 
Avoidables Angels

By

Rachel Medhurst

Copyright © Rachel Medhurst 2015

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Avoidables 1-6 is out now!

This episode is dedicated to all the angels in the world!

#  Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

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#  William's Infiltration Part 1

# Chapter One

I had been summoned by the one that created the universe. No one had ever seen him, her or it.

For hundreds of years I had been flitting around, not really doing a lot. Now, I had to face the one being that intimidated me.

It hadn't gone as planned. My memory of our meeting had been wiped. In fact, my whole mind had only been allowed to remember parts of my existence before I landed on the dusty hard ground of the Earth.

'Sir, are we here?'

The voice startled me. Sound didn't...sound...the same. I turned my head to look at my fellow angel. She inhabited a human body. She had long blonde hair and sparkling eyes. A glow of light emanated around her new figure.

I held up my hand, staring at it as I flexed the muscles in my fingers.

We had watched the humans from above. We knew how their bodies worked. We saw how emotions played out but we could never imagine what it actually _felt_ like.

'William, this is...incredible,' another of my friends spoke. He rubbed his short brown hair. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open.

'It's weird hearing my name in the English language,' I said, blinking when my new voice echoed around me.

When I glanced beyond my group of angels, I caught sight of the trees. The green of the leaves was completely different in a physical body. The vibrant colour was a pleasure to lay my gaze on.

'Right, we can't spend too long here. We need to get to work.'

'You're handsome, William,' Melissa said, 'your hair is dark and your jaw...' she reached up to run a hand along it. I shivered at the unfamiliar touch.

'Your eyes are dark brown too, really big,' Paul said, staring at me.

Clearing my throat, I stepped back from the intense inspection. The being that created us had asked us to take on the biggest mission in many years. The Earth had fallen into darkness and we were there to offer our light. Angels had been coming to the planet to try and help but the darkness had won the war.

'The others said that bird song used to be beautiful,' a short haired angel said.

I nodded, not taking in too much of what the others were saying. She was right. Animals were basically extinct. Perfects, the race that had taken over, were able to breed a very small amount of animals. Most of the Earth was made up of dry dirt. Some forests, like the one we stood in, still existed but only just. It was a miracle the human race still lived.

If I classed the way they lived as living, I wasn't being true to myself. The race had survived for millions of years. They had thrived for a time, too. Unfortunately, greed took over and the darkness began to set in.

'When can we get to work?'

It was good that my group was as eager as me to get started. We had a lot of work to do. Perfects were humans that considered themselves as...well, _perfect_. Avoidables were their opposites; defective. If someone was classed as an Avoidable, they were shunned and sent to live in a rundown part of each city.

'Right away,' I replied, taking a step forward.

My legs were strong. My body was vibrant. It was time to help the world again. I was only a part of the bigger plan. More angel groups had landed in other cities all across the planet. We had the same goal in mind. Infiltrate the Perfect governments and bring fairness to the Avoidables.

'I wonder why there are no angels going into the Lower Side,' one angel asked.

The Lower Side was the part of the city where the Avoidables lived. Avoidables were people deemed ugly, deformed or with creature cross breeding. There were even people with unusual gifts like flying, psychic powers with various abilities. 'The Perfects are the ones that have been claimed by the darkness. They're the ones that hold the power. If we can get them to have some compassion, then things will naturally change for the Avoidables,' I replied.

'I hope we can help them.'

It would be a long, hard task but I was determined to make the world a better place. 'We've got to get into the government yet. That's the first thing we need to do,' I suggested.

We had gathered in a circle in the middle of the forest. Our senses slowly got used to the way our new bodies worked. Sunlight shone down through the trees, caressing the skin on our faces.

'And how do we do that?' one tall man asked.

I smiled. The movement made me feel good. An emotion that I was more used to feeling. The worry that encircled me as we had landed wasn't something I was used to.

'We get out of this forest for a start. Look for signs...they will tell us what we need to do.' I glanced around the clearing, gasping when the sun shone through a gap in the trees. It was the first sign. Striding forward, I headed straight through the gap. The path wound through the woods to an entrance leading onto a road. The concrete was a complete contrast to the dirt on the ground.

'This is where we part ways. We need to establish our own lives in Upper Side. The Perfects will get suspicious if ten new people turn up together. This is a test for us, too. We need to see if we can withstand the pressure of being human. How can we help the Avoidables if we have no idea how to relate to them?'

They nodded as they studied the towering concrete city in front of us. Brick blocks of apartments and houses were surrounded by roads and shops. In the distance, a tall clock tower marked the government compound.

'That, my friends, will be our new home soon,' I said, pointing towards the one place we needed to get into.

'How will we achieve that?' a shorter woman asked.

The corners of my lips lifted into my cheeks again. The angels were persistent. They looked to me for guidance but they would have to make their own way for a while. We couldn't have it easy. There were lessons to be learnt and Perfects to be persuaded.

'We forget that we're angels and pretend to live a normal perfect life.'

#  Chapter Two

My legs had never run so fast. I glanced behind me as the whistle from the guards sounded. They had caught me. I had only wanted to have a quick look at what the compound was like. Sneaking in had been easy. Staying hidden, hadn't.

'Stop there!'

The guard came to a skid in front of me. I darted to the right of him but he reached out and snagged my tatty shirt.

'I said, stop!' he barked.

The flight was over. There was no point in trying to resist the inevitable. I had been caught.

'Sorry,' I muttered.

He was shorter than me but twice as broad. He wore a guard's hat and a blue uniform. 'What are you doing?'

I had only been human for twenty-four hours. So far, I had slept rough and not eaten a thing. Although, I had managed to find some fresh water. However, I hadn't banked on getting caught so quickly when I had decided to investigate the compound.

'I'm hungry. I was looking for food.' The lie on my tongue felt wrong. I had seen humans lie to each other for centuries. Now I knew why they did it.

'Are you an Avoidable?' he asked, marching me towards one of the buildings.

I let him drag me. Maybe being captured would actually help me in the long run.

'No. I'm a Perfect. I've fallen on hard times, that's all.'

The guard opened a door with a card key and shuffled me inside. He led me into a clean and tidy office. The desk held paperwork that was stacked in neat piles.

'What's your name?'

Sitting me in a chair in front of his desk, he went around to the other side. He switched on the laptop that sat on top of the wooden desk.

'William Davis,' I replied, looking him directly in the eye.

I needed the man to trust me. He clicked a few things on the mouse and typed in, what I assumed, was my name.

'Okay. You're in our Perfect database. Your record is clean. How did you find yourself in trouble?'

A small spark ignited in my chest. The guard was being friendly. I had heard and seen such awful things from above, I had expected them to be evil all of the time.

'Marriage breakup.'

He bent forward and scrutinised the screen again.

'I'm sorry to hear that. Your wife, Suzie, looks very...'

I frowned. He had a picture of my fake wife? Were the powers above helping me with my deception?

'She's gorgeous but you know how it is...'

He nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. I could see why he was a Perfect. His eyes were wrinkled at the sides but he was ruggedly handsome.

'I'm John. I would say that you could stay here but I'm not sure you would be allowed.' John rubbed the back of his neck.

'It's okay. I'll find somewhere,' I replied, going to stand up.

'Wait. I'll get killed for this but you're welcome to come and stay with my family for a while. Until you get back on your feet. I can't let a Perfect become homeless. Your record is clean. You seem like a decent person.'

I sat back down, frozen to my seat. The Perfect had offered kindness unlike any I had seen before I came to Earth.

'That's incredibly kind of you. I would like to take you up on the offer. Maybe I could even get a job here.'

He shook his head as he rose to a stand. 'Don't get too far ahead of yourself, William,' he replied, coming around the desk and offering his hand.

I took it, shaking it in a firm grip. I had seen the tradition of shaking hands many times when I had watched the humans.

'Let's get you home,' he said, patting my back as he led me out of the government compound.

'John! Who's that?' someone called as we walked to the guard's car.

We both turned to face a tall woman with short blonde hair. Her trouser suit told me that she was important.

'This is William. He's down on his luck so he's coming to stay with us,' John replied.

He almost cringed when the woman came to us. She scrutinised me as she looked up at my face. I made eye contact with her, swallowing as I caught the hunger in her gaze. She searched my face, then my body.

'He's not an Avoidable?' she said, turning to the man beside me.

'No, Catherine, he's not.'

A flash of disappointment passed over her face before she cleared it. Her back went stiff as she put a hand on John's arm. The pair were familiar with each other, which baffled me. They were nothing alike. He was a kinder man with morals, she was-

'Don't overstay your welcome, will you?' She turned on her heel and stormed back into the compound.

'That's my wife. Ignore her,' John said, opening the car door and gesturing for me to get in the passenger side.

'She seems...' My words trailed off. I didn't want to offend the man.

'Like a ballbreaker? She is. She has to be. She's one of the top government officials. Don't ask me how she ended up with me.'

He laughed as he started the engine and drove me through the streets of Upper Side.

'Do you love her?'

The whole concept of human love was pretty foreign in the part of the city we drove through. The Avoidables were more open to love but even they struggled after years of no example. The world was a place where it was hard to find love. I was determined to change that.

'I must admit, I've never seen you. Have you recently moved to the city?' John asked.

My intuition alarm went off. Was there something more on my record that I didn't know about? Was John going to interrogate me at his house, instead of offering the hospitality that I was so shocked to receive?

I placed my fingers on the handle of the door. Just in case I needed to make an escape. My trip to the planet had not gone quite as planned so far.

'No, I've been here my whole life.'

I tried to remember what I had been told before I came down to Earth. Be confident was one bit of advice that was given to me by one of the older angels.

'I have a son,' John said, veering away from the subject. He frowned, as if he was as surprised in the change of conversation as I was.

'That's great. What's his name?'

I glanced down at my black trousers. They were smart enough but wrinkled where I had slept in them the night before. The ground had been hard and unyielding. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Sleep was a time that I could go back to visit with the other angels but something made me stay in my body. I wanted to have the full human experience.

'Jason. He's nineteen. A good boy, even if a little lazy.' John smiled as he spoke of the young man.

My internal antenna switched on. Jason? The name triggered something deep within me. I tried to pull back the memory but it was fuzzy. The ascent to Earth had made me lose some of my memories.

'He sounds like a typical teenager,' I replied as John glanced in the rear-view mirror.

I took the opportunity to study my surroundings. Attractive people walked around the concrete streets of Upper Side. There were office blocks dedicated to the workers of the city. Beauty salons were on every single road. The Perfects took pride in their appearance. It was a shame that the pride didn't stretch into any other part of their lives.

'How dare you do that!' someone screamed at John as he drove past.

I shook my head as I looked in the wing mirror of the car. A woman shook her fist as she ran after us.

'What's she doing?' I asked.

John stopped the car. 'She's showing signs of aggression. For no reason. I wonder if she's sound of mind.'

He climbed out. I stayed in my seat at first but quickly decided that I needed to see what was going to happen. Why would a woman randomly shout at a guard?

'What do you think you're doing?' the woman cried when John got out his gun and aimed it at her.

I hovered by the car, watching the scene unfold in front of me.

'You need to calm down,' John called as he approached her.

The woman ran a hand through her hair. It was messy and unwashed. I hadn't seen one person as scruffy as her. I glanced down at my own clothes and swallowed. Except me.

'Get away from me!' the woman shouted.

I could tell she was a Perfect. She held a branded bag with new clothes in. Her own clothes were messy and stained with everyday dirt.

Other Perfects started to gather. One of them eyed me suspiciously. I stood tall and held my head high. They quickly looked away when they saw that I acted like them.

'I'm going to need some backup,' John said into a radio that was attached to his uniform.

The radio crackled an affirmative. The woman's gaze darted everywhere. Her wide eyes collided with mine. She froze, letting her bag drop to the ground. Our gaze stayed locked as John got closer to her. Her mind whirled behind her eyes. Something wasn't quite right with her but I didn't know what it was.

'I'm a Perfect,' she whimpered as John edged next to her.

'Not anymore,' John said, snapping a pair of handcuffs over her wrist.

She started to struggle. Her arms flung in the air. She opened her mouth and screamed. I stood rooted to the spot. I couldn't move as John picked her up and threw her to the ground. Her grunt made me cringe as her body came into contact with the hard floor. Why did he have to be so rough? She was only a small woman. There was no way she could do him any harm.

'I'm afraid we have a mentally unstable Perfect. She's too far gone for help. I've determined that she is now an Avoidable. I will escort her to Lower Side.'

My hand clenched the door of the guard's car as John hauled the now sobbing woman to her feet and dragged her over.

'Sorry you had to see that, William. It's not very often we have someone turn anymore.'

John shoved her into the back of the car, locking the door as soon as it was shut. I hopped in when he got in his side and started the engine.

I glanced back at the woman. She hunched over as tears ran down her pale cheeks.

'Are you okay?' I asked.

John put a meaty hand on my arm. 'You shouldn't really speak to her. It's forbidden to socialise with Avoidables.'

I shook him off as she lifted her head.

'She was a Perfect until a minute ago.'

He nodded once as he spun the car and headed in a different direction.

'Do I look okay to you?' the woman squeaked.

Even a Perfect that had been downgraded to an Avoidable hadn't lost her sharp tongue. I had been spoken to like a piece of dirt by every Perfect I had come across in the last twenty-four hours. Except for John. Which was the only reason I was still in the car.

'When we get to Lower Side, you will be handed over to the Enforcer. He will help you to get set up down there.'

Her cries grew louder. 'No. Please let me at least say goodbye to my parents. I...who do you think you are!' she screamed, reaching forward and trying to wrap her bound arms around John's throat.

I put my hand on the arm nearest me. She instantly calmed and fell back against the seat. Lifting her legs under her, she curled up into a ball.

'It's a good job I have William here, woman. I would've probably killed you otherwise.'

John's words sent a bolt of heat throughout my body. It was the first time I had experienced anger in human form. I clenched my hands into fists and kept them at my side. I couldn't lose it. I had to keep my cool.

'Can you not send her to hospital?' I asked him.

The laugh that bubbled from his chest made me bite the inside of my cheek.

'And waste valuable resources? We don't have enough as it is. She's gone mad. She's an Avoidable now. At least she had some of her life on this side.'

'Do you really believe that?' Questioning him was dangerous. I couldn't make him suspicious. Especially not so early on.

'Don't you?' His eyes narrowed on me as we approached a bridge.

I glanced at him sideways as I smiled. 'Of course. I've just never experienced it, that's all.'

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. The concrete bridge loomed ahead. A small whimper in the back of the car made me look around. Her big eyes stared straight ahead as we crossed into Lower Side.

'Here we are,' John announced, stopping the car at the end of the bridge.

He got out so I followed him. I wanted to get a glimpse of what the Lower Side was like in human form. The dismal scene that met me made my chest pound for the woman that was now being dragged out of the car.

'Artie is on his way, sir,' someone said through the radio on John's buckle.

The buildings on this side of the city were mainly concrete too. They were run down. Holes showed the disrepair. There were many metal buildings in between the concrete jungle. The sun bounced off them, causing a glare to sting my eyes. The roads were dirt tracks. Litter was spread over the ground.

'What's going on here, then?' someone called. A tall muscly man with a long dark blond braid approached.

'Step back!' John shouted, holding his gun in the air.

The man stopped in the middle of the entrance to the bridge. His voice had caught my attention. It was deeper than any man's I had ever heard.

'A new piece of...fun...' the man drawled.

The woman shrunk under the scrutiny of the man's piercing grey blue eyes. He radiated something about him that I hadn't seen in the Perfects. It fascinated me. My feet started to move of their own accord.

'William, I wouldn't...' John said.

I couldn't stop. The Avoidable stood his ground. His legs were set apart. He wore a leather black outfit that hugged his huge frame. I had never seen such a hulking man before.

'What do you want, Perfect?' his deep voice demanded.

I stilled in my walking. His back became straighter and his head rose higher. I was nowhere near his height but I wouldn't let him intimidate me. I could see that I actually made him nervous. Not in a fearful way. I intrigued him.

'Who are you?' I demanded. If I was going to be a Perfect, I'd better start acting like one.

He released his shoulders, obviously making up his mind that I wasn't a threat. He looked past me to John and the woman behind.

'Who is this clown?' he asked.

I didn't follow his gaze. I kept staring at him. He stepped forward. I had to bend my neck backwards to make eye contact with him. As soon as I did, I couldn't look away. His gaze was intense as he stared down at me.

'Pack it in, Noland,' someone interrupted from behind him.

The corner of his lip sunk into his cheek and he chuckled without opening his mouth. 'Saved by Artie, the Enforcer,' he muttered, taking a step back.

I wasn't sure what Noland had been doing. I was convinced he had some sort of gift. I hadn't met a human that was able to demand the sort of attention that he did. When I made eye contact, I hadn't wanted to stare into his eyes. However, I didn't have a choice. It was like something compelled me to do it.

'John, I see you have someone for me,' someone shouted.

The warrior in front of me turned and went back to the new man. He was much shorter. He had straggly blond hair and a huge scar marred his otherwise flawless face.

'Brother,' John greeted, moving forward with the woman.

Brother? I glanced between the two as they met half way. They did look similar. How could the Perfects so carelessly abandon their loved ones? Was it because they no longer had perfect features? Artie would have been a handsome man when he was young. Something must have happened to scar him that he had to move to the Lower Side. A memory tried to push its way to the surface but I couldn't quite grasp it.

'Please don't make me go,' the woman moaned as she tried to scratch at her head. The handcuffs restricted her movement but she somehow managed to dig her nails into her scalp. I cringed as John pulled away her hands. She had blood in her fingernails. She needed help, not banishment.

'Have you given her a chance?' the man called.

'I don't have time for this. Take her now,' John ordered, thrusting the woman towards his brother.

I resisted the urge to intervene. I absorbed everything about the exchange. It had to stop. The cruel treatment of the woman was disgusting. It actually made me feel sick as Artie took her and pushed her towards Noland.

'Give me the key to her handcuffs,' Artie said, holding out his palm.

A siren behind us made me turn. John's backup had arrived. Not that he really needed it now. The transaction was almost done. It felt like that. A swapping of something.

'You accept responsibility, then?' John asked, holding the key out of reach.

Artie glanced at me. His head tilted to the side as he looked me up and down. 'Is this another one?'

John shook his head quickly. 'No, this is my friend, William. He had a bit of an accident. I'm taking him home to sort himself out.'

Artie's eyebrows rose as he watched the guard. John dropped the key into his brother's hand without waiting for an answer to his question. What was it that made John defend me? Could he feel my angel qualities?

'I never had you down for the rescue type, brother,' Artie said, clicking his finger at Noland without turning around.

Noland stepped forward and took the key from Artie. He turned back to the girl and undid her handcuffs. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. Her fingers automatically sought her scalp. Noland took her arms and held them gently. It was the first sign of softness I had seen in any person since being there.

'What can I say? Maybe I'm learning a thing or two from you.'

The smirk on both brothers' face was almost identical. 'Be careful he doesn't use you to his advantage,' Artie said to me.

I nodded, took one more glance at the woman we had handed over and headed back to the car. I wanted to stay on the Lower Side to see how the Avoidables lived but I had a job to do. I was going to stay with a Perfect government official. It couldn't have been more perfectly synchronised. Not that I doubted the way everything fell into place.

'Sorry about that. Let's get you back,' John said as he climbed into the car.

I didn't reply. How had Artie come to be on the other side of the bridge? The brothers were civil to each other but there was distance that should never have been there.

'I'm sorry about what happened to your brother,' I said when we arrived back to Upper Side.

He shook his head as he changed gear. 'It was a sad event. I told my brother that his woman was no good for him but he wouldn't listen. She cheated on him with an...'

His words trailed off. He closed his mouth and switched on the indicator before turning into a grand driveway. The house was surrounded by a tall brick wall. The grounds had a small lawn with a few flowers. It was mostly made up of concrete. Considering the Perfects had the means to maintain nature, they seemed to prefer a fake existence. Maybe it made them feel better about themselves.

'I'm sorry to hear she cheated on him. That's-'

'It was an angel, of all things. That's what we learnt, anyway. As if angels even exist anymore.'

I kept my own mouth shut. It wasn't wise to try and dig straight away. I would worm my way into John and Catherine's life. Then I would get inside the Perfect government.

The way John had treated the woman was unacceptable. It was time for change and I would be the one to do it.

#  Chapter Three

'Where are you going?'

The young man's voice made me go still. The dark hallway was my only cover but he had somehow managed to see me. He stood in the entrance to the kitchen. The light from the room behind framed him.

'To the toilet.' Lying came much easier than it had to begin with.

After a long dinner with my new hosts, I had deduced that Jason, the son, was one of the kinder Perfects. He openly ignored me most of the evening. When his mother started ranting about Avoidables, he finally spoke up. He shouted at her to stop going on about them before storming to his room.

'I don't believe you. Who are you?'

I didn't know how to react. I had a secret. It was about him. The one memory that had stayed in my mind was about two people that already lived in the city. Jason was one of them. My fellow angel, Arion, had reminded me that two people would be responsible for our mission being a success. He had also told me who they were. I didn't realise how quickly I would find one of them. But then, nothing was ever a coincidence.

'I'm William.'

He knew I told the truth. He was partly one of us. An angel. He had been born on the planet, unlike us. He had inhabited a body right from conception. Like most souls did. However, he was originally an angel.

'Can I talk to you?'

His question threw me off guard. He wanted to talk to me? Was it safe to allow myself to be questioned by him?

'Of course.'

How could I refuse? I followed him into the kitchen. My skin itched. I had to ignore the calling of my angel nature. I rolled my shoulders as I fought the urge to transform.

'Do you want something to drink?'

Jason was a polite young man. He handed me a glass of water at my request. When we sat at the breakfast bench, I marvelled at the luxury of the home. It was almost like a mansion. The fridge was stocked with food. The dining table was intricately carved. The carpets were soft on my human feet.

When I had seen the squalor of Lower Side, I hadn't imagined that the Perfects would live such an extraordinary lifestyle.

'You seem like a man that's different somehow,' Jason said as he sipped his orange juice.

Sadly, the Avoidables hadn't tasted fresh oranges for centuries. Just over the river, the Perfects mass produced them. Forcing them to grow in unnatural environments so they could still drink their juice and devour the tasty flesh.

'Why do you say that?'

It was always better to ask a question, instead of trying to explain myself.

Jason leant his arms on the cool surface. I sat opposite him. He lowered his voice as his eyes narrowed on me. 'You're not like us. When mother was slating the Avoidables, most Perfects agree with her. You stayed quiet. Why is that?'

The young man was important to our mission. How could I avoid disaster? I needed him to trust me.

'Some people...' I sipped my water to give me time to make up my mind. 'Don't share exactly the same views.'

It was a gamble. If he was close to his mum, which wasn't the impression I got, he would tell her what I said. However, if my intuition was right-

'I agree!'

I smiled. He returned the gesture as he drank down his juice.

'Sometimes I wonder how so many people can be so...cruel. I mean, why do we treat people the way we treat animals? Actually, we treat animals better than the Avoidables.'

'You've seen the way they treat animals?' I asked, fascinated by the Perfects scientific get up.

He nodded, turning towards the fridge and pouring himself another drink. He offered the carton to me. My curiosity got the better of me. I allowed him to pour me a glass, too. I hadn't experienced the taste of orange juice. Just like the Avoidables.

'Wow, that's good,' I said.

The bitter sweet citrus tang hit my tongue and slid down my throat.

'It's ordinary.' Jason glanced at the carton to make sure.

I savoured my drink slowly. Jason watched me, his eyebrows lowered the whole time.

'I get the impression you've never tasted orange juice before.'

I sat up straight. I had given too much away. I had to be careful about what I did. My eyes started to feel heavy. Needing to sleep was a drag on my mission. As an angel, I didn't need sleep. I didn't have a body that needed to re-energise.

'You are different, aren't you?' Jason asked.

When I looked at him, he was staring at me. His gaze was intense, which made me question what he saw. I stood up and made my way to the mirror on the wall. There was a mirror in every room in the house. Catherine liked to check her appearance often.

In the dim light, I could see why Jason questioned me. My eyes had a faint glow to them. I glanced back at Jason. His eyes were almost completely hidden in the shade. It confirmed that a part of my angel self was showing.

'Don't worry. I won't say anything. Are you an Avoidable?'

I hovered by the mirror for a second more before re-joining him. He reached forward and wrapped his hand around mine. Squeezing my fingers together, he studied my face.

'Don't lie to me, William.' He let go and sat back.

I swallowed, only aware of the fluttering in my stomach. I had heard humans talk about nerves. Sweat lined my palms as I tried to think my way out of the dilemma.

'I'm not an Avoidable. I'm something a little different.'

If I lied to him, I would break his trust. He sat back on his stool, clapping his hands on his thighs.

'I'm not quite ready to tell you everything. Will you let me tell you soon?' I wasn't quite sure how I could divert his attention away from me. He watched me for a moment before nodding his agreement.

'Okay,' he said, jumping off the seat.

I watched him disappear out of the kitchen. His footsteps sounded as he ascended the stairs. I wasn't quite sure what had happened. Our conversation had been brief but we had learnt a lot about one another in a short space. I would reveal all to him when the time was right.

Getting to my feet, I crept towards the front door. Jason wasn't ready to hear what I was. However, I needed to meet with the others and discuss what we had found out about the Perfects.

The door was silent as it closed. I was surprised that there wasn't more security at the household, considering it held one of the governments biggest officials.

The street outside was empty. Perfects were tucked up in their comfortable beds.

My feet were silent on the pavement as I tuned in to my inner navigator. I followed only my intuition as I ducked down streets. I glanced behind me to check that no one saw me.

A pair of guards patrolled the next road. I froze around the corner, unable to decide what to do. Glancing to the top of the buildings, I made up my mind when I calculated how high they were.

A dark alley lay to my left so I went down it. Taking off the new shirt that John had provided me, I bent forward. My back started to shudder as a crack echoed around me. I breathed deeply, allowing my feathered wings to burst from my back.

If anyone saw me, I would be classed as an Avoidable and maybe even executed. I grabbed my shirt and tucked it under my arm. Looking up, I smiled at the clear gap between the buildings. Flexing my wings, I allowed them to flap.

I lifted into the air. A grin spread on my face when my back stretched from the effort of sending me soaring. I flew up the side of the building and landed on the rooftop.

It took me no time at all to hop across the buildings towards the forest at the north of the city. Once I reached my destination, I glided straight down into the trees.

'William!'

Paul, one of my angels hissed at me from the shelter of the foliage. He gestured for me to follow him. He was still in the clothes he had arrived in.

We made our way further into the woods before we stopped in a clearing.

'We can't be long,' I announced as the others arrived at the same time. There were ten of us altogether. A nice amount of people to gradually slink into the government.

They striped off their tops. Each shuddered and groaned as their wings burst from their backs. Light emanated from them as they allowed their angel side to show.

'How did it go?' Paul asked as we gathered into a circle.

'I'm actually staying with Catherine and John. They are Jason's parents.'

The others gasped. The synchronicity was too perfect. We had spoken about what we could do to find the two people that we needed to complete our mission. We had never imagined it would be that easy.

'The angels above are helping us.' Paul stretched his wings.

The women in the group stood proud. Their naked top halves didn't have the same meaning to us. The Perfects and Avoidables were shy of their naked bodies. It was obvious why most of the Avoidables refused to be seen naked but it baffled me that the Perfects were such prudes.

'Let's contact them. I need to let them know what we've learnt so far.'

They nodded their agreement and held out their hands. When we were joined in a circle, I closed my eyes and allowed my light to grow. The humming that entered the ring vibrated throughout my human body.

'How is it going, William?'

It was Arion. He stood in the middle of the circle, his arms crossed over his chest. His big frame and powerful light reminded me of what I used to be.

'It's going well. I have found the boy.'

'Good job. You're welcome,' he said, looking at his fingernails.

He showed himself as a glowing human form. It was funny to see him through the eyes I now had. It was a completely different experience.

'Thank you for helping me.'

The others took turns in telling him their news. Paul had befriended an old lady that had invited him into her home. She had old ideals so he was working with her to find out about the current political situation.

Everyone else had found a place to rent. They had befriended at least one Perfect.

'Remember not to get sucked into their lifestyle. It's easy for you to forget why you're here when you have human emotions.' Arion looked at each one of us but paused when his gaze landed on Paul.

Paul lowered his eyes. His face glowed red. It was something I had never seen happen to an angel. Embarrassment wasn't an emotion in our world.

'I'm sorry, Arion. It's just, some of the women...'

I stifled my grin by putting a hand over my mouth. The physical attraction was completely new to us. We were connected by energy so we didn't need to send out physical signals. On Earth, even though people were connected by energy too, they needed a bit of encouragement because the darkness had taken over.

'I will be keeping an eye on you,' Arion said, unfolding his arms and holding them out.

He crouched before he jumped and soared into the sky.

'Sorry, William, I...' Paul started.

His sentence trailed off as we burst out laughing. The humanness in us completely understood him.

'Some of them are gorgeous!' one woman said.

I shook my head. I couldn't help it. She was right.

'That may be so but we need to stay focused. We'll be as bad as the Perfects if we start to believe that beauty is all about the outside.'

Their faces straightened. It was a quick reminder of why we were there. My angels would experience living in a different way but they wouldn't lose sight of our goal.

'Tomorrow, I'm going to try and get into the government compound. I need to see how it works.'

My skin tingled at the idea of being an insider. It was a thrill to know that no one, except maybe Jason, would know that I wasn't genuine.

'That sounds like a good plan. If you can get in there first, you can hire us.' Paul ran his hands over his taunt stomach. One of the women watched him.

'Come on then, let's get back to it. We'll meet here again in two days.'

#  Chapter Four

'This is where we keep the Avoidable prisoners.' Catherine pointed at a high security block as we marched past.

I had begged her for a tour of the government compound.

'Why are you so interested, anyway?' she asked as we paused by the fountain.

I shrugged as I gazed down at her. She was tall but I was still able to make her look up at me. Her eyes blinked in the sunlight. Her gaze was hard, judging.

'I've been studying politics for a very long time. I've wanted to be an official since I was a kid. I watched the chancellor on television for years. My great grandfather was the government leader once. However, since he died before I was born, I've not had the connections, you know?'

She eyed me up and down. Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips.

'And do you have any qualifications?'

I let a small smile come to my face. 'Of course. I have a bachelor's degree.'

I hoped the record would materialise out of nowhere.

Catherine spun away from me. I followed her to the next block. 'If you're kind to me, William, I may be able to get you in.'

Was it my charm? I took her arm and linked it through mine. Maybe I could play the same game as she did. It was how the Perfects worked. Especially Catherine.

'I will most certainly be kind to you,' I replied, laughing when she did.

A guard ran up behind, alerting us to his presence only when we fell silent.

'Catherine, an Avoidable has been spotted on the Upper Side. He is known as Noland and is currently making his way to the compound.'

Catherine's back stiffened. She shrugged me off before marching in the direction of the main building. I was torn. Should I snoop around on my own? Or go and see what Noland was up to?

'William!' Catherine shouted.

My mind was made for me. I ran to catch up. When I fell into step beside her, she glanced at me.

'I don't usually allow outsiders to know government business but there's something about you. I think you may be good for us.'

I was concerned at the lack of suspicion from one of the top officials. Did a handsome face get me a first class seat into the main boardroom?

'I'm honoured,' I replied, taking her arm again.

She led me into the building. The halls were adorned with paintings of famous historical figures. Not just recent ones but ancient ones, too. Men in war when the world had been normal. Philosophers of ancient Greece. A place that no longer existed. Each man or woman had one thing in common. They were stunningly good looking. There were no ugly leaders from the past haunting the walls of the Perfect government compound.

'Through here,' Catherine announced as we entered a plush room.

The table in the middle was carved in solid oak. It was massive. Almost as long as the room. Chairs with red cushions on them surrounded it. A roaring fire was placed behind the table. Comfy armchairs were gathered at the other end of the room. I liked it. It was very old fashioned.

'Catherine, you can't bring your toy boy in here,' an old man barked.

He was shorter than me with greying hair. His face was still handsome, even with the plastic surgery he'd used to try to cover his age. I had never understood why humans were not happy to age gracefully. Looks were so unimportant, yet they had obsessed over them for thousands of years.

'He is not my toy boy, thank you very much, Chancellor. He is a new candidate for our leader.' Her words were spat from her mouth. The venom that attached itself to them hit the older man straight in the chest. He clasped his hand against it as his eyes went wide.

'You can't just bring in a stranger-'

'I can do what I like. I'm appointed leader until an appropriate replacement can be found.'

I listened to the way they spoke to each other. Each word was laced with poison as they stared each other down. The energy in the room was dark. The electric shot back and forth between the two biggest egos. What did Catherine mean I was a candidate for the leadership?

'I insist that more research is done before we-'

'Please, let's get on with it,' another man said. He gestured for Catherine to sit.

Catherine bent to whisper to a colleague. Her eyes watched me as she spoke. Probably asking the woman to dig into my history to see if I was telling the truth. When she had finished, the woman got up and left.

Catherine led me down to the middle of the table. There were several empty seats, which wasn't surprising considering how big the table was. As I lowered myself into a chair, I caught the eye of the chancellor. His face was bright red as he flicked his gaze over my suit jacket. I glanced down at myself. John had lent me the navy blue suit. Catherine had played dress up with me as soon as I got out of bed that morning.

'Please explain who this man is,' he said through gritted teeth.

Catherine cleared her throat before standing. 'Everyone, I would like to introduce you to William. He has a bachelor's degree and has taken a keen interest in politics since he was a young boy. He is not too far off my own age-'

'You wish!' The chancellor laughed.

Catherine's glower shut him up. My human body was at least ten years younger than hers. I was in my early thirties, according to what Arion had told me before we came down.

'Anyway. His great grandfather was leader once. We need fresh meat...I mean, fresh insight. I would like to interview William first. I've not-'

'Wasn't this meeting supposed to be about-'

'Sir! Noland is approaching the compound on foot. He's gaining steady ground.' The guard stood by the door. I had no idea how he knew the information.

'What are you waiting for? Execute him,' the chancellor said, waving the guard away.

The guard coughed. 'We can't, sir, he's carrying a bomb.'

Silence filled the room. Catherine gripped my hand as her eyes grew wide.

'Right. Let's go and talk to this lunatic! Then we'll kill him.' The chancellor got up. Everyone else followed, letting him lead them out of the room.

'Will we go?' I asked Catherine when we were alone.

She sighed and rubbed her hand over her blonde hair. Her nose was dainty, along with her lips. Physically, she was beautiful. Energetically, she made my skin itch.

'I'm wary of you. Surely you understand that?'

It was the first show of weakness I had seen in her. She squeezed my hand tight, pinching the skin as she did.

'Of course. You don't know me but you have nothing to fear,' I said, leaning towards her. 'I'm genuinely interested in being a part of the team that ensures our safety. Avoidables must be avoided at all costs.'

I stared into her eyes, softening my smile as I did. She melted under my gaze. Her shoulders relaxed as she sighed again. I could see why Perfects valued their looks. It seemed that they used them to get what they wanted. If I wanted to be a Perfect, I had better start acting like one.

The door opened suddenly. The woman Catherine had sent out of the room earlier stood on the threshold. 'All checks out,' she muttered, gesturing at me.

I hid my smile as I thanked the powers that had yet again written my fake history.

'Let's go and see what happens with Noland. I could do with seeing an Avoidable fall today,' I said.

Her tinkling laugh echoed around the room as I pulled her to a stand. She let me lead her out of the building and towards the entrance.

'Catherine, get back inside!' John called.

He was on guard. His men formed a line at the front driveway. They held their guns aimed towards the street. I let go of Catherine and moved to get closer.

'Don't go too far,' she called after me.

I winked at her as I snuck between the guards. They didn't seem to notice me standing with them. They focused on the tall Viking-like man that stood in the middle of the concrete road. The long thick braid down the back of his head swung as he spun towards us.

'I want to speak to whoever's in charge,' he shouted in his ridiculously deep voice.

The guards chuckled as they watched him. He held something in his hand, which I assumed was the bomb they had spoken about. I had never seen a bomb so I didn't know what one would look like.

'What do you want?' John shouted.

Noland's gaze shot to him as the guard stepped forward. His gun aimed at the warrior's chest. The slight shake of his arm was the only thing that gave away his nervousness.

'I want to speak to the person in charge.'

Maybe it was because I had never faced an Avoidable that made me unafraid. Maybe it was because I was an angel. Or maybe it was because I was determined to achieve my goal.

I stepped through the guard wall and approached the Avoidable.

'William!' Catherine called.

John glanced at me, frowning when he saw me move closer to the enemy.

'Who are you?'

I shrugged as I casually came to a stop in front of him. He didn't flinch and neither did I. His eyebrows rose as I slowly did up the buttons on my shirt cuffs.

'I'm William. I'm in charge now.'

The gasps behind me went ignored as we stared at each other. He was reading me, I could tell. He had a gift of reading the soul. I didn't know how I knew but the thought came to me as he delved deeper. I smiled and ripped my gaze away. He couldn't see that I wasn't a genuine Perfect.

'John, escort this man back to Lower Side,' I called.

The guard blinked and glanced behind him. The chancellor stood behind the guard wall. His face was bright red. He spluttered when I looked him directly in the eye.

'I'm not going to Lower Side,' Noland said.

Turning back to him, I raised my own eyebrows. He wouldn't stand down. I kept my eyes on the device in his hand. It was a misshapen electronic device, taped together with rough black tape. Wires stuck out at irregular points.

'What have you got there?'

I was genuinely interested. The world of science and electricity was one I had been fascinated by when I was an angel.

'A bomb. If you don't agree to let me have a meeting with the government officials, I will blow you up.' The quirk of his lip was cocky. His whole demeanour was arrogant.

The way the Avoidables were treated was unfair but this Avoidable deserved to be brought down a peg or two. His features were symmetrical, with no scars or marks on him. He could have been a Perfect save for his gift. Did they even know he had it?

'Okay. Give over the bomb and we'll talk,' I said.

He tilted his head to the side as he smirked. 'You think I'm that stupid?'

I was surprised that the Perfects let me take the lead. I was an unknown to them. How did they know I wasn't involved with Noland? I could have set this whole thing up.

As I glanced back at them, it clicked. They were scared. Noland petrified them because he was unpredictable. I knew they didn't have much of a backbone but the position I found myself in was precarious.

'How do you want this to happen?'

'Don't pander to him, William. He needs to be shot,' John called.

He wasn't far behind me but even the head guard didn't want to go near the bomb. Maybe it was my plain ignorance that made me step closer to the hulking man.

'You hear what he said? You wonder why we treat you the way we do. Standing here with a bomb in your hand, threatening to kill people. Not exactly the best way to gain our trust.'

His eyelids lowered as his gaze narrowed on me. His demeanour relaxed. He glanced over my shoulder to the people waiting behind me.

'I only have one request. Release Sandor,' Noland shouted.

If I didn't have a clue before, I certainly didn't know anything now. I looked over my shoulder to see the chancellor almost having a heart attack where he stood. His mouth gaped open and closed like a fish. His hands clenched at his side and his cheeks almost turned purple. I guessed from his expression that he knew who Sandor was.

'She's a prisoner,' Catherine called, standing between two of the guards. 'She's being held for-'

'No, she is a slave! You captured her and-'

'Enough!' the chancellor shouted. 'You will leave here this instant or I will personally cut off your head.'

The guards laughed heartily at the threat. I stood stock still, waiting for the man's reaction. If someone had spoken to me so harshly, I wouldn't have been calm about it. My skin started to heat. I wanted to clear away the negative feeling. There was a time and a place to release everything that bothered me. It was time to develop a thick skin.

'I will blow you up before you have the chance to get near me,' Noland shouted back.

His voice thundered through the gathered people. He held up his hand, holding the bomb high in the air. Gasps echoed around me as his arm hovered above him.

'Wait. Ignore the chancellor. I will talk to you. Here, now. Sandor is nothing to do with me but I promise to investigate your claim. If you go back to Lower Side now, I will perform my own interrogation. There should be no slaves in the government. There should be no slaves anywhere. If you find that I do not live up to what I say I will do, you can come back and carry out your threat. If, however, I do what I say, you will never dare to come back to the Upper Side.'

I held out my hand. It was a wild shot at trying to get him to see reason. I had to prevent as much carnage as possible. It was my mission after all.

'And how do I know that you won't have me executed as soon as I turn my back?'

I pointed at the bomb. 'You have a weapon. You can blow up my people anytime on the way home. I would not jeopardise that.'

He glanced up at the only thing that stopped the guards from killing him.

'You're going to let me leave with my bomb?'

His grey eyes tried to make contact with mine. I met them for a second, just so he could see that I was telling the truth. His straight back lengthened as he stretched.

'Yes. I'll keep my word, if you keep yours.'

His eyes narrowed on me again.

'Who are you? I've never heard of you.'

My smile grew as my new persona took over. I had to show him that I wasn't someone to be messed with. I was supposed to be a Perfect. I had to keep reminding myself to think like one.

'I'm the new leader. So warn the other Avoidables that no one ever threatens us and gets away with it. The difference between me and them.' I gestured behind me. 'Is that I play a little fairer.'

The sound of talking grew louder behind me. They couldn't hear what I said to Noland and that worried them. I didn't blame them.

'It's okay. I'm leaving,' Noland said when the guard wall took a step forward. 'But if you don't investigate the illegal activity of enslavement, I will personally come and blow every single one of you into pieces.'

He turned on his heel and sprinted away. John went to run after him but I put a hand on his shoulder.

'Let him go. He needs to warn the others that we will not take his threat lying down.'

He glanced at me. His eyes were wide but he nodded as if he was in a daze. Was my angel influence making people do as I asked?

'Who made you boss?' the chancellor spluttered as he hurried up to us.

Catherine was fast on his heels.

'I apologise for overstepping the mark. I saw an opportunity and took it. I didn't want to risk the life of someone of such high importance so I stepped in.'

The man bristled at first. A slow smile started to form on his arrogant face. 'Well, that was very...' He couldn't finish his sentence.

'Commendable,' Catherine finished for him.

She stroked my arm as she fluttered her eyelashes at me. John caught the movement but glanced away. He was totally indifferent. He didn't care that his wife sort out entertainment with other people.

'Yes. I suppose it was commendable. Well, then. Let's send a party out to execute him.' The chancellor turned from me and gestured at John.

'That won't be happening,' I said, slowly.

My back was as straight as it could be. Catherine's eyes lit up bright as I defied the stuffy chancellor.

'I mean to stick to my word. How can we prevent these people from constantly attacking us if we keep giving them reason to?'

John's gaze flicked between us. The rest of the government party stood behind the chancellor. Every single one of them stared at me as if I had lost my mind. Catherine patted my sleeve.

'He's right, of course. He knows what he's doing. I think we should appoint him as our new leader.'

I had bewitched the stuck up female. Her charms rubbed off on everyone else but not me. I could play her at her own game.

'I disagree. We don't know this man!'

The chancellor went ignored as the others started to chat amongst themselves.

'Can you tell me something?' one woman asked.

I nodded as I held my head high. It was hard to adopt the haughty expression that they all seemed to have.

'What would you do if you became leader? Why would you be better than any of us?' Her arms crossed over her chest. She was middle aged but she looked younger. Her nose stuck high in the air as she spoke to me.

'For many years, Avoidables have been able to sneak into Upper Side. We've been terrorised by these...people...' I feigned disgust at the right moment. 'For too long, the Perfects have not been able to enjoy life without the threat of danger. I will end this. I am a fair man. I work very differently to the rest of you, I'm sure. But one thing I guarantee. I will get rid of the stigma of Avoidables forever.'

The chancellor rolled his eyes. Catherine clapped. The others stared at me open mouthed.

'We still don't know who this man is,' the chancellor moaned as the others started to move away.

'Who cares? It's been boring for years. I think William will make things a little more exciting.' Catherine wiggled her eyebrows at the woman that had asked the question.

The others paused in their retreat. Each of their ears pricked up at the sound of excitement.

'Okay, let's vote!' Catherine called. 'Who wants to elect William as our new leader for a trial period?'

I glanced down at my new friend. She shrugged at me when I raised my eyebrows.

Hands shot up into the air. Every single official, bar the chancellor, voted to have me as their new leader.

Was it really that simple? What was wrong with people?

'That's settled,' Catherine announced. 'Welcome to your dream job!' She laughed heartily and the others joined her.

'That's crazy, this can't be happening!' The chancellor huffed.

'Thank you, everyone. I'm honoured and a little surprised. Before you go, John,' I said as they went to turn away again, 'I'd like you to arrest the chancellor.'

The officials turned into statues at my statement. The man in question balled his fists and started to shake with suppressed emotion.

'What for?!' he spat.

'I'm arresting you on suspicion of enslaving an Avoidable,' I announced, hoping that I wasn't about to get shot. 'Please lock him up.'

#  William's Infiltration Part Two

# Chapter Five

'I can't believe you've arrested the chancellor. I don't blame you, he is a little vile,' Catherine said, smacking my arm playfully as she threw back her head and laughed. 'Should have been done years ago!'

'This can't be happening,' one of the other officials said, nudging his way to my side. 'How dare you come in here and take over?'

The seat I sat in was no longer at the middle of the table. Catherine had led me to the head of the table as soon as we had re-entered the conference room. Her blue eyes sparkled as she ran a hand down her slim figure.

'Please, take a seat everyone,' I called.

The others milled for a second before giving in. When they were all seated, I smiled at each one of them.

'Please know that I have your best interests at heart. You might feel that I let an Avoidable win today but I promise you I didn't. For a long time, the Perfect government has been fighting against the Avoidables. Isn't it time we started to use them for our own gain?'

Speaking their language was harsh on my tongue. I swallowed to get rid of the bitter taste. It had to be done. I had to be strong. As an angel, I had never experienced the emotions that ran through me as I sat as the new Perfect government leader.

'How do you propose we use them for our own gain?' Catherine purred.

She leant towards me. I fought the urge to scoot back in my seat. Her energy was rolling off her, trying to wrap itself around me. The others watched me expectantly. I almost had to curse them for their ignorance.

'We get them on our side. If we show them that we're more lenient on them, we can gain their trust. Then we can get them to do the work we don't want to.'

It was hard to try and convince a group of people that had previously, or even currently, used Avoidables as slaves to change. By speaking their language, I hoped I could gain their trust first.

'You have three months to prove you are worthy of being our leader. In that time, I will be looking into who you are,' one of the men said.

The others nodded their consent before leaving the room. Catherine watched me with her hawk like eyes.

'They didn't faze you. That is unusual,' she said.

Leaning back in my chair, I put my hands behind my head. There was no need to say anything. Catherine would be a handful; I could already tell. She seemed to be the backbone of the group running the city.

'There is one thing I need.' I leant forward and took her hand in mine.

She smiled as her eyelids lowered. 'Anything, William,' she whispered.

'I could do with an assistant. Someone that isn't already a part of the government.'

Her eyebrows relaxed.

'I was speaking to Jason last night. He seems like a bright lad.'

The smile returned to her face. Her eyes beamed for the first time, which showed me that somewhere deep inside, Catherine had feelings.

'That would be wonderful. I'm sure Jason will be a great assistant.'

With that settled, I let go of her hand and stood. 'It's been a good first day. I think I might go and speak to Jason to tell him the news. What do you think?'

Her cheeks heated as I asked her opinion. It was obviously not something that was asked for often. I assumed Catherine would offer her opinion whenever she felt like it. There was probably no need for anyone to ask her.

'Yes. You do that. In the meantime, I'll set up your office. When you come in tomorrow, we'll brief you on how things are done.'

I winked at her as I turned to leave. She had no idea that things were going to change drastically as soon as I was in power. I had three months to worm my way into the cold hearts of these people. Then I would start to make the world a better place.

'William!' John greeted as I came out into the open courtyard.

I waved at him before joining him on the bench by the fountain. The courthouse stood in front of me. I wasn't quite sure why they had it. There were hardly ever any cases. They executed Avoidables and let any Perfect that committed a crime off lightly.

'How did you manage that?'

John eyed me as I undid the top two buttons on my shirt. I skimmed my hand over my hair. It was soft and fluffy. I would need to get some product to style it like the other men. John's mousey hair was gelled in the exact same style as Jason's. I could see the resemblance between father and son. Although John was a tad taller and a lot stockier. He was head guard, he had to be.

'I'm not quite sure,' I replied truthfully.

He shook his head as a chuckle escaped his chest. His phone beeped in his pocket.

'I'll need a haircut,' I said, looking to him to guide me to the best place to smarten up.

He pulled out his phone and read the message that he had received.

'You want Jason to be your assistant?'

I smiled at him. He frowned at me.

'I wanted him to join the guard. He's been fighting me on it since he turned sixteen.'

I bit the inside of my cheek. I had to keep John on my side. If I alienated him, he could play a major part in my failure.

'I'm sorry. I didn't realise. I thought he was such a bright lad he could become an official one day.'

I lay my arms over the back of the bench. I closed my eyes as I rested my head and allowed the sun to warm my face. Feigning indifference was the only option I could think of. I couldn't try and suck up to him. Manipulation was something I had to learn quickly.

'You think he's intelligent enough to be an official?'

'Someday, yes...'

My sentence trailed off as John's phone beeped again.

'I've been summoned,' John said, getting up from his seat.

Opening my eyes, I shaded my forehead with my hand. 'Are you okay with Jason being my assistant?'

He shuffled on his feet as he tucked his phone away. A small smile played on his lips when he glanced at me. 'Yes. That's fine.'

Returning the smile that beamed on his face, I waved him away.

'Oh, John!' I called when he had taken a few steps towards the office building.

He turned back and waited for my command.

'Please arrange for a guard to take me back to your house so I can tell your son the good news.'

His smile faltered. His hand went to the gun on his belt.

'I will take you there myself. You've riled Catherine up enough to want me to go to her and...' His sentence trailed off as a smutty grin spread over his face. 'I only need five minutes.'

Nodding once, I watched his retreating back. It was straight and proud. His hand was never too far away from his weapon. A true guard at heart. The man had a soft touch. I had witnessed both his true nature and his Perfect nature.

If only more Perfects were able to soften their hearts, they would be able to experience so much more.

Jason was key to my mission. He was the one man that could awaken the Perfects to themselves. I couldn't wait to start working with him. All he needed to do was meet the other person crucial to our plan. He was a Perfect but he was special too. He just didn't know it yet.

#  Chapter Six

'Where are we going?' Jason asked as we walked along the pavement.

I strode in front of him, trying to get my plan straight in my mind. It wasn't working. It seemed the more I thought about my approach, the harder it was to think.

'Tell me about your upbringing,' I said instead.

He huffed as he fell into step beside me. The roads were quiet. Not many cars existed in the world. Oil had almost dried up. The guards' cars used electric but even that was limited.

'It was normal. Mum and dad were in the government before I was even born. I went to school. I finished. And now I'm here. Doing nothing.'

The river came in sight. We headed south towards the bridge that crossed over into Lower Side.

'And what about girlfriends. Do you have one?'

He scowled. His clean shaven chin clenched as his bright green eyes avoided looking at me. I paused in midstride, which made him stop. His shoulders were slouched. His jeans hung on his hips. The grey T-shirt he wore was plain and boring. His mousy hair was a little longer, almost touching his ears.

'Is that a yes?'

He shook his head. 'No. Mother announced that she wants to tell me something later. I'm sure it has something to do with a girl.'

I carried on walking as I frowned. 'What makes you think that?'

Was Catherine planning on telling him? Would she be cross that I got there first? It didn't matter. I needed Jason on my side. If that meant creating distance between him and his mother, I wouldn't regret it. What I had in mind was bigger than any of us.

'The Perfect officials like to keep it in the government family. Each child that's born to them is betrothed to one of their colleague's spawn.' Jason sighed.

Of course. It had been a tradition for years. It made sense. They were brought up in the same society. Had the same values, or lack of them, so why wouldn't they marry their children off to others like them?

'Well, I'm sure whatever it is, you'll find a way to make it work for you.'

I tugged at my shirt, letting it come out from the waist of my trousers. It was a hot afternoon and the walking made my skin wet.

The river expanded as we came onto the main road that ran along it. I came to stand on the grassy bank and looked across the water. The Lower Side reflected bleakly in the sun as its rays hit the concrete and metal jungle. The brown colour told of its poverty.

'Have you ever seen an Avoidable?'

When I glanced sideways at Jason, he stared across the river with such intensity, I almost smiled. He took in a deep breath and let it filter out.

'No, not in person. I've seen them on television. I've read all about them. I find them fascinating.'

'In what way?'

I warmed to the lad more and more.

'They have to cope with so much. They struggle to find food. We only give them rubbish chemical made sustenance that can't really be classed as food. They fight each other. I mean...look where they live. It's gross, isn't it?'

I nodded when he made eye contact with me.

'I hate them sometimes.' His words were quietly spoken.

My gaze stayed on the dirty riverbank on the opposite side. His sentiments were beliefs spoken by most Perfects. They despised the Avoidables for making them feel uncomfortable about themselves.

'Why?'

The question was simple. It was one of those questions that would have never been asked by his parents. They would agree. He would be a champion for hating what they had made him believe was worth hating.

'I...don't know.'

The honest answer gave me hope. When Perfects started to question their morals, their hearts would automatically start to open. That was my long term goal.

'I was made the new government leader today. There'll be an announcement on television tomorrow.'

Jason bulked, his eyes going wide.

'Don't look so shocked, it's what I came here to do.'

The frown on his face made me smile. He was right to be suspicious. The whole of Upper Side would be shocked at the new announcement. No one had ever seen my face, yet I would be running their city.

'You came to be head of one of the most brutal...' his sentence trailed off.

I leant in closer to him to hear his words. I needed to know where his loyalties were.

'There's change in the air,' I said in a loud whisper.

He glanced at me.

'It's about time.' He slapped me on the back. 'I hope you know what you're doing.' His trust in me was unprecedented. 'But who are you?'

Maybe not as much as I had hoped. His curiosity was a good thing. He needed to think for himself. Perfects were taught such ideals when they were growing up. They had no idea that how they acted was wrong.

'Just a man that wants to make the world a better place,' I replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes narrowed on me before he looked back over the river at Lower Side.

'For Perfects? Will you get rid of them?' He gestured across the water. A flash of emotion I didn't recognise flashed on his face.

I released him. Everything was moving too quickly. Trust had to be earned. It was rarely given so easily.

'No, that's not possible.' I didn't elaborate. It was time I rein in my tongue. There would be plenty of time to get Jason on side.

'Let's go. Your father said you knew where I could get my hair cut.'

Jason shook his head. 'Have you not seen the amount of hairdressers in this place? The women practically live in them.'

I laughed as I followed him away from the city divide and into a salon.

'Jason, what do you want to do with your life?' I asked.

The hairdresser was a quiet woman. She went about her duties on autopilot. The scissors cut away my hair, leaving a short crop that was longer at the top.

'I don't know. More than...this...'

He stared pointedly at the robotic woman. She didn't even notice that he was talking about her.

'I need an assistant,' I said.

'Good luck with that.' I grinned.

Jason frowned as he watched me, studying me from head to foot as he sat in a chair.

'What are you looking at?'

The lad was perceptive. He knew something was up. The intense gaze and narrowed eyes made me squirm in my seat.

'Are you sure we've not met before? Maybe when I was a boy or something?'

He fiddled with the zip on his jacket. His mousey hair was styled with gel. The jeans he wore were smart. No matter how much he tried to rebel against his parents, he couldn't help but take care of his appearance.

'No. We've never met. Would you like to be my assistant?'

The quick change of topic made him sit back in his seat. The hairdresser brushed my neck. I shivered at the unfamiliar feeling of softness against my skin. I glanced in the mirror. My eyes met hers. She was older, about my age. Her face was clear, her eyes bright. The blonde hair that cascaded down her back made me swallow. Her tongue flicked out and licked her lip deliberately.

My body went tight. Blood rushed all over it, including to places it had never rushed before. I coughed as she giggled and turned away to retrieve my jacket.

'You feeling okay?' Jason asked.

I cleared my throat as I crossed my legs. No wonder my angel friend Paul mentioned the ladies. The feeling that had come over me was powerful.

'I'm fine,' I said.

My cheeks warmed as I stood. The Perfect approached, swinging her hips as she did. Jason chuckled from his seat as he stood up in the corner as she helped me with my jacket.

'Nice to meet you.' She leant up and gave me a quick hug.

Her scent filtered up my nose. I dug in my pocket for some cash but couldn't find any. Jason interrupted by giving her a note.

'Let's go, boss,' he said, laughing when I scurried out of the shop without looking back.

We walked quickly at first. I needed to release some of the tension that had filled me all of a sudden.

'I'm surprised a man like you could get so wound up with a dolly bird,' Jason said.

How did I explain to him that I had never been turned on before? An angel didn't have physical sexual desire. It didn't work that way. I couldn't tell him anything. I had to-

'What's that?' I asked.

Ahead, a group of people shouted at something. Jason shrugged as we picked up speed. There were about ten people gathered around. We approached them, holding back so we could see what it was they were hollering at.

'It's a child.' Jason gasped.

I pushed through the crowd. He was right. A young boy of about six cowered on the ground. The shouts were mumbled and unclear. Words I didn't recognise were being thrown towards the boy.

'What are they saying?'

Jason stood beside me. He turned to the onlookers. His lip curled before he started to retaliate. 'Leave him alone! Go away!' I crouched down to the boy. His hands covered his head. The clothes he wore were smart but they were covered in dirt. His hair had been allowed to grow out. The sandy colour was caked in the dust that the Perfects had been chucking at him.

'Come on, lad.' I reached to him.

He whimpered as I caught hold of his arms and pulled them away. His bright eyes peeped up at me through the gap I had managed to create. I instantly knew why the people around me were hurling abuse.

'This is the new government leader. If you don't go now, I'll have you arrested,' Jason shouted.

The group quietened down, backing away when Jason stepped towards them. I glanced up as he looked down at the boy. He cringed and backed up a step.

'It's not your fault,' I whispered to the boy.

He blinked his eyes. One blue, one brown. I was surprised that he had even been allowed to stay in Upper Side.

'What's your name?' Jason said, crouching down beside us.

I turned away briefly to smile. His compassionate heart was a good sign. The Perfect world hadn't succeeded in turning him into one of them. Not fully, anyway.

'I'm David,' the child mumbled.

'Let's get you home.'

I rose as Jason took hold of the boy's hand and helped him up. The lad instantly started to pat the dirt off his clothes. I turned to the people still watching.

'Go home. There is nothing to see here,' I shouted.

They shook their heads, their eyes narrowing on me. 'Who are you? Why are you helping that Avoidable child? What is he even doing here?' one of them shouted.

My eyes closed briefly. I had a lot of work to do.

'You'll know who I am soon enough. That child is just a child. He-'

'He's not even old enough for the test, yet. Leave him alone until then!' Jason interrupted.

The test? I had forgotten about the test. It would take a long time to get rid of that. The Perfects made every child take a physical test when they were thirteen. If they were pretty enough, they were able to stay on the Upper Side. If they weren't, they had to leave.

The others mumbled between themselves as they moved away. Jason had his hand on the boy's shoulder. I smiled down at the child that would be emotionally scarred after this moment. He only had about seven years until his whole life would be ripped away from him.

'Let's get back to the compound. We have a lot of work to do.' I nodded at the young lad.

Jason ruffled his hair before waving goodbye. The lad didn't say thank you as he ran off. He may be an outsider but his manners were just as bad as any Perfects.

# Chapter Seven

'You can't seriously hold me in here,' the chancellor spluttered.

The prison block was bright but dismal. The cells were small but they did have a soft bed and a shower/bathroom area at the back.

'Chancellor,' I purred. 'I had to set an example but we both know that you'll be fine.'

His breathing calmed as he regarded me through the bars. The metal was cool to the touch when I wrapped my fingers around them. As much as I despised the man, he was someone I needed.

'And Sandor?' I asked.

His hair was greying. The smooth line of his jaw and the perfectly shaped eyes told me that he had once been incredibly handsome. All that was left was a dark energy. One that tried to reach forward as he came near.

'Where is she?'

The idea that he kept her somewhere for his own bidding made me swallow down the bile that rose in my throat.

'I don't know. She was set free a while ago.' He lied. His cheeks glowed red but I couldn't pull him up on it. His trust was more important to me. I would deal with the Sandor situation when I was in complete control.

'Fine, then I will let you out tomorrow.'

'Tomorrow!' His hands wrapped around mine and squeezed. 'I don't know who you think you are but I'm the chancellor!'

My teeth gritted together. I could see why he hated me. My waltzing in and charming the rest of the officials had given him plenty of reason.

'Then you know that what we're doing is best for the Perfects. For your people. Think what we could do with the Avoidables at our disposal?' My throat threatened to close. Especially when a slow grin spread across his face.

'Yes, you're right. Why would having an Avoidable slave be any different? I mean...' He shrugged, his smarmy grin still in place.

I attempted to copy his grin. 'It is illegal and so it should be. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. We can use them to pave our path but using them for personal use, that's a bit much. Anyway, Chancellor, a man like you should have plenty of women at your disposal.' I winked at him before turning away.

'I better get a decent dinner in this foul place,' he muttered as I left him to it.

The effects of his energy washed over me. I needed to get out of the prison and back to a better place. Would my angels be okay? I needed their energy to remind me who I was.

'William?' Catherine called.

She ran to catch up to me in the courtyard. My first day had gone well so far. In only a few more hours I would be able to check in with the angels.

'Hello, Catherine, I was about to go back to the offices before I headed to yours.'

Her smile spread as she shook her head. 'There's no need. You have your own quarters here now.'

I grinned back, hiding my first reaction. Would I be able to sneak out to see the others?

'I was wondering if you could help me tomorrow. I have a few interviews. We need some new officials on the board. I've been putting it off for a while but now I think we are ready to go ahead.' She rested her hand on my sleeve.

The sound of footsteps on concrete around the corner made me pause. John came around the side of the building, whistling a tune. When he saw us he nodded before approaching.

'Of course I'll help. Do I need to know anything?' I asked, looking into her eyes.

My power of persuasion was overwhelming. She blinked as she handed me a pile of folders. 'Here are the candidates.'

Rubbing my sleeve, she turned to her husband as he joined us. 'Hi, darling, how are you?' she said. 'I'll meet you out front in a few minutes. Show William to his rooms.'

'He's not coming back with us tonight?'

Catherine shook her head as she left. 'No, he's the leader now. He gets special treatment.'

My back went stiff as she disappeared around the corner. I didn't trust her. She didn't trust me. It was obvious. She didn't want me in her home, which was fair enough. Had I played my hand too soon?

'Your rooms are over there.' John pointed towards the big building on the left. The French doors opened onto the courtyard. 'Don't worry, we have cameras installed everywhere so you'll be safe.'

I may be safe but would I be able to sneak out myself?

'Have you settled in today?' he asked as we walked towards my new home.

If you call sitting behind a desk and writing down your plans to pass onto the other angels settling in, I suppose I had. Couldn't really tell him that, though. I had regretted writing it all down as soon as I had.

'Catherine mentioned a press release tomorrow. Is that going ahead?' John looked at me earnestly.

The short announcement last night hadn't produced mass concern it seemed. I had to speak in front of the cameras tomorrow. Many Perfects would be wondering what was happening. 'Yes. But before that, I need to speak to Noland. I want you to take me to Lower Side. I need to see what it's like for myself.'

John stalled, his foot scraping on the ground. I turned to him. His eyebrows tried to escape under his hairline.

'I can't do that,' he said. 'It's too dangerous.'

Nodding, I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. His face relaxed as my energy filtered into him. Was it just me that was using my power to get the Perfects on side? Or were the other angels doing the same? I didn't know if it was the right way to gain access to the Perfect government but it had worked so far.

I gazed around the courtyard. We stood right next to the door that led into the living quarters. Would I be safe?

'You don't know me. None of you do. I understand why it might seem strange that I've just turned up and all of a sudden I'm the leader but I'm sincere. I want to make this government, and the city, the best place it can be.'

John glanced around. He gestured with his head for us to go through the door. Once inside the hallway, he handed me a key. 'This is for your rooms. The whole of this level is yours.'

Thanking him, I let myself into my new home. The plush curtains that covered the window were blood red. My very own bed was covered in a white cover. The cushions plumped up high. A television set waited for me to watch it in the corner.

'There's something about you, William. I trust you and I have no idea why. Catherine and I spoke. We agreed that three months is enough time to get to know you. I know the others have been searching your records. It seems you were a busy man.' John strode into the room and opened the mini fridge. Taking out a can, he handed it to me. I had seen Perfects get drunk in clubs as they danced. There were quite a few on Upper Side. I had never tasted it myself before. Opening it, I took a swig. It wasn't quite the end of the day but it wasn't far off. One drink wouldn't hurt.

'Yes, I have been a busy man.'

I made a point to read my own files before he could question me any further. I didn't even know what I had supposedly been up to. Was whoever running the show manipulating the system for me?

'Will you take me to Lower Side? Tonight?'

John choked on his beer. I didn't blame him, it didn't taste as amazing as I thought it would. Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol that made it seem better than it was.

'I don't know.'

Putting the can on the side, I went to the wardrobe. Opening it wide, I tried to keep a straight face. It was a walk in wardrobe that housed rails of fancy suits. And even plain clothes.

'What happened to the last leader?' I asked before I could think.

Where I had come from, I would have known. Arion would have been able to tell me. I wouldn't have had to ask the Perfect guard that now frowned at me.

'I mean, his clothes. Are these his clothes?'

John shook his head as he smiled. 'No, these are yours. Catherine knew you needed a new wardrobe so she sent out one of her assistants.'

'Talking of assistants, maybe Jason can come with us tonight?'

John froze, his beer can halfway to his mouth. He shouldn't really be drinking on the job but I wasn't going to point that out. He was almost done for the day. Except for my private little mission.

'I'm not so sure-'

'I don't want to get all bossy on you but trust me. It will be good for the lad to see what we're working with. It will also help me to really know what it's like over there. I want to make friends with your brother. The Enforcer should be in close contact to the Perfect government. As far as I'm aware, he isn't.'

I hoped I was right.

'I've been saying that for a while. Catherine isn't having any of it.' John looked at the patterned carpet on the floor.

'Right then, it's settled. I'm the leader of the government now. I'm asking you to help me on a top secret mission. I need to establish communication with Artie. Noland is also a problem I need to fix. I would rather do that before everyone knows exactly who I am.'

Downing my drink, I threw the empty can in the bin. John did the same before pulling his phone out of his pocket. Putting it to his ear, he waited for someone to answer.

'Jason, I know we said that you didn't need to start your new job yet but William has requested your company. Please come to the compound.' He switched the phone off before the lad could even give an answer. Both his parents were used to giving orders.

'I'm glad you see it my way.'

John clucked his tongue before opening the door. 'This way, sir,' he said, smirking when I grinned as I led the way out of my new home.

#  Chapter Eight

'Where are we're going?' Jason asked.

The guard car crept along the road. John had to look as if he was patrolling the city. Guards currently walked the streets at all times. Avoidables had a tendency to come over the river at night. They used the cover of darkness to steal or sneak around.

'We're going to deal with Noland,' I replied. 'But I want you to stay in the car.'

His fierce scowl made me smile. He was a spoilt young man. He had a lot of learn.

'Don't be disappointed, son, William personally wanted you to come.' John turned the car and headed back to the bridge.

'Do you have contact with Artie?' I asked John.

He nodded as his cheeks flared red. It was illegal for Perfects to communicate with Avoidables. Even if they were family.

'What happened to him?'

I didn't ask the question just because I was curious. The man had gone from one city to the other and somehow he was now an Enforcer. It wasn't like he had grown up on Lower Side. I could tell in the few moments I had encountered him on the bridge a few days ago.

'I'll fill you in tomorrow,' John mumbled, gesturing to Jason with his head.

Nodding, I glanced over my shoulder. The young man watched out the window, the scowl still on his face. 'They keep everything from me.' He huffed.

He was a handsome lad but in a pretty way. His hair was gelled in the usual style. The green of his eyes glowed when we passed under a street lamp. When he finally realised that he was part angel, his appearance would change in subtle ways.

'You'll learn a lot working for me,' I said.

His gaze met mine. Nodding once, he turned back to the window.

'Right, I'll let Artie know we're almost there.' John reached his phone out and sent a text.

It was a risk. Meeting with Avoidables on their turf could lead to disaster but I hoped they would play nice.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' Jason called from the back.

I frowned, not looking back at him. He didn't need to see that he made me doubt my decision by the look on my face. Doubt was a foreign feeling. I had never experienced it when I was a full angel. Was I doing the right thing? I could be killed. The whole of the last week could have been for nothing.

'I want to do this,' was all I said.

John tucked his phone away after checking a message he'd received. The Lower Side was dark across the water. There were hardly any street lamps. No wonder it was dangerous to walk around at night.

'He's there.' John pointed to the end of the bridge as we drove onto it.

Driving all the way to the other side, John didn't get out until he had his gun in his hand. I followed him, not speaking to Jason as we left him in the car.

'What's this I hear about a new leader?' Artie called to his brother as we came near.

I swallowed as I glanced past Artie to the dark streets beyond. Shadows moved. Other Avoidables waited to see what would happen. Were they his backup? Or just people willing to take a chance.

'Meet William,' John shouted back as he pointed to me.

I strode straight up to Artie. He didn't flinch or move back. A shadow grew beside him and Noland materialised.

'What are you? Some sort of...maniac?' he asked.

I chuckled. The sounds drifted around us. John came to stand next to me. Artie and I gazed at one another. None of us would back down. That was a good thing. I needed a strong leader in Lower Side.

'I've watched the development of the Perfect government and the deterioration of Lower Side. It has to stop. I'm a political man. I've studied a huge amount.' I kept my lips straight as I thanked whoever had forged my file. It wasn't a lie. I had sat watching from above as the city turned to chaos.

'So, you've wormed your way into the government? For what?' Artie wore leather trousers and a denim waist jacket. His hair was dirty blond, a bit like his companion. However, his was straggly and hung lifeless to his shoulders. Noland's was shaved at the sides but fell into a thick long braid down his back.

'To make it a better place. I want to work with you to get fairer rights for Avoidables. And to keep Perfects safe, of course,' I added for John's benefit. 'I'm all about law and order.'

Noland's shadow fell over me as he took a step forward. He tried to get me to look at him but I avoided making eye contact. He had a gift. I knew that.

The dim light of the bridge cast a yellow glow over us.

'Noland, I've been assured that Sandor is not in the care of the chancellor. Can you be sure that she's not here?'

Artie put his hand on Noland's upper arm. He stepped back to allow the Enforcer to talk to me.

'She's not here. However, she often makes friends with roamers. I will investigate this end, if you do a little more research on yours.' Artie leant his head to the side. The dim lamp highlighted the deep scar that ran the length of his face. What had happened to make him an Avoidable?

'Of course. I will do an extensive search of the compound.' I nodded at John, who nodded back. It would be his duty to search the rooms for the missing woman.

'Who are you?' Artie asked.

He watched me intensely. Noland pulled on his arm to get his attention but he ignored him. A flash of recognition came over his face when I looked into his eyes. What was that? Had he seen something in my eyes, too?

'William Davis. The new leader of the government.'

'On probation,' John piped up.

I smiled as I pulled on my jacket sleeve to smooth it out. I stood straighter when Noland took a step towards me again. He was several inches taller but I wouldn't let him intimidate me.

'I have three months. Artie, as Enforcer of Lower Side, we should sit down and talk. Often. If you're able to get some sort of control on the Avoidables, I would like to offer fairer options for them.'

Noland snorted as Artie chuckled. 'And how do you suppose I rein them in? There's only me and Noland. Lower Side is a big place with lots of people.'

John shuffled on his feet. He swung his gaze back at the car. Noland looked around me to the vehicle that waited for us.

'Is someone in there?' He squinted to try and see.

I stepped in his way, although it didn't block his view. 'Why don't you set up a team?' I asked them.

Noland lost interest when he heard my words. He glanced between me and John before raising his eyebrows at Artie.

'A team?' the Enforcer said.

Doing up the button on my suit jacket, I smirked at Artie. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't supposed to like Avoidables. I had to persuade John that I was hard, just like his wife.

'I want you to set up a team of people that will be trained to help you. They must keep Avoidables in line as much as possible. Your team will work on missions set myself, through you. Obviously, you will give them your own assignments too.'

Artie raised his eyebrows. 'And what's in it for me? Why should I do your bidding?'

Noland's head turned as a scream sounded in the distance of Lower Side. He shrugged when my eyes widened.

Clearing my throat, I glanced at John before taking a step forward. 'Avoidables have it rough, yes? I'm prepared to work with you so that my guards don't have to do so much work. In exchange, I will give you support. We will fund your missions, although they will have to be approved by me before we give you the money. Working together could prove very effective in settling both sides of the river.'

My words were said quietly in case anyone in the shadows eavesdropped. Noland nodded. Artie kept his eyes on me, trying to read me. Was I genuine? I could see the question pass over his face. I kept my own expression neutral.

'How can we trust you?' Noland spoke the question.

Artie shook his head but looked to me for the answer.

'Let me prove myself to you. Give me a month. See what happens. If I deliver on my promises, set up your team, work with me.' I shrugged and glanced at John.

He frowned as he watched his brother. 'You'd be a fool not to take this opportunity.'

'Who asked you?' Noland butt in.

Artie put up his hand. He smiled at John before looking back at me. 'Okay, a month. I will recruit one or two people. Will we communicate directly?'

Glancing at the dirt on the ground, I shook my head.

'No, brother, you'll communicate through me.'

There was no need to disagree, it was the best way forward. I couldn't have people know that I was working with what the other officials classed as the enemy. It would be safer for John to pass messages between us.

'You look a bit like someone I used to know.' Artie patted a pocket on his top.

The others ceased to exist as I focused on the man. I had never seen him before coming to Earth, obviously. However, he scrutinised me unlike any of the Perfects ever had. He couldn't have a gift. He was only an Avoidable because he had a scar on his face.

'I don't think we've ever met,' I said carefully.

He shook his head, clearing his expression. 'No, we haven't. You do look like someone I used to know. About nineteen years ago.'

My whole body froze. Jason was nineteen. And so was the other person that would be responsible for the Avoidables and Perfects to unite. I didn't know her name, yet.

John moved next to me. I ripped my gaze away when he clicked the safety off his gun.

'What's happening?' I said as Noland spun towards the darkness of Lower Side.

'Get back in the car, William,' John ordered.

A high pitched giggle made me shiver. It came from the shadows. Artie pulled a knife from his waistband. 'He's right. Get back in the car.'

A door slammed behind us. I spun to see Jason advancing. Rushing from my spot, I caught him before he reached the Avoidables. I didn't want them to see him. I also didn't want him to take too much notice of them. He would know more down the line.

'What's happening? I saw my dad aim his-'

A shot rang out. We both ducked to the ground.

'Missed me!' someone shouted.

Another high pitched giggle made me pull on Jason's arm. 'Get back in the car,' I hissed.

'Missed me, too!'

The second voice was female. The first had been a man talking in a funny voice. John took a step forward at the same time Artie and Noland did.

'What's going on, then?' The third voice came from a different part of the shadows. Near the first concrete building. The other two were on the opposite side of the road. We couldn't see any of them.

'You need to leave,' Artie called. 'Before you get hurt.'

The giggling grew louder as their shadows emerged. I pushed Jason under the car as they approached the three people that stood at the end of the bridge. Noland tipped his head to the side. John aimed his gun at them. Artie held his arms to his side, his knife clearly visible.

'Is this a secret tryst? Are you all lovers?'

The woman had dirt smudged over her face. I could just about see the Avoidables as they stepped under the first lamp on the bridge. I got to my knees and crept to the front of the car. Looking around the hood, I kept my gaze on them.

'I am the Enforcer. If you don't leave now, I will have this Perfect shoot you for trespassing on the bridge.'

Artie pointed to John with his knife. The woman's eyes followed the movement. Her hair was matted. It was impossible to tell what colour it was naturally because it was so coated in grime. Her eyes were big. The slouch of her shoulders told me that she lived a miserable life. Did they not have access to shampoo and soap on Lower Side?

'We're not trespassing. We're making conversation,' another man said.

He spoke in a sing song voice. It was creepy, which matched his long face. His hair was dark but grew in patches over his head. The long chin he stroked was covered in a beard.

'Did you not hear what the Enforcer said?' Noland's deep voice echoed around them.

I shifted on my feet. The last man must have heard because his head whipped to where I peeked from behind the car. Moving back, I flattened myself against the car door.

'We have company. Someone important I reckon,' he said.

His frame was taller than the rest. The fingers on the hand that pointed at the car were bent at odd angles. His eyes were bright red. A half breed. I had heard of them but never seen one in real life.

'Come out, William,' Artie called.

I heard John try to disagree but ignored him. Patting Jason on the head so that he knew to stay where he was, I got to my feet. Approaching the newcomers, I brushed down my jacket and ran a hand over my hair to make sure my new style was in shape.

'Who do we have here? You look important, mister,' the sing song voiced man said.

'He looks like royalty,' the woman chimed in.

'There's no royalty left, stupid!' the last man added.

He was the brains of the trio. He knew what he was doing. The others were his puppets, waiting for his orders. They wore rags. Different material roughly sewn together to cover their bodies.

'You're government, aren't you?' the red eyed man asked me.

Taking a step closer, I paused when John glanced at me over his shoulder and shook his head roughly.

'It's okay, William. We've got this,' Artie said.

All three of the dangerous Avoidables glared at me. They traced the line of my suit, studying the way I held myself. Proud. Arrogant. The way I had to show them.

'He thinks he's better than us.' The girl snarled crouching slightly.

I cleared my face, ready to do battle. If the Avoidables wanted to prove me wrong, they would. My plan was to persuade the Perfect government that there was good in them. It would take a lot to get them to hear me. Especially if news got out that a fight had gone down because of me.

'Hold on.' The red eyed man put an arm across to block the girl from moving.

She frowned but stepped back. The other man scratched at his beard, not really paying much attention to anything.

'I say we kill them,' he sang when our gaze locked.

The ringleader stepped towards Artie. He kept his gaze on me the whole time he moved. Noland went to get in front of the Enforcer but Artie pushed him away.

'What do you want?' he asked the man.

I didn't know what half bred he was. The red of his iris reminded me of ancient pictures of demons. They had not existed. Ever. The humans didn't know that, though. When they thought of angels, they automatically associated them with demons.

I blinked to get away from the red eyed intense gaze. What would have given him such strange coloured eyes if not a demon?

'We're hungry, that's all,' he said.

Artie sighed as the other Avoidables nodded their agreement. They both grinned when they looked at me. I was fresh meat. Someone to ransom.

'I will give you food,' I called.

John took a step back towards me as Noland glared at me over his shoulder. I was the leader now, I could do as I wanted. If I wanted to give them food, I would.

'For our whole lives, I hope.' The man sneered.

My mistake. They were bribing me. My life for food. Or if I was to look a little closer, my life for theirs. They were nothing but skin and bone. It was wrong. Distribution of food wasn't fair.

'Don't threaten us,' Artie said.

I wasn't sure how they were threatening us but Artie knew his kind much more than I did.

'You're scum. Leave now.' John waved them away.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. My thinking of them as a species was just as bad as the Perfects way of looking at them. They were human, mainly.

'Come on, now. This little rendezvous would surely get people talking if they knew about it. Would be a shame to let it slip to the Avoidable community. Some of us are able to get messages across to the Perfects. You have the number of the television station, don't you?' the ringleader said, turning to his girlfriend.

She showed her black teeth when she smiled at him.

There was a television station on Upper Side. It only showed programmes that told the Perfects all about their side of the city. Some reports were made about Avoidables but they were always scary propaganda.

'Let's wrap this up, I need to get back.' I feigned boredom by slouching my posture.

The giggling man let out a happy laugh. He must have been mad. His eyes didn't stay on me, they looked all over the place. The woman that had been escorted to Lower Side a few days before came into my mind. How was she fairing?

'Food. That's what we want.'

I waved my hand as if dismissing him. 'That's what you'll get. Artie, see to it that these three get the food they deserve. Can't have them starving, can we?'

Turning, I made my way back over to the car. We did need to get back. Catherine could become suspicious of John and Jason's whereabouts. I didn't want her to get involved in our business.

'Thank you, sir,' the man drawled out his gratitude.

'Meet me here tomorrow morning, I will have your food,' Artie spat.

The red eyed man clicked his fingers. The others went to slink into the shadows. A gun shot rang out. I spun to watch the scene in front of me. The crazy man slumped to the ground. A woman's scream filled the air as the girl disappeared into the shadows.

John had killed the Avoidable. The man lay dead in the dirt. Artie and Noland moved forward as the red eyed man stared straight past them at me.

'You made your decision.' He turned and vanished into Lower Side.

Noland grabbed hold of John's guard jacket and lifted him from his feet. Artie went over to the dead man, checking him over.

I ran to the tall Viking like man, grabbing his arm. He was too strong. John wriggled as he was held by the scruff of his coat.

'Why did you do that?' I hissed at him.

Noland blinked, his gaze moving to me as he lowered the guard. 'Get back in the car,' he said in his deep voice, pushing the guard away from us.

I stood my ground. Noland wanted to use his gift. A flash of memory came to me. People that were able to look into a person's eyes and see their true intentions. They could see if they were telling the truth. Noland had that gift. If I allowed him to look into my soul, would he believe me? Maybe he would be on my side.

'I have a way of knowing people,' he muttered as Artie flicked open an old style mobile phone and made a phone call.

'I know,' I said before I could engage my brain.

His eyebrows dropped. 'How do you know?'

The back of my hand was fascinating as I studied it. I thought I had it sorted. My arrogance as an angel was overtaking my common sense. I had only been human for a few days. I was playing with the big people already.

'I read your file.'

'Too afraid to look at me? Scared I'll find out what you're all about?' He flicked his long braid over his shoulder. I could see why people would be afraid of him. His size made me feel tiny. And I wasn't.

Glancing up at him, I let his gaze connect with mine. My mind went still as his power worked on me. If anyone else watched us, they would think we were locked in a lovers' stare. The intimacy of it made me tear my gaze away.

'There's good in you. Even if you are a Perfect.'

He turned, dismissing me from his thoughts. 'I will bury him,' he said to Artie as he approached.

Artie clapped him on the shoulder as he whispered something to the hulking warrior. Would he share his findings with his Enforcer?

'You can go now,' Artie said to me as he came over.

Folding my hands in front of me, I stayed where I stood. 'I'm sorry about John's action. I meant what I said.'

Artie shook his head, letting his breath out in a long rush. 'That's my brother for you. He's been trained to...'

He didn't stop shaking his head through his whole sentence. I glanced over my shoulder. John hovered by the car watching us closely.

'I know what you are,' Artie said suddenly.

My gaze snapped back to him. His smile was small, almost forced. He was sincere in his belief, whatever that was.

'Twenty years ago I encountered another of...' He paused as he lowered his voice, '...your kind.'

Swallowing, I let my head fall forward. To gain his trust, I would need to trust him.

'And what is that?' I said under my breath.

The glint of his knife blade caught in the light. He moved it back to his waistband when I looked at it. Facing him, I set my feet slightly apart. He couldn't possible know that-

'You know, from up there.' He gestured to the sky with his head.

The air in my lungs escaped me. My shoulders started to itch as my wings pushed against the skin of my back.

'We're back!' someone called from the shadows.

The sound of feet on the dirt was multiplied. The red eyed man had brought back up. I glanced at John as he got in the car and started the engine.

'Get out of here, we'll sort this!' Artie pushed me towards the vehicle.

I didn't stop to see how many there were. The weird laughter was much louder now. Almost a choir of synchronised hysterical laughter.

'We'll talk again!' Artie shouted as I yanked open my door and slipped into the car.

He was right. We would talk again. I needed to know just how he knew that I was an angel.

#  Chapter Nine

'Last night was risky,' Jason said. 'But fun!'

I laughed as I inspected the files. The desk job was boring compared to the ground work. He was right about that.

'That man didn't need to die.' I flicked through the papers in the folder.

Jason sat by my side, taking notes. 'He was crazy, though. He's much better off now.'

I moved the paperwork and turned to him. My seat was ridiculously extravagant. Brown leather with comfortable arms. When I had seen the lavish office, I had smiled at the luxury. After seeing how hungry and unclothed the Avoidables were, I felt like downsizing to a shed.

'Do you really believe that?'

Jason froze, his hand and pen poised above the page he wrote on. 'He was awful. I could only see a bit of him but he was-'

'Stop!'

Getting up from my seat, I strolled over to the window. It looked out over the city. The concrete jungle reflected the sun. The water of the river glinted in the light. The metal across the bridge glared harshly. It wasn't right.

'Jason. You were right when you said I was different. I am. But so are you. I saw it in you the moment we met. There's a part of you that questions the way you live. The way all Perfects live.'

I didn't face him as I spoke. Instead, choosing to watch the perfectly preened people mill around in the streets below.

'I still don't see how that explains why you're so worried about that Avoidable. He was crazy and ugly. He...'

I turned to watch him as his sentence trailed off. His forehead creased as he looked down at his hands. A small smile played on my lips. I wiped it away when his gaze met mine.

'I sound like my mother.'

We both smiled. The door opened, and the very person Jason had compared himself to, waltzed into the room.

'How is my brat getting on?' she said, throwing her head back and laughing heartily.

Going to her, I took her hand in mine. 'He's doing very well so far.'

Her cheeks went pink as she batted me away. Lifting her hand to her hair, she fiddled with the ends of the short strands as she grinned up at me.

I resisted rolling my eyes at her attention. She was like a dog in heat. I smiled back, even though she didn't realise it was purely because of my own thoughts.

Shaking my head, I cleared my throat and moved away from her. 'We have some fantastic plans,' I said, undoing my jacket and putting my hand in my trouser pocket.

Stalking to my desk, she glanced over Jason's shoulder. He tutted as he covered his work. 'Stop it, Mum!'

'Oh, don't make yourself more important than you are, love.' She patted his shoulder. 'Why didn't you wear a suit?'

I studied mother and son. Jason wore a pair of jeans and a band T-shirt. I didn't mind. He was only nineteen. It was better that he had freedom of choice.

'William.' Catherine turned to me when he didn't answer. 'Did you get a chance to go over the files?'

Ignoring Jason as he stuck his middle finger up at his mother behind her back, I cleared my throat. 'Yes, I've-'

'You missed this one,' Jason said, holding up a photo. 'She's hot!'

Catherine tutted as she snatched the picture out of his hand. 'Ah, yes. She looks promising. Of course she's gorgeous, Jason. Isn't everyone who works here?'

Their mixed laughter made my skin crawl as I smirked along with them. It was going to take a lot to not snap at the shallow people I would have to work with every day. Jason showed his true colours only when the other Perfects were not around.

'Anyway, I must hurry off. My hair needs some highlights.' Catherine approached me, reaching up to kiss me on the cheek.

'You don't need them,' I purred as she waved at me over her shoulder and left us to it.

Jason glared at me. His fingers drummed against the desk, making his own tune. The boy had a lot to grasp. I had no idea how I could teach him.

'We have a lot to learn,' I stated going to the desk and pulling the map of the compound out from under the pile.

Jason jumped up and down in his seat as his drumming rhythm got more aggressive. The sound thundered through my head.

'You don't have a lot to learn. I do,' he said.

I slammed my hands on the desk. Freezing, Jason slowly lowered back down into his chair.

'Sorry,' he muttered when I stared at him.

He went to look away but stopped when my eyebrows rose. 'I need your help,' I muttered.

His eyes went wide as he watched me. He probably thought I was as mad as the man that had been killed. As crazy as the Avoidables on the other side of the river.

'What do you need my help with?' he asked in a meek voice.

The smirk that came to my lips was unintentional. He was scared of me. Afraid of life. Too young to understand the journey he had in front of him.

'Have you ever studied the Avoidables?'

He shook his head as I pulled back and picked a piece of fluff off my collar. Flicking it on the floor, I moved back over to the window.

'No. Why would I want to do that?' His throat moved. I made him nervous. Nothing like the other Perfects, my presence was powerful. Beyond any Perfect that had ever lived. He had no idea what was coming. But I did. We could not fail. He was half angel and so was his beloved.

'Because some day, you'll meet someone who is very special. Someone that will help you change the world once and for all.'

He quirked an eyebrow as I picked up the file of the woman he had admired. The next angel that would become a part of the Perfect government.

'And how exactly am I going to do that?' Jason rubbed his nose with his fist.

Shaking my head, I tucked the file under my arm. 'Come with me,' I said. My mind was made up. He had to know what he was. And I was going to show him. 'You're going to find out what you really are.'

#  Melissa's Enticement

# Chapter Ten

The panting of my breath echoed around the alley. The darkness had descended quicker than I thought. Three days in the concrete jungle. I was nowhere near my target.

'Who's there?'

The shout made my heart race. I put my hand to my chest as I left the alley and came face to face with a guard.

'What are you doing?' the guard asked, his eyes narrowing on the plastic bag I held.

Swallowing, I moved my arm behind my back. He couldn't take the only thing that I had in this stupid place.

'You need to show me that,' he said.

Why couldn't he leave me alone? Couldn't he see I was distressed?

'Please. I need help, I've lost my way. I've rented a room but can't seem to find it.'

He took a step forward, raising his gun as he did. I froze to the spot but only for a second.

'Show me-'

I ran. My legs moved of their own accord. My shaking limbs wobbled as I tried to get away from the guard. He shouted and came after me. What was I doing? I had no idea what was going on.

'Wait!' The guard called.

It was useless. I was useless. My legs slowed as my heart struggled to pump blood around my body. I wasn't fit enough.

'I will arrest you if you don't stop.' The guard wasn't far behind.

So this was what fear felt like? Watching humans had been insufferable. I had always wondered why they scared so easy. Now I knew.

'I'm sorry.' I huffed as I slowed to a stop.

He came around me, taking my arm in his. The pinch of his fingers made me gasp. Pain was a shock. It was only mild but different all the same.

'What's your name?' he asked, his gaze tracing the outline of my figure.

My whole body shivered. He was eyeing me up. In the same way I had watched men eye up women for thousands of years. I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not. He was handsome. Of course he was handsome, he was a guard.

'I'm Melissa,' I said, hearing my chosen human name aloud for the first time.

His hand slipped down my arm and covered my clenched hand. My eyes grew wide as he smiled down at me. I opened my mouth to speak but he ripped my bag out of my hand.

'Why did you run? Do you have something to hide?'

I shook my head quickly. He undid the bag and pulled the paperwork out. It had appeared in my hand an hour after I had left William a few days before. My life was in the bag.

'Why are you carrying around your identification?' He glanced back up at me.

Biting my lip as I thought, I looked down when he grinned at me. Why was he watching me that way?

'Like I say, I've just rented a place. I was on my way there now.'

He brought his finger to my face. I froze as he pulled on the bottom of my lip, making me release it from my teeth.

'Don't worry,' he said. 'I'll take you home.'

I gasped when his finger stroked my chin. It felt nice but it was wrong. I didn't know the man...plus, he was a Perfect.

'To my new place, yes?' I asked. There was no way I would go home with him. Not in a million years, even though I had been an angel for that long.

'Of course, where else did you think I would take you?' He winked at me, letting his hand drop.

I released my held breath as he gave me my documents and put his hand on my arm to guide me to his car. He was a kind man. Usually a Perfect would-

'I need to take you to the station to check that you are who you say you are. There's a reason you ran from me.'

I slumped in his grip. I had thought too soon. What was I doing? My angel brain hadn't caught up to my human one yet.

'Please, I've had a long day. You've seen my documents, you know I'm legit,' I pleaded, tugging on his arm.

He growled as he lifted his gun towards me. I let go and went with him willingly. I could sense danger in the weapon he held. Many Avoidables had been killed with a gun.

Opening the car door, he shoved me in the back. I stayed silent as he drove to the compound. William probably didn't mean that I should get myself arrested. That wasn't the way for me to get into the Perfect government. Where was William?

A tall figure came into view as the car went under the barrier entrance of the compound. The dark hair was familiar. When the man turned, I put a hand over my mouth.

William stood speaking to a young man. My guard pulled the car up next to them and wound down the window.

'Is everything okay here?' he asked.

William nodded, glancing into the back of the car. 'Who have you got here?'

His eyes flashed recognition when they landed on my face but only for a second. No one else would have noticed. The young man with him stared at me, his eyes wider than my own.

'I'm just doing a routine check after she ran from me,' the guard answered.

William waved him on. I frowned when he nodded at me before we left him behind. Why had he let the guard take me in? Why not stop him?

'That's our new leader. He seems decent enough. Don't worry, love. If you check out, I'll take you home.'

Parking up, he got out. He spoke into a little machine and moved a few steps away. I thought he would leave me in the car while he did a quick check. My hopes were dashed when he swung around and opened the door.

'Let's get you inside.' He wrapped his hand around my bicep and guided me to a building.

The night was cool. A slight breeze swung my hair into my eyes. The brown strands were styled into soft waves. Using my hand to swipe it out of my face, I cringed at the grease that was starting to work its way down from the roots. I hadn't bathed since I had got to the city days ago.

'You'll stay in here. I'll be right back,' the guard said, pushing me through a door and into a cell block.

I let him lead me into one of the cells.

When he left me, the bars slid back into place, trapping me in. I was in jail.

I had done nothing wrong, yet they treated me like a criminal. My skin started to tingle. It grew warm as I grasped the bars in my hands.

'You're a pretty one. Why are you in here?' The voice came from a man in the cell opposite mine.

I hadn't noticed him at first. His hair was going grey but his skin was still taunt over his face. The chancellor. I recognised him. My memories of watching him from above were blurry, though.

'I don't know. There's been a misunderstanding,' I replied sheepishly.

Maybe if I could get him on my side, he could persuade the guard to let me out.

A siren started to sound throughout the building. I fell to the floor and put my hands over my ears.

'What's going on?' the chancellor bellowed.

No one came. He didn't get an answer. The alarm was so loud it pierced straight through my head. What was I doing? I was an angel. Not some weak willed human.

Getting to my feet, I ignored everything and closed my eyes. I had been a simpering woman since I had arrived on the earth. It was time to man up...in a womanly way.

I am okay. I thought the sentence over and over again.

My spine straightened. I held my arms to the side and allowed myself to become calm. It was the perfect opportunity to be noticed by someone I would eventually work with.

'It's probably routine,' I shouted over the noise.

The chancellor glared at me before pointing at the camera in the corner of his cell.

'Look here! I'm the chancellor, tell me what's going on!' His face turned red as he clenched his hands around the metal bars.

'How can you just stand there?' he yelled at me when I smiled at him.

I shrugged and let his anger wash over me. 'I'm in here with you, sir, they won't forget about us. You're too important.'

He released the bars and took a step back. Smoothing his jacket, he let a small smile play on his lips. Flattery was the only way to get through to a Perfect. He was a slim man with cropped hair. He held his shoulders back and his head high. As if he was looking down at everyone. Which he was.

'What's your name?' he shouted.

The siren cut off half way through his sentence. The words echoed around the block. We laughed as they faded away.

'I'm Melissa. I've actually applied for-'

'Pretty name! You've applied for a job? We've been interviewing for new officials. What are your credentials?'

He winked as his gaze raked over me. I forced myself not to shiver under his scrutiny.

'Sir!'

The door banged against the wall as a guard rushed in. The bars to the cell of my new friend squeaked back on their wheels.

'What's happening?' the chancellor asked.

The guard held his gun towards the entrance of the block. He looked over his shoulder at me.

'Who are you?' he stuttered.

'I'm Melissa, I-'

'Let her out, she's coming with us!' the chancellor ordered.

I smiled at him, teeth and all, as the guard pressed the button to allow me to leave with them. The bars were almost open when my guard came in.

'What are you doing with my prisoner?' he called.

The other guard froze, glancing between me and my original captor. The chancellor stepped forward, blocking his path.

'What is happening?' he demanded. 'Why has no one told me why the alarm went off? This woman is innocent. In fact, she's coming to work here!'

The guard glared at me as he held up my plastic bag. 'Yes, she's innocent. I had to make sure, sir.'

'We need to get you out of here,' the other guard said. 'Catherine has ordered that all officials hide in the safety bunker.'

The chancellor grabbed my wrist and dragged me along with him. We followed the guards out of the building and over the small courtyard.

There were several buildings with little courtyards separating them. The grass was lush and well cut. The concrete walkways were lined with flowerbeds.

It was almost pitch black. Little lanterns that hung from tall old fashioned metal poles helped me to see where I had to step.

'Are you going to tell me what's happening?'

The siren started up again. The chancellor kept glancing behind him, which made my body shudder.

'An Avoidable has been spotted in the city. In fact, there's several, sir. Catherine is at her home. She ordered anyone on site to get in the bunker.' The guard's words were rushed. His breath was short as he kept a lookout.

We walked fast. I wanted to run. What would the Avoidables do if they got inside the compound? I tried to remember if they had ever succeeded. My memories had been wiped. I could only remember bits and pieces.

'We'll be fine,' I barked, slowing down.

The others looked at me, their eyes narrowing. 'What do you know?' my guard asked.

I realised my mistake and sped back up. Playing it cool wouldn't work in this situation. Perfects were terrified of Avoidables. I had to convince them that I was too.

'We're with the chancellor. You'll protect him because he's the most important person here.' I took hold of his hand.

He squeezed my fingers. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I had originally thought.

'So true, dear. She knows her stuff. Come on, let's get you safe.'

The guards shook their heads, dismissing me. I had to get a crash course in how to be a Perfect. William had abandoned us to our fate. However, I hadn't planned on getting into the compound quite like I had. It was fascinating how quickly life unfolded without me even realising what had happened.

'Here, go in,' the guard said, leading me to a small flight of steps that went below ground.

A metal door stood open, waiting for us to go inside. I paused but the chancellor rushed in so fast, I got dragged along with him. The door was slammed shut behind me.

'Why are the guards not coming in?' I asked.

The chancellor paced the tunnel before heading off down it. 'This way!' he ordered.

It was a short tunnel. At the end, there were three wooden doors. Two of them were closed, the other was open. I followed him into the room. It was a communal area with sofas, televisions, a kitchenette and even a corner with toys.

'What is this place?' I muttered, wandering towards the play area. The idea of little children stuck down there made me shiver.

'It's a bunker. It's been here a long time. We actually built the compound over it so we could use it in case of emergencies. Now, tell me a bit more about yourself,' the chancellor said, pouring himself a drink from a bottle of cut glass. The liquid was dark brown. He gulped it in one go before pouring himself another.

'I've been...' I searched my brains for the lies I would need to make it sound like I knew what I was talking about. Closing my eyes briefly, I asked for help in my mind. 'I've been studying at the university. My degree in politics helped me to become addicted to the welfare of Perfects. Especially...' I glanced at the children's play area. 'Children's welfare. I want to work in that department here.'

He raised his eyebrows as he got out another glass and poured two drinks. Stalking over, he handed one to me. I brought the liquid to my lips and tasted a small sip. The bitter taste touched my tongue. My face screwed up in response. He towered over me, like most of the men I had met. Why had I been given such a short body?

'You've never tasted anything like it, have you?' His smirk made me swallow more of the vile tasting stuff. It burned my throat as it travelled into my stomach.

'No, I haven't.' I didn't know what else to say. His smarmy grin grew as he leant towards me. His suit was immaculate, even though he had been in a prison cell. I glanced down at my crumpled clothes.

The chancellor took another step towards me but paused. His nose scrunched up when his eyes landed on the top of my head. I cleared my throat and eyed my shoes. They were black with little heels. The more I looked at them, the more they hurt the bottom of my feet. I hadn't even noticed them before.

'Is there a shower down here?'

He laughed as he shook his head and flung the drink down his throat. 'Yes, through there.' He gestured back towards the hall. 'Shall I join you?'

My gaze shot to his. He was being completely serious. His face was straight as he waited for my answer. This could make or break my chance to get in his good books. However, I would not jeopardise myself for that.

'I've only just met you, sir.' I took his glass and went over to the counter to pour another drink.

Mentally shaking myself, I brought back the fearless Perfect that I had managed to pull from somewhere when I was in the cell.

'Does that matter?'

His breath hit the back of my neck. I swallowed hard before turning to place the newly filled glass in his hand. He smiled down at me as he wiggled his eyebrows. He fingered the tip of my blond hair.

'Sir! Don't be so naughty. There is a serious situation going on outside. We need to-'

'Stay exactly where you are!'

The shout came from the hallway. The chancellor jumped away from me. I did as I was told, rooted to the spot. A guard backed into the room with his gun held out in front of him. He was aiming at someone down the hall.

'Don't think I won't break you,' someone said.

The voice was regular but the words made me grit my teeth. Who was the man that threatened us?

'Back up!' the guard shouted.

It was pointless. He still retreated into the room. I was about to open my mouth when a short man with a big nose came around the corner and into view.

'Ah, there you are, Chancellor. I believe you have something that belongs to me.'

#  Chapter Eleven

If only I had gone in the shower straight away. I could have locked myself in until it was over. At least I would be clean. Instead, I stood behind the despicable man that would never think about protecting anyone but himself.

'I don't have Sandor,' the chancellor stuttered.

The man was physically unattractive, there was no denying it. However, I could see the light that shone for the woman he was seeking. It showed in his eyes, through the hatred.

'How did you even know that's who I wanted? Because you're guilty, that's how!'

The scowl on the man's face lessened when he spotted me behind the chancellor. He blinked a few times before sneering at me. 'Having fun with our friend, are you?'

I shook my head quickly. He frowned as the chancellor glanced back at me. Did he realise that I wasn't the chancellor's lover? What would be the consequences if he believed I was?

My whole body shook as the man stared at me. There was only so much of the tough act I could muster. I was an angel in a human world.

'You can go.' The man gestured with his head.

I froze. Would that be a wise thing to do? The Avoidable was clearly dangerous but my alliance needed to be with the chancellor. As much as it sickened me.

'What about him?' I stepped forward and placed myself in front of the man that I would have to defend.

The Avoidable raised his eyebrows. 'So you are with him?'

I clenched my hands at my sides. I had to think like a Perfect, not an angel. Being one of them meant I had to behave completely against my nature. It had to be done.

'He's my boss. I won't just leave him here so you can hurt him. You don't want to do this anyway, you'll get caught.'

Why hadn't the guard shot the threat? The thought flashed into my mind. Looking at the guard, I caught myself before I opened my mouth. His grin told me all I needed to know. He was an Avoidable posing as a guard. I hoped the Perfect hadn't been hurt in the acquisition of the uniform.

'Why shouldn't I do this? No one knows I'm here. The rebels never get caught!'

The chancellor chuckled behind me. My whole body vibrated as I fought the urge to spin and slap him myself.

'Sandor hasn't been found. Your men are searching for her this very moment. They won't find her. She's not here.' The chancellor ran a hand down my arm.

I cringed inside but didn't let it show on the outside. He would get a lesson as soon as the Avoidables were gone. He had no right to touch me whenever he wanted.

A crackling noise sounded from the Avoidables pocket. He pulled out what looked like a rough radio and spoke into it, turning away for privacy.

'You're doing well,' the chancellor whispered to me.

I nudged his arm away when he tried to get hold of me again. He chuckled. I ignored him as I tried to hear the Avoidable.

'You're right,' he said a few moments later, turning back to us. 'She's not in the compound. You're lucky today. I'll let you live.'

The Avoidable turned to go with the guard protecting his retreat. 'Oh, one more thing,' he said, glancing over his shoulder. 'I will find her, Chancellor. When I do, your new woman will not be able to protect you.'

I released my breath when they ran from the room. The door to the front of the bunker banged shut behind them.

'Well done, dear. You're very brave. We could do with having someone like you on our team.' He rubbed the back of his fingers down my wrist.

Spinning away from him, I glared. His back came up as he looked down his nose at me.

'Thank you, sir. I must insist that you treat me with the respect that I deserve. After all, we will soon be colleagues.' My insides quaked when he sucked air through his nose.

A smile spread over his face. 'Very well. I shall wait for you to come to me when you're ready. In the meantime, William,' he spat my friend's name, 'will want to interview you. Don't worry, I will make sure you get the job. As long as we know that we're on the same page.'

He waved me away as he got his phone out of his pocket. I hurried to the bathroom, ready to lock myself away.

As the chancellor reported our run in with the Avoidables, I showered as quickly as I could. I towel dried my hair, all the time listening to those talking outside the bathroom.

'It's okay. They've gone,' someone said.

Opening the door ajar, I watched those in the other room. Three guards and three other people that wore suits stood talking.

'There she is, come out, Melissa,' the chancellor called.

I joined them, ignoring the two women as they sniffed the air when eyeing my damp hair. Maybe I should have taken the time to blow dry it instead of worrying about what had transpired.

'Melissa has applied for the job of children's welfare official. I've seen her credentials and she's the perfect candidate.'

I smiled up at the chancellor. He was blatantly lying but if it helped me get a seat on the council, I didn't mind.

'You and your Perfect jokes,' one of the ladies laughed, hitting him gently on the arm. He leered down at her.

I kept my expression clear. I didn't understand what she meant. He wasn't joking.

Stepping away from them, I went over to the guards. One of them nodded before leaving the other to talk to me.

'Are you okay?' he asked.

I folded my arms across my chest. 'He was scary. I've never seen an Avoidable so close before. Who is he?'

My weak woman impression was convincing. He looked down my top as he nodded sympathetically. 'It was Leon. He's the leader of the rebels. Sandor is part of their group.'

I blinked rapidly as he looked up and I gazed into his eyes. He was gorgeous. Of course he was. It was a little boring to be honest. His jaw was square and strong. A bit like William's. I wanted to reach out and stroke the smooth skin. The twinkle of blue in his eyes told me that he knew what I was thinking.

'Why didn't he kill us?'

The smile that formed on his plump lips as he leant even closer made my stomach flip. His broad shoulders blocked out the view of the others chatting behind him. My breath deepened as his breath hit my cheek.

'Because you're too beautiful. What did you say your name was? I'll need to take a statement.'

My cheeks heated when he winked. My whole body buzzed with an energy I had never felt before.

'Melissa. Maybe you could take my statement over some dinner. I'm starving.' I giggled when I realised how forward I sounded.

'What are you talking about over there? Shouldn't you be out there killing those vile creatures?' the chancellor called.

My initial impression of the chancellor vanished. He wasn't kind. The man was... I shuddered as the guard stepped back and nodded towards his boss. 'Yes, sir, I'm just taking a statement.'

'I need to get back home. Is there any way I can do that?' I asked, anxious to get out of the bunker.

The guard let his head drop to the side. 'I thought we were having a nice discussion.'

My smile returned. He seemed like a genuine man. Unlike the others in the room. Would I ever be able to trust any of the Perfects?

'Yes...but it's late. Very late. I could do with some sleep.'

I had slept on the streets for two nights in a row. I had finally managed to persuade a letting agent to rent me a small apartment. I was ready to get some proper sleep.

'I'll drive you back to your home,' the guard said.

Clearing my face of any expression, I approached the chancellor. 'I'm going home now. I've had enough of defending you against the Avoidables.'

The chancellor was tipsy. His cheeks were red and his eyes glazed over. 'Come for an interview tomorrow. I'll make sure Catherine gets you in to see our new...'

'William is gorgeous!' one of the women interrupted. 'I can't wait to sit and watch him in meetings. I wonder if he's married.'

They giggled as the chancellor scowled at them.

'Let's go, Melissa,' the lovely guard said.

I offered my hand to the chancellor. He sniffed the air, refusing to take it. 'I don't think that's the proper way to say goodbye to someone that got you out of jail.' His breath stank as he leant down and kissed me on the cheek. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

The shudder that came over my body as I walked away couldn't be disguised. Luckily, the others had drawn him back into conversation. The guard saw it, though. His eyes sparkled with mischief.

'Not as friendly with the chancellor as you made out,' he whispered as he escorted me out of the bunker.

Guards patrolled the gardens, guns in hand. How did Leon and the other man get into the bunker so easily? Were the government so sure of themselves that they were slack with their security?

'I've been in university so long, I haven't had any experience of government procedure. What's it like working here?' I asked.

He put a hand on the small of my back as he guided me out of the compound and to his car. The blue and white uniform fit him well. Tucking the gun away, he rushed to the passenger's side and opened the door for me. I bit my lip as I climbed into the car.

'Thank you,' I said when he climbed in next to me.

He frowned. Turning the engine on, he put an arm over the back of my seat and twisted his head to watch behind as he reversed out of his parking spot. 'What for?'

'Never mind.' I wondered if women ever thanked a man for opening the door for them anymore. They used to a long time ago. Things had changed drastically. The world was no longer built on values. It was based on physical appearance. My heart sunk as I watched him. These people had no idea how to love.

'Working as a guard is okay. I get to carry a gun around. The government make sure that we're all okay. The Perfects, anyway. They run the city. If anything is out of order, we just deal with it. Can't have people falling below standards. A lot of women...' his sentence trailed off. He didn't blush when he realised what he had been about to say. I shook my head, hiding my smile by looking out of the window.

'Well, my name is Michael. Where do you live?' he asked.

I froze. Michael was one of my favourite names.

My plastic bag was clenched in my hand. I opened it to find the address on the tenancy agreement. He nodded once, turning on the heater when I shivered. It had been an eventful night.

'You're going to work for the government, then?' He broke the silence that had fallen.

Looking down at my hands, I traced my fingers with the opposite hand. 'Hopefully...well, yes. I have an interview tomorrow.'

'What you said earlier, about dinner, do you want to skip it?'

My gaze shot to his face. His lips were parted slightly. There was no hint of nervousness. No hesitation in the way he spun the steering wheel.

'No.'

His eyes snapped to mine before looking back at the road. 'No?'

I grinned. 'Have you never heard that word before?'

The laugh that came out of him startled me. He shook his head as amusement quirked his lip.

'I like you. You've got balls. When can I take you out for dinner?'

His shoulders were relaxed. The cocky nature of every Perfect had to change. I would knock him down a peg or two.

'If I get the job tomorrow, you can take me out. If you want this,' I gestured to myself. 'You have to earn it.'

The car pulled up outside my new home. Seeing the street name and the right number, I yanked the door open.

'Wait!' he called when I went to run up the steps. 'Are you seriously not inviting me in? I drove you home.'

I laughed as I shook my head. 'Just because every other woman gives in to you instantly, doesn't mean I will. I'm worth more.'

Blowing him a kiss, I went up the last two steps and shoved the key in the lock. Once inside, I turned to close the door behind me. The last thing I saw before my view was blocked was the gapping mouth of the handsome guard.

#  Chapter Twelve

'I'm so glad I found you, I've been searching all morning!'

I blinked in the sunlight. Paul, my angel friend, shoved his way into the hall. The knock had awoken me from the first peaceful slumber I had experienced since arriving on Earth.

'Nice to see you, too,' I muttered, following him into the kitchen.

He was tall and skinny. The sunlight shone through the window, highlighting his dirty blond hair. It was long on top, the ends curling ever so slightly.

'You're a handsome Perfect,' I said, reaching to flick on the kettle.

He paced the room, glancing at me every now and then.

'What's the matter?'

Running his hand through his hair, he jumped when the front doorbell went. I glanced at the black and white clock on the wall.

'Oh no, I'm late!' I cried, tugging my nightshirt.

Paul cringed when I pulled the shirt over my head and chucked it in the washing machine. He averted his eyes, staring at the kettle as it boiled the water.

'Sorry.' I tried to cover myself with my hands. I wasn't used to worrying about the physical body when I had been an angel.

'It's fine. A body is just a body. I don't know why they make such a big deal about nakedness. It's natural.'

Muttering my agreement, I shot to my bedroom to pull on my skirt suit. The doorbell rang again. 'Who could that be?'

As I brushed my hair, I heard voices in the hallway. Pulling open my bedroom door, I stilled as the guard from the night before watched me.

'Hello,' I said, straightening my spine when he looked between me and Paul. 'This is my friend, Michael.'

Paul hid his smile by shutting the front door behind the man that stalked into the kitchen. Why did I feel guilty? I hadn't done anything to warrant the emotion.

'Are you ready for your interview?' the guard called.

Glancing in the mirror, I tried to rub the dark circles under my eyes. I could see why Perfects put on so much make up.

'Not quite, almost...' I shouted back.

Paul followed the guard. I tried to listen to what they said to each other as I put mascara on my eyelashes. The makeup was already in the flat. Who had left it there for me? I guessed it would have been Arion, our declared heavenly leader. He was looking down on us all, guiding us through our quest.

'Okay, now I'm ready,' I announced, wandering into the kitchen.

Paul and the guard stood opposite each other. One sizing the other. Both sets of shoulders were stiff and so was the atmosphere.

'What's going on?'

Paul loosened up before the guard did. 'Your friend seems to think that something is going on between us. He doesn't like it.'

I snorted. Paul had been in my angel family group for hundreds of years. We didn't share a soulmate connection on a true love level.

'My sentiments exactly.' Paul chuckled.

The guard's back straightened even more. He looked over at me, blinking when he took in my made up face and classy clothes. He was shorter than Paul and not quite as thin. He was also a distraction. The plan had been to come to Earth to help Avoidables and Perfects get along better. Not to fall for one of the guards.

'Firstly, Michael...' Something about his name was familiar. It resonated with me so strongly, I forgot to finish speaking.

'William won't like it if you're late,' Michael finished for me.

Why was I drawn to him?

'We'd better leave. Make yourself at home, Paul, I won't be too long.'

Paul shook his head, grinning to himself. Michael didn't make eye contact with him as we left the building.

'Who is he?' he demanded as soon as we were in the car.

The roads whizzed past. His aggression was taken out on the steering wheel. I squealed when he dodged an older woman crossing the road.

'He's my friend,' I replied, gripping the bottom of my seat as he swung round a corner.

Glancing over at him, I realised why people struggled with love. If he was this effected with jealousy after a few hours of knowing me, how would he be if we were in a relationship?

'It's none of your business who I date,' I snapped, annoyed at his annoyance. 'Not that I'm dating Paul.' I giggled at the thought. It would be like dating my brother.

Michael's gaze slipped over me. The crease in his forehead eased a little.

'You're not dating him?'

Human males were so strange. When I had watched them from above, I had been baffled. Most of them, especially Perfects, longed for someone to love. They had lost the ability when they had been taught to only love someone for their appearance. The surface was a dangerous place to love.

'I'm not dating him. Not that it's got anything to do with you, anyway.'

When he growled, I stifled my laughter. I didn't want to upset him any further.

The other hindrance I had noticed about men was their fear of falling in love. They made out that they didn't want a relationship. Made out that they were happy to have fun but didn't want to be tied down. It all boiled down to fear.

'What are you thinking?' he asked, his shoulders relaxing.

Sighing, I watched the buildings go past. 'I was just thinking it's a shame that more men don't own their emotions. They shy away from loving a woman because they think it will take away their power. When in fact, it will empower them beyond anything they've ever experienced.'

The car swerved. I jolted, glancing at the road to see what had caused the sudden movement. There was nothing there.

Looking at Michael, I bit my lip when his mouth snapped closed. He had been gawping at me again. My cheeks heated as the compound gates came into view.

'Who are you?' he asked as the barrier lifted and let us through.

Clearing my throat, I adopted the air of Perfect superiority. 'Just a woman speculating. Ignore me.'

The car came to halt. We stayed where we were, listening to each other's breath.

'I-'

'Thank you for the lift,' I rushed, escaping from the car before he could speculate on what I had said. My angel side had been allowed to show. It was no good. I had to get better at being a Perfect. How did I balance the good in me with the shallow side I needed to show?

'Melissa! Good to see you,' the chancellor greeted as I stepped into the reception foyer.

The building buzzed with activity. Apparently there were interviews all day. I hoped I would get a moment alone with William.

'And you, sir,' I said, letting him kiss the top of my hand.

'Good luck today. I've had a word with William. Of course, he gets the overall say, although I don't see why. I'm sure you'll be fine.'

Smiling up at him, I fluttered my eyelashes. Being allowed into the government because the chancellor wanted to take me to bed made my stomach heavy. It didn't matter, though. William had told us to get onto the panel however we could. This had been my way.

'Melissa, please go through,' the receptionist called.

The chancellor patted me on the back as I left him. Pulling on my jacket, I stood tall and held my head high as I passed the other candidates for the job.

Their whispers wouldn't phase me. I was an angel. A Perfect angel. I would get the job.

#  Chapter Thirteen

'What the hell happened last night?' William grabbed my arm, yanked me into his office and shut the door behind me.

We were alone. A young lad had just left. I swallowed, my eyes stretching open when he slung off his jacket, undid the buttons on his shirt and ripped it off.

'William, I'm not sure...'

I stopped speaking when he bent forward. He grunted as his shoulder blades moved and the skin broke open. White feathered wings burst from his back, sending the paperwork on the desk flying when he stretched them.

'What are you doing?' I hissed, crouching to the floor and gathering the papers.

He moaned again as he rolled his shoulders. The wings took up most of the office. If the lad came in now, he would-

The knock on the door made us both freeze.

'One moment,' William called. 'I couldn't help it,' he said to me. 'They kept pushing against my back as if they needed to be released.'

I picked up his shirt and jacket as he closed his eyes. 'I can't pull them back in!' he exclaimed.

The lead angel had never looked so flustered before.

'It's okay. Keep calm and concentrate,' I whispered, putting a hand on his bare arm.

His masculine form was impressive. He held himself differently to the other Perfects. Not only was he powerful, he was graceful, too.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. His wings started to shudder as they were pulled back into his shoulder blades.

The knock on the door sounded again. Was it the lad? Or someone else?

'Here.' I shoved his clothes at him.

He nodded his thanks as he pulled them on, doing up the buttons quickly. Moving the interview chair back to where it had been, I sat down as William opened the door.

'Sorry, Jason,' William said as the young lad came in.

He eyed us both, frowning as he made his way to a seat in the corner of the room. Was William training him? He was too young to be an official.

'Melissa, this is Jason.' William introduced us.

I hid the shock behind a greeting. Jason smiled crookedly. He was only a teenager. How could he be the one to save the city?

'Did I interrupt something?' He glanced between us.

I didn't allow his words to embarrass me. Neither did William. He chuckled as he lowered himself into his chair, refusing to elaborate. Instead, he opened a file and pretended to read my papers.

'Melissa, it says here that you've worked at the social services department for five years while studying.' William was very business-like. It was odd to see him so formal in front of the Perfects.

'There's a social services department?' Jason said.

My mouth moved as I tried to stifle a smile. He was our boy. The light in his eyes flared when he looked at me. Recognition, maybe? Deep deep down?

'I can't believe that. No one cares what happens to...anyone. Unless it's the test department. Did you work there?' Jason finished.

William's mouth gaped slightly. Not enough for Jason to notice but I knew the man well.

'Yes. I made sure the transitions were handled fairly.' I put on my best Perfect voice, making sure to keep my nose pointed up slightly. Just like the other Perfect women when they spoke to someone they deemed below them.

'I hear you had an interesting experience last night,' William said through his teeth.

My fake laugh echoed around the room. The others stared at me. The laugh turned real when I saw the blank expression on their faces.

'Is there something wrong?' Jason asked.

He spoke a lot for a lad in training. I wasn't sure if William should give him so much power.

'Shush!' The new leader of the government must have read my mind. 'Go and get us a hot drink please, Jason.'

I smirked as the boy grabbed his boss's mug and left, muttering to himself.

'You give-'

'You're crazy-'

We came to a halt as we both spoke at the same time. William clenched his hands before gesturing for me to go on.

'You give him too much power. Why are you allowing him to speak to me?'

I brushed the arm of my jacket to get rid of invisible dust.

'Very good. You sound like a Perfect. However, don't forget who you are.' He hissed the last part of the sentence as he leant over his desk.

I coughed, glaring around at the plush office. 'Likewise.'

He let the air out of his lungs in a long slow breath. I sat back in my seat, crossing my legs at the knees.

'Look at us! We're already embodying our fellow Perfects...perfectly.'

My shoulders sagged as I remembered why we were there. He was right. I had only spent a few days around the Perfects but their energy affected me.

'We need to make a regular habit of meeting in the woods. Nothing can stop us from achieving our goal. We have to clear our energy daily. If we do it together, it will be more powerful.'

I nodded, feeling a sudden pressure in the corners of my eyes.

'What is it?' He reached out to my take my hand.

I sat there, my eyes blinking as water filled them. Was I crying? This was what it felt like to cry?

'I've not seen anyone cry, yet. It makes me want to help you,' William said softly.

I chuckled quietly, wiping the tears from my cheeks. 'Thank you.'

He smiled, rubbing my hand in his. 'I need to clear your application with Catherine but you know you've got the job, right? How did you win over the chancellor?'

Giggling, I sniffed and released my hand to straighten myself before Jason came back.

'I have no idea. Although, I have a feeling I'm going to be rejecting his advances for a while,' I said. 'What about Jason? How is he here?'

William grinned, sitting back in his chair. 'I'm good. I managed to persuade his parents to let me hire him.'

The door opened.

'Tonight, Melissa. In the woods.'

I nodded as I got to my feet. Jason frowned as he placed the mugs on the desk.

'Our interview is over. Melissa, I'll be in contact.'

Shaking William's hand, I nodded politely. When I went to go, I stopped in front of Jason, offering my hand to him.

'I'm sorry but I don't know where that hand has been,' he said.

William spluttered his tea, sending it flying everywhere. My mouth gaped open as I stared at the apparent half angel.

'Excuse me?' I finally blurted.

He shrugged his shoulders, a little grin on his face. 'Well, William's shirt is done up all wrong and it wasn't before you came in.'

Glancing at William as he burst out laughing, I turned on my heels and stalked out the room. So what if my cheeks were bright red? I had never been so embarrassed in my whole human days.

#  Chapter Fourteen

'Ready for a ride?' Michael winked as I walked straight past him. 'Wait!'

The smile came to my lips.

'I want to walk, thank you,' I said over my shoulder.

His footsteps sounded behind me. An arm came over my shoulders as we exited the compound and turned down the street.

'What are you doing?' I asked him, not bothering to shrug him off. It felt nice to have a handsome man touch me. It was a first.

'I'm walking with you. Where do you want to go?'

Glancing up at him, I licked my lips. He smiled down at me, his cheeky grin causing dimples to appear. What would it feel like to kiss him?

'The river. I want to go to the river.'

His face screwed up. It must have sounded odd. What Perfect would want to see Lower Side? Not that I had requested to actually see it but the river separated the Upper Side from the Lower.

'Really? You want to go there?'

Smiling sweetly, I nodded. He shrugged but didn't take his arm away as I let him lead me down the road.

'Are you not supposed to be working?' I said after a minute of comfortable silence.

His hand stroked the shoulder of my jacket. My stomach flipped at the gentle touch. Why was he being so affectionate?

'Just finished my shift when you came out,' he said, moving a bit of my hair when it flew onto his arm. 'Do you know what?'

'What?'

His grin deepened as I glanced sideways at him.

'You're the hottest Perfect I've ever seen.'

Rolling my eyes, I concentrated on the horizon. The buildings gave way to blue sky up ahead. The salt in the air told me that we drew nearer to the river.

'Well?' he asked.

'Well, what?'

I shrugged off his arm. The human part of me wanted to let his words make me feel good. The angel part couldn't stand to be appreciated for my looks alone. The fight inside made me close my eyes for a brief second. William had told us to embrace being a Perfect but never forget who we were. How could we get a balance of the two? Acting came naturally to us. However, it had a price. How could we teach Avoidables and Perfects to be their true authentic inner selves if we pretended to be something we weren't?

'What do you think about being the hottest Perfect I've ever seen?'

I laughed. He frowned down at me as we came to a stop by the water's edge.

'I know.'

Turning from him, I studied the river. A big concrete bridge joined the two parts of city. It was a few hundred yards away. Guards stood in a tight line right along the entrance. The Lower Side was made up of dirt and metal. That's what it looked like from where I was, anyway.

'You are...' Michael started.

'Amazing?' I finished for him.

I ignored the shake of his head, instead letting my head fall back to study the cloudy sky. I squinted to make out a shape between the clouds.

'What's that?' I said before I put my brain into gear.

As Michael looked to where I stared, the object moved. Wings flapped, sending them soaring nearer to our side of the river. It was an Avoidable. If the-

'Guards!' Michael shouted, pointing to the sky when they took notice of him.

I gasped as they pulled out their guns and aimed at the man in the air. Surely they wouldn't shoot him?

'What is that?' I asked Michael.

Grabbing my hand, he tried to pull me towards the guards. I stopped him, keeping my eyes peeled on the man above. He had long thick dark hair, tanned skin and big purple dragon wings. How did he have dragon wings?

'It's an Avoidable. Half dragon. We need to get out of-'

His sentence was cut off as gunfire exploded nearby. Wrapping his arms around me, he yanked me to the ground, landing on top of me. He covered our faces with his arms. I struggled against him, trying to watch the flying man. I had to see if they'd shot him.

'Stop, Melissa, it's dangerous,' he hissed in my face.

I froze when his lips brushed my cheek as he spoke. The touch sent a warm buzz throughout my whole body. Shuddering against him, I gulped air to try and steady myself.

'He's breaking the law. Avoidables are not allowed to fly over the river. Ever. He has to be shot down.'

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from disagreeing. I was a Perfect. I had to remember that.

'I know,' I whispered, going still under him.

The shooting stopped. I closed my eyes, waiting for the splash of water. It never came.

'Well, this is cosy,' Michael said.

Pushing him, I climbed out from underneath his body. He had protected me. His behaviour seemed very unPerfect-like.

'He's getting away!' he shouted to the guards. 'Kill him!'

The flying man had spun. He was making his way back to Lower Side. Surely he would have known that the guards would shoot at him if he came so close to our side of the river? Michael was a guard. His duty was to protect the Perfects at all costs.

As bullets flew into the air, I crossed my fingers for the purple winged man. A screech of wheels against concrete made me look over to the bridge. The guards were mowed down by an old rusty car.

'You need to leave,' Michael shouted, running towards his colleagues.

The man in the air had been a diversion. He had caught the attention of the guards so his buddies could come across the bridge from Lower Side and ram into them.

I stood frozen on the grass verge beside the river. The guards scrambled to their feet. The ones that could, anyway. A couple of them were still on the ground. The car reversed back onto the bridge.

'Michael,' I shouted as he crouched beside one of the fallen guards.

The car revved again. I ran towards the bridge. I was too late. The car shot forward, straight into Michael and the men that remained on the floor. A scream tore from my throat. Shots started to bombard the car. The clunk of the gear stick being shoved into reverse made me feel sick. He was going to back over them again. Surely, they would already be dead?

'Michael!' I called again as I drew level with the car.

Going straight up to the window, I slammed my hand on the screen. The man inside looked at me. The gunfire stopped but not before one last bullet found its way into the Avoidable's chest. He had a beard. The hair on his head was patchy in places. His clothes hung on his thin frame.

A small smile came to his lips as he studied me. His hand clutched at the spot the bullet had hit. He blinked, all the while staring straight into my eyes. Could he see me? The real me?

'Ma'am, you need to come away,' one of the guards said, taking hold of my arm.

Ripping from him, I opened the passenger door and got in the car. The Avoidable struggled to breathe now, his chest pumping hard. His cheeks drained of colour as he watched me. I laid a hand over the one that clutched the steering wheel. The engine still hummed.

'Why did you do this?' I asked.

He licked his lips, gasping as he winced. Red blood seeped through his fingers where he held his chest. He was going to die.

'He promised me. They killed my friend,' he choked out.

I swallowed to clear the lump that rose in my throat. I didn't know what he'd meant, but I was determined to find out. His face twisted as he closed his eyes.

'Who was the man in the sky? Why did he help you?'

The laugh that came from his mouth was quiet. 'He wasn't helping. They were trying to stop me.' His eyes flickered open. The depths of them glowed as he gazed at me. 'You're so beautiful. Not like a normal Perfect.'

His arm went slack and fell into his lap. His stare hardened as the life left his body.

Blinking, I backed out of the car. Michael!

'Melissa!' His voice was weak.

I rushed to his side. He had cuts over his face. The odd angle of his arm made my stomach turn.

'Are you okay?'

He slowly nodded but stopped and moaned. Another guard approached. 'An ambulance is almost here. We'll get you sorted.'

Dropping to my knees, I stroked his hair. His face had already started to swell. I hoped he didn't have internal injuries.

'You should have run,' he managed, looking me in the eye. 'Why did you get into the car?'

A siren sounded nearby. The ambulance came into view.

The air rushed from my lungs as I glanced back at Michael. He had been injured trying to help his friends. He was a man that I was supposed to be believe was ugly on the inside. Maybe he wasn't.

'The driver was shot. I...'

A paramedic rushed over to us. Another went to the man by Michael's side. The man he had been trying to help. I had avoided looking at him, knowing that his time had come.

'Leave, Melissa,' Michael said as the paramedic checked him over.

A guard knelt beside me. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me from Michael's side. My new friend watched me through the swelling around his eyes.

'You probably have concussion. We need to get you to the hospital to check you over and fix your arm.'

He cringed when he tried to nod his consent. I struggled against the man that tried to haul me away.

'Wait, Michael...'

'If you have any sympathy towards them, I never want to see you again,' he spat.

My body slumped as he looked away from me. He listened to the paramedic as they explained how they was going to move him. Not once did his gaze seek mine as I was taken to a guard's car and escorted home.

#  Chapter Fifteen

The trees creaked. Leaves brushed my face as I made my way past them. The shadows danced around me as the moon shone through the gap in the canopy. William would know what had happened by now. Would he still make it to our meeting?

'Melissa,' someone called from behind.

I stopped moving as the shadows merged together. I could see why humans were so easily scared. Fear was powerful.

'It's me,' the voice said again.

The branch above swayed, revealing a stream of moonlight. It landed on Paul as he joined me. Letting my breath out, I smacked him on the arm. 'You scared me!'

The chuckle that came from him wrapped around my body and chased the fear away. It had been a long day. I hoped the meeting with my fellow angels would help me to get clarity.

'Where were you?' I asked, moaning when a branch got caught in my hair.

Paul reached up and untangled me. His hand brushed my arm. 'You're shaking.'

He put a hand on my shoulder to stop me from moving deeper into the woods. The simple gesture broke me. Bringing my hands to my face, I let the tears that had been threatening all afternoon come. The sound of my sobs echoed through the forest.

Paul's arms came around me. Leaning into him, I let him hold me. The light of his energy soaked into me, warming my skin down to the bone. It was exactly what I needed.

'Melissa?' The quietened shout came from further in the woods.

It was William. Paul stroked my back and let go. Taking my hand, he led me the rest of the way.

The trees opened up to reveal our clearing. Moonlight streamed down, illuminating my brothers and sisters.

William stood in the centre of the circle. He opened his arms. I rushed forward and wrapped myself around him. He squeezed me tight against his chest.

'Michael is okay,' he whispered so that I was the only one that heard.

My heart skipped faster. How did he know that I had grown to care about the Perfect? Pulling away, I smiled up at him, mouthing thank you.

'Let's clear our energy,' he announced.

Moving into a full circle, we looked around at each other. We had grown so much in only a few days. Two of us had managed to get into the government, the rest would follow.

'Melissa has successfully joined the team. I've been appointed leader as you know. It's not going to be quite as easy for the rest of you. You need to get active. Get jobs within sectors that you will support when you're able to come and work for me.'

The others nodded. It had been easy for William and myself. Although, we were also shoved in the deep end.

'How do you keep yourself balanced?' I asked him.

He chuckled as the others mumbled their agreement. It was hard to argue with our human nature.

'When I'm struggling, I close my eyes and remember who I am. It's not hard to be authentically Perfect. Feel with your intuition, instead of letting emotions run you. That's a very important part of human growth. It doesn't happen enough anymore.'

My mouth shot open as I yawned. I hadn't realised how badly the day had taken its toll. The image of the guards on the ground, including Michael, popped into my head. I bit my tongue to stop myself from crying again.

'Why did that happen today?'

William reached for his jacket button. He stopped when our gaze met. 'This has been happening for years. You know that. Three guards died today. Many Avoidables are killed almost every day. Don't forget that.'

He was right. I could no longer see what was happening on the other side of the river. There were two sides to the city war.

'Now, let's do this. You'll feel a lot better when we have.' He nodded at me.

We stripped our clothes from our bodies. The cold didn't affect us. Joining hands, we closed our eyes and allowed our true selves to show.

I jerked forward as the skin on my shoulders parted. The wings on my back forced their way out. Rolling my shoulders, I moved the muscles of my wings, smiling when the soft breeze of their flap rushed over my naked skin.

'Let's take a minute to energise,' William said.

His voice sounded like it came from far away. Calm descended on me. A warm feeling, which was very different to the one I experienced with Michael, came over us. Bright light pulsated behind my eyelids. The fear and urge to cry drained into the ground below my feet.

I could do it. Being a human was not easy. In fact, it was the hardest thing I had ever had to do. An angel's job in comparison was enjoyable. That's how it felt from my human perspective, anyway.

Michael's face, before he was injured, popped into my mind again. I shuddered. His cheeky grin brought back that physical feeling. Something unrelated to anything I had ever felt when not in a human body.

'Melissa, concentrate,' William said.

The whole of my skin grew hot. I had forgotten that we were all linked. They could feel my emotions if they tuned in. Was my humanness making them uneasy?

A few moments of silence went by. A bolt of heat ran down my body just before the people on either side of me let go of my hands.

Opening my eyes, I started to smile. It instantly dropped from my face when I heard a gasp and turned to see who had made the noise.

'What the hell is going on here?' Jason exclaimed as a ray from the moon circled him in bright light.

# Paul's Passion

# Chapter Sixteen

What the hell was the lad doing?

We didn't move as he entered the circle. A handful of bare arsed angels with white feathered wings was a lot for a teen to take in.

'We're naturists,' I blurted.

William glanced at me. He had been appointed the new leader of the Perfect government only days ago, how would he explain our weird going's on in the woods?

His gaze flicked to the wing behind my shoulder. It had been quick thinking but not quick enough. If we'd had time to hide our true selves, we wouldn't be watching the young lad stare at us.

'What are you?'

He spoke to William. Maybe he knew who William was in the city. That would make things even worse.

'You know this lad?' I asked.

'Paul, this is Jason,' William started.

Jason? Great! The young man that was supposed to unite the Perfects and Avoidables had already foiled us.

'I told you that everything was not as it seemed.' William stood proud, we all did. There was nothing to be ashamed of in our nakedness or our...angelness.

'Paul,' Melissa whispered, drawing Jason's attention.

'You! So you knew each other all along.' He pointed at the pretty blonde woman, Melissa. The red on his cheeks glowed brighter when she stepped towards him. His young eyes were drawn to her physical body. I followed his gaze, wondering what it was that was so fascinating about the female form. Melissa looked nice as a human. Her hips were more curved than mine. The skin on her body was smoother, too.

Why had she called my name? What did she want me to do?

'Jason, we're here to help your city.' Her soft voice floated around the circle.

I was tempted to pull my wings back in and get dressed. The energy was starting to fade, leaving my body chilly.

'What are you?'

Melissa's wings flapped gently. The lad's eyes were going to pop out of his head. I tried to imagine what it must be like seeing a group of angels for the first time. Naked angels at that.

'This is Paul, he's going to help you to understand.'

My gaze shot to William. Why did Melissa want me to tell the intruder? Our leader shrugged, folding his big arms over his chest.

'Jason. We're angels. As you may have noticed, your city is in a dire need for change. The Perfects are cruel and unkind. You all think you're untouchable and above those weaker than you, when quite frankly-'

'Are you sure your name isn't Frank?' Jason interrupted.

The twitching of his lips confused me. Was he being funny? I didn't get the joke.

'No. I'm the angel, Paul.'

William shook his head as he came forward. Placing a hand on Jason's shoulder, he ignored the slight jump of his body.

'What are you doing?' Jason asked him, stuttering.

Glaring at Melissa for putting me in the middle of it all, I rolled my eyes when she winked at me. She had found a way for her cheeky side to be expressed on earth. She had always been a mischievous angel.

'I'm sorry you had to find out this way.' William looked deeply into Jason's eyes.

Jason's eyes widened as the pressure of William's hand grew stronger on his shoulder. The force of his fingers digging into the skin through his shirt was visible to us. Was he really doing what I thought he was?

Jason gasped. He grabbed hold of William's hand, trying to prise it off. The angel was too strong.

A small light started to emanate from William over to Jason. The lad didn't know what to do. He looked around at us as if pleading, then his body started to shiver.

'What are you doing?' he asked, his voice going high pitched.

William closed his eyes before speaking. 'It's okay.'

Jason stopped panicking. His body relaxed as his own eyes fluttered shut. The chill of the night ran over me. I shuddered as Jason fell to the ground. William crouched with him, his hand still squeezing the bones of his shoulder.

'Let it come, let the power flow,' he said.

Jason started to thrash. His eyes rolled into the back of his head. I had no idea what our leader was doing but it didn't look good. Should I step in to stop it? Glancing at Melissa, I raised my eyebrows. Shaking her head once, she pointed at William and then reached around herself to touch her own wing.

'Allow yourself to-'

Jason groaned as he hunched into a ball. He brought his knees up under him and wrapped his arms around them.

I rubbed my arms as I watched, transfixed by what was happening in front of me, but unaware of what William was actually doing.

'What are-?'

'I'm helping him remember,' William said, glancing over his shoulder at me. 'It's the quickest way.'

Was he doing what I thought he was? Crouching to the floor of the woods, I watched, waiting to see if William was brave and strong enough to do what I thought he was attempting.

'That hurts!' Jason moaned. 'Please, get off me!'

William shook his head but the lad couldn't see. The leader stared at his back. We all stared at his back.

The only sound in the woods came from Jason as his breath started to pant. Like a woman giving birth. I could remember watching that traumatic experience from above. I was glad that I had come into a male body.

'Is it working?' Melissa asked.

William frowned as he concentrated. The crack that came from Jason's back, followed by the howl, answered her question. I had never heard a human cry out in so such pain before. Once the process started, it didn't take long to complete.

Jason's shirt ripped open as wings covered in white feathers emerged from his shoulder blades.

The smile on William's face as he released the boy and stood up made me laugh. He looked at me, his eyebrows raised.

'You like to cause someone pain. I didn't know you had it in you,' I muttered.

He shook his head, dismissing me as he took a step back. 'I like to see transformation.'

Jason stopped squirming. He opened his eyes but stayed curled in his ball. The wings on his back were smaller than ours. It was the first time he had ever set them free. They would grow in time.

'What are they?' he breathed, reaching around to touch them.

His whole body shook. Adrenaline was a bizarre but interesting chemical in the body.

I had never expected to feel high as a human. The angels vibrated at a higher frequency but harnessing adrenaline in the body was a completely different experience.

'You're a bloody angel,' I said, bending down to speak to him. 'You were born on Earth in a normal body so technically you're half angel. And you have this whole-' I may have sounded flippant, but that's just the way I was.

'Thanks, Paul.' William threw my pants at my head, interrupting my speech. 'Time we were getting dressed.'

When I stood I glared at the others. They had pulled their wings in and were busy getting dressed. I was always the last to know what we were doing.

'What have you done to me? What do you mean _angel_?' Jason sat up slowly. He leant back, almost toppling with the new weight on his shoulder blades. Correcting himself, he blinked as he stretched the feathers right out.

'You must have heard of us,' I asked.

He looked at me, his eyes narrowing. The breeze whipped around me, making the skin on my arms pucker. I looked at the goose bumps that rose the hairs, numb to anything outside the weird feeling.

'I learnt a bit about you in school but not a lot. My mother told me not to question anything that wasn't to do with Perfects. Are my parents angels, too? How is this happening? Why have I never known before?'

I snorted.

William glared at me. What? I couldn't help it if Jason had chosen to have the worst Perfect parents in Upper Side.

'No. Catherine and John are not angels. You are only half angel yourself, Jason. Do you not remember telling me that you felt different?'

William was such a smart arse. He knew what to say at the right time. I had a habit of offending people by being too blunt. Even when I was an angel.

'Wait.' Melissa grabbed my arm. 'I can hear something.'

Everyone froze in various stages of undress. She was right. There was a rustling sound coming from beyond the clearing entrance.

'Did you bring anyone with you?' William demanded, looking down at Jason.

The young man shook his head quickly. William gestured for us to disperse as the noise grew louder. We would be found any minute. I grabbed Melissa's hand, pulling her away. She tripped as she tried to look behind us.

'Come on!'

I was half dressed. Melissa was completely clothed, except for her shoes. She would have to get them back next time.

'I'll get you out of here,' I heard William say.

Jason yelled. I heard the sound of wings flapping. Letting go of Melissa, I looked back to see what was happening. William had wrapped his arms around Jason. His wings moved fast, forcing them both into the air. My mouth gaped open as I watched William disappear over the top of the trees.

'They're here,' Melissa squeaked.

I followed her gaze to the entrance. Pulling her into the cover of the trees, we watched as two guards came into the clearing. Their guns aloft, aiming into the darkness.

'I heard something. I'm sure I saw someone come in here, too.'

We had taken everything with us. Except for Melissa's high heels. Why had she been so careless?

'We need to go,' I whispered.

'Who's there?' the guard shouted.

Melissa's hand found mine in the dark. Tugging gently, I guided her away from the men. She had just gained a new job with the government. The last thing she needed was to get caught. They would never listen to us. Unless we pretended we were lovers. The thought made my body flush. It had been happening every time I thought about a woman.

'Hurry,' Melissa whispered.

Twigs snapped behind us, making me speed up. They were following the sound we made as we traipsed through the woods. Maybe we should have flown away, too. It would have been a lot easier. The click of a gun made my palms sweat. The hand that held Melissa's started to slip from her grasp.

'Don't leave me,' she whispered, her breath rasping.

I let go of her hand, fell back slightly and put my arm around her waist. The smell of her hair wafted into my face. Once we got out of the woods, I would need some space from her.

'There!' She pointed to a street lamp through the trees.

The running footsteps behind us grew quieter. We were losing them. Bursting through the hedge, I felt a sense of triumph.

'Freeze!'

Another two guards stood on the road ahead of us.

We stopped running but I didn't let go of Melissa.

'Raise your arms!' one of the men shouted.

Melissa glanced up at me. Her gaze pleading for me to do something.

'Ah, guys! Come on, we were...you know,' I said, pointing at Melissa.

Their weapons slacked a little. Our breathing was heavy, which helped our case. Melissa clutched at my shirt, which was somehow ripped. It helped our story.

'You been showing her a good time?' one of the guards called.

The other one chuckled. They lowered their guns as they eyed up my so called date. Melissa smiled coyly, looking to the ground as her cheeks heated.

'Let me take her home to finish what I started.'

They looked at one another before nodding. 'Okay, you can go.'

My grin reached across my whole face as we moved past them. 'Thank you. I know you understand.'

They winked at Melissa. She giggled, taking hold of my hand and pulling me away from them and towards her flat.

'One more thing,' the guard called. 'It's illegal to be in these woods. If we find you here again, we will arrest you.'

#  Chapter Seventeen

The night had not gone to plan. At least we had managed to replenish our energy. Jason would freak out. There was no way a young man that had grown up as a Perfect would happily accept that he was something else entirely. William had been stupid to force the angel out of him before being eased into it. He was right, it was quicker to show him, but why not explain who we were first?

'Are you okay?' Melissa brushed her hair as she wandered around the kitchen.

I drummed the surface of the kitchen worktop. 'I...'

Melissa had agreed to let me stay with her until I got sorted. I had laid in bed all night wanting to go to her. Not because I was particularly attracted to her but because I wanted to explore her body.

I was a man. When I had watched men from above, I had wondered why women drove them to do crazy things. Why was sex such a big deal?

'You can tell me,' she said, coming to stand in front of me.

I cleared my throat, unable to voice my thoughts. The top she wore was low cut. It showed an impressive cleavage. I wanted to touch her.

'What is it, Paul?'

Shaking my head, I pushed away from the work surface and hurried past her. Melissa was my friend. The thoughts I was having about her must be wrong.

'Paul!'

Her shout followed me out of the house. Nothing I said would explain the rush of desire that flooded me every time I saw an attractive female. It wasn't just Melissa, it was all of them.

The Perfects rushed by me in the street. I had no direction. William, I needed to speak to William.

The taxi stopped when I whistled. My heart beat as it took me to my leader. I needed his help. My whole body was stiff, needing something...

'Thank you,' I said as I climbed out of the car.

The guards stood in the entrance to the compound. 'Can I see William Davies?'

They looked at each other, laughing when I stared. Were they not going to let me see him?

'Do you have an appointment?'

I shook my head. I didn't know how to get in contact with him. How could I arrange a meeting?

'Then you can't come in, sorry.' The guard turned his back on me.

My fingers twitched at my side. I had to speak to William. The rev of an engine made me jump out of the way of the black car that pulled up in front of the barrier.

'Who are you?' a blonde haired woman called out of the window.

I smiled at her. She was attractive, like all the Perfects. 'I'm a friend of William's. I don't know his new government phone number. I was hoping someone would let him know I was here.'

The woman grinned slowly. 'What's your name?'

'Paul Butler.'

Opening the door, she gestured for me to climb in beside her. The mobile phone in her hand was held to her ear before I could even get in.

'William, I have a man named Paul out-' He must have interrupted her. Her cheeks flared red but then she softened, her smile returning because of something he said. 'Of course, I'll bring him right in.'

I hid my sigh of relief. Who knows what I would have done if I hadn't been able to speak to William. Catherine put a hand on my leg. 'He says you're Melissa's brother. You're also applying for a job.'

My throat moved for two reasons. Firstly, I was apparently having an interview. Secondly, the way she looked at me from under her eyelashes made me hot.

'Yes,' I squeaked, nodding when I could say no more.

Hoping she wouldn't ask any questions, I glanced out of the window as the car parked up.

'You're interesting. I know job interviews are intimidating but...wait...if you're applying for a job why don't you have William's number?'

Putting a smile on my face, I turned to her. 'Because I'm not actually having an interview today. William told Melissa to get me to pop along. I left his number on the table at home.'

Catherine looked at me. I saw the reflection of myself in her eyes. My light hair was gelled in the fashion the Perfect men wore. My suit was straight and smooth, unlike my rising body temperature.

'Okay.' Catherine squeezed my hand, which lay on my thigh.

Her fingers brushed my trousers as she pulled away. My throat got even tighter.

'Let's go,' she said, sliding out of the car.

I watched her long bare legs as she unfolded them. Shaking my head, I ripped open the door and stumbled out.

'Keen to see the new leader, are you?'

I nodded, linking her arm through mine to stop her from touching me. Her flirting was her own insecurity, I could see that. I didn't want to get too close to her, though. She was a wild one. I could tell.

'Excuse me for saying this but you're like a teenage boy.' Her tinkle of laughter was accompanied by the stroke of my bicep.

She made a noise in her throat when she encountered the muscle there. I had never worked out. I was lucky the body that had been created for me was in good shape.

'I've never seen you before. Are you local?'

We made our way across a courtyard with Catherine literally hanging off my arm. I had never seen a woman so open with a man she had never met before.

'No, I'm from the north of the city.'

That's where Melissa's home was now. I didn't have my own home yet. William had used the excuse that Melissa was my sister. Clever touch.

'Well, if you get the job, I would love to show this part of the city. I'll take you on a little tour.' The wink that followed her sentence made my cheeks flush with heat.

Was she being serious or did her words mean something else entirely?

'Paul! It's good to see you,' William's booming voice called through the open door to the building we approached.

Catherine almost melted as we came up to the new leader. She unwound herself from me and went towards William. He stepped into the courtyard, grinning down at her when she preened. Offering my hand, I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth to stop from saying something inappropriate.

I had a habit of not knowing when to keep my mouth shut. It was a part of me that was ingrained. A personality trait apparently.

'Who is this?'

An older man interrupted as William shook my hand. He strode towards us, a guard flanking either side. His suit was grey. His face had started to age, yet surgery had tried to keep him young. It didn't work.

'This is Paul. Melissa's brother.'

I guessed he was the chancellor, though he didn't introduce himself to me. He just gave me a blank stare in return. Melissa had told me about her encounter with him. He was a predator. One to look out for.

'Let's get on with it, shall we?' William nodded at the officials as he gestured for us to leave.

'Just one thing,' the chancellor called as I stepped through the door.

William turned back. I couldn't hear what was said but the energy shifted. William's back became rigid and Catherine gasped.

'I'll sort it,' the new leader said.

He followed me into the hallway, overtaking to lead me to his office.

'This place is bloody crazy,' he said as soon as the door closed behind me.

The young man, Jason, sat in the corner of the room. He stared at the floor, his knee jumping as his foot bounced on the ground.

'Can I speak to you alone?' I asked.

It was hard enough to think of a way to voice what I wanted to say to William, let alone to the teen who'd only learnt he was half angel twelve hours earlier.

'Jason, please will you go and get us some coffee.'

Getting up, Jason did as he was told. He went to pass me but froze when he finally looked into my eyes. 'You were there last night.'

'Jason,' William warned.

The lad wasn't taking his new role in his stride. He looked extremely freaked out. His eyes widened as he watched me sit down.

'You're one of them...I mean...'

I got back to my feet and put a hand on his shoulder. 'So are you. Accept it. Be okay with it. And everything will turn out fine. There's nothing you can do to change it anyway.'

Shrugging, I ignored William when he barked my name.

Jason said no more as he left. Our leader was a brave man to allow him to interact with other Perfects. He could tell them whenever he felt like it. Maybe I should have been nicer to him.

'There was no need for that,' William muttered.

I slumped into the chair again, bringing my ankle onto the other knee and making a triangle with my fingers as I rested them on my chest.

'He needs to be tough.'

William shook his head. 'Did you not see his mother out there?'

Catherine was his mother? Poor lad. No wonder he was a little...

'Are you okay? You seem a little uptight.' William interrupted my thought.

I put my head to the side and regarded our leader. He looked good behind the big desk. It suited his personality. 'I'm a little...frustrated.'

Pulling the collar of my shirt from my neck didn't release the pressure around my throat. The flood of heat that rushed my body made me squirm under William's gaze.

'So? Get it out of your system.'

He looked down at the paperwork on his desk, dismissing my important situation.

'But...I'm an angel. We're supposed to be...' What were we supposed to be?

The corner of William's lip twitched before he looked up at me with a straight face. Did he think my predicament was funny?

'You're an angel in a human body. How can we relate to them if we don't know what it feels like to be one?'

I undid the top button on my shirt. Breathing deep, I pulled air into my lungs. 'Our purpose is to help get the Perfects to accept the Avoidables. Surely, I can't just sleep with someone-'

'Paul. Are you struggling to focus on your goal because you're overcome with desire?'

I choked as he looked me directly in the eye. He didn't need an answer.

'Sex isn't wrong. Sleeping around to make yourself feel better does nothing for your self-esteem. I wouldn't suggest you do that. Don't do it with a stranger either. Find someone you like, woo them, have fun and enjoy the whole process. But first of all, be ready for it.'

The knock on the door was tentative. William shouted for Jason to enter. Only the lad would be afraid of interrupting.

'I'm sorry about earlier,' Jason said, handing me a steaming mug. 'I need to understand more, that's all. I need to know everything...The book helped, though, thanks, William.' Jason touched the back of his neck, looking between William and me.

'You will understand eventually. I'm glad you are reading up on your new gift. Trust me, you'll learn more soon but, there's no time for tea and a chat now.' William stood up suddenly from his leather seat. 'We need to get into the action.'

Jason paused, his mug halfway to his lips. 'Action?'

I shuddered as a smile crossed my face. I was up for some action.

William rolled his eyes at me. What? I couldn't help the raging testosterone that plagued my body. He shouldn't have brought me down with him if he didn't think I could achieve what we'd set out to do.

'Your mother...go get her.' William pointed at the door as he buttoned up his suit jacket.

Jason stepped towards the door, pausing when he opened it.

'What exactly are we doing?' he asked, rubbing the back of his neck once again.

William smiled wickedly. I couldn't help copying it as I rose.

'We're going to Lower Side. Your mother is going to give us a tour.'

#  Chapter Eighteen

'Reading anything interesting?' I asked Catherine as we travelled in the limousine.

Why she had insisted on travelling in style was beyond me. We were going to the Lower Side. The grubbiest place in the whole city.

'Yes. It's your file.'

Her sneer made me glance at William. He shrugged gently. Catherine's head was stuck in the papers so she didn't see our exchange.

'We have database files on every person in Upper Side,' Jason said, looking over his mother's shoulder. She elbowed him away.

'What about the Lower Side?' I asked.

Catherine glanced up at me. 'Considering you're applying for the job of Lower Side communications officer, you should know.'

I managed to stop the rise of my eyebrows.

'You'll be working alongside a lovely lady called Belinda,' William said, straightening his tie.

'Will he now? I'm a little perplexed as to how you're allowed to hire these new people without running it past the board.' Catherine narrowed her eyes on the leader.

William lounged back in his seat, letting the comfort envelop him. 'Melissa made an impression on the chancellor, he wanted her to work for us. If her brother is as smart as the file says...' William gestured to the papers on her lap. 'Why not hire them both?'

The female official huffed as she discarded the file on the seat next to her.

'We're here,' Jason announced.

He sat stiff next to his mother. The occasional shudder of his body made me wonder if he struggled with the urge to let his wings sprout from his back. We were naturally trained in how to let our wings unfold. Would a human that had never been taught have enough control to stop them from appearing?

The doors opened from the outside.

'What are you doing?' Catherine called as we climbed out.

William poked his head back into the limo. I ignored him as he told Catherine that there was no way we could travel to Lower Side in a limo. It would invite danger.

My gaze was plastered to a beautiful woman that stood at the entrance to the bridge. Considering guards had been killed there the day before, it was pristine. Melissa had cried herself to sleep the night before. I had left her to it, knowing she wanted to be alone, though I stayed near in case she needed me.

'Who's that?' I whispered to Jason who stared as much as I did.

We grinned at each other, respecting that we had the same taste in women. The leggy brunette wore a summer dress that fell to the knees. Her hair was in pristine condition as it waved down her back. She joked with a guard as he stood watching the other side of the bridge. How could he not be distracted by her beauty?

'Would you?' Jason asked.

My mouth dropped open at the disrespect. 'Don't speak about her like that. She's a human being. We should appreciate her for who she is on the inside.'

Jason shook his head. 'Don't say that too loud around anyone other than me. Even the Avoidables won't understand you.'

Catherine fought with William as she joined us. They bickered as we crossed the road and joined the beautiful Belinda.

'Hello, everyone!' she said. ' Welcome to the bridge of Lower Side. We will be on our way in a moment.'

Her superficial smile instantly put me off. Her eyes were haunted. Makeup covered the dark circles under them. She was not what she first appeared to be.

'So, how are you finding...' I gestured to Jason's back as the others moved ahead of us.

He shrugged and huffed at the same time. Digging his hands into his pockets, he watched the back of his mother and William. The pretty woman hadn't even looked at us when we had approached. We weren't important compared to the new leader.

'William gave me some books to read. I was up all night trying to figure it out. Can I ask you a question?'

I looked over the side of the concrete bridge. The water flowed slowly beneath it. Melissa had told me that an Avoidable with huge wings had tried to stop the Avoidable that had run over the guards the day before.

'Of course,' I replied, moving back to the centre of the bridge.

Jason dragged his feet as we got nearer to Lower Side. 'Why me? The book says that the man responsible for uniting the two sides will fall in love with someone unlike himself. Why does William think that's me?'

'Come on, you two. Don't dawdle,' Belinda called over her shoulder.

I glanced up at the sun to distract myself. It didn't matter that the sway of Belinda's hips made me want to do things that no angel should ever want to do to a human. I didn't want to know her for only one thing. I wanted to see what she hid behind those haunted eyes.

'Coming, Belinda,' I sang.

Her footstep faltered as she took a moment to actually look at us. Turning, she walked backwards, studying us both. A small smile lit her face when our gaze met.

'William knows much more than I do. I'm just part of his team. He's the one with the plan. He knows what's going on in the world much more than we do.' I looked at Jason as Belinda turned back to the others. 'Although, I do know more than you.'

'So William is the boss of you lot? Are there anymore or just the ones I saw last night?' Jason scratched his clean shaven chin.

His pretty boy face had caught the attention of Belinda but she had quickly disregarded him as too young. Was it me or did her hips sway even more as we approached the entrance to Lower Side?

'The ones...' I said and made speech mark gestures with my fingers, '...are angels. You can say it, although make sure it's only when you're with me or William. There's about ten of us in this city.'

He laughed as I winked at him.

'I don't like saying it. There's...'

I raised my eyebrows. The others stopped by the barrier ahead. We couldn't carry on the conversation with them so near.

'It's a bit weird, isn't it? I don't know whether to believe it.'

My laugh made the others glance at me. 'You had full proof. I can show you again, if you like?' I said, reaching for my shirt.

Jason grabbed my arm to stop me. 'Don't be stupid. Of course I accept it. I saw it with my own eyes. I felt it. It's just...why am I involved?'

'Welcome to Lower Side,' Belinda announced, spinning on her heels and opening her arms wide.

Jason and I looked at each other as she turned and skipped to a man that waited for us.

'You chose to do this before you came here. Keep reading, keep learning. It will all be clear soon.' I clapped him on the back before stepping beside William.

Catherine linked her arm through mine as she eyed the man that Belinda spoke to. 'That's John's brother. He's the enforcer of Lower Side. He gives me the creeps,' she whispered, glancing at Jason to make sure he hadn't heard.

The man in question had blond straggly hair to his shoulders and a deep scar across his face. He wasn't very tall but I could see that he had been handsome at one point. If he cut his hair, he could almost be a Perfect again.

'Artie, this is William, the new leader,' Belinda introduced them.

I caught the look of recognition flash over the enforcer's face. He must have met William already. Why did they pretend he hadn't?

Catherine scowled at Artie when he smiled at her. Jason's eyebrows lowered as he watched his mother. I had never known anyone to be quite so aggressive. Her energy made me want to shove her away from me.

'What makes you want to tour the Lower Side?' Artie asked William, his voice harsh and unpleasant.

William glanced at us before taking Artie to the side to whisper between themselves. Belinda looked sideways at me. I fought the urge to wink at her. Her cheeky smile made me swallow. My blood pumped through my veins when she flicked her hair away from her face. I had that flood of desire again, but I kept it concealed.

'She's pretty, isn't she?' Catherine asked me under her breath.

'Let's go!' Artie called, before I could answer, spinning from William and leading us to an old guard's car. It had seen better days.

'He has a car?' I asked Belinda as she pulled open the creaky back door.

She laughed as I climbed in and shuffled to the middle. William got in the front. Catherine and Jason squeezed in either side of me. There was no room for Belinda. Which was a shame. I had been looking forward to the feel of our bodies pressed together.

I coughed, looking her straight in the eye when she bent down to wave goodbye. 'I'll be here when you get back.'

'Why am I taking over her job?' I asked, my mind thinking about inappropriate things as the engine started.

'You won't. You'll be working alongside her,' Catherine replied.

My grin went ignored as Artie grunted from the front seat.

'How is John, Catherine?' Artie asked.

Jason frowned as he looked at Artie in the rear view mirror.

'He's well, thank you,' Catherine managed.

I stifled the urge to say anything. Surely Catherine could be civilised with her own brother in law? Even if he was an Avoidable.

My attention was drawn by the streets outside the car. The dirt road kicked up dry dust as we drove further into the birth place of many people. Each city in the world had two sides. There were nowhere near as many humans on Earth as there had been two thousand years ago.

'How does your part of the city work?' I asked.

Artie sped up slightly as a group of young Avoidables approached the car. Catherine squeezed my forearm, only releasing when we had passed them without any trouble.

'It's hard to keep track on everyone. We don't have much in the way of electronics here. Mobile phones are used. As you probably know, the Perfect government keep tabs on them.'

'They do?'

No, I didn't know. In fact, William had thrown me in the deep end. Just like Melissa. We almost had to fumble our way into dangerous territory.

'Let's go for a little walk,' Artie said, pulling the car up outside a rundown theatre.

'Are you mad?' Catherine squeaked as William climbed out.

I froze. She was right. We had no guards. Although, surely William wasn't stupid enough to...

I glanced back to see another car stop behind us. I assumed the man getting out of the car was John. Artie's brother. I guess we had some protection now, albeit small.

'This is where I live,' Artie announced, pointing up at the gothic building.

I smiled. I couldn't help it. The architecture was still magnificent, even in disrepair.

'It's nice,' Jason stated, cringing when he looked at the rusty door.

He was so used to owning only the best. That would never change, even when he realised his fate. Growing up made you who you were but it didn't define you as an adult. Jason would learn that eventually.

'Who do we have here?'

The catcall made us spin towards the street. John had been talking to William but aimed his gun as a couple of Avoidables came around the corner. They were huge. Two men. One with a long braid and the other with a dark man bun. One was fair skinned, the other tanned.

'Noland, Purple, this is William, the new Perfect government leader.'

They glanced at Artie before their gaze landed on my friend. 'Leader? How interesting,' the man with blond hair murmured, running his gaze over me before looking at Catherine. He sneered as she held her nose in the air.

'What's the matter? Does the Lower Side not stink to your liking?' he drawled in an extremely deep voice.

Catherine swallowed, the lump in her throat very obvious.

'Ignore Noland,' the other man said.

He must have been Purple. His eyes matched the colour of his name.

'You were flying above the bridge yesterday. I see you couldn't handle one of your own,' John said, lowering his gun as the men came to stand by Artie. Did they work for him?

'It was an unfortunate incident,' Artie said, waving his brother's accusations away.

William took a step forward and turned to us. 'No, it wasn't. It was my fault. I was supposed to deal with it and I didn't.'

Artie glared at our leader. Something had happened. I could tell. However, I was more interested in the woman that was walking towards us. Her long thin figure was encased in a flowing yet dirty dress.

'Well, well...the leader and his lackies are bothering to come to this side of the river. Don't you know that there's a lot of people that will kill you here?' she lisped.

She sounded drunk. Her words were slurred but her eyes were focused.

'Be on your way,' Artie said, going towards her.

'Don't tell me what to do!' she stuttered.

She had a speech impediment. So what? Why did Catherine and Jason screw up their noses? She was an attractive young woman. The way she held her head high told me that she was an intelligent person, too. Why the hell were they judging her because her speech wasn't clear?

'Can you tell me what you want from us?' I said, stepping forward.

Artie tried to push me back but I spun away from him and came around to her other side. Purple and Noland went to move but William stopped them.

'Well,' she started, looking up at me. 'We don't have enough food and it's all because you won't share some of your riches. Or give us opportunities to grow our own.'

My eyebrows rose. 'You'd grow your own?'

She tutted as she rolled her eyes. 'Of course we would. We want to survive. That's all we're trying to do. Most of us only have one meal a day. You must know that.'

I glanced at William. Catherine giggled all of a sudden.

'What's so funny?' the girl shouted, bringing her clenched hands up in front of her. 'I'll beat you.'

Catherine pulled a face so disgusted that anyone walking past would have thought she had stepped in something hideous. Instead, she aimed her contempt at the Avoidable that stood in the road.

'Artie, please...'

The woman launched when Catherine waved her hand towards her as if trying to shoo her away. Artie was fast. He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her still. She thrashed, trying to reach the Perfect official. Catherine had stepped behind Noland and Purple. It was funny that she hated the Avoidables, yet when she perceived herself in danger from one, she sought protection from them.

'Serves your right, love.' Noland growled, moving away from her to take the other woman from Artie.

'Wait!' William's demand stopped everyone in mid movement. Even the struggling girl. 'This is no good. I will not have my officials treated this way. There is a reason why you hate us. I get that. But I won't stand for it. Things are going to change.'

Catherine looked smug. I frowned. Jason's eyes were glued to the woman's cleavage as Noland hoisted her away.

William was smart. The words heard by the others would portray a man that was angry that Catherine had been insulted. I, however, read between the lines. When he said things were going to change, the others had the impression that he would get tougher on the Avoidables. How wrong they were.

'I'm leaving,' Catherine announced.

Of course she was leaving. What a surprise. I was tempted to run a finger down her spine just to check to see if she had a backbone. Probably not.

'Yes, you can go, Catherine. John, take her home.' William dismissed them with a wave and came to Artie's side. 'Now, let's talk about how we can bring about these changes.'

Catherine looked like a fish. Her mouth gaped open as William steered Artie away from the group. Would William's alienation of Catherine go against him? He only had a couple of months to prove his worth to her. She would be a crucial piece to the infiltration puzzle. Not that she knew that.

Making my way to Catherine's side as John marched to the car, I squeezed her shoulder gently. 'I think you did well coming over here. How many officials would bother?'

She smirked up at me, stroking my arm as I opened the door for her. 'I think I'm going to like you.'

I gritted my teeth when she winked and climbed into the car. Nope, no amount of anything would make me like her.

'See you back at the compound. Welcome, colleague.'

Watching the car go, I scratched my jaw. It was crazy that just because of my looks, I had been accepted into an incredibly important role in the government. My made up paperwork was still a mystery to me. I would have to ask William. Although, everything seemed to be falling into place. First William, then Melissa and now me. Not a bad start in a few days.

Turning back to the theatre, I paused when I realised I was alone. Well, almost alone. The woman from earlier watched me from the alleyway next to the building.

She giggled before ducking away. I gave chase. I couldn't help it. My legs pumped under me without my consent. Why did the female entice me away from safety?

'Wait!' I called when I ran down the alley.

She disappeared behind a large bin, her hair flying behind her. I followed through the gap in the wall. The new alley was dark and dingy. I paused as the woman disappeared again. I might be an angel but that wouldn't protect me from-

'Hello, there.' The soft voice reached my eardrums.

Cursing, I turned to face the stranger. Her hair was dark and long. It curled to her waist. A smile lit her face as she studied me. I was her prey. A Perfect in an alley on Lower Side. She had probably never seen such a thing.

'Who are you?'

Her jaw was soft and rounded. I tried to find her defect but it wasn't obvious. In fact, she was very attractive. My forgotten hormones came racing back as she swayed over to me.

'I'm Paul,' I replied after clearing my throat.

Her hand waved above my head. My muscles tensed. Was she going to do something to me?

'You're...strange,' she said.

My chuckle startled her. Taking a step back, she lowered her arms and watched me.

'I'm not so sure I agree. You're standing in an alley, waiting for a Perfect to come by. I'm not the strange one.'

Her own laugh was short. 'I'm waiting for my brother actually. A Perfect would never dare to come back here without a guard. What were you doing?'

I glanced to where the other woman had disappeared from sight. No one was there. At least she didn't go and get her friends. It was dangerous enough for me to be in the alley with one Avoidable. A really pretty Avoidable woman at that.

'I...' I had no explanation.

Why had I chased? What had made me risk my life? Female. My brain answered as she stepped forward and reached towards me.

'Get away from him,' a deep voice said from behind her.

Noland stepped around the corner. 'Don't worry, brother,' she replied, moving away, 'I was only going to hurt him a little bit.'

The warrior shook his head as he stepped between us. 'I told you to stay at home. I will not have them know who you are,' he hissed.

It was a bit late for that. I knew exactly who she was. Maybe I could look her up in a database somewhere. She might have been arrested for being too good looking to be an Avoidable.

I laughed, only stopping when Noland stepped forward, grabbed my shirt by the throat and pinned me against the metal wall.

'You think this is funny? The way we live?' He growled in my face.

The freshness of his breath contrasted with the smell of sweat that poured from him. His deep voice rumbled from his throat.

'You're lucky, Perfect. If no one else was around, I would do some damage to you, just for the hell of it.'

'I like you,' I said.

He dropped me to the ground. 'Trust me, there's nothing to like about me.'

Shaking out my shoulders, I glanced around him to his sister. She had her hands on her curvy hips. I would happily replace her hands with mine.

'Like what you see?' she said.

I coughed, looking away when Noland glared at me. 'Okay, pretty boy. Let's get you back to your master.'

'Master?'

I followed Noland back down the alley like a trailing idiot. His order had made me obey him like a little boy.

'Wait!' I spun back to Noland's sister. 'You both look like Perfects. Why are you here?'

The woman's eyebrows rose. Coming closer, she looked into my eyes. 'I could ask you the same thing.'

I frowned. Noland's towering frame sent a shadow over us as he came back.

'Look at me,' he ordered.

I watched the girl. She ignored him. Surely Noland would make her do as he said? He was a machine after all.

'I'm talking to you,' he said, poking me in the back.

Turning to him, I gasped when he grabbed my chin and tilted my head back. 'Please don't kiss me, I'm not into men,' I whispered.

My heart was thumping. Not in a good way. The girl laughed but Noland scowled as he looked into my eyes. I froze. Something about his gaze made me unable to look away. It was creepy. His eyes were-

'He's different, isn't he?' the woman said.

Noland's eyes widened but he didn't look away. Neither did I. It was as if I was his puppet under a weird spell.

'Noland!'

The shout made him release me. A whisper of a breeze brushed my arm. I turned to catch a glimpse of the dress that Noland's sister wore as she floated around the corner and out of sight.

'What...?'

'Come on,' Noland said, frowning at Purple as he rounded the corner. 'Don't say anything about her,' he hissed at me.

The siblings were keeping a secret. Did they have some kind of power?

'Paul!' William called when we came out into the street. 'Here are some plans from Artie. They're things that are desperately needed in Lower Side. I want you to go back to the compound and get started. I've had enough of Avoidables making such a fuss.'

I tried not to smirk at William's blatant attempt at being a Perfect. He had to cover his back somehow. If it appeared to others that he was a soft touch, they wouldn't let him take over. Even the Avoidables couldn't suspect who he was.

'Of course, William,' I replied.

I would do my new duty. Not that I knew what that was. However, I was beginning to question the intelligence of the Perfects. The files were technically legit. Even the ones that had come out of thin air. To them anyway. I had no idea what my new job entailed but I would learn. Learning was something I had quickly become good at. We had to think quickly.

Noland watched me. My hand was steady as I reached forward and took the file from William. One sign of weakness would show that I wasn't all I pretended to be.

'Go!'

William's dismissal was welcome. I needed to get out of Lower Side so I could stop pretending. The glare of the Avoidables unsettled me. I had never done anything to them. I was there to help.

#  Chapter Nineteen

'William rang. He said that one of the angels has got into trouble. We need to go and help.' Melissa flung open the curtains. My eyes squinted from the sunlight.

'I'm too tired,' I moaned, pulling the blanket over my head.

A rush of wind flew over my almost bare body as Melissa tugged the blanket away from me.

'What are you doing?' I moaned, curling into a ball to combat the chill.

'Get up now. We have orders!'

Launching from the sofa, I grabbed my clothes and shoved them on. Melissa watched me with her arms crossed over her chest.

'Please don't do that,' I grumbled, looking away from her cleavage.

Her cheeks turned bright red as she looked down at herself. 'Oh, I see, that's why you've been so cranky.'

Ducking my head into my jumper, I ignored her. It was too early to explain what had been going on with me. I was adapting, that's all.

'I know how you feel. I visited Michael at the compound infirmary. He makes me feel...'

Her cheeks burned again. The smile that threatened was pulled back as her starry eyed expression landed on me.

'William told me to get on with it. He said that if I couldn't focus, I had to do something about it. I never thought he would encourage...sex.'

Melissa laughed. The tinkling sound reached me as I made my way to the kitchen and poured myself a drink.

'He will understand. He's male. I doubt he meant to just sleep with a random person. That wouldn't show the Perfect race anything. I think it's about teaching them that two people who feel something for each other shouldn't be afraid to explore it when they're ready. And not before.' Melissa followed me, handing me my jacket.

'Sex before marriage went out the window a long time ago. However, there's far too many people sleeping together before they get to know who they are. The damage in these people, Melissa. I refuse to go out and have sex with someone I don't have feelings for. I can rein in my urges until that time comes.'

My jacket enveloped me as I pulled it on and strode down the hallway, Melissa in tow.

'You've noticed how damaged they are, too? I can't believe the amount of negativity around sex in general. It's a completely natural thing, yet...'

'People use it to exploit or cover up their emotional wounds. We knew that before we came here but seeing it in the flesh. It...'

My sentence trailed off as we marched down the street. I followed Melissa's lead. She had been the one to take the call from William so she knew where we were heading.

'It makes you sad because real love is almost non-existent in Upper Side.'

Running my hand over my hair, I agreed. She was right. I had not seen one Perfect look at another with love in their eyes. Admiration, yes. Lust, yes. But love...that was an emotion that they had no idea how to feel.

'How do you think we're going to show them that it's worth opening up?' Melissa asked.

The streets were quiet. The mist of dawn hung low in the air. It wasn't freezing but it was cool enough. I put my hands in my pockets as we walked towards a park.

'I think William has a plan. Jason and the girl will meet when the time is right. He has no control over that.'

Melissa glanced up at me. Her heels clipped on the concrete.

The entrance to the park came into view. Was that where we were going?

'Do we know the girl yet?'

I shook my head. William had told me that she would appear when the time was right. Not before. Jason had a lot to learn. About us, about himself, but most importantly, about his destiny.

'I bet she's an Avoidable.'

Her chuckle made me look down. 'What?'

'She probably is...are you aware that you just screwed up your nose? You looked like the perfect Perfect.'

I scowled as we entered the park. The reason we had been sent was immediately apparent.

'What can I say? I'm a good actor. Plus, I met a couple of them when I was on Lower Side. They're intimidating.'

Melissa ignored me. On the bench near a huge tree was one of our angel colleagues.

She broke into a run as soon as she noticed her. I didn't rush, there was no need. She was passed out cold.

The female angel was laid on her side, her arms hugging her chest.

It was a huge problem that she'd slept rough. Perfects were not known for tolerance. They wouldn't mar their city with homeless people.

'We need to hide her.' Melissa gasped when I reached them.

The main issue wasn't the sleeping rough part. It was the wings that stuck out of her back. She slept with her wings on full show. A Perfect could walk through at any moment, although it seemed unlikely, given the time.

'She's been drinking.' I bent down to pick up the bottle of alcohol on the floor.

It wasn't that easy to get hold of drink. Being in short supply, it was very expensive. What had our angel friend been doing to be able to afford it in the first place?

'Someone's coming!' Melissa whispered, grabbing my arm.

I shoved my jacket off and laid it over our friend. Her short dark hair was matted against the bench. The bulge under the jacket looked odd. Melissa squeezed my arm. Turning, I plastered a smile on my face. An older man in a worn out suit walked towards us.

'Morning!' he called.

Considering he was a Perfect and it was dawn, he was in quite a good mood.

'Good morning,' Melissa greeted, smiling at him.

I glanced down at our friend, hoping she would stay asleep.

'It's early to be out here,' the man said, trying to look around me.

We laughed as his eyes landed on the prone figure on the bench. 'We've been up all night,' I said, wrapping an arm around Melissa's waist.

'Is she okay?'

The man eyed us both. We glanced at each other, unsure what to say.

'Yes, we've been on a night out. She drank too much. We're letting her rest before we attempt to get her home,' I said, trying to block the man's view.

His shoulders relaxed when he saw the alcohol bottle on the ground. Looking into my eyes, he hesitated before nodding once. 'I'll leave you to it.'

He wandered away, glancing over his shoulder as he went. Melissa got out her phone to pretend to call someone. I wasn't convinced that we had persuaded the stranger.

'Wake up!' I took hold of the angel's shoulder and shook her gently.

She gasped awake, pulling away from me and shrinking into herself. Her wings squashed against the back of the bench.

'Leave me alone!' she cried.

Her big brown eyes watered when she finally focused on me. 'Paul!'

Jumping from where she cowered, she threw herself into my arms. I patted her back as Melissa kept guard. The jacket fell from the angel's shoulders.

'Elizabeth?' Melissa gasped.

I couldn't remember her earthly name. The shivering body pressed against me didn't help with the struggle of my manly desires. However, she was an angel. It wasn't quite the same effect. Not like some of the Perfect women.

An image of Belinda entered my head. Now that was one woman I would happily take out. Maybe I could show her how it was done. Not that we were supposed to fall in love. That would distract us from what we were doing.

'Put your wings away,' I whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. 'You're bloody stupid having them out.'

She cringed away from me, reaching behind her to stroke the feathers attached to her wings. 'I can't. They've been out since I started drinking. I can't get them back in. I don't know what to do.'

Melissa put a hand on her shoulder. I stepped away from them, looking around to make sure no one could see us. Standing in the middle of a park was suspicious enough. Standing with an angel that had let her wings out was a completely different danger.

'We need to get you back to mine,' Melissa said, picking up my jacket and trying to put it over Elizabeth. It wasn't big enough to cover her wings completely.

'There's someone coming,' Elizabeth hissed.

I looked around but couldn't see anyone. 'How do you know?'

She ducked her head, trying to back away from us. 'I just know.'

Her intuition. She still had it. Mine wasn't as strong as I would have liked.

'What do we do?' Melissa asked, trying to tug on the jacket.

'Pull them in,' I hissed, desperately searching the park for any sign of life.

Elizabeth clenched her eyes shut and screwed up her mouth. Her wings didn't budge.

'Right, well there goes that idea,' I announced, taking hold of her arm.

If we had to get back to Melissa's, we better get moving. People would be going to work soon.

'Let's go.'

Melissa held the coat over Elizabeth's wings as we walked. It looked ridiculous. Why was this happening? It seemed some of us had trouble acclimatising to our human nature.

'There!' Elizabeth gasped.

I spun away from the direction I had been heading when the same man from earlier came back into the park. What was he doing? Maybe he suspected us. Or maybe he had just been for a stroll.

'We'll go this way. If he doesn't know something's up, he's really stupid.' I led them down a different path.

I was about to start jogging when a guard stepped through the entrance. That was why the man had come back. He had told a guard about us. Great, there was no way we could hide anything from them now.

'What do we do?' Melissa said behind me as I started to back up.

The guard was slow in his approach. His steps were calculated. My gaze shot to the last exit of the park. Another guard waited there, his gun held to his side.

'What's going on?' Elizabeth sobbed.

I closed my eyes and thought about home. Not the home a few streets away but the place we had come from.

'I need you to concentrate,' I said to Elizabeth. 'If you don't get your wings in right now, we're-'

'I can't!' she cried.

Melissa put her arms around Elizabeth from behind. The cringe on the angel's face told me that her friend had crushed the bones in her wings. It was tough. There had to be a way to get rid of them before they were seen.

'What's going on?' the guard called as he got closer.

Turning back to him, I put up my hand to stop him approaching.

'I'd stop if I were you. We work for the government and we've made a discovery.'

I was thinking on my feet. What would William do? I had so much to offer and all I could do was compare myself to him. I could do it. Nothing was impossible. It was time for me to take control of who I was and be the angel I had come to be.

'Yeah? What's that?' the guard sneered.

I closed my eyes briefly, hoping for inspiration. The breeze of the wind stroked the skin on my face. The physical sensations made the hair on my arms stand on end. I was here, on Earth, to change it. Nothing would get in the way of that. Nothing.

'She's strapped with a bomb and if we don't get her out of here, we're all going to die.'

#  Elizabeth's Freedom

# Chapter Twenty

If they saw I was an angel, they would kill me. Or experiment on me at the very least. What could I do? I had only wanted to drown out the harshness of the world. People crying on the inside, whilst a fake perpetual smile graced their beautiful faces. I could feel it all around me. The constant pressure to be perfect.

'Concentrate, Elizabeth,' Melissa whispered in my ear.

We were in a park in Upper Side. I'd got ridiculously drunk the night before and passed out on a bench. With my wings hanging out my back. Not a good move. Now, I struggled to get them back in. Was it a side effect of the alcohol or just my incompetence?

'She's got a bomb?' the guard called.

Why had Paul told them that I had a bomb attached to me?

'No!' I shouted back. 'I'm unwell.'

Closing my eyes briefly, I asked for help. Whoever was listening to my thoughts had to hear me. It would be disastrous. It was already going to muck everything up. I was supposed to be infiltrating the government, not threatening Upper Side with a bomb.

'We have to ask you to step away from her,' the guard shouted, aiming his gun at Paul.

I could do this. I was an angel. I would not be taken in and dissected.

Scrunching my nose and closing my eyes, I concentrated on my shoulders. The bones of my wings were sore from where they had been squashed against the wooden bench. I envisioned the bones shrinking into my blades. A gasp of relief left me as my wings started to retract. The force of their re-entry into my back thrust me forward. I fell onto Paul, tumbling to the ground as I rebounded off him.

'She's unwell!' Melissa shouted.

The guard rushed forward. I was sprawled on the ground, trying to get my dizzy head out of the fogginess.

'Step back now,' another guard shouted at the other two angels.

Paul and Melissa didn't need to get caught up in my mistakes. They had already managed to get into the government, apparently. Paul had given me the lowdown when I was slumped against the bench.

They backed away from me. I glanced up at them. Their held breath released when they saw that I had managed to get my wings into my back before the guards reached me.

A heavy body slammed down onto mine. I moaned as my face was pressed into the concrete pathway. The grit sliced at my skin. Biting my lips, I stayed still as the guards wrenched my arms behind my back.

'You are under arrest,' the guard started. He carried on talking as he handcuffed my wrists together.

'Don't do that to her!' Melissa shouted.

Paul wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her away. The whole thing was going to take some explaining. Or persuading.

'Did you get that?' the guard hissed into my ear.

I nodded slowly, cringing when the hard ground grazed my face even more. The weight of his body lifted. A tug of my joined arms made me clamber to my feet. My head spun and my cheek throbbed.

'I'm sorry, I got drunk.' I blinked the tears away from my eyes.

Another guard approached. He raised his eyebrows when he moved my hair out of my face. 'You're a pretty one. I like your short hair.'

'It's not that short,' I replied, tucking a strand behind my ear.

'I love brunettes, he prefers blondes.' He gestured to his colleague as his hands started to feel around my body. I squirmed, trying to get away from his probing fingers.

'I have to see if you have a bomb,' he said by way of explanation.

His grin told me that he was enjoying himself far too much. They knew I didn't have a bomb. They wouldn't have jumped on me if they believed I had.

'Don't take advantage,' I said through clenched teeth.

His hands paused mid-search. They rested on my hips.

'She's right,' the other guard said.

Paul stepped forward, barging the guard out of the way. 'My name is Paul. I work for the Perfect government. This woman is being treated unfairly.'

The guard holding my wrists clicked his tongue. 'You were the one that claimed she had a bomb. Maybe we should arrest you, too.'

Melissa took hold of Paul's arm and pulled him away.

'He was joking. We've been on a night out. Celebrating our new positions in the office. We didn't want our friend to be cautioned for drinking too much. Paul here, reacted on impulse. There is no bomb as you can see.'

The offending guard took my other arm, ignored my friends and started to march me out of the park. It was true. If Perfects were drunk and disorderly, they would get a caution. The Upper Side was perfect. There was no room for people who acted anything but.

'I'm sorry,' I sobbed as the others were left behind; I watched them as they stared at me, concern etched on their faces.

I was glad. If they had been dragged in too, their new jobs would be in jeopardy because of me.

'It's unlike a Perfect to be so...' the guard behind me started.

'Leave her alone,' the guard that had almost touched me up defended me.

The patrol car waited for me on the road outside the park. If I made a run for it, would they shoot me down? Maybe that would be better. I would do anything to go back to being an angel.

'You're not happy,' I said.

My head bumped the roof of the car as the guard handling me heard what I said and shoved me into the back seat. My eyes watered as pain shot into my skull. It was only a minor incident but it still hurt. Tears poured down my face as I settled into the leather seat. My arms were pressed against the back of it, my muscles screaming in pain.

'Why are you crying?' the driver asked as he climbed in.

The sobs made my stomach tighten. No matter how much I tried to suck them back in, once I started, I couldn't stop. Water and snot travelled down my face. I couldn't wipe them away.

'That really isn't attractive.' The other guard glanced over his shoulder. 'Although your eyes are darker blue when you cry.'

'I don't care!' I snapped back.

Being attractive was not all it had cracked up to be. People wanting to touch you. Strangers thinking they had the right to approach you, apprehend you. I hated them. Perfects were disgusting, vile beings.

'It's a good job you're hot under all that...grossness. I would have slapped you if you were an Avoidable for talking to me like that.'

I caught back the scream before it escaped my mouth. It was not going well as it was. The last thing I needed to do was offend a guard. My fate would be sealed if I did.

'An Avoidable she may yet be...if she doesn't get a grip.'

The car pulled into the compound. They were right. If they thought I was going crazy they could condemn me to go and live in Lower Side. That wasn't part of the plan.

'Be a good girl,' the guard said, guiding me to a building that employed tight security. Guards were posted outside the doors. Cameras were on every nearby wall. It must be the jail. They were putting me in prison?

'Am I going to get a caution?' I asked.

'You'll have to do the test. You may have passed it when you were younger but I'm unsure if you're still fit to be a Perfect.'

The guard marched me down a brightly lit white walled corridor. My feet dragged. I didn't want to go into a cell. I tried to wipe my crusty face on the shoulder of my dress. It didn't work.

'Don't worry, you'll be cleaned up in a minute,' one of them said.

They both sneered at each other as one went to open the door for me. Well, maybe chivalry wasn't dead.

'Don't even think about taking credit,' one of them said to the other.

'I brought her in.'

Then again, maybe it was. They weren't opening the door for me to be polite, they each wanted to claim the victory of catching a potential Avoidable.

'What have we got here?'

The woman that spoke came forward. Her short blonde hair was masculine but she managed to get away with it. Her pixie like features made her attractive. I hoped she was as kind as I imagined a pixie to be.

'We found this lady acting strangely in a park this morning. Two of the new officials were with her. They claim they'd been on a night out with her celebrating their new jobs.' Both guards had started to talk but one managed to butt in.

She arched her eyebrow. 'And...?' The woman crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip.

The guards shuffled on their feet. Her glaring eyes were enough to make anyone uncomfortable.

'She acted out of the ordinary. Throwing herself on the floor. One of them accused her of having a bomb. We had to act.'

The woman's perfectly plucked eyebrows rose as her gaze racked over me. I frowned at my dishevelled dress. It was light pink and flowed around me. The creases in it proved that sleeping on a park bench was not a good way to keep up my appearance. It was pure luck that it had a low back so it hadn't been damaged when my wings had appeared.

'And did she have a bomb?'

'No, Catherine, she didn't-'

'Then why is she here?' she snapped, unfolding her arms and putting her hands on her hips.

I tried to hold back the smile that threatened to come but it refused to stay hidden.

Catherine's hawk-like gaze zoned in on my face.

'Because she was acting strange. A passer-by reported her. We had to do something. She should at least be cautioned. I think she needs to be tested, though. She burst into tears when she was in the car. She seems unstable, not of sound mind.'

The guards would do anything to not get backlash from the formidable official.

Catherine sighed and gestured behind her. 'Put her in a cell. I will get her booked in with a test later today. Be warned, young woman,' she said, coming to me and grasping my chin with her fingers. Her nails dug into my skin. 'You had better be one of us. We don't take too kindly to people that begin to show signs of turning into an...Avoidable.'

Her breath smelt of mint as she spoke in my face. The tears came to my eyes again. She let go, almost thrusting me away when she sensed my weakness. Clicking her fingers, she pointed to a secure door at the end of the corridor.

The guards were silent as they led me away from the official. She was mean. I didn't like her one bit.

'Good luck,' one of the guards said as the door opened. They escorted me to one of the cells and shoved me inside. 'Maybe we'll see you on the other side.'

#  Chapter Twenty One

The test. I had watched several people go through the test when I had been an angel. Now it was my turn. The waiting room was silent. Not one person dared to breathe. A mother held her son cradled in her arms. He must have been about six years old. Far too young. His soft mousey brown hair poked out from where he buried his head in his mother's chest. The smart jeans and shirt he wore showed that he was a perfect little boy. The rest of the Perfects were teenagers accompanied by one of their parents.

'Hello, everyone. I'm Henry. I'll be your witness today. We'll be calling you in one by one. If you pass the test, you will come back through this room to leave and continue your life as a Perfect. If you don't, you'll leave through another door, without the person you came with. You will not see them or the rest of your families again.' The man was dressed in a white coat and had honey brown skin.

I shuddered as I glanced around again. They were still children. How could they send them off to Lower Side without their parents? That was brutal.

'You'll be first,' the man announced, pointing at the mother with the young boy.

'Wait,' I blurted as the mother stood.

Her eyes watered but otherwise she was calm. The young boy clung to her hand. She glanced at me, frowning when I took his other hand. He was a sweet little thing but I saw the reason he was there as soon as he looked at me. My stomach dropped. He had one blue eye and one brown one. He would never pass the test.

Leaning forward, I whispered in his ear. 'No matter what happens. Remember that you are perfect. Even if they say you're not.'

The boy's eyes widened when I pulled away. He swallowed as he nodded and turned back to his mother.

'This way,' Henry said.

I bit my lip. His mother watched my reaction. She knew. I could see it in her slumped shoulders.

When the door closed, I shoved my hand in my mouth. Surely they wouldn't separate such a young child. Maybe they would offer to give him surgery to try and fix his eye.

'Why are you here? You seem normal,' a teenage girl spoke to me.

She was pretty. Her hair was long, dark and in very good condition. Her nose pointed up at the end but her rose bud lips made her cherub-like. There was no fear in her eyes. She knew she would pass the test.

'What is normal?' I asked her.

Glancing around the room, she pointed at a handsome young man. He blushed when he saw her showing him attention.

'And what's not normal?'

The girl searched the others with her gaze, analysing them by their features. She finally settled on another girl who watched us through a pair of glasses. She was quite attractive too. However, bad eyesight was not a Perfect trait. If the person was gorgeous, they would give them eye surgery so they could see without glasses. Unfortunately, laser surgery was extremely expensive. If they were average looking, they had to move to Lower Side with their glasses.

'That's not exactly fair, is it? She's very pretty,' I muttered.

The teenager flicked her hair over her shoulder. 'She's not perfect, is she? Doesn't deserve to be here because she wears glasses, though.'

Ignoring me, she went back to humming to herself.

Every Perfect had to have the test. If they were not brought in before they were a teenager, they would come in when they hit a certain age. The young boy in the room with the examiner had been asked to go in early.

'It's sad about the boy, though,' the teenager said under her breath.

I glanced at her. She stared at the ground. Her sadness crept over to me. Not again. I couldn't take on others emotions anymore. It was exactly why I had drunk a whole bottle of alcohol in the first place. Anything to drown out the sorrow of the people I was surrounded by. Why couldn't they take away my sensitivity? That would help immensely.

'I agree,' I replied, tempted to put my hand over hers.

The door opened. The sound of sobbing filtered out. I joined my hands in my lap, squeezing tight to stop myself from reacting. The boy had failed the test.

'No, please don't take him,' the mother cried.

Henry pulled the mother into our room. When the door shut, she broke free from him and launched at the wood, thumping it with her hands. I jumped to my feet.

'Please...please,' she cried, over and over.

Going towards her, I pushed Henry out of the way. The woman's big curly hair bounced as she pounded with her fists. Henry tried to grab me back but I manoeuvred out of his grasp. Putting my hand on her shoulder, I sent calming energy into her. She instantly slouched, her arms dropping from the door. Her fists were red raw. Turning towards me, she almost fell against me. My arms automatically came around her. The cries that racked her body filtered into me. My own tears ran silently down my cheek.

'You're next,' Henry declared, ticking something on his clipboard and pointing at me.

I stroked the woman's hair as a low groan escaped her throat. Her knees gave out, sending us both into a kneeling position on the floor. The cold lino pressed against my skin but I ignored it. Rubbing her back, I brought my lips to her ear. 'Don't worry about him. I'm going to go, too. I promise to take care of him.'

My words were a whisper. I hoped she'd heard them. She paused in her crying, pulling back to look at me. I smiled gently, nodding to let her know that I meant it.

'Time to go,' Henry announced, bending to us.

He gripped my arm, tugging me away from the grieving woman on the floor.

Opening the door, Henry ignored her. I glanced over my shoulder as I was shoved into the new room.

'Thank you,' the woman mouthed as the door closed behind me.

#  Chapter Twenty Two

The man sitting at the desk was going to decide my fate. No. That wasn't technically correct. The sign became very clear to me. I was going to decide my fate. No one else would dictate to me. I had the last say. No matter what anyone told me, I chose to decide what I would do with my life in that very moment.

'Why did you take him?' I demanded.

The man frowned. His shaved chin moved as he licked his plump lips. The blue of his eyes reflected the stark light from above.

'That is none of your concern. Now, please, take a seat.'

Henry sat in the seat next to him. I lowered myself onto a chair opposite them.

An examining table was behind a curtain. Did they really check people all over? Would a slight mark make someone less than perfect?

Everyone was imperfect. Surely they knew that? My stomach churned at the thought of the scared little boy.

'Where's the boy?' I asked Henry.

He shook his head, looking to his colleague.

'Please, Elizabeth, will you concentrate on your own assessment. You have to prove that you're sound of mind to be able to stay in Upper Side.'

Clamping my mouth shut, I did as I was told. I wanted to experience the test. To know what people had to go through. I already felt violated and they hadn't even done anything.

'Please can you confirm the details we have on file for you?' Henry handed me his clipboard.

Taking it, I scanned the words, not taking them in. I nodded as I passed the board back to him. A made up history. Where did it come from? Had William written my story?

'We know that you're physically sound from your original test,' the man observed.

I glared at him, daring him to say more. His nervous glance at Henry made me smile.

'Is something funny?' Henry asked.

My mouth opened of its own accord, letting a bark of laughter escape. I couldn't help it. The test was surreal. It was an inspection on how good you looked. And how you responded to order.

'I'm not a sheep,' I said.

They frowned. Henry scribbled something on a piece of paper.

'That little boy should not be going to Lower Side. All you need to do is give him eye surgery or something, although, to be honest, he's probably better off with the Avoidables. At least they don't judge like you do.' I bit my tongue when their eyes grew wide. Henry's hand moved furiously. I was digging my own grave. Very wise thing to do, Elizabeth. Not.

'Do you know any Avoidables?' the other man asked.

Clicking my tongue, I tapped my fingers against my thigh. An image of William came into my mind. I was failing him, miserably. Find a way to come and work at my side, he had said.

'Yes. That little boy,' I spat.

Both their cheeks turned bright red. Good. They should feel some guilt for what they were doing. Judging a person by their appearance was wrong. No matter what someone looked like, there was always an element of good in them. That's what the Perfects should be trying to cultivate.

'You're playing a game,' Henry said.

Shaking my head, I crossed my legs at the knee. Both their eyes followed the slow movement. Maybe they were right. Was I playing a game?

'We're all playing a game. You don't let us be ourselves so we have to act. To pretend that we're perfect but I know better. You sit here high and mighty but you're worse than us.'

Henry pulled his coat collar away from his throat as he cleared it. I'd hit a nerve. The other man sat up straighter and glared at me.

'Stop. If you carry on, you'll have to join that little boy. We're doing our jobs. There's nothing you can do about that.'

'Then get on with it!' I snapped.

They both stood at the same time. I went to get to my feet.

'Sit down!' Henry shouted.

I dropped back into my seat. 'Henry, no need to shout.' I rubbed a hand over my forehead.

They were probably right about me. I was feeling a little odd. My brain couldn't keep up with what I wanted to say and do. Every time I thought of something to try and explain, another thought overtook.

'Okay, we have some questions,' the other man said, sitting back down.

Henry went out the other door, probably to talk to someone who was observing us through the two-way mirror. They thought I was stupid. Nothing would get past me. My intuition was too strong.

'How do you feel when you see an Avoidable on the news?'

I snorted. Really? What type of question was that? 'I feel sorry for them.'

A flash of doubt crossed my mind as I spoke the truth. We were there to save them. To help the Avoidables unite with the Perfects again. I should be in the Perfect government, helping to accomplish that. Instead, I was being tested. Fated to go to Lower Side.

'What makes you feel sorry for them?'

'They're people. They're human, just like us. It's not fair that they're discriminated against.' I had blown it. I knew that by the expression on his face as he confirmed it. His cheeks were even brighter than they had been earlier. His teeth were clenched and his fingers gripped the pen he wrote with.

Henry came back into the room. He was frowning. Waving another sheet of paper, he shrugged when he handed it to his colleague.

'It seems we've got some new questions.' The man cleared his throat. 'Why are you behaving like you've lost your mind when you haven't?'

I watched the mirror. William must be on the other side. He was a clever man. The others wouldn't know that I was friends with him.

'Do you want the truth?' I spoke to the mirror.

'Of course,' Henry chimed in.

Putting my hand on my heart, I kept my gaze on the mirror. I couldn't see William through the glass but I knew he was there. Probably wondering what the hell I was doing.

'I can't let that little boy go to Lower Side alone. I feel sorry for him. I pity them all. Why should I stay and live a life of luxury when they're living life so poorly?'

Both men in the room sighed. I glanced at them, ready to shout if I needed to.

Henry shook his head slowly. The other man picked up a stamp. Rolling it in ink, he slammed it down on the piece of paper he had been writing on.

'Really?' Henry asked him.

He lifted his shoulders. I leant forward to see what he had stamped onto my paper. I couldn't quite see.

Henry snatched the paper from the table and held it up for me to see. 'It didn't need to be this way,' he said.

I glared at the big red words that went over my picture. Failed – Avoidable.

'Oh, but it did, Henry.' I looked back through the mirror. 'That little boy needs someone to take care of him.'

Getting to my feet, I jumped when the other door thrust open. William stepped into the room. 'Okay, we don't welcome Avoidable sympathisers in Upper Side. I will escort you to the transportation van.' He held out his hand to the man that had my file.

Henry glanced between us before picking up the next file and going over to the door of the waiting room. Would the girl with glasses be on the bus with us?

'I'm sorry,' the other man said.

I scowled at him. 'No you're not.'

William took my file and my arm at the same time. He guided me out of the room and into another white corridor. There was a door at the end of the hallway. It stood open, revealing a concrete space outside. A small minibus sat waiting. Waiting to take people to a place that was ghastly. A part of the city that no Perfect would ever dream of going.

'This is so harsh,' I whispered to William.

His grip tightened as we passed more doors and went outside. His step was quick. He dragged me along with him. The set of his shoulders told me that he wasn't happy.

'I'm sorry, William, I-'

'What are you playing at? You're supposed to be by my side, not in Lower Side.' The flare of his temper left me scalded. His hand squeezed my forearm. His dark hair blended with the flushed red of his face.

'I can't...' I stuttered, pointing at the mini bus.

The little boy sat in one of the back seats. He was bawling his little eyes out. His fists were pushed into his face as he grieved the loss of his mother.

'I know but...' William let the air rush out of his lungs as he watched the kid.

My heart beat faster when the child glanced up and saw me. His little face lit up just a touch. The pause in his crying didn't last long but it was enough for me. I had done the right thing.

'I'm going to be there for him, William. All of them.' I gestured back the way we had come.

I hoped the others got to stay a Perfect. However, if they didn't, I would take care of them, too.

'What you're doing is admirable. I never expected this of you.' William's gaze went soft as he looked down at me.

He knew me. My nature had never been to bully people. I hadn't wanted to be a part of the government but I was called in anyway.

'Maybe this was the plan all along,' William confirmed.

Smiling, I fought the urge to hug him. Our leader was an angel at heart. Even though he acted like a tough Perfect. He knew his goal. And my goal. There would be nothing that stopped him. In doing so, he needed to embrace everything that a Perfect was.

The other angels were tough enough to do the same. They needed to develop thick skin. I couldn't do it, though. I was the sensitive one. The one that wanted to save every single person. Which was fine except when trying to be something I wasn't. My acting skills were not as good as the others.

At least being in Lower Side, I could be true to myself. I would still have to learn to become stronger but at least I would be helping those that needed guidance and some reassurance.

'I will look after him. I promised his mother.'

William took my hands in his briefly. 'You'll do a great job.'

Letting me go, he waved at the bus. I stepped away from him but paused when I heard noise behind me.

'No! Please, I can't go...no!'

Turning, I gasped when the young girl I had been talking to was dragged to my side. She struggled against the guards as they thrust her onto the bus. Why hadn't she got through? I hadn't seen anything wrong with her.

'Please, get on,' one of the guards said to me.

I followed the girl onto the bus, fighting the urge to make eye contact with William one last time. Our time together on Earth had come to an end. I would see him in the future but it would be a long time from now.

'What happened?' I cried, rushing to the girl's side.

She threw herself onto a seat, curled into a ball and howled. Her cocksure ways had been rudely realigned.

The young boy still sat in his seat wailing. I went over, picked him up and took him to the seat next to the girl. Sitting with him on my lap, I cradled him to my chest. I laid a hand on the teenager's back as she let out her grief.

'Why did this happen?' the boy asked me.

Tears fell down my cheeks as I kissed his forehead and stroked his back. The sorrow of both children sank into my skin. Their parents were on the other side of the building, yet they would never see them again. Just because someone declared that they weren't good enough.

'Because at the moment, the world isn't fair. But I promise you. One day, we will make sure that this never happens to anyone, ever again.'

#  Chapter Twenty Three

Our entrance into Lower Side haunted me. Men and women roamed the streets in rags. Some looked smarter than others but not by much. An elderly man tried to stop the mini bus. He held out his hand, begging for help. He was ignored. The driver had sworn at a mother and her child as they threw rocks with sneers on their faces.

The lack of shops made my new teenager snarl. Only a few doors with scribbled signs over them showed any sign of somewhere to buy goods. Nothing like the hundreds of stores in Upper Side.

When we pulled up outside a building, the welcome committee greeted us. It was poor. It consisted of the enforcer for Lower Side and his sidekick. A tall, muscly man with purple eyes.

'We need to document your entry into Lower Side,' the enforcer said, clicking his finger at his man.

'This is Purple.'

The teenage girl snorted the water she was sipping, squirting it over the little boy. He looked at his bare arm where the drops of liquid had landed.

'That's not too obvious, is it?' the girl said.

Purple glowered at her. I had to resist the urge to smile myself. At least the girl had some sense of humour left. 'What's your name?' Purple ignored the smirk she threw his way.

She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. 'I'm Alison.'

Purple raised his eyebrows at Artie. 'Why are you looking at me? Shouldn't Hope be here to do this?'

My whole body froze. I wasn't sure why but something about the name Hope made my skin tingle.

'Hope!' Artie shouted.

We stood in the entryway to a rundown theatre. The building smelt like it was no longer in use for its original purpose.

'This is Lower Side's headquarters and Artie's home,' Purple said, bending down to the little boy who clutched my hand with his little fingers. 'What's your name?' the hulking man asked.

His dark thick shoulder length hair fell over his eyes. Brushing it away from his face, he didn't flinch when the boy reached out with his other hand and stroked the ridges on his arm. I tried not to stare at the strange bumps. I had never seen such a weird skin tone. There was no doubt he was an Avoidable. He was still very handsome, though.

'I'm David,' the boy said.

Purple smiled at him, revealing straight white teeth. My eyebrows rose. Purple glanced up at me. My cheeks flushed as the corner of his lip lifted. He must have seen my shock. I imagined all Avoidables to have awful teeth.

'Well, David, it seems like you've found a great friend.' Purple stood. His height made my neck bend back as I looked up at him.

'She's too nice for you, Purple, I wouldn't bother,' a female voice said from further inside the theatre.

Glancing past him, I watched as a skinny girl with dark straight hair strode up the aisle. Her shoulders were square; her face was soft but with a hard edge. David and Alison stared at her as she joined us.

'She hasn't got a-'

'Don't point!' I chastised David when his arm came up.

Hope laughed, dismissing the boy and talking in whispers to Artie. The tight black trousers and T-shirt top made it look like she would beat anyone up at any moment. Even with only one arm.

'What happened to your arm?' Alison took her hands out of her pockets and crossed them over her chest.

Hope. My whole body thrummed with energy as she came closer. Her vibration was underlying. Avoidables wouldn't notice the dim light that shone in her brown eyes. She was a sister to me. An unknown family member.

'I was born without it. Why are you here? You're too perfect,' she said with a snarl, 'to be in Lower Side.'

Alison rolled her eyes. It seemed like the teenage thing to do. I held my breath as I waited for an insult. Would Hope understand that the girl had been ripped from her family? Even if she was a Perfect?

'I...'

Artie stepped towards me. His eyes searched my gaze. I tried to glance away but it was as if he was asking a question.

'I will take care of them here,' I announced.

Hope had opened her mouth to encourage Alison to talk but she shut it when I spoke. Blinking, she ran her gaze over me before turning to Purple. They whispered between them heatedly.

'Just get the details,' Purple finally hissed, handing her a notepad.

Scowling, the fierce girl snatched the pen and paper and gestured for us to sit in one of the aisles. Some of the old chairs were intact but most had been moved out. The stage was in semi darkness.

'I'm scared,' David sobbed.

Picking him up, I sat on one of the seats and hugged him into me.

Hope went to stand in the row ahead, glaring down at us. She put her foot on a chair and used her thigh to rest the notepad. She had great balance and dexterity for someone who had one arm.

'Names,' she ordered.

We each told her our names. When I spoke, her eyes darted up from what she was doing. Our gaze clashed but she glanced away quickly.

'Reason for failing the test?' she asked directing her question to David.

David started to cry as he pointed to his eye.

Hope swallowed. I watched the reflex of her throat. She did have sympathy.

Hope moved her gaze to Alison, raising her eyebrows when she didn't immediately respond.

'I have epilepsy.'

My heart beat faster. She had an illness that made her whole body convulse. And she was sent away, instead of treated. Her pretty face screwed up again. Raising her feet onto the chair, she buried her head into her knees and covered it with her arms.

'They say I'm mentally unstable,' I announced when it was my turn.

Hope licked her lips, her gaze hovering above my head. She looked at either Artie or Purple and nodded once.

'Not another one,' she muttered as she went to walk away.

'Hope! Firstly, don't be so rude. Secondly, you're not finished,' Artie shouted.

I didn't smile, even though a part of me felt like it. I could feel Hope's angst. She was a late teenager, maybe just hitting her twenties, I wasn't sure exactly. Her eyes held a sense of loss about them. That I could tell.

'Sorry,' she mumbled in my direction, standing straight again.

'Whatever happens, I will not be separated from Alison and David.'

My sudden outburst made her focus on me. Really look at me. She squinted in the dim light, trying to see who I was. She could sense a familiarity. So could I.

'You're a Perfect. Why do you care what happens to them?'

Both men standing behind us growled. She might have been tactless but she was feisty. That was something the world needed.

'I care because they've lost their parents. For their whole lives,' I replied, staring her down.

She cleared her throat and wrote something on the pad. Shrugging, she gazed up at Alison.

'Alison, when was the last time you had a fit?' she asked, her face softening when the tear stained teenager lifted her head.

'They triggered one at the test.' She hiccupped.

That was why she had slept on the journey into Lower Side. I'd wondered how she could relax so easily after what had happened. She didn't have a choice. A fit really took energy out of the body.

'I'm sorry about that.' Hope scribbled again.

I was surprised she could write. Not many Avoidables were literate from what I remembered. I wished my memory was a bit clearer. I seemed to be losing it the more I stayed on Earth. Before I came, I studied everything about the city. Watching people and their reactions so I knew how to react.

'Nothing can prepare you for being on this side when you've spent time in their world,' Hope said scornfully.

I loved the synchronicity of her words. It was as if she'd read my mind. Nothing could prepare me for being in any part of the city, on any part of the planet. It was unlike any angel experience I had ever had.

'I've heard the food is awful,' Alison quipped.

Hope laughed. 'That's the least of your worries.'

I cringed at the contradictory sound of laughter mixed with those poignant words.

Alison glanced at me, her eyes welling up again. I put my hand on her arm.

'It will be okay.' I glanced at the brawny men behind me.

They both stared daggers at Hope as she composed herself.

'Sorry. Right, Artie will assign you a home, I suppose.' She raised her eyebrows at her boss.

Artie came into the aisle, taking the pad and dismissing her with a wave of the hand.

'You will live together in a small flat. I have some accommodation especially for children. You will have a delivery of food once a day. You must take care not to let anyone into your home. I mean anyone. They will try to steal what you have.'

Alison grabbed my hand, squeezing hard as we listened to what our new life would entail. I had only been in Upper Side for a few weeks. The kids had been there for several years. It would be a huge shock to their system.

'Don't forget to tell them about locking the windows and doors,' Hope sang as she retreated down the aisle.

'Where do you think you're going? You're going with Purple to escort them to their new home,' Artie called out to her.

Hope paused without turning around. The sigh was audible from where we sat. We were a burden to her. Something she had to do once a week. At least there was only the three of us. That had made me feel a little bit easier. The rest of the teenagers in the waiting room had passed the test, including the girl with glasses.

'Do I have to?' Her voice sounded just like Alison's. Surly.

The girl had a lot of growing up to do before she-

'Get back here!' Artie shouted.

Hope's shoulders went up by her ears. She didn't take kindly to orders. Slowly, she turned towards us. Her eyes were on the ground, her hair covered her face.

'Shall we take them now?' Purple asked.

Artie nodded once before looking at me. 'I will come and visit you tomorrow. Settle in tonight. Don't go anywhere. We will take you on a tour tomorrow. Show you our part of the city. The safe areas and the not so nice places. I'm sorry that you're here.'

Hope snorted. Purple punched her arm. She gasped, grabbing herself where he had hit her.

'Adjusting is not going to be easy but I promise you that we'll do everything we can to get you the best life possible in the circumstances.'

Artie offered his hand. I couldn't take it. My fingers were squeezed by two anxious children. He smiled gently, his gaze roaming over their worried faces. A sadness passed through his eyes before he turned on his heel and left.

'Let's go,' Hope said.

We clambered out from our seats, following the Avoidables out of the theatre. I watched Hope's back the whole time. William needed to know that I had found her.

She was the city's biggest hope. The missing piece to the puzzle. The Avoidable that could one day save the world.

#  Chapter Twenty Four

I had to get a message to William. The flat we had slept in was a basic a room with minimal facilities. How did they expect three people to live so meagrely?

'My bed is a piece of wood with a bit of padding!' Alison moaned to Purple the following day.

Artie drove us around Lower Side in his banged up car. He had winced when he saw us standing pitifully outside our new home. The block of rooms were made out of concrete and metal. A family lived in each one.

'You're lucky you have that,' Hope snapped.

Her compassion needed work. Considering she had obviously seen the rough side of Lower Side, she wasn't very sympathetic.

'Ignore Hope,' Purple said, 'she's grumpy because I beat her up last night.'

Alison's eyes widened. All three Avoidables were scrunched up in the front. We were spread out in the back. David's gaze traced the streets as we drove down them. He had hardly spoken since we had been dropped off in the disgusting part of the city.

'Why would you beat up a woman?' Alison asked.

I was pleased that Alison hadn't lost her confidence. It seemed that she would need it. Her pretty face was a concern for me. Most Avoidables had something noticeably wrong with them. Not her. Would she become pray to the immoral men of Lower Side?

'We were sparring. He always wins,' Hope moaned.

Alison watched the back of their heads, blinking as she thought. 'Will you teach me?'

I almost choked. David looked down at our joined hands as I involuntary squeezed his little fingers.

Hope glared over her shoulder at Alison. Purple glanced at her before she turned around. 'You could probably do with learning some defence techniques. Pretty face like yours won't be ignored here.'

'Yeah, you wouldn't know anything about that with your face, would you?' Purple laughed.

Alison joined in. I bit my lip to stop it from moving.

Hope raised her fist, ready to plough it into Purple's face.

'Don't,' Artie warned, glancing into the rear-view mirror.

Our gaze caught. I needed to speak to him. Alone. He would know how to get a message to William. But could I trust him?

'Alison, I can teach you how to kick a man's butt,' Hope called.

Alison grinned from ear to ear. At least it would give her some focus. And hopefully some safety too.

'And you, Elizabeth. You've also got one of those faces.' Hope almost snarled my name.

Did she have a problem with me? I hadn't said anything to her, had I? I hoped I hadn't upset her. I needed to get to know her. To guide her to learn how to be everything she was supposed to be. Do everything that was required of her. It would take time. A lot of time.

'I'm not sure I need-'

'Oh, you'll need to train,' Purple interrupted, turning in his seat and smiling at me.

Hope giggled, slapping his arm gently. 'Someone has a crush,' she sang, looking over at Alison and winking.

They laughed together as Purple faced the front again. My cheeks heated. Purple seemed sweet but I was far too old for him. Plus, I wasn't on Earth to experience any kind of romance. That wouldn't even come into it. I had far more important goals.

'Is it really that bad living here?' I whispered.

Artie stopped the car. Putting the handbrake on, he turned in his seat and addressed us.

'It pains me to say it, but yes, it is. All three of you could do with some training. David won't be as bad. Male boys, especially like David, don't tend to get noticed. Pretty females, however...' His sentence trailed off, causing my whole body to shudder. Alison eyed Artie's scar as she clenched her hands into fists.

'Tell us the truth. I want to know what really happens,' she said.

I tried to take her hand but she pulled away. Her walls came up. That was to be expected. The new life was scary. Hope's back was straight as she faced forward and listened. Purple had turned to look at us again.

'Lower Side is dangerous. What you've heard is true. However, there are a lot of good people out here, also. We're working to build a better place. I have plans to meet with Enforcers from other cities. To learn how they make their little part of the world a safer place to live.' Artie rubbed the corner of his eye.

'Do women get attacked all the time?' Alison asked.

Artie shook his head quickly. His scraggly light hair moved against his shoulders. 'No, of course not. You'll be safer during the day. Never go out at night.'

The tension in the car grew. I stroked David's head as he eyed Artie. He didn't really understand what we spoke about but he listened intently.

'Is there a school? What do we do during the day?' Alison was curious. Like most teenagers. She took the reins and ran with them. I was glad to let her ask the questions she needed answers to.

Hope leant forward and turned the radio on. It crackled, sending chills straight through my head. I clasped my hands to my ears. Purple thumped Hope's arm, leant forward and switched it off.

'What do you think you're doing?' Artie said.

Hope raised her only arm and put her fingers in the shape of a gun. Holding it to the side of her head, she pretended to shoot herself. Falling onto Purple, she screeched when he thrust her away. They were like brother and sister, constantly fighting.

'Get out,' Artie demanded.

Hope looked at him. His face was set hard. The clench of his jaw was a giveaway. The pair didn't see eye to eye.

'Oh, come on,' Hope said.

He shook his head. 'I mean it. There is no way I can work directly with you. Purple persuaded me to let you try but you're too young, too volatile. He can take responsibility for you but I'm not interested.'

Purple opened the car door and stepped out. It seemed he knew when to listen. Hope's chin wobbled as she climbed out.

'Nice knowing you,' she said to Alison with a grin.

The door slammed shut behind her. She was a capricious young woman with a lot of growing up to do. Purple huddled next to her, trying to calm her. Her voice grew higher as they spoke, her arm gesturing to the car. Artie started the engine and drove away from them. I glanced back to see Purple taking the full brunt of her anger.

'There are a few schools, Alison. You'll be enrolled once you've settled. I've just started to bring in a new teaching system. We need Avoidables and Perfects to learn about survival from a young age. Every Perfect that comes over to Lower Side has to go to school until their sixteen.'

Artie manoeuvred the car into a new street. A bigger building loomed head, instantly recognisable as a school by the poorly formed playground in front of the only brick building in the street. Roughly made swings looked hazardous as they hung from rope attached to a metal structure.

Pulling up outside, Artie climbed out the vehicle, gesturing for us to follow.

'This is the school. It's not unlike the school you went to. I hope that it will give you some stability. However, the people are completely different. It's going to take some getting used to. It's a mixed race, here. Lots of wonderfully different people.'

Alison stood next to Artie. Both gazing up at the bleak concrete building. She pulled her shoulders back and narrowed her eyes on him. Had she accepted her fate a lot quicker than I could have imagined?

'Will they be...ugly?' David piped up from beside me.

Artie smiled. I stared wide eyed at the small boy. Even at a young age the Perfects were taught to judge someone by the way they looked.

'David, it's not nice to call people ugly.' I bent down to him.

He screwed up his face. 'But mummy said that Avoidables are ugly. She told me that we should never ever talk to one.'

I bit the inside of my mouth. No wonder the world was so messed up. How could a person teach their young child to hate so much?

'It's not about what a person looks like on the outside. It only matters what's on the inside. People can be beautiful, no matter who they are and what they look like.'

David's wide eyes started to water. Had my words touched him?

'You're weird,' Alison said.

I tore my gaze away from the young boy I had become responsible for. Alison and Artie stared at me, their mouths almost hanging open. I cleared my throat. My angel side would show no matter what. Would it put me in danger or would others accept me more because of it?

'That's why they called you mentally unstable.' Alison shrugged and went back to studying her new school.

Artie frowned down at me. I got up slowly, not daring to break eye contact.

'There's something different about you,' he said under his breath.

I heard his words. Choosing to ignore them was my only option. A whoosh of air flew around us. I grabbed Alison and David as a strange sound vibrated the sky above us. Tugging them to ground, I froze when Artie chuckled.

'Woah!' Alison cried as she looked up.

Raising my head, I cringed further when I saw Purple hovering in the air above us. He had vast purple wings coming from his back. He flapped them slowly as he lowered himself to the ground.

'You gave them a fright,' Artie said, going back to the car.

Purple chuckled along with his boss. Alison rushed over to him, reaching out a hand.

'Wait!' I cried, not wanting to let go of David.

Alison paused. Purple smiled at her, gesturing for her to go to him. 'It's okay. You can touch them if you like. I've never seen a Perfect so eager to know about my wings.'

Alison glanced back at me. My throat closed. She wanted my approval. I smiled, nodding my consent. There wasn't a malicious bone in Purple's body. I could feel that.

'They're scaly!' Alison exclaimed as she ran a hand over the webbed part of his wing. 'How did you get them?'

Purple's face clashed with his eye colour as he turned bright red.

David pulled me to the Avoidable's side. He wanted to feel, too.

'I'm part dragon,' Purple announced.

Alison's forehead creased as David tried to reach the huge tip of the wing. Purple bent down so the young boy could touch the scales.

'A dragon? But they've been extinct for years. That means your ancestors... Ewwww...'

I clamped my hand over my mouth as a small laugh seeped from me. The sound of Artie's laughter reached us as he slid back in the car.

Purple looked up at me, his eyebrows raised.

It was no good. I couldn't stop laughing. David watched me, exclaiming in excitement when he touched the sharp tip of the wing bone. Alison grinned wickedly. They liked my reaction. It was the first time I had really laughed since arriving on Earth.

'You find that funny, Elizabeth?' Purple drawled.

Shaking my head, I turned away from them and went back to the car. I wouldn't be setting a good example by laughing at the Avoidable's ancestry.

'Elizabeth,' Artie addressed me as I climbed into the back seat. 'I have my suspicions about you.'

The amusement left me. Did Artie know that I wasn't a normal human? Not that there was such a thing as normal.

'Don't panic.' He looked at me in the rear-view mirror. 'I'm pleased that you've come to take care of the children. We need more people like you on this side of the river.'

'People like me?' I choked out.

The kids giggled outside as Purple pulled his wings into his back. I wanted to avoid Artie's searching gaze. Even if he was using a mirror to study me.

'I've seen...someone like you before. You remind me of them.'

I swallowed. What could I do? My mouth opened and closed of its own accord.

'Don't panic. Everything is clicking into place. I want to help you.' Artie started the engine.

I wound down the window and called the kids to get into the car.

David grabbed Purple's hand and asked to sit in the front with him. The hulking man grinned at the young boy. There really was good in people. All people.

'What do you know?' I whispered to Artie, as the doors opened.

Alison clambered in next to me, hurriedly describing the details of Purple's wings and how they folded into his back.

'We'll talk later,' Artie replied over the noise.

'He has Velcro on his T-shirt so it doesn't rip when he has to whip them out.' Alison pushed her hair behind her ear.

I smiled at her, excited at her enthusiasm. She beamed back at me as I listened. Both the kids seemed to be embracing their new reality better than I had expected. I wasn't sure I was going to be quite as accepting as they were. I needed real food, a more comfortable bed and information on what Artie knew.

'Let's go back to the theatre,' Artie announced. 'Purple has a very select few toys. You can each choose one.'

'Toys?' Alison scoffed. 'As if I need a toy.'

Purple laid his arm along the front seat. 'What about you, Elizabeth? Will you choose a toy?' he said.

I swallowed, unsure of myself. If Artie knew, did Purple? What did they know?

'No toys for me,' I said. 'I'm not sure how much fun can be had on the Lower Side.'

#  Chapter Twenty Five

'Who are you?' I stuttered.

The theatre was dim. The sound of the others chatting on the stage echoed around me. The shadows of the hallway crowded me as I stopped dead. The figure moved quickly, trying to back away. A dark hood covered the face.

'Tell me!' I demanded.

My heartbeat tripled as I took a step forward. I didn't feel threatened, even though my body wanted to flee.

The shadow of the person became still. The stage I'd left behind grew silent. The eerie dark space vibrated. My skin prickled.

'Who are you?' I whispered.

The hood tipped back slightly. Brown eyes peeked out from underneath. My breath caught in my throat.

'Who's there?' Artie shouted from the end of the corridor.

He must have been checking up on me. The shadow made to run. I reached out to stop him. I knew the eyes. It was-

'Wait!'

Artie barged past me, following the figure to wherever the corridor led to. Purple appeared by my side, causing me to jump. I put my hand to my chest to steady myself.

'Come on.' He put an arm around my shoulders and guided me back to the stage.

The kids ran to me, both throwing their arms around my waist. I embraced them, holding them tight. We were a family now. Our own little unit.

'I've caught him,' Artie announced striding out of the corridor. 'Purple, will you watch the kids for a moment? Elizabeth, please will you come with me?'

I tucked Alison's hair behind her ear as she frowned at me. David ran to Purple to show him the new toy he'd chosen.

'You'll be okay, won't you?' I asked my new teenager.

She smiled gently before wandering over to the dragon half breed.

I followed Artie to a room at the back of the theatre. When I walked through the door, the air left my lungs.

'William!'

He opened his arms. Stepping into them, I felt my energy build. Being on the other side of the river had drained me.

'What are you doing here?' I asked him.

Artie cleared his throat from the doorway. Stepping away from the leader of the Perfect government, I looked at the floor.

We were in an old dressing room. There was a mirror with lights above the dressing table. I imagined actors getting ready a long time ago in the past.

'I know what you are,' Artie announced, stepping into the room and pushing the door shut behind him.

William lowered himself onto the scuffed sofa. Patting the cushion next to him, he indicated for me to join him. United. That's what we both needed.

'Tell me what you think we are,' William asked.

Artie stood in front of us. He clicked his knuckles as his eyes closed briefly.

'A long time ago I came across someone like you. Someone who wanted to save the world.'

William sat forward, linking his hands in front of him. I sat back, chewing on my lip as we waited for him to go on.

'He claimed that he was one of the last of his kind. They were failing, he told me. They had no choice but to leave. He's the reason I have this.' He pointed at his scar.

My thoughts returned to Hope. Her image flashed into my mind. 'I'm sorry, Artie. If this goes wrong, I need William to know something.'

He frowned but nodded for me to go on. Grabbing William's shoulders, I leant in to his ear.

'I've found her,' I whispered. 'She's nearby.'

William grew stiff. I released him, glancing at Artie. The Avoidable watched us closely, evaluating our actions.

A slow smile spread on William's face. 'It's all in motion,' he muttered.

Our gaze met. I had been afraid that he would be cross with me. I had broken the rules. Being by his side had been my mission. I had failed.

'That's why you're here.' He looked at me sincerely.

I couldn't look away from him. My leader. My best friend. An angel brother. He obviously trusted Artie. Maybe he was also part of the plan.

'Yes, I think it might be. And to take care of the kids, too,' I replied.

He put his hand over mine. I smiled at him. My experience would be very different to the other angels. I wouldn't have to pretend. I couldn't, even if I wanted to.

'Yes. Those children will have a part to play once they've matured.'

Artie sighed and took a seat at the dressing table. A few pictures were stuck on the wall surrounding the mirror. He had resigned himself to waiting.

'What more can I do?' I asked, grasping William's fingers.

He glanced down at me, tucking my short hair behind my ear.

'Experience everything. You're an Avoidable now. Report back to me through Artie. I have a feeling he will be compliant.'

William's gaze sought the Avoidable's. His lip quirked slightly, which made me smile. The man wasn't an angel but he knew something.

'I can't believe you're back,' Artie said. 'I thought you had given up on us.' A flash of pain crossed his face. He must have had a run in with someone in the past. It didn't feel like it had been a happy outcome.

'I've never been here before. None of us have. We're a new team. We have never given up on you. We never will. It's different this time, though. You'll learn more as we go along. It's still very new.'

Artie shook his head, running his hand through his greasy hair. 'But see how far you've come in such a short time. I will support you every step of the way. I may have a personal issue with one of you from the past but that was a long time ago.'

William looked at me. I grinned back at him. We had done it. My job wasn't to infiltrate the Perfect government. It was to live alongside the Avoidables. To help with the synchronistic meeting of two people in the future.

'One of you? What is one of us, Artie? I'd like to hear you say it.'

William liked to test people. Not because he didn't trust but because he did. Too easily.

Artie would be his new ally. Our new ally. There was nothing that would stand in the way of our goal.

'You are angels and you're here to unite the Perfects and Avoidables.'

Want to know what happens next? Click here to check out Avoidables 1-6. Or search for Avoidables 1-6 on your chosen retailer.

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#  Copyright

Copyright © 2015 by Rachel Medhurst

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

#  Author

Rachel Medhurst wants to bring hope, excitement and feeling through her work. An avid reader herself, she loves to get lost in a book. Writing is Rachel's passion. To keep up to date on new releases please check out her website.

www.rachelmedhurst.com

