A/N: I actually wrote this prologue AFTER chapter one, so don’t be disheartened if this is a bit short. R/R PLEASE!!

The Downside of Martyrdom

Prologue

Cassina soared through the sky, her powerful wings scooping up air and propelling her forwards, at a speed far superior than the birds far below her. She looped a couple of lazy circles in the air, before dropping level with a jet, to scan the passengers. She had just soared back up, towards Heaven, when an arrow stung her between the shoulderblades.

My armor…what? The Angel spun, her sword swinging with her, ready to take down whoever had shot her.

There was nothing behind her.

Invisible…they’re Gargoyles! No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, when another arrow struck her in the shoulder. She yanked it out, and closed her eyes, letting her sword guide her. She pulled up quickly, as an arrow shot beneath her, and lunged at the spot in the air where it had come from. A scream, enough to pierce a mortal being’s soul, erupted from the spot, and the Gargoyle lunged at her, now visible, one of its wings pouring black blood. It dropped its bow, and flung itself at her.

Ignoring the pain of an arrow between the ribs, the Angel of War opened her eyes and calmly sliced off its head, throwing her sword with deadly efficiency at the second Gargoyle, slaying it instantly. She dove after the sword, snatching it back up before it had fallen any more than ten feet.

“Is that all I’m worth?” she called after the Gargoyle’s rapidly descending stone corpse. “Two Gargoyles?” she spun around, to continue her journey up, and came face-to-face with one of her worst enemies.

“Hello, Cassina.” The Demon said coldly, and lunged at her.

“Aeriel.” Cassina said coldly, spinning out of range of the Demon’s short knives, so close that he clipped a lock of hair from her short-cropped black hair. Catching Aeriel a glancing blow from behind, she thought she had won the upper hand, until another blow from behind startled her away from the demon. She spun up, away from the searing pain of a knife into the base of her wing, away from Aeriel and another Demon. “Why are you here?” she gasped.

“Why do you think?” Aeriel smirked at her and threw his knife at her, much in the same way that she had flung her sword at the Gargoyle. She managed to dodge the throw at her heart, but the knife embedded itself in her shoulder.

Cassina gasped, and continued upwards, swinging her sword about, keeping the two Demons at bay. She pulled the knife out of her shoulder, clenching her teeth as the blade grated on nerves, and slashed at the younger Demon.

“Don’t worry.” Aeriel said coldly. We aren’t here to kill you. We just want to warn you.”

He winked, and fell to earth, taking the other demon with him.

Cassina waited a moment, before turning and slowly laboring upwards.