"CARTER," I yelled, running over to him. "What the hell are you doing?" I watched as Carter held Ariel down on the ground by his neck.

"You have no idea what you're doing, Ebony. I will not allow this. You have no idea what these creatures are capable of once you let them inside you. How dare you take advantage of her."

"I did no such thing. I was summoned by her. I would never take her without her permission." Ariel threw Carter to the side like he was a rag doll. "Learn your place vampire, or I will destroy you." Ariel stood up and walked over to Carter. "How dare you threaten me like you are my equal. You disgusting, vile creature."

"I'm vile? Have you told her what happens to her mind when you stay in there too long? Have you described what happens when her body dies around you, and you discard her like a meat suit? Don't stand there, playing all good and mighty. I will not allow this." Carter stood up and glared at Ariel. "You will not steal her life."

Ariel scoffed and shook his head. "I don't plan on stealing anything. She agreed to my terms, and this has nothing to do with you."

"This has everything to do with me." Carter roared.

"Um, why is boss yelling at the wind?" Jake said in my ear.

"Apparently, he can see and hear angels." I shrugged.

"Oh," Jake nodded his head. "Of course, he can."

"She is innocent in all this, and I will not allow her to be a pawn in your little game of war zone. She will not be able to handle your power, and you know that." Carter said, looking back at me. "She is human."

"She is the chosen one; this is the greatest honor for her," Ariel said proudly. "Many have sacrificed themselves for this moment to happen. You have no say in this vampire."

"You have no idea who you are dealing with do you?" Carter sneered at Ariel.

"That doesn't sound good," Jake said next to me. "Did the new guy just try to take on boss man?"

I nodded my head.

"My day just got a little better." Jake smiled. "Shit's about to go down."

"I do not care who you are, vampire. You need to stand aside and let me talk to my vessel." Ariel pushed Carter to one side making him stumble backwards slightly.

"You did not just call my girl a vessel." Carter pushed Ariel backwards.

"I'm not playing games with you anymore vampire." Ariel stopped dead and stared at Carter. "If you will not listen to me and be reasonable I will have to remove you from this plane of existence but I think it will be easier to just kill you."

"I would love to see you try." Carter bared his fangs and positioned himself to fight.

"Here we go." Jake rubbed his hands together. "New guy just call Carter out huh? You know, put up or shut up."

"This is ridiculous. I'm stopping it." I rolled my eyes.

"No, I want to see boss fight with the invisible man," Jake laughed.

"Will you both stop this." I yelled at a stunned Carter and Ariel. "Neither of you control me and my body. Whatever I decide to do is my damn choice."

"Tell them, girl," Jake said pointing at Jake and Carter. "You do not own her."

"Carter, walk away from the angel," I demanded, Carter went to protest but just took a step backwards instead. "Thank you, now Ariel I have a few questions for you."

"Yes, she does." Jake clapped.

"What effect will you have on my body? I have seen what a demon can do to a body" I said calmly looking directly at Ariel ignoring Carter's eye rolls and hand gestures.

"The damage a vessel takes on from an angel depends on the individual person. I would not have chosen you if I thought you were weak and couldn't handle this. Ebony Summers, you were made for this. I know you feel it as well. Together, we are unstoppable and we can defeat our common enemy. I assure you, you have my word that I will not leave any damage to you when I leave. That is not my purpose." Ariel bowed his head at me. "I will protect you."

"You understand Ariel, that if you do hurt me you will have Carter hunting you down for the rest of eternity."

"Yes, you will," Carter said not taking his eyes off Ariel.

"I do." Ariel ignored Carter and his growling.

"Do you still choose me to be your vessel knowing this?"

Ariel moved his eyes to Carter with no expression on his face. "I do." He said in Carter's face.

"Then I accept," I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"She accepts the angel. Hallelujah!" Jake raised his hands to the sky dramatically.

"Ebony, if you do this there is no going back," Carter said sternly. "You don't need to do this,"

"I understand that, but I want to. I have been chosen Carter for something bigger than both of us. I need you to understand this."

Carter sighed and pressed his lips together. "If you feel that you want to do this then I support you. You know what you are doing and you understand the risks." He said cracking his knuckles and walking over to me. "If this is what you want then I will not argue with you anymore."

"I know this is frustrating for you but I can do this." I smiled at him. "You need to trust me."

"I do trust you; it's the angel I have an issue with." He looked back at Ariel. "I have seen a human possessed by an angel before, Ebony. It did not end well for that poor soul."

"I'm not being possessed, Carter. That's the difference."

"I know that, but I fear the result will be the same. Taking on an angel is almost certain death."

"You just took on an angel and survived." I grinned at him.

"Not the same thing and you know it." He smiled kissing the tip of my nose. "I just worry about you."

"Carter, I can do this. I felt it when I first connected with him and I feel it now. I know the risks but I am strong and I will be ok." I wrapped my arms around him. "We fight together like we always have."

"You stay close to Jacob or myself at all times. I want one of us there is something was to happen." Carter closed his eyes and paused for just a second. "I need you to do me a favor if the time comes, sunshine."

"What favor?"

"If the darkness was to leave my brother and become a part of me at any stage during this fight, I need you to be strong enough to kill me."

"Carter, don't say that." I looked away avoiding his eyes.

"You need to be ready for anything and I need to know that you be will strong enough to take me down. I do not want to live like that again, I would rather die. Can I trust you to do this?"

"It's not going to happen." I shook my head.

"Ebony, if you cannot do this then I will ask the angel who will have no problem taking me down. I don't want this either but we have to be prepared for anything."

"If I was to become the darkness would you kill me?"

"Without hesitation. I would not allow you to go through that."

"Oh, I didn't expect that answer."

"That is how serious this is. Can I trust you to kill me if the darkness becomes a part of me?" He looked at me like his life depended on it

"I'll do it," I said as a tear fell down my cheek. "I can do it, but it's not going to happen."

Carter closed his eyes and took a moment before continuing. "I truly hope not but I feel better knowing you will be there to stop it." He kissed my lips gently. "We must go, I can feel that my brother is close. He is calling to me and taunting me. Are you absolutely sure about this?'

"Yes, I am sure." The ground began to shake around us and cracked like a hardboiled egg. "This is it then?" I looked up at Carter.

"This is it." He nodded not letting go of me.

"Boss, we have another problem," Jake said looking up at the sky. "It's happening again."

We both looked up to the now blood-red sky, Leon was definitely close now.

"We must prepare for battle, Ebony. The enemy is close. I can still help you." I heard Ariel's gravelly voice in my head. "I meant what I said, I will not hurt you, and when you want me to leave you, I will."

"Do you promise me, Ariel," I turned to see him standing next to me. "Do you promise that when I tell you to leave, you will leave my body?"

"You have my word," he bowed his head to me.

I looked back at Carter. "I need you to be safe, do you understand me. You need to come back to me in one piece so we can go home.

"I could say the same thing to you." He smiled.

"I love you," I whispered up to him.

"I love you too," Carter said kissing me softly.

"Um, guys. I don't mean to interrupt the special moment here, but I think we may be in trouble." I heard Jake's voice say. "Holy shit, is that a sinkhole?"

"Oh, no," Carter whispered under his breath turning his head slowly to earth sinking into the giant hole. "Leon has opened the portal to our world." I could hear the sound of the earth rumbling beneath our feet and then the sound of enormous thunder cracks above us in the blood-red sky.

"What is happening?" I said, turning back to Carter.

"I don't know," Carter said nervously, looking around. His eyes met with Jake's, and he also shook his head. "He wouldn't do this? This is dark magic. He can't do this." Carter said, running his hand through his black hair nervously.

"What?" I said as the ground shook even harder.

"I think Leon has actually broken down the barrier between our worlds. I think he has unleashed hell on earth." Carter said as his eyes widened.

"Fucken, literally," Jake yelled as rocks started to fall from the sky. "Is it an apocalypse?"

"I think so." Carter looked up into the blood-red sky in disbelief.

"They are coming." Ariel's voice said in my head forcefully as I turned around to see Henry running towards us, followed by literally hundreds of vampires and creatures.

"Are you alright, Ebony?" Henry said as he stopped at my feet.

"I think so," I said as he hugged me tightly.

"Good." He looked over at Carter. "The king's army is ready to fight. What is the plan here?"

Carter's eyes went straight to me. "We capture Leon, and we end this." His voice was stern, and his eyes slowly turned blood-red as he stared at me. "Ebony knows what to do."

"I do." I nodded my head looking over at Ariel as he bowed his head. "We are ready."

"What is that thing?' Henry said pointing to the giant sinkhole in the ground. "That was not there before."

"I'm pretty certain it may be a portal to hell," Carter said, taking my hand. "We need to get everyone out of here before they come." He kissed my lips gently. "Jacob, you gather the troops with Henry and have them ready," Carter yelled to them as he walked towards Ariel. "You." He said right in Ariel's face. "If you hurt one good damn hair on her head, I swear to your god, I'll find you and make you pay. Do you understand?" He was growling at Ariel through gritted teeth. "I don't like you, and I don't trust you, but she does, and you will protect her, or you will face me."

Ariel just stared at him with no change of expression on his face. "Agreed." He said as his eyes shifted to me. "I will not allow any harm to come to you, Ebony Summers. You have my word." He bowed his head to me slightly.

"Carter, it's okay. I want to help." I gave him a hug and melted into his strong arms around me.

"Boss, they are here," Jake said at my side. "They are everywhere in fact." I gasped loudly as I watched what looked like shadows flying out of the portal in the ground and dark creatures with yellow eyes started pulling themselves up from the ground as it shook beneath us.

"Prepare the troops for war," Carter said calmly as he pointed to the army.

"Yes, boss," Jake said, running towards the others. "I'll be by your side, Eb. Just know that." He called back to me.

"I will find you, baby. Be safe, and if you need me, just call for me as you did before." He took a few steps backwards.

"Call for you?"

"Yes, that's how I knew about Ariel. I heard your heart call for me. Be safe, my love." He blew me a kiss and disappeared into the shadow of the vampire army.

"Are you ready, Ebony Summers?" Ariel's voice said in my head.

I took a deep breath. "Yes." I nodded. "Be gentle." I smiled right before I felt my body go stiff, and my head consumed with a bright light. A light so bright it hurt my eyes and I couldn't see anything as the light consumed my entire body. I felt my blood start to boil, and my heartbeat so fast I thought it was going to burst right out of my chest. I suddenly couldn't take it anymore and screamed out as the light seemed to burst from my body, lifting me from the ground as if I was made of feathers. I felt a sudden sharp pain like I was being sliced in half and tried to scream for help, but I couldn't. I couldn't move a muscle. The pain stopped just as quickly as it had started, and my blood ran cold as ice through my numb body.

"I am ready." Ariel's voice said in my head as I crashed to the ground. "I am Ready Ebony Summers."