crow's eyes grew wary, her pacing resuming as she once more began to work through whatever was on her mind. 

Finally she answered.

"It's called the Heart of the Sun. It's a small orb about the size of a field mouse, perfectly clear." Crow rattled off clinically.

Swann stared at her until she finally met his gaze. 

"It's also said to hold the Light of Avasei, the material the gods used to forge one of the two Keys." Crow whispered, fear unmistakable in her voice. 

"The Keys." Swann said, his own voice a little shaken. 

"You remember the story?" Crow asked, a sadly sweet smile on her lips. 

He grinned now, slipping across the room and gathering her in his arms. "Of course."

She sniffled, nuzzling her face against his chest for a moment before drawing back and staring into his eyes. With the memory of those long ago nights echoing in her thoughts as she stared at her lover and friend, Lady Crow lost herself in the past. 



The young boy sniffled gently, watching the howling winds beyond his window with a measure of uncertain fear. The Hell storms came rarely, a remnant of the ancient days of war that had shaped their world. As the door to his room creaked open he clutched the blanket tighter in one small hand. His other reached into the shadows for the hilt of a knife. 

A flash of firelight from the storm above illuminated the room, and Crow's youthful beauty. 

"Cannot sleep?" she teased, another flash of firelight making her jump and scoot across the room into bed beside him. Nuzzling against her, just to protect Crow should anything happen, young Joshua Swann watched the storm and whispered to his new partner and trainer.

"Where does the fire come from?" he asked.

"It's left over spell energy from the War of Keys." Crow answered gently, her eyes lost in they beauty of the Hell Storm as It burned across the sky. 

"The War of Keys?" Swann asked softly, also entranced by the storm's display of power. 

She shook her head to clear her vision then stared down at her young charge. "Have you never heard the story of the keys?"

Swann gave a timid shake of his head.

"Long ago we were one race, one people, created to serve the Gods in all their needs. We served their wine, tended their palaces, we guarded their secrets and their treasures. Now the Gods are powerful but they are also vain, and in their vanity they Gods created more and more angels, giving them more and more power. This continued until all of Heaven was filled with angels and the Gods realized that they had given too much of their power to too many. 

Instead of stripping away the angels power and diminishing their creations the Gods decided to draw their own power together and forge the world that would become Avasei. Named for the God of the Sun who gave it life, the Gods turned over care of the world to their angelic creations and guided them in building many great kingdoms. The Provinces of Heaven spread across Avasei, magnificent cities rose in splendor and light, the magic of the gods blessing all things. The world knew great peace. 

Soon all the world was touched by magic divine, elemental angels manifested of their own accord in the wildest reaches of Avasei while those in the cities grew comfortable and dissident in their service. They beseeched the gods for aid, praising their glory and power so that they might have slaves of their own who could help carry out the work the Gods had set forth. The Gods, whose vanity had only grown in the long years of ease and pleasure, wanted to grant their desire. 

All but the Sun God Avasei. 

From his place high above the world that bore his name Avasei had watched the angels grow insolent and careless. The world they tended had grown wilder, the beasts more vicious and powerful, all of it touched by too much of the magic the Angels used. Such power, he knew, called to dark things that lived far beyond the light. Neither the Gods or the Angels would listen to his cautions, their prayers unending for more power, more control. 

The rest of the Gods decided to grant their angels prayers and so they stole a flame from the Sun God's palace and used it to give life to the slave race the angels had asked for. They created the race of men. 

The Gods had erred. 

The spark of life they had given to man was not the same as that which the angels bore, and while the mortal heart knew the same pleasures and joys as their angelic masters the mortal heart also held the ashes of sorrow and pain. The specter of death loomed in the darkest places of men's hearts. 

And in those dark places so rich with magic, other things found their way into the world of light. The shadows grew thicker in those dark times, the demons and the nightmares pouring out of the darkness and ravaging their way across the world. The night was no longer safe. Whispers of a Devil King, a master that birthed these monsters filled the angelic palaces and pressboard apartments of the human slaves. Murders and deaths rose, pain could be heard filling the night sky. 

War came in a wash of fire. 

The devastation that wiped away the once beautiful city of Mrin is unaccountable, its ruins scattering to the farthest reaches of the desert landscape that lush forest land became. Demons began to gather in the wasteland left behind, their might growing into that of an army. They marched in shadow and under cover of terrible storm, blessed by a magic darker then anything the angels had ever seen. 

Sweeping across the peaceful lands in brutal raids, devastating cities with secret attacks and powerful displays of magic, the demon armies slowly began to forge the Kingdom of the Damned. As the angels began to unite and strike back against their ardent foes the world light created by the god Avasei was darkened by another shadow. 

Morningstar, the God's own son, took his throne as the Kingdom's ruler. As his territory expanded its boundaries, his demon armies continued to grow as angels fell to wicked temptations and heretical rituals. None know how he seduced the Goddess of Love, nor what torment she endured to give up her name to Morningstar. None today know her fate. 

More demons were drawn from the darkest places of men's hearts, Arch Demons who were given holdings and vast power in the Kingdom Morningstar forged. Holdings and powers dependent upon the Arch Demons eternal vow of allegiance to the Devil King. 

His heart heavy with his son's betrayal the God Avasei watched as the Provinces of Heaven shrunk back and drew their boundaries at the edge of the wastelands. Diminished in number, their powers betrayed by humans and fellow angels alike, the God saw how the great power he and his fellow deities used could so corrupt their creations. Unwilling to grant them any more, unwilling to destroy all that he had built, the God Avasei saw only solution. 

Using the light of his sun and the darkness of shadows he forged two locks and two keys. The first imprisoned the Devil King in his mighty palace, locking him away from the rest of the world. The second he used to lock the Path of Heaven, cutting the angels off from the Gods they had always served. 

The angels, the demons, the humans. They were on their own. 

Alone and with no Gods or Kings to guide them they came to an uneasy peace and settled in the territories they had claimed. And the place between, where once stood a beautiful city and verdant land, they called the free lands. A place where all those still lost by the absence of those they served could find their own way. "

Her final words were whispered, her body shifting slowly as she lay young Joshua down in the thick covers of his bed and slipped to her feet. The last dying burst of firelight above promised an eventual end to the storm, a quiet but hot day tomorrow. A good day for training. With a smirk at the young boys cute features Miss Crow bent over and lay a soft kiss on his cheek. 



The whisper of memories brought a trail of tears to Lady Crow's eyes, her lower lip caught between her teeth to keep from losing control of her emotions. Joshua nuzzled his face against the top of her head, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair as she gathered herself and whispered "What do we do Swann?"

Swann's eyes slipped over to the window, his features darkening as he spoke so very gently "We need to find out what the Heart was meant for. If Kole wants it then I doubt anyone else but him is going to benefit when he finally uses it."

Drawing from his arms and wiping at the tears that touched her cheeks Lady Crow gave an agreeing nod "Yes, but who would know about the..." her words died softly as she stared at Swann with a growing smile. The hard cast of his features did not deter her as she bounced in excitement.

"Mistress Black Feather!" Lady Crow exclaimed.

Now Swann's eyes shifted to her for a moment, lost and confused. "What?" 

Crow smiled as she spoke "The title of Master or Mistress Black Feather comes with many powers, and many secrets. If anyone knows about the heart and its history then I bet it's the head of the Black Feather family!"

He gave a distant nod, eyes cast back to the windows and their view of the city. 

"What are you doing Swann, come on!" Crow said, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him out his trance. 

"Go ahead. I need to take care of something." Swann said gruffly. 

"What?" Crow asked. 

He gave her such a hard look that for a moment Crow's heart raced with fear, then his eyes eased and he tried to offer a smile "Personal matters...." He hinted. 

She gave him a confused look, then her eyes widened "Oh. Oh of course. I will see if she is available to see us." Crow said, backing up slowly as a blush tinted her features. 

When the door closed behind her Swann gave a gentle shake of his head and watched the window again. 

"Show yourself Churchill." Swann said slowly, his black feather tattoo glinting once with a sudden burst of magic. Long ago his teacher Crow had taught him how to use the secret armor of the Black Feather family, armor forged entirely of shadow. They became like a second skin to him, a veil of darkness he wore when fleeing the light. 

In those years he had come up with a few of his own techniques, some simple variations on the usual Black Feather spells. This was one of them. Instead of weaving armor of shadow, he wove armor as thin and strong as light itself. Armor that could easily become unseen. It slipped over his body like tight leather, his lips curling in a smile as he felt the slight boosts it gave his speed and strength. 

Churchill appeared in a slow display of subtle magic, the angels powers so closely tied to light that Swann had often wondered who between them would win in a duel. It looked like he was going to get his answer. 

"Swann." Churchill said softly, a smirk on his cold and handsome features as he passed through the glass with all the effort of a sunbeam. 

"You would have made an excellent Black Feather." Swann said offhandedly, impressed by the skill Churchill had shown in passing through the enchanted windows and bypassing his security spells. 

Churchill gave a low bow, his eyes burning holes in Swann as they stared each other down. "From a Master such as you I will take that as a compliment." 

Swann returned the bow. 

"So?" Swann asked when he came back up. Churchill settled one foot, then the next on the floor, his legs parting slowly to take a familiar stance. A stance he shouldn't have known. 

"How do you know that?" Swann whispered harshly, instinctively shifting into a similar fighting stance. 

Churchill smile was so cold the windows of Swann's apartment frosted. 

"The White Feather Style." Churchill said gently, his right hand drifting to his left side, those slender fingers curling about light that glittered and danced. Light that fused into the hilt of a sword. 

He drew in a flash, literally. His first sweeping cross with the blade sent out a violent burst of light that blinded anyone looking into it. 

The length of a curved dark blade swallowed that light, then drifted down but an inch to reveal Swann's eyes. "Light tricks Churchill?" 

It was a jest of course, Swann was certain that Churchill could hear the false bravado in his voice. The White Feather Style, it was a phantom, a ghost from a past that Swann barely knew, a past that seemed to be growing in importance. 

Churchill's hard eyes gave Swann little time to think, the next movement of his blade cutting through the thick and expensive couch that Swann had loved napping on. 

"Hey!" Swann growled, his shorter blade coming down in a quick slash that Churchill caught and held. 

"Is that a Feather Blade?" Churchill teased. 

Swann's eyes narrowed. No one talked ill of his weapon. Churchill's sudden surge of strength threw Swann halfway across his apartment. As he rolled back to his feet to face off against Churchill once more, he found the room bare. 

"I know you're here Churchill." Swann said, the soft crunch of splintered and broken wood giving him some way of tracking his opponent. When silence next filled the room, Swann knew that Churchill had simply decided to float above the ground. The first hit came out of nothingness giving Swann a momentary glimpse of Churchill's fist before his head rocked back from the punch. He watched his own beating in flashes of elbows, fists and legs. 

As he fell to the floor, chunks of broken wood digging into his sides, Swann let loose a blast of shadows. A cloud of fog darker then midnight filled the apartment, giving Swann the time he needed to roll away and find his footing, ready for the next move. 

Churchill's laughter seemed to come from everywhere at once, filling the room much as Swann's spell of darkness. 

"I had forgotten about Shadow Fog." Churchill mused; seemingly pleased by the spell Swann had woven. A cold light bloomed in the darkness, the chill in the air growing more and more intolerable until the Fog itself began to freeze. By then Swann realized, it was too late. 

Churchill's laughter shook the tomb of shadowed ice that was enclosing Swann before his nemesis whispered "Don't you even know who you face?" 

The darkness held Swann in a prison of his own making, silencing any whitty retort. 

"I am the cold light of dawn personified, I am the first light, that which chases back the darkness and the shadows. Ever have I been it's master." Churchill gloated. 

Struggling, fighting the cold and horrible pain the shadows produced in every limb, every pore, Swann could hear the ice around him cracking in his struggle, but not breaking. Churchill passed through the dark ice like a ghost, smirking as he leaned into the shrinking coffin and whispered, "What promises would you make to live Swann?" What would you do to survive another night?"

Swann spit at him, making Churchill laugh all the harder. Then, and just for a moment, Swann saw his fatal flaw. The spittle had passed right through Churchill and struck wetly against the ice before freezing. As the Angel of Cold Light pulled back from the shrinking cave that held Swann, Joshua watched with angry emerald eyes. 

"Your not even here, are you Churchill?" Swann whispered, making Churchill pause with just the front of his face leering at Joshua from a wall of ice. His smile made Swann shiver. 

"I'm afraid not Swann. I am just a focused beam of light passing through your windows. An illusion really, do you like it?" Churchill said, his ice-cold smile razor sharp. 

Swann grinned back at Churchill's frozen smile. "Cuttle Fish" 

Churchill tilted his head curiously as shadows began wrapping around Swann like a thick blanket. 

"Burial Cloth?" The arrogant angel asked before he felt the spell slowly filling the room. The last swath of shadow wrapped tight about Swann a breath before a fierce explosion destroyed his apartment. The windows blasted out, Churchill's face screaming as it shattered and fell in a mound of crumbling ice. The shadows around Swann were merely tattered rags as he fell from the tenth floor, limp and bleeding from dozens of shallow cuts.