Silas walked down the street with Tess, fingers interlocked with hers. He had told her he wanted to do something humans did. She said they went shopping at malls and other things that made little sense to him. So here they were at the mall. They had been to other stores earlier and Dairy Queen, the sun had already set as 8 o'clock rolled by. Tess was pointing out some things to him along the way. He was happy to hear her talk. Last night she had said she was fine, but barely said a word to him for the rest of the day. He looked down, Tess was smiling and seemed more at ease then she had in awhile. She had let him steal a couple of kisses too throughout their evening. They popped into a clothing store. The manager looked up at them. He was tall with black-dyed hair.

"Hello." He called in a friendly voice. Tess waved and Silas noticed that the manager was closing the cash register and seemed to be locking it up.

"Are you closing soon?" Tess asked.

"Yes, but take as much time as you need." He told them. Tess nodded and dragged Silas over to the hats. Silas gave her a questioning look as she plopped one on his head. She slapped a hand over her mouth, containing a giggle.

"What?" Silas looked in the mirror. He chuckled. He did look pretty silly. He grabbed one hat, setting it on Tess's head. She winked and tipped it at him, making them both laugh. Silas grabbed both of their hats and set them back on the shelves. They both jumped suddenly, hearing a slam. The manager had brought the door down over the store entrance.

"Umm, Sir?" Tess asked. Silas stiffened. How could he have not sensed this?

"Tess, get behind me." He growled.

"Wha-" Tess's question turned into a shriek as the managers eyes melted into black. A demon, of course. Silas mentally kicked himself for not being more careful.

"What do you want?" Silas growled, pushing Tess behind him. She clung onto him. The demon cackled.

"The girl, Akbar sent us."

"Us?" Silas asked. He heard a laugh as a demon appeared out of a dressing room.

"Silas, there's two of them." Tess whispered.

"Thanks for the update." He said to Tess. He took a step away from her. He held his arms out, his wings appearing as his pure angel form came forward, the blue aura began to surround his skin. His sword morphed into shape by his side.

"Tess, do you have that dagger on you?" He asked. Tess pulled it out of it's sheath, hidden under her shirt.

"Good, you might need it." He could see the fear in Tess's eyes.

"Enough talk." the demon manager growled and lunged at Silas. Silas blocked, driving the demon back just as the second one swung at him. Tess scrambled away to Silas's relief, he really didn't want her fighting. The demon smiled when their blades collided and slid away beside his friend who was getting up.

"You may be good angel, but you can't fight two at one time." Silas smirked slyly.

"Try me." Both demons rushed him and he jumped back, fluttering onto a dress holder. Now he had the higher ground. The demons hissed at him in frustration and hate, the pure rage in their eyes could be seen easily. One swung his sword straight at Silas's legs. Silas jumped down on the blade and swung his at the demon. He didn't notice the second demon morphing into his truly demonic form. The demon yanked his sword out from under Silas's feet, unbalancing the angel.

"Silas!" He heard Tess scream and whirled around, the whooshing beside his ear was unmistakable. He had just missed getting stabbed by a demon's blade. Silas jumped off the stand, knowing that both demons would take advantage of his surprise. He blocked both swings at him.

Glad only the one of them is in their true form. The other demon might as well have read his thought as the black wings grew out of his back. He paused, waiting for them to move. The odds weren't on his side anymore. The demons grinned.

"Give up pretty boy." The once manager hissed. The buzzing started at the base of his skull, images of Tess flashed in his head.

"No!" Silas yelled in protest, he dropped his sword, concentrating on fighting off the mental attack. The other demon grinned, knowing Silas would be too preoccupied to defend himself. Silas watched as the demon came closer to him, the tip of his dagger flashed as deadly as its color. Silas panicked, he couldn't falter in his concentration of fending off the demon's memory attack or the demon would drive him insane, but this meant he was going to have to stand here and get impaled. He couldn't die, not today.

"Lumen!" The demon who was attacking Silas's mind flew backward into a clothing rack, breaking the torture he had put into Silas's head. Silas glanced to his right. Tess stood there, her grey eyes flashed with an anger he had never seen before. A ball of light disintegrated in her hand. She reached out her palm, pointing it at the demons shocked friend.

"Absens de ego!" The demon flew across the room, pushed by an unseen force, Tess had thrown him hard. He hit the wall with an unsoundly bang. Silas watched as the demon's eyes flicked back to normal. Tess had killed him. She showed no regret when she turned to Silas, the rage in her gaze seemed to soften at seeing Silas in one piece. The second demon scrambled out of the pile of clothing.

"You speak vile things girl." He growled and lunged at her. Silas scrambled to get to the demon, but he didn't need to. The demon's steps halted. He shrieked in pain as the ivory handle stuck out of his body, wedged in between the flesh of two ribs. Tess straightened as the demon fell to his knees. He glared at her.

"Naliak, one week." He hissed. Tess's brow furrowed in confusion. Silas froze.

"What did you say?!" He demanded. The demon looked at him.

"Naliak, one week. The girls life will be taken by Akbar himself."

"Vermin!" Silas shouted and with that the demon no longer had a head. Tess looked at his dead body.

"Naliak?" She asked. Silas grabbed her arm.

"No time to explain, we must get to Gabriel quickly." Tess nodded and pulled her dagger out of the demon's chest. Silas looked around the room, no one would know what had occurred here, except Tess and him. They went out the back door, Tess knocking out the alert system with a bit of fire. Tess got ready to prepare her flying spell but Silas grabbed her quickly, pulling her close to his chest.

"No time for that." He said as she looked at him in confusion.

"Hold on." He warned and launched off of the ground. He felt Tess's arms tighten around him in a death grip. He flew hard and fast, making it to the heaven's in the blink of an eye. He stepped onto the gold street gently. He looked down at Tess. He hair was windblown and her cheeks were red from the bite of the cold wind, but she was fine. He grabbed her hand, racing to the throne room. Silas didn't stop at the doors, he just flung them open in a single thrust. They slammed back against the wall and Gabriel looked up from the table where a scroll and other angels were gathered. Anger flared in the older angels eyes.

"Silas, you better have good reason for bursting into the throne room without summons, much less during a serious meeting!" Gabriel slammed his fist against the table, showing his frustration. Tess jumped. The advisers that stood around Gabriel looked shocked. Silas wasn't sure if it was because he had burst into the throne room or the fact that he had brought a human with him.

"I know where the battle is going to be." Silas breathed out. Gabriel's anger diminished completely. He looked at the angels gathered around the scroll.

"We will continue this later." He said curtly, dismissing them. Some of them grumbled, but respectfully stepped away with bows. Gabriel waved Silas and Tess over, rolling up the scroll he had been studying. He handed it to a young angel standing at his left, telling him to take it back to the library. Turning to Tess and Silas, he nodded.

"Where is it to be then?" He asked.

"Naliak, in a week." Silas said. Gabriel looked at him.

"How do you know this?"

"We ran into a couple of demons at the mall. One of them said this before he died." Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"You were at the mall?" Silas rolled his eyes.

"That's not important." Gabriel gave the look of "okay..." before addressing Tess.

"Did you kill them?" She nodded.

"How brave of you." Gabriel said before grabbing a scroll that seemed to appear out of thin air. He rolled it onto the table. Silas knew what it was, a map of the world. But not just a map of the world, a map of hidden islands concealed with angelic powers.

"What's this?" Tess asked, running her finger along a worn edge.

"It's a map." Gabriel said as his eyes searched the old parchment. Tess shook her head.

"That's not possible. What are all these islands?" She pointed to one south of Australia.

"Those," Gabriel started, "are the angelic and demonic islands. They are concealed to the human eye, just like this place."

"They provide quick travel for the angels or somewhere to hide for demons." Silas added.

"And this," Gabriel dragged his finger across the map to an island between North America and Europe, "is Naliak." Tess looked confused.

"So why pick there to fight?" Tess asked.

"See how it's between Europe and the US?" Silas said, "It's strategic, plus Naliak is different from most islands." Tess looked at the island closely.

"How?"

"It looks like a barren wasteland but underneath the ground, there are a series of tunnels that lead just about anywhere in the world. The island itself has a magic to it. If you want to go somewhere, it will show the place. If you want to know the future, the island will show you, if it chooses." Gabriel explained.

"That sounds tempting." Tess said, her eyes glistened with curiosity.

"That's why the demons want it. The island has been in the angels possession for centuries. There have been numerous wars for the island, but the demons have always lost." Silas cringed, thinking of the many angels that had died in the bloody wars.

"So if they win this upcoming battle they will get the island too?" Tess asked. Gabriel nodded gravely.

"That's why we can't lose, if demons gain control of that island they will bring despair across the world." Gabriel sighed and began pacing the floor.

"A week to prepare for war. That is not near enough time, but we have no choice."

"Akbar will be no match for an angelic for army." Silas said. Gabriel straightened.

"You underestimate Akbar's ability. There's a reason he controls legions." Silas didn't want to believe Akbar was so powerful.

"I want Tess in training everyday up until the battle." Silas frowned.

"Isn't that a little much for her body to handle?"

"We have no other choice, unfortunately war doesn't care about someones skill level." Gabriel said firmly.

"Plus I think I will be fine." Tess looked at Silas, her grey eyes soft. Silas wished he could kiss her right now.

"I will organize the armies." Gabriel folded up his map.

"Akbar has no idea what he is in for." The older angel said, he dismissed them quietly, retreating to a room. Silas and Tess walked out of the throne room. Silas stopped and leaned against a pillar, watching Tess lean against one across from him. She seemed to be lost in thought.

"Tess?" Silas asked. She looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?" Silas asked gently. Tess debated her answer.

"Just worried, I guess."

"Why's that?" Silas tilted his head, searching her eyes. Tess sighed.

"It took that attack on us today at the mall for me to realize how real all of this is." She gestured to everything around her, "How close the battle is." She said quieter. Silas walked over to her, checking to see if anyone was watching. Not seeing anyone, he grabbed her hands.

"I won't let anything happen to you during that battle." Silas swore. Tess let out a sigh, looking from their interlocked fingers to Silas's face.

"I know, that's the problem." Silas felt his confidence waver a little.

"What do you mean?" He whispered.

"I can't lose you." She dropped her eyes. Silas felt his skin grow warm. He lifted her chin so she would have to look at him.

"You won't."

"Beautiful!" Silas looked up to see Diana standing there and applauding them. He frowned.

"Would it inconvenience you to stay away from me for an extended period of time?" He asked.

"You should be happy it was me walking by and not someone else." Diana reminded them. Silas shook his head.

"Excuse me for being ungrateful." Diana stuck her tongue out and turned to Tess.

"Hey, if this jerk doesn't keep you protected in battle, yell for me." Diana winked and walked away. Tess giggled.

"It's not even funny."

"Maybe just a little." Tess smiled.